At YT, people like to shoot their mouth off. But you can do that too, provided you deliver - and that's what the Franconians have done so far. Each of their projects has been successful. Even their bragging statement: "Our big bike can win Downhill World Cups!" was no boast. At the time, they didn't even have a World Cup rider under contract. Gwin signed up, bike tuned - bam: won! YT took their time with their first e-bike, but designer Stefan Willared was always confident, saying things like: "It's going to be a blast!" and: "Even a Specialized Levo can't scare us." We were therefore not surprised when the Franconian direct mail order company presented a stylish, downhill-orientated E-Enduro that can keep up with the best competitors on the market. We had expected it!
What a relief! Instead of almost throwing up in skidding serpentines, sweating shoulder to shoulder on the shuttle bus or long, drawn-out gondolas, we crank up steep but relaxed climbs - a rare scenario for a gravity bike tester; Shimano's E8000 motor makes it possible. We ride the YT Decoy for the first time on the mountainous coastal slopes of the Côte d'Azur. Decoy means decoy in English. Apparently, YT wants to lure the gravity clientele into the e-age with the Decoy. Stefan Willared and his development team have done a lot to achieve this.
Instead of putting a motor in the bottom bracket and flanging the battery onto the down tube, Willared styled the bike like a supermodel. YT developed its own replacement battery to make the carbon fibre frame particularly rigid and to fit the battery low and wobble-free into the down tube. The battery delivers 540 watt hours. A battery with 700 watt hours will be available in the autumn, giving the bike an extra-long range. Striking: The Decoy fits perfectly into the YT fleet. The same harmonious frame shape with that certain robust, masculine touch as the Capra and Tues organic bikes. What the look conveys is confirmed by the data: The Decoy is not stingy with suspension travel - 160 millimetres at the front, 165 at the rear from the potent high-end suspension from Fox, plus a downhill-oriented geometry with a 65 steering angle. This turns the Decoy into a speed-hungry enduro bike. Yes, even more: a freerider. Experience has shown that the massive weight with a low centre of gravity and the thick tyres increase the downhill qualities of a bike.
YT relies on mixed wheels like motocross bikes: big at the front, small at the back.
The large front wheel provides an extra dose of confidence on wild terrain, steering more precisely and guiding better. At the rear: 27.5-inch wheels with wide 2.8-inch tyres with good grip to get the watts to the ground without loss. The other features of the top model for € 6600 are also classy: carbon wheels, Shimano's XT ID2 electric drivetrain, the powerful Sram Code RSC braking system, etc. - there's nothing to complain about. This is where the direct mail order company plays its trump card, because even for this price you have to compromise on dealer bikes, not to mention the cheaper models. The entry-level model of the Decoy - sensible and solidly equipped - is already available for € 4600, albeit with an aluminium rear end.
But enough of the prelude! Now to the crucial question: How does the car drive?
The answer: confident, safe, precise steering, forgiving, easy, fun and very quiet. Quiet when the engine is not working. Nothing rattles, nothing vibrates - that's how it should be! The YT team seem to have paid particular attention to this. The cables have been internally routed, well secured and any rattling has been killed off with rubber buffers - very good. Uphill, on the other hand, there are noises: the Shimano motor whines quietly to itself. Too bad. The Brose drive unit on the Specialized Levo (which we've been testing long-term and is currently a benchmark among e-mountainbikes) manages this better. The wheel mix of large at the front and smaller at the rear works very well - copied from motocross and propagated by kinematics visionaries years ago. The large front wheel rolls over better, generates smoothness and safety, while the smaller rear wheel gives the bike liveliness, is easier to set up for the manual, scandinavian-flicks through turns and - very pleasantly - doesn't grate your bum on steep steps.
We also give the green light uphill. The smart trail mode in particular is good at dosing the motor support - we rarely switched to the strong boost level. Our impression: YT has succeeded in giving the Decoy a very wide range of use, from trail to downhill. The geo is modern, but not overly stretched. At 1.79 metres tall, we rode a large with a moderate reach (455 mm). If you want a more lively ride, you can also go for a medium. It quickly became clear that the Decoy with its more powerful travel is superior to the Specialized Levo on rough terrain. However, we can't yet say whether it can outperform the Levo on moderate trails. A direct comparison test will have to show that soon.
STRENGTHS Confident downhill, price-performance, looks and equipment
WEAKNESSES Motor clearly audible
CONCLUSION from test manager Dimitri Lehner:
"The Decoy is a true freerider: agile enough for jumps and gimmicks, yet easy to ride and confident, even on nasty downhills like Loic Bruni's rock-strewn training track near Nice. I was impressed by how quietly the Decoy rides - downhill. That's because the current Shimano motor silently seethes on the climbs. This annoyed me and exposed me as an e-biker, which the Decoy's sleek, chic look masks so well. Great: the feel-good geometry and the price-performance ratio of the direct-to-consumer bike."
YT DECOY CF PRO RACE 29 / 27.5"
MANUFACTURER INFORMATION
Distribution YT Industries, yt-industries.com
Material / Sizes Carbon / S, M,L, XL, XXL
Price / weight without pedals 6499 Euro / 22.4 kg
MEASURED DATA
Front / rear suspension travel 160 mm / 165 mm
Rear suspension system Four-bar linkage
EQUIPMENT
Engine Shimano Steps 8000
Fork / damper Fox 36 Float Factory E / Fox Float X2 Factory
Cranks / gears Shimano XT / Shimano XT Di2
Brake system Sram Code RSC
Impellers eThirteen E-Spec Race system wheelset
Tyres Maxxis Minnion DHF 27.5 inch x 2.5 / Maxxis Minnion DHR 29 inch x 2.8
Reach 455 mm
Stack 629 mm
BB-Drop -22 mm
Dimitri Lehner
Editor
