New for 2012 we introduce the Honzo, a balls-out, aggressive all-mountain 29er Cromoly hardtail. Featuring a beyond-vogue slack 68-degree headtube angle, low bottom bracket and short chainstays, the Honzo is all about getting radical on technical singletrack near you. Featuring a zero-stack internal headset with tapered steertube, Kona continues to lead the way when it comes to the evolution of steel. A single front chainring with chain guide, 9-speed 36-tooth cassette, 31.6 seatpost with dropper post cable routing, and ISCG 05 tabs, the Honzo goes up, down, and all the way around.
Strengths: it's steel, the geometry is perfect it's the most fun i've ever had on a mountain bike
it walks when others talk
Weaknesses: no front der but who cares dangly bits suck anyways
Bottom Line:
I cracked my cannondale the saturday before dirtfest and was devastated, until i remembered i had been saving nickles up for this bike. it just so happened that a mrkauk had one on here with a headset and he got it to me just in time to build it up and go shred some gnar!
first impression: holy sh1t!!! this thing rips!!! this was the bike that i've been wanting since 1998. it wheelies, manuals, and hops with almost no effort. going down hill is a joke. i had a joplin dropper on my cdale that fit right into the honzo (good lookin out on that kona!) and man, when you slam the seat on a dh on this bike it's ridiculous. there is no such thing as too fast on this bike, it sucks you right into the pocket and lets you rip like a champ and float over anything you want!
this bike is stout, it's confidence inspiring and it feels completely indestructible. even crashes and near misses feel more comfortable on this bike. it pumps unlike any other 29er and carries speed like it's got a motor on it, a big motor. climbs felt sluggish at first but then i took an attack attitude and this thing growled at me for more! seriously, push one gear bigger on climbs on this bike, it will laugh and carry you to the top of the hill like a f#ckin sherpa. this is not a sit and pedal bike, it wants you to stand up and push it, it will reward you greatly for your efforts and when you do sit on the saddle it's like riding an old cb650.
i love the fact that i'll be able to swap between 1x9, 1x1 and igh on this bike with the sliding dropouts.
i love that it's solid and silent.
it fits better than any other bike i've owned (6'3" 200#)
the color is awesome.
it's probably right around 29 lbs with my build.
it floats
it corners
it does not look like a store bought bike
it does not ride like a store bought bike
it made my reba feel better, but it's still gonna be replaced as soon as the xfusion slants are available.
i'd post a follow up later but it's not even necessary, this thing is it.
bottome line, if you are more interested in having fun on your bike, get this bike.
if you count carbs and grams and spend time on a road bike, and like to sit at starbucks talking about your gear inches go get a niner or spec or whatever and be ready to get out of my way on the trail lol.
Similar Products Used: my old haro freestyler sport
Bike Setup: 20" honzo, 50mm spank stem, spank royola bar, joplin dropper post, x9 9spd shifter/der, juicy brakes, nukeproof hub on sun mtx33 rear, nukeproof 15mm convertible on velo blunt up front, reba rl, profile 175mm cranks, vp pedals and 200 lbs of ohio hillbilly.
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Submitted by
cford
a Cross Country Rider
from Milwaukee, WI
Date Reviewed: November 13, 2011
Strengths: Going downhill, Going uphill, Shredding the Gnarballs, Running over anything you see on the side of the trail that doesnt really look rideable. Above all else its a really fun and realiable bike.
Weaknesses: it doesnt fly. the stock wheels are heavy, and the crank is ok.
Bottom Line:
So, I bought this bike and the day it came in I put it together and went to GNOMEFEST, at the Levis Trow Mounds in Neilsville WI. Anyone familiar with those trails knows that it is very "west-like". Now, i knew the Honzo would be the perfect bike for this kind of riding, with its HUGE front fork and killer geometry, slacked out for a more forgiving ride while screaming down whateveryouwant. It preformed beautifully, soaking up any punishment i threw at it. Best thing i noticed is that once i got familiar with the bike i could whip it around windy single track almost as fast as the Unit. Going across more tame singletrack and feilds/swamps/pineforest this bike feels just as at home as it does when you let the brakes out and rip it down hill.
Ive noticed that this bike produces a more laid back riding position and you should embrace that as youre not going to be over the bars pinning it on this machine. Sit back, relax and let the big tires and big fork do the work. However if you come to a really steep climb you can climb uphill just as youd expect from any 29" bike. A tip for climbing, move the rear wheel back a smidge from the front and youll notice your rear end staying a little more under control when climbing. I was spinning the rear wheel considerably when i first started gunning up tough rooty/rocky sections.
So the stock set up will get you through anything. Sure its not a tricked out bling machine out of the box. But it works, and its a toy thats meant to take alot of unadulterated abuse.
so, who should buy this bike? Someone who wants the perfect compliment to the rigid single speed 29er. The Honzo is going to open up new doors to what a 29er can be. Big, Gutsy, without limitations. And if the term "Drunken-Master" comes to mind when you think of this bike. Let me just affirm that you are correct.
Similar Products Used: Kona Unit, '09, and '12 SS, rigid.
Bike Setup: bone stock except for the grips, pedals, and seat.
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Submitted by
carabao
a Cross Country Rider
from Chula Vista, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: November 11, 2011
Strengths: Geometry.
Weaknesses: Frame is heavy, but that's why it's so stiff and performs so well.
Bottom Line:
First of all, I expected the front end to wander on steep climbs, but it stuck, no wandering. This has a lot to do with the steep seat tube. It felt very efficient without any discernable bottom bracket flex. I expected this because the tubes Kona uses are fatter than my old Niner MCR 9. This frame weighs 5.75lbs. where the Niner 853 steel frame weighed 4.5lbs. and doesn't have sliding dropouts. For my weight, about 200lbs., the MCR 9 was nooodly, but comfortable. I felt it absorbed a lot of my pedaling power and the head tube was extremely flexy. The Honzo is a stout frame, and I don't think you can achieve that without it weighing more. I don't notice the weight, but I do notice the power transfer and SOLID feel of the frame. Also, I expected to dab the more technical sections because I'm not tuned to this bike yet, but I cleaned them all.
After reaching the top we lowered our seats and headed back. The words that comes to mind descending on this bike are INSANELY FAWKING AWESOME. Because of the short chain stays, the bike corners like a roller coaster doing a 180. The Honzo's geometry positions you over the rear tire and the pivot point of the bike in the turns. I'm not much of a downhiller, but I was flying and not worrying about any ruts or rocks because the fork and frame just swallowed them up, very confidence inspiring. The chain stays also make coming off jumps more intuitive. With Niner's geometry I always felt like I was waiting for the rear tire when popping off curbs and jumps, but the Kona feels right on.
This is the best bike I have ever owned, period. If you're worried about frame weight, you could save about 1/4-1/2 lb. going with a Canfield Nimble 9. The geometries with 120mm forks are almost identical, but the Nimble 9 has a slacker seat tube, which may affect climbing, and does not accommodate a tapered fork, two things I really love about the Honzo.
PS - check out this video of the Honzo in action: http://vimeo.com/30398545
Bike Setup: 012 Kona Honzo Med.
2012 Fox F29, 120mm, RLC, Tapered, 15mm TA
Stan’s Flow Wheelset with 3.30 front hub, 3.30 Heavy Duty rear hub
Maxxis Ardents: fr/2.4exo, rr/2.25
Thomson X4 70mm zero rise stem
Thomson Elite seatpost
Easton Monkeylite xc lo-rise carbon bar 27 inches
Specialized Henge Expert Saddle, ti rails
Odi Rogue lock-ons
Avid Elixirs R 185/160
Sram 991? chain
XT cranks
XT med. cage derailleur
Shimano 12-36t cassette
Niner 32t front chain ring
XT rear shifter
BBG bash
N-gear Jumpstop
Cane Creek Headset
27 lb. 13 oz.
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Submitted by
Paddyr
a Cross Country Rider
from North Shore, B.C.
Date Reviewed: October 1, 2011
Strengths: Steel frame, great geometry, good build.
Weaknesses: Would be nice to have an option for a front FD.
Bottom Line:
This bike is blast! Picked it up yesterday and hit the trails on the North Shore.ran a couple loops on Fromme which are typical north shore technical,bordering free-ride. Climbed great up the FSR and descended awesome. Despite being a hardball, it rolled on everything and put my Altitude to shame. It's my first 29er and am very impressed. It's quick and nimble. The slack 68* head angle chewed through the shore trails no prob. Overall,haven't had this much futon a bike in along time. Was also looking at Chromag's 29erthat looks great but the full kit from Kona is a great value. Would have supported the local guys but the value spread was too great.
