[ztlh13]

I have to make a choice between a V10 and M6. I will be using the bike for stricty racing only. I have ridden/ raced everything in the Yeti stable since 1999 and am now moving on. I really liked the comparison post by Ithnu about the four bikes he rode.

Anyone have the experience on these two bike to make a similar correlation?

 

[jackalope]

I presume you are asking about the 2008 V-10 vs. a M6, in which case, I have not ridden either...But by most accounts, it seems like the M6 is lower and slacker...I think at some point, you can actually get too low and too slack, unless you're racing wide open, 35+ mph courses...

I have a 2005 V-10 with a CCDB, and I feel that it is appropriately low and slack, especially since I run it with a lot of sag (i.e. pretty comparable to a Sunday, but maybe a touch higher). I cannot imagine anything engulfing square edged hits better than my V-10, but I would guess the M6 is every bit as good when equipped with the same rear shock...Overall, I bet the ride quality of the 2 is very similar (for obvious reasons) and it probably is going to come down to geometry preferences...The only thing I'm not wild about mt V-10 is the seat tube angle, which I feel is too slack - and sometimes the seat can rub on the rear tire during hard bottom outs...I have also heard that some of the early M6's had an issue with the rear tire rubbing on the seat tube...9" or 10" is a lot of travel to worry about in terms of tire/frame/seat clearance.

 

[boogenman]

This topic has been discussed so much it is like beating a dead horse. Try doing a search.

I own a M6 and have ridden a few 2008 V-10's. The M6 is a much better bike for racing and for free riding. CCDB all the way FYI!

The tire uibbing on the seat was resolved after a small amount of frame **** the free market, however if you want that extra low BB and slacker head angle for certain tracks Intense will sell those dropouts still.

 

[dhmike]

i have no expirence with either bike , but my vote goes for m6.

 

[OGRipper]

I own a M6 and have ridden a few 2008 V-10's. The M6 is a much better bike for racing and for free riding. CCDB all the way FYI!

Just to keep this thread full of useful information, I own a v10 and have ridden a few M6's, and the v10 is a much better bike.

:biggrin:

 

[Banshee Rider]

I own an 08' V10 and have spent some time on the M6, so hopefully this post is helpful. The set up of each bike was similar in regards to tires, fork, and cockpit. The CCDB on the M6 was 50lbs oversprung for my weight though, making it slightly harder to full experience. I rode it on a couple trails that I know well, so I was able to hit lines without second guessing. However, although I rode it on dirt I didn't have it long enough to make adjustments and truely get comfortable; so take this for what its worth.

The V10 has a slightly more playful feel than the M6, which I noticed in switchbacks and pumping. They feel comparable in rough terrain by getting hung up less and carrying speed well. Neither were curing herpes with noticably better pedaling.

The M6 felt slightly more stable, but not enough to sell my V10 for. Fast open turns were better, with the same story as before. I had a very difficult time with how low it sat though. I have ridden the Sunday which is certainly low, but this bike is noticably more difficult to time pedal strokes. To give you an idea, I felt my pedals graze on a somewhat-rocky fireroad, so it was almost a disadvantage in the flatter tree sections which are plentyful here.

I'd rate myself as a decent semi pro racer with more concern about the speed of my bike than its non-race weekend ridability. I race in New England and have little idea of the terrain outside of my region. My conclusion for the M6 is that the owner better be competeing on courses with world cup speed while riding with a world cup bag of skills, otherwise they'll probably never utilize the potential of the bike and will probably be at a disadvantage the majority of the time.

Although my time on the M6 wasn't extensive, I felt instantly gratified with my decision to purchase the V10 instead. With our fair ammount of trees, tight switchbacks, and rough terrain I felt that the V10 carried speed better top to bottom with its more positive response. It handles well in all scenerios I encounter, rather than mindblowing 30% of the time and ok the remaining 70%. Once again, this conclusion is based entirely on personal preference in a select region of the country. If your on the other side of the world, you may feel entirely different.

 

[jackalope]

^^

Whatever, I've heard the M6 is a much better XC and Cross bike than the V-10...

I also thought that Warren Sapp performed surprisingly well last night on 'Dancing With the Stars'...Just saying...

 

[vincent]

I'll give my thoughts on both bikes since I own the 08 v10 and spent quite some time on a m6 with similar setup.

First, I fell in love with the v10 when I first rode it even if I knew that the geo of this bike isn't what I prefer (steep HA, high bb). I ride my fork with the stanchions pretty much slammed all the way to slack the head angle but it seems that I am not able to put enough weight on the front and it tends to wash. I can say that this bike can take whatever you throw at it (i ride it with a vivid) and it's a very easy bike to ride fast. You have a pretty big margin and the bike forgives a lot of mistakes and this makes the bike a hell of a fun bike to ride. I always had the feeling to be more "on top" than "in" the bike and this feeling went completely in the opposite way when I tried the intense.

I think the m6 is a completely different machine. it is slacker, lower and faster. The first things I noticed was that I really couldn't pedal where I want, I felt the pedals touch the ground where I never thought it would (1-2 inches high obstacles while slightly turning), also, this thing corners like nothing else I've ridden (I haven't compared the numbers but I suspect shorter stays in addition to the extra low bb) and it can be controlled much easily. The standover is also lower wich I found really nice to move the bike around. While both bikes shared the same suspension caracteristics of the vpp design, I think the m6 had a more lively and flickable feel and I liked this. I honestly think it takes a lot of skills to ride the m6 to it's full potential but when you learn how to ride it, it makes the v10 ride goofy. The only downside I found was that the construction quality is awful if you compare it to the v10, the axle system, the bearing system, the paint, stickers and I suspect the overall durability to be WAY better on the v10. this doesn't make the m6 bad, it's just that the v10 is ahead by a long shot in those area.

Those are the reasons I will probably ride a m6 next season. I honnestly think the v10 is an amazing bike and I recommand it to any racers and riders but if your goal is to win races, I would choose to ride the intense without even asking myself the question only because I rode it on the same trail I always ride on my bike and I swear I had the impression that the bike was laughing at me and WANTED me to go faster and faster even though I was already going faster than with my own bike.

I hope this helps and I'm sorry for my english.

 

[sayndesyn]

But did they cure any of your other std's?

Neither were curing herpes with noticably better pedaling.

 

[spoke80]

What! Terry's coming back to DH? Who cares about what bike is supposedly faster than the other. At that level I'm pretty sure you'd be stoked on either set up. Besides, its not the bike its the rider!

 

[John P.]

I hope this helps and I'm sorry for my english.

Sorry for you English??!? I'm not sure where you're from or what your native language is, but your English is about 10x more coherent than a lot of Americans/Brits/Candians/Australians/Kiwis etc. who post on here regularly.

Thanks for the thoughtful analysis.

--JP

 

[MDJ]

Sorry for you English??!? I'm not sure where you're from or what your native language is, but your English is about 10x more coherent than a lot of Americans/Brits/Candians/Australians/Kiwis etc. who post on here regularly.
--JP

So true. I just got back from the Netherlands and people there were correcting my English.


Back to the topic on hand, it seems like a couple of the posts say the exact opposite of the other. I guess ride, then decide. Both are great bikes and both with races.

 

[vincent]

Sorry for you English??!? I'm not sure where you're from or what your native language is, but your English is about 10x more coherent than a lot of Americans/Brits/Candians/Australians/Kiwis etc. who post on here regularly.

Thanks for the thoughtful analysis.

--JP

Thanks, it's just that I'm french canadian and am never 100% sure about the construction of my sentences and my grammar or if what I say is clear.

Just to add to what I said earlier, yeah both bikes are different but are still very similar so I think that if you like one of them, you'll be pleased with the other one too. I suggest you to try both bikes and if you can't, just look at the numbers and go with what you generally like since I think the geo numbers are the biggest variable in the ride of the v10 and m6.

 

[norbar]

Why need a 250mm bike that get's the right geo only after streching itself with enormous sag. If you really need a VPP bike (don't really like the system) the m6 would be imho better. But still I'm far from recomending that susp as I don't like the feel of it.

 

[dropmachine]

By that logic, the M6 would be "wrong" once the sag hits and the geo changes.

Why does everybody seem to have this bizzare preception that there is the "right" geo? There is a right RANGE, but no absolute numbers.

Saying that, realize that the M6 and the V10 are both "right", just different. I just got the new V10, and am amazed at how lively a bike thta big can be.

 

[norbar]

Never stated there is one right geo. I know there is the range. I just don't like the way the v10 susp but maybe I didn't have enough time on it.

 

[Banshee Rider]

Why need a 250mm bike that get's the right geo only after streching itself with enormous sag.

Suspension sags. Bikes are designed with this variable in mind. You make it sound like this is some absurd concept associated with VPP alone.

 

[ChrisKring]

Why need a 250mm bike that get's the right geo only after streching itself with enormous sag. If you really need a VPP bike (don't really like the system) the m6 would be imho better. But still I'm far from recomending that susp as I don't like the feel of it.

I suppose lots of sag doesn't work for these either:

Anyway, I had a 2005 V10 and have been on a 2008 V10 all this season. The new frame is very flickable. I don't have a problem getting it off the ground or pumping the terrain. You have the ability to ride it how you want to depending on how you preload the suspension.

 

[ztlh13]

Thanks for the replies, especially Banshee Rider and Vincent. Somewhere in all the info I have decided to place the order for the V10. If I don't like it then I have til sprring to get another.


Bubba, I am coming to Windrock soon!

 

[ChrisKring]

Thanks for the replies, especially Banshee Rider and Vincent. Somewhere in all the info I have decided to place the order for the V10. If I don't like it then I have til sprring to get another.


Bubba, I am coming to Windrock soon!

If your not in a hurry, we will be at Windrock for the weekend of Nov 15-16th. We will have at least 8 V10s with. 4 of them are 2008 frames with mediums and larges. You are welcome to try them out.

 

[norbar]

Suspension sags. Bikes are designed with this variable in mind. You make it sound like this is some absurd concept associated with VPP alone.

Didn't mean that. I know it sags. I just don't see a need for 250mm travel + 40% sag. I know that v10 has a geo that makes it flickable but I simply belive in stiffer susp. Also I never stated that the susp design of v10 is bad. Imo it's just not as good as other options. At least for me.
But maybe if sb lives in very very rocky terrain than it may be usefull.

 

[intencivo]

I own a M6, and i´ve no complaints about the frame. It was amazing ride, and perfect on the corners and on the jumps.