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

[Woz]

Re: Kona Titanium Frame Serial Numbers:

Interesting. I too understood the serial number was a TST thing. The DBR Axis TT serial number is the same format.

So, are the last three digits infact a simple TST sequential number for whatever frame they produced regardless of brand?

When it hit 1000 , they simply started again at 000, and at 2000, 000 etc. etc. It may explain the weird patterns.

 

[Pipmeister]

Re: Kona Titanium Frame Serial Numbers:

Interesting. I too understood the serial number was a TST thing. The DBR Axis TT serial number is the same format.

So, are the last three digits infact a simple TST sequential number for whatever frame they produced regardless of brand?

Mmm, yes I was going to add something to that effect, but I didn't like to clutter up my original post too much!

My Score frame has a really high serial number considering how few they made. The chap at kona who I chatted with came up with a suggestion as to why that may be, but you seem to have pre-emptied what I was going to add to this thread regarding what he told me.

When it hit 1000 , they simply started again at 000, and at 2000, 000 etc. etc. It may explain the weird patterns.

Crikey, I hadn't considered that as an explanation. I'll do a bit of calculating, and get back to you on that one!

Pip.

 

[Woz]

Re: Kona Titanium Frame Serial Numbers:

....oh the tings to do on a rainy Sunday.

Thing is of course, the answer lies at TST. We have no idea how many Konas, DBRs, Mongoose, Kents, Deans, etc. were
produced. From a TST point, 3 digits were probably sufficient for their batch and production line management, and they
probably would have warrantied any claim from Kona or whoever with little discussion.

Kona et el would only get the same serial number twice if it was the same brand, (same model) and same size
and just so happened to be exactly the n + 1000 frame. A very slim chance based on the quantities we are talking about.

 

[Pipmeister]

Re:

I think you have hit on a likely explanation there.

When I last contacted Kona, the chap I mentioned earlier told me something quite interesting. I was asking if he knew why my Score frame had such a high serial number as he had already confirmed that only a maximum of 50 were ever produced. My Score’s frame number is KS18170, and I have now also seen KS17094.

His reply was; Quote, “Titanium Sports may have just put all the numbers in a sequence and only changed the prefix to denote the size and model of the bikes that year.”


So as you have suggested, it could be that the chap at Kona meant that the “prefix to donate the size and model of the bikes that year” included all manufactures that TST welded frames for.

No wonder we could never figure out the year of a Hei Hei from the serial number!

Pip

 

[Woz]

Re: Re:

I think you have hit on a likely explanation there.

When I last contacted Kona, the chap I mentioned earlier told me something quite interesting. I was asking if he knew why my Score frame had such a high serial number as he had already confirmed that only a maximum of 50 were ever produced. My Score’s frame number is KS18170, and I have now also seen KS17094.

His reply was; Quote, “Titanium Sports may have just put all the numbers in a sequence and only changed the prefix to denote the size and model of the bikes that year.”


So as you have suggested, it could be that the chap at Kona meant that the “prefix to donate the size and model of the bikes that year” included all manufactures that TST welded frames for.

No wonder we could never figure out the year of a Hei Hei from the serial number!

Pip

....and that is what catalogues are for right

Now finding those is of course another topic. Blatant thread hijack warning :!: Anyone with the DBR catalogues
who can do a good scan will be a Saint.

 

[viengsavanh]

Re:

Here,s my HeiHei number ,whats it mean?

 

[Pipmeister]

Re:

Blimey! We never know what is going to turn up next :shock: .

I have never seen this sequence before. Presumably the extra "G" stands for something, but I am currently stumped as to what that may be.

Do you have any pictures of the whole frame, which would help me date it?

Edit: Okay, I have now seen your thread that shows the frame. At a glance it looks like a 1994 as it has Bullet Dropouts, although the Decals appear to be 1993 or earlier.

Pip

 

[viengsavanh]

Re:

Heres, one i have ,can take more pics if needed ,it,s a 16inch sold to me as a 93

 

[Pipmeister]

Re:

Yes a 16", but a 1993 would have a Canti Bridge across the Seat Stays, and different Dropouts like this:




Pip

 

[viengsavanh]

Re: Kona Titanium Frame Serial Numbers:

Ah ok so maybe a 94 with 93 decals but i wonder whats with the G