# m9 vs dw Dhr



## mzorich (Mar 13, 2011)

i am in a huge toss up between the 2. i have been a loyal intense rider for year no and i love the bikes. but the new dhr is mighty sexy and very light. its a hard choice i know the m9 is totally adjustable but thats part of whats turning me away from the bike. it could take a whole season to find a good set up, the dhr is super solid may not be as adjustable but you can change things on the bike. any thoughts out there?


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## ifouiripilay (Nov 11, 2005)

Are you local to SoCal? Their head quarters are next to each other. I'd say demo both. I haven't heard any bad things about either. Both are great companies. I don't ride either but have a turner highline and dw spot. Ive heard great things about each.


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## highrevkev (Oct 31, 2005)

I haven't heard anything bad about the M9, but I have personally seen a couple of the DHR's snap by the seat tube.... I think if they could gusset that area a little more I'd even buy one!


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## ianjenn (Aug 1, 2004)

The DHR isn't all that light the LG weighs 11 LBS w/ shock same as Legend,TR450 and about every other frame. Just saying......


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## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

worried about the adjustability?? That is kind of sad....it is an awesome bike 

one side note about Jeff Steeber (owner of Intense) " The M9 we got everything right. Best bike I ever built. Shock ramp up...everything" 

paraphase e from another who talk to Jeff


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## mzorich (Mar 13, 2011)

im not worried about adjustability I'm just saying the bike has so many options that it really could take a whole sea on to get the bike dialed. sometimes simple is better.

i haven't had a chance to ride the dhr. i have rode the m9 many times and its an awesome bike. i always know what and intense is going to feel like i have never had any problems and i love them a lot. but the new dhr is super sexy very well built. idk i think it might be time to try something else out. i have been on a vpp or vpp2 set up since i started downhilling back when the first v10 came out. i just want something that feel different responds different. i think i could get that with the dhr. the low bb would make the bike rail 63.3 HA is pretty slack and an angle set can change the feel of the bike a lot.


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## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

mzorich said:


> im not worried about adjustability I'm just saying the bike has so many options that it really could take a whole sea on to get the bike dialed. sometimes simple is better
> t.


nah...believe me...I it took 3 months but I didn't ride 2 weeks out of month...get the crane creek, 0 degree slack or .5 ....set the shock in middle position on frame...middle in the drop outs...go stoock settings on shock and adjust...bottomless travel free (plush delight)/
...love my ti 888, and my bike pedals like a 32 pound trail bike....ask wasacth


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## Freerydejunky (Sep 21, 2006)

SHIVER ME TIMBERS said:


> nah...believe me...I it took 3 months but I didn't ride 2 weeks out of month...get the crane creek, 0 degree slack or .5 ....set the shock in middle position on frame...middle in the drop outs...go stoock settings on shock and adjust...bottomless travel free (plush delight)/
> ...love my ti 888, and my bike pedals like a 32 pound trail bike....ask wasacth


Your M9 does not pedal like my 32lb Blur LT2


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## Quarashi (Aug 23, 2006)

mzorich said:


> im not worried about adjustability I'm just saying the bike has so many options that it really could take a whole sea on to get the bike dialed. sometimes simple is better.
> 
> i haven't had a chance to ride the dhr. i have rode the m9 many times and its an awesome bike. i always know what and intense is going to feel like i have never had any problems and i love them a lot. but the new dhr is super sexy very well built. idk i think it might be time to try something else out. i have been on a vpp or vpp2 set up since i started downhilling back when the first v10 came out. i just want something that feel different responds different. i think i could get that with the dhr. the low bb would make the bike rail 63.3 HA is pretty slack and an angle set can change the feel of the bike a lot.


Your logic is flawed. With a non adjustable bike you're forced to get used to the pre-set geometry. With an adjsutable one like the m9, it comes default set in the adjustments the company feels the bike performs best at so you can literally just pretend like the bike has no adjustments and you don't have to worry about it anymore. Of course if you are a nit-picker you now have the options to +/- just about everything on the bike to get it exactly to how you feel like. You can also adjust the bike to be (on paper) more like your previous bike so it's easier to get used to.

The M9 was the easiest bike to get used to out of all the ones I've had. The hardest part of it to adjust to for me was the super slack head angle, but I got way faster when I adjusted my technique for it. The M9 is an amazing bike. I'm going to have to go with it pedaling incredible well to for 9.5" bike. Hands down it pedals much better than my Uzzi VP.


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## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

motormonkeyr6 said:


> Your M9 does not pedal like my 32lb Blur LT2


it might surprise you....weight is weight but My M9 pedals really easy....accelerates quick....a bold statement forsure but I stand with original statement and you can ask Allen in Utah (Wasacth)


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## norbar (Jun 5, 2007)

Geo wise they are a bit different and m9 aims for a bit more clearance but you have to take into consideration that the m9 was build to last much longer than the previous intense models. 


Though if you aren't taiwanophobic I'd add to that list banshee legend. I know there is not much marketing behind it but I'm yet to hear about a broken one and people ride them really hard. They ride pretty awesome as well. Best bike for someone who rides a lot or at least is a bit abusive bike wise.


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## Quarashi (Aug 23, 2006)

norbar said:


> Geo wise they are a bit different and m9 aims for a bit more clearance but you have to take into consideration that the m9 was build to last much longer than the previous intense models.
> 
> Though if you aren't taiwanophobic I'd add to that list banshee legend. I know there is not much marketing behind it but I'm yet to hear about a broken one and people ride them really hard. They ride pretty awesome as well. Best bike for someone who rides a lot or at least is a bit abusive bike wise.


The M9 is very very slack and low. May not look it on paper but it has too be one of the slackest out there when actually riding it. For some reason it feels much more slack than other supposedly 64 deg head angle bikes. Probably due to VPP sitting a fair bit lower.

Aside from the lower bearings, the thing felt rock solid. It's a tiny bit flexy in the rear though


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## wasea04 (Apr 2, 2007)

Since I've been dragged kicking and screaming into this thread I will tell you all this as to pertaining to the pedaling characteristics of SMT's M9, it pedaled better than the AM bike I was on, 39lb Ventana La Bruja. Now to clarify a little, the M9 is low, slack, and much more uncomfortable to climb aboard than my AM sled, but the M9 really did pedal more efficiently! There was no bob at all, which is amazing considering it was owned by a guy named Bob and has 9'' of travel. I think SMT's build weighed less than my AM bike too.


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## genemk (Sep 15, 2009)

Does Bob have a CCDB shock on there? If so, that definitely helps a ton with pedal bob. My Team DH used to have lots of pedal bob until I threw the Cane Creek on there and now it bobs no more. Not commenting on the M9 suspension, just saying there might be other factors as well.


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## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

genemk said:


> Does Bob have a CCDB shock on there? If so, that definitely helps a ton with pedal bob. My Team DH used to have lots of pedal bob until I threw the Cane Creek on there and now it bobs no more. Not commenting on the M9 suspension, just saying there might be other factors as well.


yes I have a CCDB


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## KRob (Jan 13, 2004)

Haven't ridden the M9 but the DHR I rode didn't bob. It was very efficient and accelerated really well. It was also super plush and controlled over consecutive hits, stable through mega chunk with the rear wheel hugging the ground, absolutely railed corners, and flew straight and true.

As far as quality goes, I think Intense and Turner both make high quality products and more importantly, stand behind them. If pressed, I would say that Turner has better CS than Intense, but both are good.

By all accounts, the M9 is an awesome bike, but it's always fun to try new things and I don't think you'll go wrong with a DHR.


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## climbingbubba (Jan 10, 2007)

I just built up a DHR and so far it has been a lot of fun. One of the more lively feeling DH bikes I have ridden. It is super low and slack so it still remains stable. As KRob mentioned it pedals incredibly well for a DH bike and does get amazing traction. I only have a RC4 on it too. I hear with a CCDB it really makes the bike come alive.

I rode SMT's M9 while he was here in utah but just on the street. It did pedal pretty well for a DH bike but asking me or Allen to admit that it pedals better than a 32lb AM bike isn't quite fair since SMT weighs a good 50 lbs more than me and probably 70ish more than allen so it was way over sprung for us and of course it would pedal well.

I think it comes down to what you want out of a DH bike. I see the M9 as more of a plow bike that is still somewhat lively while the DHR is a lively bike that can still plow a bit. Pick which is more important to you, I am sure you would be happy with either though.

And as for too much adjustability, I know what the OP is talking about. I always wonder if a certain setting will be better and always am messing with things trying to get the perfect feel but there is never a perfect feel for every situation. I also like it simple where I only have one setting and I can tune the shock to where I like it and not have to worry about any other variables. I know its not the ideal way but it seems the most simple and helps me focus on riding instead of constantly trying to figure out if I could tweak something to make it do something better.


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## Quarashi (Aug 23, 2006)

climbingbubba said:


> I think it comes down to what you want out of a DH bike. I see the M9 as more of a plow bike that is still somewhat lively while the DHR is a lively bike that can still plow a bit. Pick which is more important to you, I am sure you would be happy with either though.


This really.


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## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

climbingbubba said:


> I
> I rode SMT's M9 while he was here in utah but just on the street. It did pedal pretty well for a DH bike but asking me or Allen to admit that it pedals better than a 32lb AM bike isn't quite fair since SMT weighs a good 50 lbs more than me and probably 70ish more than allen so it was way over sprung for us and of course it would pedal well..


ok it just pedals very well for a DH bike...it feels like a 32am bike but I wouldn't pedal it up hills....just stating the bike pedals extremely well


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## MTBAlex (Mar 29, 2006)

I had two previous Intense bikes (6.6 and SS (1st gen)) and wanted to try something new. So I purchased the 2011 DHR and never looked back. I would say that my DHR pedals just as good as the two other Intenses that I owned. It was also so plush compared to the other two, but it may be that the DHR has 1.5 inches more travel.

The thing that surprised me the most about the DHR is how nimble it was in the air compared to the Intense that I owned. The DHR was so easy to move around in the air that it felt like a 4-5 inch bike. The Intense bikes felt more sluggish in the air. 

my 2cents.


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## mzorich (Mar 13, 2011)

climbingbubba said:


> And as for too much adjustability, I know what the OP is talking about. I always wonder if a certain setting will be better and always am messing with things trying to get the perfect feel but there is never a perfect feel for every situation. I also like it simple where I only have one setting and I can tune the shock to where I like it and not have to worry about any other variables. I know its not the ideal way but it seems the most simple and helps me focus on riding instead of constantly trying to figure out if I could tweak something to make it do something better.


this is exactly what i was trying to get it with it being to adjustable. will i ever find the perfect setting or will i ever let myself except that there is no perfect setting and just ride the damn thing. i think i am pretty set on the DHR i live intense and the vpp2 but a change is needed.

Anyone running a air shock on the rear end. i saw a few last summer at north star that had a vivid air on them. wondering how you liked it


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