Kona Honzo ESD - Soliciting your impressions
 

Is anyone on here riding a Honzo ESD? Note - the ESD is the longer, steel version of this series, so I don't think they're out there in huge numbers.

If you do have a Honzo ESD (not a Big Honzo, or Honzo ST) please let me know your thoughts! I would like to build one over the next few years as my parts bin becomes full again and my LBS is a Kona dealer. This bike checks a lot of boxes for me: big tire clearance, long wheelbase, being top among them.

I want to add a bike to my stable for when my brother or cousin are in town, we can go up to the woods together, and to also to get something I can occasionally hit the ski area with my buddy, without going full suspension (on a rigid bike now, it does everything, but I don't wanna take it full on DH). The lion's share of the miles this bike would theoretically be getting would otherwise be considered technical singletrack (smooth, nicely graded climbs, rocky descents).

Thanks for your feeback!

I think the audience you're looking for is going to be more responsive on Pinkbike or in the Kona forum at MTBR.

posted elsewhere thanks man!

After your post I checked if Steve of Hardtail Party did a review, and he's done four, a build, a ride, a modification, and ride again. He liked it but thinks it's kind of in the realm where you're being willful about still not having rear suspension. He takes the travel down a notch and tries it ss

It's definitely a bike with an attitude.

Thank you! I actually saw the one he did on the "stock" build, pretty cool guy and has got me thinking I need to vacation in Sedona!

I am not sure if I am being "willful" about lack of rear suspension. Maybe I am, I am not dogmatic about it, I just don't understand the technology, I don't think it's 100 percent necessary for the rides I want to do, and (I admit) that I just think steel HTs are cooler.

Please do chime in on my question about fork travel, I found an amazing deal on a high-end fork but it's only adjustable to 140mm, not 150mm which is what Kona ships the stock builds with. Also, what does he mean by "modern technique?" Does that mean having your body low but not necessarily as far back?

I'm sure it won't hurt anything to run a shorter fork. It just brings the nose down a skosh. Most high end forks are adjustable too, sometimes via internal spacers and sometimes changing the air shaft.

Excellent. Thank you.

This will be my first foray in to suspension since 2001.

watch your bb height....

Yes good call, I plan on running relatively short cranks too, for this reason.