Mod Edit: After receiving a few PMs about this I have decided to edit this post with a disclosure just to let people know that DhCorky is a rep for Nicolai.
This weekend I had a chance to take my Nicolai M-Pire and ride it at Keystone where I rode my Intense M3 all last summer. I have my M-Pire built with the same parts that came off my M3 except the fork. Today I also switched rides for a run with my teammate who is still on his M3 waiting for his M-pire to arrive. I can say I prefer the ride of the M-Pire over the M3.
The M-Pire is a very different design from the M3 and I like the way it rides much better. The first thing I noticed was how easily you could lift the M-Pire over things. I have not actually weighed my M-Pire but, it is around 4 pounds heavier than both M3s I have ridden. With the extra weight the M-Pire is still easier to bunny hop and lift over obstacles in the trail. Just quickly un-weighting the bike allows you to clear over small obstacles. The M-Pire’s rear suspension feels more active and responsive. Small hits go unnoticed on the M-Pire. On the M3 you can feel the small hits, they do not affect the ride of the bike you can just notice the tire going over something. The rear suspension of the M3 does not seem to be able to move as freely. On the high-speed sections at Keystone it made for a vibration in the M3 that did fatigue my legs.
Cornering both bikes I am starting to like the M-Pire over the M3 as I adjust my riding. The M-Pire really likes to squat and carve corners. On the M3 I felt I had to power the bike through the corners and let it slide around. I am still adjusting to the M-Pire and I am getting the bike to hook in the corners but, then over turn as the bike unloads exiting the turns. I am finding you can get a lot of energy stored in the bike as you corner and then release it (accelerating) when you exit the corner. With open high-speed corners both bikes handle very similar. If you do not keep your weight in just the right place both bikes will start drifting wide.
Overall the M-Pire is a more responsive bike that wants rider input. The bike holds its line trough rough sections until you tell it differently. If you compress and preload the rear suspension it gives that energy right back with very little loss. You just have to hope you have set yourself up correctly for when the bike responds. The M-Pire has helped me push my limits knowing it is responding to everything I tell it to do.
Everyday on this bike it impresses me more and more. It is a definite blast to ride!
This weekend I had a chance to take my Nicolai M-Pire and ride it at Keystone where I rode my Intense M3 all last summer. I have my M-Pire built with the same parts that came off my M3 except the fork. Today I also switched rides for a run with my teammate who is still on his M3 waiting for his M-pire to arrive. I can say I prefer the ride of the M-Pire over the M3.
The M-Pire is a very different design from the M3 and I like the way it rides much better. The first thing I noticed was how easily you could lift the M-Pire over things. I have not actually weighed my M-Pire but, it is around 4 pounds heavier than both M3s I have ridden. With the extra weight the M-Pire is still easier to bunny hop and lift over obstacles in the trail. Just quickly un-weighting the bike allows you to clear over small obstacles. The M-Pire’s rear suspension feels more active and responsive. Small hits go unnoticed on the M-Pire. On the M3 you can feel the small hits, they do not affect the ride of the bike you can just notice the tire going over something. The rear suspension of the M3 does not seem to be able to move as freely. On the high-speed sections at Keystone it made for a vibration in the M3 that did fatigue my legs.
Cornering both bikes I am starting to like the M-Pire over the M3 as I adjust my riding. The M-Pire really likes to squat and carve corners. On the M3 I felt I had to power the bike through the corners and let it slide around. I am still adjusting to the M-Pire and I am getting the bike to hook in the corners but, then over turn as the bike unloads exiting the turns. I am finding you can get a lot of energy stored in the bike as you corner and then release it (accelerating) when you exit the corner. With open high-speed corners both bikes handle very similar. If you do not keep your weight in just the right place both bikes will start drifting wide.
Overall the M-Pire is a more responsive bike that wants rider input. The bike holds its line trough rough sections until you tell it differently. If you compress and preload the rear suspension it gives that energy right back with very little loss. You just have to hope you have set yourself up correctly for when the bike responds. The M-Pire has helped me push my limits knowing it is responding to everything I tell it to do.
Everyday on this bike it impresses me more and more. It is a definite blast to ride!