Kona Satori

In the ongoing debate created by the proliferation of ‘new’ wheel sizes, there’s often a discussion of lap times, typically accompanied by the comment; ‘I rode my local track on my new 27.5/29er and I was blah blah minutes faster than on my 26er, so the big wheels are definitely better and I’ll never ride kiddie wheels again’. But in a sport born out of people seeking thrills instead of seconds off lap times, shouldn’t the decision on what to ride be based on extracting the most fun? Here’s where it gets messy, with riders of 26, 27.5 and 29-inch wheels all claiming that their own bike is the best thing out there.

The ‘which is funnest’ question is what potential Kona Satori owners will want to ask, because with its 14.57kg weight (without pedals), 34mm fork stations, a DH-esque 2.4-inch front tyre, dropper post and 140/130mm front/rear travel, hot laps around buff XC courses were never going to be its raison d’etre or strong suit.

While it’s been on sale for a couple of years now, the Satori’s frame is still up to date with the latest standards. You’ll find an internal headset with a tapered steerer, a thru-axle rear end, ISCG chain guide tabs (unused in stock form), direct mount front derailleur and a press-fit bottom bracket. For those used to seeing Konas with the signature ‘walking beam’ suspension linkage, the newly introduced swing link is a visual break from Konas of old, but it actuates the same linkage driven four-bar single-pivot suspension that Kona has used for as long as most riders will remember.

As well as being current, the Satori’s frame appears to be well made with details like stainless steel inserts to reinforce the pivot hardware, bolt-on cable and hose guides, chunky drop-outs, healthy looking welds and swoopy hydroforming on the down and top tubes to maximise tubing strength and weld surface area. It’s capped off with a classy looking matt paint finish (that even some experienced eyes mistook for anodising at first glance) and low-key graphics that are easy to live with.

The frame’s 3,260g weight (for an 18-inch) shows that Kona’s priorities don’t lie with winning slimming contests, but it is on par with many frames in its category. For example the recently tested Whyte T129 (with 120mm travel) came in at 3,410g while the Giant Trance X 29er frame weighed 2,762g, so weight-wise the Satori frame sits in the middle ground for a longer travel 29er.

One Model – Many Sizes

Kona produces the Satori in five different sizes, with top tubes ranging from 584mm for the small (16-inch) through to 648mm for the XX-large (22-inch). Such a comprehensive range ensures that the Satori caters for just about everyone with a bit of sizing overlap in between. This overlap is a good thing, as for some people it will allow the flexibility to go up or down a size to suit individual riding styles and preferences—your bike shop should be able to offer advice if you’re a little unsure of which size will suit best.

Currently the Satori is only offered in one model, with the well-built frame sprouting a solid mix of parts to form a pretty convincing package. It sells for $3,999, a highly competitive price bracket, and what you get for the outlay seems fair.

The Fox 34 CTD fork and matching CTD rear shock are standouts while the Shimano SLX components provide excellent performance for the dollars, losing very little to the more upmarket XT group. The SLX double crankset is a suitable match for the bike’s trail riding intent, and the drivechain is kept taut by the clutch-equipped SLX rear derailleur. While the SLX brakes may not have the ventilated Ice-Tech pads, it would take mountains bigger than those usually on offer in Australia for most to notice a difference—the 180/160mm front and rear rotors make plenty of power for this bike’s intent. The only down-specs come with the Deore-level 11-36 cassette and chain, neither of which presents any cause for concern.

The WTB STi23 TCS rims are hooked to SLX hubs with Sandvic spokes, making for a sturdy but portly wheelset. The 23mm inner rim width means the high-volume Maxxis Ardent tyres (2.4 inch up front and 2.25 on the rear) can be used to full effect without wanting to deflect or peel off the rims, even when running relatively low pressures. They also feature a tubeless ready profile, so conversions should be simple with some rim tape and tubeless valves. Thankfully the Ardents have folding kevlar beads to keep the rotating weight down a touch.

A dropper post is a welcome inclusion on any trail bike these days and the Crank Brothers Kronolog, with its cable fixed to the lower (non-moving) part of the seatpost is certainly an aesthetically pleasing unit. Aside from an annoying rattle in the remote lever, it worked well enough during the review, but our previous long-term test did raise questions over the Kronolog’s durability.

One of the few things that seems out of place is the Kona branded bar and stem combo. While their quality is nice enough, the 700mm handlebar width is narrower than you’d expect for the bikes all-mountain intentions and the 90mm stem seems too long. Further to this, the use of a riser bar will make it hard for some riders to get the front end low enough, especially with the tall 140mm travel fork. Those of medium or shorter stature may wish to swap them for zero-rise style bar, and while you’re at it, make it wider!

Gonzo for Gravity

A couple of the Satori’s geometry numbers shine through when you start riding—the rangy 1,150mm wheelbase, the 68-degree head angle and the 439mm chainstays. The long wheelbase and slack for a 29er head angle make for a bike that feels stable right past the edge of traction in corners as well straight ahead at speed, no matter how ugly the terrain. The chainstays are on the shorter side for large-wheeled bikes and match the length of those on many all-mountain 26ers—this certainly helps to add a degree of agility.

The Satori shines on the descents, delivering a confidence-inspiring ride that goes right where it’s pointed. Before long you’ll have the seatpost slammed and be hunting down sweeping corners, attacking them with as much speed as you can muster. After finding that the chassis allows for controlled and predictable drifts in drier conditions, this soon becomes the standard cornering mode. However, for those who enjoy a bit of a drift, there was sometimes too much grip to get it sliding in slightly damp ‘hero dirt’ conditions.

Getting it wrong is actually quite difficult on the Satori and strategic plowing can sometimes replace good line selection. Trail features that might give riders pause on racier bikes can simply be attacked and conquered with its combination of suspension, rubber and wheel approach-angle. However, an area where the Satori can be more of a handful is in slower twisty sections, where more effort is required through the body and the handlebars to keep up with those on more nimble rides.

The old ‘grab the seat stays and yank the frame’ flex test shows that the Satori’s rear triangle is pretty solid, and this is confirmed on the trail when riding the Satori as quickly as it invites you to. This stiffness is mirrored at the front end thanks to the thru-axle equipped Fox 34 and the solid feeling wheels invite you to smash through rock gardens with abandon.

Although the frame is undeniably solid, we did encounter some creaking noises after a few rides when the suspension pivots loosened off. Re-tightening the pivot hardware was simple enough but it’s something to watch out for, and it would be worth adding a dab of thread locking compound if you happened to encounter similar issues.

While 130mm rear travel doesn’t sound like a lot for an all-mountain rig, it’s a case of quality over quantity with the Satori. The swing-link arrangement drives the shock with a slight rising rate; this allows the rear end to be reasonably supple over smaller bumps whilst always retaining a little bit in reserve for G-outs and harsh landings. While proprietors of fancier suspension designs would like you to believe that braking will be terrible on the Satori’s less fashionable suspension design, the bike always felt composed enough while stopping or slowing. Searching for negatives, the suspension could feel a little less than 100 per cent efficient under hard pedalling—this was most noticeable in the big chainring when laying the power down on smoother ground. If this bothers you, flicking to the ‘trail’ mode on the CTD rear shock filters out most of the unwanted movement with only a slight loss in small bump compliance.

Paying your Penance

On the way back up, the large and heavy wheels make their presence felt in a less positive way—especially in sharply undulating terrain where you need to suddenly accelerate or pedal hard to maintain momentum. This is less of an issue on steady climbs where the bike ascends like as well as you could expect for something that weighs close to 15kg (with pedals). There’s certainly plenty of traction in tap, so popping the seat back up to full height and selecting granny gear will get you up some pretty steep climbs, just not at lightning speeds.

Combining the Satori’s easy and confident descending attitude with its doable, if not always inspiring, climbing skills makes for a bike that covers ground fairly quickly overall. And yes, some people may even beat their PBs on certain trails… But is it fun? It all depends on the rider.

Many will appreciate the way you can just jump aboard the Satori and ride it fast. While it doesn’t pop off every lip on the trail, it inspires confidence when it does become airborne and when hammering through rocky surfaces, pushing though off-camber corners, and it even floats over sand with a fair degree of control. Its overall package of stable geometry and rugged parts inspires you to just ‘have a go’ on things that might otherwise make you want to grab the brakes. Some all-mountain bikes can limit the number of trails where they are interesting to ride by feeling like you’ve got too much suspension to properly feel the trail underneath. The Satori however can be enjoyed both on average XC courses as well as hairier terrain.

For me the only dampener on the Satori’s fun-factor was that it never quite felt like I was riding ‘on the edge’—even when sliding both wheels through a corner it feels infinitely stable, while at times being a bit less nimble and connected than a good all-mountain rig with smaller diameter wheels. Again, it is up to individual riders as to whether this is a bad thing or not, and there are many instances where all this stability is a very good thing—like coping with your first 24-hour race and staying upright on that lonely 4am lap when your concentration is waning, or riding on new technical trails that push you a little bit outside of your regular comfort zone.

Overall the Satori performed its all-mountain fun bike duties with great competence. It’s well-spec’d out of the box and the frame is both good looking and well-designed. For any rider looking for some fun on a bike that works well in a wide range of conditions, the Satori is well worth a look.

Thumb Up

Confidence inspiring stability

Contemporary Geometry

Solid frame and parts 

Thumbs Down

Extra manhandling required on tighter trails

Certainly no lightweight

Bars too narrow

Specifications

Frame: Butted ‘Race Light’ 6061 Alloy

Shock: Fox Float CTD 130mm travel

Fork: Fox Float 32 15QR 140mm travel

Headset: FSA 1 1/8 - 1 1/2

Handlebars: Kona XC Alloy riser 700mm

Stem: Kona XC Alloy

Shifters: Shimano SLX

Front Derailleur: Shimano SLX

Rear Derailleur: Shimano SLX

Cassette: Shimano Deore 11/36 10-speed

Chain: Shimano HG54

Cranks: Shimano SLX 26/38

Bottom Bracket: Shimano

Pedals: N/A

Brakes: Shimano SLX

Rims: WTB STi23 TCS

Spokes: Sandvik Butted Stainless

Tyres: Maxxis Ardent 2.4 F/High Roller 2.25 R

Saddle: WTB Volt Comp

Seatpost: Crank Brothers Kronolog

Weight: 14.57kg without pedals (18-inch frame 3,260g)

Available Sizes: 16, 18, 19 (tested), 20 and 22-inch

Price: $3,999

Distributor: Groupe Sportif (03) 8878 1000 / www.groupesportif.com