# So I just bought a Kona Kahuna



## Hrodulf (12 mo ago)

So it was some kind of impulse buy...., but the Kona Kahuna was on sale for a very good offer I could not resist.

I like the geometry with a 68 HTA and a 75 STA and the wheels are WTB with i27 supporting wide tires. The cabeling goes through the frameset. For this price it is a very good package, all Shimano Deore based.

The only 'negatives' I could find is the QR for the rear wheel and the forks can't be locked from the bar. Through the forks do support up to a 2.8" tire.






KONA BIKES | MTB | MTB HARDTAIL | KAHUNA


It’s called the Kahuna for a reason. This bike is the king of our classic hardtail lineup and it’s often the bike that makes people realize how awesome a mountain bike can be. With its confidence-inspiring progressive geometry, 29” wheels, 100mm suspension fork, and internal cable routing for an...



konaworld.com





Now the big wait begins 

So how do you like your Kona's ?


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## Tjomball (Jul 6, 2021)

I ride a 22 Honzo SE in addition to my full sussers.
Quite happy with mine. After a few upgrades mind you. I did a fork and wheelset swap among others. With the fork swap I also overforked it by 20 mm.
My Honzo SE is a sweet little HT. I honestly only see one more upgrade in the near future for it. And that's a brake swap for the 6120's on my E-Bike, which will get either SLX or XT 4 piston brakeset.
Bar mounted lockout is no big deal for me since I don't use lockouts on my forks any way.


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## Hrodulf (12 mo ago)

Missing the bar mounted lockout on the Kahuna, was almost a showstopper for me. I realized that I hardly ride on the roads with my MTB, maybe only some connecting parts on the road when riding trail routes.


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## Tjomball (Jul 6, 2021)

Just out of curiosity. How much did you pay for your Kahuna?
I paid 1350 Euros for my Honzo SE.
It would be interesting to see where any eventual extra monies went in the spec.
Mine came with the 11 speed DEORE groupset and MT-410 brakeset. Recon forks and WTB rimmed wheelset.


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## Hrodulf (12 mo ago)

Tjomball said:


> Just out of curiosity. How much did you pay for your Kahuna?
> I paid 1350 Euros for my Honzo SE.
> It would be interesting to see where any eventual extra monies went in the spec.
> Mine came with the 11 speed DEORE groupset and MT-410 brakeset. Recon forks and WTB rimmed wheelset.


I have paid 1.168 Euros excluding shipping / handling for the Kahuna. Basically it was an impulse buy, but given the offer I just could not resist it. The geometry is interesting and the overall configuration sounds about the same as your Honzo, which, I think, offers a great value for the money.

This is where I've bought the Kahuna:


https://www.bike24.com/p2658649.html?source=SRP&indexName=production_SEARCH_INDEX_EN&objectId=KON611567&queryId=3d3eebc4d1b8c23811f00219d6e991e7&userToken=6531b568-9029-4b59-a78c-3cf4338e30ba



They ship to Norway as well.


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## Mtbmandan (5 mo ago)

Congrats! I had the 27.5 version. Worked well for me, only complaints were the seat tube was a bit long and the cheap bb they specd that only lasted a couple months (looks like yours had Shimano though, mine was no name)
Definitely get a dropper! And if memory serves, you can increase the travel of that fork yourself if you're mechanically inclined by disassembling and removing a spacer.
I would happily ride anything on that bike with a dropper and good pedals, no real need for any specific upgrades. You won't miss a remote lockout.


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## Hrodulf (12 mo ago)

Hah ! Yes, the dropper I was thinking about as well, seems to be a must have indeed.

The upgrade I'm considering is a XT cassette which weighs 200 gram less and is most likely more durable. I'll keep the Deore cassette as spare.

The pedals will be Shimano SPD ones.

Great to hear your Kona worked well for you !


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## Mtbmandan (5 mo ago)

Just a heads up, but as far as I can tell, weight savings on the xt is just 2 aluminum cogs instead of 2 steel (so less durable). 
SLX crank can save some weight if you're into that.
If you get upgraditis, saving up for a nice fork is probably the biggest upgrade you can make, performance wise, and could save you some weight as well


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## Tjomball (Jul 6, 2021)

Hrodulf said:


> I have paid 1.168 Euros excluding shipping / handling for the Kahuna. Basically it was an impulse buy, but given the offer I just could not resist it. The geometry is interesting and the overall configuration sounds about the same as your Honzo, which, I think, offers a great value for the money.
> 
> This is where I've bought the Kahuna:
> 
> ...


Got my Honzo SE from Bikester . no
I believe it's also a german based webstore.

The two bikes are surprisingly similar specwise. And also geometrywise. 

Weightwise I shaved off 500 grams by swapping the recon steel stanchioned forks for the revelations now fitted. 
Also cut some more weight with the RF Aeffect wheelset, although that weight was quickly added back on with with some heavier duty tires.


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## Hrodulf (12 mo ago)

So ordered on Saterday, delivered today already - mighty fast 

Good to know that the XT cassette contains more aluminum cogs !

The forks upgrade I just have looked at and the price is about 40% of the bike. Still worth in terms of performance and shed some weight from the bike, including the cassette and maybe the crankset as well.

Anyway, this bike will be a nice project over time. But first I will need to find some time to do the unpacking and final assembly of the bike, which will be a 45mins job or so, but with the shorter days not ideal to do this with artificial light inside only.

For now I am looking at a very big brown box in my living room 

@Tjomball, the specs and geo are quite close indeed. I remember I have even looked at the Honzo at Bikster as well. But the Honzo is slightly more oriented on trail riding, while I do more like XC riding on XC kind of trails. That made me to finally choose for the Kahuna.


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## Collapse (9 mo ago)

I really like my ‘21 Kahuna, however there was no thru axel and I felt the frame had the potential to break at the seatstay (which others agreed on as well). I have no regrets buying it, it’s a decent bike. With that said, I’m VERY happy with my Honzo DL. It’s everything the Kahuna isn’t.


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## Tjomball (Jul 6, 2021)

Where I live it's steep and gnarly. So a Honzo was the obvious choice for me. 
Even our short loops have over 400 metres of vertical descending. 
A Kahuna would be at a significant disadvantage here. 
The Honzo narrows that gap. But it's still no where near the ideal bike here. But I already have that in my two full sussers. My honzo is a technical playbike first and foremost. A tool to maintain my riding skills. 
And I also missed a more modern HT in my stable.


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## Hrodulf (12 mo ago)

Collapse said:


> I really like my ‘21 Kahuna, however there was no thru axel and I felt the frame had the potential to break at the seatstay (which others agreed on as well). I have no regrets buying it, it’s a decent bike. With that said, I’m VERY happy with my Honzo DL. It’s everything the Kahuna isn’t.


Cool !

So what's the thing with the seatstay then ? 



Anyway, the bike is ready for use. Tomorrow I plan for a short ride for breaking the brakes in, so that over the weekend I can concentrate on riding some longer trails. Unfortunately not steep and gnarly hahaha, more like flat-ish, flow trails with some hills.

The geo is funny, I went from a 69 to a 68 HTA, but the difference, while one degree only is significant enough to notice it. Same for the 75 degrees STA (came from 73.5).

I'll post some pics later this week.


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## Collapse (9 mo ago)

Hrodulf said:


> Cool !
> 
> So what's the thing with the seatstay then ?


I’m not a fan of where the seatstay is welded to the seat tube. It looks like a weak spot in the design. I’m not saying it is, nor do I claim to know anything more than the average Joe, but to me it looks weak. My Honzo is welded towards the front more and has a gusset as well, a nicer design imho


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## Hrodulf (12 mo ago)




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