Does this bike give you supernatural powers? With the new DECOY SN (SuperNatural), YT have unveiled their very first light e-mountainbike, which features a FAZUA Ride 60 motor system and generates 170/160 mm of travel. The flagship model we tested retails at just € 8,499 and weighs over 20 kg. But does YTs new not-very-light light ebike feel supernatural? We’ve tested one to find out.
German direct-to-consumer brand YT hasn’t shown much interest in the ebike segment so far. Despite a recent battery update, their only ebike, the Shimano EP801-powered YT DECOY, is starting to look a bit dated – it was released in 2021 after all. But if you thought that YT’s engineers have been sleeping since, you would be wrong. On the contrary, the German bike manufacturer has recently launched two new bikes in quick succession: your best friend, the new YT JEFFSY, and an updated version of their downhill rig, the YT TUES, trusted steed of riders like Vali Höll, amongst others. Our friends at sister magazine ENDURO have already tested both bikes
With the new YT DECOY SN, the boys and girls at Young Talent present their first light e-mountainbike. However, despite the compact FAZUA drive and small 430 Wh battery, it’s not the lightest bike out there, tipping the scales at just over 20 kg. However, this is partly due to the generous suspension travel, with 170 mm at the front and 160 mm at the rear. The mullet wheel setup and beefy coil shock make the bike’s intentions clear: it’s aiming for the downhill-orientated CORE MTB scene. We’ve already been able to test the bike in direct comparison with the hottest light e-mountainbikes. But on with the individual test and the original question: did the € 8,499 DECOY SN give us superpowers? But back to the original question: did the € 8,499 DECOY SN give us superpowers?
The 2024 YT DECOY SN in detail – Super natural, or naturally superb?
The new YT DECOY SN features a harmonious look with a slim frame silhouette and two-tone paint finish in dark blue and matt gold, matching the FOX Factory suspension. The cables are routed internally and disappear into the frame through cable ports. YT improved the system and finally secured the cables to the ports, preventing them from rattling. The generously sized chainstay protector also covers the bottom of the chainstay, preventing chain slap and paint chips.
The FAZUA Ride 60 motor is integrated seamlessly into the frame. The charging port sits on the side of the bottom bracket and relies on a magnetic cover, which reliably seals off the connection. The 430 Wh battery is permanently integrated into the frame, meaning that it can’t be removed for external charging if you don’t have a garage or basement with a plug socket. The ring remote on the left-hand side of the handlebars allows you to turn the bike on and off, switch between riding modes and activate walk assist. It’s a shame that the ring remote feels so flimsy, offering poor haptic feedback. The display in the top tube looks cheap too, and only consists of 5 LEDs, thus providing poor readability in direct sunlight.
There’s enough room on the down tube for a bottle cage, which can be accessed from either side, and there’s also a tool mount on the underside of the top tube – awesome! Having more mounting options on an ebike is almost impossible.
The spec of our 2024 YT DECOY SN MX CORE 4 CF test bike – One with everything, and make it extra hot!
For this review, we tested the YT DECOY SN MX CORE 4 CF flagship model. It comes with a top-tier spec that ensures a wide range of adjustability, starting with the FOX Factory suspension. This consists of a FOX 38 fork with the new GRIP X2 damper, which generates a generous 170 mm of travel. This can be finely tuned to suit your needs and riding style with its adjustable low and high speed dials on both the rebound and compression circuits. Compared to its Factory GRIP2 predecessor, it sits higher in its travel, but still responds extremely sensitively. The FOX DHX2 shock swaps the fancy Kashima coating for a steel spring, but offers the same wide range of adjustment options as the fork. To make up for the additional weight of a coil shock, YT opted for the lightweight black FOX SLS spring, which relies on a special manufacturing process and fewer coils to reduce the weight to less than that of a titanium spring!
For the dropper post, YT rely on their in-house Postman dropper, which offers a whopping 200 mm of travel and butter-smooth operation. That’s a nice touch given that long-travel dropper posts are still the exception with ebikes rather than the norm. Shifting is taken care of by an electronic SRAM GX Eagle Transmission drivetrain, which ensures smooth shifting even under full load. The drivetrain is complemented by a pair of extra-short, 160 mm e*thirteen Helix Race cranks, which ensure excellent ground clearance. The golden finish perfectly matches the frame and fork.
The SRAM Maven Silver brakes provide supernatural deceleration, delivering plenty of braking torque in combination with the massive 220 mm rotor at the front – it’s no coincidence that they almost secured the victory in our 2024 brake comparison test. Once you get used to the potent bite, you’ll be able to enjoy the low effort required at the lever. The big front rotor is paired with a 200 mm disc at the rear. The Silver version of the Maven is effectively the same as the top Ultimate model, but without the titanium bolts and carbon levers. The Crankbrothers Synthesis alloy rims are laced onto Industry Nine hubs front and rear, paired with an excellent Continental tire combo – two Kryptotals in the robust Enduro casing, with the softest Super Soft rubber compound at the front – a perfect match for the bike’s intended use. The DECOY SN tips the scales at 21 kg and costs € 8,499.
YT DECOY SN CORE 4
€ 8,499
Specifications
Motor FAZUA Ride 60 60 Nm
Battery FAZUA Energy 430 Wh
Display FAZUA LED Hub
Fork FOX 38 Factory GRIP X2 170 mm
Rear Shock FOX DHX2 160 mm
Seatpost Postman 200 mm
Brakes SRAM MAVEN Silver 220/200 mm
Drivetrain SRAM GX AXS Eagle Transmission 1x12
Stem Renthal Apex 35 35 mm
Handlebar Renthal Fatbar 35 800 mm
Wheelset Crankbrothers Synthesis E-Bike Alloy 29"/27,5"
Tires Continental Kryptotal FR Enduro Super-Soft, Continental Kryptotal RE Enduro Soft 2,4°
Technical Data
Size S M L XL XXL
Weight 21 kg
Perm. total weight 130 kg
Max. payload (rider/equipment) 109 kg
Trailer approval nein
Kickstand mount nein
Specific Features
Tool Mount
More spec variants of the 2024 YT DECOY SN
Alongside the CORE 4 model we tested, there are also two cheaper variants of the YT DECOY SN, the CORE 2 and 3. What’s really unusual: the cheaper the spec, the lighter the bike, albeit only slightly. Most likely this is due to the heavier coil shock and electronic drivetrain found on the flagship model.
A particularly clever detail is that YT rely on the same Continental tire combination across the entire model range, using a Kryptotal with robust Enduro casing on both wheels, and with the softest Super Soft rubber compound at the front. In addition, all models come equipped with a long-travel Postman dropper: travel is 150 mm in size S, 170 mm in size M, 200 mm in L and XL and 230 mm in the biggest XXL frame. Moreover, each spec variant comes in its own specific paint finish, as well as in plain black (which is absolutely gorgeous, by the way!).
The DECOY SN MX CORE 3 CF model comes equipped with RockShox suspension consisting of a ZEB Ultimate fork and VIVID Ultimate shock, both of which offer a wide range of adjustments and tremendous trail performance. With its oversized air chamber, the Vivid shock is designed to offer coil-like small bump sensitivity. Shifting is taken care of by SRAM’s new electronic S1000 Transmission drivetrain, which relies on a direct-mount rear derailleur and is only available as an OEM component. The drivetrain is based largely on the GX drivetrain, but is slightly cheaper – which is mainly due to the cassette. TRP DH-R Evo brakes are combined with a 220 mm rotor at the front and 200 mm disc at the rear. The fact that many YT MOB riders use TRP brakes should be a good sign. The cockpit consists of components from Title, a brand founded by slopestyle pro rider Brett Rheeder. Tipping the scales at 20.5 kg, the CORE 3 is 500 g lighter than the flagship model – and also costs € 1,000 less. Retailing at € 7,499, it strikes a tremendous price-performance ratio, which makes it our top spec tip.
The YT DECOY SN MX CORE 2 CF relies on a robust spec without too many frills, and limited adjustment options. The RockShox ZEB Select fork employs the old Charger RC 2.1 damper, which only lets you adjust the compression and rebound. At the rear, the Base variant of the RockShox Vivid Air shock only lets you alter the rebound. Shifting is taken care of by a robust Shimano SLX drivetrain, while TRP DH-R Evo brakes do stopping duties together with 220/200 mm rotors – the same setup as the CORE 3 model! The bike weighs just 20.4 kg and retails at an attractive € 6,499.
The geometry of the new 2024 YT DECOY SN
The new YT DECOY SN is a mullet bike with a 29” wheel at the front and 27.5” wheel at the rear. With five sizes to choose from, S to XXL, there should be a suitable DECOY for most riders. Unlike most of YT’s older models, which had a very short reach across all sizes, the DECOY SN has 475 mm reach in size L, which is pretty standard for a modern trail eMTB. Reach values increase in 20 mm intervals between sizes from 432 mm to 512 mm. The slack 63.9° head angle is paired with a modern 78.2° seat tube angle, which should ensure excellent pedalling efficiency. A flip chip allows you to steepen up the head angle by 0.3° and the seat angle by 0.2°. Chainstay length is 442 mm across the board.
Size | S | M | L | XL | XXL |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Top tube | 565 mm | 587 mm | 609 mm | 631 mm | 653 mm |
Seat tube | 390 mm | 400 mm | 420 mm | 440 mm | 460 mm |
Head tube | 100 mm | 108 mm | 116 mm | 124 mm | 132 mm |
Head angle | 63,9° | 63,9° | 63,9° | 63,9° | 63,9° |
Seat angle | 78,2° | 78,1° | 78,1° | 78,0° | 78,0° |
Chainstay | 443 mm | 443 mm | 443 mm | 443 mm | 443 mm |
BB Drop | 340 mm | 340 mm | 340 mm | 340 mm | 340 mm |
Wheelbase | 1.217 mm | 1.241 mm | 1.264 mm | 1.288 mm | 1.311 mm |
Reach | 432 mm | 452 mm | 472 mm | 492 mm | 512 mm |
Stack | 635 mm | 643 mm | 650 mm | 657 mm | 664 mm |
The 2024 YT DECOY SN on the trail – how does YT new light eMTB fare on the trail?
Swinging your leg over the saddle, the YT DECOY SN feels spacious, placing you in an upright pedalling position which is neither too cramped nor too sporty. The FAZUA Ride 60 provides powerful assistance but is pleasantly natural, offering plenty of propulsion and allowing you to make good progress on fire roads together with the efficient rear suspension. On steeper climbs, the suspension remains neutral despite the coil shock, encouraging you to make your way to the trailhead on more demanding, technical climbs. Of course, the weaker 60 Nm motor requires more physical effort than one of the full-power ebike drives. However, on steeper climbs, you’ll have to actively weight the front wheel to keep it tracking.
You’re on fire, bro! – Thanks mate, but keep active! – Conversation between two YT DECOY SN
In terms of reliability, the FAZUA motor system has often had problems in the past. Although this has improved significantly since the last software update, we personally wouldn’t recommend the system.
When gravity takes over, the DECOY SN feels reassuringly familiar. The central, integrated riding position makes you feel one with the bike and inspires tons of confidence after just a few berms. The suspension feels composed and strikes an excellent balance between sensitivity and support, generating huge amounts of traction over small bumps, while filtering out bigger impacts without batting an eyelid. Together with the tires, this ensures huge amounts of traction even on damp root carpets. Despite the sensitivity, the suspension provides tons of support and reserves, providing excellent feedback from the ground and bailing you out with botched landings. At the same time, the YT DECOY SN is refreshingly nimble, encouraging you to pop off natural kickers and allowing you to play with the trail. The agile character also makes it easy to negotiate tight trail sections and hairpin switchbacks, almost making you forget about the high system weight. Does this affect the bike’s composure? Not at all. The DECOY SN also performs incredibly well on rough straights, encouraging you to keep your fingers off the Maven brakes for a few more seconds, regardless of whether you’re a newbie or seasoned trail veteran.
On fast, flowing trails, the progressive suspension allows you to generate speed by pumping through rollers and berms, rewarding active riders with truck-loads of fun and confidence.
Who should take a closer look at the 2024 YT DECOY SN?
The new YT DECOY SN isn’t an ebike for weight weenies! Despite its light FAZUA drive, it’s definitely no lightweight at over 20 kg. The balanced suspension can take a beating and strikes an excellent compromise between nimbleness and composure. This makes it the ideal bike for shredders who want to hit the bike park, even on closing days or when there isn’t a lift in the area. The 430 Wh battery is enough for more than just a short post-work spin.
The new DECOY SN is a fun bike for newbies and experienced riders alike, always providing good traction and control even at slower speeds. At € 8,499, the flagship model comes at a very fair price.
Our conclusions about the 2024 YT DECOY SN
Hats off! The new YT DECOY SN is the best FAZUA-powered eMTB we’ve ridden so far! And with such an alluring price and excellent spec, the German direct-to-consumer brand is clearly ahead of the competition. The DECOY SN (SuperNatural) doesn’t give you superhuman powers, but inspires tons of confidence with its predictable handling. The only downside is the FAZUA motor system, which can be prone to problems. Despite the relatively high system weight, the DECOY SN is nimble and light-footed – YT prove that good weight distribution is more important than the number on the scale!
Tops
- Excellent handling
- Strikes an excellent balance between agility and composure
- Inspires huge amounts of confidence
- Fair price
Flops
- Heavy system weight given the light-assistance motor system
- FAZUA motor system can be prone to problems
For more info, visit yt-industries.com
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Words: Julian Schwede Photos: Mike Hunger