Yo! Decoy vs Levo? What ya think ps check out my Decoy First Ride vid here kzfaq.info/get/bejne/e5hoasSZq7-sgYU.html

I'm so impressed with your work Rob. I'm not even looking for another ebike but you made me open up YTs website 😂. Cracking job mate 🤘

Nice video rob! i went with a trek powerfly becuase my closest specialized dealer is 24 hours away from me and trek dealer is only 5 minutes away :) i snapped my frame in half a few years ago and trek did replace it within a week. also trek has lifetime warranty on frames

I don’t usually comment on YT (pardon the pun) videos but what a fabulous, non biased, very detailed review of the 2 bikes. Thank you

Great to hear a comparison. The industry is fresh and it’s important now to understand benchmarks and how others compare. The industry will level out but for now these reviews are invaluable. Thank you.

Excellent vid Rob. You've answered many questions i had one video. My decision is veering to the Levo. Subscribed.

So good and so helpful video, thanks a lot! I tested the levo and thought it was great, but when the decoy came out my decision was right away for yt 😁 I hope it will be sent quickly 🙏🤙

This reallly helped me over all in choosing a bike... even if I don’t choose either of these... incredible info and vid! You’re amazing bro! Thanks Can’t wait to lyk what I get!

Great reviews Rob 👍

I don't know why. But I'm addicted to Rob's reviews. Doesn't miss a beat!!

I need that YT in my life!

There’s something about YT bikes generally and I’d love to have that Decoy even tho I have a Capra. YT customer service is decent tbh, although you don’t always get an immediate response from their team which means you could be off the trails for a couple of weeks

An excellent, comprehensive comparison Rob. I'm happy with my 2018 Levo except for the RS Revelation front fork. My next bike will be another Levo with the bigger battery and will have a DT Swiss F535 ONE or Fox fork. I'm 70 now, so the gravity capability of the Decoy is way beyond my comfort zone, but a buddy I ride with has finally expressed a desire to buy an ebike after watching your test ride video, much to my surprise. My Specialized LBS has been great with regular service and warranty work, and I try to support all my local merchants as much as possible. I've had a new motor and a front suspension replacement for free. The original motor developed some resistance to free-pedaling backward but otherwise it seemed perfectly normal - Specialized replaced it no questions asked. I find that the Revelation fork is just too stiff for the rocky and rough cross country trails I normally ride. I'm waiting anxiously to see what improvements the 2020 Levo will have.

Wow! What an in depth fantastic vid man! Just an outstanding job packed with info. Thank you for that! Riding has so many factors so it is subjective to the rider of course but A1 job!

Great video and honest assessment on both, having owned both brands as normally pedal bikes I’ve gotta say the yt is awesome value and so far the their brand surport has been ok .. I guess it all comes down to value for money and for direct sales models keeps probably £1000 in my pocket. When the 700hr battery’s are online the yt is probably my 1st choice. Cheers Rob keep up the great work it’s appreciated by none ebikers at the moment

That YT is now at the top of my list

Nice vid. Yesterday my buddy bought the Levo Expert and I ordered a Decoy so it will be game on when mine turns up😄🤙🏼

Thanks Rob!

Thanks Rob...good info

So...on my 2019 Turbo Levo Expert for a steal and I changed the Debonair air spring up to 160mm in front and the rear shock to a DVO Topaz 210x52.5 which could be adjusted to 210x55 for 157mm or rear travel if you wanted which is very plush and gets rid of chatter way better than the Fox and then got rid of the stock tires and went to Maxxis Assegai in front and Aggressor in rear. This is the way I wish it came from factory. It rocks! And 90nM of torque is unbeatable and you could climb a wall. The other thing is the Levo has a flip chip to to change geometry. I think the 700wH battery range is awesome.

Another great vid. Rob. Thanks for your first Decoy vid as that made me order asap and so get May delivery. My wife is a very smart lady and predicted the sellout on the YT. If you want a good deal you need to act , same with last years Vitus.

Really appreciate this video. I just purchased a decoy and I’m now confident I made the right purchase. I have a Izzo for my tresmil rides, and now my decoy for bombing some gnarly trail.

Great vid the BH ATOMX CARBON LYNX 6 is worth a look

Have you ridden the YT in the higher setting, would this not give a more trail feel to the ride?

Hey Rob! Very good video, as always! I use my 2019 Levo with a 160mm fork, in lower geo, and with a fox float x2 shock, which is modified to match the frame. It's unbeatable! Also have a 700wh battery. Soo when the other manufacturers will offer a big battery, they will be that level where specialized starts the 2019 season. And Speci starts it in 2018 😅

Rob, truly excellent comparison. Best I've ever watched. You nailed the intangibles very well when discussing the specs, and that's where most reviews fail miserably. Great stuff.

As always, informative with no bias, even though you own a Levo, personally I honestly think the YT offers great value for the top spec, the spoiler, which Imay have to get over is the buy direct format, I'll play safe and buy when they have the 700wh battery and have ironed out initial niggles, great work.

LEVO - IMO..... Great review , spot on 100 % !!

Had a levo now got a YT. Echoing what Rob said I could only afford the base level levo so had crap components. I upgraded all parts and I t was a mega bike. I bought the YT mainly on looks and I think its a great handling and looking bike, however the difference between the motors is huge. The brose is alot better, especially how quieter it is. In end it is nice to have something different as all I see are levos and kenevos. Do wish they put the brose in the YT tho!

i need that levo in my life,(can’t wait for the 2020 levo

I had some of the same concerns before I bought my Canyon Spectral ON CF 9. Making sure there were authorized Canyon service shops in the Phoenix metro area was enough to convince me that direct- to-consumer was the way to go. The parts spec on my bike was something Specialized couldn't come close to touching.

Have ordered a Levo SL Comp Carbon and a Decoy Elite. Very blessed to be soon getting both bikes. Impatient as heck waiting though.

Great video! Any chance of a 2019 Giant Trance E+0 review?

Great Comparison Rob :-)

New Merida e160 2020 is a strong contender too and hope they stay with competitive pricing in Oz..

Could you do a video on the depreciation of these bikes? I'm on my 3rd ebike love the sport, you have got to admit some of these bikes are getting car like money. When you buy a car you know what you are what it's likely to be valued 3 years after. Some company could do hire scheme, like you do with a car. The money I have lost on these bikes is crazy, yes there is a cost to anything but once you get past paying 3k for a bike the drop off or depreciation is bonkers.

I will always prefer to buy in a bike shop. I’m not a gifted bike mechanic. And I will always prefer the brutal force of a Bosch motor because I live in a very steep area. I’m often in the Alps and had my experiences with different motors.

Blast!!! i watched your vid about 2019 Levo, loved it, bought the Levo. Now i`m looking at YT. Love it..... who want`s to buy my Levo???

Great content!

The whole dealer v direct to consumer is an interesting one. Any major issue will be going back to the manufacturer regardless as the LBS won't be able to deal with it. I suppose the LBS could give you a doner bike to keep you out on the trail but it's not always guaranteed.

Great video Rob. Think I'm put off with not being able to take a YT back to a shop like you say. Could turn into a serious head ache. Also I look at the motor and think Shimano and especially Bosch must have next generation motors in the pipeline. Which obviously would annoy me if come the next model it totally eclipse's your bike.

Hi Rod, thanks for the video, what about Specialiazed Turbo Kenevo ? It's seems a bether competitor to Levo due to gravity oriented bike; what do you think ?

Hi Rob, love the reviews mate.. If you could have the Decoy or the Levo today which would you choose and why.

Design wise yeti allways beats any brand in my opinion! Great review thank you

Excellent vid Rob......what a great looking bike the YT is.....and unbelievable value for money with regards the package it offers . However....you completely nailed the relevant points......Price advantage when purchased from Direct seller as opposed to a shop . But like you said....the one to one ..and actual ability to sit on the bike in a shop cannot be overstated. Take me......as I’ve mentioned before.....I bought my first EBike on price to be honest.....but having rode it I knew it wasn’t really for me.......luckily , I got to try a Levo.....then Race Co ( my local store ) did a trade in ....my original EBike was in size small....but guess what....my new bike is in size medium, and fits me like a glove ! That should be the big concern for someone buying their first EBike .....sizing and dealer backup.....is invaluable. Having said that......if people get the chance to go to demo days......actually sit on and ride the EBikes......then there should be no problem in buying a Direct sales bike . My personal top 3 EBikes would be ...2019 Levo .....YT.......Canyon Spectral On . 👍

Great video, love the decoy. When does the Vitus rank on your board?

Great Video Rob... You should get your hands on the Norco Sight VLT.

Excellent vid! I‘ve pulled the trigger on the YT 😎

Great review, the YT is up there for me, Levi price is just pricey! Ezesty review please..

Great Review Rob, so it does mean that Decoy for AM and Levo for XC trail? I have Levo 2018 already, would it be a good decision if I will choose Decoy for my next bike? Thanks

YT needs to make a e-Jeffsy 👌⚡ now that would be a Levo killer!

Bought a 2021 turbo Levo comp. After a lot of internet research, I choose the dealer in town with specialized bikes. Sure I had YT as a contender as well as Rocky Mountain, canyon, and other DC brands. When my dealer had the Levo comp , $7500, priced at $6800, in my size and the smokin redwood color, I bought it!!! I have no regrets.

Great comparison !!! Any chance to test the Rocky mountain powerplay ???

Hi Rob, great review on these 2 bikes, here's a question for you ! Have you heard anything about yeti cycles bringing out an E- bike or santa Cruz ?

Great vid. Very informative. How does the Decoy matchup against the Focus Sam? You seemed to really like the Sam. Thanks for all you do.

Great review. Have you tried out the Giant trance ebikes? Be blessed

Insightful review, thanks. What about the weight of both bikes?

Great Vid dude! I got the 2018 Levo Expert Carbon leftover for just over the cost of a base model. They still have them in stock! I ended up with the support and the value. I Couldn't be happier. My buddy has a 2019 Levo comp, and my other buddy just ordered the Full Race Decoy. Gonna be some epic adventures with the whole squad. These bikes changed the game...amazing.

Cool review. Could you tell me what are you using to record from the chest? Your footage looks really stable. Congrats!

Beautiful video. Can I ask you about the Ducati MigRR and the CUBE STEREO HYBRID 140 HPC where you would place them in the EEBOMETER? Thanks

I’ve Just ordered a Decoy Pro Race roll on July

I live 1 hr from YT. I think the YT would be a way better deal for me.

Both great bikes, I’d go for the YT only because I like new things, completely irrational

I wish you'd credit the music you used - in the drop info notes. I'm going to be giving some serious consideration to the YT.

Great video with a great deal of insight into all aspects of the relationship between rider and bike.

I've had a levo... and now ride shimano (on a merida). I can honestly say the shimano in eco and trail mode delivers power far better than brose. Yes boost is pretty violent lol but it's supposed to be. The way shimano delivers the power is so different to the brose. Shimano delivers power even if you back off the pedals slightly, whereas brose will cut assistance the second you back off the pedals. This means to get the assistance you bought an ebike for you actually have to work a lot harder on the brose compared to shimano.

Rob, excellent video to follow-up and compare these bikes! Yes Specialized is taking lots more money, and I can throw more at it later if I want better components, but I get a good all around bike for my needs. You did a great job of elaborating on some of points I made in my comments from your previous video on the Decoy: "Rob, Great video! 1st I heard of this bike. Very attractive and desirable bike, but it still wouldn't be my choice. After over a 3-month wait for the 2019 specialized turbo levo expert , I'm very pleased with it. I determined my needs are to have a bike that has more motor torque and battery size. The levo fills that need for me. My ultimate decision was because I wanted to have good ebike not just a good bike otherwise. Sadly specialized doesn't provide as good a quality components on their builds for the money. However, the bike comes with a 700 watt hour battery and 90 newton meters of torque, whereas Shimano delivers only 70 newton meters and the Decoy like most other bikes, comes with something in the 500 watt hour range which is not enough size to satisfy my range objectives. The Decoy components group is very attractive just like the Intense Tazer I test rode for 3 days. Not having the torque ability to climb steeper terrain for longer range just does not meet my objectives and sadly I had to make the decision to get the specialized with lesser quality components. Some people would argue that the Levo components are sufficient and time will tell, however if necessary I can always swap out parts to get Fox 36 and a better dropper post than the specialized Command Post. These things just boil down to additional cost. At the end of the day my conclusion was I would rather have a better ebike that needs other components added than have an e-bike that's stuck with underpowered Shimano and lesser battery range bike. One of the objectives of an e-bike is to eliminate the great effort of climbing. The component build and suspension kinematics of this Decoy, just like the Intense Tazer are more suited to downhill, but what good is that if you can't climb the hills to get there (unless there is a paved route like in your video)? Otherwise you're still faced with potentially having a shuttle car to do so."

There was a time where the riders physical condition and the style they intended to ride was the deciding factor on bike choice! Both bikes have a motor hence they can both ride everything....

I bought a Levo Comp Alloy I hope it's really good..what do you mean by gravity orientated? Big jumps and such?

Great comparison. Real question is which one is easier to bypass the speed restriction?

Nice job Rob. Im thinking to go with YT Decoy Pro 29. Any thoughts of this compared with the Turbo Levo?

Nice vid. Any chance of a comparison between the YT and the specialized Kenevo. The Kenevo is more oriented towards downhill riding like the YT. Like for like.

Hey good jobs on the vids. How about that Nicolai eboxx 13 ?

You could have downsized the YT Decoy. And it would probably be just as nimble and playful as the Levo. Shorter chainstay on the YT give a more playful bike .

Slight correction on battery cells. Both bikes (Levo & Decoy) use 18650 cells for the lower capacity batteries, and only use 21700 (Tesla) cells on the larger capacity batteries. Essentially, that's how they achieve the higher capacity in the same size, but using a slightly larger, but more dense cell (21700 > 18650). Both brands have built the battery container (plastic) to hold the larger cells, but out of the box (cheaper / lower capacity) use spacers to take up the space of the smaller 18650 cells. Just thought I'd share, as I actively upgrade the lower capacity batteries to the higher by doing this exact swap.

What would you recomend for half road and half downhill riding

Brilliant, unbiased, review. Another great video Rob

how about putting the YT up against the Rocky MountainAltitude Powerplay?. two bikes that are more targeted at the same thing.

I get exceptional service from my LBS and they offer a wide range of manufacturers, the fact Rob companies like specialised can charge a premium due to their business model and don't slit their throats sell through multiple outlets, effectively keeping set prices. They can do this because they have the market and built up a reputation and patent many technologies. Many newer companies just slap components together off the shelf and box and brand as a new product, as most ebikes are fundamentally the same 2-3 base bikes regardless off the frame shape or stickers. It's a great time for ebikes we have got past the bolt on battery and motor to a bodged standard frame to serious quality designed machines, only problem now for a very nice machine it's 6-10k

Good review how did u find climbing on the decoy!

Have you ridden the Intense Tazer ebike? Would love to see a comparison video like this on the Intense Tazer vs YT Decoy!

I hit you up in the last video about comparing to the Kenevo, now looks like a ton of people are asking the same. I saw your reply way down below to someone where you thought you'd wait for the updated Kenevo, but you might want to pin that to the top? Still, even your basic thoughts on the caparison as it stands today would be much appreciated!

Sounds like if the Decoy had a Brose motor, you would lean towards the Decoy?

I just took delivery of a Canyon Spectral ON 6.0. It’s got a Fox 36 rhythm fork and fox dpx 2 rear sus. All for £3000 delivered. I thought that was a bargain!

I like quite Brose Drive S Mag motor. What are my options in the budget price range for EMTB here in the US? Thanks for your help!

Rob what would you go for the new YT or the levo turbo 2021 or levo SL 2021 ?

One day I hope to be able to ride such wonderful, high-tech eBikes! But my weight keeps these slinky, sexy bikes out of my reach. 80 pounds down, so I am working on it! Great review and comparison. 13:28 I take my battery out for transporting on my bike rack. The weight of the bike alone is hefty, then add the battery, and my Saris rack may be overloaded...

Please review and compare the Fezzari wire peak!

There’s a lot to be said for a local dealer. The more complex these bikes are becoming, the more likely it is that the LBS will be needed - being able to take it somewhere local and get it fixed is a big thing. Also, my experience with Bosch is great; they can send out a loan motor in 3 days for you to use whilst yours is getting fixed; a big plus. I get why people will buy the direct bikes, but for me, having the back up and help from a helpful bike shop is where my money goes. Changes to spec, adjustments, warranty and general maintenance are things you can’t get from YT, Canyon, etc. Also, to me, the lifetime warranty that comes with a Trek, Giant, Cannondale & Specialized, is fantastic and is something I consider very valuable. I know Whyte is introducing electric bikes soon too, and although it’s not a brand that gives a lifetime warranty on the frame, the bearings do. Anyway, nice video. Thanks Rob.

I've got a Norco VLT1. Absolute beast. Why don't you review one of them.

The YT personal have been very responsive with me . . Great bikes and good people

I know the biggest difference if spec to price, but for me the difference is the Brose motor vs the Shimano, the Brose is so superior.

Hi Rob, it caught my eye when you talked about Shimano engine noise. I am waiting to receive my new YT Decoy comp... Does it make more noise when it is new? I understeand that it's a normal thing. And another question: for what area of ​​France have you recorded these wonderful enduro trails?? Thanks in advance!!

The YT fork looks its offset more than the Specialized, where the Specialized looks more trialike

yt every time. i have a yt capra pro, i had the company owner call me to ask if i was happy with the bike.

Tell me about the shelving in that room! Where'd you get that?

Rob, watching from the USA. Your videos have been great and this one might be the best yet. I'm curious if you've been exposed to Fezzari, they are made in Utah, where I live. They've just launched an e-bike. Any words about them?

Kenevo v YT .....what’s your views Rob .?

Gotta have the spesh

Please do a comparison again for 2021 decoy vs turbo