Kona Hot Serial Number List - update 05/11/24

[Mortonm]

Its gotta be as simple as it qas redone a decade later or something. Heavily touched up paint. Whatever decals at hand snd modified for single speed.

Here are the dropouts on my brodie. Some resemblance. It too is a mix of prestige tubing but I sont know if the dropouts were made by Brodie or if he sourced them

 

[mk one]

A few manufacturers used that style of dropout, the Kona singlespeed version was different than that though.

Are we sure it is a Kona? It could indeed be 853, it does not look like Tange, though i do have a Tange frame without external butted tubes made by TET around 96 with serial number 001.

 

[Big Blue Sea]

Thanks Pipmeister, MortonM and MK One. I purchased around 2001 or 2003 so do not know the history. A couple years ago I ran across the following post on the internet and bookmarked it because the stickers looked real close to mine including the 853 sticker.

https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2517828/

 

[Mortonm]

Thanks Pipmeister, MortonM and MK One. I purchased around 2001 or 2003 so do not know the history. A couple years ago I ran across the following post on the internet and bookmarked it because the stickers looked real close to mine including the 853 sticker.

https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2517828/

That is a 1998 made with 853 with correct stickers and dropouts.

Tom stopped making Hots for Kona in 1995ish. Never used 853 tubing on those indeed it didn't exist or if it did barely

 

[Pipmeister]

Okay, a bit of a turn up here with almost identical Serial Numbers.

Retro Newbie Shah, from Singapore has posted a picture of a very early Kona Hot, with the paint now stripped raw. I couldn't see the full serial numbers before when it had some paint on it, but now all is revealed. There is a post on the Titanium Serial Number Thread regarding this, but I have bought it all together here to keep the Hot and the Titanium frames in their correct places.

Anyway, the first Serial Number on the Hot Serial Number List is / was:

TET 18
90KH0827C
Which I had taken as an additional coding from Tom as; 1990, Kona Hot, Aug, 27th, Custom?

Both pictures that I have on file for clarity - one after a re-re-paint:



And one that I am led to believe before a re-re-paint:



Here is the new picture of the similar number from the stripped frame with nearly identical Serial Number:

TET 18
90KH0827D


Edit: "D" suffix frame prior to stripping of similar Orange paint:



Pip

 

[rrrroberts]

Could the 18 refer to size (although it is listed as a 19")? If so that could make mine (TET040) the oldest on the list? Wishful thinking, I know. Extrapolating even further - as mine is the same colour as the catalogue picture, could mine be THE catalogue bike? That would be cool. They were available in a multitude of colours after all...

 

[rrrroberts]

Could the 18 refer to size (although it is listed as a 19")? If so that could make mine (TET040) the oldest on the list? Wishful thinking, I know. Extrapolating even further - as mine is the same colour as the catalogue picture, could mine be THE catalogue bike? That would be cool. They were available in a multitude of colours after a

Could the 18 refer to size (although it is listed as a 19")? If so that could make mine (TET040) the oldest on the list? Wishful thinking, I know. Extrapolating even further - as mine is the same colour as the catalogue picture, could mine be THE catalogue bike? That would be cool. They were available in a multitude of colours after all...

Actually the orange colour on one of these two looks even closer to the catalogue. Plus mine is a 19 and the catalogue looks like an 18

 

[Pipmeister]

Yes, in a previous post for TET 18 90KH0827C, the 18 after the TET has been discussed whether is could be referring to a size 18". On the Hot Serial Number List, it was me who listed the TET 18 90KH0827C as 19" after reading through the discussion, but that may be wrong, and I can adjust accordingly. It is my list, and it is me who documents what ends up on there. If you glance towards the bottom of the List, you'll see that I have asked for the following:

Please send me a Private Message if you would like to add a serial number to this list, or discuss the year currently documented for a frame.

This obviously extends to the size of any of the frames!

https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/kona-hot-£300.95403/
The colour for any Hot was a customer's choice, and if you look at the catalogue, you could have "most" of the Dupont Imron selection. The "Custom" braze-ons would have been available from Tom at the time, and we have seen a few of these, which are usually only evident if it is Cable Routing or something obvious - geometry changes were a bit too complex for most rider to customise!

BTW: I have it documented that another high end bike is the actual catalogue bike - but it is a really long story. It would be great if your bike is the actual Catalogue bike - oh and your TET 40 is on the list as:
TET 040 – 19” 1991 Red - Integral Welded Seat Post Clamp, Triangle cut-out Dropout.

I would say though that the Integral Under Bottom Bracket Cable Guide precedes the later plastic Guide on your frame:




I will delve deeper looking for the post where I think jez-4-bikes-max has the 90KH0827C frame painted at Argos, as there is a better discussion on there regarding the history of this frame.

Pip

 

[rrrroberts]

Yes, in a previous post for TET 18 90KH0827C, the 18 after the TET has been discussed whether is could be referring to a size 18". On the Hot Serial Number List, it was me who listed the TET 18 90KH0827C as 19" after reading through the discussion, but that may be wrong, and I can adjust accordingly. It is my list, and it is me who documents what ends up on there. If you glance towards the bottom of the List, you'll see that I have asked for the following:

Please send me a Private Message if you would like to add a serial number to this list, or discuss the year currently documented for a frame.

This obviously extends to the size of any of the frames!

https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/kona-hot-£300.95403/
The colour for any Hot was a customer's choice, and if you look at the catalogue, you could have "most" of the Dupont Imron selection. The "Custom" braze-ons would have been available from Tom at the time, and we have seen a few of these, which are usually only evident if it is Cable Routing or something obvious - geometry changes were a bit too complex for most rider to customise!

BTW: I have it documented that another high end bike is the actual catalogue bike - but it is a really long story. It would be great if your bike is the actual Catalogue bike - oh and your TET 40 is on the list as:
TET 040 – 19” 1991 Red - Integral Welded Seat Post Clamp, Triangle cut-out Dropout.

I would say though that the Integral Under Bottom Bracket Cable Guide precedes the later plastic Guide on your frame:


View attachment 597673

I will delve deeper looking for the post where I think jez-4-bikes-max has the 90KH0827C frame painted at Argos, as there is a better discussion on there regarding the history of this frame.

Pip

I suspect TET 040 was ex-UK anyway, as it had Pace forks and USE finishing kit. And DX, which is basically a crime on one of these. Excellent point on the cable guides too. So just to clear up, the thinking is that TT only ever used each number once, so although my Hot is TET 040, TET 041 could have been a different brand that he was also building for, and there is no Hot with the number TET 041?

This is my favourite thread on this site by the way. We are some lucky owners.

 

[girlscantell]

TET 251 just arrived in the mail.