YT claims its Decoy SN is the “best enduro bike it’s ever made”, which is saying something coming from a brand with the Capra on its roster, and multiple EDR wins to its name thanks to Jack Moir.

Mondraker doesn’t have the same racing pedigree when it comes to enduro, but the Spanish brand also doesn’t mince words when it comes to describing its resurrected Dune – “the natural evolution of enduro” reads the sales pitch.

Currently the world of the lightweight e-enduro bike is a tight-knit space. Alongside the two bikes I’ve tested here, there’s the ageing Specialized Kenevo SL and the brand new Trek Slash+. I didn’t include the Specialized for the simple reason that we’ve already tested it, and I couldn’t get hold of a Trek Slash+ in time. But I have one now, so look out for a review on that exciting bike coming soon.

Pricing

Both of these bikes are incredibly well-matched on price. In fact they cost exactly the same amount, at £8,499. However, they use different sales models – YT sells direct to consumer, while Mondraker still has a dealer network. Normally that means that, if the price is comparable, the direct-to-consumer brand is much better value, with a higher specification. In this case though, while the YT has the edge in a few areas of spec, the two bikes are surprisingly close. Both get full carbon frames, both get top-end suspension, both use alloy wheels, and both come with SRAM GX wireless AXS drivetrains.

You can also walk into a Mondraker dealer and kick the tyres of a Dune RR, try out the sizing, and get one-on-one advice from the staff. YT also offers that service, along with demo rides, but you’ll have to travel to the YT Mill in Surrey to exploit it. Not super handy if you ride, say, at Golfie or Dyfi.

Neither YT nor Mondraker offer customisation in the same way as brands like Orbea, but you can buy a 250Wh Bosch PowerMore range extender for the Dune RR, which will add another £400 to the price. Fazua currently doesn’t offer a range extender for the Ride 60 system used in the YT Decoy SN.

Looking at current prices, the YT Decoy SN Core 4 is now discounted to £7,199, while I’ve seen the Mondraker Dune RR as low as £6,200 online – that’s over two grand off.

Suspension and frame layout

Being labelled enduro bikes comes with the expectation of a certain amount of travel. Mondraker claims the most rear wheel travel of the two bikes with 165mm, while YT is just shy of that figure with 160mm. Of course I measured both bikes, and neither quite delivered on those claims – the YT generating 157mm and the Mondraker 162mm.

The two brands go about achieving that travel through two quite different means. YT has taken the V4L suspension design found on the full power Decoy and gives it a mild tweak to eek out some extra space in the front triangle. As such the seatstays drive the shock via a yoke and swing link attached to the seat tube. It creates a really compact frame that still has enough space in the front triangle for a water bottle (or a range extender if Fazua ever offers one).

Mondraker also sticks with a revised version of its signature Zero suspension system for the Dune. In this case the shock still passes through the seat tube, but it’s tilted at a flatter angle, and compressed at both ends by the swingarm and the rocker link, rather than the upper and lower links on older models. The big drawback of this design is seat tube insertion depth for the dropper post. Compare the two bikes, and the large YT Decoy SN comes with a 200mm dropper post that can be inserted fully into the 430mm seat tube. Whereas the Mondraker’s OnOff post has only a 170mm drop, and fully inserted it sticks out 35mm from the 455mm seat tube. For anyone below 6ft, this is a real issue, with seat clearance seriously compromised on the type of terrain where you need it most.

Surprisingly, Mondraker does find room within the front triangle for both a bottle cage mount on the down tube, and a Fidlock mount under the top tube. The benefit of this is that you can run both the Bosch 250Wh range extender, and a water bottle, at the same time. The YT will only let you run one or the other, but since Fazua doesn’t have a range extender, it’s a moot point. YT does have space for a tool mount under the top tube, which comes with a tyre lever and plug tool, and will take a tube.

One area where the two bikes diverge is cable routing. Mondraker funnels all the cables between the steerer tube and the headset bearing, which creates a sleek-looking cockpit, but also makes working on the area a total pain. What’s even more annoying is that Mondraker has just flipped back to running the cables through ports in the head tube on its latest Crafty e-bike, so it’s either bowed to consumer pressure, or realised this roadie system was a nightmare to look after.

YT, on the other hand, deserves applause for not jumping on the headset-routing bandwagon, with all the cables on the Decoy SN entering the frame through ports in the head tube.

Elsewhere, the drivetrain is protected and silenced by integrated rubber frame protection and upper chain guides, while both bikes get covers and down tube protectors around the motor and battery.

Mondraker goes one step further with a little flap to keep mud off the shock body and seals.

Motor and battery

This is where it starts to get really interesting. The Bosch SX motor on the Mondraker is noticeably more powerful on the type of steady-gradient fireroad climbs that are common when accessing enduro-style terrain. I found it pretty easy to keep the cranks spinning at a high cadence to tap into that 600W of peak power, so I climbed faster, and used less energy, than I did on the YT Decoy SN with its Fazua Ride 60 motor.

On the flip side, that inevitably has an impact on the range. In our recent SL E-Bike of the Year test, the difference in range between a Bosch SX bike and a Fazua bike (on the same tyres, with the same rider, on the same route) was 341m. Or, to put it another way, the Fazua bike will give you another lap over the Bosch bike. Fazua boasts an impressive range from its 430Wh battery, with over 1,200m of climbing in our range test in Rocket mode. For comparison, the Bosch SX motor with its 400Wh battery managed 861m in Turbo mode. For longer rides, you’re going to need to dial down the power or add the optional 250Wh range extender. Neither battery is removable without taking the motor out first.

Another key point of difference is noise. The Fazua is quieter on the climbs, and doesn’t rattle on the descents. Overall, the YT Decoy SN is a really quiet bike, and that’s something that made me smile every time I got back onboard after riding the rattly SX-equipped Mondraker.

Bosch has the edge in terms of its displays and controllers. The top tube display gives enough range info to mean I didn’t need to faff about connecting to the app, and also meant I could remove the Kiox 500 display from the handlebar, as this just got in the way – Bosch’s new Purion 400 would be a much neater solution.

Fazua’s touch points are much more basic, with a top tube display that’s blindingly bright, and a bar-mounted Ring Controller that feels like it came free in a cracker.

The final aspect I need to touch on is reliability. I had an issue with the top tube controller on the YT giving up the ghost early on in the test, but this was rectified by swapping it for a new one. After that, the motor and battery were faultless. But our experience with Fazua has not always been so smooth, with two test bikes breaking down, and one sounding very unhealthy. It’s not a deal breaker, but it definitely is a concern.

Bosch, on the other hand, has a good reputation, and we’ve not had any issues with the motors on any SX-equipped bikes we’ve tested.

To sum up, the Bosch motor makes light work of the climbs, has more sophisticated controls, and comes with greater peace of mind, but the Fazua doesn’t rattle, and has much better range. You pays your money and you takes your choice.

On the scales

Although YT and Mondraker use their respective top carbon layups, there’s a notable difference in weight between the two bikes. On the scales, my large Decoy SN weighed 21.1kg, 1,200g heavier than the Mondraker Dune RR at 19.89kg. Given that a large YT Decoy SN frame (without motor and shock) weighs a claimed 3,038g, and the Dune RR a claimed 2,650g, that only accounts for about a third of the weight difference. There’s 260g difference in the motor and battery systems in favour of the Bosch SX (4kg Vs. 4.26kg), so the Dune’s further weight savings must be in the spec. Which makes sense taking into account its air shock compared to the YT’s coil shock, and SRAM Code brakes next to the YT’s burly Mavens.

Whichever way you slice it, the Dune is an impressively light e-enduro bike. Even the XR model with the Ohlins TTX coil shock and 180mm fork weighs under 20kg at 19.93kg.

Geometry side-by-side

Considering both bikes on test are a size large frame, it’s obvious that the Mondraker is the bigger bike. With a 491mm reach, it’s a roomy frame, yet it never felt too stretched or unwieldy. That’s probably down to the really steep seat tube, that put me in a very upright riding position, ideal for spinning that motor up to speed.

What’s weird is that my hands felt much lower on the YT Decoy SN than on the Mondraker, despite the stack numbers being identical and a 40mm rise bar on the YT. Look at the BB heights, and the reason why becomes clear. The YT has a really low 333mm BB height. And that’s in the high flip-chip position! Luckily YT’s decision to spec short 160mm cranks mitigates against excessive pedal strikes – I didn’t suffer more than usual. But perhaps 155mm cranks would be even better, and I do wonder who’s going to use the low flip-chip position that drops the BB by 4mm and slackens the angles by 0.3º?

Mondraker’s geometry is fixed, and the BB is at the other end of the scale at 350mm. I’d like to see Mondraker add a flip chip (as it has done on the latest Crafty e-bike) with a lower option. And I’d like the Dune’s BB to drop by 5mm in the high position to 345mm. So you could have either 340mm or 345mm, then fit shorter cranks (from 170mm to 160mm) which would help when it comes to revving the motor, and maximising seat post drop. That would be a win-win for Mondraker.

One final point to make about the sizing is that the YT Decoy SN is available in five sizes, with the L being the middle size, so there’s loads of room to size up or down. On the other hand, the Mondraker only comes in four sizes, and the dropper post insertion gives very little wiggle room for upsizing.

Build kits

Neither bike skimps on suspension, with top-end Ohlins and Fox parts on the Mondraker and YT respectively. That means three-way damping adjustment on the Ohlins 38 RXF M.2 fork and TTX air shock, and four-way tuning on the Fox 38 Factory Grip X2 fork and DHX2 Factory coil shock. Yes, that’s the latest damper in the Fox fork with the larger diameter base valve packed with more shims. And the shock gets the fancy lightweight SLS steel spring.

YT’s choice of a 425lb spring on the large was perfect for my weight, giving 19mm of sag with a bit of preload. However, accurately measuring the sag was definitely trickier than it was with the Mondraker’s air shock. The original Fox shock also had a really bad top out, where the last bit of stroke was completely undamped. YT swapped it for an alternative, which was markedly better, but still had an obvious top out.

On the other hand, Ohlins’s 38 RXF fork isn’t that straightforward to set up – you have to inflate the ramp-up chamber first, then the main air chamber. Mondraker’s recommended settings were a really good starting point though.

SRAM’s popular GX Eagle AXS Transmision (with T-Type fitting) features on both bikes here, offering accurate shifting even under load. YT edges ahead of Mondraker by choosing the sexy gold Helix Race E*Spec cranks over E*Thirteen’s more basic E*Spec Plus versions, in shorter 160mm lengths across the board. Mondraker could do well to follow suit and shrink their crank lengths.

Credit goes to YT for using the separate Infinity clamps for the AXS shifter pods, instead of the Matchmaker mounts, as they give me more freedom to place the shifters where I wanted them.

Sadly the Dune came out before SRAM released its Maven brakes, so while the YT Decoy SN gets to bask in the colossal power and monolitically solid lever feel of the newer brakes, Mondraker has to make do with the older Codes. Which feel woefully undergunned in the shadow of the superb Mavens, and are not helped by clamping stingy 200mm Centreline rotors front and rear. I’d like to see Mondraker upgrade to a 220mm disc up front, and the thicker HS2 rotors for better bite.

YT’s runs Crankbrothers Synthesis Alloy wheels on the Decoy SN Core 4, and I had no complaints with their performance. Shod with extra soft Continental Kryptotal tyres, they delivered ample grip in a range of conditions and environments. On the Mondraker, the E*Thirteen Grappler Race wheels lacked a bit of spoke tension in the rear that gave some creaky wind-up noises under power. However, I had no other issues with the wheels, and Mondraker nailed the tyre choice on the Dune RR with the reliably tenacious Maxxis Assegai / Minion DHR II treads in Exo+ Maxx Grip up front and Max Terra Double Down rear.

Performance

Splitting these two bikes on performance, ride-quality, and handling was extremely difficult. I preferred the free-flowing, predictable suspension on the Mondraker, but the sizing and BB height meant I felt closer and more connected to the trail, giving me more freedom to move around the bike. Mondraker’s frame has more sway when fully loaded up, which is more forgiving to ride on janky natural enduro trails, but the hench Decoy SN didn’t flinch, even on the heaviest landings. Climbing was much easier and faster on the Mondraker, but the motor rattle on the descents was irritating.

To choose the best bike in this head-to-head will depend on your priorities. The first of which will be sizing. Simply put, if you’re below 6ft, you’re going to get tangled up on the Mondraker Dune RR. You’re also going to need to source a different dropper post if you want to maximise the difference between climbing and descending saddle heights.

Even though the YT suffered from an over-damped Fox fork and Fox shock with no damping at top-out, the suspension is good enough to rally both bike park and enduro trails. It doesn’t trump the extra grip from the Ohlins parts on the Mondraker, but I could ride so much more aggressively on the YT without worrying about getting hooked on the saddle.

The YT is the better enduro bike because it has the better sizing, and it fits more riders. Simple as that. Forget the subtleties of the suspension, the nuances of the motor and battery, or the flex-response of the frame. These are just sidebars to the main story.

Which is a shame, because there’s a lot that I really like about the Dune. And if you’re a taller rider, you’ll fit fine.

Verdict

Both of these bikes set their stall out in similar ways. YT says the Decoy SN is the best enduro bike it’s ever made. Mondraker claims the Dune is the natural evolution of enduro. And I can’t really argue with either of them. But neither of them is perfect.

I think Mondraker needs to take a serious look at dropper post insertion on the Dune, even if that means moving away from the Zero suspension design – like Santa Cruz has with the Vala. The Dune would also be a much better bike with the new Bosch Performance CX motor, without any real drawbacks. While you’re at it, get rid of the headset cable routing, add a flip-chip, drop the BB height, and fit shorter cranks. Now that’s a Dune that would be hard to beat.

For better suspension performance on the YT, I would consider saving £1,000 and going for the Core 3 model. From experience, the RockShox Zeb Charger 3.1 fork and Vivid Air shock are easier to tune with a wider range of damping performance. Better still, the Core 3 is currently on sale.

Which makes the YT Decoy SN my test winner, if only by a whisker. And there’s still a shadow hanging over that result – the reliability of the drive unit. Will the Fazua motor go the distance? That’s the six-thousand-three-hundred-and-ninety-nine-pound question. And one you’ll have to wrestle with yourself.

Thanks to B1KE for letting us use Rogate bike park for the riding shots.