The Takeaway: Brutally fast e-enduro bike built for professional racers.
- 160mm rear travel with a 170mm fork
- Shimano EP8 motor and Shimano 630Wh battery
- Carbon frame with six bar rear suspension
- Two builds priced $10,100 and $12,700
Price: $12,700 (as tested)
Weight: 50.8 lb. (size medium)
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Whispered about like a mythical cryptid, Yeti’s new e-bike is real, and it’s here. The 160-E is the brand’s first, but not its last, e-bike. It's a big bike—29 inch wheels and 160mm of rear travel—and one designed for the emerging sport of e-enduro racing.
Meet the Yeti 160-E
Yeti divides its bikes into two categories: rip and race. The difference, in the words of Yeti’s director of marketing, Garrett Davis, is “Our race bikes are purpose-built and designed to be fastest between the tape. Our rip line … are bikes you immediately throw a leg over and want to play around on. Our rip line is most comfortable outside the tape, on your local trails.”
The 160-E is Yeti’s first e-bike, and it features 160mm rear travel mated to a 170mm fork. Whether you buy into Yeti’s category distinctions or not (I find them a bit arbitrary), Yeti’s decision to put its first e-bike into the “race” category might raise a few eyebrows. A 160mm e-bike is a race bike?
It is, as it turns out. That’s because of the new—the first race went down last week—Enduro World Series e-bike category called EWS-E. Except for the equipment, EWS-E follows almost the same format as an EWS race: Riders complete multiple downhill time trial stages, and the rider with the quickest total time wins. The one significant difference is that EWS-E features a “Power Stage”: A timed technical climbing stage. Riders must use the same equipment for the entire event in both formats, though EWS-E riders can recharge between stages.
I asked Davis why Yeti’s first e-bike is a race bike and not a rip bike, “Race has always been the backbone of how we develop bikes at Yeti. If it can perform under the fastest racers on the most demanding courses in the world, we are confident it will deliver an incredible ride for any rider,” he said.
But I wondered: If EWS-E is brand new, how did Yeti’s design team know how to build an e-enduro race bike? Davis said, “The EWS-E is a relatively new format, but the courses are often very similar [to EWS]. We took what we knew from our EWS winning team riders and designed and engineered a bike that addressed the demands of not only EWS-E racing but also the added power and weight of an e-MTB.”
However, the EWS-E’s timed uphill stage—which is not a feature of EWS races—represents a significant differentiation between the races: One that may result in the different design and tuning choices. Peter Zawistowski, Yeti’s director of engineering, told me, “The goal and challenge is to balance suspension characteristics to perform across a large spectrum of conditions. An e-MTB exaggerates this importance. The dynamic anti-squat and anti-rise responses, the leverage rate, geometry, and chassis were all considered during this balancing act to optimize for both climbing and descending. I’d argue that e-MTB suspension design is especially critical during a technical ascent. The reduction in [anti-squat] magnitude compared to a traditional MTB increases traction to aid in situations like the timed Power stage, while the switching movement of the lower Switch link enables unique and specific behavior when climbing versus descending.”
SixFinity Suspension
With the 160-E, Yeti debuts its new six-bar suspension system dubbed SixFinity. One primary reason Yeti moved to the six-bar system: The motor occupies the space where the signature Switch Infinity translating link sits on the brand’s unpowered bikes. But even though 6i is a different system, it has some of the same features and characteristics as the Si system. 6i has an inflection point near the end of the travel where the lower link reverses direction to counteract chainstay growth and the resulting pedal kickback.
SixFinity is, Yeti representatives say, an e-bike only system, “Sixfinity will only appear on e-MTB platforms for the foreseeable future. We can say with confidence that the next generation of pedal bikes will use our Switch Infinity platform,” said Davis.
One reason for that: Sixfinity is probably overbuilt for use on an unpowered mountain bike. With seven pivots and 16 bearings, it’s heavy but extremely stiff and designed to hold up to the additional weight and power of a powered bicycle. It’s also highly tunable with engineers building in “gear agnostic” anti-squat—only 8.6% change across the cassette; much less change than a typical mountain bike suspension system. Engineers intentionally biased the 160-E’s anti-squat (about 100 percent) and anti-rise (about 65 percent) lower than an unpowered bike, prioritizing traction rather than pedaling efficiency and preservation of geometry, traits Yeti considers more critical to unpowered bikes than to an e-bike.
A lower shock mount chip lets the rider choose three linearly progressive leverage rates—35-, 30-, or 25-percent. In its materials, Yeti describes the 160-E’s different rates like this, “The stock position is 30-percent providing a balanced ride. For a more supported and efficient feel, just flip to the 25-percent position. For a plusher feel with more pop, flip to the 35-percent position (this setting is also ideal for a coil shock).” I tried all the settings—all chips are included with purchase—and preferred the 35-percent position.
Yeti’s leverage curves appear to show the differences in leverage occur at the beginning of the travel, with the leverage ratio at the end very similar no matter the chosen rate. However, Zawistowski states, “While visually looking at the leverage rate curves overlaid it may appear the change is only occurring in the beginning of the stroke (leverage rate magnitude delta between curves is the largest), however there is a consistent and tangible difference across the entire travel range (5-percent per position).”
Besides the flip-chip, the Fox’s Float X2 shock on all builds has adjustable air spring volume for additional tuning options.
160-E Geometry
From the factory, 160-E runs 29-inch wheels front and rear. Yeti says this is because dual 29er wheels are the fastest option for racing but add, “We are not anti-mullet: If you want to run it, go for it,” though take note that running a 27.5 rear wheel on this bike will make it slacker and drop the BB even lower.
And the 160-E’s BB is already low (355mm estimated height, 22.5mm drop) with a 29 rear wheel. Couple that with how you ride an e-bike—pedaling as much as possible—and you’re likely to hit its pedals. 160mm cranks are stock (which is good—it needs the clearance), but due to parts shortages, my bike had 165mm cranks on it for most of the testing, and I clipped stumps, rocks, and the trails’ edge All. The. Time. So much that I swapped from flats to Shimano Trail clipless after a few rides simply because clipless are narrower and offer more clearance.
As far as the rest of the geometry, the chart shows you all the details, so I’ll mention a few things:
• Even though Yeti built the 160-E around a 29 inch rear wheel, the stays are short (for an e-bike) at 446mm. That is just 4mm longer than Specialized’s Turbo Levo, even though the company designed that bike around a 27.5 rear wheel, and it has10mm less rear travel.
• Head tube angle is 64.5 degrees which is average for an e-enduro bike. There is no geometry adjustment built into the frame. Zawistowski told me, “The addition of a flip-chip for a geometry adjustment at a linkage pivot often does not result solely in desirable changes. The pivot position change often impacts other ride characteristics negatively, such as anti-squat and anti-rise. The goal of the flip-chip on the 160E was to gain the ability to adjust the leverage rate progression only while keeping all other attributes constant.”
•Because the 160-E uses drop-in bearings—no cups—angle sets are not an option. So your only options for angle adjustment is to run a longer fork and/or a 27.5 rear wheel.
• Though the reach is generous on paper, I found the top tube a bit short and wished for a bit more room in the seated position.
Yeti 160-E Builds
The 160-E comes in two builds: The T1 ($12,700) and the C1 ($10,100). Customers in the USA can upgrade either bike with carbon wheels for an additional $900.
Both bikes use the same carbon frame, Shimano EP8 motor, and 630Wh battery. The primary difference is that the C1 uses lower grade suspension components (Performance instead of Factory), a downgraded Shimano drivetrain, SRAM Code brakes, DT Swiss wheels, and a OneUp dropper instead of the T1’s RockShox Reverb AXS.
Both builds get Yeti’s new USA-made thermoplastic riser bar with internal routing for Shimano’s motor remote. Yeti states, “The material and manufacturing process allows for the bar to more efficiently dissipate energy that would otherwise be transmitted to the rider.” On my scale, the bar weighed 251 grams.
Yeti 160-E Ride Impressions
Though Yeti positions this as a race bike, I’m not reviewing it through that lens because I have yet to compete in an e-enduro race and don’t have first-hand experience with the equipment demands of such an event.
But I did feel the race breeding in this bike because the 160-E is one of those bikes that—cliché as it is to say—gets better as you push harder. Not that it’s in any way terrible for cruising on mellow trails: It just feels like you’re using a two-handed claymore to cut a grape.
There’s nothing subtle or understated about the 160-E’s performance: Point it and smash; throw it around and hold on; drive it as hard as you dare. There is no question Yeti made this bike to go fast in technical downhill terrain. The absolute star of this bike is the rear suspension which is the best-performing mountain bike suspension I’ve ever ridden. It’s so good I don’t think I can describe it without sounding like I’m babbling, but I’m going to try.
It’s so damn smooth from the top of the stroke to the very end that every bump feels the same. Big hits hardly upset the bike, it cancels braking bumps, swallows square edges, and tracks over little bumps so precisely traction never broke. It feels like the frame and wheels connect differently, so the chassis was almost totally undisturbed by the up and down movement of the wheels. I didn’t know mountain bike suspension could work this well and be this well-rounded at offering traction, support, and control. It felt like it moved only when it was supposed to and didn’t move when it wasn’t, and it always felt like it moved precisely the right amount for the situation. It wasn’t supple but mushy or controlled yet insensitive—it always felt perfectly right.
And holy ass-crackers, this bike is stout, stiff, solid, and whatever other word you prefer. But neither is it too stiff: It doesn’t ping and pinball in rough corners or through the chunder. I find the 38 forks a bit over-stiff on a lighter mountain bike, but it feels supple and accurate on the front of a 50-pound e-bike.
I did find two modifications crucial to getting the most out of this bike: a set of Cush Core Pro inserts in the tires and a DSD RUNT in the fork. The Cush Core is not so much for flat protection (though that is a nice bonus) but because the additional sidewall support they provide is almost necessary because this bike offers up so much traction and speed. It’s the same story with the RUNT: It adds a lot of mid-stroke support to the fork, which really helps when there’s so much weight, speed, and traction in play. The RUNT also keeps the fork riding higher in the travel which helps mitigate the 160-E’s somewhat quick-feeling front end.
Which brings me to the brakes: SRAM’s Code four-piston brakes with a 220mm front rotor and a 200mm rotor in the rear are surely enough, right? I’d call them barely enough for the 160-E: I wished for more power, and I noted a bit of fade and some discoloration of the rotors.
So fast and fearless is the 160-E on downhills there were times I wish it were a bit longer and slacker. But if it were, it would probably take away some of its mid-speed manners—which are pretty good—and its *gasp* climbing performance, which is also remarkably proficient. I was worried that the lower levels of anti-squat the Yeti team dialed in might result in a bike that felt soggy and wallowed into the rear travel on steep climbs, but those fears were unfounded. I found plenty of support from the rear end, and rear-wheel traction is superb: If I picked a good line and maintained my balance, the 160-E would pull me up some impressively steep and technical climbs.
Cornering this bike is a religious experience. With tons of traction—aided by the excellent suspension and the bike’s weight—and the extra stability provided by its weight, there’s little that can unsettle the 160-E once it locks into a corner. And it doesn’t matter if that corner has a perfect berm or is off-camber with wet roots; the 160-E works well in all corners.
But I will mention, again, that the 160-E is capable of so much speed I often found it slightly twitchy when dipping it into faster corners and wished it was a bit longer and slacker. I’d really like to try this bike with an angleset to kick the front end our a half- or full-degree, but, alas, the direct fit bearings prevent that tuning option. And that’s the biggest fault with the 160-E: Racing is all about setup and tuning but without a geometry adjust option or the ability to fit in an angleset, this bike doesn’t offer the rider a full set of options.
Stepping away from Yeti’s contribution, Shimano’s EP8 motor continues to impress me with its smooth, tractable performance and good grunt. I still think Specialized makes the best overall motor, though, and a smoother and quieter one at that. And EP8 also has a bit of lash—which manifests as a “clunk” as the motor kicks on and off—which I find a bit unrefined.
And I do wish Shimano offered something bigger than a 630Wh battery because it’s always a bummer when I want to keep riding, but the battery says it’s time to stop. However, it’s pretty easy to drop and swap the battery on the 160-E, so if you pony up the $900 or so for an extra battery, you can keep the party going. As far as range goes, it’ll vary based on conditions, of course, but I did one of my favorite e-bike loops—20 miles, 3800 feet of climbing, all singletrack—using “Trail” mode exclusively and finished the ride in an hour and 50 minutes with 31-percent of the battery remaining.
I’ll leave you with one tip for getting the most out of this bike: get yourself in good shape. More than anything, I felt like my upper body strength (or lack thereof) held me back from getting the most out of the 160-E. It’s not that the 160-E is hard to control; it’s just that the forces and weights involved require a different level of strength than the average mountain bike. And to anyone who says riding an e-bike isn’t exercising: number one, screw you, and, number two, grab a 50-pound 160-E and ride it as fast as you can down the steepest rockiest trail you can find and if you’re not panting by the end, I’ll buy you a beer and a cookie (or just a cookie if you’re underage).
Yeti 160-E—Final Thoughts
I’ve said to friends that riding an e-mountain bike is its own thing: It’s not like riding a mountain bike, and it’s definitely not like riding a motorcycle. No e-bike has reinforced that impression in my mind like the 160-E: There’s speed and capability here that I’ve not experienced in any other bicycle. That said, I don’t put the 160-E in the same class as the Specialized Levo, which I find to be a more suitable all-around, all-purpose e-bike and one that’s more entertaining to ride on mellower trails. The 160-E, in contrast, is perfect for the rider who prefers a slightly quicker handling enduro bike and pushes the limits of themselves, and their bikes, every moment of every ride.
A gear editor for his entire career, Matt’s journey to becoming a leading cycling tech journalist started in 1995, and he’s been at it ever since; likely riding more cycling equipment than anyone on the planet along the way. Previous to his time with Bicycling, Matt worked in bike shops as a service manager, mechanic, and sales person. Based in Durango, Colorado, he enjoys riding and testing any and all kinds of bikes, so you’re just as likely to see him on a road bike dressed in Lycra at a Tuesday night worlds ride as you are to find him dressed in a full face helmet and pads riding a bike park on an enduro bike. He doesn’t race often, but he’s game for anything; having entered road races, criteriums, trials competitions, dual slalom, downhill races, enduros, stage races, short track, time trials, and gran fondos. Next up on his to-do list: a multi day bikepacking trip, and an e-bike race.
