Kona Niihau - any info?

[Tsunami]

Hi, this is my first post here and it might or might not be a tricky question: does anybody have any info about a mid-nineties Kona model called Niihau? I remember seeing ads for a Niihau in a finnish bike magazine around '95 (bright yellow, low end kit), and now i might be able to buy one. Google, Bikepedia etc. have no info. I get google hits only from finnish and russian websites?! could this be a finnish distributor's home market model or something? I'm pretty sure I'm not delusionl and the model exists.

I suppose i'll be writing here every now and then so i might as well introduce myself a bit: I live in Helsinki, Finland. Been riding a 1995 Marin IFT since new and now planning on tastefully converting it into a single speed (the XT rapidfires finally gave in a while ago). Now I'm prowling for a 94/95/96 kona I've recently lost auctions for a 96 Koa, 95 Fire Mountain, spotted too late a 40€ mint 96 Hahanna and heard that the seller of a 96 kilauea had decided not to sell the bike after all... But now I have this Niihau mystery bike that I might actually be able to by.

So, some info would be much appreciated!

 

[albash82]

sounds like an interesting ride... let us know when you see it, try get pics? i've never heard of it.

 

[lewis1641]

Never heard of it either but i'm sure a kona head will be along shortly. Welcome to the site

 

[legrandefromage]

Bike companies gave different names to their bikes in other countries so as not to infringe local copyright laws.

Might be the same for your Kona of Mystery

 

[Badwulf]

Bike companies gave different names to their bikes in other countries so as not to infringe local copyright laws.

Might be the same for your Kona of Mystery

Never heared of it but certainly sounds very Kona-esque, afterall Niihau is another volcano.

I guess... if it's light, the right price and rides well you should go for it.

 

[Tsunami]

Thanks for the advice! The seller sent me a frustratingly small pic and said it was all he had. The bike in the picture looks exactly like a 94 Hahanna - the niihau I remember from 15 years ago was bright yellow. But it seems to be in ok shape and pretty much original parts intact. If i can get it for a reasonable price I might grab it. The problem is that the seller said that he doesnt have time to show the bike so i have to make my mind based on the picture. its 16", id prefer 18"... But there will always be hahannas and fire mountains available eventually but a Niihau (however crappy it should be)?

 

[albash82]

nice colour, rarity value high - would build into a very nice bike if you wanted to change it, i'd probably want it if it was bigger!

 

[LeeDevelopment]

Where's Anthony?!

 

[Badwulf]

Where's Anthony?!

Yeah as tempting as it seems, a 16" may leave you a bit cramped in the cockpit. Remember it's an older frame and no front sus so you have to take that into account.

Would be a good project tho, on the other hand... kona'a are made to be thrashed!!! Holding out for an 18 may be a good idea, I tried a 20" Lava Dome out the other day and had a good inch of clearance (18" is perfect for me and I'm 5"10 with a 31" Leg) 16 would not be a nice ride for me.

Best to think about what you prefer? a rare kona or one you'll love riding?

 

[Tsunami]

Mystery unfolds

I decided to end my hunt for an old Kona and bought the mystery Niihau for 90EUR. I thought that it would be alright even if it was a '94 Hahanna with a different name. I took the bike in our musical instruments shop right away and took some photos:

First off, I was very pleasantly surprised to find out that the frame was double butted and the fork was a non suspension-corrected triple butted P2 (1" steerer). So it wasn't a cheapo Kona after all! It has also a very short Velocity stem (the front brake's cable goes through the stem actually as opposed to a cable hanger underneath the stem) and a 165 handlebar. the derailleurs and shifters are Suntour XC Ltd (X-press shifters). Dia-compe basic canti brakes and levers.The crankset is a dodgy Ofmega with no change of removing chainrings. the wheels are a mystery, no-name hubs, rims and tyres.

After a bit of research I found out that the frame and some of the parts closely resemble those of a 1993 Cinder Cone (rear drop outs are '93 style with a triangular hole). The decals are obviously '94.

Finally I went to see the guy who was in charge of importing Konas to Finland in mid-nineties. He told me what the Niihau was all about. The more expensive leftover frames were equipped with mid-range kit, painted randomly and named Niihau. They were for Finland only. This guy said that he had even seen a Niihau with an Explosif frame, with some STX-RC slapped on! He had never seen a blue Niihau though. The later models were bright yellow. You actually saw the yellow ones everywhere in Finland somewhere around '95 '96. I suspect that the early models were so popular that the finnish distributor ordered a large shipment of yellow Niihaus and they sold like hot biscuits.

But my Niihau, being blue and dating back to 93-94 might be pretty rare. Too bad it didn't have an Explosif frame

The bike rides really smoothly, the 16" frame makes it nimble and light. It's also beat up enough to make it unattractive to thiefs which is crucial as I plan to use it on a daily basis. I'm very happy with my find and I have some devious plans about how to build it further... Will post results later, propably won't be BOTM material though