I got the fork and shock for this back from Cyclinic the other day and took it for a run to see what all the fuss is about with the Push HC97.
I'm reasonably light at 70kg and have always struggled to get the Pikes to be plush in the initial part of the stroke and still supportive in the mid stroke. I also found that the adjustment knobs were largely ornamental and didn't make a huge difference much like a FIT4 damper. I probably should have just purchased another set of DVO's but some reviews of the HC97 prompted me to go down that path.
Setup with the factory recommended settings for my weight it was still a bit stiff for the type of riding I was doing so I backed it off another click on HSC and LSC, rebound remained the same. While it's not as plush as a DVO with the OTT wound up, it's riding higher in the travel with less harshness but this is probably due to the new air side thingo. Mid stroke is a fucking revelation, absolutely transformed the fork. There's so much front end grip it's incredible, it still feels firm but never chatters and the front wheel seems to track better. Clearly this could be just down to me wanting it to be better since I've spend a decent chunk of cash on it, but I'm pretty happy with the outcome.
I also found some nail polish for the frame chips which sort of matches, and made a heel scuff protector out of carbon contact and helicopter tape.