Megawatt Factory vs Bullit XT Air vs YT Decoy MX 4

[joe_]

Hey all,

I've been trying to find a comparison between the Nukeproof Megawatt Factory ($7,500), Santa Cruz Bullit XT Air ($9,499), YT Decoy MX 4 ($7,999), but couldn't. I'm guessing in part because of their different availability (e.g. Nukeproof not really a thing in the US) and release dates..

Hoping to start a comparison, capture opinions, feedback and input in general, but also (a bit selfishly) for me.

1: What’s your size and weight?
I’m 6’1 (187cm) and 190 lbs (87kg), I’m looking at frames in L/XL depending on geometry specifications of manufacturers.

2: What style of riding do you want to do with the eMTB?
I live in California. Mostly natural single tracks with technical climbs and descents, some flow-trails. Noticed previously that a lower bottom bracket can be a bit tricky with natural and rocky trails.

Looking for an Enduro eMTB (ideally around 170mm travel front/rear)

3: How advanced is your riding?
Intermediate (obviously subjective, but objectively never raced, probably won't)

4: Do you have a preferred battery size / how many feet/meters do you expect to climb?
Most of my rides are 2-3h longs. I currently own a trail bike with a Bosch CX Gen 4 Motor and a 625Wh battery and never dropped below 60% on my MTB rides.

500Wh is not a complete dealbreaker, but really looking for above 600Wh.

5: Which motors have you tested before and do you have any preferences (Bosch, Brose, Yamaha, Shimano, Fazua, Panasonic)?
I own a Bosch system and have experience with Shimano and Brose. Liked the Shimano, Bosch is a little noisier. Wasn’t too bothered by the rattle. Curious about the new TQ Harmonic Motor, but probably something for the future.

6: Direct-to-consumer vs. brick and mortar shop?
Don’t really mind, although I’m a bit unsure about proprietary components of D2C brands, because I might move to NZ and don’t know about the support there.


My thoughts in short:

1. YT Decoy MX Core 3 / 4 - Size XL ($6,999 - $7,999)
   1. Don’t mind the battery size, however, not keen on it being proprietary to YT…
   2. Thinking one could increase travel to 180mm to slacken HTA to ~64 and at the same time increase BBH to around ~348 (flip chip in low)?
2. Nukeproof Megawatt 297 Factory - Size XL ($7,500?)
   1. Not sure about weight
   2. Not sure about BBH - could be a bit low for some of the natural trails also with uphill tech?
3. Santa Cruz Bullit XT Air - Size L/XL ($9,499)
   1. Expensive, but rode the lowest spec model (R) once and thought it was quite nice and could be upgraded over time?

Thanks in advance for any comments!
Joe

 

[Freelancer27]

Get the Kenevo SL, can't beat the price! ;-P

 

[gosia80]

Hi.
I will try to give you some advice base on my experience.
I ride YT decoy 2019 pro model I think it would be equivalent to MX3
1. I’m 5’5 ( 165cm) and 60 kg weight (women)
I fit perfectly on M seize decoy.
2. Live in UK so most riding is in wet horrible conditions and mainly ride in Lake district Peak District and Wales. All natural trails and occasionally bike parks.
3. Intermediate to advance ( no racer)
love drops and jumps so like to bike be lively and poppy
4. Ride with a group so most of our rides will last between 5-6 hours maximum climbing of 1000meters ( there isn’t nota real mountains in Uk )
540 Watts custom battery never fully emptied it before. Would defo go for bigger one and fine more e biker friends.
5.
Tried Bosh never liked it both shimano felt more natural but can’t really comment on that as i have never tried others
6. Never had to use customer service yet so not sure how good/ bad YT are
got Uk service and shop now but that doesn’t apply to you.
Generally I love my Decoy and had fun on it for last 3 years.
I have tried nukeproof megawatt and o gosh I love it even more. I think is down to plush suspension and more comfortable geometry. It was a lot easier to climb ( less front wheel lifting) and somehow mee fun to ride.
Tried both sizes S and M and small was better fit ( equivalent to my M Decoy) .
Regarding bottom bracket both bikes are pretty low and you will find it quite often hitting stones or roots ( or learn to live with it) . All my previous bikes had low bb but that not a big issue for me.
So if i had i choice would defo go for Nukeproof instead of Yt ( probably my next move)
Never looked into Santa Cruzes as they don’t appeal to me ( don’t like they look haha)
I would also consider Canyon ( if you fancy no direct customer service )
Hope I helped a bit
Gosia

 

[GeorgesEBike]

1: What’s your size and weight?
I’m 6’1 and 145lbs.

2: What style of riding do you want to do with the eMTB?
I live in Lake Tahoe and love all of the local single track.

3: How advanced is your riding?
Advanced.

4: Do you have a preferred battery size / how many feet/meters do you expect to climb?
I prefer at least a 720wh battery. I can do 30 miles and 6,000ft with 100% boost.

5: Which motors have you tested before and do you have any preferences (Bosch, Brose, Yamaha, Shimano, Fazua, Panasonic)?
I’ve owned every Levo since 2018, Shimano E8000 motor, Shimano EP8. The Shimano EP8 is my favorite due to the lowest noise while climbing, the natural pedal feel and great reliability. I have put over 3,000 miles on Shimano motors without issue.

6: Direct-to-consumer vs. brick and mortar shop?
Whichever method delivers the bike the fastest. My local bike shop services all motors.



I currently own a 2022 Santa Cruz Bullit and 2022 Santa Cruz Heckler. My next bikes will be the 2023 Santa Cruz Bullit and 2023 Santa Cruz Heckler.

 

[joe_]

Get the Kenevo SL, can't beat the price! ;-P

I've heard of the discounts Specialized is offering on eMTBs these days, but I just can't really get excited about them.. just personal preference though.

 

[joe_]

Hi.
I will try to give you some advice base on my experience.
I ride YT decoy 2019 pro model I think it would be equivalent to MX3
1. I’m 5’5 ( 165cm) and 60 kg weight (women)
I fit perfectly on M seize decoy.
2. Live in UK so most riding is in wet horrible conditions and mainly ride in Lake district Peak District and Wales. All natural trails and occasionally bike parks.
3. Intermediate to advance ( no racer)
love drops and jumps so like to bike be lively and poppy
4. Ride with a group so most of our rides will last between 5-6 hours maximum climbing of 1000meters ( there isn’t nota real mountains in Uk )
540 Watts custom battery never fully emptied it before. Would defo go for bigger one and fine more e biker friends.
5.
Tried Bosh never liked it both shimano felt more natural but can’t really comment on that as i have never tried others
6. Never had to use customer service yet so not sure how good/ bad YT are
got Uk service and shop now but that doesn’t apply to you.
Generally I love my Decoy and had fun on it for last 3 years.
I have tried nukeproof megawatt and o gosh I love it even more. I think is down to plush suspension and more comfortable geometry. It was a lot easier to climb ( less front wheel lifting) and somehow mee fun to ride.
Tried both sizes S and M and small was better fit ( equivalent to my M Decoy) .
Regarding bottom bracket both bikes are pretty low and you will find it quite often hitting stones or roots ( or learn to live with it) . All my previous bikes had low bb but that not a big issue for me.
So if i had i choice would defo go for Nukeproof instead of Yt ( probably my next move)
Never looked into Santa Cruzes as they don’t appeal to me ( don’t like they look haha)
I would also consider Canyon ( if you fancy no direct customer service )
Hope I helped a bit
Gosia

This is amazing, thanks! Great to hear from someone who's experienced two of the bikes, rather than disjointed pieces of individual assessments.

I fully understand the aesthetic aspect of bike choice, too xD. I can't get behind the Specialized ones for some reason..

Yeah, BBH is a thing for me. My current one is at a ridiculous 339mm and I really have to manage it. I'll try to get a ride in with the Megawatt over the next few weeks and see how it feels.

I'm thinking it's Bullit / Megawatt > Decoy for me. Unsure about the Bullit vs Megawatt. Also a pretty big price difference..

 

[joe_]

1: What’s your size and weight?
I’m 6’1 and 145lbs.

2: What style of riding do you want to do with the eMTB?
I live in Lake Tahoe and love all of the local single track.

3: How advanced is your riding?
Advanced.

4: Do you have a preferred battery size / how many feet/meters do you expect to climb?
I prefer at least a 720wh battery. I can do 30 miles and 6,000ft with 100% boost.

5: Which motors have you tested before and do you have any preferences (Bosch, Brose, Yamaha, Shimano, Fazua, Panasonic)?
I’ve owned every Levo since 2018, Shimano E8000 motor, Shimano EP8. The Shimano EP8 is my favorite due to the lowest noise while climbing, the natural pedal feel and great reliability. I have put over 3,000 miles on Shimano motors without issue.

6: Direct-to-consumer vs. brick and mortar shop?
Whichever method delivers the bike the fastest. My local bike shop services all motors.



I currently own a 2022 Santa Cruz Bullit and 2022 Santa Cruz Heckler. My next bikes will be the 2023 Santa Cruz Bullit and 2023 Santa Cruz Heckler.

Thanks for sharing!
720wh will definitely get you places. I need to ride in Tahoe next year

I have a few follow up questions if you don't mind:
1) What do you expect to change in the 2023 line-up, why upgrade so quickly? When do you think they will intro the new ones?
2) What frame size do you ride on the Bullit?
3) Any immediate thoughts on Bullit vs Megawatt vs Decoy?

 

[militantmandy]

I have a 2022 YT Decoy Shred

1: What’s your size and weight?
171cm / 80kg riding weight. I ride a medium decoy. On paper, the numbers don't really make sense (my main bike is a P2 Privateer 161) but the Decoy is an absolute riot to ride. It's possibly the best cornering bike i've ever ridden.


2: What style of riding do you want to do with the eMTB?
I live in Innerleithen, Scotland. Trails are generally steep, rooty and tight. Winch and plummet style. My local trails have been used several times in the EWS.

3: How advanced is your riding?
I've done a few races and few holidays to Finale and Madeira. I would probably still class myself as intermediate.

4: Do you have a preferred battery size / how many feet/meters do you expect to climb?
Not really. I mostly use the eeb for after work blasts on my own. My weekend rides with friends are done on my manual bike. This means turbo on all climbs and less that 2 hours. Typically, that would be something like 1200m / 25km in around 1h40m. Might have 1 bar left at the end. On the rare occasion that I ride with a group, (none of my mates ride e bikes) I could easily do 40km / 1600m and have 2-3 bars left, but that's in eco. So, for my needs, the battery is fine.

5: Which motors have you tested before and do you have any preferences (Bosch, Brose, Yamaha, Shimano, Fazua, Panasonic)?
The only other e bike I've ridden is a Levo SL, so I don't really have any preferences.

6: Direct-to-consumer vs. brick and mortar shop?
Had quite a few issues with the Decoy. All have been dealt with extremely well, but I am lucky that the UK now has a "local" YT presence.

Rear tyre had a massive wobble - replaced by YT
Code Rs needed bled from new - cost covered by YT, brakes were still utterly terrible though and have since been replaced with RSCs
XT mech died after 1000km - replaced by YT
38 developed creaky csu - warrantied by Fox / Silverfish
DHX developed cavitation - warrantied by Fox / Silverfish

So, I don't feel like the direct to consumer model has been a problem, but I might change my mind if any issues develop with the motor / battery side. So far, the guys at the YT Mill have been great to deal with though, no complaints.

 

[GeorgesEBike]

Thanks for sharing!
720wh will definitely get you places. I need to ride in Tahoe next year

I have a few follow up questions if you don't mind:
1) What do you expect to change in the 2023 line-up, why upgrade so quickly? When do you think they will intro the new ones?
2) What frame size do you ride on the Bullit?
3) Any immediate thoughts on Bullit vs Megawatt vs Decoy?

1. I expect the 2023 SC Bullit to come with the same 720wh battery that comes with the new Heckler. I don't expect any change with the 2023 SC Heckler. I ride 300+ days per year and like having a fresh bike every year.

2. I ride XL with Santa Cruz bikes. S5 with the Gen 3 Levo. Love the fit!

3. So far I love the Santa Cruz bikes with Shimano EP8 best! The only things I don't like about my Santa Cruz bikes is the EP8 rattle on the downhills which I'm actually used to now and do wish the power delivery was closer to a Brose or Bosch. Love the fit and finish, components and suspension tunes on my SC bikes. I didn't care for the fit and finish or geometry with my Decoy.

 

[Dirtnvert]

Really happy with my decoy. The frame is bomber(well over 1 million vertical feet of descending on it). I have it at 180 front(one offset bushing and -1⁰ headset). Thats with the yari fork '19 spec. With my 38 fork on it i would skip the headset. Awesome trail bike or park bike. Jumps, drops, xc, high alpine adventures it rips. It really does everything quite well. In the big mountains of revelstoke with the huge vert the one thing i wanted was a larger battery. That wouldve given me a lot more options on a number of days. Most days the 540w was fine and a lot of bike companies use that brand of battery so i wouldnt worry about sourcing one. Better than a shimano battery. Out east the 540 w has been fine apart fom a day or 3 i maybe couldve used more but i wad happy to go home either way.
Because youre in cali id furtger recommend the decoy because yt usa is in cali and theyre amazing to deal with. My original e8000 died at 1800km. Shimano canada was absent in the process and wouldnt even return a call to the lbs i was dealing with. Covid shortage days but they couldve atleast returned a call. I put a desperation email out to yt after 1-2 months. Yt usa got right on it. Got me a motor and even reached out a few times until i got the motor in hand shortly after. Really nice people i dealt with there. Theyve always returned emails quick after that too. Got a water bottle from them etc. Lately theres been pics of a bigger battery as well. Theyve been saying theyll be a bigger one from the start but we havent seen it and id been resigned to fact that id probably buy a second but thr bigger battrery pic looks promising. Maybe drop by their shop , if youre close, or email them. Let us know if you find out.
Nothing against the other bikes. Im sure theyre great. Friends love their bullits(for me a bit pricey). Mega looks like a dolid candidate. Not sure on an oversees emtb. Is that possible to get shipping over here? Those bikes dont show up on my chainreaction site when "canada" is selected(same with shimano and sram parts). I think chainreaction , like canyon, has been bother to figure out shipping battery bikes across the pond, as far as i know.
Good luck. Not many bad options in that category

 

[Downhillr]

Hey all,

I've been trying to find a comparison between the Nukeproof Megawatt Factory ($7,500), Santa Cruz Bullit XT Air ($9,499), YT Decoy MX 4 ($7,999), but couldn't. I'm guessing in part because of their different availability (e.g. Nukeproof not really a thing in the US) and release dates..

Hoping to start a comparison, capture opinions, feedback and input in general, but also (a bit selfishly) for me.

1: What’s your size and weight?
I’m 6’1 (187cm) and 190 lbs (87kg), I’m looking at frames in L/XL depending on geometry specifications of manufacturers.

2: What style of riding do you want to do with the eMTB?
I live in California. Mostly natural single tracks with technical climbs and descents, some flow-trails. Noticed previously that a lower bottom bracket can be a bit tricky with natural and rocky trails.

Looking for an Enduro eMTB (ideally around 170mm travel front/rear)

3: How advanced is your riding?
Intermediate (obviously subjective, but objectively never raced, probably won't)

4: Do you have a preferred battery size / how many feet/meters do you expect to climb?
Most of my rides are 2-3h longs. I currently own a trail bike with a Bosch CX Gen 4 Motor and a 625Wh battery and never dropped below 60% on my MTB rides.

500Wh is not a complete dealbreaker, but really looking for above 600Wh.

5: Which motors have you tested before and do you have any preferences (Bosch, Brose, Yamaha, Shimano, Fazua, Panasonic)?
I own a Bosch system and have experience with Shimano and Brose. Liked the Shimano, Bosch is a little noisier. Wasn’t too bothered by the rattle. Curious about the new TQ Harmonic Motor, but probably something for the future.

6: Direct-to-consumer vs. brick and mortar shop?
Don’t really mind, although I’m a bit unsure about proprietary components of D2C brands, because I might move to NZ and don’t know about the support there.


My thoughts in short:

1. YT Decoy MX Core 3 / 4 - Size XL ($6,999 - $7,999)
   1. Don’t mind the battery size, however, not keen on it being proprietary to YT…
   2. Thinking one could increase travel to 180mm to slacken HTA to ~64 and at the same time increase BBH to around ~348 (flip chip in low)?
2. Nukeproof Megawatt 297 Factory - Size XL ($7,500?)
   1. Not sure about weight
   2. Not sure about BBH - could be a bit low for some of the natural trails also with uphill tech?
3. Santa Cruz Bullit XT Air - Size L/XL ($9,499)
   1. Expensive, but rode the lowest spec model (R) once and thought it was quite nice and could be upgraded over time?

Thanks in advance for any comments!
Joe

I’m 6’2” 190 lb and ride SC Bullit XL in SF Bay area, lots of steep, tight single-track in Santa Cruz and tech rides around Pacifica.
Like having perhaps bit more bike than I need since Bullit handles anything and battery life no issue on 3-4 hour rides,.. gives old man some buffer for my mistakes!

 

[joe_]

Hey everyone,

First, thanks for all the input and shared experiences! I since managed to demo a YT Decoy and also get my hands on a Megawatt while traveling overseas for a short time.

I've been doing a bit more thinking and while that took place, Nukeproof finally managed to setup their US warehouse in Utah - they now also added about 10-15 more dealers across the country!

With that I decided to go with the Nukeproof Megawatt Factory (38 - 180mm + X2 + XT). Here my reasoning limited to the factors that mattered to me, not meant as a universal truth. Happy to debate as well

Bullit vs. Megawatt:
Almost identical geo, Bullit slightly longer chainstay, higher clearance, and no welding seams. I don't mind the shorter chainstay or welding seams.
I will mitigate clearance by changing the air shaft on the Megawatt's 38 to up travel to 180mm, which they do in factory settings for their top-spec RS version anyway.
Ultimately, I'd rather have a high-spec alloy than a low spec Bullit (then still more expensive) to save ~2lbs in weight (after adjusting for difference in tyre casing, where Bullit R has a lighter Exo in the rear). The Megawatt also fits 500wh and 630wh batteries, so if I really find ~2lbs make a difference and I don't need the distance, I can downgrade the battery later, change rims, etc..

Decoy vs. Megawatt:
This is very personal; there's a decent chance that I'll move to NZ. YT doesn't have any representation there and couldn't provide support with any battery issues, whereas Shimano does. I really enjoyed riding the Decoy. Had a lot of fun, but that's too risky for me.
Decoy also comes with Exo / Exo+ tyres which weigh about 1lbs less than the Megawatt's DD tyres. So again, the listed weight difference between the bikes reduces to sth. acceptable IMO.

Thanks again for everyones contributions!
Joe

 

[joe_]

1. I expect the 2023 SC Bullit to come with the same 720wh battery that comes with the new Heckler. I don't expect any change with the 2023 SC Heckler. I ride 300+ days per year and like having a fresh bike every year.

2. I ride XL with Santa Cruz bikes. S5 with the Gen 3 Levo. Love the fit!

3. So far I love the Santa Cruz bikes with Shimano EP8 best! The only things I don't like about my Santa Cruz bikes is the EP8 rattle on the downhills which I'm actually used to now and do wish the power delivery was closer to a Brose or Bosch. Love the fit and finish, components and suspension tunes on my SC bikes. I didn't care for the fit and finish or geometry with my Decoy.

Thanks!
I heard that the Bullit will remain the same for 2023.. But who knows. Just posted my longer reasoning for why I ended up in favour of the Megawatt. The Megawatt factory spec, almost identical geo comes in about $4,600 cheaper than the corresponding SC Bullit XT Air.. While the Bullit is a bit lighter still, I could easily use the spare change to buy carbon rims and other bling to drop weight of the Megawatt and still have some left.

 

[joe_]

Really happy with my decoy. The frame is bomber(well over 1 million vertical feet of descending on it). I have it at 180 front(one offset bushing and -1⁰ headset). Thats with the yari fork '19 spec. With my 38 fork on it i would skip the headset. Awesome trail bike or park bike. Jumps, drops, xc, high alpine adventures it rips. It really does everything quite well. In the big mountains of revelstoke with the huge vert the one thing i wanted was a larger battery. That wouldve given me a lot more options on a number of days. Most days the 540w was fine and a lot of bike companies use that brand of battery so i wouldnt worry about sourcing one. Better than a shimano battery. Out east the 540 w has been fine apart fom a day or 3 i maybe couldve used more but i wad happy to go home either way.
Because youre in cali id furtger recommend the decoy because yt usa is in cali and theyre amazing to deal with. My original e8000 died at 1800km. Shimano canada was absent in the process and wouldnt even return a call to the lbs i was dealing with. Covid shortage days but they couldve atleast returned a call. I put a desperation email out to yt after 1-2 months. Yt usa got right on it. Got me a motor and even reached out a few times until i got the motor in hand shortly after. Really nice people i dealt with there. Theyve always returned emails quick after that too. Got a water bottle from them etc. Lately theres been pics of a bigger battery as well. Theyve been saying theyll be a bigger one from the start but we havent seen it and id been resigned to fact that id probably buy a second but thr bigger battrery pic looks promising. Maybe drop by their shop , if youre close, or email them. Let us know if you find out.
Nothing against the other bikes. Im sure theyre great. Friends love their bullits(for me a bit pricey). Mega looks like a dolid candidate. Not sure on an oversees emtb. Is that possible to get shipping over here? Those bikes dont show up on my chainreaction site when "canada" is selected(same with shimano and sram parts). I think chainreaction , like canyon, has been bother to figure out shipping battery bikes across the pond, as far as i know.
Good luck. Not many bad options in that category

I recently visited the YT Mill in San Clemente and had an amazing time demoing the Decoy MX! The YT folks in the US are super responsive and friendly, I'd have no hesitation with them.
However, like I just posted I may move to NZ and YT isn't there :-(

I have a local bike shop with Shimano who can file my claims (US and NZ) and a Nukeproof Dealer I can go through as well now that they've set up shop properly in the US.
RE Bullit: Agree. I really liked it when I had it for a few days! But the Megawatt is almost identical in geo, and is a lot cheaper. The spare change can easily be used to further drop the bikes weight if needed. -> Megawatt for me.

 

[joe_]

I’m 6’2” 190 lb and ride SC Bullit XL in SF Bay area, lots of steep, tight single-track in Santa Cruz and tech rides around Pacifica.
Like having perhaps bit more bike than I need since Bullit handles anything and battery life no issue on 3-4 hour rides,.. gives old man some buffer for my mistakes!

Oooh nice. Might see you on the trails! I'm mostly out in Marin though, but been meaning to head down south for a while

Thanks for sharing! Hearing from someone around the same area was super insightful! Appreciate it.

I finally got around to making a decision. Decoy was infeasible, because I may move somewhere else, where they aren't represented at all and their batteries don't ship internationally..
Bullit vs. Megawatt: Comparable Bullit XT Air is a lot more expensive and only about 2lbs lighters once you factor in the DD casing and heavier rims on the Megawatt.

Megawatt it will be.

 

[Dirtnvert]

I recently visited the YT Mill in San Clemente and had an amazing time demoing the Decoy MX! The YT folks in the US are super responsive and friendly, I'd have no hesitation with them.
However, like I just posted I may move to NZ and YT isn't there :-(

I have a local bike shop with Shimano who can file my claims (US and NZ) and a Nukeproof Dealer I can go through as well now that they've set up shop properly in the US.
RE Bullit: Agree. I really liked it when I had it for a few days! But the Megawatt is almost identical in geo, and is a lot cheaper. The spare change can easily be used to further drop the bikes weight if needed. -> Megawatt for me.

Well reasoned. Sounds like a great bike built just as you wanted it. Thatll be fun in NZ. That is one of the plus' having a shimano battery. Theyre probably relatively ez finding a battery to rent if youre travelling