Extremely strong/light frame, beutiful welds, well-engineered "all-round" frame geometry that accomodates fast XC racing AND technical/free riding, Sandvic product, quality specs

Non replaceable der. hanger (not that I'll ever bend 6/4 Ti)

Bought my Hei Hei frame in '96 and built it up over the years. It's no Stinky Delux in terms of the "boing" factor but as an all-round XC racing/technical hard tail it's the real deal. I've hammered my trusty Hei Hei in many BC Cup, Test of Metal and other local races and it's not even starting to feel tired.

Great bike for technical/rocky/rooty west coast trails but also a real stable rocket at high speeds. You can buy cheaper Ti frames/bikes these days but I guarantee you won't find a better all rounder than a Hei Hei. Quality, pure and simple.

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numerous steel bikes

the best xc bike

none

kickd ass

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have ridden lots of bikes

weight, durability, clean finish, vertical compliance

requires extra initial attention to prevent bottom bracket squeaks

This is the best bike I've owned and ridden. It's very similar to the Voodoo except you don't have to worry about the paint scraping off and it's a little more plush. The Kona has certainly helped ease my lower back pain from long rides.[This is my honest opinion of the bike, however, Kona does provide me with limited sponsorship a.k.a. price breaks.]

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Voodoo Bizango (2), Slingshot, Gary Fisher Montare, Gary Fisher Paragon, Specialized Rockhopper

Since I started riding it I find myself climbing a lot more on the big ring! It's incredible. It's a lot less rough on the butt.

No replaceable rear derailleur hanger.

Using this bike, I won the xc Quebec city regional series in my class. I also ended up 4th in the Quebec provincial series. No bragging, I owe 90% of my success to this bike.

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Nothing even comes close

my bike kicks ass! kona has a great bike here, one that almost carves thru turns....i used to ride a stiff (and indestructable) GT alum, and the difference is just amazing. i saw a 3 year old merlin today, and after inspecting welds had not a twinge of jealousy. kona's geometry is comfortable yet still quick, and it RIPS in the fast downhill stuff. if you want a boutique ti frame withourt the boutique price, check it out. i LOVE my mountain bike.

cable routing could be a little better thought out.

try to find a handmade ti frame with clean welds and certified sandvik tubing for under 2500 bucks, and let me know if you see a better bike than the hei hei. 120 miles a week, it rocks.

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used to own a GT aluminum, test rode lots & lots before buying my hei hei.

Killer frame!

?

For killer riding on the Shore that isn't on a Stinky Dee Lux this is the bike for crazy chutes, drops, wheelies, ramps, logs and everything else Vancouver riding can dish out!

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Lightspeed

Mine is the King Kanuna Hei Hei witch is made out of ovalized tubes rather than staight gage. I love this bike so much my girlfriend is jalous ! Seriously, this bike is everything you'd want from a hardtail. It climbs like a squirrel and descend very well to. On the flat ground, the light weight is obvious as soon as you stand for an acceleration. The ride is comfortable too. This is the big advantage of titanium over steel as far as I am concerned. The riding position is the big thing with this bike, as it is for most Konas. I mean I can be stretched out and relaxed even on a tree days stage race. During this race last fall I never felt uncomfortable even at the end of the day.
I spec'ed it with a XTR gruppo and a Judy SL,Avid brakes and Titac parts.
The 95 model was even better with a 6/4 ti rear trianle!!! A super climber!!
Mine was stolen and the guy brobably don't even know what a sweet bike he is riding...

I have a Hei Hei and I love it so much. I give this bike a 5/5. It is so light and i will never have to buy another hardtail bike again.

great clean welds (nothing comparied to a moots but its certinly better than a litespeed)cool dropouts nice tastefull decals good ol ti brushed finish

a little bit of bb flex just enough to make my f.deralier rub ever so slightly

this is the best fitting bike i have ever ridden and i love it. when you push it into a corner it just wants to go faster, has a realy stabil, consitant ride all the way round the best part is that i bought this bike with the money i was supposed to fix my totaled out car with dont regret it a bit

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cannodale cad3 specilized fsr many steel frames

At 6'1"/170lb the 'Medium' is amazing!!! The geometry is perfect for aggressive XC riding, way stable on those fast downhills.

I assembled the bike out of the box and found the bottom spindle bearing rather heavy and cheap, not to mention the shimming necessary to center the spindle-swapped out for a lighter unit later.
And since the bike came with hydro brakes, swapping to center pulls made cable routing in the rear
"creative". My only two gripes!!! Oh, the stock tires SUCK on the SoCal hardpack!!!

I've never had the Hei Hei fail me in it's handling. I could probably go for a slightly stiffer tubeset, but I might lose the soft ride that I love about this bike. The ride is SO smooth compared to a CroMo frame. The only time the BB flex is a problem is on those gnarly climbs, but it really is minimal. If you want a hardtail that becomes an extention of you, and won't beat your ass, this is your bike!
As I always say,"Once you've had Ti, you never go back!!!"

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Numerous Fat Chances