The New YT Decoy SN | First Ride Report

For their first mid-power eMTB, ‪@YTIndustriesTV‬ began by attempting to create the best enduro bike they had ever made. They then decided to add a Fazua Ride 60 system, allowing rides to increase in length and for more laps to be enjoyed. The result is the Decoy SN, a lightweight electric mountain bike that YT reckons to make you feel “SuperNatural”. We ripped one for a couple of days in the Austrian Alps to deliver you our first impressions of this SL Enduro eMTB.
Written First ride here:
theloamwolf.com/2024/07/09/fi...
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#lightweightemtb #ebike #ytindustries #ytdecoy

[@mtbrider8286]

Great first review! I’m a huge YT fan boy. More companies should make affordable bikes with good build specs.

[@TheLoamWolf]

Thank you! They certainly do a good job.

[@superawesomefuntimego]

Nice! A normal looking mid power Enduro E-MTB that is around 45lbs with 170mm travel that does not break the bank too bad. This is absolutely the weight range and travel I am looking for (170mm travel and under 50lbs). The Transition relay and SC Heckler SL have been interesting in this category, but the Santa Cruz pricing is insane. Relay sale pricing right now has it pretty comparable to the YT pricing though and they do have cheaper alloy models and a dealer network to fall back on if you need help. Although the cheaper relay models do compromise on some parts to the point I'd not want them. Perhaps when the YT's go on sale, they will be a no brainer buy. Plus You can get a Orbea Wild M-team on sale for $7999 if you shop around which is full power, bigger battery and still under 50lbs with 170mm travel. If the YT Core 3 was $6499 I might have been more compelled to pull the trigger.

[@BainHAMMER]

mb worth waiting for YT usual price drop in late autumn/winter. They also are usually selling their testbikes with considerable price drop

[@copeloni]

Looks awesome👌🏻

[@TheLoamWolf]

It does! And so far rides awesome too.

[@TheAngryHusky]

Love YT. My 2019 Decoy was hella fun to ride. This is a great looking bike, but the price and specs are putting it out of my reach for sure. I also think YT missed the mark in regards to the mid power segment in 2024.

[@wvjeepguy8178]

This is more or less introductory pricing to cash in on new bike hype. I'm sure it will end up discounted like all their other bikes by the end of the year.

[@davidgrothen3943]

They are right on the mark

[@kevinmanzo862]

Great review!

[@TheLoamWolf]

Thank you.

[@just_another_user]

YT still thinking it’s 2022…

[@bartole-biker4080]

Hey, does it have a 25 km/h speed limit on engine assist? I'm riding a 2018 Scott E-Spark 720 and have it chipped allowing me to go up to 50 km/h with assist. Is it possible in any YT e-bike?

[@adventuresfromthevan8379]

Nice initial review of the Decoy, I have owned 3 YT’s (Jeffsy, Tues, and Izzo) Great bikes. Would be interested to see where you think it stacks up against some of the bike in the shootout. Especially the category winners.

[@TheLoamWolf]

As an SL/mid-power, it's a different machine to the bikes in our recent full-power shootout. We've got an SL shootout coming later this year and hope to include the Decoy, so stay tuned!

[@MrRossi78]

How does it have a kryptotal enduro casing, supersoft? Are there new tyres out?

[@TheLoamWolf]

Conti silently released the Super Soft Enduro casing Kryptotal along with this bike.

[@emveeess839]

@@TheLoamWolfthat’s the tyres I want!

[@golago2422]

34000km in my decoy comp 2021. 3rd Motor. Bike itself is bulletproof, If serviced correctly

[@martinsim9881]

Any news on the Fazua range extender? Without the removable battery, that would be a must for me for longer days in the saddle.

[@jdmbeaner182]

Haven't they been promoting the range extender for the last two years?

[@TheLoamWolf]

Still a "hope to have it available next year"...we're crossing our fingers, it's been a long time coming.

[@saerdnaw.9694]

@@TheLoamWolf sounds like the 720 battery for the decoy initially :-))

[@tmae-9284]

Mid next year fazua said some days ago at Eurobike fair. (475W battery same weight and new ring controler end of this year)

[@saerdnaw.9694]

@@tmae-9284 yeah but didnt they promise that last year already?

[@pauls1128]

How is this better than the Transition Relay PNW? YT does not have removable battery and it seems to have the same weight.

[@TheLoamWolf]

Haven't yet tested the PNW Relay. Compared with the standard setup, the YT felt slightly burlier and capable. But both are killer bikes undoubtedly.

[@lukenukem1164]

Great bike im sure but there are some full power big battery bikes not too far off that weight. If it had the fazua system for the natural feel with a big battery maybe it would offer something different.

[@emveeess839]

I got a Fazua as im more of a purist MTB rider. Its so much better that the other SL and it’s still a bike unlike the full powers which feel like motorbikes with a leg throttle

[@Stockfish1511]

60 NM 400 watt battery for 8500 pound at almost fat ebike weight range lol. This bike for 2021-2022 range. Sorry YT, but this is a big boomer.

[@TheLoamWolf]

There's more to a bike than the numbers, clearly. We still enjoyed this a lot.

[@toki2356]

The people See only Numbers, and thats it.... No one Talk about the Spec on this Bike. 38 Fox/ Enduro casing tires / Coil Shock / 160/170mm Travel and more..... They can trop the weight easly to the Same Wheigt as Specialized levo SL, when they Put the Same Parts on it. People are dump

[@Stockfish1511]

@@toki2356 You can always upgrade the parts, but you cant upgrade the motor or the battery, which is the essential part.

[@toki2356]

@@Stockfish1511 thats true! But the Point is, that all Talk about the Bad weight of this Bike. Tell me one Enduro! SL Bike, with this Spec ( full Enduro Spec), thats lighter then this. The most light emtbs are Trail Bikes with light casing tires and 34/35 fox/. RockShox, this Bikes are only Show, Not more. The YT is a full Enduro and maybe is this the minimal weight in 2024 for a light emtb Enduro! Lighter ist Not possible.

[@Stockfish1511]

@@toki2356 Trek Slash + for instance. Not to mention bigger brands offer way better support. My friend broke Trek carbon frame got replacment in less than a week via lifetime warranty and local shop. My other friend has YT decoy core 4 which he was forced to take to other country to get serviced. Sorry, but yt is not of the caliber of big brands. As much as i liked my friends decoy. This bike is still disspointing in terms of motor, battery and weight. I couldnt care less how shiny it looks or if they have fox 38. I dont like fox 38 in the the first place. However its not the issue. The issue is the battery/motor and weight. Why get this when you can get way better. Its weight is in fat ebike categoryu

[@Nile49]

Thoughts vs the Devinci E-Troy lite with the SX motor?

[@TheLoamWolf]

YT is a burlier feeling bike. Devinci feels slightly more lively. SX system is more powerful if you're prepared to spin fast to get the power. Both very fun!

[@sarianhoufis7539]

as much fun as the pivot shuttle SL? I know you guys had a lot of fun on this one :)

[@emveeess839]

Totally different bikes

[@jamesjenner3584]

What your thoughts between this and Whytes E-lyte 150

[@TheLoamWolf]

The YT is considerably more capable, but less fun on mellower trail. Whyte is a killer light enduro / trail bike, whereas the Decoy SN is a pure enduro/gravity eBike.

[@DoubleTap702]

Nice looking bike. Definitely looks more streamlined than the original decoy

[@TheLoamWolf]

It sure does!

[@reallyfastbiker4077]

Can you ride it with the battery removed like the Relay?

[@Jerhomie03]

Battery isn’t removable unless you drop out the motor, according to the vid

[@TheLoamWolf]

Jerhomie is correct. It's technically possible to remove it, but isn't going to be a quick process.

[@BikingBadwithTC]

430 not 400Wh battery. Option to connect external battery is a must for all day riding with full fat emtbs. Perhaps v2.

[@andersonsridebikes]

This looks like a direct competitor with the Transition Relay, but not thought out as well. The fixed battery gives the bike a more sleek look, but the removable battery makes the Relay much more practical. The ability to carry 2 batteries to the trails makes the SL bikes much more usable and gives the rider the option to keep it in turbo without worrying about running out of power too quickly. The Relay can be run as a mullet or full 29r. The Relay can be run 160/160,170/170 or a combination of the two travel lengths. The carbon Relay is $1000 cheaper than the cheapest option on the YT, and the Alloy Relay is $3000 cheaper than the cheapest YT option. It seems to me like YT just decided to make a more expensive and less useful version of the Relay.

[@Mockle07]

lol nice spec sheet review. These guys have ridden the Relay and loved it… and Rob just said this was the best “SL” ebike he has ridden. I don’t know about you, but how a bike rides and how much fun it is is a lot more important to me than anything else. I mean genuinely, how many people do you think are ACTUALLY going to buy a second battery and carry it around with them? 😂 That feature caters to a tiny amount of potential customers.

[@kangsterizer]

​@@Mockle07these guys love every buke that isnt terrible thought. yes most mountain bikes are pretty good. none of the big brands are terrible. yet the relay is still cheaper with a swappable battery lol. this started being like this on this channel when the presenter changed and has been like that ever since. might as well watch pinkbike at this point..

[@Mockle07]

@@kangsterizer Watch pinkbike then. Problem solved. As you say, most bikes are good these days but he didn’t just say he liked it or it was really good he specifically said it was in his opinion the best SL ebike he has ridden, and based on their SL ebike shootout, he enjoyed the Relay. I don’t get why you guys get so defensive about people’s opinions on social media. The top spec Relay is way more expensive than this btw (£12k+!!!) and only the Alloy version is cheaper than the base version of the Decoy SN, in Europe at least. And either way, ride feel and fun will always be more important to me than anything else. Who’s going to be swapping batteries?! 😂

[@andersonsridebikes]

@@Mockle07 I have extensive experience with SL and full power EMTBs. I use two batteries often, and so do many of my riding buddies. Having the ability to quickly swap batteries trail side is something you need to experience before you decide it isn't important.

[@kellygregg3688]

I don't see any cheaper one's on the website?

[@clipless03]

So this or the Motera SL, which has a full-fat motor?

[@jdmbeaner182]

Montera has a shimano ep801 which has more consistent power. The fazua is a lightweight motor that can only produce max torque temporarily.

[@TheLoamWolf]

The Decoy SN feels a little more agile and burly. The Moterra takes the cake on the way up.

[@Weglobaltech]

Anyway to replace the rear with 29?

[@TheLoamWolf]

No, this is designed around a 27.5” rear wheel only.

[@Johnvdubable]

Seems too expensive for the spec. And now that you car get an Amflow with 105Nm and 1000 watts coming in at just over 19kg why would you go for less?

[@eunos1800]

Nice review, thank you New to EMTB'S looking to buy my first one. I'm struggling to understand the point for these lower power EMTB's Uphill - Surely the weight is cancelled out by the full fat EMTB's extra power (even though it's heavier)? Downhill - Who cares about weight As i say, i'm new s likely missing something, but i'm struggling to understand the point of this model over say the full fat Decoy

[@porroco]

Nice option to replace my not so lovely yeti 160e, similar to yeti sb165 mx coil set up

[@TheLoamWolf]

There's some similarities for sure!

[@Dazeski]

Hard for these brands to compete now without massive innovation due to what DJI has just brought to market. Really hard to look beyond DJI/Pinion MGU at the moment! Bosch, Shimano etc need to take note and come back with a fresh, innovative product.

[@TheLoamWolf]

It's definitely an exciting time in the eBike market!

[@wvjeepguy8178]

I was hoping their next bike would be a light trail/xc mid-power.

[@TheLoamWolf]

We're glad it isn't. Longer travel, super capable mid powers are too damn fun!

[@wvjeepguy8178]

@@TheLoamWolf Will this completely replace the current Decoy?

[@TheLoamWolf]

@wvjeepguy8178 not as far as we are aware.

[@TheLoamWolf]

We don't think it will. The full power decoy will likely be getting an update at some point as well.

[@wvjeepguy8178]

@@TheLoamWolf IMO the most exciting e-bike on the market right now is the Orbea Rise, so I'd love to see YT's take on that platform. I'm 43 years old now and don't have any interest in catching much air...hospital bills have already cost me thousands of dollars over the last few years from just stupid accidents...lol.

[@kevinmanzo862]

Local shop says that motor also in Santa Cruz has lots of issues. one Day I was there and guy with new SL came in with it with an issue. 😬

[@emveeess839]

A few of us have the Heckler SL - mine 3 months. No issues

[@kevinmanzo862]

That’s good news. That would be a bummer!

[@ridemx323]

What gets warrantied first? The frame or the motor?

[@lilblaster22]

Banshee Prime🎉

[@TheLoamWolf]

How about a Titan?

[@lilblaster22]

@TheLoamWolf There's already tons of info on the Titan. They all say it's a big bike that can be vague if your not sending. It climbs good for a big bike, but no one has said it's a good pedaler, although it carries speed really well even on the flats... I want to know what you think of the Prime. I only trust you guys and yum yum, but he's limited. 135mm rear travel has been referred to as everything you need and nothing you don't. Somebody said that you guys did a write-up on it but I haven't found it...

[@todddecourcy5786]

Outdated already. Why would you buy a SL ebike with the new full powered alternatives

[@_Jake.From.Statefarm_]

For anyone who has a fazua.. to make it even more natural turn off the acceleration. It makes a big difference.

[@grisnylle100]

Or turn it off completely for a natura feel.

[@_Jake.From.Statefarm_]

@grisnylle100 I do that sometimes as well. Feels like pedaling a dh bike though, my heckler sl is built out to an enduro lol.

[@emveeess839]

Turn off the acceleration?

[@_Jake.From.Statefarm_]

@@emveeess839 Yes, it's in the fazua app where you can tune each of the modes. The acceleration is that initial push from the motor. If you want that resistance like you would on a normal bike until you can get the pedals spinning to a decent rpm this is how you do it. It also takes away that odd feeling where it accelerates and then cuts out during pedal strokes.

[@IntoTheWhite04]

The Hackleberg....

[@TheLoamWolf]

Yes indeed!

[@IntoTheWhite04]

@@TheLoamWolf was there a couple of weeks ago. Saw the YT tent in Saalbach and wondered why it was there

[@kuzmajacek]

I want that SN look with 750Wh battery, full power Bosch motor and easily removable battery. Who cares about +/- 2kg weight, it's MTB not a road race bike. With a rider the combo weight is 100kg+ (bike doesn't ride on its own so its own weight is irrelevant) who cares about 2-3kg difference. Probably downhill racers only.

[@uosocal]

Why make a 46lb. half powered ebike? Why not put the same motor in something closer to a Tues than a Jeffsy.

[@mikes.8305]

Bike looks amazing but I’ll not buy a Fazua any time soon. In the shop more than an old Porsche. Seriously, it’s bad.

[@sheldonanderson277]

Looks like you chose to ride the Large, but for your height should you not have chose the XL?

[@TheLoamWolf]

Height doesn't necessarily dictate the size of bike you should ride. I (Robert) have very long legs with a short torso. You'll see my seatpost is always very far out of the frame. Because of this, for my 6'2" (189cm) height, a 470-490mm reach typically works best. Above this, I can't influence the weight balance of the bike fore and aft as quickly as I'd like.

[@britishbassbikes]

Fazua still not reliable enough. NO range extender (still...!!) , and this doesn't have torque/power of the 60NM Shimano EP8 or EP801. And the ring controller- ( which seems to have malfunctioned in your test) is another known issue. GREAT looking and spec'd bike, just needs different motor.

[@zacdavenport1476]

I own a Relay and I'm not buying that YT saved a kilo of weight by making it so you can't remove the battery

[@kuzmajacek]

Same price EUR, USD and GBP? Happy to ignore 30% difference on exchange rate? Why would anyone pay in GBP? A short trip to France and you save yourself almost 1600Eur on SN Core4. That's crazy marketing decision.

[@jordanmackay3568]

442 CS ISN'T LONG ENOUGH FOR BIKES WITH 500 OR MORE REACH. WHYYYY

[@deadbirdwalking1159]

Derailleur also differs from model to model IIRC.

[@TheLoamWolf]

You're correct. And cockpit spec. Rob's bad!

[@ssjj9584]

I’m just waiting for surfboards with motors so people don’t have to paddle anymore so more people can get into heavy surf with no fitness ability.

[@sixdegreesbmx]

They already exist

[@sixdegreesbmx]

You can already get them

[@topchoice1621]

All these naming schemes are getting worse and worse come on now

[@mustclime5311]

Where is the bash protection????? WTF, why is it so hard to design protection for the motor and the chain? The bike is unrideable for where I ride so another total fail bike.

[@Mockle07]

Unrideable?! There are hundreds of bikes that don’t have bash plates or lower chain ring protection… has every bike you’ve ever owned had these features?

[@mustclime5311]

@@Mockle07 all my meat powered bike have bash guards, My Kenevo has an aftermarket alloy bash guard that bolts over the plastic BG and this works fine because its lower than the chain ring. This YT has the Chainring below the BB area so rocks and logs are going to trash your $95 chain and put all the weight of the impact into the motor......Focking stupid

[@Mockle07]

@@mustclime5311 Look at the vast majority of enduro bikes out there and you’ll find that most have similarly positioned chain rings. Not every bike has to suit every consumer. Bonus comment points for “meat powered” though 👊🏻😂

Pivot Shuttle LT is 22.5 kg in size Large, with full power motor and 750 battery, so nothing new or exciting here...Pivot wins

[@rc7196]

Tell em

[@jordanmackay3568]

My KSL is 21.3kg. If I build a full fat properly it's 24.5kg. Please shut up about weight

@@jordanmackay3568 Ok a hole, you proved your stupidity...still the Shuttle LT is lighter than your 24.5 crap

@@jordanmackay3568 Still, the Shuttle LT lighter than your 24.5kg crap, so you shut up

Still, Shuttle LT lighter than your 24.5kg crap, so shut up

[@sinisakalicanec6823]

what nonsense 60 nm turk from a 430 w battery it can't last 10 km all together 😂 for nothing under 750 batteries For E bikes It makes no sense to buy because that Enduro E bike has to withstand a minimum of 80 km of riding in mtb mode and when you come across a bike park you can take it away at least another 20 km with them without any problems

[@akuriarenzaul]

What are you on about? Not everyone wants a massive battery beast. This bike fits a group of people that want a bit more fitness but just a bit of extra juice to get over the hill. If it’s not for you that’s fine but don’t knock a bike that’s not meant for you.

[@Echoes-]

@@akuriarenzaul No one was asking for a bike like this, trust me, YT will start discounting them hard soon because they will just sit there like the useless gravel bike they released that no one wanted except a handful of people.

[@akuriarenzaul]

@@Echoes- not true. I saw lots of comments on each of their IG posts asking for a SL. They would not have made it if there was not a demand for it.

[@emveeess839]

So you have ridden one? I can do over 60km and 1400m and I weigh 80kg but ride ut like a regular mtb not like a slobby full power e-biker

[@eugenux]

@@emveeess839he's not a real mtb-er...80kms in mtb mode...he has no effin clue about what he talks about; he's probably a "mtb-er" that got into mtb-ing once the prevalence of big ebikes, having no previous interest in this activity.

[@Echoes-]

Sorry, but YT are totally out of sync with the bike trends, this is way too late to the market as usual and will flop like their gravel bike they released several years after that hype was gone. I would look after another CEO if I were a shareholder in that company.

[@TheLoamWolf]

Not sure where you’re getting that impression. It’s a relevant and current bike in our eyes, and a very fun one at that.

[@emveeess839]

It’s a private company mr smarty pants

[@Echoes-]

@@emveeess839 You still have shareholders in it, I am sure the company is not owned 100% by the CEO alone.