2025 Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay SL Carbon 90 E-Bike

Rocky Mountain isn't a brand many riders would expect to develop its own cutting-edge e-bike technology. But back in 2009, they did just that, launching Propulsion Powercycle division under the same roof as their Quebec HQ. When they introduced their first model, the Altitude Powerplay, in 2017, the proprietary 108Nm Dyname 3.0 motor quietly took the top spot as the most powerful Class 1 e-bike motor. A title that was only recently relinquished to DJI's latest Avinox system.

Seven years later, Rocky Mountain has once again pushed the limits of e-bikes with the 2025 Instinct Powerplay SL—their first delve into the lightweight e-bike category. The Powerplay SL offers 65Nm of torque and 550W of power, combined with a 480Wh battery, in a sub-45 lb package. Progressive suspension, adjustable geometry, and size-specific chainstays position the Instinct Powerplay SL as a capable all-rounder. Six months of testing later, let's get into how Rocky's first lightweight e-model performed and where it stands amongst the deep field of SL bikes.

Highlights

• Full carbon and alloy frame options
• 145mm of rear wheel travel // 150mm fork
• Wheel size:
  • XS: 27.5-inch
  • SM-XL:29-inch (MX compatible with different link)
• Dyname S4 Lite drive system (65Nm torque, 550W peak power)
• 480Wh removable, integrated battery (314Wh Overtime 2.0 Range Extender sold separately)
• 5-year frame warranty, 3-year motor warranty
• Ride-4 adjustment system offers four geometry configurations
• +/- 5mm reach adjust
• Size-specific chainstays
• UDH equipped
• Press fit bottom bracket
• 12x148 Boost rear hub spacing
• 3 alloy builds ranging from $5,499-$7,999 USD
• 3 carbon builds ranging from $7,999-$11,999 USD
• Build tested: C90 - $11,999 USD
• Weight (size XL): 43.5 lbs (19.7 kg)

Overview

When Rocky Mountain unveiled the Dyname 4.0 motor on the Powerplay Lineup in 2021, there were no major performance gains over the then-four-year-old Dyname 3.0 system. Instead, Rocky focused on refining the system, packing it into a smaller space, reducing noise, and significantly cutting weight by over 15%, all while still delivering class-leading torque and power. This led some riders to wonder what it would look like if Rocky were ever to direct that effort at the SL e-bike category. Three years later, we have the answer. Rocky Mountain built on the lessons learned from the full-sized Dyname motors and synthesized them into the Dyname S4 Lite, a 65Nm, 550W motor that weighs only 5 lbs, available exclusively on the 145mm travel Instinct Powerplay SL. 

Coming in at only 43 lbs, the Instinct Powerplay SL fits comfortably into the SL e category, which seems to capture everything between 38 and 45 lbs, and does so with more battery and significantly more power than most other options. Size-specific chainstays and shock tunes, a reach-adjust headset, and adjustable geometry suggest that Rocky Mountain isn't just interested in mimicking the weight of a normal bike, but the ride experience as well.

Like the rest of the Powerplay lineup, the Instinct SL uses a mid-pivot, four-bar suspension layout and a counter-rotating upper rocker link. Though Rocky has not published much about their kinematics, one can expect a good amount of leverage progression, somewhat neutral anti-rise, high anti-squat, and a small amount of rearward wheel path. An integrated, removable battery surrounded by internal guide tubes for all cables and wires rounds out the basic features. 

Build Kits

The Instinct Powerplay SL is available in three full-carbon builds, ranging from $7,999 to $11,999, in addition to three aluminum builds priced from $5,499 to $7,999. We tested the Carbon 90 build, which came loaded with FOX Factory suspension, a full Race Face Era kit, handling wheels, bars, and cranks, SRAM Code Ultimate Stealth brakes, and an X0 Eagle Transmission drivetrain. Unlike most e-bikes, the Instinct Powerplay SL uses a BB92 pressfit bottom bracket and traditional cranks. Carbon and aluminum models share the same Dyname S4 Lite motor, integrated display, and geometry adjustments.

Motor Details

The Dyname S4 Lite has five modes: Walk, Eco, Trail, Trail+, and Ludicrous. The motor can store three different power presets: Factory, Tune A, and Tune B. Tune A and B are adjustable with options to increase or decrease the assist for each mode, represented as a percentage. 

There is also a boost setting to configure how sensitive the motor is to rider inputs, which has five modes ranging from -2 (least sensitive, 'heavy workout') to +2 (most sensitive, 'low effort'). All motor configuration takes place on the display and with the mode selector switch. Personally, not having to download or open an app whenever I want to adjust the assist or see the odometer is a huge plus. You can even cycle through all three motor tunes and customize them without stopping.

Geometry

The Instinct SL features adjustable reach via included offset headset cups and adjustable head angle, bottom bracket height, and seat angle via the RIDE-4 chips in the upper shock link. Unlike its analog counterpart, the Instinct Powerplay SL does not feature an adjustable chainstay length. I did not make use of the +/-5mm adjustable reach, but as someone who grew up with chronic small bike syndrome, I appreciated having the option. RIDE-4 is a simplified version of Rocky's near-extinct RIDE-9 adjustment. It offers four geometry settings, taking the head angle from 63.5° to 64.2° and raising the bottom bracket about a centimeter. Four settings to change the head angle by 0.7 ° is excessive, but again, I appreciated having the option. I spent most of my time with the bike in position 3, the second highest/steepest. Allegedly, a mullet link will be available in the future and will be compatible with the SM-XL frames.

Out of the Box

Assembling the bike was straightforward and pain-free. Home mechanics that opt to have the bike delivered can expect to install the handlebar, front brake, front wheel, and battery, as well as run the cable, and cut the housing for the dropper post. The housing is already run through the frame, and the SRAM Transmission drivetrain is already paired and adjusted. All cables are internally routed with individual guide tubes that end at the base of the battery for easy access. Battery fitment is thoughtful, as it glides past the motor and is secured with two bolts. Aside from swapping out the 20mm rise Race Face Era Carbon handlebar for a more appropriate 40mm version, and eventually the EXO+ MaxxTerra Minion DHF for a DoubleDown MaxxGrip High Roller, the bike was left stock for the duration of the test.

On the Trail

Motor Performance

The Instinct SL was my first experience with the Dyname motor. Having spent extensive time on TQ's HPR50 and around Specialized's SL 1.2, the S4 Lite motor produced a noise level comparable to that of the HPR50. It does a good job of disappearing into the background with practically no whining or whirring. However, the S4 Lite has a persistent, unpleasant grinding that stems from the motor's integrated upper pulleys.

Dyname's motors utilize two pulley wheels that sit above the chainring. One pulley serves as a traditional high-pivot idler, neutralizing chain forces from the suspension. The other monitors the tension between the chainring and pulley, telling the motor how much power to deliver. Both are protected by a small plastic cover that serves to keep out the elements and keep the chain secure on the idler. The pulleys are rough enough that the first ride around the neighborhood actually left a tingling sensation in my feet from the vibrations being transmitted through the pedals. They did wear in fairly quickly, to the point that I stopped noticing it after the first few rides. But the noise never went away and was audible to those around me when cruising on smooth pavement.

When pedaling, the S4 Lite responds proportionately to rider input, all the way down to zero input. Unlike TQ's less powerful HPR50, where there seems to be a floor of minimum assistance, the S4 Lite has no such floor—give the motor very little and very little assistance you shall receive in return. This form of power delivery does come with a consequence: resting your foot on the pedal while stopped kills power to the motor and triggers an alert that the motor will eventually need to be re-calibrated. Simply unweighting the pedal is enough to get the power back, and re-calibration is a one button procedure handled through the onboard display, but that didn’t make it any less annoying. The S4 Lite also had an interesting flaw where the pulley noise and vibration would become increasingly worse as assist or RPM decreased. Pedaling at a low RPM with minimum assistance turned the grinding into an unpleasant clunking that was quite distracting. That quirk, alongside the fact that pedaling mountain bikes with your own legs is hard, discouraged me from dropping the assist below Trail+ (the third-highest assist level).

The Instinct SL does have a relatively generous 480Wh battery, dwarfing the 360Wh and 320Wh batteries found on Trek's Fuel EXe and Specialized's SL models and just edging out the 430Wh battery found on Fazua's Ride 60 system. I never experienced any range anxiety. The 480Wh battery even allowed me to complete a 5,000 ft day without ever using Eco mode. The available Overtime 2.0 Range Extender can take the Instinct SL up to a massive 794Wh, which should cover the needs of 99.9% of riders.

The Power offered by the motor is exceptional. With a peak power of 550W, the S4 Lite is within spitting distance of many current full-size e-bikes, including Shimano's EP801, which maxes out at 600W. I could join full-size e-bikes on trail climbs and keep up fairly well, though I would expect to get dropped on a sustained fire road climb.

Climbing Performance

Like most E-bikes ought to be, climbing the Instinct SL is nearly effortless. Its overall low weight, bolstered by EXO+ tires and the carbon Race Face Era wheels, made for a bike that gets up to speed quickly and has no problem maneuvering technical climbs. The 658mm top tube of the XL Instinct was plenty roomy for my 6'2" stature, though I would have happily traded a centimeter or two to bring the seat tube angle up to 79° from 77° as the front of the bike had a tendency to wander on steeper climbs.

The rear shock did sink deeper into its travel than I would prefer on technical or rough climbs, leaving me vulnerable to pedal strikes. This occurred with 25% sag.

The Float X shock does feature a climb switch, but I found it too firm to be all that useful on anything but roads. Closing the low-speed compression helped, but it made the shock spike on square-edge hits when descending. Ultimately, I ran the shock over-sprung to help mitigate pedal strikes and dealt with the consequences otherwise.

Descending

As soon as I dropped into my first downhill aboard the Instinct SL, it was apparent just how long and balanced the geometry felt. Even when diving into steep corners, I found it easy to keep my weight over the front wheel while maintaining a neutral and upright body position. I had no trouble maneuvering the XL Instinct's 1306mm wheelbase around tight corners, either. The centered riding position made it effortless to unweight the rear wheel without getting the sensation of being in front of the front axle. I attribute this, in part, to the 450mm chainstays found on the L and XL. While 450mm is not huge, that number should start to approach 460mm at sag, thanks to the Instinct's mid-pivot design, contributing to a neutral body position. I would like to see larger jumps between sizes, a la Forbidden, but nonetheless, it beats the hell out of the 430mm chainstays found on most other XL SL e-bikes.

The second thing I noticed was the unbalanced compression damping between the fork and shock. Even with Rocky Mountain's size-specific shock tunes, the fork had a noticeably more damped feel than the shock. On longer sections, I would feel my weight progressively shift backward after repeated compressions, requiring a conscious 'reset' to get back in the middle of the bike. I think this could be resolved with a firmer high-speed compression tune on the shock to better match the race feel of the Grip X2 36. I could probably get a more balanced feel by backing off the HSC on the fork, and putting in some volume spacers to maintain the bottom out resistance, but I think I'd be holding the bike back in terms of its descent capabilities.

The only time I felt the bike took focus to ride was when resisting front wheel deflections. I found the Grip X2 Fox 36 to not track great over baby head rocks or angled square edge hits. I was able to mitigate this somewhat by replacing the EXO+ casing front tire with a heavier and softer DoubleDown, improving the material damping at the front of the bike. Still, the firm damping of the X2 that encouraged me to take the roughest of straight lines also demanded focus to not get caught out. 

Build Kit Analysis

At $12,000, one would expect the Instinct SL's parts spec not to leave one wanting, and that's mostly the case. The Race Face carbon wheels and cranks performed admirably without issue, the FOX Factory suspension was reliable, and I smashed the X0 Eagle derailleur so hard that I actually heard it move out of the way by like six gears, then reset back in place unaffected. Some riders may prefer heavier casing tires than the EXO+ featured across all build kits. I found them to be plenty durable for my needs, brushing off rock strikes and knife edges that would have ended an EXO casing tire's career. I'm less jazzed about the MaxxTerra compound used for both tires. It's passable for a rear tire but bordering on hazardous as a front tire. I would like to see a firmer tune on the rear shock as well as a rolling change to the new and improved FOX 36 to address the deflection issues I was having. The only component that degraded was the FOX Transfer post, which started getting sticky after just a few rides, struggling to reach full extension. Finally, I had no issues with the SRAM Codes that came on this bike, but in a world where Mavens exist, I'd like to see Mavens spec'd in the future.

$12,000 is a lot of money to spend on a bike, yet somehow the C90 build that was tested is somewhere between average and above average value for the money. An equivalent build of Trek's Fuel EXe will set you back an additional $1,200. The $9,699 Carbon 70 build trades the Factory Grip X2 Suspension for Performance Elite Grip X, retains wireless shifting in the form of GX Transmission, downgrades to Code Silver brakes, and still comes in at a respectable 43.5 lbs. Of all of Rocky Mountain's offerings, the C70 is the one I would choose as a customer. At this price point, the equivalent Fuel EXe 9.8 T-Type comes spec'd with RockShox Select+ suspension and Code R brakes, which I feel is a real performance sacrifice. For me, the heart of the Powerplay SL is the low weight and high power, and while the C50 build does retain that at only 44 lbs, the RockShox Select Suspension, XT brakes, and Novatec wheels diminish the value of the low weight and power.

Rocky Mountain does offer a range of aluminum builds, but I have a hard time rationalizing the build kits for anyone looking for solid downhill performance out of the box. The Alloy 70 BC Edition comes in at $8,000 fitted with Select+ suspension, Code Bronze brakes, GX Eagle Transmission, and a weight penalty to the tune of 48.5 lbs. For $200 less, a customer could roll away with a top of the line Commencal Meta Power SX 400 with Factory Grip X2 suspension, SRAM Code brakes, and a much less finicky Bosch SX motor, for practically the same weight.

Long Term Durability

I spent several months on the Instinct SL and never had to tighten so much as a bolt or spoke. An included extra downtube guard should provide any necessary protection on shuttle days, and the motor showed no signs of degenerative wear, including the pulley wheels, despite creaking that suggested otherwise. The reach-adjust headset cup did produce some noise after a few rides. I was initially concerned when I pulled on the headset cup, and it came out by hand, but then I noticed the cup had an O-ring around it, meaning it was likely functioning as intended. I greased up the seal and the frame/cup interface and the noise went away. 

For a certain subset of riders, the pressfit BB92 bottom bracket will be a turn-off, but I have never had an issue with one. Given Rocky Mountain's financial situation, I would have concerns about being able to find service parts or fulfill a warranty if they were to shut their doors, however, the Instinct Powerplay SL gave no indication that the warranty would be needed. It's also worth mentioning that Dyname has recently updated their website, stating they are no longer exclusive to Rocky Mountain, and are looking for new partners, hinting at some continued motor support should Rocky Mountain close down. 

What's The Bottom Line?

Despite the Dyname motor's rough-around-the-edges feeling, I had a blast riding the Instinct Powerplay SL. Progressive geometry, a ton of power, light overall weight, and solid range had me reaching for the bike as much as I could. Perhaps not quite a quiver killer, the Instinct SL held it down under a wide range of trails. It would not be my first choice if I were planning on spending a lot of time at bike parks, however, I'm confident it's up to the task. While I would struggle to encourage anyone to spend $12,000 on any bike, let alone one with the motor issues I encountered, the lower-priced builds can offer more value at a similar weight with specs that should cover most riders' needs, especially those less fussy about suspension performance. If you are searching for a lightweight eMTB that will let you nearly keep up with your friends on full-power bikes without compromising on geometry or riding experience, I would suggest being open to the Instinct Powerplay SL.

Vital Rating: 4.2/5

• Motor Performance 3.5
• Descending Performance: 4.5
• Climbing Performance 4.5
• Frame Details: 4.5
• Value: 4

About The Reviewer

Blake Motley - Age: 26 // Years Riding MTB: 16 // Height: 6'2 (1.88m) // Weight: 190-pounds (86.2kg)

Coming from a long tradition of Socal never-was downhill racers, Blake has spent the better part of the last decade complaining about the bike industry. A full-time engineer during the day and part-time van bum on the weekends, he usually spends his free time riding E-bikes and telling forum users their bars are too low.

View key specs, compare e-bikes, and review the Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay SL in the Vital MTB Product Guide.