YT DECOY CF PRO RACE

Can YT KO the competition as they step into the e-bike ring?

YT Industries are a little late arriving at the e-bike table, but that’s because the Decoy has been in development for two-and-a-half years. It’s aimed at riders with a penchant for gravityassisted thrills – a strategy the German direct-sale brand have followed with their non-e bikes too.

The frame

The Decoy’s full-carbon frame features an unmistakably ‘YT’ silhouette, based on the Capra, their aggressive enduro/park bike. They’ve made the tubes chunky to stop the large-diameter down tube – which accommodates the battery – from looking out of place. The brand’s Virtual 4 Link four-bar linkage suspension layout delivers 165mm of rear travel. YT have reduced the anti-squat by around 30 per cent compared to the Capra, which gives the Decoy a more ‘chainless’ feel. On a regular bike, this would mean more pedal bob, but they reckon the assistance of the motor helps counteract this.

There are five sizes to choose from, with reach measurements from 415mm to 495mm, increasing in 20mm increments. The bottom bracket sits a corner-railing 340mm o the ground, and the 65-degree head angle is stable without being too much of a handful on flatter or uphill trails (with the geometry flipchip in the ‘low’ setting). This is one of a number of new e-bikes to use a motocross-style wheel set-up, with a 29in wheel and narrower (2.4in) tyre up front for improved precision and a 650b wheel and wider (2.8in) tyre out back for extra grip.

The kit

As you’d expect of a bike at this price – especially one sold direct, rather than via a distributor and shop – the equipment is all top-notch. There’s Factory-series Fox suspension front and rear, including an e-specific 36 fork. E*thirteen provide their e*spec carbon wheels and all-steel 11-speed cassette. SRAM Code RSC brakes let you drop the anchors, and a Renthal cockpit keeps the bike under control.

This model comes with Shimano’s XT Di2 electronic gearset, powered by the bike’s battery. Shimano also provide the STEPS E8000 motor, paired with their subtler E7000 display to keep the cockpit neat. YT have developed their own battery, which has a solid 540Wh capacity.

The ride

YT have made a top descender. At 22.8kg (large) and with that 29in front wheel, it carries considerable speed over rough ground, where the reduced anti-squat keeps it composed. That said, the high front end (due to the 30mm-rise bar, tall headset cap and big wheel) does combine with the low BB to make it a little challenging to weight the wheel in flatter, slower corners, which makes the bike prone to understeer and tough to lean over. On the other hand, it gives excellent stability on steeper and rougher terrain.

The Shimano motor has plenty of power. There’s a small delay between pressing on the pedals and the assistance kicking in, but otherwise, it gives a very natural ride feel when you’re winching back up. Size- and geometry-wise, the Decoy feels well-balanced, and it’s a comfy bike to ride. All of which makes you think YT are on to something – after all, if you have the extra assistance, why wouldn’t you take advantage of enduro-bike travel and geometry? www.yt-industries.com A thrill-seeker’s e-bike that rewards hard-charging on the descents and then rushes you back to the top so you can do it again