WE DIG
WE DON’T
ABOUT THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN INSTINCT POWERPLAY SL
Rocky Mountain entered the world of SL eMTBs with the Instinct Powerplay SL and the introduction of their Dyname S4 Lite drive unit. When we first got the bike, the Dyname S4 Lite was impressive. But with the recent update to upgrade the power and torque, it is even more impressive, providing full-power numbers in a lightweight eMTB package.
DRIVE UNIT AND ELECTRONICS | As mentioned, with Rocky’s entrance into the light e-bike space, they would need a smaller motor. So, they built the Dyname S4 Lite, but did so with near full-power numbers. Initially, the S4 Lite produced 65 Nm of torque and 550W of peak power. And then, the update happened.
The updated Dyname S4 Lite system outputs an impressive 700W of peak power and 75Nm of torque. This is paired with a 480Wh battery, which can have an additional 314Wh of juice with Rocky’s Overtimepack 2.0 range extender. This placed the Rocky Mountain in 2nd place for potential total battery capacity in this SL eBike group test.
Rocky doesn’t want you to have to fiddle with apps to ride their bike — this can be a relief, as we’ve found that sometimes apps just don’t want to work. Instead, they integrated their Jumbotron display into the toptube. This screen displays all the info you need — modes, battery, views, and bike tunes. Everything is controlled with the three-button controller mounted to the handlebars. Here, you can also toggle through the Instinct Powerplay SL’s four ride modes — Eco, Trail, Trail+, and Ludicrous.
FRAME AND FEATURES | As briefly mentioned previously, the Instinct Powerplay SL features plentiful geo adjustability. The bike features Rocky’s Ride-4 geo adjustment, providing four different geometry positions from slack to steep. This changes the geo points you would expect — HTA, STA, reach, wheelbase, BB height, etc. The geometry changes further with the possibility of running the Instinct Powerplay SL as a mixed-wheel (with an MX Link, available to purchase), and even more so if you need an XS frame, as they only come in full 27.5” wheel guise.
Further geo changes are possible with Rocky’s adjustable headset cup, which offers neutral, +5mm, and -5mm reach settings. Together with the Ride-4 geo adjustments, our RM Instinct Powerplay SL has a reach that spans nearly 20mm. That is what is meant by “adjustable geo”, ranking among the most adjustable bikes in our 2025 Lightweight eMTB Shootout.
Rocky uses their Smoothwall carbon, allowing for a durable frame with claimed industry-leading stiffness-to-weight ratios. They layup size-specific chainstays (mostly) for the Instinct Powerplay SL, with a 10mm length increase between Medium and Large. Size XS is also size-specific, with chainstays 9mm shorter than a size Small.
SUSPENSION | Rocky’s Smoothlink suspension system is a mid-high-pivot four-bar that delivers 145mm of travel on the Instinct Powerplay SL. The eBike sees an idler hidden underneath the Dyname S4 Lite’s housing, helping with the chain growth of a high(er)-pivot rearward axle path. This allows the Instinct Powerplay SL to remain efficient while pedaling, yet supple and supportive over the chunk.
GEOMETRY | With four geometry position settings, mixed wheel options, and reach-adjust headset cups, this section could be several pages of text. We’ll keep it brief, discussing our size Large Instinct Powerplay SL in the neutral (pos 3) setting and neutral reach adjust (+/- 0) we received it in, with a pair of 29” wheels.
The HTA is 64° paired with a 77° STA for a comfortable, upright pedaling position. The Instinct Powerplay SL’s stack is relatively moderate at 632mm, and it has a BB drop of 32mm. Our size Large’s reach is 480mm, and the chainstays are quite long at 450mm. This makes for a fairly long SL eBike, with an overall wheelbase of 1272mm.
BUILD SPECS | Six builds span the Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay SL platform — three carbon and three aluminum. We received the Carbon 90 (C90) build, on which RM spared no expense, retailing at $11,999.
Factory-level Fox suspension is equipped front and rear on the C90, with a Grip X2-equipped 36 and a Float X, respectively. Also seeing a Kashima coating is the 210mm Fox Transfer dropper post.
The other brand making its name known on the Instinct Powerplay SL C90 is SRAM. Code Ultimate Stealth brakes are paired with an XO Transmission drivetrain.
Along with Fox, Race Face also makes quite an appearance on this bike. 165mm carbon Race Face Era cranks (beautiful) grace the C90, using a normal press fit bb. The stem and handlebars also see Race Face branding, with carbon Era bars.
Lastly, Carbon Race Face Era wheels and Vault hubs are wrapped in our control Schwalbe rubber for this Lightweight eMTB Shootout. The Schwalbe Magic Mary handled traction up front, with the Albert in the rear, both in the Radial Gravity casing.
With the Schwalbe control tires fitted, our size Large Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay SL weighed 44.6lbs (20.2kg).
THE DIRT
SETUP | One thing we learned during the shootout was that the Instinct Powerplay SL was not overly picky about where you had sag at. Some bikes can be a knife’s edge when it comes to shock pressure, but the Rocky Mountain was not that. While having proper air pressure delivered the optimal performance, it was a nice bonus to have a wide tuning window to tailor the handling to our preferences. 30% sag was our target as usual, and this is where the best balance of handling characteristics were achieved.
The Fox Factory 36 on this bike needed higher air pressure than the sticker suggested to keep the dynamic ride height in a suitable spot. At that higher pressure it was not harsh or weird; it just necessitated more pressure to achieve the same ride quality as 36’s on other bikes
ELECTRONICS AND INTEGRATION | The Powerplay SL’s info screen dubbed the “Jumbotron” gives you a big clear display showing all technical data you need when out on the trail. It may not be as colorful as the Bosch Kiox 400 C, but serves most of the same function, outside of turn-by-turn navigation. Within the Jumbotron, you can fine tune all your power settings and set what data screens are displayed. We were never left wishing for an app as a result.
The handlebar remote was sleek and simple, with just three buttons. The power mode buttons are large enough to flick when smashing up a climb, but did not intrude on the ride experience. Cable routing on the frame was sleek, silent, and blended into the background. At this price point we would really like to see the SRAM Transmission derailleur hard wired into the motor battery, rather than having to charge a second battery. The charge port cover took a little effort to fully seat, but remains in place no matter the conditions and offered a good seal.
One nice thing that Rocky offers is an easily removable battery. With just two bolts, you can pull it out and swap in a spare for big self-shuttle days. Additionally, you can add on the Overtime Pack 2.0 for an extra 314Wh of battery, which made a considerable boost to range.
CLIMBING | Where to start, the power or the traction? The Instinct Powerplay SL was undoubtedly the hill climb champion in our group. Pop it into “Ludicrous” mode, and we had a serious uphill weapon. All the power in the world does not matter if you can’t turn it into traction, though. The high-pivot Smooth Link suspension did just that. The wheel chewed at the earth as we pointed it up the steepest trails on the hill.
On top of the power and traction offered, the bike’s geometry kept our weight centered and ready to get up and out of the saddle for big ledges. The Powerplay SL offers size-specific chainstays, which undoubtedly helped to give that centered feel. The Ride-4 adjustment system helped to tailor the ride to what we were looking to achieve. If you love tech climbs, pop it into the high BB position and smash away.
One notable consideration is the motor noise and feedback under foot present on the Dyname S4 Lite system. The motor itself had a subdued tone and very little, if no rattle. However, the pulleys in the motor had a distinct noise, something Cole was critical about. It was the only thing he found he did not like about the bike, noting “it sounds like you are taking a broom handle across a plastic corrugated roof.” Not only does it make that noise, but it also produces some vibration which can be felt in your feet. It is worth noting that we put a new chain on to try and eliminate any variables, with no success. Some of the test crew said it was not a big bother to them, but it was noticeable all the same.
DRIVE UNIT RANGE TEST RESULT | We compared drive unit performance and efficiency with a standardized test. We created a 13-mile, 1,300-foot elevation “Battery Efficiency Loop” and rode every bike in its highest assist mode until the loop was done. Our test rider, Travis, is 193lbs and was diligent about his efforts and physical state for each ride.
The Rocky Mountain Dyname S4 Lite system completed the loop in 01:02:04 (4th/8), and used 293Wh of its 480Wh capacity (61%). This placed it 3rd in capacity remaining (predicted range: 21.3 miles, 2,130 feet).
To see more detailed feedback on the drive unit of this bike, head over to the Main Page of the SL Shootout. We dive into the details of each drive unit, what we like about them and what we don’t.
DESCENDING | We often forgot we were on a bike with 145mm of rear travel when riding the Instinct Powerplay SL. The shock and rear suspension felt incredible in the rough, getting out of the way of every rock and bump. Charging into rock gardens, we felt as if we were gaining speed thanks to the rearward axle path and high pivot design. It does this while also feeling very reactive to rider inputs, remaining easy to flick about and pull for side hits.
When running as little as 25% sag, the grip was still great. This versatility in setup was great for doing bigger jumps and drops regularly, without removing the ability to stay glued to the ground. Our entire crew said they were impressed with how well the Rocky cornered. Stellar front-end grip paired with a smooth rear suspension feel made for an excellent lightweight eMTB to attack both steep and high-speed flat corners.
The Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay SL was a trail bike package that punched well above its travel figure. Rocky Mountain’s Ride-4 adjustment system offered a ton of fine-tuning options to best adapt the bike for our style and terrain. Overall, this bike impressed our entire crew, and we’d happily take it to just about any trail system for a good time.
FINISH AND VALUE | Value is a personal affair for riders looking at light eBikes in the upper price tiers. At $11,999 you are getting a very good bike in the Instinct Powerplay SL C90, there’s no doubt about it. However, we feel that there is room for improvement at that price point. We all agreed that for essentially $12k, you should expect a wireless dropper post. While SRAM Codes are still a good brake, they do not offer the same stopping power of the Mavens, Drew may say he would take anything other than Mavens due to their finicky nature, we still feel that for this price point it should offer the latest component tech.
For that price, you are getting a well-crafted SL eBike frame from a niche brand that takes time to pay attention to the small details. Unlike other bikes on test, you have somewhat proportional rear centers, which was very impactful on the L and XL bikes. The geometry adjustments presented by the Ride-4 and headset cups made for a notable character change. Additionally, each frame size has a custom tune for the shock, aiding in delivering the right balance of characteristics for all riders.
COMPARISON AND RANKING?
The Powerplay SL ranked high in ride quality for all our testers during this Lightweight eMTB Shootout. However, the nearly $12k price point was hard to swallow, ultimately dropping the bike out of a podium finish. For this money, you are getting a bike of the highest quality in both terms of frame construction and the ride. Patrick – our guest tester – thoroughly enjoyed his time on it! Here is what he had to say:
“The party machine! This thing is a ripper! It will have you hoot-hollering on the ups and downs. We all felt it – shocked that it only had a 150mm fork and 140mm travel. And the motor. Put that thing in Luda mode and blast off! I loved how much power that motor can deliver. That extra humph carried me thru that 4th/5th lap when the legs are starting to fight back and let me boost over and up some steep stuff I couldn’t do with the TQ. When pointed downhill, it feels like a bike built in BC. It can corner, jump and smash in a straight line. I would love to set some PRs and KOMs with this bike on the local loamers.”
The Wolf’s Last Word
If your budget is North of $10k, the Rocky Mountain Powerplay SL C90 delivers on all fronts. Insane climbing traction, an active and ground-smoothing rear suspension feel, with all the geometry adjustments you can ask for. This 145mm trail bike is ready to brawl with the big travel enduro hogs without losing its fun and agile trail bike roots. We just wish the drive unit felt a little smoother underfoot. 
Price: $11,999
Weight: 44.6 lbs
Website: Bikes.com
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