I think it is really cool that Jonk has a DH bike, and there is a really good chance that his new Karpiel was my old Karpiel. Perhaps, as he got it from someone over at SVB, who might have purchased it from Stubby from the old Bear Creek DH racing days, who he bought it from me. I bought it from Mike Hartlove, who raced it all across the US doing the NORBA Nationals on it in 1999. We did a lot of travelling that summer together. I raced it a lot when I bought it, and I even won the last round of the Plattekill Pro Slalom series (and the championship) on that thing. I sold it but never had a DH bike that rode as well as it again. When I first got it, Mike gave me some long-travel lower suspension links to use which I put right on -- longer travel is always better, right? The bike instantly pedalled like garbage. I kept the old links, but never put-em back on. They travelled around in the back of my car and then my toolbox for a few years then to the big parts bin at my folks house.
This year I was cleaning some stuff out there and just tossing old parts and memorabilia. It was like a history lesson from mountain biking seeing all this stuff from the 80s and early 90s go in the trash, but what can you do. I was about to toss them links, but the bag was full. 'Nuther load, nuther day. Low and behold, Jonk comes across with my old bike after all these years the same week I find the links. WhatEVER. Jonk, they are all yours (for the bargain which we will not mention here) and I hope you ride it well. I did have to chuckle when you told me that the dude you bought it from said "it was never raced..."
Welcome to the DH ranks. Pin it to win it, and pedal back to the top. Good luck.