YT Decoy SN 29 Core 4 review: this is the eMTB that could tempt me to go electric

The SL electric mountain bike segment doesn't always get the attention it deserves, but YT's new Decoy SN 29 is certainly worth your consideration.

The Decoy SN 29 sits alongside the Decoy SN MX, launched in 2024, as a Fazua-powered carbon eMTB, but while the SN MX is aligned to the YT Capra in its intentions, the SN 29 is more of a YT Jeffsy in electrically assisted clothing.

If you're wondering what the 'SN' stands for - it's 'Super Natural'. This might give you an idea of how the brand wants the bike to ride.

The YT Decoy SN 29 has 140mm of travel at the rear, paired with 160mm up front, with the Fazua Ride 60 motor and 480Wh battery held in a carbon frameset. There are 29in wheels at each end of the bike.

Three models are available, from the cheapest Core 2, via the mid-priced Core 3 to the high-end Core 4, which I've tested.

All bikes get the same Hayes Dominion A4 brakes and EXO+ Maxxis Minion DHF/DHR II tyres.

YT Decoy SN 29 pricing and details

YT Decoy SN 29 Core 2

• Fox Performance 36 fork, Float X shock
• DT Swiss E1900 wheels
• Shimano XT/SLX
• £6,499 / $6,499 / €6,499

YT Decoy SN 29 Core 3

• RockShox Ultimate Lyrik fork and Super Deluxe shock
• Crankbrothers Synthesis Enduro 2 wheels
• SRAM Transmission S1000
• £7,499 / $7,499 / €7,499

YT Decoy SN 29 Core 4

• Fox Factory 36 fork and Float X shock
• DT Swiss EXC1501 wheels
• SRAM X0 Transmission
• £8,999 / $8,999 / €8,999

YT Decoy SN 29 Core 4 frame, suspension and motor details

YT has built the range of Decoy SN 29 bikes from a high-modulus carbon fibre, utilising a 4-bar suspension linkage to provide the 140mm of travel, and housing the Fazua motor and battery in place.

Carbon construction

The silhouette of the Decoy SN 29 is tell-tale YT, with many of the same forms found across its range.

The seatstays match the top tube's angles, while the shock mounting points are consistent with other models.

At the front of the bike, the head tube borrows from the Decoy SN MX, with a chunky build, into which cables enter through ports on the side.

The chainstays are deep and covered in protective rubber to reduce noise, while the non-driveside has a 203mm Post Mount brake mount.

The kinked seat tube extends above the dropped top tube, ensuring ample standover, while enabling you to fit up to a 230mm-drop dropper post in the XXL size.

Lower down, the motor sits in the belly of the bike, with the lower portion of the down tube extending forward of the bottom bracket to fit the motor in, before heading up to the head tube. More rubberised protection sits here to ward off rock strikes.

Tool caddy and water bottle mounts are included within the main triangle.

Suitably suspended

YT has employed a 4-bar linkage in the Decoy SN 29 to provide the 150mm of travel.

The V4L linkage, as YT calls it, uses a carbon link to drive the shock.

The shock is slung under the top tube, following the lines of the top tube and seat tube, giving ample access to the shock's adjustment dials.

This configuration limits space for water bottles, however YT's partnership with Fidlock means there are some compact bottle options available for the frameset.

YT wanted to keep the suspension feeling as natural and fun to ride as possible.

This means there's plenty of progression built into the kinematics, ensuring there's pedalling stability and plenty of pop.

Early on in the stroke, though, YT wanted to make sure it's still a comfortable bike to ride, with a sensitive feel.

Keep motoring on

YT has continued its partnership with Fazua, with the Decoy SN 29 getting the Ride 60 motor and battery.

The Ride 60 is a mid-power motor, offering up to 60Nm of torque and 450W of peak power.

It's powered by a 480Wh battery, which thanks to developments in battery cell chemistry, is the same size and weight as the previous 430Wh battery.

All-in, the battery and motor pack comes in at 4.3kg, helping give a size-Small bike a claimed weight of 19.2kg.

The motor has three main modes: Breeze, River and Rocket, and a time-limited Nitro mode that gives you the full 450W of power for 12 seconds – 100W more than the top assistance level in the three normal modes.

Accessing this is done by pushing a button on the new ring-controlled Mode Control remote.

Modes can be adjusted in the Fazua app.

The charge port has a magnetic connector, while the top tube holds the display – five LEDs show the motor mode and battery charge level.

The display can be flipped up to reveal a USB-C charge port, so you can keep your electronics topped up on the go.

YT Decoy SN 29 Core 4 geometry

YT is offering the Decoy SN 29 in five sizes, from S to XXL.

A flip chip is Integrated into the frame, enabling you to alter the geometry by 0.3 degrees, and 4mm at the bottom bracket.

The geometry chart below is for the higher, Regular setting.

YT Decoy SN 29 Core 4 specification

The Core 4 is the top-spec model of the Decoy SN 29.

Fox's super-adjustable Factory-level suspension features front and rear, with a 36 fork and a Float X shock.

The shock has a piggyback architecture, with the additional volume giving increased oil volume for more consistent performance through long descents.

Carbon DT Swiss wheels hold broad Maxxis Minion tyres, with EXO+ casings balancing weight and durability well. The front tyre benefits from the 3C MaxxGrip compound, for extra chemical grip on wet rocks and roots. The MaxxTerra compound is used at the rear.

YT has gone to Race Face for its ERA cranks, with the 160mm carbon arms holding a 32t chainring, which drives SRAM's X0 Transmission.

Hayes' Dominion A4 brakes haul on 203mm rotors front and rear.

A Race Face cockpit, YT Postman dropper – 150mm (S), 170mm (M), 200mm (L-XL), 230mm (XXL) and SDG saddle complete the package.

YT Decoy SN 29 Core 4 ride impressions

I tested the Decoy SN 29 at its launch, a two-day point-to-point ride through the Surrey Hills in England, as well as some of my favourite tracks in South Wales.

I had no issues setting up the bike for my riding. Fox's updated suspension dampers were easy to adjust to my feel, with a couple of clicks of low-speed compression damping from open on the fork to keep it controlled without being harsh, and moderately fast rebound speeds to suit my preference.

I ran the tyres with 22psi in the front and 24psi in the rear, as per my preference on the fast-rolling, dry tracks I was testing on.

It's rare that I prefer the higher, regular, setting of a bike's geometry. As I've said before, I would rather brands stick to one geometry – I don't think the option is necessary.

The YT is slammed – even in the higher of the two shapes, the BB is low at 337mm and the head angle slack for a trail bike at 64.4 degrees. Eking out 0.3 degrees of extra steepness in the seat angle is no bad thing, either.

As such, this is only the second test bike where I've felt the higher setting has no negative impact on how good the bike is.

YT Decoy SN 29 climbing performance

Even with its 78.6-degree effective seat tube angle, in size-Large, the 608mm effective top tube length gives the Decoy SN 29 a roomy feel when you're sat in the saddle, preventing the bike feeling cramped.

With the chainstays sitting at 447mm long, there's enough room to move forward and backward on steep ascents without upsetting the balance too much. That length means traction is dolled out nicely to the rear wheel, without the need to carefully tweak your weight between front-wheel control and rear-wheel grip.

The Minion tyres are a tried-and-tested classic that will suit many situations. The DHR II's treads dig in nicely to propel you up loose terrain, while remaining relatively fast-rolling on smoother surfaces.

The suspension is fairly stable. While ebike motors negate the need for the most efficient pedalling platform, it's no bad thing for the shock to remain relatively static under regular pedalling modes.

Despite this, there's still enough movement there to smooth out harsh undulations and to work with the tyre on that traction.

The steep seat angle is a highlight of the shape, ensuring your hips are placed well over the cranks.

When I stood up and cranked, I couldn't detect any undue chassis flex – not that I'd expect any on a bike of this ilk.

Naturally assisted

This isn't the first time I've ridden Fazua's Ride 60 motor – I tested it on the MX version of this bike too.

I'm a fan of how it feels. Yes, super-torquey motors from the likes of Specialized, DJI and Bosch are great fun, and can seemingly get you up anything, but they can also make your ride feel a little… artificial.

This mid-powered motor seems to provide a much more natural feel – almost like a hand pushing the small of your back, as you go up hills.

It's a subtle-feeling motor, rather than a punchy one, and so would suit riders looking for a bit of a hand, rather than a full-on push that you get with a full-fat motor.

The motor has a fairly high-pitched but quiet and unobtrusive whine as you pedal, and I couldn't detect any clutch rattle as I descended.

The 480Wh battery is a lot smaller than you get with many electric mountain bikes. However, with a lower-powered motor, I still managed to get a decent ride out of the bike.

In its River mode – the middle of three – I managed more than 1,200m of on- and off-road climbing over the course of a 38km ride. I weigh 85kg, kitted-up, for reference.

The new controller is ring-based, in that you rotate a ring next to the bars forward or back.

It's intuitive and easy to use, with a light feel.

However, the build of the unit doesn't feel overly sturdy in use, perhaps thanks to that lightweight plastic construction. The Nitro mode button is also easy to access.

In its Breeze mode, the motor does a good job of compensating for the added weight and resistance of the motor, while still adding a little extra zing to the feel of the bike as you ascend.

The River mode is the one I used most, with a natural 'you on a good day' feel that really helps on ascents.

Rocket is the next mode up, and while it can't compete with turbo modes elsewhere, it has a punch about it that will help you get up steep tarmac climbs with ease.

Finally, the Nitro mode does as it says on the tin – there's a noticeable jump in power delivery. If anything, it's frustrating that this is only a temporary boost – find yourself mid-way up a super-steep technical pitch when the power drops off and you have to compensate immediately with your legs.

YT Decoy SN 29 descending performance

As always seems to be the case with YT's bikes, the Decoy SN 29 is incredibly easy to jump on and ride from the off.

Its shape is modern without being extreme, while the suspension is supportive and comfortable. Within just a few metres, it feels like an old friend and you're soon up to speed.

The support provided in the early mid-stroke gives a good platform from which to add bursts of speed via the cranks. It helps you load the tyres as you approach a jump or navigate through turns.

This gives the bike a lively attitude, one that I enjoyed exploiting on the lumps and jumps, drops and rocks of my test tracks.

The slack head angle, rangy reach and low bottom bracket – even in the higher of the two geometry settings – place you nicely between the wheels when you're stood in the attack position.

The bike feels calm over repeated hits, while it's also very comfortable being dropped onto the tyres' shoulder knobs, helping you hold a line through long corners.

Tight, choppy turns need a little more input, but the bike doesn't feel scared of quick direction changes if you're happy to swing your weight around a bit. The tyres and the powerful brakes should give you the confidence to do so, too.

In this terrain, the motor's assistance is useful.

While I often turn down to Eco or switch the motor off during descents, I kept it on with the Decoy SN 29.

Exiting corners, the power is delivered with enough push to get you moving, without overwhelming the senses or giving you too much of a kick.

The power delivery is subtle, yet effective.

On faster, rough straights, the bike hauls. The long wheelbase is stable, while the ramp-up later on in the suspension's stroke means no harsh clattering as you rally over rocks. It holds speed well.

The chassis is stiff, though, especially at the front end. This helps with directional control, giving a direct feel to your inputs, but add in the moderately stiff bar and on rocky chatter there was a hint more feedback through the grips than I've felt on other bikes.

When you push the bike over the motor's assistance speed, it feels a touch sluggish. It's not quite like a heavy bike with no motor because there's still a bit of resistance through the cranks.

However, as with many facets of the motor's performance, it's not overly obvious. You can still put the power down without feeling as though you're pouring your energy down the drain.

When it comes to the steeps, the new damper in the Fox fork offers buckets of support, resisting diving and holding the front of the bike up well.

Hayes' Dominion brakes are a fan favourite, and with 203mm rotors, there's tons of power on tap.

On the steepest tracks, the 29in rear wheel could occasionally buzz the backside, reminding me that this bike is closer to the trail rather than enduro end of the spectrum.

YT Decoy SN 29 bottom line

While I naturally err on the non-assisted side of mountain biking, I do enjoy jaunts on ebikes.

The Decoy SN 29 seems to blend the best bits of both.

Its assistance is useful, without being in your face, while the battery capacity has enough juice to keep me going throughout the length of rides I naturally tend towards.

The easy handling is something I've come to expect from YT – its bikes are fun to ride, don't have any negative quirks and handle everything I'm willing to throw at them without fuss.

While I'll probably keep riding my naturally aspirated mountain bikes in the main, the Decoy SN is certainly the type of eMTB I would happily ride day in, day out.