1997 Kona King Kahuna Hei Hei
- Thread starter Matttymm
- Start date
At the end of the day it is your bike, build it with parts you like and will feel happy using. Plenty of people build bikes with nice period correct parts, only to then not ride it as they don't want to ruin the parts.
Personally i like classic quality frames fitted with modern quality parts.
Looking forward to seeing it built up and enjoyed out in the wild
Personally i like classic quality frames fitted with modern quality parts.
Looking forward to seeing it built up and enjoyed out in the wild
pw_pw_la
Senior Retro Guru
This is definitely the issue with headsets. And why I also decided to go modern on my build, too. I just lucked out in that the White Industries headset is a new item, but has very classic styling and minimal branding, so doesn't look out of place at all with the rest of old, highly polished White kit going on the bike.
That said, yeah, if you want to match seatpost collar with headset it will be harder... But... Why match seatpost collar at all!?
I think this is why so many people just go with Chris King's. A new product, sure, but timeless and pretty much unchanged, so they rarely look out of place on a retro build.
Unsurpsingly, I feel the same way about the pedals as I do the Hope bits... but as MK One just said: its your bike and the best way to build it is the way you're going to be happy riding it!
Things can always be changed later on anyway, if you want, as things pop up. Personally that's my favorite thing about bikes... switching things out over time, and from one bike to the next.
I actually almost had a second White Industries headset I could have parted with, when a missing package showed up at mine months and months later! Unfrotuntely, the eBay seller got the same delivery notice I did and it had to go back!
Yikes, those decals are wrong. The black edging is too thick, I had the same issue with my original Explosif.
I can't believe you removed the older ones...
Yikes, those decals are wrong. The black edging is too thick, I had the same issue with my original Explosif.
I can't believe you removed the older ones...
I’m not sure about that but appreciate your view.
The ones that were on there were reproductions and not original to the bike, the ones on the Seatpost are original and they’ve stayed naturally.
Takingabreak
Dave Yates Fan
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Regarding headsets, I found that a Ritchey Pro headset worked nicely on my Hei Hei, because it was reasonable quality, not too heavy and not so expensive that I winced as I removed the logo using acetone. I wanted minimal branding showing on the bike so not to detract from the Hei Hei loveliness.
They were factory originals though, of a later design. Uber cool
Pipmeister
Senior Retro Guru
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Since I made the reluctant decision to sell off my collection (see nearly there thread page 16), I have tried to avoid viewing any of my previous bikes as they were subsequently sold on, as I was obviously very attached to them.
However I keep bumping to this particular bike, and would like to clarify a couple of points.
It’s true to say that the 1999 Decals that I fitted to the frame were indeed not original to the bike – however, they were not reproductions.
They were authentic factory replacements, and were supplied by Kona H.Q. in Ferndale.
The Top Tube, Down Tube and Head Tube Decal set were on an A3 Sheet, while the remainder were individually supplied. The “ones on the Seatpost” (I assume you mean Seat Tube) were therefore also not original to the frame, although they were supplied by Kona H.Q. along with the 1999 A3 sheet.
History: I bought the frame in 2009 from bestmtb (Vinnie) in Los Altos, California. It had the Blue Decals, which were available at the time alongside the Yellow decals that are documented in the 1997 Catalogue. They were somewhat tatty, but I built it up after using Duraglit to bring up the frame finish.
A couple of years later, I was inspired to refurbish the frame after seeing a Wadsy’s Yellow decalled 1997 Hei Hei. I would like to avoid getting into a debate here, however Alasdair is correct with regards to the replacement 1997 Decals on file that are available to members on here, where the Font and the Aspect Ratio is not entirely authentic – I would say that is because they are suppled on an A4 Sheet, which is not large enough to maintain authenticity. This was even commented on by people who are not necessarily experienced on the accuracy of a refurbishment.
Moving on; as my collection continued to grow with many examples from 1997, I decided to modernise just one of my 3 (subsequently 4) Titanium bikes, by fitting Discs to this particular bike. The Disc Tab was on the frame when Vinnie bought it, and is not a TST Retrofit modification, as their version has two individual tabs as opposed to the single (stronger?) Disc Tab on this frame. My view being that the 1999 Decals were a mere 2 years on from the originals, but I thought that it was in keeping with the modern disc brake set-up that Kona subsequently introduced in 2000.
I’m not sure that I should add some more pictures of this frame’s various incarnations, although I would like to add a picture that Vinnie sent me from the Post Office in California to assure me that the frame was well packed. You could have run it over with lorry and it would have been fine – when it turned up at work, it took me about 45 minutes to unpack!
Pip
However I keep bumping to this particular bike, and would like to clarify a couple of points.
It’s true to say that the 1999 Decals that I fitted to the frame were indeed not original to the bike – however, they were not reproductions.
They were authentic factory replacements, and were supplied by Kona H.Q. in Ferndale.
The Top Tube, Down Tube and Head Tube Decal set were on an A3 Sheet, while the remainder were individually supplied. The “ones on the Seatpost” (I assume you mean Seat Tube) were therefore also not original to the frame, although they were supplied by Kona H.Q. along with the 1999 A3 sheet.
History: I bought the frame in 2009 from bestmtb (Vinnie) in Los Altos, California. It had the Blue Decals, which were available at the time alongside the Yellow decals that are documented in the 1997 Catalogue. They were somewhat tatty, but I built it up after using Duraglit to bring up the frame finish.
A couple of years later, I was inspired to refurbish the frame after seeing a Wadsy’s Yellow decalled 1997 Hei Hei. I would like to avoid getting into a debate here, however Alasdair is correct with regards to the replacement 1997 Decals on file that are available to members on here, where the Font and the Aspect Ratio is not entirely authentic – I would say that is because they are suppled on an A4 Sheet, which is not large enough to maintain authenticity. This was even commented on by people who are not necessarily experienced on the accuracy of a refurbishment.
Moving on; as my collection continued to grow with many examples from 1997, I decided to modernise just one of my 3 (subsequently 4) Titanium bikes, by fitting Discs to this particular bike. The Disc Tab was on the frame when Vinnie bought it, and is not a TST Retrofit modification, as their version has two individual tabs as opposed to the single (stronger?) Disc Tab on this frame. My view being that the 1999 Decals were a mere 2 years on from the originals, but I thought that it was in keeping with the modern disc brake set-up that Kona subsequently introduced in 2000.
I’m not sure that I should add some more pictures of this frame’s various incarnations, although I would like to add a picture that Vinnie sent me from the Post Office in California to assure me that the frame was well packed. You could have run it over with lorry and it would have been fine – when it turned up at work, it took me about 45 minutes to unpack!
Pip
Last edited:
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