THE YT DECOY X eMTB

October 10, 2026

With aggressive pricing, aggressive design, and the aggressive Avinox M2S drive unit, the YT Decoy X has the ingredients to be a formidable machine. But how have YT designed their alloy Avinox animal, and how does it perform?

As with all of The Loam Wolf Tech Check features, this was made with the support of YT Industries, and is not intended to be an official endorsement of the product or official review. Stay tuned for a long term review following in the coming months where we’ll dive in and give our final verdict.

THE YT DECOY X

YT designed the decoy to be a hard-hitting gravity eMTB, capable on the way down gnarly descents and with the power of the Avinox M2S to climb back up.

A burly hydroformed alloy frame houses the Avinox drive unit, with the V4L suspension system delivering 160mm of rear wheel travel. There’s a 170mm fork leading the charge, and a MX wheel setup only.

The Decoy X has the premium features you would expect to find on a modern YT eBike, from the effective internal cable routing to the extensive frame protection with a ventilated motor skid plate. On the lower shock mount, a 2-position flip chip offers a “regular” and “low” geometry position to tweak the handling to the rider’s preference.

AVINOX M2S FOR ALL

Across all spec levels of the YT Decoy X – beginning at the $4,999 / £4,499 Core 1 – there is an Avinox M2S drive unit with 800Wh fixed internal battery. All models now ship with the 12A Avinox fast charger, too. This charger can replenish 75% of the 800Wh battery in just 90 minutes, giving useful fast charging abilities.

The Avinox M2S delivers an impressive 1300W Peak Power, with 150Nm maximum Torque. But it’s not just a wild, powerful drive unit that lacks control. With the sensors and algorithms Avinox has developed, the M2S also delivers impressive levels of traction management and responsiveness. Each power mode can be tuned extensively, both on the screen on the top tube or in the Avinox Ride App, to deliver the ride feel and the compromise of power and battery management that the rider desires.

YT IS BACK IN THE USA!

That’s right, YT Industries has resumed its activities in North America, and already has the Decoy X Launch Edition ready to ship from their Californian base. Core models will be following closely behind.

YT focused on ensuring their re-entry to the US market was backed by solid customer care, so you can trust that they will have good spare parts availability and support from day one.

YT DECOY X GEOMETRY

YT offers the Decoy X in sizes Small to XXL, with even 20mm reach jumps and 7mm stack height increases between sizes. There’s a consistent 442mm rear end length across the range, balancing stability and agility well, at least in the size large tested.

The 2-position flip chip lets you tweak between a regular and low geometry setting, modifying the angles by 0.3 degrees and BB height by 4mm.

The size large in the low position had a 472mm reach and 650mm stack height. The 63.9° Head Tube angle and 78.1° Effective Seat Tube angle are modern and offered a good blend of characteristics. Rounding out the numbers are a 340mm BB height and 1264mm wheelbase.

AGGRESSIVE PRICING

YT is offering the Decoy X in a range of builds from the Core 1 at $4,999 / £4,499 to the $8,999 / £8,499 Launch Edition featured in this Tech Check. Throughout the range, you get adjustable suspension; the same solid Continental Kryptotal tire setup, and the same frame with Avinox M2S and 800Wh battery.

The top-spec Launch Edition is built to rally, in case its looks didn’t give it away already. You get the Fox Podium and Float X2 Factory suspension pairing to deliver high levels of tuning potential and excellent control and traction. A matching Fox Transfer dropper in solid drop lengths across the board gets the saddle down and out of the way on the descents.

The SRAM Maven Silvers are every bit as capable of slowing the ship down, provided they have a solid bleed. SRAM also provides the X0 T-Type drivetrain.

A DT Swiss HX1500 wheelset with the DEG DF 10 degree hub is wrapped in the quality Continental Kryptotal gravity tire combination. Rounding out the specs, you’ve got a Title alloy bar and stem, and a SDG Bel Air V3 saddle.

The total build weight came in at 57.5lbs (26kg) for the size Large YT Decoy X. While this is quite heavy on paper, it didn’t fully dictate the narrative of this hard-hitting eMTB.

RIDING THE YT DECOY X

The intentions of the YT Decoy X were immediately apparent from the second I pulled it out of the box. Before I had even hopped on board, it had a certain poise and aggression to its design and character. Helped of course by the monstrous Fox Podium fork up front, which matched the stature of the burly alloy frame, the Decoy X was not a bike that makes me question whether it’s had my back.

On the trail, the same notion carried through. It was sturdy and direct in feeling, with only the flex of the Podium fork giving a more muted feel. There was limited wallow when pushing the Decoy X hard, with the alloy frame delivering precision and confidence in waves. It’s clear that it was built tough, and never made me question its integrity.

This solid feeling of the YT Decoy X was then backed up by the component spec on the Launch Edition build. The Continental Kryptotal tires with DH casing in the rear and Enduro casing up front were fit for serious abuse. A no-nonsense, all-metal parts list continued this theme, and the result was an eBike that felt ready for miles of attacking the trails.

Of course, the burly componentry and frame added up to that 57.5lbs weight figure. However, it was not as significant as the number might suggest, at least not given the Decoy X’s intentions and capabilities. On the trail, the weight figure faded more into the background. YT’s V4L suspension setup and geometry delivered plentiful pop, support and energy, helping to give the mellower trails some life. The suspension platform struck a good blend of support and sensitivity, delivering predictable and consistent performance from the baseline setup through to the fine-tuned, dialled-in settings.

The Decoy X is not a fun and nimble trail eMTB, but that was never its intention. Given its aggressive intentions, I would consider its agility suitable, especially with its tires on the ground. In the Tweed Valley, Scotland, where the majority of testing was performed, there is a significant quantity of tight and twisty trails where you need to make quick direction changes. The Decoy X never felt like too much of a hindrance to make me question what trails I should be riding. It demanded some muscle for the most dynamic moves, but the well-rounded angles combined with a nice and low bottom bracket helped to offset the effects of its burly build.

As for its top-end capabilities, they are certainly there. I found myself pulling for some new trail gaps and completely unfazed by the steepest and most burly descents around. The confidence from a relatively high front end and low bb in combination with the sensitive suspension and meaty tires ensured confidence was delivered by the bucketload. It doesn’t have the most travel and didn’t deliver the absolute bottomless, muted feel of some, but it felt as if you could throw anything at it and come out the other side smiling. And it ran dialled, too, absent of any noise or rattle throughout testing.

This is not a long-term review, but the first rides on the YT Decoy X have been a certified riot. It’s safe to say that YT has done a killer job on both its design and the price point.