Carbon versus aluminium, 27.5 inch versus wheel mix, Shimano versus Brosesuper long and slack with plenty of travel against more moderate figures for geometry and suspension. The duel that ultimately characterised our current enduro test was not only a duel between YT Industries and Specialized, direct mail order and specialist retailers, but also a duel of concepts. What they had in common: despite the different approaches, both bikes relied on a coil shock.
Who will build the best Enduro eMTB in 2020?
We asked ourselves precisely this question in EMTB 04/20 and asked seven candidates up to 6000 euros to take part in the test. Cannondale and Cube, Moustache and KTM, Giant, Specialized and YT Indiustries competed. The last two bikes delivered a special duel with an impressive downhill performance. We tested the brand new Decoy Shred from YT, while the Kenevo Comp rolled onto the trails for Specialized. It's noticeable that both bikes fall short of the competition in terms of reach: With the 500 watt-hour battery in the Specialized Kenevo Comp and the powerful Brose drive, our range test (highest support level, 85 kilo rider weight, 130 watt pedalling power) only covered just over 1100 metres in altitude. The YT with a 540 battery and E8000 drive climbs 1267 metres in altitude. The Bosch-The Giant with its long range, Yamaha drive and optional range extender could hardly refrain from laughing.
Specialised in front weight
After the range test, the second surprise came on the scales. Despite its aluminium frame, coil shock and 180 millimetres of travel, the Specialized is the lightest bike in the entire test field. The Kenevo only weighs 22.9 kilograms on the trail, and despite some carbon frames among the competition, no-one can keep up. Not the Bosch bikes, not even the YT, which at 24.5 kilograms is over 1.5 kilograms heavier - despite the carbon main frame.
The reason: Specialized relies on its special design with a closed down tube - a design advantage, even with an aluminium frame. The small battery is also the lightest in the test field. It saves a good 400 grams compared to a Bosch Powertube 625, while the in-house YT battery with 540 watt hours is over 500 grams heavier than the Specialized battery. The "small" 27.5 inch wheels of the Kenevo also save pounds. In addition to the Kenevo, the Cube and Giant also roll on 27.5-inch wheels. Especially in comparison with the YT, which only has a large 29-inch front wheel, the weight advantage of this measure should remain manageable.
Geometry: Long and super-flat versus moderate
It's amazing how flat the Kenevo has become. The 180 millimetre Marzocchi Z1 is set at an angle of 63.5 degrees. Together with a huge 490 mm reach (size S4) and 452 mm chainstays, the Kenevo has a wheelbase of 1305 millimetres. Even on the downhill, that would have been too extreme a few years ago. The seat angle of the bike, on the other hand, is super steep at 77 degrees.
Will this still work in practice on tighter trails? The data of the YT Decoy Shred (size L) sounds much more moderate: 65 degree head angle, 76 degree seat angle, a 456 rake and 440 chainstays are modern, but in no way extreme. The slightly reduced suspension travel of 170/165 millimetres compared to the Kenevo could also benefit the YT in terms of riding fun and playfulness.
Equipment: Fox and XT twelve-speed against Marzocchi and NX eleven-speed
The mail-order bike is also better equipped. The suspension comes from the Fox Performance line instead of Marzocchi, Shimano's twelve-speed XT provides the propulsion, while the Specialized has to make do with an eleven-speed NX drivetrain. However, the riding characteristics are decisive for the test victory. Who is the better climber? Which bike takes the sting out of nasty steep descents, drops and jumps? And which candidate is the most fun to ride? We only want to reveal this much: In the end, it was really close.
You can read in detail about which of the seven candidates ultimately won the test and how the competition fared in the big enduro comparison test in EMTB 04/2020 - available from 18 August at newsagents and in the Digital edition.
All candidates in the test
- Cannondale Moterra Neo 2, 5999 Euro, 160/160 mm, 29 inch
- Cube Stereo Hybrid 160 HPC, 5999 Euro, 170/160 mm, 27.5 inch
- Giant Reign E+1 Pro, 5555 Euro, 170/160 mm, 27.5 inch
- KTM Macina Prowler Master, 5999 Euro, 180/170 mm, MX wheel mix
- Moustache Samedi 29 Game 6, 5599 Euro, 160 mm, 29 inch
- Specialized Kenevo Comp, 5499 Euro, 180 mm, 27.5 inch
- YT Industries Decoy Shred, 5999 Euro, 170/165 mm, MX wheel mix
Adrian Kaether
Editor
