Age my Hei Hei

I have a Hei Hei frame with most of the decals missing and I'm trying to find out what year it is. It has the bullet style ends to the seat and chain stays where they meet the drop outs and the serial number is B20538 and it also has 'made in USA' stamped above the serial. I don't have any pics to hand but if required I could get some. Just wondered if it could be aged on the serial number?

Thanks, mousemat.

Its either a 96 or 97 (I'd say a 97). Cable routing for the front derailleur will be the give away.

If its on the downtube its a 96, top tube its a 97. If its a 97 it should have pale blue decals and not the yellow of the 97 He Hei King Kahuna.

The serial number says its a Hei Hei in size 20, and is number 538 off the production line.

Moved to bullit rear ends in 93 methinks. My 1991 (Drapoon owns this now) was a pre bullit style rear style. I reckon off hand you will have a 1993-1995 one.

I bet its also got the short seat binder cluster at the top - again a typical indication of 1993-1995ish frames.

They started off having longer Kona-type seat cluster in the early days then seemed to switch back in 1996 ish+.

All Hei Heis should say MADE IN USA on the BB I think (not sure about later ones tho.

It's mostly about the cable stops.

The serial number on mine is KH12345. So a different format to yours. Plus "Made in USA".

The following might be wildly inaccurate, but here goes:

1993: Bullet ends with two single cable stops on the top tube for rear canti brake. Canti hanger welded on the rear stays. Both gear cables run along the down tube.

1994: Shorter than normal stubby seat tube extension above top tube join. Both gear cables on the downtube; rear brake along the top tube, one front brake cable stop on TT. The rear brake stop uses a seat tube collar thing for canti brakes (no rear canti hanger welded on stays like the 1993 model).

1995: Longer (normal) seat tube extension above the top tube join. Downtube routing for both mechs. Still (??) uses rear canti stop collar on seat tube (???). My 95 Humu still uses the collar on the seat tube and a single welded cable stop at the front of the toptube. Not sure if the Hei Hei had already changed in 1995?

1996: Downtube routing for both front and rear mechs. No seat collar thing for cantis. Back to two brake cable stops on top tube (like the 1993 canti model) but no canti hanger welded on rear stays, as it used a V-brake.

1997: Downtube routing for rear mech only. Double top tube routing for front mech and rear brake.

1998: All cabling along top tube (triple cable stops front and rear).

1999: Cabling as 1998 but front half of frame painted red.

2000: Cabling as 1998 and 1999 but back to bare Ti finish. Maybe they only did the King Kahuna this year with the shaped tubes and gussets????? Not sure.

And what style and colour are the remaining stickers?

White with oval shaped "O"?
Square serif font (usually blue-ish grey?) with a squared "O"?
Swirly head tube sticker?

K-headtube sticker?
Larger, non-square "Kona" downtube logos?
With "jungle" foliage background or without?

Cheers for all the input. Based on what's been posted so far it could be a '94 or a '96? It has the stubbier seat tube top, I initially thought it may have been cut down! It also has the mech cable stops on the downtube and no canti cable stop on the seat stays. When I get a chance I'll take some pics and post them to see if that helps pin the year down.

Thanks again for all your help. Mousemat.

The changes in cable routing *should* be a reasonably reliable way of dating it. But don't rely on my thoughts...

If there are any remnants left from the stickers or other photos I'm sure somebody on here will be able to date it that way. Much simpler.

http://www.konaretro.com/showarticle.php?path=articles/catalogues/

DM

I'd say 1994. Seems to be a lot of Hei Hei's around of this era. Must have had a big flux of them.

Re: It's mostly about the cable stops.

DM":14uffqwu said:

The following might be wildly inaccurate, but here goes:

1996: Downtube routing for both front and rear mechs. No seat collar thing for cantis. Back to two brake cable stops on top tube (like the 1993 canti model) but no canti hanger welded on rear stays, as it used a V-brake.

1997: Downtube routing for rear mech only. Double top tube routing for front mech and rear brake.

Click to expand...

96 Hei Hei, came with Maguras. The canti clamp was still available if you wanted to run different brakes though and it should be remembered that Vs didn't apear until later in 96 after the Kona model year setup was defined - they appear first of 97 model year bikes which became available in late 96. Mid way through the 97 model year cable routing for the rear deraileur changed to the top tube on both the Hei Hei and King Kahuna.

numbering system also changed slightly for the 98 model year to KK..... for King Kahuna and KH..... for the Hei Hei. Prior to 98 its B for Hei Hei and K for King Kahuna.

Given the frame number I'd say its a later one (96) as 20" frames weren't that popular, and it is number 538 in size 20. The seat tube it stubbier on the 20" frames too.

Now hurry up and post some picturs and I'll go through all my photos, catalogues and tech info to pin the year down.

wee on it and bury it in the garden for a couple of weeks. That will age it a treat!