2014 Cove Hummer 650 BJ
Seeing a titanium bike these days is a bit like seeing a triple rainbow: rather rare, and quite magical. Thankfully the crew down at Cove Bikes saw fit to hand me their latest ti creation, the Hummer 650BJ, for a short but sweet sojourn with the rare bird.
The Hummer 650 BJ is the second of two new bikes at Cove to be shod in the ‘tweener wheel size (check out the heated discussion surrounding their as-yet unnamed other bike HERE). That being said, this bike is a full production model, and will be available for purchase later this month. A frame will run you $2,000 and a build kit will also be on offer.
Thanks to the super lightweight frame and smart spec, this bike has an almost puppy-dog enthusiasm for the ups. Push hard enough and you can find the outer limits of the bike, but one has to ride way out of the 650 BJ’s intended zone to do so.
Clean lines and well-sorted geometry make this a perfect XC/AM crossover rig.
Cove is never one for subtle names, and the 650 BJ certainly takes after its predecessors in that regard.
Our bike came with a one-off build kit featuring a mix of primarily XT and XTR components. An official SRAM build kit will be on offer for those who want a ride right out of the box.
A clutch rear derailleur helps things run quietly out back. The 650 BJ also features sliding dropouts to help tweak the wheelbase depending on your riding needs. Also present is a 142mm thru-axle, which helps keep the rear end from noodling about.
The RaceFace NEXT carbon cranks were another nice touch, while the BB30 bottom bracket provides a nice stiff interface. When it was time to stomp on the pedals and get going, this bike takes off like a rocket.
Seek and ye shall find. Detailing on the drive-side chain stay.
Suspension duties are handled by a 140mm Rock Shox Revelation RCT3. The fork features a 3-position lockout, ensuring that the front of the bike sticks to the ground, unless you want it to. Our bike rolls on XT hubs laced to Sun Ringle Inferno 27s, but the build kit will feature DT Swiss 350 hubs laced to 480 hoops.
Dropper posts have become an essential component to any high-end trail bike nowadays. The spec of an oversize seat tube makes this a go, while a Cove-branded WTB Rocket V offers a lightweight perch.
The cockpit is comprised of yet more RaceFace components, with the Next bar taking center stage. It’s not monstrously wide, but on this bike, it doesn’t have to be. Plus, the carbon helps to dampen out the small-bump chatter that causes hand and arm fatigue.
The welding on this bike is exquisite. There has been a lot of time and effort put into crafting this bike, and it truly shows in the final product.
Does the new Hummer turn your crank? Does titanium still have a place in a world filled with so much fantastic plastic? Let us know in the comments below…
Comments
BikeDibley
9 years, 8 months ago
So, this might be my perfect UK trail bike to partner with my full bounce.
Any idea what fork travel it's aimed at?
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oldfartts
9 years, 8 months ago
Cove Bike had a name the frame contest on Facebook there were over 300 submissions, this was the name most liked And remember don't let your summer be a bummer get yourself a Hummer
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oldfartts
9 years, 8 months ago
I find a lot of riders that say "hard tails are just for commuting" do not really have that good of bike handling skills. Just a thought!
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syngltrkmnd
9 years, 8 months ago
Hardtails really don't lift my luggage at all. Like boot above, I regard them as commuter bikes.
As for the nomenclature, it should have simply been called the "650BJ".
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boot
9 years, 8 months ago
I thought hardtail died 15 years ago, that's not a commuter?
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gwh
9 years, 8 months ago
Looks like your toes would be awfully close to that tire on tight turns?
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Hola-Day
9 years, 8 months ago
I don't believe the original Hummer bikes were entirely related to the sexual Hummer. These were the original bomb proof shore bike that came out about the same time in the 90's that the public was able to buy a Real Hummer just like the US Army had been using for years. " Don't let your summer be a bummer get yourself a Deep Cove Hummer " was the add that ran back then in Ski Freak Radical that later became Kootenay Mountain Culture magazine. I still have my original Cove Hummer it's great for ripping over town on. Always get comments when I ride it.. If I had the cash I'd get one of the new 650B's. Not keen on the BJ part of the name either
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boomforeal
9 years, 8 months ago
the frame is ti and takes 650b wheels - lots of shots of the build kit… but what about geometry?
re. the name i agree with ol' dirty. cove's naming convention is so deeply ingrained in their image there's no way they could change track at this point without some kind of major rebrand. but, really, who cares?
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ol dirty
9 years, 8 months ago
Looks pretty sick. I've been hoping for some 650b AM hardtails to roll out. Naming gag is getting old but they're so balls deep now it's too late to pull out 😉
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Todd Hellinga
9 years, 8 months ago
dumb name for sure…but luckily it's just a die cut sticker on a frame with no clearcoat…pretty easy to remove, and it would make the frame look a lot better too without a ugly model name sticker on it.
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skifreak
9 years, 8 months ago
Might not be so bad if the name label was maybe about a quarter the size…
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Buster Bluth
9 years, 8 months ago
Cove should come out with grips called Fisting. 💡
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Bryce
9 years, 8 months ago
thatd be an interesting shape, slippery tho
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Ian St.Martin
9 years, 8 months ago
The 2013 Kona Explosif was a huge success. Many glowing reports. Probably a good thing that Cove is early to the 650B AM hardtail party. Is this bike available to demo somewhere?
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Dirk
9 years, 8 months ago
Don't get me wrong…I'm fine with Hummer. I just think the 650 BJ thing is super ridiculous. Just so ridiculously childishly un-clever.
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MrDirtt
9 years, 8 months ago
Have to agree with the above comments. The joke is stale and wasn't super funny to start with. Otherwise sweet looking ride but I know I would rip the name stickers off asap if I had one.
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clarklewis
9 years, 8 months ago
agreed. time to grow up, the joke ran out long ago.
there will be people out there that will look elsewhere because of the name alone.
frame looks nice.
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Dirk
9 years, 8 months ago
The Cove name schtick is getting a bit tired. And less and less subtle. It's like Idiocracy…pretty soon we're going to have the Cove Put-Dink-in-Hole.
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