Kona launches all-new Satori 29er trail bike range
On point geometry 140/130mm travel alloy frames
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Kona's new Satori long(ish) travel trail bikes pack 29" wheels, bang-up-to-date geometry and the FUSE suspension seen on their high-end Hei Hei into a more affordable aluminium framed package. It looks like a bundle of fun...
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The two-bike range consists of the £2,499 Satori and the £3,199 Satori DL. Both bikes get the same aluminium frame, which uses the linkage driven single pivot flex-stay design first seen on the carbon framed Hei Hei trail bike. Both bikes get the same 130mm rear and 140mm front travel split, with a trunnion mount rear shock and all the usual mod cons like Boost hub spacing. They've also done away with multiple front chainring compatibility and instead have an extra wide main pivot to boost back end stiffness.
What'll be of real interest is the geometry. Kona has been quietly stretching out their bikes and the result is some really progressive numbers, with a decently long reach of 475mm for a large frame paired with a very upright 78.2º seat angle that'll keep your weight nicely forward on climbs. The 68º head angle is rather more conservative, though the short head tube lengths across all sizes are nice to see.
When it comes to spec, the pricier DL comes with a RockShox Revelation RC fork - essentially a Pike chassis with cheaper damper - while the plain Satori gets a skinnier legged Recon Gold RL unit. Again, the DL gets a wide-range 12spd SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain and Reverb dropper post, while the more affordable bike gets an 11spd Shimano Deore group with a narrower range and a Trans-X post. Pleasingly, both bikes get some decent rubber, with a Maxxis Minion DHF up front and a Tomahawk at the back, both in 2.3" width. They also share the same RockShox Deluxe RL shock with Debonair sleeve.
Either way, we're really rather keen to give this bike a spin as 2018 (though Kona say this is a 2019 model) seems to very much be the year of the 29er. Conveniently, one should be turning up any day now, so you'll be the first to know what we think of it when we do.
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