Kuota Kiral Ultegra Di2 Elite review

While it might not be to everyone’s liking, we really dig the Kiral’s camo colour scheme, it beats seeing yet another solid black bike and gives it a style
all its own.

Intriguingly, it also stands to highlight some of the key shapes and forms of the frame while masking others.

When it comes to the equipment Kuota’s UK people offer a number of optional builds based on the same £1,725 frameset, from a budget-conscious Shimano 105 selection up to a blowout Dura-Ace Di2, and a range of Mavic wheels.

It makes the bikes highly customisable without an endless list of options that simply confuse.

With our budget in mind, we plumped for the Ultegra R8050 electronic groupset and added the Cosmic Elite UST (tubeless) wheels.

Components include the highly respected Deda Zero2 bar and stem, with the perch selected as San Marco’s Concor saddle.

With its pronounced triangulation running from the head tube back it’ll come as little surprise that this is a stiff front end and it’s never more evident than when levering yourself up steep inclines.

Likewise the compact rear triangle and 31.6mm seatpost make for a taut feel and with very little flex.

Having not used the Mavic UST system before it was interesting to note that the tyres were working hard and were the main source of comfort, meaning that the 10-15psi drop in tyre pressure they afforded helped maintain comfort.

These elements combine with the slightly detuned geometry to help the Kiral go after the more race-oriented end of the sportive market.

The latest generation of Di2 shifting is superb, Since the beginning we’ve been waiting for Shimano to introduce a ‘click’ to the shift paddle so it’s kudos to them that they have. And it’s a very satisfying click, too!

So just about everything on this machine is direct and tuned to give a sporty feel that will entertain when you want to turn it on.

Plenty capable in corners this particular build makes for a great, all-day machine –as long as you like race-derived ride experience.

Ratings

Frame 8/10; Components 9/10; Wheels 8/10; The ride 8/10

Verdict

A light-feeling and fast machine to ride, the Kiral is testamen to the great job this Milanese brand has done. We were surprised by both the weight and stiffness achieved, so if these are high on your wishlist, the Kiral could be for you.

Specification