Some help with a frame ID please :) KONA hei hei

[shauno]

This arrived not long ago since my original ti Hei Hei that I just purchased was listed the wrong size. Costly mistake on my part. silly me yes.
This one is my size but I have some questions about its year and origin. And the serial number as well. It's not normal.

I bought it knowing it has an issue with the seatpost size and possibly something was up with that. I had a hunch it had a shim, and it does. My guess is its been reamed out to accept a larger post because my 27.2 is very very loose. So much so that the post it came with was a 27.4. Also very very loose. Not normal. I think it has been reamed because you can see the clamp has been overtightened to clamp the post tightly. My thoughts... the shim/seat tube has been reamed. No problem. Its just the shim. More on that later

So next question. The serial number and the frame and the decals... do they make sense?
The headtube is 110mm. its an 18" frame. the seat tube is not externally butted. It has bullet stays but the dropouts don't have any cut outs like the others I've seen. They're solid.

Why does the serial number start with B.G. ??

It's usually just B.

Bicycle Group?

It's B.G 18014

Am I thinking too much about this or is this weird? I thought it was too early for the bullet stays based on the decals. Can anyone explain?

Here's some pics...

Frame, stays, shim, shim, serial number.

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance

Oh and also, I'm trying to determine what form to use on it... whether it's suspension corrected or not. 395mm or 410mm?

 

[shauno]

Re: Some help with a frame ID please

Anyone Help?

I heard these are hard to date but somebody must have some insight

 

[Rampage]

Re:

Is that an aluminium shim in it?

 

[shauno]

Re:

Yes it is aluminum. I have more info.

From what I've been told there should be a shim in most ti frames in the seat tubes.
Apparently there is too much weld distortion to ream the tube round again so frame builders add a shim and then ream it round. That info is from a local builder in my area.
You may have heard of him

So far no luck on the year though.

 

[raidan73]

Re:

From what I understand the bullet style dropouts were introduced in 1993 and the serial number 18014 says its the 14th (014) 18" frame to be built and I have read that some have a BG serial number. The decals are also correct for 1993. Perhaps the dropouts didn't have the 'cut out' for the first few built.

 

[Rampage]

Re: Some help with a frame ID please

I can't think of any frame builders in your area....



If you put Kona HeiHei in the title you'll probably attract more Kona people.

 

[shauno]

Re:

Anyone have any idea what fork I should run on this frame?

Read the post and scratch your head... lol

Thanks

 

[yagamuffin]

FutureShocks or some Marzocchi I guess. Or maybe something carbony, maybe some FSX...

 

[24pouces]

Re:

I have to ask to "Jemesouviens" who actually got my first HeiHei frame but the serial number was BG16007. The bike was first shiwn in a 1992 magazine but got those bullet dropouts. Perhaps Kona changed for those dropout design in the middle of 1992, and the other first SandVik HeiHei were built in 1991.
I remember a thread about the ti Project 2: the whole production could be done during one year (90 or 91) and Kona would sale them until 93/94, until the stock was empty.

 

[shauno]

Re:

That's excellent info right there...

If it is an early frame with later bullet stays then it could possibly require the early 395mm fork...

Is there any info on frame dimensions that distinguish years? I can't seem to find anything in the archives.