The Kona Satori returns – a mid-travel 29er trail bike for the masses

Remember Kona’s first 29er trail bike, the 130 mm Satori? Five years ago it was a solid first effort, with 68/74 head/seat angles, just over 17″ chainstays, and a long reach for the time. When the Process 111 hit the market, the Satori disappeared. Or maybe it disappeared before the 111? Does it really matter? The Process 111 isn’t in the Kona line up for 2018 either, so it looks like the Satori is winning this battle of 29er trail bike evolution.

The Satori slots in as a 29er version of the Hei Hei Trail, Kona’s 140 27.5 trail bike. Unlike the Hei Hei Trail, the Satori has an aluminum frame and a lower price tag.

The 2019 (!) (we have 11.4 months still to do, stop hurrying time along) Satori and Satori DL are once again 130mm trail bikes., but now with 140 mm forks. Geometry numbers are pretty expected for a bike like this, although the 23.8 top tube on the large seemed REALLY short for a modern bike. But the reach numbers are all in line with what I expected. The outlier? A 78.4 degree seat tube angle. Hey, if 76 was good on the new Process, 78 must be better? On the other end the head angle remains at 68 degrees, with almost seems steep these days. Chainstays drop to just below 17 inches at 16.9.

SIZE |S   |M   |L   |XL
STL  |14.6|16.5|18.5|20.9
TTL  |21.7|22.7|23.8|25.3
REACH|16.7|17.7|18.7|20.1
STACK|24.0|24.3|24.7|25.1
SO   |28.6|30.0|30.0|30.8
HTA  |68.0|68.0|68.0|68.0
HTL  |3.7 |4.1 |4.5 |4.9
STA  |78.4|78.4|78.3|78.3
CSL  |16.9|16.9|16.9|16.9
BBD  |1.1 |1.1 |1.1 |1.1
BBH  |13.3|13.3|13.3|13.3
WB   |45.0|46.1|47.3|48.8
FC   |28.1|29.3|30.4|31.9
FL   |21.7|21.7|21.7|21.7
OF   |2.0 |2.0 |2.0 |2.0

The Satori uses FUSE suspension platform from the Hei Hei lineup. FUSE uses a pivotless rear triangle to increase stiffness, reduce weight and decrease world-wide poverty levels. Both models have single ring drivetrains, dropper posts and decent brakes and tires.

Satori – $2,699

I’ll let Kona talk about this bike for a bit:

Taking a cue from the Hei Hei Trail, the Satori is a longer-travel cross country bike wrapped in an affordable package. 29” wheels keep the Satori rolling fast over obstacles while a RockShox Recon Gold 140mm travel fork and RockShox 130mm custom tuned Solo Air rear shock keep the ride smooth. With Shimano hydraulic disc brakes and Deore drive train, and dropper post, you’ll have everything you need right out of the box.

Frame Material: Kona 6061 Aluminum Butted
Wheels: WTB STP i29 TCS 29”
Suspension Platform: Fuse
Front/Rear Suspension: 140mm/130mm
Rear Shock: RockShox Deluxe RL DebonAir Trunnion
Fork: RockShox Recon Gold RL Solo Air 140mm
Crankset: RaceFace Aeffect
Drivetrain: Shimano Deore 10spd
Brakes: Shimano Hydraulic with 180mm front / 160 rear rotor
Seat Post: Trans-X Dropper Internal
Cockpit: Kona 35mm Bar/ Kona XC/BC 35 Stem with Kona Lock-on Key Grip
Front Tire: Maxxis Minion DHF TR DUAL 29×2.3
Rear tire: Maxxis Tomahawk TR DUAL 29×2.3
Saddle: WTB Volt Sport SE

On more thing that caught my eye: the old Satori has a 10 speed drivetrain, but it had a double crank and an 11-36 cassette. This bike is 11-42 10-speed with a single ring.

Satori DL – $3,499

Again, from Kona:

If you love the feel of a 29er and the get-up-and-go of the racy Hei Hei Trail DL, the Satori DL is the perfect companion. With a custom drawn aluminum frame and FUSE rear end, the Satori was built from the ground up to ride like the wind. Featuring a SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain, RockShox Revelation fork and custom tuned Rockshox Deluxe RL Solo Air rear shock, the Satori DL has everything you need for big days in the saddle.

Frame Material: Kona 6061 Aluminum Butted
Wheels: WTB STP i29 TCS 29”
Suspension Platform: Fuse
Front/Rear Suspension: 140mm/130mm
Rear Shock: RockShox Deluxe RL DebonAir Trunnion
Fork: RockShox Revelation RC Solo Air 140mm
Crankset: SRAM Descendant 6K
Drivetrain: SRAM GX-Eagle 12spd
Brakes: SRAM Guide R with 180mm front / 160 rear rotor
Seat Post: RockShox Reverb w/Plunger Lever
Cockpit: Kona 35mm Bar/ Kona XC/BC 35 Stem with Kona Lock-on Key Grip
Front Tire: Maxxis Minion DHF TR DUAL 29×2.3
Rear tire: Maxxis Tomahawk TR DUAL 29×2.3
Saddle: WTB Volt Comp

Will the seat angle be too steep? Will the ghost of the Process 111 string up a wire across the trail to garrote you on your first ride on a new Satori? Stay tuned, we have a test bike en route.

In the meantime, check out the new bikes on Kona’s website.