# 1990's Kona Hei Hei anyone still rolling on one?



## 1993gsxr907 (Sep 12, 2010)

Just wondering if anyone still rolls on a mid to late 1990's Kona HEI HEI TI...let see them


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## 1993gsxr907 (Sep 12, 2010)

I guess thats a no...do I have the last one on the road?


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## tductape (Mar 31, 2008)

Key word: "Retrobike"
Kona's and spin wheels get a lot more attention on that site. I think several of them are still used on and off road. 
I have two newer Kona's but no ti frames. 
Enjoy the ride....


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## Rumpfy (Dec 21, 2003)

my eyes!!!!!


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## anthonyinhove (Nov 3, 2007)

There are plenty of titanium Hei Heis around. They tend to last quite a long time, especially as they were made by TST = TiSport, sometimes known as Sandvic, of which they were a subsidiary company for a spell.

Your 1996 model was the first year when the Hei Hei began to be sold alongside the stiffer/heavier/costlier King Kahuna variant. Hei Heis were made up to 1999 and King Kahunas up to 2000. On the UK market, the frames tend to go for $800-900 - which is considerably more than frames made by TST for other brands. I believe that frames make higher prices generally in the UK than in the US though, so I expect it may be worth less over there.

I am not sure whether your frame is a 96 or a 97. It is the shape of a 97, but the down tube decal is from a 96. If the front mech cable runs along the top tube, it is a 97.

Your frame was made for a 63mm fork, so you're not doing it too many favours by using that Recon which I assume is at least a 100mm fork. I don't know if it was that or the Spin wheels that Rumpfy was finding painful to look at, but whichever it was I must confess that I agree with him.

[Incidentally, the assertion that Spin wheels are popular or often seen on Retrobike.co.uk is well wide of the mark, as are most of the things said about Retrobike.co.uk on this forum IME.]


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## Rumpfy (Dec 21, 2003)

anthonyinhove said:


> There are plenty of titanium Hei Heis around. They tend to last quite a long time, especially as they were made by TST = TiSport, sometimes known as Sandvic, of which they were a subsidiary company for a spell.
> 
> Your 1996 model was the first year when the Hei Hei began to be sold alongside the stiffer/heavier/costlier King Kahuna variant. Hei Heis were made up to 1999 and King Kahunas up to 2000. On the UK market, the frames tend to go for $800-900 - which is considerably more than frames made by TST for other brands. I believe that frames make higher prices generally in the UK than in the US though, so I expect it may be worth less over there.
> 
> ...


That might be more helpful than any post I've ever made. Good stuff.

And ya...the wheels. Fork. General build.  Frame looks great though!


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## 1993gsxr907 (Sep 12, 2010)

Rumpfy said:


> That might be more helpful than any post I've ever made. Good stuff.
> 
> And ya...the wheel,Fork. General build.  Frame looks great though!


I agree and all these years I thought it was a 1996...as for my wheels and fork...
I have a couple wheelset for this bike chris king on some sup's, set of dt swiss on sup's and spins.
The fork was a mistake.... I know..... I will find a sid for it over the winter for it.


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## 1993gsxr907 (Sep 12, 2010)

*thanks*



anthonyinhove said:


> There are plenty of titanium Hei Heis around. They tend to last quite a long time, especially as they were made by TST = TiSport, sometimes known as Sandvic, of which they were a subsidiary company for a spell.
> 
> Your 1996 model was the first year when the Hei Hei began to be sold alongside the stiffer/heavier/costlier King Kahuna variant. Hei Heis were made up to 1999 and King Kahunas up to 2000. On the UK market, the frames tend to go for $800-900 - which is considerably more than frames made by TST for other brands. I believe that frames make higher prices generally in the UK than in the US though, so I expect it may be worth less over there.
> 
> ...


I am not selling it


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## proto2000 (Jan 27, 2007)

Your bar ends were showing.


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## rockhound (Dec 19, 2005)

anthonyinhove said:


> Your frame was made for a 63mm fork, so you're not doing it too many favours by using that Recon which I assume is at least a 100mm fork.


Recons can be set at 80mm, 100mm or 120mm.

It looks like a '96 to me (stickers and downtube cable routing), which means it came with a Judy XC ('97 had a Bomber Z-1).

An 80mm fork on a frame designed for a 63mm isn't that big of a deal...If you absolutely have to have 71/73, run it with more sag.

I'd rather see it ridden than hang on a wall. Think of it as a '69 GTO with 18" wheels, swaybars, and urethane bumpers.

Besides, Kona has been running 100mm forks on some of their 80mm XC frames in the last few years.


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## Turd (Jul 21, 2005)

Maybe, just bought a NOS frame and I thought it was a Hei Hei and I’m sure about the TiSport/Sandvic.
Serial # starts with a “P” followed by size and production number. I’ll post pics.


I don’t understand all this “retro” class, to me high end mid to late 90’s is modern warfare but a pain to find the little bits for maintenance and compatibility.


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## 1993gsxr907 (Sep 12, 2010)

rockhound said:


> Recons can be set at 80mm, 100mm or 120mm.
> 
> It looks like a '96 to me (stickers and downtube cable routing), which means it came with a Judy XC ('97 had a Bomber Z-1).
> 
> ...


Well the bike had a Manitou SX Ti on it when I bought it back in 1998...then I cracked that fork...
got some other Manitou...this summer I had the Recon put on...it is set to 80mm.

I want to fInd a Sid Race for it....


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## anthonyinhove (Nov 3, 2007)

rockhound said:


> Recons can be set at 80mm, 100mm or 120mm.
> It looks like a '96 to me (stickers and downtube cable routing), which means it came with a Judy XC ('97 had a Bomber Z-1).
> An 80mm fork on a frame designed for a 63mm isn't that big of a deal...If you absolutely have to have 71/73, run it with more sag.
> I'd rather see it ridden than hang on a wall. Think of it as a '69 GTO with 18" wheels, swaybars, and urethane bumpers.
> Besides, Kona has been running 100mm forks on some of their 80mm XC frames in the last few years.


The 1996 Hei Hei (like the 94s and 95s) had a different shape, with much less seat tube extension than regular Konas (see below). However having said that, I have seen two 'odd' examples that have the 1997 shape combined with the 1996 cable routing (both mechs under the bb), so if this has the same routing it could be another like that.

It may seem odd for some examples to be a mix and match of design styles, but I guess it's possible that they were made in smallish batches, so design changes may have been introduced piecemeal if that was how the spirit moved them.

I agree about the viability of longer travel, but I would never recommend increasing sag to tweek the geometry - sag should be what sag should be. If a fork's length reduces the head angle, what Kona have done is to compensate by reducing the length of the stem. Kona frames kept the same shape from 1994 to 2010, but as the forks became longer, the stems became shorter to compensate and that was how they retained the original lively handling.

In the case of the OP's bike, we have a long fork and a long stem, which Kona would not do. I would suggest a 100mm stem with an 80mm fork, and an 80mm stem with a 100mm fork. But really although an 80mm stem/100mm fork combo will work, it's a very different type of bike and possibly not to the tastes of those who like VRC rides.


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## 1993gsxr907 (Sep 12, 2010)

anthonyinhove said:


> In the case of the OP's bike, we have a long fork and a long stem, which Kona would not do. I would suggest a 100mm stem with an 80mm fork, and an 80mm stem with a 100mm fork. But really although an 80mm stem/100mm fork combo will work, it's a very different type of bike and possibly not to the tastes of those who like VRC rides.


Just got home and my extralite 100mm stem was in the mail you must have been reading my mind ...no b.s.
Thanks for the info...I am not sure what year it is..


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## 1993gsxr907 (Sep 12, 2010)

*extralite stem*

no bs


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## rockhound (Dec 19, 2005)

anthonyinhove said:


> The 1996 Hei Hei (like the 94s and 95s) had a different shape, with much less seat tube extension than regular Konas (see below). However having said that, I have seen two 'odd' examples that have the 1997 shape combined with the 1996 cable routing (both mechs under the bb), so if this has the same routing it could be another like that.


That sounds plausible to me.



anthonyinhove said:


> In the case of the OP's bike, we have a long fork and a long stem, which Kona would not do. I would suggest a 100mm stem with an 80mm fork, and an 80mm stem with a 100mm fork. But really although an 80mm stem/100mm fork combo will work, it's a very different type of bike and possibly not to the tastes of those who like VRC rides.


I haven't done that with sag myself, but I have seen it done. I don't think it is necessary with the OP's build, but if the 71/73 were critical to someone, it could be done.

If the stem trick is what Kona has done, then I say go for it.


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## anthonyinhove (Nov 3, 2007)

1993gsxr907 said:


> Just got home and my extralite 100mm stem was in the mail you must have been reading my mind ...no b.s.
> Thanks for the info...I am not sure what year it is..


Aha! A worthy choice. It looks as though it has both mech cables routed under the bb, so it is a 1996 frame in the 1997 shape. It begins to look as though they may have changed the style during the model year.


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## Tassie Devil (Feb 7, 2005)

anthonyinhove said:


> Aha! A worthy choice. It looks as though it has both mech cables routed under the bb, so it is a 1996 frame in the 1997 shape. It begins to look as though they may have changed the style during the model year.


Yes it a late version of the 96 frame which is why it has the extra stop for the V brakes on the top tube and the longer seat tube extension.

It should be noted that the first MY97 model Hei Hei's and King Kahunas were available around September 96 too.


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## TomMcT (Mar 1, 2005)

*I have one too...*

No picture on hand, but I'm the original owner of a '94 and is still my favorite bike (have road bikes and a FS Ventana...). It's on its fifth fork (Manitou III, Mach 5, SX-carbon, SX-R, SX-R).

It's showing its age not due to the frame, which looks virtually new, but to its lack of disc mount, and geometry optimized for 60mm forks. Not sure what I'll do for its suspension when the present fork gives up...though SX seem to hold up well.

I ride this bike on the road and the very rocky terrain of Southern Arizona and it's a very forgiving ride...have considered replacing it with a newer Ti frame (Lynskey or Dean maybe) to get the 100mm fork and disc, but cant' bring myself to retire a bike that has done so well for so long...


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