2024 Rocky Mountain Instinct

@Cr4w Yes and yes. When I've upgraded bikes I have noticed a difference right away - even with certain parts like when I put a -2 angle set on my gen 1 Warden. However, once I'm out riding and having fun those differences tend to fade into the background unless they are really big differences. The easiest example of that are memories of my SX - it rode miles different (worse) than any of my current bikes but I still had fun on it (even though it was a chore at times). The current big difference is going from my old 26" Explosif with a 4" MX Comp fork to one of the newer bikes - it doesn't ride nearly as well - but it's still a ton of fun when I take it out. 

So while I no doubt believe (even without riding it) that this new Instinct is a better riding bike than what I have, is it necessarily funner/better? That was the thinking behind my original comment of doing an A/B comparison - how much does the newer product change our riding? It would be cool to read a review that did something similar. With the feedback/interest in the Buttercups test article, I feel there would be interest in reading an article that does a similar sort of A/B comparison with a new model vs one a few generations older.

I'm still actually at a loss for what has really in this case - My 2014 is an XXL, so the net set of drawbacks I'm seeing is that I can only fit a 170mm dropper at my seat height with that absolute yacht mast of a seat tube, and that I'm reliant on a 160mm fork and using the slackest Ride9 setting to hit the 65.9° HTA I really want. 
I'm sure the pedaling dynamics are a touch better since these are kinematically designed around a single chainring, but it's still not going to outperform a multi-link setup I've demoed in that regard, and everywhere else on the spec sheet I'm practically looking at a downgrade for a bike that costs 2x the net value of the truck I go to the trails with to arrive there...

Its like having a conversation with a hedge,

Of course you can buy a 3-4 yr old bike for less money, you can buy a year old bike for less money, I have no idea what point youre trying to make?

You can get a brand new instinct for $3k, ride the wheels off it, and continue to upgrade/replace parts as necessary.

Having a $1000 HT, a $1000 DH bike, and a $1000 trail bike is your choice, and its great you find value in that.  A quick look at any sort of buy and sell shows pretty clapped out DH and trail bikes, with outdated standards, geo, and parts in that price range.  Where I'd happily get on a "Carolina Squat" instinct (thats my nickname based on the promo shots of the entry level bike) and ride it all season, in all the places that youd ride your 10 yr old DH and trail bike.  This Instinct, with that geo, and travel range is plenty for 90% of people at 80% of bike park trails.  I rode a V1 Sentinel for 5 years at BC parks, usually passing by most people on their DH bikes.

Youre undervaluing your time time spent, and the parts to fix these things up, and I have much better things to do with my time than re-packing hub bearings, and straightening bent der hangers.....

@Onawalk 

"Its like having a conversation with a hedge" 

Fuck off you numpty. 

I clearly said 1/2 to 1/3 the cost of new. The instinct in question is listed at $8800 CDN. Half to a third of that is $4400 - $2900, not $1000. I also clearly said something that's not clapped out. I humbly suggest you work on your reading comprehension before you start casting dispersions that are clearly incorrect.

But its a whole range of bikes, from 3K to upteethk, who cares if you can get something cheaper, obviously you can. You can even get a brand new Instinct .....cheaper!   This is a cool friggin bike, and a great BC 1 bike, in pretty well any spec your budget affords

youre trying real hard to prove a point that is pretty obvious, "an expensive, top end bike is hard to justify"  but thats not your, or anyone elses problem unless of course youre trying to justify it.

Im bewildered by the idea that anyone needs to express that opinion, then go on about how thrifty they can be while still having all the fun.....who cares?

Enjoy your bike, or bikes, or mandolin, or what have you, and leave the people who might want these bikes alone.  Keep in mind, without them, you wouldnt have your 1/2 price used hardtail with creaky bb

@Onawalk - you're still not listening, and making incorrect assumptions. The only thing bewildering here is that you're getting so worked up about someone having a different opinion than yours.

You are more than welcome to have a differing opinion, thats the basis for incredible discussion, and learning, and growth.  Its just that your opinion is basically "you can buy a cheaper bike and be happy"  Obvioulsy, NO ONE SAID OTHERWISE.

and your opinion doesnt change that this new Instinct, is friggin cool, and can easily be used as a BC 1 bike.  So youre welcome to your opinion, but it has very little merit other than to make you feel better about yourself, and somehow make you feel superior to other people. 

I'll let you know when I'm done with my bikes, so you can come buy em used

@Onawalk - lol, you've been saying otherwise since my first post, which you should probably re-read so you can see where you went wrong.

Nah, went back and read it, its a pointless comment, trying real hard to "up" yourself.

At what point was innovation going lightspeed, that you feel its slowed to a crawl?  Its always been marginal gains, which over time compound and become larger innovations.  Its like that with literally everything.  Its only with the benefit of hindsight that we look back thinking, "my how things have changed"

Youre welcome to have as many old used bikes you want, and Im stoked youre stoked on em.  I'll keep riding what I want, and if theres soemthing outside my budget, well, I'll simply work harder/longer/more efficiently to attain it.  Its really not rocket surgery

lol @ Onawalk, you keep introducing things I didn’t say. 

I do still think it would be interesting to compare my instinct to the new one and see how the two line up. Maybe I’d feel the new ride would be worth it and maybe I wouldn’t, hard to say without comparing them tho

My Works - 2° is a ZS56 lower, the extra height is above the HT with the EC44 cup. 

I'd like to see a choice, where you could fit an EC56 and ZS44 if you'd rather preserve reach and gain stack, but it's SKU proliferation in a niche market.

Kudos.  Sucks that UDH and Transmission have largely killed the flip chip.  I'd take a flip chip and old-school NSB-quality hanger any day.