WE DIG
WE DON’T
ABOUT THE YETI MTe
It’s no-nonsense for Yeti’s first lightweight eMTB. They built the 145mm MTe with their Sixfinity suspension platform, paired it with a 160mm fork, and created an all-mountain machine with lots to like. And, when it is time to go back up, TQ’s latest HPR 60 offering makes for a quick and easy return to the top.
DRIVE UNIT AND ELECTRONICS
For Yeti’s introduction into the SL eMTB space, the brand chose TQ’s HPR 60 motor to power the MTe. The HPR60 sees 350W of peak power and 60Nm of torque.
Yeti pairs the motor with a relatively compact 580Wh battery, which provides the HPR 60-equipped MTe with stellar range. The compact size of both the motor and the battery allows Yeti to somewhat hide the “E” aspect of their new SL eBike. And, for those wanting to push the MTe even further, TQ offers a 160W range extender that’ll fit sizes Medium and up. Or for those looking for the most natural ride feel, the 290Wh TQ battery is fitted to the racer-spec T4 build.
Located on the top tube of the Yeti MTe is TQ’s new color LED display. This displays ride statistics, including battery life in 1% increments, as well as rider and drive unit power and speed. A small and simple controller is located at the handlebars, allowing you to toggle assistance modes and engage the walk mode.
More control and fine-tuning are offered through TQ’s app, where users can customize power, level of support, and pedal response.
FRAME AND FEATURES
Yeti offers three builds for the MTe, and each features their TURQ-level carbon. Aside from looking spectacular (something expected in all Yeti frames), the frames also see extra reinforcement in high-impact areas thanks to a Vectran composite layer. As such, this lightweight eMTB should be able to take some serious abuse.
The MTe we had on test was fitted with a pair of 29-inch wheels, although a 27.5” rear wheel is an option thanks to a flip chip located at the seat stay to correct the geometry. Another chip at the lower shock mount allows riders to change the leverage rate.
Further geometry adjustment is possible with Yeti’s choice to use the ZS44/56 head tube standard. While they don’t provide a special headset to adjust reach or HTA, they have prepared for it. Yeti incorporated notches into the MTe’s headtube to help with aligning aftermarket headset cups, should the rider desire.
As expected, the MTe features tidy cable ports that facilitate easy internal routing and prevent rattling. They also feature rear brake cable routing on either side of the headtube, so all can enjoy the MTe regardless of whether they run their brakes correctly or incorrectly (notice I didn’t distinguish who is who).
SUSPENSION
The 145mm of travel on the MTe is driven by Yeti’s Sixfinity platform, the brand’s implementation of a six-bar suspension system. This platform enables Yeti to better control the MTe’s leverage curve and independently dial in both anti-squat and anti-rise, while working around the lightweight eMTB motor.
To allow the rider to tune the Sixfinity platform on the Yeti MTe, Yeti provides two progression flip chips — High and Low. Within those High and Low chips, you can further adjust the progression settings, essentially giving the bike a “low” and “lower” setting, as well as a “high” and “higher” setting. Those wanting a more supportive and consistent suspension feel can use the Low progression flip chip, choosing between 12% or 14% progression. Riders who want a more pronounced “ramp up” should run the High flip chip, with 23% or 25% progressivity.
GEOMETRY | Yeti selected some good numbers for the size large frame we tested, sitting in a balanced space for a SL eBike. A 64° HTA is paired with a 77° effective STA. The reach of our size Large is 480mm, and the stack is 635mm. While not an outlier by any means, the chainstays are on the longer side at 449mm, a consistent measurement across all sizes. These numbers, and especially the lengthy rear center, give our MTe a wheelbase of 1,273mm.
BUILD SPECS
Yeti offers the MTe in three builds — a C2 90 Transmission build, a T3 XO AXS Transmission build, and a T4 XX AXS Transmission build. While our C2 90 build is the lowest on the list, this light eBike is certainly no slouch.
The MTe C2 90 Transmission build, as the name suggests, is equipped with SRAM’s mechanical E90 Transmission. SRAM also handles the braking with Maven Bronze brakes and 200mm rotors. While the C2 90 build doesn’t have electronic shifting, it does feature an electronic dropper post, utilizing the new RockShox AXS Reverb at 200mm of drop.
Fox handles the suspension, with a 160mm Fox 36 Performance fork and a 145mm Fox Performance Float X shock. Various brands handle the touchpoints. Yeti carbon bars are mounted to a Burtec Enduro MK3 stem and feature ODI Elite Pro grips. The WTB Solano saddle with chromoly rails provided a comfortable, compact perch.
Finally, DT Swiss E1900 wheels are wrapped in our Schwalbe control tires, with a Magic Mary up front and an Albert in the rear, using the Radial Gravity casing.
With these Schwalbe control tires fitted, the Yeti MTe C2 weighed in at 46.1 lbs (20.9 kg) for our size large. While this was amongst the heaviest of our lightweight eMTB Shootout contestants, on the trail the weight figure disappeared into the background.
THE DIRT
SETUP
Our crew got along with the Yeti MTe rather quickly. The bike was ready to rip out of the gate, and only left personal preferences to be sorted. One of those could be the slightly lower stack height. It was a bit of a double-edged sword, as it helped with climbing and gave the front end a ton of cornering traction. However, it also caused riders to feel slightly less confident while pushing hard on the steepest descents or having to pull harder for manuals or when yanking for natural gaps. Of course, a higher-rise handlebar would remedy this quickly for those looking for a taller front end stance on their eBike.
From there, the only real setup work that could take some time is the fun process of experimenting with the four different suspension chip positions. Riders can select between 12-, 14-, 23-, or 25% leverage rate progression. This allows riders to fine-tune their suspension feel, and maximize performance for how they like to ride the MTe.
ELECTRONICS AND INTEGRATION
As you’d hope from a premium brand, the integration of the electronics and frame accoutrements was stellar on this lightweight eMTB. The TQ display sat perfectly inside the top tube, and the motor was cleanly packaged around the bottom bracket area. Our crew also appreciated the integrated rear fender, robust downtube guard, and the chainstay protector. We would have loved to have seen a shuttle guard, though.
CLIMBING
Depending on the rider’s preferred suspension setting, impressions ranged from very good to solid. Some riders really enjoyed the suspension feel, while a couple of our lighter riders in the 160lbs zone felt that the rear end wasn’t as smooth or comfortable over chunky climbs as some bikes. Another topic was the bottom bracket height, as some riders felt it was a bit low and could lead to contact on the more technical and steppy climbs. Most of our crew, however, were pleased with the bike and considered it a well-rounded and versatile machine for getting back up the mountain.
The TQ HPR60 drive unit was a strong performer, offering enough power and control with a silent operation. We appreciated the data on the display screen, letting us monitor human watts and drive unit watts to maximize range or for training purposes.
DRIVE UNIT RANGE TEST RESULT
We compared lightweight eMTB drive unit performance and efficiency with a standardized test. We created a 13-mile, 1,300-foot elevation “Battery Efficiency Loop” and rode every bike in its highest assist mode until the loop was done. Our test rider, Travis, is 193lbs and was diligent about his efforts and physical state for each ride.
The TQ HPR 60 system completed the loop in 01:03:23 (6th/8), but only used 192.2Wh of its 580Wh capacity (34%). This placed it best in class for consumption and capacity remaining. The predicted range in this terrain would be an impressive 38.2 miles, 3,820 feet.
To see more detailed feedback on the drive unit of this bike, head over to the Main Page of the SL Shootout. We dive into the details of each drive unit, what we like about them and what we don’t.
DESCENDING
From the first descent, the Yeti MTe let our test crew know it was ready to rumble. We rode the bike in the less progressive setting and absolutely loved it there. We experimented with some other settings, but found that the 14% setting was complementary to the frame’s kinematics. While Cole liked a slightly more progressive setting to give him a more playful feel, the rest of the team preferred the gains made in comfort, traction and suppleness.
Over high-speed chop and chunky rocks, the MTe regularly had our test crew thinking this bike had more than 145mm of rear wheel travel. It truly felt like a light-duty enduro rig in the way it swallowed up chunder at speeds.
While the Yeti MTe was absolutely one of the best descenders in this year’s Lightweight eMTB Group Review, most of our testers ended up running the stem at the highest position on the steerer tube and would have even liked a slightly higher rise bar. While this could lead to some tradeoffs elsewhere, we believe it would have helped on the steepest descents, and maybe given the bike a slightly more playful demeanor. With a higher bar, manipulating and moving the bike beneath us would have been slightly easier in a stronger, more upright position.
This was a minor gripe, and one that would be easy to remedy in an otherwise nearly impeccable performance on-trail. The Yeti MTe absolutely shone for riders who want a capable, rugged all-mountain bike that will not shy away from the rough stuff. It offered an eerily silent downhill experience, which urged us to stay off the brakes and attack.
FINISH AND VALUE
As impressive as the performance of the Yeti is on trail, on paper it falls behind compared to much of the light eMTB competition. With a retail price currently at $9,850 and a spec selection of mid-tier components at best, it was a tough pill to swallow. The bike’s performance absolutely greases that pill, and makes it easier to forget once you’re riding the MTe. But there was no denying that spreadsheet nerds and number crunchers are going to have a hard time spending $9,850 for Fox Performance suspension, SRAM 90 drivetrain, Maven Bronze brakes and DT Swiss E1900 wheels.
Another weak spot of the Yeti MTe is the clearcoat paint finish. Sure, these bikes have not had an easy life, but the MTe looks like it’s been through the wringer while other bikes still look relatively new. The paint haze from knee pads rubbing and general wear and tear quickly devalued the appearance of an otherwise stunning-looking SL eMTB.
COMPARISON AND RANKING?
When comparing the value and spec to dollars, the Yeti doesn’t quite pack the punch of bikes like the Propain Sresh SL or the Revel Rerun. That Revel came in cheaper and featured full Rock Shox Ultimate suspension, carbon wheels and XO Transmission. Though when you move away from the spreadsheet and look at the performance, the Yeti MTe was hard to beat as an all-round lightweight eMTB.
Our crew all ranked the MTe very highly in the trail/all mountain category. It offered a complete package. It may not have been quite as playful or snappy as the Pivot Shuttle SL/AM, or produce the power of the Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay SL’s Dyname drive unit. But, it offered a robust package with our favorite lightweight eMTB system – the TQ HPR60 – and 580Wh battery to log some serious mileage. This bike is hard to beat when you look at everything but the value on paper.
The Wolf’s Last Word
Our Yeti’s MTe review concluded that it was a compelling package in the lightweight eMTB space. It may not be the lightest, most powerful or best bargain, but there is no denying the way it handles the trails is in a class of its own. Our test crew were constantly blown away at how silent this eBike was, how well it handled terrain above its 145mm designation, and how composed it allowed us to stay at enduro-type speeds. This bike is truly special, and Yeti has baked a lot of great ingredients into the MTe.
If you prioritize how a bike makes you feel when you’re riding it above a spreadsheet analysis, then you may want to dive in. 
Price: $9,850
Weight: 46.1 lbs
Website: Yeticycles.com
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