Inense’s M-series bikes have been at the forefront of downhill racing for more than two decades, longer than any other bike we can think of. The first iconic M-1 rolled off the production line in 1994 and boasted an impressive 5 inches of travel via a unique MacPherson strut design, which at the time dwarfed nearly any other bike on the market. The M-series bikes became synonymous with podiums and were the gold standard by which all other gravity bikes were measured. In fact, many downhill race teams, including Mongoose, Haro and Devinci, used Intense’s M-series frames with decals to match their sponsors, simply because they were the best machines for the job.
Fast-forward 20 years, and Intense is still making some of the finest downhill race sleds on the planet. Its newest version, dubbed the M16, is the pinnacle of Intense’s lineup, with 20 years of racing heritage and expertise behind it. When Jeff Steber, the founder and mad scientist behind Intense, has an idea to push the M series forward, we pay attention, because we’ve seen time and again that these are the bikes that push the envelope. This is the M16 test.
WHO IS IT MADE FOR?
The M16 is a downhill race bike that’s built with a personality inspired by hardcore riders. The bike is designed to withstand the rigors of the World Cup-circuit elite and privateer racers alike. The hydroformed aluminum chassis is built for performance rather than aesthetics. The industrial look is accentuated with a flat-black paint scheme that’s all business. If this bike had a dating profile, it would be “American-made machine looking for long-term partner to enjoy a fast-paced life.”
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Chute slayer: The slack and stable manners of the M16 are a blast when the trail points downhill in a hurry. Be sure you’re pointed the right direction, then ease off the brakes and let the M16 do the rest.
Chute slayer: The slack and stable manners of the M16 are a blast when the trail points downhill in a hurry. Be sure you’re pointed the right direction, then ease off the brakes and let the M16 do the rest.WHAT IS IT MADE FROM?
The M16 is the longest-travel bike in Intense’s lineup. It sports an adjustable dual-link design that boasts two travel settings with 215 and 241 millimeters (8.5–9.5 inches) of rear-wheel travel. The bike is built with the newest standards, including a 12×157-millimeter dropout system fastened by a custom collet-style axle. The suspension rides on cartridge bearings fastened by a similar collet system in the links and custom-machined linkage bolts. In fact, this bike is about as close as you can get to a 100-percent American-made bike, since every bit of the tube shaping, welding, and machining happens in the Temecula, California, factory.
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Classic American muscle: The M16 is designed and built in Intense’s Temecula, California, factory. This is as close as you can get to a 100-percent American- built bike. It shows in the classic lines, which are trademark Intense. Some may feel it’s not as refined-looking as a carbon bike, but we beg to differ.
Classic American muscle: The M16 is designed and built in Intense’s Temecula, California, factory. This is as close as you can get to a 100-percent American- built bike. It shows in the classic lines, which are trademark Intense. Some may feel it’s not as refined-looking as a carbon bike, but we beg to differ.WHICH COMPONENTS STAND OUT?
The Intense crew has custom-tuned the build package with many of the components that they have used as riders themselves for years. Everything from the Renthal cockpit to the Thomson seatpost to the Shimano Saint brakes to the SRAM X01DH drivetrain screams, “We ride bikes. We know what really works on the trail, and that’s what we’re going to sell.”
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Race-specific: SRAM’s X01 DH drivetrain couldn’t be more gravity-specific if it tried. The seven-speed transmission is designed to deliver relatively big changes in gearing with only one click of the shifter, and simply doesn’t like anything except gravity-assisted riding.
Race-specific: SRAM’s X01 DH drivetrain couldn’t be more gravity-specific if it tried. The seven-speed transmission is designed to deliver relatively big changes in gearing with only one click of the shifter, and simply doesn’t like anything except gravity-assisted riding.![]()
Smooth and fast: SRAM’s X01 narrow/ wide chainring paired with an e.thirteen chainguide make for a system that’s nearly foolproof. We had no dropped chains during our testing.
Smooth and fast: SRAM’s X01 narrow/ wide chainring paired with an e.thirteen chainguide make for a system that’s nearly foolproof. We had no dropped chains during our testing.Testers either loved or hated the aesthetics of the bike, but one thing is certain: the bike certainly stands out in a sea of swoopy, me-too, imported aluminum and carbon bikes. The industrial look is classic Intense, boasting large welded seams and oversized alu- minum tubes. It looks like a true hardcore rider’s bike.
HOW DOES IT PERFORM?
Suspension setup: Plan to spend some time with this one to find the right setup, because it’s much more involved than up a typical bike with an air shock. The bike ships with a size-tuned spring and a baseline shock tune, but we swapped the spring right out of the gate and adjusted the compression and rebound as well.
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The VPP: With over 8 inches of travel in the short setting and nearly 10 in the long setting, we had little reason to up the ante and ride in the long-travel setting. Sources tell us that even the team riders only switch to the long-travel mode for the gnarliest of tracks, when the more rearward-biased weight distribution would be a plus. Plan to spend most of your time in the short-travel mode.
The VPP: With over 8 inches of travel in the short setting and nearly 10 in the long setting, we had little reason to up the ante and ride in the long-travel setting. Sources tell us that even the team riders only switch to the long-travel mode for the gnarliest of tracks, when the more rearward-biased weight distribution would be a plus. Plan to spend most of your time in the short-travel mode.Our bike came with a 450-pound spring mounted to a Cane Creek shock, which proved too stiff for our 175-pound test riders. We swapped to a 400 and backed off the compression adjust- ments slightly to split the difference between the two springs.
Fortunately, the Boxxer World Cup fork has an air spring to easily match the sag of the shock. Nevertheless, expect this bike to require some tinkering for the first few rides.
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Watch downhill speed: This bike is only happy when mobbing down steep trails at Mach 5 with the rider’s hair nearly on fire. You’ve been warned.
Watch downhill speed: This bike is only happy when mobbing down steep trails at Mach 5 with the rider’s hair nearly on fire. You’ve been warned.Descending: Point this bike downhill and it practically shoots out from under you; it’s that eager. The bike sports a fairly rearward bias for a bike of this travel, which puts the rider in a position that’s ready and dialed to handle the steepest chutes and obstacles with ease—but we expected that.
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The beast: With 27.5-inch wheels and a nearly 50-inch wheel- base, it’s clear that the M16 is designed for the toughest World Cup-style downhill courses. The stability is awesome at speed, but lacks a certain level of maneuverability as a sacrifice.
The beast: With 27.5-inch wheels and a nearly 50-inch wheel- base, it’s clear that the M16 is designed for the toughest World Cup-style downhill courses. The stability is awesome at speed, but lacks a certain level of maneuverability as a sacrifice.The suspension has a very plush feel that tends to ride deep within the travel, meaning the M16 has plenty of negative travel to track the terrain. With the bike set up with 35–40-percent sag, the rear wheel has a glued-to-the-ground feel that will be appreciated on most trails. With a firmer spring or slightly more preload to decrease the amount of sag, the bike begins to feel a bit more playful. The bike can be tuned many different ways to handle a wide variety of descents. Don’t expect this bike to be a dirt-jumping park bike, but with the right tuning techniques, this machine can exhibit several different personalities for handling the descents.
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Boostin’ it: The M16 has a Velcroed-to-the-ground feeling that can be overcome by a strong and skilled pilot. This is far from a park bike, but will satisfy the needs of racers and gravity enthusiasts alike with its bulletproof build quality and fun nature, so long as you have a chairlift to get to the top of the mountain.
Boostin’ it: The M16 has a Velcroed-to-the-ground feeling that can be overcome by a strong and skilled pilot. This is far from a park bike, but will satisfy the needs of racers and gravity enthusiasts alike with its bulletproof build quality and fun nature, so long as you have a chairlift to get to the top of the mountain.Climbing: Nope, sorry. The suspension will support rider weight and negate some of the pedaling movement for flatter courses, but if your trails point uphill at any point, you’re probably looking at the wrong bike.
Cornering: The M16’s handling is best for those who can handle high speeds, and that’s most true in the corners. This bike simply doesn’t like tiptoeing through lines; it much prefers to blast the straight lines up and over everything and let the supple suspension handle the rest. This bike is a point-and-shoot punisher that handles high-speed corners with confidence and speed.
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Stable axle: Intense uses a clever feature on their 157-millimeter rear axle—a collet system that’s almost identical to the one they use on the aluminum pivots. This keeps the axle snug, and is much easier to use than a traditional pinch-bolt system.
Stable axle: Intense uses a clever feature on their 157-millimeter rear axle—a collet system that’s almost identical to the one they use on the aluminum pivots. This keeps the axle snug, and is much easier to use than a traditional pinch-bolt system.TRICKS, UPGRADES OR TIPS?
You could certainly lighten this bike with a few tweaks, but it might undermine the durability the M16 boasts.
The Stans Rapid 30 wheels are ripe for a tubeless upgrade. We have it on good authority (from “Stan the Man” himself) that several of the top World Cup racers are using his system without the burping issues experienced in the past. If it’s good enough for them, it’s certainly good enough for privateers.
The travel adjustment is a nice thing to have on paper, but we saw little need for it on the trails we rode. On the steepest terrain it could be an advantage, as it does shift rider weight rearward, but unless you swap springs to compensate, it will provide the bike with even more sag and an even plusher ride. If you’re riding World Cup-level tracks, go for it. For everything else, plan to leave this bike in the 8.5-inch-travel setting.
BUYING ADVICE
If you’re looking for fancy team graphics and swoopy carbon lines, plan to look elsewhere. The M16 is sculpted for downhill speed freaks who are only happy when shredding the gnarliest trails at supersonic speeds with their hair on fire. The overbuilt chassis is incredibly low and slack and is certainly no lightweight. This bike requires not only a rider who has the skillset to harness its incredible potential, but also the kind of trails that will suit its big and mean personality.
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