Kona Hot Stars N Bars frame 1996 in 14"

[joglo]

hi,
i thought to turn this into a bike for my little one, but plans have changed and i don't need it any more.

Can you please help me to define a fair price for the Frame only?
Typically Hot / Stars N Bars models are rather exclusive, but the 14" size makes it a bit exotic. Moreover the paint quality seem to be not very durable, the frame has scratches and chips, especially at the chainstay.



Any idea?

 

[raidan73]

Very cool! Not a direct comparison but I sold my 14" 1993 Teesdale built Hot for £300 as a package, complete with P2 for and Velocity stem. I sold another in the same size and same era for around £200-250 as a frame only

 

[Pipmeister]

hi,
i thought to turn this into a bike for my little one, but plans have changed and i don't need it any more.

Hello there, would you be willing to let me add this frame to the Kona Hot Serial Number list?

Perhaps you could send me a picture of the frame's Serial Number stamped into the underside of the Bottom Bracket.

Regards, Pip

Kona Hot Serial Number List:

Kona Hot Frame Serial Numbers: 1991-1995 Tom Teesdale: West Branch, Iowa, Idaho. The 1991 – 1995 frames are made from various mixes of Tange Prestige Concept, Tange Ultimate / Ultrastrong, Tange Ultimate / Superlight and Tange Ultimate / Ultralight. Dropouts from ’91 – ‘93 with triangle hole...

www.retrobike.co.uk

 

[joglo]

Hello there, would you be willing to let me add this frame to the Kona Hot Serial Number list?

Perhaps you could send me a picture of the frame's Serial Number stamped into the underside of the Bottom Bracket.

Regards, Pip

Kona Hot Serial Number List:

Kona Hot Frame Serial Numbers: 1991-1995 Tom Teesdale: West Branch, Iowa, Idaho. The 1991 – 1995 frames are made from various mixes of Tange Prestige Concept, Tange Ultimate / Ultrastrong, Tange Ultimate / Superlight and Tange Ultimate / Ultralight. Dropouts from ’91 – ‘93 with triangle hole...

www.retrobike.co.uk

hi, let me check,
the only picture i do have at hand just shows initial H096....


Not too much into Kona, at other Bike brands H stands often for produced from Hodaka
96 means 1996?
That wouldn't fit to handmade in USA


But hard to match my bike to the scheme documented in your thread, isn't it?

 

[Pipmeister]

Not too much into Kona, at other Bike brands H stands often for produced from Hodaka
96 means 1996?

Your frame is a 1997 model, and will sit in the Kona Hot Serial Number sequence with the Altitude built frames.

The next number after after the "6" looks like a "1" which will probably put it in the the batch built in November ("11"). Frames were built ahead of release of the next year's model.

I would be very grateful if you could take an in focus picture of the remainder of the Serial Number, so that I can add it to my documentation, and to the Serial Number List.

Kind Regards,
Pip

 

[Pipmeister]

Not too much into Kona, at other Bike brands H stands often for produced from Hodaka

96 means 1996?
That wouldn't fit to handmade in USA
View attachment 553804

But hard to match my bike to the scheme documented in your thread, isn't it?

BTW: The "H" stands for HOT, rather than Hodaka.

Serial Number Coding for Altitude built HOT (and KU) frames were in my view the most informative.

An example of a 1997 Kona HOT would be H09611059:
H0 = HOT, 96 = 1996, 11 = November, 059 = Sequential Serial Number.

An Example of an Altitude KU would be K09606058:
K0 = KU, 96 = 1996, 06 = June, 058 = Sequential Serial Number.

You'll notice that your frame has the full on 1997 Jungle Livery, and the Cable Stop arrangment of the 1997 range - Twin Stops for Front Mech and Rear Brake on the Top Tube, with Down Tube Rear Mech Routing.

See example below of H09611059, which you will find on the Serial Number List thread:



The first introduction of the Jungle logo was in 1996, but only some of the Decals - the Model Name on the Top Tube, the Kona Head Tube Logo (beneath the Spiral logo) and the Kona Custom logo towards the rear of the Top Tube. The Kona Down Tube Logo was still in the Block Font similar to the 1995 models.

I hope that helps identify your frame for you. Looking forward to seeing the remainder of your Serial Number.

Pip.
Edit: Typo 07/07/21

 

[joglo]

BTW: The "H" stands for HOT, rather than Hodaka.

Serial Number Coding for Altitude built HOT (and KU) frames were in my view the most informative.

An example of a 1997 Kona HOT would be H09611059:
H0 = HOT, 96 = 1996, 11 = November, 059 = Sequential Serial Number.

An Example of an Altitude KU would be K09606058:
K0 = KU, 96 = 1996, 06 = June, 058 = Sequential Serial Number.

You'll notice that your frame has the full on 1997 Jungle Livery, and the Cable Stop arrangment of the 1997 range - Twin Stops for Front Mech and Rear Brake on the Top Tube, with Down Tube Rear Mech Routing.

See example below of H09611059, which you will find on the Serial Number List thread:

View attachment 553847

The first introduction of the Jungle logo was in 1996, but only some of the Decals - the Model Name on the Top Tube, the Kona Head Tube Logo (beneath the Spiral logo) and the Kona Custom logo towards the rear of the Top Tube. The Kona Down Tube Logo was still in the Block Font similar to the 1995 models.

I hope that helps identify your frame for you. Looking forward to seeing the remainder of your Serial Number.

Pip.
Edit: Typo 07/07/21

Hi, thanks a lot for all those helpful insights!

The SN of my Hot is H09611004, feel free to add it to the documentation in your thread.
Applying your logic, that means
H0 = HOT, 96 = 1996, 11 = November, thats than already model year 1997, 004 = Sequential Serial Number, the fourth bike of that lot?

 

[Pipmeister]

Yes all of the Kona Custom Program frames were welded in batches of varying quantities, depending on demand, sales and orders.

The lowest serial number Hot welded in November 1996 that we had on record prior to yours was number 34, and the highest was 110. That does seem like a lot of frames in a month, although we understand that Altitude seemed to over commit themselves; by December 1996, the outfit had folded, or at least Jeff Lindsay had left.

I would very much appreciate a picture of your serial number, not only for my records, but to give your frame a confirmed entry on the Serial Number List.

Pip