YT Decoy or Fezzari Timp Peak?

[amp3d]

Hey everyone!

I'm looking at making the jump into an e-MTB and being a current YT customer, I've been thinking about grabbing the YR Decoy MX (core4). The pricing seems really great..and I haven't been able to find anything with those specs (2023 YT Decoy MX Core 4 E-Bike) in that pricepoint.

However, I also came across Fezzari Timp Peak which seems to have a lifetime warranty on their frame. Interesting!

I really like how Fezzari let you pick your base package and then upgrade individual components. As such, I'm thinking about maybe grabbing the base model and then adding the Fox38 factory setup which would put me in the same ballpark as the YT.

All that said, the YT still seems to have the XT12 setup and the Code RSC brakes which I'm currently running and love on my Capra...

It's a bit of a tough call, but I guess it comes down to customer service and long-term availability or parts. Being my first e-mtb, I'm a bit concerned about battery failures and souring replacements as needed into the future.

Does anyone have any experiences to share in regards to the above mentioned Companies?

Obviously being direct to consumer, it's not really possible for me to just jump on one and test it out.


Thanks!

 

[skinnyboy]

Like my Decoy, but...

ShiTmano EP8 e050 problem with speed reading error solved.

Thanks to advice I got on reddit solved the issue by rim mounting the magnet. Original place is disc mount but it doesn't work because the system wasn't designed for it. Had derestricted the bike with the cam magnet placing. Rode 700km then error e050 nothing works anymore no assist. Shitmano...

www.emtbforums.com

A search didn't show this being an issue with any other manufacturer's EP8s. I believe YT uses their own variation on the software.

Cheers

 

[amp3d]

Like my Decoy, but...

ShiTmano EP8 e050 problem with speed reading error solved.

Thanks to advice I got on reddit solved the issue by rim mounting the magnet. Original place is disc mount but it doesn't work because the system wasn't designed for it. Had derestricted the bike with the cam magnet placing. Rode 700km then error e050 nothing works anymore no assist. Shitmano...

www.emtbforums.com

A search didn't show this being an issue with any other manufacturer's EP8s. I believe YT uses their own variation on the software.

Cheers

Very interesting!

Did you find that the decoy is short in the reach area? I'm just cross referencing numbers with my YT Capra and I'm not convinced about the sizing they recommend since I'm around 6'2.
I love the direct to consumer models, but it sure sucks we can't ride em or even sit on them first!

 

[militantmandy]

On paper I thought the decoy was all wrong geo wise. My partner bought a medium and I rode it extensively. It was absolutely brilliant! It really made me question my faith in geo tables. For reference it was a Decoy Shred.

 

[skinnyboy]

The geometry of the Decoy was the main reason I bought it. The large is perfect for me at 6' with a 34" inseam. Personal opinion, but "longer reach is better" is going to go the same way as "I can't get chainstays short enough", "100mm stems are great" and "boy, that 1.9" tire is big" ideas. Rant over

 

[amp3d]

On paper I thought the decoy was all wrong geo wise. My partner bought a medium and I rode it extensively. It was absolutely brilliant! It really made me question my faith in geo tables. For reference it was a Decoy Shred.

That's what I'm wondering too!
I love my XL YT Capra, but boy...this is a lot of money to spend on a bike just to hope it's the correct fit, ya know?
The numbers between the XL Capra and the XL Decoy are so different!
I do realize every bike is different, but it still looks concerning (on paper)

 

[amp3d]

The geometry of the Decoy was the main reason I bought it. The large is perfect for me at 6' with a 34" inseam. Personal opinion, but "longer reach is better" is going to go the same way as "I can't get chainstays short enough", "100mm stems are great" and "boy, that 1.9" tire is big" ideas. Rant over

I hear ya!
I guess the numbers are just throwing me for a loop because I'm comparing it to "what I'm used to" which is a 485mm reach.

 

[skinnyboy]

Different school of thought for sure.

Definitely good pricing on the Decoys now. Curious how they handle the E050 faults on mine.

I did price out a Fezzari in the past and it wasn't competitive once the shipping, duty, and taxes into Canada were factored in.

Cheers.

 

[militantmandy]

That's what I'm wondering too!
I love my XL YT Capra, but boy...this is a lot of money to spend on a bike just to hope it's the correct fit, ya know?
The numbers between the XL Capra and the XL Decoy are so different!
I do realize every bike is different, but it still looks concerning (on paper)

It put me in the mindset that I really wanted to ride a bike before I bought one. I really don't feel confident that buying a bike based on the numbers is a guarantee to getting something that works for me. I honestly never felt like the decoy was small, but my other bike is a privateer! So, my regular bike was 470mm reach and the Decoy was I think 435 and yet I could jump on the decoy and go just as quick

 

[amp3d]

Different school of thought for sure.

Definitely good pricing on the Decoys now. Curious how they handle the E050 faults on mine.

I did price out a Fezzari in the past and it wasn't competitive once the shipping, duty, and taxes into Canada were factored in.

Cheers.

I agree the YT price right now can't be beat.
Be sure to keep us posted how that error works out for you!

 

[CarolinaCrawler]

I think you have to size up on the Decoy anyway. I tend to use 99 Spokes – Bicycle Comparisons, Reviews, Specs, and Trends to compare my current bike to one I'm looking at. It has a wonderful comparison calculator.

 

[wenna]

The geometry of the Decoy was the main reason I bought it. The large is perfect for me at 6' with a 34" inseam. Personal opinion, but "longer reach is better" is going to go the same way as "I can't get chainstays short enough", "100mm stems are great" and "boy, that 1.9" tire is big" ideas. Rant over

I have the same inseam as you. Where does your seat-height end up compared to the handlebars?

 

[militantmandy]

I think you have to size up on the Decoy anyway. I tend to use 99 Spokes – Bicycle Comparisons, Reviews, Specs, and Trends to compare my current bike to one I'm looking at. It has a wonderful comparison calculator.

I would definitely disagree that you have to size up. As I said above, it was short on paper but it rode extremely well, even on the very steep trails where I live. Of course personal preference will play a big part .

 

[skinnyboy]

I have the same inseam as you. Where does your seat-height end up compared to the handlebars?

Probable the wrong person to use as a reference to bar/seat height. I run my bars very high with lots of back sweep.

I have the Decoy, daughter an Orbea Rise, as of yesterday son has a Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay (found one at 30% off). FWIW I would think long and hard about buying a bike with Shimano motor, their support has been atrocious (not YT, they're great, but Shimano). I like the way the EP8 provides assistance, but it's of limited use if I can't ride all different kinds of terrain without worrying about how far I might have to push it out.

Cheers.

 

[tabbibus]

I almost got the Timp Peak, love the build kit with the XO T robot and kashima bits. But ended up getting a Kenevo SL...

 

[Dirtnvert]

Its a solid choice especially with the current price. I see youre in Canada as well. Mine is a 2019 and it now has over 1.5 million vertical feet on it. Its built to last and very ez to service the pivots. Super quick to grease the pivots. I got all new bearings and pivot axles at about 1 million vert and after i took them apart i discovered no wear. Impressed to say the least.
Yt canada and US have been incredible to deal with. I just sent them an email yesterday to get the new derailleur hanger(my 19 had a different hanger type). They got back to me this morning and are going to send it right out. Theyve been the best bike co ive dealt with in my 35+ years of mtb. I had a problem with the original e8000 motor 3 -4 months after i bought the bike back in 19 ,and with covid , shimano canada werent even responding to the bike shop i had inquiring for me. Shimano canada werent returning calls or emails. I reached out to YT and they got right on it. Had me a motor in no time. Even phoned me a couple times to make sure i got sorted. Ive had a few nice chats with them though most communication is by email. Good people.
If you go that direction you may want to upsize if youre between sizes but i do like having the reach on a full powered emtb a touch shorter to keep it agile. It'll still be very stable with that emtb weight. Either size the decoy has tons of standover clearance. Possibly the best in class for standover.
Mods ive done on my 19 mx base is i put the fork to 180mm($60 airshaft), coil rear shock(linkage is quite progressive on the decoy so coil works well), 220 front rotor, -1⁰ works component headset, 160mm miranda cranks(i might like to try 155?), conti argotal dh casing tires. The new decoys are better specced than the original ones. They now have better tires, proper rise on the bars, zeb or 38 with more travel, etc etc. The old 2019 came with a yari fork, base model air shock, exo tires with a 2.8 rear, low rise bar. It was still a good deal at the time in 2019 in comparison to what was out. Most emtb's will need something changed or added. Very few wont need something. Decoy is dialed out of the box , just add pedals. Worth considering any personal changes you'll make on both your choices to get the total cost for your decision

 

[Kevjob51]

I live one state over from Fezzari in Utah. I love their 30 day ride and return policy. Seems like the Timp peak is pretty nice bike.

 

[amp3d]

I live one state over from Fezzari in Utah. I love their 30 day ride and return policy. Seems like the Timp peak is pretty nice bike.

The fezzari is tempting, but there's very few reviews out there other than 2 or 3 youtubers.
However, it's about $4000 more than the YT Decoy of similar specs.
The fully loaded YT comp4 with the fox38 factory, XT groupsets etc comes in at $5901 USD.
This makes the YT wayyy less than the Fezarri with way better specs.
To make matters worse, Fezarri charges $150USD shipping. YT charged 100CAD last time I checked.
Value wise, there is absolutely no comparison, the YT is a much higher spec'd bike at a fraction of the cost.
The question for me is fitment. I like that Fezarri tries to taylor the bike to the individual rider.
The money saved on the YT could get you a spare battery or 2!

 

[Singletrackmind]

I just purchased an XL Decoy MX Core 4 after riding a Large 2023 Decoy Elite. As others have eloquently stated, size is important and is a matter of personal preference! I like the nimbleness of the large size and found it was a little too cramped on the climbs and not quite as stable on the knarly descents. Currently own a size Large Orbea Wild and previously owned a Specialized Kenevo. All these bikes had a delta of 20-40mm on reach/stack dimensions that lended themselves to the riding characteristics of each respective bike.

Previously owned an Amish Fezzari and really enjoyed it. Obviously I find the Decoy to be an absolute all-round beast that is super fun to ride. Out of all my emtbs, it gets the most play. A couple constructive critiques on the Decoy, because of the slack seat tube angle, it doesn't climb as well as some other bikes but makes up for it on the downhill. Don't get me wrong, still climbs great but just not as efficient as some others. I also run coil shocks on all my bikes, so if this is a consideration for you, take a look at the progression stats on the rear suspension of the Fezzari (there are some good coil shocks that have progressive springs to assist with performance). One other consideration is the seat tube height of the Decoy is longer than most emtbs. On my Size Large I could run a 170mm dropper and had a little room to spare befoe bottomingout. On my XL Decoy I actually purchased a slightly smaller height Seatpost Clamp, removed the little rubber grommet YT installs on the stock seat tube clamp and have my 170mm dropper slammed all the way in and it just fits right with no room to lower (I'm 6'1" with 32 inch inseam).

 

[jene]

I just purchased an XL Decoy MX Core 4 after riding a Large 2023 Decoy Elite. As others have eloquently stated, size is important and is a matter of personal preference! I like the nimbleness of the large size and found it was a little too cramped on the climbs and not quite as stable on the knarly descents. Currently own a size Large Orbea Wild and previously owned a Specialized Kenevo. All these bikes had a delta of 20-40mm on reach/stack dimensions that lended themselves to the riding characteristics of each respective bike.

Previously owned an Amish Fezzari and really enjoyed it. Obviously I find the Decoy to be an absolute all-round beast that is super fun to ride. Out of all my emtbs, it gets the most play. A couple constructive critiques on the Decoy, because of the slack seat tube angle, it doesn't climb as well as some other bikes but makes up for it on the downhill. Don't get me wrong, still climbs great but just not as efficient as some others. I also run coil shocks on all my bikes, so if this is a consideration for you, take a look at the progression stats on the rear suspension of the Fezzari (there are some good coil shocks that have progressive springs to assist with performance). One other consideration is the seat tube height of the Decoy is longer than most emtbs. On my Size Large I could run a 170mm dropper and had a little room to spare befoe bottomingout. On my XL Decoy I actually purchased a slightly smaller height Seatpost Clamp, removed the little rubber grommet YT installs on the stock seat tube clamp and have my 170mm dropper slammed all the way in and it just fits right with no room to lower (I'm 6'1" with 32 inch inseam).

Very interesting
I'm 6.2 and 35" inseam and I guess I fit on an XL.. Despite of that You said, the seat tube is longer the YT (185") but not much as I have on my Orbea Rise (200") that fits perfect for me.

Perhaps the numbers of my current Orbea Rise are more close to the XXL size but I guess it's too much long and it would be less handy..

 

[Singletrackmind]

Very interesting
I'm 6.2 and 35" inseam and I guess I fit on an XL.. Despite of that You said, the seat tube is longer the YT (185") but not much as I have on my Orbea Rise (200") that fits perfect for me.

Perhaps the numbers of my current Orbea Rise are more close to the XXL size but I guess it's too much long and it would be less handy..

In theory, the larger the frame size the less nimble/handy a bike will respond. My Specialized Kenevo had a 500mm reach and felt great! It's almost impossible to know how a bike will "feel" and handle unless you actually ride it. I have used Geometry Specifications from previous bikes to give me a baseline on how a bike I am researching may fit. There are other ways you can change components (stem length, handlebar rise/backsweep, ect to adjust with fit but you may have adverse consequences on how the bike performs.

 

[Singletrackmind]

Decoy Geometry

 

[dirtboy63]

Hey everyone!

I'm looking at making the jump into an e-MTB and being a current YT customer, I've been thinking about grabbing the YR Decoy MX (core4). The pricing seems really great..and I haven't been able to find anything with those specs (2023 YT Decoy MX Core 4 E-Bike) in that pricepoint.

However, I also came across Fezzari Timp Peak which seems to have a lifetime warranty on their frame. Interesting!

I really like how Fezzari let you pick your base package and then upgrade individual components. As such, I'm thinking about maybe grabbing the base model and then adding the Fox38 factory setup which would put me in the same ballpark as the YT.

All that said, the YT still seems to have the XT12 setup and the Code RSC brakes which I'm currently running and love on my Capra...

It's a bit of a tough call, but I guess it comes down to customer service and long-term availability or parts. Being my first e-mtb, I'm a bit concerned about battery failures and souring replacements as needed into the future.

Does anyone have any experiences to share in regards to the above mentioned Companies?

Obviously being direct to consumer, it's not really possible for me to just jump on one and test it out.


Thanks!

I currently ride the Fezzari Wire Peak, my first E-bike, but I've been mountain biking for 38 years. My buddy has the YT Decoy. Both companies have great customer service and great bikes.

I have not ridden the Timp Peak yet and I'm thinking about purchasing the Timp Peak.
My Wire Peak is one of the funnest bikes I've ridden. I've rode my friends Decoy and it is a great bike, but the Wire peak is more agile and responsive on the DH, just hoping the Timp has the same feel.

The Fezzari does feel a little cramped in the cockpit on the uphill, but the feel on the DH makes up for it.
I think one of the main differences between the two brands is the battery. Fezzari uses an off the shelf battery from Darfon and YT makes their own battery.

YT came out with a larger 720 battery for their bike. The Fezzari you don't have that option for a larger capacity upgrade, your only option is a spare battery, which I have, my bike has a 504 battery, so with a spare I have a total of 1008, but I have to lug the battery with me on longer rides, not horrible, but not great. I believe the Timp has a 640 battery, so if you got the spare, you would have 1280 total, which is enough to do huge rides.

So think about the type and length of rides you do and battery range. And if you have friends that have E-bikes, it's really good to know what their battery sizes are, it sucks not all being somewhat in the same range, it will limit your group rides to the smallest capacity bike.

Hope that helps a bit? good luck on your choice, either way, you will love E-biking.

 

[deereatingapplesauce]

I really want to get a Timp Peak, and tried to recently. Shipping to New Zealand didn't work out, and I'm still not really sure how. I'm planning on getting one when I'm back in the states. My brother in law bought the YT and likes it a whole lot. Don't think you can go wrong. The Timp peak stands out to me for a straight seat tube (240 mm dropper) and the option to run a dual crown. That's a winning combo.

 

[donnyrosko]

I've owned the timp peak for about 300 miles now. I live in arizona and I've had some issues overheating the battery in 100+ degree (F) riding.This causes the battery and motor to be unable to communicate and you get no power. In the extreme heat is only time I've experienced that.

That being said, Fezzari support has been amazing. Offering troubleshooting tips, following up with me when I don't respond and offering to send me a new battery. Coming from code brakes I really like the TRP DH-R evo that comes on the timp peak. The modulate in a similar manner and I like the feel better than the Hope v4s on my amish bike. I'm happy to answer any other questions since I have the bike.

Sizing wise, I ride a large. I also ride a large Santa Cruz Bronson. On paper the reach is longer on the Timp, but it really doesn't feel like it. It is comfortable but I feel like the stack is a little low for my liking personally.