Test / E-MTB: With the Yeti MTe, the cult US manufacturer presents only its second e-mountain bike in the company's history. As an all-terrain all-rounder with a new TQ HPR 60 drive and a weight starting at approximately 17,5 kg, it aims to blur the lines between regular mountain bikes and e-mountain bikes. Will it succeed?
The Yeti DNA: Sporty, Innovative, Exclusive – A bike for connoisseurs
Yeti Cycles – a name that has always stood for innovative and performance-oriented bikes among mountain bike enthusiasts. The brand has earned a reputation for high-quality, often very expensive, and sophisticated bikes that often break new ground, especially in rear suspension systems. Dozens of victories by professional teams across all disciplines underscore the brand's sporting ambition. This performance-oriented identity also characterizes the new MTe. It's clearly not a bike for the masses, but rather aimed at riders who are looking for something special and are willing to dig deeper into their pockets for it.
The Yeti MTE: An all-rounder without a drawer? Key data
Interestingly, Yeti doesn't categorize the MTE. With 160 mm of travel at the front and 145 mm at the rear, it sits somewhere between a trail bike and an enduro. Honestly, it doesn't matter. The exact classification also depends somewhat on the chosen spec. The MTe comes standard with 29-inch wheels at the front and rear. But beware: Thanks to a flip chip, the bike can easily be converted to a mullet setup with a smaller rear wheel without changing the geometry or having to accept any compromises.
The frame, unsurprisingly for a premium manufacturer like Yeti, is made entirely of carbon, both the main frame and the rear triangle. The top-of-the-line model in frame size L is pleasingly light at 17,7 kilograms—although that's with the smaller 290-watt-hour battery.
Drive: The new TQ-HPR60 – More than just a side note
At the heart of the Yeti MTe beats the new TQ-HPR 60 motor. This lightweight motor is a further development of the well-known HPR 50 and has been improved in many ways without changing its fundamental DNA. It delivers a maximum torque of 60 Newton meters and a maximum power of 350 watts – that's 10 Nm and 50 watts more than its predecessor.
Much more important than the bare numbers, however, is the riding experience. And this is where the TQ shows its strengths: It is known for its extremely quiet operation – in most situations, it is simply unnoticeable. The assistance comes on wonderfully subtly and naturally. This makes the MTe feel more like you've had a damn good day on a normal mountain bike, rather than like a classic e-bike pushing you up a hill. This difference to many other light-assist motors, and even more so to their full-power counterparts, is striking. According to TQ, thermal stability has also been improved; the motor is supposed to throttle back later. In the test, it was barely lukewarm after climbing almost 800 meters in one go.
Battery system: Flexible and amazingly well thought out
Depending on the model variant of the Yeti MTe, different battery sizes are used. Our test model, the top-of-the-line T4, is equipped with a lightweight 290-watt-hour battery that weighs less than 1.500 grams. The other two models, the C2 and C3, feature a larger 580-watt-hour battery, which provides significantly more range. All models can be optionally equipped with a range extender, which provides an additional 160 watt-hours of capacity and is super compact at under one kilogram.
The battery is, we would call it, semi-permanently installed in the down tube. It can be removed in about a minute using three screws on a flap and two more screws on the battery itself – practical for charging off the bike or for transport. The batteries are interchangeable between models.
The range extender's management is particularly clever. If you plug it in while riding, the system discharges the range extender first, leaving the internal battery untouched. The new color display in the top tube shows both battery levels separately. When charging via the charging port on the range extender (the internal charging port is occupied in this case), the internal battery is charged first, followed by the range extender. This is extremely user-friendly and suitable for everyday use. There's a practical Fidlock option for attaching the range extender, which is rock solid, but unfortunately rattled a bit during testing.
And the altitude? In our test, with a rider weight of around 84 kg, we managed almost exactly 290 meters of elevation gain with the 200 Wh battery and medium assistance (approximately 200 watts of motor power and 1000 watts of rider power). With the 580 Wh battery, under these conditions, we would have been able to reach around 2000 meters of elevation gain.
Frame details: A work of art with lasting qualities
The Yeti MTe's carbon frame is not only lightweight, but also a feast for the eyes and a masterpiece of craftsmanship. The paintwork and attention to detail are unparalleled. Every edge, every bearing seat, is painted immaculately. Even small details like black-painted threaded eyelets for bottle cages or a small print on the inside of the service hatch testify to the high standards. Of course, the bike is also available in Yeti's signature turquoise.
A centerpiece is the so-called Sixfinity rear triangle, which is visually striking thanks to its additional strut. This system boasts a relatively high anti-squat value for an e-MTB, which, combined with the restrained TQ motor, ensures excellent pedaling efficiency – even when riding with little or no motor power. A truly exciting feature: a flip-chip on the shock mount allows the progression of the rear triangle to be noticeably adjusted between 12 and 25 percent. This isn't just a marketing gimmick; it makes a significant difference and allows you to customize the bike's character: from poppy and playful to more substantial for rough and tumble riding.
The frame protection is well-designed at most critical points, especially at the rear triangle, where various rubber or plastic protectors prevent damage and rattling noises. The down tube features a special Vectran layer (similar to Kevlar) between the carbon layers, making it particularly robust against stone chips. An additional external paint protection sticker on the down tube would have been the icing on the cake, though.
Thumbs up for the cable routing! This is exemplary, running through the head tube area rather than through the headset—a blessing for any mechanic. The cables are neatly clamped and routed internally, with easy access via the battery service hatch. The TQ remote cable runs internally through Yeti's stylish handlebar. This looks super clean, but is naturally a bit more fiddly when it comes to servicing.
Equipment variants and prices: Exclusivity has its price
Yeti bundles the MTe package into three basic variants: the C2, the T3, and the T4 model we tested. Prices are, as is typical for Yeti, at the top end. The entry-level C2 model starts at €9.700, while our test bike, the T4, costs a hefty €13.900, making a significant dent in your wallet.
C2 (€9.700): Comes with a mechanical SRAM Eagle 90 transmission, Fox Performance suspension, DT Swiss E1900 wheels, and SRAM Maven Bronze brakes. This model is equipped with the larger 580 Wh battery and weighs just over 20 kg.
T3 (12.500 euros): This bike already offers top-of-the-line specs with Fox Factory suspension (36 Grip X2 fork), DT Swiss EXC 1700 carbon wheels, SRAM XO Eagle electronic transmission, and SRAM Maven Silver brakes. It weighs approximately 19,7 kg, also with the large battery.
T4 (13.900 euros): Our test bike and the lightweight model in the range, featuring the smaller 290 Wh battery. It boasts DT Swiss EXC 1501 carbon wheels, SRAM XX Eagle transmission, a Fox 36 Factory fork with the slightly stiffer Grip X cartridge, and lighter SRAM Level Ultimate brakes.
| frame | Yeti MTe Carbon |
| suspension fork | Fox 36 Factory GripX |
| Drive | TQ HPR 60 |
| Rechargeable battery | 290 Wh |
| Suspension shocks | Fox Float Factory |
| Wheels | DT Swiss EXC 1501 |
| Tire VR | Maxxis Minion DHF Exo |
| Tire HR | Maxxis Minion DHRII Exo |
| derailleur | Sram XX Eagle T Type |
| Gear levers | Sram AXS Pod |
| Crank | Sram XX Eagle |
| Front derailleur | Without |
| Brake | Sram Motive Ultimate |
| Brake discs | Sram HS2 200/180 |
| Seat post | Sram Reverb AXS |
| Saddle | WTB Solano SL Titanium |
| Stem | Burgtec Enduro MK3 |
| Links | Yeti Carbon E-Routing |
All models come with the stylish SRAM Reverb AXS dropper post. The different specs of the C2/T3 models compared to the T4 are aimed at slightly different areas of use: The C2 and T3 tend to be more robust and designed for greater range, while the T4 clearly focuses on low weight and more agile trail bike handling.
Riding impressions: The Yeti MTE in practice – more mountain bike than e-bike?
As already mentioned, the Yeti MTe simply feels different than most e-MTBs out there. You definitely have to pedal harder, it's not as fast as with powerful e-MTBs, and technical climbs become a real challenge for your strength and technique once you get to a certain gradient. If you're looking for an e-bike that can effortlessly conquer any summit, this isn't the right choice for you.
Instead, the MTe with the TQ-HPR60 delivers that unique feeling of having an exceptionally good day on a non-motorized bike. The assistance is wonderfully subtle, the motor whisper-quiet, and the overall riding experience is strikingly reminiscent of pure mountain biking. We mostly rode at the medium assistance level and simply enjoyed the quietness and natural riding feel.
On the trail? The MTe is a real blast, behaving more like an agile trail bike than a lumbering enduro. The suspension is on the firm side in both progression settings and offers plenty of pop—perfect for a playful riding style, which is further enhanced by the low weight. We would describe the geometry (480 mm reach, 64° head angle, 77° seat angle, chainstays just under 450 mm in size L) as modern and balanced.
The option to ride the bike as a mullet and experiment with the progression settings gives the Yeti MTe considerable versatility and makes it a bike you can spend a long time on. Despite its lightness, it has amazing resilience, even if it naturally doesn't offer the reserves of a full-fledged enduro bike with more suspension travel on really rough terrain.
The spec on our T4 test bike was mostly top-notch. However, the lightweight Maxxis tires with Exo casing on the rear are, let's say, marginal for the intended travel and the bike's potential on rough terrain. The SRAM Level brakes were okay and sufficiently powerful at around 84 kg, but didn't offer much reserve on longer descents. More powerful brakes, like those installed on the other models, would certainly be a better choice for heavier riders or alpine use. An absolute highlight that can't be emphasized enough is the noise level on the descents: The Yeti MTe is one of the quietest bikes we've ever ridden – you really can't hear anything except the rolling of the tires and the quiet slurping of the suspension fork.
