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Niner Jet 9 RDO reliability

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#21 ·
I bought a first generation Jet9 RDO when it was first released. The bike was a joy to ride (and look at!) -- when it wasn't failing in one way or another.

- The original cable routing was awful. The new setup looks to have improved things significantly, but I still find the headtube entry impractical (for boxing the bike for travel, particularly.)
- The bolts holding the linkage plates to the frame tend to work loose. I lost one almost immediately, contacted Niner and they shipped a new one, then they actually upped the official torque spec. Not a big deal, really, but I did have a buddy lose one recently on his newer Jet9 RDO. The ones behind the crank are difficult to check frequently.
- The threads in the upper linkage plate for the top shock bolt stripped really easily. Niner replaced the right-side upper linkage.
- The aluminium inserts in the rear triangle that the linkage bolts thread into eventually worked loose and caused all sorts of slop in the rear end. Niner sent me a replacement rear triangle.
- Not long after, the same molded-in threaded inserts in the front end of the bike worked themselves loose. Niner then sent me a new frame.

I quickly sold this new frame at a very low price and, unfortunately, the buyer cracked the frame shortly after. I had hoped that the new frames (this was last Fall) would be better, but it appears not.

I really wanted to love this bike. I rode it pretty hard and raced it all over the place on all sorts of XC terrain for 2.5 seasons, but it was just so unreliable. I have four friends with the same bike. Two of them cracked first gen frames and got new replacements. One of those replacement frames has now cracked from a downtube impact and the other guy sold his and bought a Kona. The other two are going strong, though neither are ridden much.

Over the years my immediate circle of friends has owned about a dozen Niners of all frame materials and (at least) seven of them have failed prematurely.

The bikes look lovely and the ones I've ridden are great handlers, but I'll never buy another one. It really is hard to believe they did any real world ride testing on the first gen frames. The cable routing was so bad... and it (literally) broke, causing the bike to lose shifting. I know this has been changed on the newer bikes, but to me, it says something about the kind of company they are. Lots of great looking bikes, but the customers -- particularly the early adopters -- seem to be the R&D department.

Really disappointing. I can still remember being excited about ordering my Jet9RDO and telling a shopowner friend about it. He joked, "yeah great! until it breaks!" He was totally right.
 
Discussion starter · #28 ·
Acko said:
Poor choice based on the vocal few
Click to expand...
Nine makes great bikes. My decision is not based on its reliability (as understood via the mob on these lovely interwebs) and more on another bike with geometry that will work better for me (PLUS having just demoed the new Trek Top Fuel, it is a no-contest).

Please don't take my decision personally!

Have a great ride!!
 
#29 ·
Well can't say I have a RDO but I did have a 2014 Jet 9 Carbon which just got two cracks on the seat tube. It's at the shop right now for warranty but Niner is kinda road blocking them a bit. Hopefully everything gets worked out.
 
#33 ·
Woodstock. Find me a frameset that has never had to be warrantied.
It's been discussed before but the perceived number of frame failures for any model are amplified because they're the ones who put their 2c in on a forum while the rest of us are out riding.
Case A: Old mate above doesn't have an RDO but he chimed in any way.
 
#34 ·
Acko said:
Woodstock. Find me a frameset that has never had to be warrantied.
It's been discussed before but the perceived number of frame failures for any model are amplified because they're the ones who put their 2c in on a forum while the rest of us are out riding.
Case A: Old mate above doesn't have an RDO but he chimed in any way.
Click to expand...
You are right, with not having an RDO I probably shouldn't have even commented. I just feel for a frame to crack after less than 300 easy miles is crazy. Then whats even crazier, is my shop has two other ones, one an RDO sitting in the shop waiting on warranty also. I loved the bike, and hope Niner comes through with the warranty. It really is a great bike.
 
#37 ·
It's not like this is some kind of serious, life-altering decision requiring careful statistical analysis... It's the purchase of a new bicycle. You ask around and see what people are saying. If you ask around my city you'll hear that the local shop has had to warranty a load of them and isn't interested in carrying them anymore (partly) because of this. Practically everyone I know with a Niner (RDO and other) has broke it in one way or another. I've had two. I broke one and a buyer broke the other. That's enough for me, and if someone else told me this story I'd consider something else, too.
 
#38 ·
I I have both a 2012 Jet9RDO and a RIP9RDO.

I love both bikes but the original JET9RDO did have some issues. The shifting was very problematic. The second shift kit that Niner sent out fixed the problem for me but not for everyone running external has been the choice for others. I did this for a while too. The new Jet 9 RDO's don't have the issue.

I also crack my rear triangle but Niner replaced with no issues.

The suspension bearings can be an issue. I had to replace minister about a year but after Niner increased the torque spec on the suspension pivots I haven't had more issues.

I still love my Jet9RDO despite the issues and have it set up with XX1, XTR Race brakes, and now a RS-1 fork and it is so much fun on XC trails.

The RIP9RDO is definitely the more durable bike and there are far fewer reports of cracks with that frame. Through a 140mm Pike on it and it is an AM machine.

I would be interested in hearing about a head to head comparison between the new Top Fuel and the current gen JET9RDO, especially if similarly spec'd.



Sent from my SM-T800 using Tapatalk
 
#40 ·
Jdub said:
I messed up earlier, I've actually gone 3,182 miles on mine plus my Dad could beat up mb2boost's Dad... :)

My old frame had the same rattle in the chainstay at times too. In fact, when I was setting it up originally, I lost a cable end in there somewhere. The new cable routing isn't as hidden, but its more practical.
Click to expand...
This made me laugh!
 
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