Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay SL C70 Review

The Rocky Mountain Powerplay SL is an e-MTB with 65 Nm of torque, 550 watts of maximum power, and a removable battery. The bike bridges the gap between worlds: more than a Light Assist but lighter than a Full Power e-bike. Its 20.7 kg emphasize its hybrid nature. We’ve found out how the Instinct Powerplay SL performs on the trail for you.

Rocky Mountain takes a refreshingly different approach. The Canadian cult brand shows courage in times of uniformity and vigorously goes its own way – somewhat reminiscent of a small Gaulish village from the cartoons of our childhood. In Asterix and Obelix, the Gauls shake up the imperialistic Romans after they have occupied all of Europe around Gaul.

Rocky Mountain currently seems to be the Gaulish village of the e-MTB world: There is no Bosch motor on Rocky e-bikes. No Shimano and no Fazua either. The Canadians focus on independence and rely on their own system. Under the brand name Dyname, Rocky Mountain has established a sister company dedicated to building Rocky Mountain E-Systems. The latest creation from Dyname: the Dyname S4 Lite motor.

Like the magic potion of Miraculix endowed the Gaulish resistance fighters with supernatural powers, the Dyname S4 Lite boasts performance figures that outstrip the usual metrics for light assist motors: With 550 watts peak power and 65 Nm of torque, the motor reaches out towards full power bikes. TQ and Fazua are much more cautious here. The Bosch SX is about in this league.

Nevertheless, the system remains lightweight – the motor unit is 30% lighter than the powerful Dyname S4 full power motor. Specifically, the motor unit tips the scales at 2.26 kg. The Bosch SX motor also plays in this weight class. In contrast, the 108 Nm strong Dyname S4 full power motor weighs 940 grams more, which is 3.20 kg. For comparison: Bosch’s SX light assist motor weighs 2.1 kg and offers 10 Nm less torque.

Unlike all other E-MTB motors, the cranks and the main chainring are not mounted on the motor. The axle of the cranks is conventionally located in a bottom bracket that sits behind the motor. This means that the power of the motor is not transmitted directly from the chainring to the chain, but rather from a front sprocket.

Before the chain runs onto the chainring, it is guided over an idler pulley—just like on the currently trendy high-pivot bikes. This idler transmits the motor’s power to the chain. Between this pulley and the chainring sits another sprocket, which uses a sensor to measure the load difference between motor power and rider input.

This unique setup of the Dyname S4 Lite motor brings with it both advantages and disadvantages.

Besides the independence in motor design, the rest of the eco-system also stands out. Most notably, the display embedded in the top tube catches the eye. The display’s resolution leaves nothing to be desired, ensuring all information is easy to read. The content of the menus available via the display is reduced to the essentials. There is no navigation feature.

A helpful feature is the cadence recommendation, which, through real-time analysis, shows whether you need to pedal faster or slower. This way, the motor can be kept in its ideal efficiency window. By the way, you don’t need an extra app for the Instinct Powerplay SL. The operation is extremely easy, allowing all settings to be made on-screen directly on the bike. Just hop on and ride.

E-bikes can indeed evoke emotions these days. Rocky Mountain has mastered the art of playing with these emotions: Just like Tesla’s electric cars, the Instinct Powerplay SL also has a “Ludicrous” mode. This is the strongest of the four modes and is meant to highlight the fun you experience with full power output.

We tested the Instinct Powerplay C70, the second most expensive of the six available models. The bike comes in at a hefty €9,700. Although it nearly hits the €10,000 mark, it doesn’t include Fox Factory suspension and only has SRAM Code Silver brakes. In terms of pricing, Rocky Mountain remains at the high end of the spectrum. You’ll find better price-performance deals elsewhere.

By the way, the complete bike in size L weighs 20.3 kg. It is equipped with a surprisingly large battery for a light EMTB. The battery, bolted into the down tube, offers 480 Wh. That’s generous for a Light Assist Bike. For an extra €790, you can get the “Overtimepack 2.0” – a range extender mounted on the down tube that provides an additional 314 Wh.

However, it’s important to offer a market comparison in terms of weight: Cannondale and Orbea manage to break the 20.00 kg mark with their full-power models, the Cannondale Moterra SL and the Orbea Rise. Granted, with top models over €10,000. The most expensive Instinct Powerplay SL can also undercut the 20.00 kg mark by 1.0 kg. Nevertheless, Cannondale and Orbea stay ahead: both brands equip their bikes with large 600-Wh batteries. Plus, they deliver a full 85 Nm of torque. Even the Amflow Bike with DJI Motor weighs under 20 kilos with full motor power.

Speaking of the battery: Unlike most light assist bikes, the Instinct Powerplay SL’s battery can be removed from the downtube. First, the motor cover is loosened with a screw, then the battery is detached from the downtube with two screws. A flap makes it easy to remove the battery.

The battery weighs 2,667 grams. Although the battery is narrower than most water bottles, its length makes it unsuitable for backpack transport. If you still want to crank out party laps, you can simply store a second battery in the car. The 480-Wh battery as an accessory costs 899 €. The easy removal allows for a quick swap—so if you can afford multiple batteries, you can prepare yourself perfectly for a whole day of up-and-down riding.

The Instinct Powerplay SL is no cushy ride. The bike presents itself as firm, defined, and very responsive when pedaling. It feels stiff and translates the rider’s inputs directly to the ground—this also applies to pedal inputs. A prerequisite for nimble acceleration, however, is an engaged motor. Without motor assistance, the Rocky Mountain feels sluggish—it seems as if the two chain idlers are absorbing quite a bit of pedaling energy. You wouldn’t want to ride the Rocky without motor support.

With assistance, though, the bike unleashes its full potential—especially off the beaten path. The Instinct Powerplay SL wants to hit the trails. The robust rear end shines with enormous traction, effectively putting the 65 Nm of torque to the ground. As a result, even steep, technical sections can be tackled uphill effectively. Riders who can still add some power with their own legs can even keep up with buddies on full-power e-bikes. Impressive.

The power delivery of the Dyname S4 Lite motor is also tuned for uphills in rough terrains. The motor provides solid push right from the start. However, it runs out of steam at higher speeds. Anyone looking to accelerate from full speed may be disappointed. This demonstrates that the motor is primarily geared toward low speeds—perfect for powerful support on constant climbs and navigating challenging singletrack uphills.

The Ride-4 adjustment on the rear suspension allows the shock to be mounted in four different positions. This enables a fine-tuning of the geometry as well as the rear suspension kinematics. We preferred riding in position 3, the neutral position of the rear suspension. In position 3, the head angle remains a slack 64°, and the seat angle is a steep 77°. The reach on the XL size we tested is 480 mm. It’s a pity that: The slacker you set the head angle, the less rear travel is available. This has always been an Achilles heel of Rocky Mountain Bikes.

Notable is the exceptionally low bottom bracket. You sit deep in the bike, which provides an exceptionally high sense of security. Additionally, the bike conveys considerable ease due to the low center of gravity. The downside of this is felt when pedaling. In technical terrain, we noticeably often clipped the pedals.

The climbing range of an e-bike is the all-important factor in determining how high and how often you can ride your laps. We measured the climbing range of the Instinct Powerplay SL C70 at 1,553 meters. In our case, that translated to three laps on the nearly 500 vertical meter long home trail.

The true power of the Dyname S4 Lite is evident in the average speed and time. We conquered the 1,553 meters in under an hour – the tracking app displayed an average uphill speed of 15.1 km/h. That’s impressive. We tested the range with clipless pedals (rider weight: 82 kg).

For comparison: the Specialized Turbo Levo SL S-Works in the test with its 320-Wh battery manages nearly 1,300 vertical meters in our climbing range test.

The highlight: When the display hit 0% and the indicator showed the “charge” symbol, the power didn’t suddenly cut out. The system seems to be programmed with a reserve capacity – like the fuel reserve in a car. This is brilliant, because the return ride from the trail exit back home was still possible with gentle yet noticeable support. Superb.

The firm rear triangle of the Instinct Powerplay SL shines with its defined ride characteristics and clear feedback from the terrain. The bike can be aggressively pushed on the trail. Despite the firm tuning, the rear absorbs the hits from the ground sensitively. Combined with the rearward axle path, it results in an incredibly plush ride and brilliant traction.

The Instinct Powerplay SL is built to be pushed to the limit. Although the spec sheet promises only 145 mm of rear travel, the suspension feels like more—and it can do more. The Fox 36 Performance Elite fork at the front offers 160 mm of travel. This makes the Rocky remarkably capable of swallowing obstacles. The clear feedback from the ground is likely to please speed freaks, as the suspension gives you a vivid sense of what’s happening beneath the bike, much like a supercar. Exactly what racers are looking for.

Whoever brakes later stays faster longer. Rocky seems to have taken this motto to heart: the Instinct Powerplay SL scores with immense strong braking traction. When you drop the anchor, the braking power hits the mark—the rear suspension remains active, allowing the rear wheel to maintain controlled contact with the ground. This is the only way a braking maneuver can have its full effect. This means the braking points can be delayed to the limit, allowing you to maintain your speed for longer. However, the braking performance of the Code system could be better.

Thanks to the stiff chassis of the Rocky, the bike can be steered precisely and hit the ideal line with pinpoint accuracy. The front wheel takes on a fair amount of pressure, making it easy to master tight turns and quick direction changes with playful ease.

Even though the 1540 mm of travel might suggest otherwise, the Instinct Powerplay SL is more Enduro than All Mountain. A downside for rough trail shredding is the brakes, as the Code Stealth Silver could pack more punch for our taste—especially with strong heat build-up on long descents.