Got to tap into some user opinions. Good advice on here- it led me to buy my Ventana El Ciclon frame (with DHX5 Air shock)& I love it.
I'm now getting fed up with constant problems with my XT brakes & have decided on one of the Hope offerings. I weigh 16.5 stone kitted up.

Here's the big question- if I go for the V2, which I know is more than I need, will it be too "bitey" for everyday XC duties. I read what someone wrote on another Hope thread, that you can never have too much brake (I love powerful brakes). I guess that's only true if there is enough feel to control them. I don't want a brake that only works when bringing you down from warp speed, but will send you over the bars when trying to trim the bike into a slow corner. Is there much difference in modulation/ feel between the M4 & V2?
According to Hope there is practically no difference in weight or price in the setup I would want- 183 floating rotors F+R & braided hose. I also hear that the V2 pads last ages, which is always a bonus.
Most of my riding is XC, with a few trips to Wales, Peaks & Yorkshire.

I use Mono M4s on my XC bike & V2s on my FR bike & the best way to describe the V2 is like the M4 but with 30 or 40 % extra power when you really need them, modulation feels the similar & yes the pads last longer (probably because the greater area of pad/disc contact)
I'm going to have a set of V2s for sale as I've sold my DH frame as I hardly use it, they are VGC – email in profile if interested.

The M4 is less bitey than the V2 and is probably the more versatile brake. If your riding is more XC than trail/descent orientated, I'd say that the M4 would do you. You could even use an X2 in the rear with 160mm – that way you get to save weight too. If you want a 'bigger' set-up, then a 183mm V2 front with 160mm M4 rear is also an option. Whatever you go with, you'll probably find smaller (than front) rear rotor will bring better balance to your brake set-up.

If you want to run V2's with the non vented rotor and you like a consistent bite point, they might not be the best option for you.
I spanner for Rowan Sorrell. He got a set for his FR bike. And he really loved the performance, but he's quite sensitive to lever position and bite point. I had to keep adjusting the brake to suit his preference as the pads wore. But when he got a set of vented rotors, the width made all the difference. I could set it and leave it for longer periods before adjusting it.
The new Tech lever will get around that problem IMO. So it may not be such an issue.

Rowan runs M4's on his DH bike and Alpine 160, and X2's on his 5 for this season and is really happy with them based on last year's feedback.
And apart from upgrading to vented to suit his *preferences*, he was really happy with the V2 aswell.
*edit corrected typo*

Sorry to produce the inevitable "something else" suggestion, but I'm currently replacing all my M4s (various models, used since 2004) with Saint M810s. I quite like the M4s, but the Saints are just amazing, endless power, and the modulation isn't half as non-existant as some appear to think. Started on my big bouncy bike, now I've just bought a set for my trail bike. Hardtail to follow when I win the lottery! Having said that, if you're fed up with your XTs, I guess you're not likely to go Shimano again :-).

v2's every day of the week over the rest for me

I'm also a big fan of Shimano brakes.
What type of problems were you getting with the XT's Chris?

I've had numerous mono m4's and I really like them. However, I now have V2's and they are another dimension – best feel/modulation of any brake I've ever had. The biggest drawback I found is the restriction to 203mm rotors (though they may now supply 183mm rears).

My Nicolai has a couple of different set ups – I have big ex325 rims and vented rotors for Alps trips and xm819 tubeless and non vented rotors for everything else. To be honest I don't know why I bother with the vented because they're overkill. Another problem is the cost of rotors and that they're not compatible with any other brakes, whereas with the M4's you can use mini rotors as well and have the choice of sizes.

Several problems with my XT brakes:
Front & rear suffer from stuck pistons regularly.
Contamination gets into the fluid.
Become spongy very soon after bleeding & setting up.
Pads hover too close to rotors leading to scraping.
Don't look anywhere near as bling as the Hopes!

I'm beginning to realise that the M4 is probably the way to go for my riding. The X2 would probably do fine, but it's a macho thing- if it says "suitable for XC racing", then I read "flimsy & wussy".

Did you know that the V2 caliper has been revised? It's a much smaller and lighter unit than previously, but still retains the same piston diameters i.e. the same power without the weight penalty (and with reduced heat sink capacity, presumably). I've just swapped to a pair of these calipers (previously running a V2 / X2 combo) using my original Tech levers. The reduced caliper weight meant that for me, M4 was not even in the running.

Feel is still the same – absolutely superb modulation (running 183 floating rotors front and rear), I'd be amazed if you found V2's to be too "bitey". I find them the best brakes I've used in this respect (I've tried most of the usual suspects at some time, with the exception of Formula, which also have a very good reputation). My set-up has the levers a long way inboard for genuine single digit braking, and the power is more than adequate to cope with this for my weight (about 11 stone).

Having mixed and matched calipers myself, I wouldn't particularly recommend it, although the M4 is a marginally better match to a V2 than the X2 I was running.

V2 pads do indeed last ages. Unfortunately, neither the organic not the sintered cope very well in the wet. After persevering with genuine Hope pads for two winters, I swapped to some OBE sintered as an experiment – they have been a significant improvement, being far more consistent.

No offence, snaps, but those older style V2s look like they weigh a ton!
If I go for the V2, it would be a new set, as I like the reduced weight & bulk of the calipers and the new levers look the dogs as well as getting great reviews.
The M4 seems to get less ecstatic reviews. I was looking through the feb issue of MBUK & they reckon the M4 is a little weighty for it's power. Also my thoughts are that there are twice as many pistons to potentially stick.
Still haven't completely ruled out the X2 with 203 front & 183 rear rotor, despite the XC label. I have two mates who have just fitted them recently (both have braided hose) & they rave about their stopping power. This seems to contradict Bike Radar/ MBUK/ What MTB, who rate all the Hopes as slightly off the money in terms of stopping power.

AAAAgh. Who do I believe? (You fine gents, of course……..)

I still like the idea of having more than I need, just for those occasional heart stopping moments & especially if the weight penalty is not too great.

BigChris I have m4 on my xc bike, and techv2 on the dh bike, both excellent brakes, however on my new am bike, i have chosen the v2 again over the m4 as it has more power for not much extra weight.

So basically go for the v2

Has anyone with the new V2 got any real weights?
This thread on MTBR has some excellent detailed weights & pics of the M4:
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=471877 (481g with 180 rotor) How does that compare with the V2?

if you are going to the trouble/expense of v2s is it worth going vented over floating.

aggressive xc riding not DH

aggressive xc

I'll never stop laughing at the way riding gets described sometimes. 😆

Coogan, simply implying that i am not pootling around the blue routes (which can also be described as xc) 😉

there's one in every thread !

No need to get all aggressive about it.

*bada-boom-tish*

No its not worth getting the vented – unless you weigh 20 stone and have regular Alps trips.

I've never had a sticking piston in any Hope brake I've ever owned, so the M4 having more pistons is not an issue.

The M4 feels as though it doesn't have much power when judged against some designs, and I believe this is what some magazines try to say. However, the feel of Hope brakes is second to none, they'll lock up just as well as other brakes – and lets face it, out and out stopping power isn't the be all and end all.

I was really close to pulling the trigger on a set of V2's, but supposedly the floating rotors won't fit my hub / fork without modification (I9 Enduro wheelset with Lyrics). Pity really, I think they would have been nice.

I run the new Tech V2s on my downhill bike and I think they would be way too much for XC.

Get the V2s, they are great, I use mine for xc, alps, DH days etc and they are fine. People worry too much about the minutiae regarding biking stuff in my opinion.

I wouldn't go for the vented option on V2 personally – that does come with a substantial weight penalty. I'd say you've got to really need that performance to justify the weight gain i.e. be routinely overheating a conventional disc set up.

EDIT: I'm no heavyweight and I didn't find a 183 X2 rear to be powerful enough for controlled single finger braking. There was power there, but it needed extra digits to access it! I also found the X2 brake ate pads in bad weather (disc mounts were faced, pads bedded in, sintered compound etc).