[santacruzer87]

I started a thread about the R9 a while ago. I think what it al comes down to though is R9 or DH-i?

So if you were a DH RACER, forget freeriding but racing, which frame would you go with and why? Also I've heard people say that the new DH-i doesn't break like the old one, anybody know what changed?


-Ryan

 

[MTNPSYCHO]

I have never ridden the sinister, but I will say this...just about every time I see someone riding one, they look like they are fighting it the whole way...its a very big bike, too big for most riders except those over 6 feet....and they are not very light...
the dhi, however, is a great race bike, pedals very well, is fairly light, and has excellent geometry.....my preference would be a dhi if racing was my top priority....why limit to just those two choices, though? Neither one is cheap, and there are plenty of other good bikes for the same money...have you ridden the two bikes? i bet you could answer your own question if you did.....the dhi is also a great looking bike, I think, and comes with a pretty decent parts kit too if bought complete....I have ridden one and felt comfortable on it right away...

 

[Transcend]

The DH-I was a great race bike, it just had a habit of cracking. It was light, nimble, had good geometry etc.

 

[blt2ride]

I've never ridden the Sinsiter before, but I know a lot about the DHi. I have seen three swingarms crack and one headtube come off...

 

[neversummersnow]

Just to let you know, the GT DHi cracking problem HAS BEEN SOLVED regardless of what you hear.

There is a whole mess of riders on 2005 DHis here in Colorado and zero of them have had any problems. This includes Aussy ripper Luke Strom.

 

[MTNPSYCHO]

yeah, Ive seen them crack too, but as far as I know they are stronger than they used to be...a lightish dh race rig is never going to be crackproof, and GT will take care of you...
Im sure the Sinister would probably last longer, but when it comes to racing, performance is pretty much everything, isnt it?....with the sinister, the bike is either going to fit you, or it isnt, and riding a bike that doesnt fit, no matter how good, is not gonna be good....if the guy is under 6'+, I would say go another rout than sinister

 

[bballe336]

I have never ridden the sinister, but I will say this...just about every time I see someone riding one, they look like they are fighting it the whole way...its a very big bike, too big for most riders except those over 6 feet....and they are not very light.

maybe they are going so fast you can't really see whats happening. and what is there to fight? the bike just rips over everything. trust me i ride with a guy on an r9. it isn't any bigger than the average dh race bike. i am 5 foot 8 and i can fit on a standard r9 just fine. anyone from 5 foot 7 to 6+foot will fit on an r9 fine. and its not any heavier than an m3 or v10 or any of the other popular bikes that are similar. and i will bet you its the strongest DH bike you will ever ride. there is no way i would get a dh1 over an r9.

 

[blt2ride]

yeah, Ive seen them crack too, but as far as I know they are stronger than they used to be...a lightish dh race rig is never going to be crackproof, and GT will take care of you...
Im sure the Sinister would probably last longer, but when it comes to racing, performance is pretty much everything, isnt it?....with the sinister, the bike is either going to fit you, or it isnt, and riding a bike that doesnt fit, no matter how good, is not gonna be good....if the guy is under 6'+, I would say go another rout than sinister

I'm not one to rag on products; so I won't start a big debate on GT's products and their customer service. From a personal stand point, I won't ride one, and that is based on personal experiences. I'll leave it at that...

 

[neversummersnow]

For the record, I say DHi all the way. It's a better pedaling and lighter bike. It is a pure bred race bike. Sure it's not the latest and greatest design on the planet, but it has what counts, good geometry, solid feel and light weight. Not to mention it might be the best pedaling DHer I've ridden.

 

[blt2ride]

For the record, I say DHi all the way. It's a better pedaling and lighter bike. It is a pure bred race bike. Sure it's not the latest and greatest design on the planet, but it has what counts, good geometry, solid feel and light weight. Not to mention it might be the best pedaling DHer I've ridden.

I agree with that, the DHi was one of the best pedaling bikes I have even ridden. It was light, turned like it was on a rail, and was as smooth as butter. I hope the new design doesn't crack, the only complaint I ever had about that bike was that it broke...

 

[ZoRo]

Rode a DHI for one summer in Whistler and it was the greatest pedalling bike ever. The I-Drive makes a lot for that good pedaling feeling. If the new ones are stronger, go for it, you won't regret it!

 

[Banga]

Just to let you know, the GT DHi cracking problem HAS BEEN SOLVED regardless of what you hear.

There is a whole mess of riders on 2005 DHis here in Colorado and zero of them have had any problems. This includes Aussy ripper Luke Strom.

Interesting, I know of 2 guys down here in NZ that have broken 3 05 dhis between them, in the same spot as the old 04s they broke before them.

 

[dexter]

check the other threads. id take my r9 over a dhi any day sponsorship or not bike plain rips

ps im 5'9-5'10ish and the bike fits really well. it is bombproof and doesnt weight that much (my set up is very very dependable look at the links in my sig and weights sub 30)

 

[dexter]

plus sinister is much easier to deal with and a smaller more laid back company where you talk to the builders, designers and reps of the company instead of some marketing/sales rep who doesnt give a damn

 

[blt2ride]

Interesting, I know of 2 guys down here in NZ that have broken 3 05 dhis between them, in the same spot as the old 04s they broke before them.

I'm sure it was on the swingarm, right behind the shock...right? I've seen two dog bones fail, too. It flipped around and the shock was stuck compressed. It was kind of funny, it went from a DH bike to a lowrider bike...

 

[Daver]

The Aussie GT team is yet to crack one so far, and they've been riding them for the last 2 years. I will say that if you are buying the stock bike the GT is ok, but it has really ****ty wheels (mainly rims) and the forks suck for racing (waaaaay too big). Change the rims to 721s, throw on a Boxxer and they rip. They're also light too, sub 40 pounds with an 888 (medium, straight out of the box)...

 

[SuspectDevice]

Where do you live? There are plenty of people (including FTW himself) that will let you take out their R9 for a day. The Ride sells the bike, not the internet speculation by people who have only ever seen the bike in pictures or at the races...

 

[MMike]

I miss my DHi..... It kicked large quantities of ass.....

 

[Jeremy R]

I miss my DHi..... It kicked large quantities of ass.....

I have never met an owner of that bike that did not LOVE the ride of it.
Not one.
All the complaints I have heard had to do with them breaking and then GT not taking care of people.
But people get all glazy eyed talking about the ride of the DHI.

 

[Repack]

DHi<=>R9
Apples<=>Oranges

One is a racer, the other a hucker. If you like long and stable, than R9. If you want quick, than DHi.

 

[Colombian DHer]

the DH-I is thousand times better, but they do crack easily...that´s it´s only flaw...it would be the best dh bike without that problem!!

 

[sinister37]

A thousand times better? someone who has never ridden both bikes... The quality of the sinister is amazing, the ride of the sinister is amazing, and despite what most of you have said the R9 is a pure bred race bike, it does have a longer wheelbase so if you ride super tight tech courses then maybe look elsewhere. But if you ride fast and tough rocky courses with good berms then the R9 is just absolutely amazing, it corners excellent it feels really solid and won't let you down, ever. In my opinion the quality and reliability sell the R9 but I would choose more on your style of riding and what type of terrain you ride. good luck with your bike choice!

 

[santacruzer87]

In terms of suspension design they are both pretty similar, the R( and the DH-i are both low single pivots.....



-Ryan

 

[roberts]

Mine weighs 42 lbs. Pedals insane and is excellent on technical courses.

I am an expert level racer not a freerider and the DHi absolutely rips. I cracked one s-arm, but the replacement has held up for 3 years.

My bike is old, but I still podium on it.

I have beat the crap out of it for 4 or 5 years now and it still flies.

I have thought about getting a new bike, but why?

As my mechanic says - it is still one of the top DH designs ever.

 

[- seb]

OK, this thread is wayyyyyyyy old but it came up for me in an unrelated search I was doing about the R9, and I just had to bump it because all of the positive DHi comments made me so happy

Regarding the content of the thread, even though I appreciate it's 3 years old now...

Swingarms - I'm on my third now, and each one has been different.

The first had a narrower tube from the main pivot to the lower shock mount, and mine cracked all the way around the bottom weld of that tube.

The second had a wider, more trapezoidally shaped tube, to fix the above problem. Mine has started to crack though - well, the paint is coming off of a weld on the shoulder just behind the lower shock mount.

So this third one I've just got (brand new, never fitted - the other two I bought second hand) is different again. They've added (small) extra plates around the exact place my 2nd one is starting to crack.


I'm REALLY pleased I've got this new swingarm, fingers crossed it'll last me a while. I think it's great that although they made mistakes, GT changed the design in an attempt to fix the problem, with the swingarm going through at least 3 revisions. I've no major beef with them breaking either, I bought the first two second hand for BARGAIN prices, and this new swingarm I just bought only set me back £180 - considering the other option I wsa considering was buying a Socom or buying a new-style DHi and cannibalising it for the frame, £180 is a bargain.

And this thread just concreted my decision for me, money well spent

I've fitted the brand new swingarm (it was too shiny to resist) and will keep the maybe-it's-breaking one as an emergency spare, take it on holidays with me etc.