YT Decoy Pro race or Shred model owners please help

[marcellistudios]

Hey Everyone,
I'm in the market for an EMTB. I think I've narrowed my search down to either a YT Decoy or a Turbo Kenevo Comp.. I would love to hear the pros and cons from anyone owns a Decoy Pro race or Shred model as I want to make sure I'm as educated as possible when I drop my money down.

My main concerns are:
1. Motor feel when riding and power delivery (smooth, rough?) and reliability
2. and over all handling and reliability of the bike as a whole.

thank you so much!

 

[YokoOno]

I've only had my mullet Decoy since April but I really couldn't be happier. I've taken it on 4000'+ elevation/30mi rides with battery to spare. The bike is super stable and confident through technical sections and climbs like a dream - provided I keep the legs moving. I've not had any reliability issues. I've only ridden one other ebike with a Bosch and so can't really compare motor feel and power delivery but I'm quite content with the shimano. The engine noise is a slight hum - I laugh at the nitpickers who say Shimano is "noisy". The Shimano power delivery can be modified easily via the free Shimano app.

given the cost of YT v. Specialized, buying YT and then upgraded supension and a few other components was an easy decision.

Good luck with your purchase.

 

[marcellistudios]

I've only had my mullet Decoy since April but I really couldn't be happier. I've taken it on 4000'+ elevation/30mi rides with battery to spare. The bike is super stable and confident through technical sections and climbs like a dream - provided I keep the legs moving. I've not had any reliability issues. I've only ridden one other ebike with a Bosch and so can't really compare motor feel and power delivery but I'm quite content with the shimano. The engine noise is a slight hum - I laugh at the nitpickers who say Shimano is "noisy". The Shimano power delivery can be modified easily via the free Shimano app.

given the cost of YT v. Specialized, buying YT and then upgraded supension and a few other components was an easy decision.

Good luck with your purchase.

Hey thank you for the feedback! Did you buy the shred or pro race? I thought about the shred simply cause I was gonna put a fox 38 on the front and a factory coil on the back.. what components did you change?

 

[YokoOno]

Hey thank you for the feedback! Did you buy the shred or pro race? I thought about the shred simply cause I was gonna put a fox 38 on the front and a factory coil on the back.. what components did you change?

I went with the cheap entry level model. And then:
- bumped Yari to 170mm, added Push ACS3 and HC97 and discarded OEM internals
- added Push 11.6 and discarded stock shock
- changed brakes to Saints
- replaced drivetrain with X01 Eagle (which I took off a different bike)

Thought of a 38 mm fork intrigues me, but I'm not unhappy with the Yari chasis and the Push guts are far superior to anything OEM

 

[marcellistudios]

I went with the cheap entry level model. And then:
- bumped Yari to 170mm, added Push ACS3 and HC97 and discarded OEM internals
- added Push 11.6 and discarded stock shock
- changed brakes to Saints
- replaced drivetrain with X01 Eagle (which I took off a different bike)

Thought of a 38 mm fork intrigues me, but I'm not unhappy with the Yari chasis and the Push guts are far superior to anything OEM

Cool!

 

[YTPablo]

I have recently taken delivery of the 2020 pro race 2 rides in. Upgraded the rear shock to coil straight away plus a few other minor spec changes like tyres. I would not even consider the shred if I were you given the price vs spec. What I would be doing is looking at the new elite model and consider putting a coil shock on it depending on what your going to use it for. Don't have much input re the motor as iv only ridden shimano motors but agree with the point on people that moan about motor noise must be doing some boring rides to even notice it. The ride is incredible once you point it back downhill, incredibly planted and stable. I'd probably have looked at a levo if I was using it for more trail centre rides but like big mountain days and downhill. Didn't even consider the kenevo partly due to extra cost and mainly due to having 3 capras and 2 Tues' from yt over the last few years and being so impressed with their bikes.

 

[HOMIE5000]

Received a pro race last week. Amazing bike .Rides amazing very fast bike and really responsive ,,, planted . Power delivery is really good but the cut out at 28 KPH is something you just have to adjust to but I only noticed it on stand still flat features not momentum riding
Upgraded the rotors to 220 sram rotors front and rear, minion DHF 2.5 "wide trail "DH casing front and rear and added effetto mariposa tyre invader. and run the wheel set tubless < came with tubeless rim tape so just need the valves .
Suspension is sweet, ran the float x 2 on my V10 and CCDB air and CCDB air on trail bikes ,,,,personally think they are better than a coil because you can tune in mid stroke making the bike more play full , I feel .
The 36 is very good and I think they are plenty . Id take the 36 over the weight penalty of the 38 roughly 1 kg maybe .I ran 40 airs for years and the air bleed port on the 38 is a bit of a gimmick I feel . The YT comes over damp and too many internal air spacers opposed to not enough usually , so you need to back the bike off but you get all the spacers you need . .
The kenevo and Decoy PR are both DH focused and your not racing uphill so the whole power debate is a bit void . I dont think the YT cant do anything the Keno can downhill but Im finding the decoy is really good on trail ridding as well I havent had pedal strike , but I think have the suspension pretty dialled .
The spec on the YT pro race is very good opposed to bad on the kenevo .
Ive have a lot of bike over allot of years and the YT Pro Race is off its head .
Anyway thats my 2 cents . .

 

[marcellistudios]

I have recently taken delivery of the 2020 pro race 2 rides in. Upgraded the rear shock to coil straight away plus a few other minor spec changes like tyres. I would not even consider the shred if I were you given the price vs spec. What I would be doing is looking at the new elite model and consider putting a coil shock on it depending on what your going to use it for. Don't have much input re the motor as iv only ridden shimano motors but agree with the point on people that moan about motor noise must be doing some boring rides to even notice it. The ride is incredible once you point it back downhill, incredibly planted and stable. I'd probably have looked at a levo if I was using it for more trail centre rides but like big mountain days and downhill. Didn't even consider the kenevo partly due to extra cost and mainly due to having 3 capras and 2 Tues' from yt over the last few years and being so impressed with their bikes.

Thanks for the feedback! I will think about what you said.. trails around where I live are vary, but what I like to ride is jumpy, tech fast stuff. Motor noise is no issue for me as I’ve been a Semi pro motocross racer for my whole life. I’m looking for warranty service, handling and reliability. How does the coil shock feel? Which shock did you go with?

 

[marcellistudios]

Received a pro race last week. Amazing bike .Rides amazing very fast bike and really responsive ,,, planted . Power delivery is really good but the cut out at 28 KPH is something you just have to adjust to but I only noticed it on stand still flat features not momentum riding
Upgraded the rotors to 220 sram rotors front and rear, minion DHF 2.5 "wide trail "DH casing front and rear and added effetto mariposa tyre invader. and run the wheel set tubless < came with tubeless rim tape so just need the valves .
Suspension is sweet, ran the float x 2 on my V10 and CCDB air and CCDB air on trail bikes ,,,,personally think they are better than a coil because you can tune in mid stroke making the bike more play full , I feel .
The 36 is very good and I think they are plenty . Id take the 36 over the weight penalty of the 38 roughly 1 kg maybe .I ran 40 airs for years and the air bleed port on the 38 is a bit of a gimmick I feel . The YT comes over damp and too many internal air spacers opposed to not enough usually , so you need to back the bike off but you get all the spacers you need . .
The kenevo and Decoy PR are both DH focused and your not racing uphill so the whole power debate is a bit void . I dont think the YT cant do anything the Keno can downhill but Im finding the decoy is really good on trail ridding as well I havent had pedal strike , but I think have the suspension pretty dialled .
The spec on the YT pro race is very good opposed to bad on the kenevo .
Ive have a lot of bike over allot of years and the YT Pro Race is off its head .
Anyway thats my 2 cents . .

Thank you! How has reliability and any warranty issue been? Ya suspension wise I think this will
Be a big upgrade from my Marin with 100mm travel fox 32. I find I’m bottoming them a lot as I like to jump and hit tech fast stuff whenever possible. I’m a veteran semi/pro motocross racer so I’m super fussy about having good suspension so that Ana handling and reliability are my main topics.

 

[HOMIE5000]

Thank you! How has reliability and any warranty issue been? Ya suspension wise I think this will
Be a big upgrade from my Marin with 100mm travel fox 32. I find I’m bottoming them a lot as I like to jump and hit tech fast stuff whenever possible. I’m a veteran semi/pro motocross racer so I’m super fussy about having good suspension so that Ana handling and reliability are my main topics.

Ok , so you can handle a bike .
I look at it like this ,
If you do a frame the bike has to go back and it will take weeks to sort out no matter what brand .
If you do a motor it might take longer , specialized may have some reconditioned motors available but who knows , I think the shimano would be the more reliable .
There is loads of good info in this group on isolating electric issues , also cables needed to sort out problems , really its only 3 or 4 cables . The bikes look easy to work on if you need to access the electrics . So if your used to general maintenance and basic problem solving I don't think fixing small issues is a worry , I feel maybe some people are not mechanically minded experienced and send bikes back without trying to isolate issues .
I ve only had the bike a week , I did some preventative measure spraying ARC -50 and electric grease ,,, but its cold here and it didnt set and I sprayed way too much , had issues ,,, so I whipped it out dried it and the bike is no issues .
I have the air rear shock , I like mid stroke and very little rebound dampening and the tuneability of air is great for that , theses bikes are planted and like going sideways .
I have the pro race , the ulimate is basically the pro race with a rear shock refresh , slightly beefier fork almost identical spec but is heavier . Usually pulling weight of. a bike is $1 a gram.
Ive ridden for 15-18 years , raced DH ridden, DH all the time and always had trail MTB too .
The pro race is very capable , I think range is the only deciding factor . I think there will be new PRO RACE at 25% list price above the ultimate coming soon , so for me I feel the pro race is the one to get now .

 

[marcellistudios]

Ok , so you can handle a bike .
I look at it like this ,
If you do a frame the bike has to go back and it will take weeks to sort out no matter what brand .
If you do a motor it might take longer , specialized may have some reconditioned motors available but who knows , I think the shimano would be the more reliable .
There is loads of good info in this group on isolating electric issues , also cables needed to sort out problems , really its only 3 or 4 cables . The bikes look easy to work on if you need to access the electrics . So if your used to general maintenance and basic problem solving I don't think fixing small issues is a worry , I feel maybe some people are not mechanically minded experienced and send bikes back without trying to isolate issues .
I ve only had the bike a week , I did some preventative measure spraying ARC -50 and electric grease ,,, but its cold here and it didnt set and I sprayed way too much , had issues ,,, so I whipped it out dried it and the bike is no issues .
I have the air rear shock , I like mid stroke and very little rebound dampening and the tuneability of air is great for that , theses bikes are planted and like going sideways .
I have the pro race , the ulimate is basically the pro race with a rear shock refresh , slightly beefier fork almost identical spec but is heavier . Usually pulling weight of. a bike is $1 a gram.
Ive ridden for 15-18 years , raced DH ridden, DH all the time and always had trail MTB too .
The pro race is very capable , I think range is the only deciding factor . I think there will be new PRO RACE at 25% list price above the ultimate coming soon , so for me I feel the pro race is the one to get now .

Thanks for the feedback. Sounds like you’re very experienced! Do you think the elite is necessary with the suspension upgrades for enduro/dh stuff? I was gonna take a race and put a coil shock and 38s anyway but not sure if I need them. I’ve never ridden a coil mtn bike shock but I’m use to having coil motocross shock valved to my weight and riding style. As for warranty Shimano Canada head office is 30min from my house.. I’m calling yt and Shimano today to see if there is issues with motor I can go direct. I woill I’lld love to pull the trigger now but I’m likely going to wait till January for the 2021.. might as well since we are half way in the year and ski season is coming lol.

 

[marcellistudios]

Ok , so you can handle a bike .
I look at it like this ,
If you do a frame the bike has to go back and it will take weeks to sort out no matter what brand .
If you do a motor it might take longer , specialized may have some reconditioned motors available but who knows , I think the shimano would be the more reliable .
There is loads of good info in this group on isolating electric issues , also cables needed to sort out problems , really its only 3 or 4 cables . The bikes look easy to work on if you need to access the electrics . So if your used to general maintenance and basic problem solving I don't think fixing small issues is a worry , I feel maybe some people are not mechanically minded experienced and send bikes back without trying to isolate issues .
I ve only had the bike a week , I did some preventative measure spraying ARC -50 and electric grease ,,, but its cold here and it didnt set and I sprayed way too much , had issues ,,, so I whipped it out dried it and the bike is no issues .
I have the air rear shock , I like mid stroke and very little rebound dampening and the tuneability of air is great for that , theses bikes are planted and like going sideways .
I have the pro race , the ulimate is basically the pro race with a rear shock refresh , slightly beefier fork almost identical spec but is heavier . Usually pulling weight of. a bike is $1 a gram.
Ive ridden for 15-18 years , raced DH ridden, DH all the time and always had trail MTB too .
The pro race is very capable , I think range is the only deciding factor . I think there will be new PRO RACE at 25% list price above the ultimate coming soon , so for me I feel the pro race is the one to get now .

Oh and yes I do all my own maintenance and tech stuff on my moto bike so I can figure stuff out

 

[HOMIE5000]

Thanks for the feedback. Sounds like you’re very experienced! Do you think the elite is necessary with the suspension upgrades for enduro/dh stuff? I was gonna take a race and put a coil shock and 38s anyway but not sure if I need them. I’ve never ridden a coil mtn bike shock but I’m use to having coil motocross shock valved to my weight and riding style. As for warranty Shimano Canada head office is 30min from my house.. I’m calling yt and Shimano today to see if there is issues with motor I can go direct. I woill I’lld love to pull the trigger now but I’m likely going to wait till January for the 2021.. might as well since we are half way in the year and ski season is coming lol.

I think the Elite is the Pro Race its basically the same bike same price for a newer/ slightly stiffer fork , different branded wheel set and the rear shocks had a yearly refresh from fox .I think the elite is making way for the new pro race with a new Shimano motor and longer range battery maybe a an electronic dropper and gears again carbon bars etc but I think it will have a 25% price premium over the elite. I could be completely wrong but seeing the elite and the pro race is basically the same bike with a different name the elite makes way for an ultra premium Pro Race.
If you have time to think about purchase , the elite is there at that price point , choice between the current Elite and Pro Race would be I feel made on you size and weight . If you'r a monster the bigger forks would be the choice . If your under 6'2 foot and under 100KG the Pro Race i think would be the one . But If you have time to see what the new YT Ebike with the new Shimano motor is like and choose between the current and new versions even better .
We all want more but that pro race as it stands is a riot , Iv ridden it every day except today because it snowed .

 

[marcellistudios]

I think the Elite is the Pro Race its basically the same bike same price for a newer/ slightly stiffer fork , different branded wheel set and the rear shocks had a yearly refresh from fox .I think the elite is making way for the new pro race with a new Shimano motor and longer range battery maybe a an electronic dropper and gears again carbon bars etc but I think it will have a 25% price premium over the elite. I could be completely wrong but seeing the elite and the pro race is basically the same bike with a different name the elite makes way for an ultra premium Pro Race.
If you have time to think about purchase , the elite is there at that price point , choice between the current Elite and Pro Race would be I feel made on you size and weight . If you'r a monster the bigger forks would be the choice . If your under 6'2 foot and under 100KG the Pro Race i think would be the one . But If you have time to see what the new YT Ebike with the new Shimano motor is like and choose between the current and new versions even better .
We all want more but that pro race as it stands is a riot , Iv ridden it every day except today because it snowed .

Cool! Thanks for the tips man! Ya I can wait for the 2021s. Any advice for sizing? Just go with what YT recommends? I’ve thought about maybe a larger than needed frame for more Wheelbase stability but then don’t want to sacrifice agility. I’m 6ft 185lbs without gear.

 

[YokoOno]

Cool! Thanks for the tips man! Ya I can wait for the 2021s. Any advice for sizing? Just go with what YT recommends? I’ve thought about maybe a larger than needed frame for more Wheelbase stability but then don’t want to sacrifice agility. I’m 6ft 185lbs without gear.

Decoy is a long bike. I recommend you go Large. The XL could be ponderous at 6'

 

[marcellistudios]

I think the Elite is the Pro Race its basically the same bike same price for a newer/ slightly stiffer fork , different branded wheel set and the rear shocks had a yearly refresh from fox .I think the elite is making way for the new pro race with a new Shimano motor and longer range battery maybe a an electronic dropper and gears again carbon bars etc but I think it will have a 25% price premium over the elite. I could be completely wrong but seeing the elite and the pro race is basically the same bike with a different name the elite makes way for an ultra premium Pro Race.
If you have time to think about purchase , the elite is there at that price point , choice between the current Elite and Pro Race would be I feel made on you size and weight . If you'r a monster the bigger forks would be the choice . If your under 6'2 foot and under 100KG the Pro Race i think would be the one . But If you have time to see what the new YT Ebike with the new Shimano motor is like and choose between the current and new versions even better .
We all want more but that pro race as it stands is a riot , Iv ridden it every day except today because it snowed .

I’m really excited to see what I can do with this new bike compared to my 2015 Marin xc with 100mm travel. Don’t get me wrong I like the bike but I don’t know any different. I really want something that feels closer to my dirtbike cause I can do whatever I want on that thing which is fun as hell lol

 

[HOMIE5000]

Cool! Thanks for the tips man! Ya I can wait for the 2021s. Any advice for sizing? Just go with what YT recommends? I’ve thought about maybe a larger than needed frame for more Wheelbase stability but then don’t want to sacrifice agility. I’m 6ft 185lbs without gear.

Reach is the most important . im 5'8, and with shoes 5'9 I ride a large , feels perfect . Its slightly longer than a large DH bike but its not a boat .
I think I could ride the XL no worries . Its a very agile bike ,but with the 29er front its nice to be able to get big weight shift/ input into the front of the bike and have plenty of room in the cockpit , plus the 27.5 rear can be ripped cuties drifted or kicked out easy . Its a really well balanced bike . I always found with 29ers you want to sit in the bike apposed to on the bike with a 26 or 27.5
You have time so ,
Get familiar with reach number and throw a leg over some brands . A large Levo is 455 reach , Large YT 450 reach . XL YT 470 reach , XL Levo 480 reach .

 

[Jedipip]

Decoy is a long bike. I recommend you go Large. The XL could be ponderous at 6'

I‘m 5’11” and went XL....it’s perfect, almost same cockpit feel as my Spectral in Large. A large Decoy would feel short on reach to me given current bike geometry.

and don’t hesitate, the Pro Race is a very good bike. The battery genuinely is better than the standard Shimano battery. You just need to decide if you really need 38‘s ?

 

[Endoguru]

I have owned 2 Decoy pro race bikes. One I sold to my brother and the other is my current ride. They are great bikes. Zero issues on either on (except for the awful E13 cassette which YT no longer uses). The value compared to Specialized bikes is far better. And no, I am not a Specialized hater. I also own a 2020 Specialized Enduro.
I would definitely size up on the Decoy. The reach is fairly short compared to most bikes these days. I’m 5-11 and ride the XL. YT recommends the Large for my height. It always come down to personal preference. Do you like a shorter bike that is a little more maneuverable, or a longer bike that is more stable when things get steep and rough. I always prefer a longer more stable back.

 

[Singletrackmind]

I have owned 2 Decoy pro race bikes. One I sold to my brother and the other is my current ride. They are great bikes. Zero issues on either on (except for the awful E13 cassette which YT no longer uses). The value compared to Specialized bikes is far better. And no, I am not a Specialized hater. I also own a 2020 Specialized Enduro.
I would definitely size up on the Decoy. The reach is fairly short compared to most bikes these days. I’m 5-11 and ride the XL. YT recommends the Large for my height. It always come down to personal preference. Do you like a shorter bike that is a little more maneuverable, or a longer bike that is more stable when things get steep and rough. I always prefer a longer more stable back.

Very well put! I am 6ft even and went with the large. Since I don't bomb downhill as much like in my younger days, wanted a more agile and nimble bike. Could have easily went with the XL and would have been happy with the more stable ride of a longer bike.

 

[zerofunds]

Anybody ridden both the pro race and the shred, I'm still undecided but leaning towards the pro race

 

[Endoguru]

Anybody ridden both the pro race and the shred, I'm still undecided but leaning towards the pro race

I have the Pro Race, but have switched out the X2 shock for a Marzocchi Bomber tuned by Avalanche Downhill. If you ride aggressively downhill and like to jump, I think this bike is better with a coil shock. The Fox 38 will be better than the 36 as well. If that is you, I would go with the shred. If you are less aggressive and like to keep the wheels on the ground then I would go with the Pro Race as it will be a little lighter.