Bikes with that certain 'je ne sais quoi '

What bikes have you ridden that have that certain something that makes them truly special? Lots of great bikes out there but only a few that make the special list for me.

Norco range - fun and ultra versatile. Climbs well and handles just about anything going back down.

Banshee spitfire - punches way above it's travel. Very poppy and playful bike that rips on the way down.

Knolly warden - maximum fun! Not the fastest bike up the hill but climbs well enough. Aggressive geometry that Rails corners and puts a huge smile on my face on the way down.

I am a horst link fan but I am sure there are some great vpp And dw link bikes.

What bikes make your 'special ' list?

Knollys.
Evil.

Turner
Knolly
Klein (back in the day!)
Ibis (also back in the day! Bow-Ti…nuff said)

Kinda brand AND model specific to me…

Like the Santa Cruz V10 is just hands down sick.
Rocky Altitude Rally Edition, elegant slick yet potent looking.
New 2017 Trance Advanced, so right on so many levels.
Liv IntrigueSX for a betty's broom is just dope on all counts.
Pretty well any of the YT lineage… Svelte, stylie, uber euro tech.
Cove. Balls to the wall straight up 'core bikes.

The old split top tube Turner DHR. Definitely had that je ne sais quoi. Easiest bike to hold a manual on ever.

1st version of the Banshee Scream. Damn it was fun to have a bike made to huck.

I've been deliriously happy with any steel dirt jump bike with stubby chain stays I've ever jumped on. Don't know exactly what it is those bikes have going on, but somewhere between the frame material and geo they make you feel like a kid.

And any of the current crop of hotrod new enduro bikes. Long low slack is the magic bike I've been waiting for all my life. Process, Reign, Range. New Slayer looks very je ne sais quoi. :)

Pivot… Mach6 Carbon or the new Firebird… you won't be disappointed. Trust me.

Recently had the chance to throw a leg over a custom/prototype Starling Cycles (64 degree headangle on a 150mm bike). Loved it, definitely has that "je ne sais quoi". Guy who owns it is very happy with it, and he's a very skilled rider who charges hard.
Lichen bikes, and I second Knollys, Banshees and Evil. That being said, the Trance is a dialled (and pretty) bike, as is the Reign. Seeing my Trance still makes me smile every time I step in to the basement, as does seeing my old Slayer.

My Pivot Mach 5.7 Carbon qualifies.

4th season on it and still feels brand new with fresh bearings. Geometry still very good for going up and down. Super light bike; [HTML_REMOVED]29 lbs with real (900-1000g tires, Fox 34, Flow rims, Atlas bar, Reverb, etc.

The full PUSH treatment on the suspension may contribute to how awesome the bike feels.

Unless something bad happens to it, I have no desire to change it for something newer.

My 2016 Canfield Balance.

Original Specialized big hit - frame with fox vanilla RC for GBP£600. 24" back wheel with big volume tire, unreal privateer rig for DH race or stunts!

Banshee Scream = for rowdy stunts and precision high line riding. Beautiful handling and suspension that could absorb very high velocity inputs whilst maintaining a 'poppy' lift for hopping up/off/about on woodwork.

Banshee Rampant. Keith did a killer job on that one. The most ridiculous bike I've owned (I reviewed mine some way back for nsmb). Perfect choice for pump tracks and dirt jumps, but also happy sticking big drops, road gaps and downhill runs

my Transition Smuggler

Chromag Stylus

my Transition Smuggler

I'm having a riot on my Norco Optic 9. If you would have told me I would be having this much fun on a 120mm 29er a couple years ago I would have told you to get your head checked.

I'm having a riot on my Norco Optic 9. If you would have told me I would be having this much fun on a 120mm 29er a couple years ago I would have told you to get your head checked.

no doubt. bikes are so dialed these days.