# Thoughts on 2019 Kona Mahuna / Kahuna



## BaMa27 (Feb 7, 2019)

I'm looking at getting my first bike. I want to spend between 800-1300. What are your thoughts on the 2 bikes listed? I'm 6'3, 235 lbs. I live in North Alabama and have many different kinds of trails. Rented a few bikes last year to ride with some friends on green/blue single track.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Buy a Honzo and become legendary!

KONA BIKES | MTB | HONZO | Honzo


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## eb1888 (Jan 27, 2012)

Old geo with long 450mm chainstays and the Mahuna has a spring fork designed for bike paths and smooth trails for riders at less than your weight. I'd look for a 2018 Honzo and negotiate some off the list. Better fork, geo and wide rim wheels.
KONA BIKES | MTB | HONZO | Honzo AL


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## BaMa27 (Feb 7, 2019)

The 2019 Mahuna and Kahuna have air forks this year. I did however find a 2018 honzo al/dr brand new for 1150 but its in Indiana. Bike shop said they may be headed to my area next weekend though.


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## marvinmartian (May 14, 2009)

My first real mountain bike, bought 24 years ago and in my basement now as a commuter, was a Kona Cinder Cone... my newest mountain bike, bought yesterday, is a 2018 Hei Hei CR/DL. I love Kona. If I was looking for a hardtail at the moment I'd probably go with a Honzo... if you can score that deal you mentioned I'd go for it.

If you cant squeeze the cash for Honzo otherwise, the others look fine. The only real difference in those two (other than 1x vs 2x drivetrain, which does not matter to me) is one has a better fork and thru axles ; is it $300 worth of better? Yeah, i guess


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## BaMa27 (Feb 7, 2019)

Ok, so honestly I have no clue what bike to get. I thought I would be happy with a Kona Mahuna but then I hear good things about the Honzo and Big Honzo. I also went and checked out the Giant Fathom 1 and 2 and last year rode the Trek Roscoe 8. They all feel equal as I'm a new rider and don't know what to look for. I'm wanting to stay with Kona or Norco possibly due to the LBS treatment I have received, lifetime free service offering. Any advice?


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## eb1888 (Jan 27, 2012)

The 'free' stuff is limited to tune-ups. They won't repair stuff you break. You really need to learn how to handle that yourself because problems happen out on the trail not at home. A multi-tool should go with you when you ride. 
What they give you the free tune-ups for is to adjust the derailleur cable. On every bike the cable housing caps get compressed as you ride the first two or three hours. This lengthens the effective length of the cable and puts your shifting out of spec. You go in and they shorten the cable. That's about it for free service. You are also covered for component failure under warranty by any shop outside of the free tune-ups.

You could look for a used bike on Pinkbike. Bike Flights ships for $79.
https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2497042/?directtofirstphoto


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## BaMa27 (Feb 7, 2019)

Thanks for the reply. I will definitely learn to do repairs, etc. I've been turning wrenches for the army for 20 years, just dont know bike repairs. LBS made it seem like it was a great deal. There are a few demo days coming soon to my area, so I'll test out as many as I can.


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

If you can swing the cash for the Honzo, get the Honzo. No question.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

I used to have a 2018 Giant Fathom and I was not a fan of it. I dont' like Giant's part selection nor the open dropout design they used for that frame. It can be a bit cumbersome to align the front and rear wheels which is something I hated the most on that bike. There are plenty of tips to reinstall the wheels perfectly but I preferred to sell the bike and move on to something else. 

I recommend the Honzo.


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## BaMa27 (Feb 7, 2019)

Just thought I'd update this post. I found a 2017 Kona Big Honzo that is practically brand new. The man bought it new and rode it twice minimally, then stored it in his spare bdrm.
He also included tools, extra tires, grips, helmet, osprey backpack, co2 inflator and various accessories etc. I paid 1k for it all. Think I did great. Thanks for the recommendations.


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## jcd46 (Jul 25, 2012)

BaMa27 said:


> Just thought I'd update this post. I found a 2017 Kona Big Honzo that is practically brand new. The man bought it new and rode it twice minimally, then stored it in his spare bdrm.
> He also included tools, extra tires, grips, helmet, osprey backpack, co2 inflator and various accessories etc. I paid 1k for it all. Think I did great. Thanks for the recommendations.


Nice, man that guy hated cycling lol sold everything!


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## BaMa27 (Feb 7, 2019)

Said he bought it hastily after knee surgery and it wasnt for him. He stored it and couldnt get his wife to ride, so sold everything with it.. it's all brand new in a box. Really nice guy though. Local as well


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## jcd46 (Jul 25, 2012)

BaMa27 said:


> Said he bought it hastily after knee surgery and it wasnt for him. He stored it and couldnt get his wife to ride, so sold everything with it.. it's all brand new in a box. Really nice guy though. Local as well


Sounds like a great deal, enjoy!


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## sapva (Feb 20, 2017)

A friend of mine just bought his first mountain bike. A 2014 Kahuna found on craigslist for $400. Practically brand new condition upgraded with a recon gold fork and nice pedals. The next weekend he followed me down a black diamond trail. It's a nice quality bike, maybe a slight step down from the Honzo as far as trail capability, but certainly enough to ride most any trail. You could do a lot worse, even at $1,300.


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## ewadz3006 (Apr 21, 2019)

Battery said:


> I recommend the Honzo.


What makes the honzo stand out?


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## bmcs (Jan 28, 2016)

Love my Big Honzo, good luck!


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## sapva (Feb 20, 2017)

ewadz3006 said:


> What makes the honzo stand out?


Super short chain stays, low stand over and long top tube. Easy to throw around for a big bike, and rockets out of the turns.


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## J_Westy (Jan 7, 2009)

BaMa27 said:


> I paid 1k for it all. Think I did great. Thanks for the recommendations.


Cool... assuming it fits you. XL?


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## BaMa27 (Feb 7, 2019)

J_Westy said:


> Cool... assuming it fits you. XL?


It is a XL frame. I've ridden it a few times now on the local trails here and the bike feels great. Highly recommend.


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