1990 Kona Titanium - FINISHED PAGE 13
- Thread starter raidan73
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Re: DIY unicorn
Slightly worried this is DIY version...or are you just teasing us because if it's what I think it is for real then I'm about to wet myself.
Slightly worried this is DIY version...or are you just teasing us because if it's what I think it is for real then I'm about to wet myself.
raidan73
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Re: DIY unicorn
Since the cat is now out of the bag I'd better start the thread proper
Well here's the inevitable boring back story but it's my thread so I'll indulge myself
Back in 1990 I had just left school and my steed was a 531 Raleigh Chinook, which would be too big for me even if I still owned it now! I was soon to replace it with a Bromwich frame but that's another story. Back then I would drool over the Kona's in my LBS and would spend hours studying the pages of the 1990 Kona Catalogue. I had seen the whole Kona range in the metal with the exception of the top of the range Titanium model. Fast forward 23 years and with the exception of the catalogue images I'm still yet to see that bike, even in a photograph.
After joining the forum and seeing all the bikes I had and wished for in my youth it got me thinking. Was the elusive 1990 Kona Titanium ever sold or was it just an unobtainable picture in a catalogue? I sent an email to Kona and the reply certainly suggested that it was a production model:
There were Merlins sold by the Bicycle group and out in the wild. I have friends that sold them in their shop and owned them also. That was before my time at Kona but not before I was into bikes.
The thing about the Merlin was that it was the original TI MTB but when transplanted into the Vancouver riding scene it was too flexy. Even back then guys were pushing iimits. The Hei Hei that came later from Sandvik was a huge leap forward but it wouldn’t have happened without the Merlin.
Furthermore the video tour of the Kona factory on mtb-news.de touched on the 1990 Titanium (around 3:25 in) http://www.mtb-news.de/news/2011/11/18/ ... 9er-fully/
If you haven't seen it then it's certainly worth a watch (although I'm sure the comments about the Merlin frames didn't go down well with some!)
As I'm sure most people know, the 1990 Kona Titanium, like the Ridgeback (and possibly Marin) of the same year were based around the 1990 Merlin Mountain frame so essentially not a Kona in the true sense. This got me thinking that my grail from all those years ago was now not so unobtainable after all. Although rare, and still expensive to purchase, finding a 1990 Merlin Mountain was certainly possible.
In February this year I managed to find the model I was after on ebay in the US. From the photo's the frame looked to be in very good condition and still had it's original decals. After obtaining the serial number from the seller, a pleasant and helpful email exchange with Tom Kellogg confirmed that frame 1343 was built in January 1990. Needless to say I won the auction and have had this piece of precious metal sat in my man cave ever since
So this is my goal....
Since the cat is now out of the bag I'd better start the thread proper
Well here's the inevitable boring back story but it's my thread so I'll indulge myself Back in 1990 I had just left school and my steed was a 531 Raleigh Chinook, which would be too big for me even if I still owned it now! I was soon to replace it with a Bromwich frame but that's another story. Back then I would drool over the Kona's in my LBS and would spend hours studying the pages of the 1990 Kona Catalogue. I had seen the whole Kona range in the metal with the exception of the top of the range Titanium model. Fast forward 23 years and with the exception of the catalogue images I'm still yet to see that bike, even in a photograph.
After joining the forum and seeing all the bikes I had and wished for in my youth it got me thinking. Was the elusive 1990 Kona Titanium ever sold or was it just an unobtainable picture in a catalogue? I sent an email to Kona and the reply certainly suggested that it was a production model:
There were Merlins sold by the Bicycle group and out in the wild. I have friends that sold them in their shop and owned them also. That was before my time at Kona but not before I was into bikes.
The thing about the Merlin was that it was the original TI MTB but when transplanted into the Vancouver riding scene it was too flexy. Even back then guys were pushing iimits. The Hei Hei that came later from Sandvik was a huge leap forward but it wouldn’t have happened without the Merlin.
Furthermore the video tour of the Kona factory on mtb-news.de touched on the 1990 Titanium (around 3:25 in) http://www.mtb-news.de/news/2011/11/18/ ... 9er-fully/
If you haven't seen it then it's certainly worth a watch (although I'm sure the comments about the Merlin frames didn't go down well with some!)
As I'm sure most people know, the 1990 Kona Titanium, like the Ridgeback (and possibly Marin) of the same year were based around the 1990 Merlin Mountain frame so essentially not a Kona in the true sense. This got me thinking that my grail from all those years ago was now not so unobtainable after all. Although rare, and still expensive to purchase, finding a 1990 Merlin Mountain was certainly possible.
In February this year I managed to find the model I was after on ebay in the US. From the photo's the frame looked to be in very good condition and still had it's original decals. After obtaining the serial number from the seller, a pleasant and helpful email exchange with Tom Kellogg confirmed that frame 1343 was built in January 1990. Needless to say I won the auction and have had this piece of precious metal sat in my man cave ever since
So this is my goal....
Re: 1990 Kona Titanium - Merlin content, (one of) my unicorn
Fantastic start mate, this was for me too a bike id always lusted after as a rider....
Are you going to go with the Kona top decal and TBG headbadge...?
Im sure Gil has them on file now, but if not give me a shout im sure I still have copy on file from the teambike rebuilds I did.
Great effort mate, really chuffed for you...
Fantastic start mate, this was for me too a bike id always lusted after as a rider....
Are you going to go with the Kona top decal and TBG headbadge...?
Im sure Gil has them on file now, but if not give me a shout im sure I still have copy on file from the teambike rebuilds I did.
Great effort mate, really chuffed for you...
raidan73
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Re: 1990 Kona Titanium - Merlin content, (one of) my unicorn
I'm sticking with the XT option Andrew! I don't think I would have the funds (and maybe patience) to source the required XC Pro parts list.
andyz":3mvtuspf said:Very nice too, I knew all along of course!
Are you not going with the Suntour option then?
I'm sticking with the XT option Andrew! I don't think I would have the funds (and maybe patience) to source the required XC Pro parts list.
raidan73
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Re: 1990 Kona Titanium - Merlin content, (one of) my unicorn
Thanks Carl.
After much staring at the blurry top tube decal and many CMYK combinations I think I have a decent colour match for the colours around the 'K' on the top tube decal. Much thanks to Gil for his patience as always with those and the Track 2 decals too.
I'm not sure about the headtube badge as I've only seen this bike in this one image. Do you think it would've had a TBG badge?
sinnerman":3cyu2vs0 said:Fantastic start mate, this was for me too a bike id always lusted after as a rider....
Are you going to go with the Kona top decal and TBG headbadge...?
Im sure Gil has them on file now, but if not give me a shout im sure I still have copy on file from the teambike rebuilds I did.
Great effort mate, really chuffed for you...
Thanks Carl.
After much staring at the blurry top tube decal and many CMYK combinations I think I have a decent colour match for the colours around the 'K' on the top tube decal. Much thanks to Gil for his patience as always with those and the Track 2 decals too.
I'm not sure about the headtube badge as I've only seen this bike in this one image. Do you think it would've had a TBG badge?
Re: 1990 Kona Titanium - Merlin content, (one of) my unicorn
with hesitation, I think I may have the full colour brochure and some photographs of the bike, I have moved house but given the project I will have a thorough look for it all for you.
If memory serves me right it had the TBG headbadge, but alas im only 80% on that.. :?
raidan73":1se0fh0v said:sinnerman":1se0fh0v said:Fantastic start mate, this was for me too a bike id always lusted after as a rider....
Are you going to go with the Kona top decal and TBG headbadge...?
Im sure Gil has them on file now, but if not give me a shout im sure I still have copy on file from the teambike rebuilds I did.
Great effort mate, really chuffed for you...
Thanks Carl.
After much staring at the blurry top tube decal and many CMYK combinations I think I have a decent colour match for the colours around the 'K' on the top tube decal. Much thanks to Gil for his patience as always with those and the Track 2 decals too.
I'm not sure about the headtube badge as I've only seen this bike in this one image. Do you think it would've had a TBG badge?
with hesitation, I think I may have the full colour brochure and some photographs of the bike, I have moved house but given the project I will have a thorough look for it all for you.
If memory serves me right it had the TBG headbadge, but alas im only 80% on that.. :?
