The direct-to-consumer company YT took five years to let the second "decoy" out of the nest. A long time, considering the turmoil in the electric bike scene. In 2019, the Forchheim-based company presented its first Decoy, a full E-MTB with a stylish carbon chassis that has repeatedly achieved very good test scores over the yearswith a large battery, but also weighed quite a bit (around 24 kilos ready to ride) - just like many full-assist bikes.
The opinions of e-fans differ when it comes to weight. One faction, driven by battery anxiety and the desire to "pace" up the mountain at full throttle, says: more is more, screw the weight! The other faction, on the other hand, wants the playful handling of an organic bike for bunny hops, off-road jumps and tricky trials. In other words, situations where the bike needs to be lifted onto rocks with physical effort or swivelled precisely through hairpin bends. This is only possible with slimmed-down e-bikes, so-called light bikes. Specialized set the benchmark years ago with the Levo SL. This e-bike really does ride like an organic bike, but has to make tough compromises in terms of motor power, battery capacity (320 Wh) and suspension travel, otherwise a weight of 17.4 kilos in the top version (S-Works) would not be possible.
It comes as no surprise that the freeride-loving label YT wants both: more playfulness and easy handling on the trail, but little loss of power and suspension travel. The result: the Decoy SN. SN stands for Supernatural, because the marketing pros (and that's the YT guys!) want to use the abbreviation to signal to the competition: Our bike is not only the best E-Enduro in its category, but (in the words of YT): "the best Enduro on the market"; motor or no motor. To achieve this, the Franconians have equipped the Decoy SN with plenty of suspension travel: 170 millimetres at the front, 160 at the rear.
YT Decoy 2019 vs. 2024
At first glance, the YT Decoy SN resembles the original Decoy. That's a good thing, because why do something different when it works, looks stylish and has proven itself. YT has opted for the Fazua Ride 60 as the drive unit, which performs excellently in comparative tests. It works very quietly, so you can hardly hear it, but it puts more speed on the chain and generates more range than the lightweight motors from TQ, Bosch or Specialised, for example. Fans of quiet bikes (aren't we all fans of quiet bikes?) will be delighted with the YT Decoy SN anyway, because it doesn't rattle or clatter - whether with motor assistance or downhill without. The battery, elegantly and permanently installed in the down tube of the full-carbon bike, delivers 430 Wh. That's enough juice for a decent lengthening of the journey.
However, the YT Decoy SN can't keep up with a full E-MTB. It's kind of logical, but you quickly forget that with the full power that the motor unleashes. On tours together with full-assist bikes, the Decoy SN's LEDs went out so quickly on the hunt for metres in altitude that we were gripped by battery paranoia. But it's not so bad when the juice runs out and the motor goes on strike, because the YT E-Enduro is surprisingly easy to pedal, even without a motor boost. YT offers three models of the Decoy SN. Starting with the Core 2 for € 6499, which is the lightest at 20.4 kilos.
How the YT Decoy SN MX Core 4 CF rides
It's not that easy to lure the Decoy out of its reserve. It's like our footballers. Scotland, Hungary, Switzerland - all easy, no, it takes the Spaniards to push our national footballers to the limit. In our case, Spain means Saalbach-Hinterglemm. To challenge the Decoy, we tore through the Alpine trails in Tyrol, because they were steep, narrow, rooty and - no offence - sometimes blunt: drops with too shallow a landing, gaps with no landing or one that you can't hit. Very good! Because this is where the Decoy can show what it's made of. The Forchheim team also managed to implement their typical feel-good geo on the Decoy SN. You get on the bike and are immediately satisfied with everything. The dimensions fit, the Renthal cockpit with short stem feels good, the seat post can be sunk deep into the short seat tube for plenty of freedom of movement, the brute braking system (Sram Maven) with 220 mm discs at the front grips in all positions and the Conti tyres generate grip that isn't actually there - top! The Decoy SN weighs just under 21 kilos with pedals. That's not light, it's not heavy, it's close to the limit.
Heavier and the "tank feeling" sets in, that unpleasant feeling in steep terrain when the bike "pushes" and threatens to slide over the embankment after jumps, so that you are constantly hanging on the brakes - not cool! With the Decoy SN, this is not noticeable. It bends calmly into the vertical, steers precisely and remains controlled, even in the nasty key sections of the Bergstadl trail - very good. We have often experienced that an e-bike of this calibre really comes up trumps on downhill tracks and park trails and are always surprised. The Decoy SN is no exception. It doesn't even have to hide from a big bike, because the mix of full suspension and low centre of gravity gives the bike a "can do" attitude. It bulldozes through root carpets where an organic bike would buck and bounce like a Texas Mustang at a rodeo. Drops and jumps: no problem! The Decoy SN's descending qualities are astonishing. You can even turn and have fun on Leogang's World Cup track. Downhill? Check! Uphill? The Decoy is a quiet bike - we like that. Not only downhill, but also uphill. The Fazua motor is barely audible and delivers enough torque. For short-term superpower, you can push the rotary knob forwards to master tricky sections. The steep seat angle pushes the rider forwards for more downforce. The downside: you have to be economical with the battery.
Conclusion on the new YT Decoy SN
We liked the full-E-MTB Decoy straight away and that's how we felt about the further development, the Decoy SN. We were surprised by its manoeuvrability and impressed by its downhill performance. However, we can't yet say whether the e-bike is the best enduro bike on the market, as the manufacturer promises. That remains to be seen in our larger comparative tests.
Models and prices
There are three versions of the carbon E-Enduro YT Decoy SN. SN stands for Supernatural - the manufacturer wants to emphasise the bike's claim.
Dimitri Lehner
Editor
