Sultan or burner 650b – currently ride 2004 burner

I can’t show you either, but I can tell you I test rode both of them last week in the States on holiday. Both incredible, fantastic pedalling, and great handling bikes. For comparison, I also demo’d a Niner RIP9, a TallBoy LT, and a Yeti SB66, and the Turners are the bikes I enjoyed most (although the Yeti came in close, and I must admit I am a bit of a Turner fanboi). The Sultan unsurprising felt longer and not quite as ‘peppy’ as the Burner, but steamrollered everything, and was immensely confidence inspiring. For the type of trails I ride though, I’m saving for the Burner – just a bit more fun 8)

You’d not go wrong with either……….. Have a look on the mtbr turner forum for builds etc.

I have a large sultan. It’s definitely a big bike, but tends to disappear when I’m riding. It’s not that much of a steam roller IMO, although you could build it to be. It’s wheel base is definitely longer than some, but I didn’t have any trouble shoogling it around the hair pins at Ciclo Montana a few weeks ago. I do have a fair amount of mass with which to boss it about with, so maybe that has something to do with it. I love it’s composure on technical trails, which suits my tastes in riding.

These are about the only pics I have to hand.

How tall are you Science Officer? Nice bike, btw!

Here’s mine

Neighbours fence….

I have noticed in really tight singletrack it’s a bit slower to turn and takes more body English to do so than my old 5 Spot, everywhere else it’s better though. I’m 6’4″, just fits me really well

I’m 6ft and 14 st.

I honestly haven’t seen a down side after a short period of acclimatisation.

Eww whose it that horrid green thing?

Some niche-mongers…

**fencesitter

They seem to be selling one or two Tracer 275’s a week in BAB so not so niche now!

Had it for about 3.5 years now. Far more capable than I am, rides anything brilliantly. Just a monster truck of a fun bike. That’s Sasquatch size as well.

davosaurusrex – what size is that? At 6’4″ are you long legged or long torso’d or neither?

Turner Sultan with loop bar 2 by Jones96er, on Flickr
Here’s mine. Large 2011 model. Does disappear beneath you, far too capable for South Downs!

Dave – get a shorter stem. I felt it was a bit slow to respond with a 80mm stem, switched to a 70mm and it was like night and day. Very surprised, as I’ve never noticed a 10mm difference before.

@dickie-neither, I consider myself to be a fairly well proportioned lanky streak of piss. It’s an XL

@rickon – reach feels perfect for me with the 85mm on there. It doesn’t feel slow to turn, more that it’s the only time I’ve been aware of the wheelbase through tight singletrack with very rapid changes of direction. Was thinking of an XXL with a shorter stem but silverfish didn’t import any. Might borrow a 70mm off a mate just to see though

Was thinking of an XXL with a shorter stem but silverfish didn’t import any

We did (and still do) bring XXL in but for obvious reasons they’re special order only. We can generally get them to you within 4-6 weeks though.

Our northern rep is 6’5″ and has an XXL.

I did talk to someone at silverfish who was going to contact Turner regarding bringing one in for me. Never heard back though and in the interim CRC put the 2012s on sale which made the decision for me

Definitely a shorter stem makes all the difference, I’ve got a 2011 spot too, and the Sultan turns as well as the spot with a shorter stem. Before it felt like turning a boat!

a mk.1 – before they went ugly

Interestingly, I’ve felt no need to shorten my cockpit from the 90mm stem I transferred across from my 5 spot. I did go up to 740mm bars though.