Test / E-MTB: The YT Decoy, we had a lot of fun with it in the past. We were all the more excited to see how its successor performs. It is called the YT Decoy Super Natural, or YT Decoy SN for short. The bike wants to do a few things differently, it doesn't want to be an e-mountain bike, but an "Electric Enduro". What it's all about, all the information, a first driving impression and a detailed video can be found here.
Is it just marketing blah-blah to call the new Decoy an "Electric Enduro" and add the word "Super Natural" to it? The clear answer is no! YT has apparently decided not to do what everyone else is doing: light E-MTBs with mini weight or full-power E-MTBs with huge batteries. YT wanted to set different priorities and express this clearly in its communication. Both were successful.
The frame of the YT Decoy Super Natural
The YT Decoy SN has a slim ultra-modulus carbon frame, an MX wheel setup (mullet) and a geometry that gives the rider room for ambition. It has been redesigned from the ground up and offers space for a 170 mm fork with a 63,9 degree head angle - for maximum smoothness on the descent - and 442 mm chainstays should ensure sufficient maneuverability. The well-known V4L linkage is designed for maximum grip and has revised kinematics to control the 160 mm travel at the rear. The size range from S to XXL should mean that everyone can find their preferred size. The reach grows from 435 mm to 515 mm, with all options having the same seat angle of 78 degrees - for comfort during longer climbing efforts. The geometry can be optimized with a flip chip. The seat tubes have been chosen for rather short lengths in combination with a long-travel dropper post; This allows riders to choose a size that suits their riding style and not just their height.
The integration of frame and drive unit was important for the design process of the Decoy Super Natural, say the makers; and crucial for the resulting product. The Fazua Ride 60 ecosystem is seamlessly integrated into the frame. It was chosen because of its natural ride feel and the low system weight. You also get a comparatively high torque of 60 Nm and a peak power of 450 W - fed by a permanently integrated 430Wh battery. A massive skid plate is installed under the drive and the main frame has space for both a bottle holder and a mounting option for accessories. This means you can start without a backpack.
The geometry of the YT Decoy Super Natural
What you really need to know: The steering angle is between 63,9 and 64,2 degrees, depending on the setting. The chainstay is 442 to 443 millimeters. The bottom bracket is 344 to 340 millimeters high, which justifies or even makes the shorter cranks necessary. The reach is from 432 to 515 millimeters and the stack is between 633 and 664 millimeters. The seat angle is between 78 and 78,4 degrees - depending on the setting and size - the seat tube length is moderate at 390 to 460 millimeters.
If you want to go into detail, here you can find the detailed geometry data of the YT Decoy SN:
The model variants of the YT Decoy Super Natural
There are a total of three variants that have the same carbon frame in common. Also always with the YT Postman seat post with up to 230mm travel, depending on the frame height. All bikes also always have Continental Kryptotal tires, with the new Super Soft rubber compound on the front. In addition to the signature color for each model, each version is also always available in a visually understated black.
The YT Decoy Core 2 costs 6.499€, weighs 20,6kg and comes with a RockShox ZEB Select suspension fork, a Shimano SLX gear system, TRP brakes and DT-Swiss 1900 wheels.
The YT Decoy Core 3 costs 7.499€, weighs 20,5kg and comes with a RockShox ZEB Ultimate, Sram S1000 transmission, TRP brakes and Crankbrothers Synthesis wheels.
In the test we had the Decoy Super Natural Core 4 for €8.499. A lot of money but also a lot of value! The moderate 20,4 kilograms total weight is distributed between a Fox 38 Factory, a Sram GX Transmission gear system, a Sram Maven brake and Crankbrothers Synthesis wheels.
The top model is also available in black. Black always works!
High-quality equipment and very nice carbon frame
The Decoy SN looks great. The beautiful carbon frame looks very slim despite the electric motor and 430Wh battery. Especially in the bottom bracket area - thanks to the slim design of the Ride 60 Fazua motor - the frame has been designed in such a way that you have to look twice to identify it as an e-bike. In addition, the Fazua Ride 60 with its 430 Wh battery offers a lot of "range reserves" for longer tours, especially compared to other light systems. However, this is also necessary on the YT Decoy SN, because the battery cannot be removed and the announced range extender is not yet available. In terms of performance, you get a maximum of 60 Nm torque and up to 450 W. In our laboratory tests in the past, the Ride 60 has also shown that it is top class in terms of performance.
The battery level and the mode you are in are displayed using the five LEDs on the top tube. There are five modes available: no support, Eco, Standard, Boost and Super Boost, which is active for 20 seconds after activation. The colors of the LEDs show the support level, their number the charge level. No more information is needed. To switch on and off and to switch between modes, there is a rotary knob on the handlebars, which is intuitive to use. Another nice feature is a USB-C port for charging your cell phone, etc., which is hidden under the display. Fazua has often had to deal with failures with other bikes in the past, but we were assured that the problems have been solved. More on that later.
We were able to test the Core 4, which has a Fox chassis. The Fox 38 Float Factory with 170mm travel and Grip X2 damping harmonizes perfectly with the Fox DHX2 Factory, which provides 160mm travel at the rear. The brakes and gears are from Sram. The GX Eagle transmission has proven itself many times and the new Maven Silver brake is a real anchor, just as you would expect from a brake. The wheels are from Crankbrothers, the handlebars and stem from Renthal, the seat post from YT, with 200mm drop for L/XL and even 230mm for XXL, and the crank from e*Thirteen. This is only 160mm long, which is very pleasant, as it gives you ground clearance so you can still pedal on difficult terrain. Thanks to the support of the motor, you don't miss the lever length. The Conti Kryptotal tires in the enduro version round off the package.
And you get all this from YT for a price of €8.499, which we think is more than fair compared to some other manufacturers.
The YT Decoy SN on the trail in the test:
The driving experience is really natural, just like with the "old Decoy". Shooting works, you can keep going, but agility is also clearly present.
If you were to ask 100 mountain bikers about their wish list for an enduro, you would probably find these points: 160-180mm suspension travel, a progressive geometry and an electric drive for uphills that you don't notice. YT seems to have worked through this wish list bit by bit during the development of the Decoy SN and finally packed everything together with a "super natural loop". The Forchheim-based company deliberately did not follow the super light trend that is currently dominating the bike industry, as too many compromises have to be made in terms of performance, range and stability in order to optimize weight. But it is precisely in these three areas that an enduro should shine and that was also the view of the people at YT. We were able to test whether this works for you in Saalbach.
What you immediately notice on the first few meters of ascent is how restrained the Fazua drive is in terms of support. You never get the feeling that the drive is pushing you. This fine control creates the feeling as if the power is coming entirely from your legs, regardless of which mode you are in. This control and power output can be individually adjusted in the app. The seating position is comfortably upright, so even long tours are not hard on your back and arms.
However good the drive was in practice, the Ride 60 in our test bike unfortunately stopped working at some point. We have unfortunately had to experience this a few times with the Fauza unit. However, we were assured that Fazua is addressing these problems and that they will be resolved very soon.
On technical climbs, the short crank helps a lot to avoid contact with the ground, because the bottom bracket height is 344mm in the high position and 340mm in the low position. It is precisely this low bottom bracket position that gives you an absolutely safe feeling when going downhill, because you are standing in the bike. And not only that, thanks to the very balanced and yet lively chassis, you quickly start to play on the trails. It was really surprising how little you notice the 20,5 kg compared to the "organic enduro". The bike rode like a slightly overweight enduro and you had no great difficulty jumping off the bike easily or directly in order to land on a root or edge to build up speed. You keep forgetting that you are even sitting on a bike with a motor. Letting berms really fly or even taking an inside line made it really easy and playful thanks to the mullet, i.e. 29" at the front and 27,5" at the back. You always had a good feeling over bigger jumps on the Decoy SN and the pleasant geometry with a low bottom bracket and the high front quickly invite you to whip out the odd whip.
The Decoy SN felt right at home on rough and technical terrain. The Fox chassis performed flawlessly and the Conti tires were impressive in both wet and dry conditions.
All other components on the bike were absolutely "on point". The Sram Maven brakes delivered controllable and, when necessary, really strong braking power. The GX Eagle transmission has once again shown that it is the benchmark of what is currently available on the market.
And you've already reached the end of the trail and thanks to the electric drive you can go straight back up again...
