The return of the Forchheimers
Here they are again.
The YT'ers from Forchheim.
Last year, a declaration of insolvency, crisis talks and a question of survival. Now a new start with a small team, great optimism and a new bike: the Decoy X. An E-Enduro with 170/160 millimetres of suspension travel and the most talked about off-road motor at the moment: Avinox M2S - the new one!
Between the light Decoy SuperNatural and the large Bosch freeride decoy, it closes a gap. And exactly where riders think: a little more power would be nice right now.
Aluminium is the new equal
The new Decoy X is made of aluminium.
In the past, this would have been phrased carefully. Today we say: logical. Robust, cheaper, sensible. After all, the heroes in the Downhill World Cup mainly ride aluminium - that has polished the aluminium image.
Thanks to hydroforming, the whole thing almost looks like carbon fibre. Only the weld seams reveal the truth. And to be honest: with an E-Enduro with 1300 watts, nobody is seriously interested in 300 grams more frame weight. The Decoy X weighs 25.4 kg (frame size small / 800 Wh battery).
Practical detail: a normal 600 ml bottle finally fits inside. Progress sometimes happens in small things.
On the Decoy X I sit down and think after five metres: it's fine.
Before the super motor even plays a role. That's typical YT. For years, the Forchheim-based company has managed to give its bikes a geometry mix that immediately inspires confidence. Get on, ride off, feel at home. This works just as well on the playful trail bike Izzo as it does on the uncompromising downhiller Tues - and here too.
I already know the two previous E siblings well: the lightweight Decoy SN and the full-power Decoy. It's all the more reassuring that the new Decoy X is geometrically noticeably closer to the SN. So less tractor, more toy. Just right.
The moderate chainstays are particularly striking - or rather: particularly pleasantly inconspicuous. Many manufacturers are now lengthening the rear end of their E-Enduros almost as a reflex. For fear that the bike might climb instead of descend. Technically, this also works. These bikes pull upwards like little cable cars. Unfortunately, they often ride downhill like furniture transporters on a company outing.
The famous Langholzlaster effect: maximum stability, minimum playfulness.
The Decoy X is no exception. With its 442 millimetres, the tail remains pleasantly short. Manuals are easier. Changing direction is intuitive. And even tight bends don't feel like manoeuvring. In short: thanks for that, YT.
In the launch edition, there is also the Fox Podium inside - an upside-down fork that already attracted attention in our last test with its enormous traction. It is not light. But comfort is more important here than counting grams. With its black fenders, it also provides a good dose of hard enduro aesthetics. If you want to know what it feels like in extreme cases: take a look at the Manuel Lettenbichler look at it. After that, you immediately understand why a fork looks the way it does.
1300 watts and a bit of awe
Then comes the moment.
Engine on.
1300 watts.
I'm not an app person. I'm the sit-down-and-drive type. That's why my biggest concern wasn't the performance, but the handling. Do I have to study computer science before I can ride a mountain bike?
I don't have to.
The Avinox M2S works surprisingly intuitively. And it works powerfully. Very powerful. Wheelies suddenly happen casually. Almost politely. Without arm dislocation.
Bosch can also do a lot. But this feels like: more.
The uphill becomes a playground
The trail is called Rollercoaster. Fits.
Off-camber, mud, roots, steps, bends, gradients - it's all there. Team rider Christian Textor rides in front of me - that's not riding, that's aerobatics, what the guy is doing. CEO Markus Flossmann disappears into the forest, even though he hasn't been on a bike for eight months. No way!
I stay behind. Never mind. That way I can concentrate on myself and the Decoy X.
The Decoy X rides like a YT: playful. Short chainstays. Manuals work. Changes of direction work. Fun is possible anyway.
Then we turn round at the bottom. Same trail back up.
In the past, I would have laughed - a "what are you dreaming of" laugh. Today I press boost.
Into the hollow path and up the steep wall on the other side. Braaap! The Avinox pulls me up.
Wow!
Awesome!
Again.
And again.
Freeride - now also uphill
The Avinox suddenly turns uphill into freeride.
Not automatically. You also need technology. Weight forwards. Right gear. Timing clean. Otherwise you'll get stuck like before.
But if it works: Insanity.
Ex-Worldcupper Textor drives up a rock. Me too. Almost. But I forget to take the weight off the stern at the top. The motor plate gets stuck. I jump off backwards.
So again.
And again.
That's how the afternoon passes.
Good Times are back
In the end, an impression remains:
The Decoy X is a fun machine with a serious motor.
Maybe I look like a fanboy now. Maybe I am. But no YT has disappointed me yet. And this one certainly hasn't.
The downhill used to be the reason to set off.
Now it's suddenly the uphill too.
YT boss Markus Flossmann says: "Did I have to get this old to finally make the Uphill fun?"
I say: "Thank you for letting me experience this!"
Dimitri Lehner
Editor
