Kona’s Hei Hei was first launched in 1991 as a titanium hardtail MTB. Over time, it’s been up to date to turn into the full-suspension, carbon-framed XC bike it’s right now. 2025 sees the tenth era of the Hei Hei get a big suspension revision, amongst different updates.
The Hei Hei is a light-weight, environment friendly pedaling MTB that’s able to chasing podiums however versatile sufficient for prolonged path rides. The bike goals to ship balanced efficiency on climbs and descents, and a well-rounded experience that may sort out extremely technical trails.
2025 Kona Hei Hei
Kona doesn’t draw back from calling the Hei Hei an XC bike, because it has visited many podiums over time, but it surely’s not only for racers. It’s the model’s lightest full suspension providing, making for a enjoyable bike that eats up miles of trails with ease. Enhancing its versatility, Kona gave it slack sufficient steering and supple however supportive suspension so it maintains composure on rougher terrain.
The revised Hei Hei body encompasses a straighter downtube and a sleeker total form, plus a straightened seat tube to permit for long-travel dropper posts. Hei Hei frames are solely obtainable in carbon. The bike supplies 120 mm of rear journey, and runs a 130mm fork. As you may anticipate, the Hei Hei rolls on 29” wheels. It isn’t MX suitable, as a result of this bike is all about velocity and effectivity!
Suspension
The Hei Hei’s rear suspension has been considerably redesigned for 2025, now utilizing a Swinger linkage with a single higher hyperlink that neatly connects inside the highest tube. This design replaces the extra conventional higher rocker hyperlink from the earlier Hei Hei. Kona has additionally added a pivot above the rear dropouts, the place the outgoing body relied on flexstays to supply its journey. This provides the brand new Hei Hei smoother suspension motion with no resistance. Kona famous they have been in a position so as to add this pivot with a negligible weight penalty over the flexstay design.
The brand new Hei Hei’s linear suspension curve is just like the present Course of MTBs, and was tuned to supply a constant really feel all through the bike’s journey. Kona straightened out the curve across the sag level, eliminating a ‘hump’ perceived within the earlier mannequin. The curve will get progressive sufficient on the high of the stroke to withstand bottom-outs.
As this bike was constructed to pedal with race-level effectivity, anti-squat was elevated on the brand new Hei Hei to maintain you driving increased within the journey whereas cranking away.
Options and Fitments
9 bottle bosses within the entrance triangle permit for a number of water bottles, instruments, cargo equipment, and so on. Kona says a small body can match two water bottles, however famous the rear shock must be flipped round to supply ample clearance.
The up to date Hei Hei body options improved absolutely tubed inside cable routing for simpler cable/hose set up. Kona says the routing was additionally straightened out to supply higher shifting efficiency. There may be additionally an choice to route a rear shock lockout cable externally. With every bike, Kona features a P-clamp that may be bolted to the bottle mounts underneath the highest tube.
As for fitments, the Hei Hei makes use of a PF92 press-fit backside bracket with ISCG tabs for an higher chain information. The body supplies room for as much as a 38t entrance chainring, and there’s no entrance derailleur mount.
Inventory dropper posts vary from 125-200mm journey, relying on body dimension. The Hei Hei accepts 31.6mm posts.
Out again is a 12x148mm Enhance rear axle, with the body providing ample clearance for the inventory Maxxis WT 29×2.4” treads on 30mm I.D. rims. The Hei Hei additionally will get SRAM UDH suitable dropouts, plus chainstay, seat keep, and down tube protectors.
Geometry
Kona designed the Hei Hei’s geometry to supply a cushty place for all-day pedaling. Take a look at the chart for all of the numbers, however right here’s the important thing specs:
The Hei Hei has a 66° head tube, and seat tube angles vary from 76.1-75.8° relying on body dimension. Attain numbers should not too prolonged, with a medium body at 449mm and a big at 474mm. All body sizes run quick 435mm chainstays. One factor to notice is that Kona stored the standover heights very shut between body sizes, so you’ll be able to select your dimension based mostly on the attain you need.
Mannequin Lineup
Kona stored the Hei Hei lineup good and easy, with only one full mannequin and a frameset. Like we noticed with the brand new Libre CR, they’re each solely provided in a single coloration as nicely, so when you choose the slick Metallic Bark coloration, your solely choice is to construct one from scratch.
Hei Hei CR – $5299
The whole bike’s body is accessible in a single coloration – Gloss Bone with Charcoal decals.
Hei Hei CR Frameset – $2950
The Hei Hei frameset features a RockShox Deluxe Final rear shock, rear axle, UDH derailleur hanger, and a seat clamp. The body is available in a Metallic Bark coloration.
One Journey Impressions
Kona set me up with a Hei Hei for testing, however since I solely acquired it days in the past I’ve had only one likelihood to experience it. For now, listed here are my transient preliminary impressions of the Hei Hei.
On condition that I normally experience burlier, longer journey enduro bikes, I knew straight away I’d get pleasure from climbing on the Hei Hei. Inside a couple of switchbacks, I used to be grinning in regards to the bike’s 30.56 lbs weight (with pedals). At roughly 6.5 lbs lighter than my private bike, the bike felt impressively aware of pedaling efforts, and delightfully simple to heave up the path. It’s nonetheless on the chunky facet of XC bike weights although, so don’t anticipate this to be a super-light.
This is without doubt one of the first full bikes we’ve had in with SRAM 90 Eagle Transmission and the Motive 4-piston path brakes. Between that and the burly-for-XC 2.4″ Dissector tires, this bike is clearly constructed for North Shore XC, so the burden is extra acceptable.
Weight apart, the Hei Hei pedals very effectively. I did my first climb with the shock vast open, and even in that mode the bike eagerly clawed uphill. On a singletrack climb, the bike nonetheless used a good bit of its journey, which proved sufficient for dependable traction over roots and rocks. On a forest service highway part, I firmed up the shock. The swap undoubtedly stiffens up the rear finish significantly, providing very agency pedaling help. It does sacrifice bump absorption fairly a bit, as even small rocks on the FSR have been simply noticeable on this mode.
I rode a quick, rocky descent with the Hei Hei and was pretty impressed with the way it dealt with the tough stuff. Clearly, you have to be pickier about line selection with a brief journey bike, and regardless of making an attempt, I did really feel two or three harsh hits on the rear wheel throughout my first descent. Nevertheless, whereas pinballing by way of the smaller rocks, I felt fairly nicely planted and steady on the Hei Hei. I additionally hit a couple of small drops, one in every of which introduced the bike proper to the candy spot – slightly below bottom-out, with out harshly blowing by way of.
I’ll depart my one-ride ideas at that, however watch Bikerumor for an entire, detailed evaluate of the Hei Hei later this summer season.
