Words Lester Perry
Images Caleb Smith
RRP $10,499
Distributor Solis
Hei Hei. We’re not talking the Christchurch suburb, or the Māori word for Chicken (Heihei), we’re talking the tenth generation of a bike that’s previously been the flagship cross-country offering from the storied US brand, Kona Bikes.
It’s no secret that the brand has been through the ringer in recent years, having been sold off to a Private Equity firm (no doubt cashing in on a post-COVID boom) only for the founders to eventually buy it back to prevent it from completely tanking. They’ve returned to what they do best, delivering solid bikes with a broad use case and grin-inducing ride qualities.
Beginning life as a much-coveted titanium hardtail, for most here in NZ, the bike existed in folklore, purely in the pages of magazines. By the early 2000s, the bike had been overhauled. It became a full suspension, still aimed at the cross-country race crowd and based around a four-bar suspension linkage, offering carbon and alloy versions, and even being one of (maybe the) first brands to mass-produce a bike with flex-stays on their 2016 Hei Hei.
Fast forward to 2020, and Kona changed things up with its ninth generation, scrapping the four- bar linkage in favour of a swinger-link style suspension. The bike had both feet firmly in the cross-country camp. With a geometry revision and 120/120mm travel, the bike was right in line with other progressive XC options, albeit it was toward the longer-travel end of the XC spectrum. I spent a couple of years on the 9th-generation Hei Hei, and although it had some quirks, I thoroughly enjoyed it; in fact, it still hangs in my shed.
For the newly launched 10th edition, Kona pulled one foot from the XC bike camp, crossing the line and putting it into the trail-bike camp, broadening the intended use of the bike. Retaining its 120mm rear travel, the frame features a refined suspension kinematic, with a more consistent rising rate and improved pedalling thanks to higher anti-squat, a result of the main pivot moving considerably higher and further forward than before.
The straight seat tube not only looks nicer than the curved one before, but it also now affords deeper seatpost insertion. The revised rear end now features straighter, more traditional-looking stays, a welcome change from the chunky flex-stays of Gen-9. The front triangle has a couple of minor visual tweaks but is largely in line with the previous, with just a few things straightened out. There’s a notable addition of a UDH hanger, allowing for the use of the full- mount T-type SRAM 90 mechanical groupset.
The swinger link style suspension remains, but has a refined link and hardware. The shock is now simpler to remove, and the swing link itself is much less industrial-looking and more svelte than before. The front triangle has plenty of mounting options for accessories or bottle cages. A total of nine bolt holes, five down the downtube, two on the seat tube and two under the top tube just in front of the front shock mount. With a small frame bag fitted to the front of the triangle, I could drop the bottle cage right down toward the bottom bracket, allowing me to fit a 900ml bottle on the down tube with proper clearance to the bag.
Cabling gets a welcome reroute too—for some reason, the cables on the previous bike popped out of the seat tube, looped up, and went down the seatstays. I’m assuming this was done to engineer the flex-stay. The resulting gear issues due to the extra bends in the cable were a real headache. For Gen-10, the cables are now all tidily routed through fully piped internal routing, making cable swaps a cinch and gear issues are a thing of the past. Unfortunately, this new frame doesn’t allow for an internally routed rear lockout. There is a suggested route for an external routing, but its execution seems like a bit of an afterthought. Thankfully, there’s no cables through the headset faffery going on here.
I’ve had a good few months on a size medium Hei Hei and having ridden it on a good variety of terrain, both in its stock format and with a couple of tweaks, as well as fully loaded with gear through the Kahurangi 600km Bike Packing route, I feel like I’ve got a good handle on this versatile machine.
Whats the Kahurangi 600? Ride from Nelson, over Takaka hill via Rameka Track, through the Heaphy, down the coast, over the Old Ghost Road in the ‘hard’ direction, then through Murchison, across the top of Lake Rotoroa via some gravel roads, a stop at the Tapawera 4-Square and back to Nelson via the Great Taste Trail. Our crew of four split the loop into four big days, tackling it aboard bikes loaded with everything we’d need. Fortunately, we had beds along the way for our three nights, so, although loaded, we didn’t have to carry sleeping mats, bivvies, or tents; just a sleeping bag each did the trick. This trip shone a light on just how versatile the Hei Hei is; it is equally at home on these backcountry trails and gravel roads as it is on technical singletrack.
Geometry
Tweaks across the board bring the Hei Hei’s geometry more in line with current trends, getting slacker, longer, but interestingly not lower; I’ll get to that in a bit.
Reach measures in at 449mm, and stack measures 620mm (size medium). These numbers are larger than previous but still reasonably conservative for this category of bike. The higher stack and shorter reach both assist in the bike feeling nimble and playful. All frame sizes get a 435mm chainstay length.
A 66-degree head angle is on par with similar bikes and is steep enough to give a snappy, nimble ride but slack enough that when combined with the 130mm travel of the fork, it’s able to take on the steeps and maintain relative composure through rough stuff. The 76-degree seat tube angle isn’t entirely progressive, but it’s steep enough to put the rider in a decent position for all- around riding. Up front enough for climbing, but slack enough to give a bit more room through the top-tube / cockpit when trucking along the flat.
The Gen-10 Hei Hei bottom bracket sits on the higher side of the average in this trail category, even higher than the Gen-9, with a height of 344mm and a 31mm BB drop (distance below the wheel axles). I can only assume this is due to the bike’s heritage on the technical trails of the Pacific Northwest, where roots and rocks are prevalent.
The high BB provides extra clearance for pedalling and roll-overs, and also enhances the bike’s ability to feel playful. The slightly higher centre of gravity helps a rider change direction quickly, keeping handling and maneuverability snappy and helping to thread the needle through technical features.
The Hei Hei is a prime example of the way the geometry of a bike is all interconnected, and assumptions drawn from simply looking at any one number on a geometry chart can be completely wrong when viewed in isolation. A bike like this needs to be ridden without even looking at a geometry chart, such is the likelihood that a rider could decide it’s not for them before even riding it and entirely miss out on what it’s all about.
Suspension
The most glaring change in the component package from the Gen-9 is the swap from the lightweight suspension of the 120mm RockShox SID fork and SID Luxe shock to a more trail-friendly, but not significantly heavier, 130mm RockShox Pike Ultimate Charger 3.1 fork and a Deluxe shock. This change really opens up how aggressively the 120mm chassis can be ridden.
Drivetrain
Drivetrain is taken care of by the newly launched SRAM 90 T-type mechanical groupset. An excellent option for a do-it-all bike, and although it lacks the push-button prowess of the AXS wireless system, the shifting is remarkably light and almost as accurate. No complaints here, although after months of electronic shifting recently, I was reminded that more upkeep is needed with a cable-actuated system, especially after several rides in the rain.
The Motive Bronze level brakes are basic with minimal adjustment and no frills, but with 180mm rotors front and rear, there’s ample braking power for this type of bike. The stock organic pads got blitzed pretty quickly, so an upgrade to sintered pads will take performance up a notch. Interestingly, and in line with the shift away from the bike being purely XC-focused, Kona opted for a post-mount 180 mm brake mount, eliminating the option to run 160mm rotors, a great move in my book. However, this change further removes the bike from being aimed at purist XC use.
Wheels
The WTB i30 TSC wheelset is probably not one I’d reach for as an aftermarket option, but as a stock item, it does what it’s supposed to. Sure, it’s not particularly lightweight, it doesn’t have any performance advantage, but it does what it’s supposed to. The rims are decently wide with a 30mm internal width, pairing perfectly with the supplied Maxxis Dissector 2.4” tyres. The Dissector isn’t my favourite tyre, but it is a good balance of traction and rolling speed, although not exceptional in either department. In my mind, anything less aggressive would limit the bike too much, and anything much chunkier would hamper the overall speed and pedalability.
Dropper post
The TranzX Dropper +RAD dropper post has proven itself so far. Although there’s more play in the post than in many others, it hasn’t deteriorated over the test period. Unfortunately, the stock option on a medium has a measly 150mm of drop. With my 720mm seat height, a drop of up to 210mm would be ideal, and thanks to the straight seat tube, it should fit fine. The larger Hei Hei bikes do get longer drops, up to 200mm on the XL.
Cockpit
I’m not usually one to want to swap out brand-new parts, but the cockpit on the Hei Hei, or most of it, just didn’t work for me. Something seems off with the shape of the handlebar, and I couldn’t get comfortable with it. A bit more backsweep may have solved it. The grips are a total letdown; I removed them after a single ride. They’re simply too firm, and although they’re reasonably grippy, they’re not comfortable. The stem? Well, a stem is a stem is a stem, and this is a stem for sure. It stays put and does its job admirably.
The Ride
I’d like to think I was still an early 20s downhill wanna-be, cutting laps with the boys, jibbing trailside features, and hitting the dirt jumps at the end of a big day riding. Reality is that this isn’t happening nowadays, and my days lapping downhill tracks are pretty much done. Most of my riding is solo, squarely in the ‘trail’ zone, and I’ve hit one set of dirt jumps in the last five years. When I’m heading out for a ride these days, I want a bike that’s light and pedalable enough to cover a decent amount of ground, but stable and capable enough to ride almost anywhere I want.
The Hei Hei isn’t a super light XC whippet, but with a few spec tweaks, I reckon it could pivot to be an all-out race bike, particularly for technical single-track and marathon-type events. In its stock format, though, it’s up to the task, although it leans more towards a super fun trail assassin, a nice, nimble, middle ground between an all-out XC bike and a longer-legged, heavier enduro or trail bike.
Descending on the Hei Hei dished out no surprises. On lower-grade, smoother trails, it flat-out rips, and to my surprise, I scored some Strava PRs on sections on just my first outing on it. When the trail tips down and things get a bit spicy, the Hei Hei is a bit more of a handful but can still handle steeps and drops up to the level of its pilot; just a bit more finesse is required. I found that I really had to keep a lid on my excitement, or I’d rapidly run out of talent and travel.
Thanks to the refined pivot placement, the Hei Hei is now a more efficient pedaler, particularly when out of the saddle with the power down; the suspension really pulls the rear wheel into the ground, propelling you forwards. Seated climbing is decent, thanks to the relatively steep seat tube, which puts a rider in a comfortable position with just enough weight over the front of the bike. On technical trails with steps and crux moves up or over roots, the higher-than-average bottom bracket height comes in clutch. I was able to pedal through sections where, on other bikes, I had to be more mindful of where I was placing my cranks.
The new suspension kinematic feels good, with a progressive-to-linear leverage curve that provides a nice, supple and consistent feel throughout the travel. It feels more lively and bottomless than the previous bike, which was more difficult to get feeling ’just right’ than this tenth generation.
I reached for the lockout on longer, smoother climbs or gravel roads. Once locked out, the bike sits up nicely in its travel, helping to maintain an efficient posture for spinning up lengthy climbs.
Final thoughts
If I had to have just one bike, something along the lines of the Hei Hei would suit most of the riding I do, and probably many of those reading this as well. Trail ripping, marathon racing, after-work blasts and multiday backcountry missions, it’s up for anything.
The Hei Hei is a workhorse of a bike, with no electrics, no headset routed cables, and really no frills. It’s a simple platform that performs across a wide range of terrain. I’d be happy to take the bike on the largest of missions anywhere in the world.
