Direct-sales Enduro Bikes Review: Canyon Torque Vs YT Capra | MBR

For more than a decade now, Canyon and YT have been locked in a tussle to decide who can supply the world with the best direct-sales bikes. These two internet sensations were responsible for shaking up the industry in the teens, showing the big players how to spec great parts to a bike and still keep the price rock bottom. To have the proverbial baked confectionary and ingest it too.
The Canyon Torque Mullet AL 6 and YT Capra Core 2 GX continue that great tradition, and are even more important today, we’d argue. While top end bikes costing five figures are not uncommon (£20,000 one day soon?), most of us are priced out. It’s to the Germans’ great credit then, that you can still get a great bike for £3,000 - it’s not nothing, but great value it most certainly is.
What you get for that, in this test at least, is a downhill bike you can pedal. With around 170mm travel at both ends, mullet wheels, powerful four-piston brakes and aggressive geometry they’re built for bike park laps, the steepest natural jank, or timed stages against the clock. And to return you to the top with the least pain possible they both employ steep seat tube angles, dropper posts, 12-speed drivetrains and lockout switches on the shocks.
In fact, just how similar the Torque and Capra are is quite extraordinary, until you consider that each is designed with the other in mind. So like an off-road equivalent of Lidl and Aldi, these rival bikes have remarkably similar products gracing the shelves. Both feature aluminium frames, a four-bar suspension design, Fox Performance level suspension, Maxxis tyres, and perhaps not coincidentally weigh within 100g of each other.
So which one deserves your hard-earned cash? Let's find out...
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[@YTIndustriesTV]

Thanks for the review! 👊 We're stoked to say that Capra Core 2 now features Maxxis Double Down tired front and rear ☑ As well as our upgraded Postman V2 dropper post 🤘

[@MBRmagazine]

Awesome, that's great to hear! Thanks for the update!

[@dumwee]

The price cut/discount makes it difficult for me to make up my mind. I was set on Canyon, but after watching this yt Im not sure anymore. the capra core 4 caught my eyes. Sweden 90 euro shipping, Norway 140 euro. Canyon got cheaper shipping and also include taxes for shipping to Norway.

[@mountazeaicky]

Next time: please do a comparison between Canyon Spectral and YT Jeffsy ;-)

[@Felix_Wald]

2024 a new spectral 29 will come

[@kenalexander8809]

I really like my capra core 2 mx.

[@AdamosFF]

I bought this summer Torque AL5 mullet. It was my dream bike, I could barely afford it but I love it so much, gave me all the confidence I needed

[@MBRmagazine]

Great to hear!

[@mathis.r.mtb74]

Hey what is your height and your frame size please? I m looking for a Torque Mullet too

[@AdamosFF]

@@mathis.r.mtb74 I'm 173cm / 5'8, my frame size is S, but I am changing to size M for more stability on step, fast and natural sections

[@GOB72]

Great review, I was looking at the canyon until I watched this, then I looked on the YT site and got the last Capra uncaged 11 for £4000 🤯 what a bike! Unbelievable spec for the money.

[@MBRmagazine]

Nice! Enjoy 🤘

[@jakob7346]

Thanks Guys for the great review. I am currently thinking about getting a new bike, primarily focussing on the descents. How would you rate thePropain Spindrift vs. the Capra and the Canyon?

[@arekjanuszkiewicz7073]

Got Capra in the beginning of dec and already came with dd max grip / terra tyres. This bike rides insanely

[@solarrover9575]

I’m considering a 150 rear travel bike to replace my 130 reactor so I can ride more chunk but still ride more mellow trails. But it seems these, and other, 170 bikes are a lot more ‘do it all’ these days. Great video thanks

[@madrx2]

170's are not a "do it all" they suck on climbs

[@jaad7562]

​@@madrx2not at all. I've had a Capra for about a month and constantly scored PRs on uphills which was a real surprise to me.

[@brandonharrsch8318]

I was looking at 170 bikes but ended up grabbing a 23 norco sight super cheap and the 150 rear travel is more than enough for the 30' drops and tabletops at my local trails and it climbs great

[@beatslucas]

I think now YT Capra Core 2 has been upgraded. I'm not an expert to describe each of the changes but it is worth checking on their website. Especially now they are running a sale which makes it very tempting to get one.

[@AK-ContentCreatIon]

HI why didnt You use more spacers in the fork on the canyon?

[@E.T_rode_bikes_As_well]

Oh man, Canyon Lux Trail vs Yt Izzo would be a blast

[@LethWinchester]

I got the Torque AL5 for 2099€ here in Germany. Deore instead of SLK is more bling than persormace for me, and the ZEB/SDLX combo is no worse than the FOX components. As far as bang for bucks goes, I think it's a very, very cool bike

[@Mockle07]

Really good video as always and I respect your thoughts and opinions but Al, for the love of god stop interrupting whoever your shooting with! You literally stop people mid-sentence all the time, often completely changing the subject! It’s said with good intentions dude, but I know I’m far from the first to mention it 😂

[@ryanhanley886]

As a 6'7" rider, would you recommend the XXL frame Capra in an MX or 29? Does the "playfulness" of the MX still translate to an XXL size frame? My current bike is an XXL 29" HT, my previous bike was an XL 27.5 HT. Not looking to do anything extreme, but i want to ride a little more aggressive and take all of the side hits I dodge on my hardtails. Thank you.

[@k1ng617]

Just bought a Capra Uncaged 10 for $2400 and it actually came w/ the EXO+ front tire and DD in the rear. The shock was a DHX coil in the rear (and the color is kinda well.. not that nice). Otherwise, very happy w/ the bike so far. Only about 5 rides in and I can feel the potential, just need to keep riding to really dial it in.

[@toxicmale1744]

Vorsprung luftkappe would fix the imbalance of support on the fork on the Canyon.

[@GaedeRafael]

But you would spend 50% of the bike price

[@kellygregg3688]

Just ordered my yt core 2 today👍🤙$2799. Actually $2500, they were kind enough to give me 10% off the sale price, to help me out with the sipping to Hawaii

[@MBRmagazine]

Amazing deal!

[@jamiestratton7925]

I sized down on my Torque. 6'2" and ride a large CF9. Never feel it needs to be bigger

[@vlbz]

I personally like YT a bit more in general, the frames are seemingly a bit better built, although it might be just appearances. The yoke shock mount on the Capra is a deal breaker for me though. I ended up getting a Jeffsy.

[@solarrover9575]

What don’t you like about a yoke shock mount?

[@vlbz]

@@solarrover9575 I'm not an engineer, so take this with a pinch of salt, but as far as I know the yoke increases the leverage, hence the torque with which the shock shaft is basically trying to rip itself out of the shock. It's linear I believe, but school was a long time ago. Ps. The new Jeffsy still uses a regular shock. They hit the nail on its head with that bike. I've only had a few minor gripes with the old model and they fixed all of those. Dream bike for sure.

[@Pienimusta]

Massive problems with coils on Specialized bikes. Especially Fox coils get destroyed.

[@graysonadams2485]

​@@Pienimusta and just harder on shocks in general. I broke a damper shaft on a hard bottom out on a stumpy which is strut mount/yoke driven

[@TheShift1313]

I have a 2019 capra 27.5 which was 180 travel. Really wish the shock had a lock out. Those wings were on both sides on my frame with no water bottle option. I also out a DD casing on the rear cause it came with exo casing tires..... but i got mine as a leftover xxl frame right before they updated the bike for $2300. Amazing value for what you get

[@bradleydavis7585]

I have a YT Izzo and a Canyon Torque, both bikes are incredible, I've used the Izzo at bike parks and had an excellent time and I've used the Torque on more cross country trails and it is so much fun and handles the climbs great. The only reason I would stick with YT is because their customer service is so much better, I had the rear axel come out while riding (my fault, I know) ended up smashing my derailleur hanger, I emailed them asking if they sold the axel, 4 days later an axel and a derailleur hanger came in the mail, no charge. I emailed Canyon when my bike arrived with frayed dropper post cables and they emailed me back 2 months later saying I could open a ticket, their phone line was down at the time, hahah.

[@MTBMOR]

I love my Canyon and just bought a Fezzari La Sal. Can you throw the Fezzari in one of these reviews? I will post updates, but the more people know the better.

[@MBRmagazine]

Unfortunately we can’t get Fezzari in the UK, but we’ll get in touch with them to see if we can test one. 👍

[@trailpimp6369]

Great review guys. Hey Al I have a question for you? You are 5 11? How was the reach on the torque? The bike you tested was an XL and it has 515 reach. I am the same height as you and I just ordered a large Canyon Torque on E. It is coming tomorrow but I am afraid the reach will be too long at 500? Do you thinks this will be too long for me?

[@MBRmagazine]

Hi, thanks! The Torque:ON is a pretty different bike to the analogue Torque - it's a beast! I'm 5ft 10in and rode the Medium frame at the launch and it had insane levels of stability - I wouldn't have wanted it any bigger. Hopefully you get on OK with the large though.

[@trailpimp6369]

@@MBRmagazine Thank you

[@mathis.r.mtb74]

Hey, I m 5 11 too and I m looking for a Torque. How do you feel on the L after riding it? And do you think M size is enough? Thank you for your answer

[@trailpimp6369]

@@mathis.r.mtb74 I would go with a large and you can do a short 31 mm stem as well as a riser bar. Medium would work too if want a more playful bike. I feel great on the large.

[@mathis.r.mtb74]

@@trailpimp6369 Thank you for your help:)

[@vladutzzz]

i was thinking about getting a new bike. I currently ride a canyon stitched and i want to ride trails and i was thinking at the capra or the canyon torque mullet dh

[@MarkCalica]

I hope the guy on the left gets his neck checked. He has a lump. Nice review guys. Very thorough and I think I’m gonna go with the YT

[@Coerced]

I'm very sure he already has. It doesn't pop up in a day

[@MBRmagazine]

All checked, thanks for the concern 👍

[@MarkCalica]

@@MBRmagazine no problem. Usually if you a lump like that cause of some thyroid issues. Glad you’re ok

[@paulsengewitz2415]

So what size do you recommend on the capra ( my size is 5‘10)

[@MBRmagazine]

Large should be spot on for you.

[@Polo-wn8xv]

@@MBRmagazine And what size on the capra with 5'11" (181cm)? L or XL?

[@geo1134]

Does it significantly and negatively affect the geometry if you go from a 150 mm to 170 fork?

[@MBRmagazine]

It'll slacken the head angle by around 1º, likewise the seat angle will slacken by the same amount. The BB will get a bit higher (maybe 5mm), the reach will get shorter, etc etc. If you're prioritising DH performance it might not be too bad, but we'd probably say go max 160mm. Also check your frame warranty/frame category - putting a longer travel fork on might void it, and increase the risk of failure.

[@ytbengpf]

Which bike for big guys (6 5, 105kg)?

[@McSchwabl]

I disagree with what you are saying about Shimano and SRAM. I do have two bikes one with GX and Codes and one with SLX brakes and drivetrain and Shimano is so much better

[@MBRmagazine]

That’s cool. Nothing wrong with disagreement! 👍

[@overzero2788]

Im 194 cm (6.4) what size (YT) would you choose? Thanks

[@stefanossyrmos4792]

XXL

[@iamjakov9253]

So whats better

[@GaedeRafael]

Why not use tokens in Canyon's fork?

[@KadenMonsonMTB]

What would you think of enduro racing competitively on the torque?

[@MBRmagazine]

No reason why it can’t be done, but Canyon does make the Strive specially for that task.

[@KadenMonsonMTB]

@@MBRmagazine but the strove costs like 3x more

[@dimitarilijeski7586]

i have a question aabout the bikes

[@danieleisenseite6818]

No This is the Torque Mullet Al 5 I have the same one 😊😊😊

[@dumdumbababoe8421]

Nice comoarison. now i feel i bit more comfortable on what to buy

[@MBRmagazine]

Thanks!

[@ssjj9584]

Where’s the new Commencal V5 🔥🔥🔥

[@shurasne9202]

This video sold another YT Capra Core 2 MX 😊

[@shurasne9202]

First ride in Pfalz/Germany last Sunday 3.3.2024 Sunny weather, cool people around, steep trails, new bike, what a joy. ❤

[@AndreasJacobson]

To tired to watch the whole video today. I'm guessing YT for racing/going fast, Torque for bike park/jumping? Plz correct me if I'm wrong.

[@corzabourne2101]

When a 3 grand bike is a budget bike 😢

[@mediaburn2]

2024 is the year of bike shop brands getting there sh*t togeather on pricing. Direct is just too good now.

[@finroddd]

If I had to choose - but without change anything on the bike - I would choose the Canyon because of the brakes. SRAM Code R are not very good IMO. Have them, don't like them.

[@k1ng617]

I have the R's too. Really didn't like them. They felt so damn squishy until I "over-pressurized" them w/ their quick release syringe. They aren't perfect, but feel a lot more solid now.

[@finroddd]

@@k1ng617 agree, this squishy feeling is not what I am used to. Probably will change them with Magura.

[@finroddd]

actually I might change my opinion - the chainstays of the Canyon are way too short. The Capra's are also short but Canyon's are even shorter. I would say the is a contributing factor for the less stable bike.

[@juanpablocerda5721]

I don't understand why the YT has the edge here. If it's $3300 + $160 on tires to get it to perform how it should, wouldn't it be better to get the Canyon and throw a grip2 damper in the fork for the same amount of money and have a better and more capable bike?

[@JamieDarlowMBR]

Really good question. The test was so tight and I did consider giving the Canyon the win for exactly this reason, it would definitely sort it out. However I gave it to the YT because I think the frame is better, it's got adjustable geo and semi-proportional chainstays. I could equally argue that putting a spacer into the shock would sort the bike out just as putting the FIT damper into Canyon would sort it... just for much less money.

[@marklouieadame]

2-3k price is the right price on high end mtb bike m. Whenever i see 4k to 10k is a rip off to me it is so unreasonable. Ebike performance bike 3k to 5k and ebike goes above that is just luxury just payibg for a name and lot of bullshit

[@YOSAM_M7D]

My dream 😔💔

[@FunkyFreshFritz]

YT > canyon... And it's not even close

[@Felix_mtb6]

The yt has horrobile brakes

[@okatbikes4917]

The mixing of framerates is extremely amateurish.

[@MBRmagazine]

Where is this specifically? Our video team does the editing so we’re not especially clued up on the technical side.