DISTANCE: 2,925 km | 69,508 altitude metres
We love drawers, they make it easier to get an overview. Marathon, trail, all-mountain and, and, and - these are the pigeonholes of MTB sport. The Kona Hei Hei DL doesn't fit into any of them. The frame comes from Kona's Hei Hei cross-country platform and offers a sporty 100 millimetres of suspension travel. However, the equipment comes from a different category: wide rims from WTB, a Vario dropper post with 150 millimetres of travel and a Fox 34 would also look perfect on a trail bike. So what does the Kona want to be? An aggressive cross-country-crossover trail bike? Let's concentrate on how the bike rides.
The Kona had to prove itself in continuous use for more than a year. The result after 2925 kilometres? The Hei Hei DL climbs very well, but with a weight of 12.8 kilos it is by no means as lively as its lightweight counterparts for the race track. On the other hand, the bike is noticeably more fun downhill, even after almost 3000 kilometres. Although the Kona with its short suspension travel is no comfort miracle, you can expect an amazing amount from the bike. Even rough root and stone fields and small jumps were no problem for the Hei Hei. The fact that I occasionally missed a chain guide on the bike speaks for itself.
We liked the good puncture protection and the well thought-out equipment. Apart from minor details such as fitting a bottle cage and converting to tubeless, we didn't have to do any tuning, even the saddle fitted. Unfortunately, there were a few annoying defects during the test. The rear hub from Joytech ran rough right from the start and stopped working completely after around 1000 kilometres. The rear thru axle broke and the cartridge of the KS Lev Integra was defective after 2500 kilometres and had to be replaced. There was also bearing damage on the rear triangle. Perhaps the increased wear is due to the mostly hard terrain in which I was often travelling due to the potent suspension.
CONCLUSION on the Kona Hei Hei DL
Canadian-style cross country. The Kona is a fast, fun bike for the home circuit. On long tours, the gear ratio is limiting.
DEFECTS
1st nightcap: The hydraulics of the Kind Shock support caused problems, which meant that the saddle kept dropping by centimetres.
2. by hook or by crook: The Maxle thru axle in the rear wheel breaks between the hub and frame at kilometre 1176, possibly caused by previous damage to the hub.
TUNING / REPLACEMENT
- 1029 km - Rear wheel hub blocked: The Joytech hub on the rear wheel gives up the ghost and locks while riding. Rear wheel completely replaced.
- 1576 km - Tubeless conversion: The hoses had to make way for more performance and a little less weight. Only a shard shortly before the end of the test caused air loss.
- 2451 km - New telesupport cartridge: The cartridge of the telescopic support must be replaced as the seal is increasingly causing problems.
RELATIONSHIP HIGHLIGHT
The after-work laps! Jumping on the bike and going full throttle on the uphills and downhills on Freiburg's home trails. That was always great fun.
THE BIKE: Kona Hei Hei DL
Material Carbon / L
Price / weight 4699 Euro / 12.8 kg
Suspension travel (front / rear) 120 mm / 100 mm
Wheel size 29 inch
Fork Fox Float 34 Performance
Damper Fox Float DPS Performance
THE TESTER: Adrian Kaether, BIKE test rider
Age / Height / Weight 22 years / 1.81 m / 78 kg
Driver profile Loves everything that rumbles a bit and flows nicely - the main thing is the trail
Favourite areas Freiburg, Odenwald, Karwendel
You can read this article or the entire issue of BIKE 9/2018 in the BIKE app (iTunes and Google Play) or buy the issue in the DK shop reorder:
Adrian Kaether
Editor
