Few bikes that have rolled through BikeRadar 's clutches have drawn as much attention as Turner's new King Khan. Although the neon yellow paint isn't exactly subtle, what's really intriguing is the idea of a full-suspension fat bike.
- Highs: Fantastic dw-link rear suspension design, awesome stability, gobs of tyre clearance, excellent handling
- Lows: Heavy frame, very expensive
- Buy if: You don't consider fat biking to be solely a winter activity
Almost without fail, the first question people ask us upon laying eyes on the King Khan is whether rear suspension is necessary on a fat bike. And the answer is… it depends.
We tested the King Khan back-to-back with several other fat bikes and the effect of having 120-125mm of balanced wheel travel front and rear is impossible to miss. Fat bikes do have lots of built-in squish on account of the giant tyres but that motion is undamped and essentially impossible to tune independently of traction. Even the best hardtail fat bikes we've sampled can sometimes lose their composure on rougher sections of ground once things starting bouncing around. Given the right – or should that be wrong? – conditions, the feel can be akin to riding a basketball, not a bike.
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Rear suspension may not be necessary on a fat bike but it undeniably adds to its capabilities - plus, it's heaps of fun
In contrast, the King Khan is almost unfailingly planted and composed – just keep the rear end weighted and mow through just about anything in your way, up or down. Traction on both slippery climbs and posthole-littered descents is noticeably better yet the motion isn't always obvious, especially on snow. Nevertheless, we climbed off the saddle after more than a few test rides having clearly used all of the travel.
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