satori

KONA RACE LIGHT 7005/6061 ALUMINUM

Kona Race Light 7005/6061 is a lighter, more performance-oriented fabrication of our 7005/6061 Aluminum tubing. Designed to meet Kona's discerning race specifications, Race Light 7005/6061 uses custom butting to create thicker tubes at weld areas and important parts of the frame, providing incredible strength and torsional integrity to the feel of the ride. We remove wall thickness in other parts of the frameset to lighten up the bike, providing the perfect balance between quickness and stiffness. The emphasis here is on performance, lightness and speed built the Kona way.

INTERNAL HEADSET

By having the headset bearing located inside the headtube (called zero stack), rather than the top and bottom, we are able to achieve a number of advantages when it comes to front-end stiffness, durability and overall riding performance. The major benefit of an internal headset is the extra layer of protection it provides the bearings against the elements. Additionally, the bearings are commonly available angular contact bearings, which are easily and inexpensively replaced. An internal headset also reduces stack height, so the height of the stem and bars are more adjustable, giving the rider the best fit possible.

TAPERED HEADTUBE

For 2013, you'll find a large majority of Kona bicycles featuring zero stack and tapered headtubes. From cyclocross to cross-country, 29ers right through to longer-travel dual-suspension models, like our Entourage and Operator, a tapered headtube provides more support at the intersection of the toptube and downtube, greatly improving stability and overall performance.

Aside from improving the aesthetic due to its cleaner lines and smooth transition between the fork crown and the headset cover, tapered headtubes also offer a more solid interface between forks with tapered steertubes and the bicycle frame itself. More girth at the bottom of the headtube better distributes shock force, prolonging the bearing life of the headset itself. The inherent strength of its triangular design also means a stronger steering position and improved balance, giving the rider more control in rough terrain. A zero stack, tapered headtube also puts strength where the load is going—into the lower headset cup—maximizing bearing durability where it's needed.

KONA SWING LINK

First introduced on our Satori in 2012, and featured on the Satori and Kitsune for 2013, it is important to note that Kona's new Swing Link suspension setup represents no functional difference from our traditional Walking Beam 4-Bar Linkage. Both configurations are single-pivot rocker-actuated suspension designs. We refer to our traditional design as a Walking Beam and the Satori as Swing Link, but this only describes the manner in which the rocker is configured, not how the suspension functions, which is the same between them.

We changed the configuration of the Satori's rocker to increase standover and optimize the leverage rate for 29inch all-mountain riding in a way that we could not have done with our traditional Walking Beam configuration.

12x142 REAR AXLES

A 12x142mm rear axle provides two major advantages to the Kona rider: the 12mm diameter of the rear axle provides the rear hub and frame with a stiff interface, while the 142mm outer diameter of the hub allows the wheel to be quickly and properly positioned in the frame before the rear axle is inserted. The definition of all-mountain: DH stiffness with the speed and ease of XC.

TUBELESS COMPATIBLE RIMS

A number of 2013 Kona models feature the benefits of tubeless compatible rims. Tubeless rims allow for tires with more puncture resistance, better tire grip on the trail, lower rolling resistance and weight savings over traditional tube + tire systems. For 2013, you'll find tubeless compatible rims on most of our XC race and trail bikes, as well as our carbon fiber Major Jake, Red Zone and Zone Two.