Turner’s Showing off a prototype Burner 650B mountain bike with Dave Weagle’s DW Link rear suspension with 140mm travel.
These are betas, the last prototypes, and travel and suspension kinematics are set. Now they need to dial geometry, head and top tube lengths over the next couple months production is targeted for later this year.
Dave Turner says they’ve been testing that wheel size on the Sultan 29er and other frames and really like it. Over the winter they started modifying their Sultan to test a dedicated 650B bike and deciding on travel. With all of the early 650 forks coming as heavier long travel models, that helped them settle on 140mm.
The name Burner is being revived from a model back in the mid-90’s.
It’s designed to be a one-bike-for-everything model, and Turner says there will be a lot more tire and wheel choices in a few month as this bike progresses.
Linkages have grease ports on all bushings.
12×142 rear axle, which keeps their no threads in the frame theory going (at least at high stress areas, water bottle mounts are included). The axle holds the driveside dropout in for the most part, with a chainring nut and bolt keeping it attached to the frame when the axle is removed.
Brake post mounts use replaceable barrel nuts, which are easily replaceable if they get stripped.
The seat tube is shared with all of the other bikes, and the dropouts are shared with the 5 Spot and the Yoke is the same as on the Sultan. This share platform helps keep costs low enough to let U.S. manufacturing remain feasible. The rocker link is designed just for this bike.
Price should be inline with the 5 Spot, about $2,495 for frame and shock.
Made by Zen in Portland, Oregon, last week. Turner says full production should remain there, too.
WTB’s 650B Wolverine tires have been an on again/off again item, and Turner says these are fresh off the boat from their latest production run. If you want some, order now before they’re out again.
A couple of the bikes also had these Maxxis CrossMark 27.5×2.1 tires on them!
