Kona Honzo ESD vs Salsa Beargrease
Both published charts held against each other, on the specs that decide what the bike carries.
The short answer
The Beargrease is ahead on frame bag space, the rack path and fork cargo mounts. Nothing here goes the other way.
Assembled from the differences below rather than written over them, so it cannot drift from the table. Every figure is the manufacturer's; nobody here has ridden either bike.
Where they differ
4 of the 6 things we can compare come out differently. The rest are close enough not to decide anything.
Frame bag space
158 cm² more on the BeargreaseFront-triangle area at the largest size, computed from stack, reach and seat angle. It is what decides how much full-frame bag you can run, and a frame bag is the one place weight sits low and central.
Rear rack
Beargrease is the one you can bolt a rack to without hunting for partsRead from each maker's own mount wording. An adapter is a real cost the price tag does not mention, and 'not published' is not the same as no — it just is not something to buy a rack on.
Fork cargo mounts
only the Beargrease publishes somewhere to bolt a cageCage mounts on the fork blades. This moves weight low and off the bars, which is where a heavy bar roll does the most to the steering.
Chainstay
23mm longer on the BeargreaseThe gap between seat tube and rear axle, which a rack, panniers and your heels all share. Longer is more room for a load; shorter is a more compact bike. Which you want is a preference, not a winner.
Side by side
Including the rows where the two are level, because a spec that doesn't separate them is still a spec you might be checking.
| Kona Honzo ESD | Salsa Beargrease | |
|---|---|---|
| Frame bag space | 1471 cm² | 1629 cm² |
| Rear rack | Not published | Needs an extra part — Alternator 170/177 and Rack-Lock seat collar |
| Fork cargo mounts | None published | Published |
| Frame bottle positions | not published as a count | 2 |
| Chainstay | 417mm | 440mm |
| From | $2,399 | $2,319.99 |
| Sizes | 4 | 5 |
| Frame | Kona Cromoly Butted | Carbon |
Drawn to scale
Largest published size of each, built from the charts rather than illustrated. The front triangle is the part that decides frame bag fit.
