Lightweight or full power? That is the big question for many when shopping for eMTBs. Rocky Mountain Bikes presents a compelling argument for mid-weight mid-power with their Instinct Powerplay SL. Its Dyname S4 Lite motor provides ample boost power to ride any trail, and its 480Wh battery offers enough range to last longer than a lot of riders’ legs and lungs!
Bikerumor covered the Instinct Powerplay SL when it launched last fall, and I got the chance to test the Carbon 70 model for quite a while throughout this spring and summer. The Instinct Powerplay SL’s 145/150 mm of travel and highly adjustable geometry make it a good candidate for a do-it-all eMTB that anyone could fine-tune to their liking.
RMB Instinct Powerplay SL – Key Specs:
For all the specs and details on the Instinct Powerplay SL lineup, check out our launch article, but here’s a quick summary of its key features:
The Instinct Powerplay SL is available with either a Smoothwall carbon or aluminum frame. Rocky Mountain’s mid-high pivot Smoothlink suspension linkage provides 145mm rear travel, and up front is a 150mm fork.
Most sizes of the Instinct Powerplay SL are on 29” wheels, but XS frames come with 27.5” wheels. Small-XL frames are MX compatible via an aftermarket shock link from RMB.
The Instinct Powerplay SL gets a recently added feature by RMB: A reach-adjust headset system with neutral or +/- 5mm positions. The bikes come with two sets of headset cups, which can be popped out and swapped by hand.
Rocky Mountain’s Ride 4 chip allows you to adjust the bike’s geometry and suspension feel. These adjustments are not independent of each other – Slacker settings produce a more progressive suspension curve, while steeper settings get more linear.
The Instinct Powerplay SL has one water bottle (or range extender) mount on the down tube. I was able to fit a standard small water bottle in the medium frame.
The size medium Instinct Powerplay SL Carbon 70 I tested hit my scale at 45.06 lbs with pedals. I’d say that’s OK for a 29” wheeled eMTB with a 480Wh battery.
Dyname S4 Lite Drive System:
At the time of my review, the mid-powered Instinct Powerplay SL runs a Dyname S4 Lite motor, which offers 65Nm of torque and 550W peak power output. But now, thanks to a firmware update, those numbers have been bumped up to 75Nm of torque and 700W of power!
RMB went with a 480Wh battery, which is removable by pulling out two bolts that secure it inside the frame. The bike is also compatible with the Overtimepack range extender, which provides an extra 314Wh of capacity. With the 4A charger, RMB says a full battery charge takes 2:35, and you can reach 80% in 1:55. After many charges and top-ups, I’d say the charge times are accurate.
A Jumbotron display located on the top tube shows your key ride metrics, battery life, etc. The display unit and remote are used to customize settings and see diagnostic info, so there’s no need for an app with this drive system. RMB’s compact Micro Remote provides controls, navigates through settings, and activates the bike’s walk mode.
Geometry:
Between the Instinct Powerplay SL’s Ride 4 chip and reach-adjust headset, its geometry is very adjustable. Here are the varying specs for the 29” medium I rode: With the swappable headset cups, the shortest reach possible on a medium frame is 445mm, and the longest is 463mm. The slackest possible head tube angle is 63.5°, while the steepest is 64.2°. Seat tube angles vary from 76.5° – 77.2°.
The Ride 4 chip also has minor effects on chainstay length, wheelbase, and stack height, plus alters standover and BB heights more considerably. The chart above shows the bike’s geometry range, but RMB’s website lists exact numbers for all the Ride 4 chip’s positions.
Ride Impressions – Geo/Fit:
I picked up the Instinct Powerplay SL fully built, and I didn’t get the +/- 5mm headset cups, so I rode it with the headset in the neutral position.
I was able to test the adjustable headset on the updated Altitude I reviewed last summer, so honestly, I know I would prefer the Instinct in its longer reach setting, and I know the cups function well. They are easy to swap, and I had no mechanical issues with them on the Altitude.
I started out riding the Instinct Powerplay SL with the Ride 4 chip in Pos. 1, the slackest setting. This position is like ‘mini enduro’ mode. The bike feels slack and stable; it just has less travel than an enduro bike. In this configuration, the reach of 450mm is shorter than I like. The front end’s 622mm stack height also feels pretty low, even with four spacers under the stem. Position 1’s 63.5° steering angle is great for tackling rough and steep stuff.
In Pos. 1, the Instinct Powerplay SL’s 442mm rear end is on the longer side, and overall, the bike has a lengthy 1232mm wheelbase. It’s not a super whippy bike in the corners, but it is nice and stable at higher speeds. Position 1 keeps the BB low with a 38.8mm drop.
After a while, I wanted more reach, and was willing to sacrifice half a degree of steering slackness, so I swapped the bike into the Ride 4 Chip’s Pos. 3. This position offers a 455mm reach, and a 64° head tube angle.
Right away, I felt more comfortable with 5mm more reach up front. Despite the BB lifting almost 7 mm, the longer reach balances out the bike’s stability, and this setting is definitely preferable for my long-ish arms. The steering angle is ideal for any trail, and the minor differences in seat mast angle, chainstay length, and stack height are not significant.
One thing I noticed is that the Instinct Powerplay SL’s standover height is better than the numbers suggest. It is listed at 813mm in Pos. 3, but I found that it was accurate fairly far up the top tube, near the shock mount. If you move towards the saddle a few inches, where you can stand, the top tube drops quickly. Right in front of the saddle, the standover height is about 765mm. That’s still not super low, but low enough that I had ample clearance.
Suspension – Climbing:
The Instinct Powerplay SL’s rear suspension relies on RMB’s Smoothlink mid-high pivot linkage and a Fox Float X Performance Elite rear shock.
Riding on anything from smooth surfaces to singletrack trails, the rear end will give up about 50% travel in Firm mode. Small bump sensitivity is definitely sacrificed for pedalling efficiency, and you get plenty of feedback from the trail. Pedalling efforts are very well supported, so when pedalling on smooth surfaces, it hardly feels like the rear end is moving. Even with the eMTB’s assist, I would still use Firm mode for crossing town, climbing gravel paths, or forest service roads.
With the shock left open, small bump sensitivity is very good when climbing, and the ride gets more comfortable. In Open mode, I found the bike will give up 75-80% travel on bumpier climbs. On smooth terrain, the rear end will only dip to about 50% under pedalling forces alone. Given the motor’s assist, I prefer to climb the Instinct Powerplay SL in Open mode on rougher trails, as it noticeably improves ride comfort on all terrain and rear-end traction over larger bumps.
Descending:
On the downhills, I find RMB’s Smoothlink suspension is good at everything, but not incredible at anything particular. Small bump absorption is more than adequate to ensure solid traction, but it’s not so sensitive that it creates a numb on-trail feel. The bike doesn’t quite erase those smaller bumps, but it definitely keeps the back tire glued to the terrain.
The Instinct Powerplay SL impressed me more than expected on one fast, rough trail I rode. This trail is like a DH course, featuring wide open straights filled with medium-sized rocks and big roots. On this lap, I found the rear end ate up the bumps very well, and I felt nicely planted through those rougher sections. I kept the shock’s rebound set to Fox’s factory suggestions, and the bike did a great job maintaining traction in chattery terrain.
Given that 145 mm of travel is not a ton for rougher trails, some body language is required for taking bigger hits. But travel limitations aside, I noticed the Instinct Powerplay SL’s linkage reduces the brunt of all kinds of impacts fairly well. It also offers good end stroke resistance to prevent harsh bottom-outs.
On that note, I’ll describe the progressivity of the two Ride 4 Chip positions I tried: Riding in Pos. 1, the most progressive setting, the bike held me to about 95% travel on less aggressive laps. This setting left a little in reserve for big, nasty hits, offering strong bottom-out resistance at the end stroke.
Riding in Pos. 3 produces a slightly more linear feel deeper into the stroke, but still offers good bottom-out resistance. I consistently hit 98% travel on moderate laps, but it still took a hard thump to bottom out the bike. Being a lightweight rider, I was happier with the bike’s suspension feel in Pos. 3.
The Instinct Powerplay SL seems to maintain adequate mid-stroke support, as the bike jumps and pumps through corners nicely. The 45lbs weight definitely keeps the bike feeling like a mid-power eMTB should; The agility and handling are not terribly different from a non-assisted bike.
Power and Range:
Now let’s run down the Instinct Powerplay SL’s assist levels. As I find with most eMTBs, Eco mode (25% power on this bike) helps nicely on flat terrain but doesn’t do too much once you start grinding uphill. Trail mode (45%) provides a good amount of assist power, and if you’re taking the pace easy, it can carry you up nearly any climb. Riding solo, I’m happy to tackle mellower climbs in Trail mode.
Trail+ (70%) is the mode I spent most of my time in. Trail+ provides plenty of power to make climbs very easy, and it’s enough to keep up a good pace, too. Ludicrous (100%) provides tons of power, and is great for trying to keep up with friends on their full-powered eMTBs! It won’t rival a larger output motor, but it provides a laughable amount of boost for this mid-weight eMTB.
Now here’s where the Instinct Powerplay SL really shines – The range on this thing blew me away! There is a noticeable difference between RMB’s 480Wh battery and the 400Wh Bosch battery in the Devinci E-Spartan Lite I recently reviewed. That extra 80Wh carries you a lot further, and achieves something I think is significant: If you’re at all conservative with the assist, this bike can easily get through two decent rides on a single charge.
On one ride, using a bit of Trail mode and Trail+ for my entire climb, I used up just 37% of the battery over two hours. One day, I went for a bigger ride, including four climbs and descents, and used only 52% of the battery after 2:40 of moving time. I spent about 45 minutes climbing in Trail, did most of the ride in Trail+, then went to Ludicrous mode for the last 25 minutes because I still had so much juice left! This ride convinced me that 5 hours of ride time is realistic from this battery if you’re willing to do some pedalling in Trail mode.
Of course, I tried riding entirely in Ludicrous mode, and after one hour of climbing, I ate up 43% of the battery. I’d expect to top out at roughly two hours of ride time if you’re using full boost power.
Throughout all my rides, I never felt any odd, unpredictable power delivery or behaviour from the Dyname motor. In any assist level, the motor is noticeably responsive to how hard you’re torquing on the cranks, and this sensitivity is adjustable.
Unfortunately, the first two RMB eMTBs I rode both had different problems with their on-board electronics and/or drive systems, but the Instinct Powerplay SL, which I’ve had for quite a while, never brought me any real issues. Only once I switched the bike on and got a communication error, but with a simple off/on, the error disappeared, and it never happened again.
I like RMB’s Jumbotron display, as it’s easy to read while riding. There are multiple display screens you can choose from, and I like the one that shows your assist level in a circle graphic, with battery life shown by percentage underneath.
I also like how the Micro Remote is small and ergonomically easy to use. I did play with the walk mode on the Instinct Powerplay SL, and it works well.
Components:
The Instinct Powerplay SL runs a Fox 36 Float EVOL GRIP X Performance Elite 150mm fork. The fork did its job well, and I wouldn’t see the need to run a 38mm stanchion fork on this trail-focused bike.
The SRAM GX Eagle AXS drivetrain performed entirely without fault and needed no adjustments. SRAM’s Code Silver Stealth 4-piston brakes did not impress me much. This was not the most powerful set of Codes I’ve ridden, and they required a strong pull on the levers and more dragging than I’d prefer.
Race Face’s ARC30 wheelset held up extremely well, with the front rolling perfectly true. The rear wheel has a slight 1-2mm side wobble and one barely noticeable flat spot, but that’s great considering the tires were not particularly protective…
RMB set up the Instinct Powerplay SL with Maxxis Minion DHF and DHR II tires, both in EXO+ casings. After some fast, rough descents, I found even my lightweight self was feeling harsh clunks on the rear rim fairly often. I wasn’t blowing through the bike’s travel, so I’d suspect a lot of riders would prefer a heavier casing rear tire to help protect the rear wheel. Impacts aside, I’m OK with the sidewall strength of an EXO+ tire and had no issues with them lacking support in corners.
I’m not the first journalist to borrow this bike, but it’s under a year old, and the Fox Transfer Performance Elite dropper post is already terribly sticky. I’ve had mixed luck with these posts; sometimes they’re nearly perfect, and others have frequent issues with not fully rising. I’m sure a simple service would fix it, but my experience with Fox Transfer posts has been inconsistent at best. Also, a 170mm post on the medium frame would be much preferred over a 150mm post. I have to run the post pretty high out of the frame for my long legs.
Mega Volt:
This is the first time I’ve been able to use a review bike for a riding event while testing it! This Spring, I was invited to attend the Mega Volt eMTB event in Naramata, B.C. While most riders were on full-power eMTBs, there were several mid-powered bikes in attendance. Knowing I’m a lightweight rider, I figured the mid-power Instinct Powerplay SL would be ample for me, and it had no problem getting me through the event.
The first day was only one trail ride, but the following two days involved morning and afternoon rides. I fully charged the bike each night, but I never even got close to draining a battery. As for power, I would have preferred a full power bike only if I were really competing in the awarded events. I went to Mega Volt to have fun and explore Naramata’s trails, and the Instinct Powerplay SL never left me wanting.
MSRP for the Instinct Powerplay SL Carbon 70 is $9699 USD. The Carbon 70 comes in two color options, with RMB’s lengthy music-referencing names: Cry Baby/Sweet Dreams/Black Dog (as tested) or Pour Some Sugar On Me/UD Carbon/Ziggy Stardust.
