The new Yeti MTe uses the freshly announced TQ HPR60 drive unit, which has more power and torque than the TQ HPR50.
There’s now 60Nm of torque on tap and peak power of 350 watts.
Yeti opted for the new TQ motor because it enabled the brand to create a lightweight, mid-travel electric mountain bike, with a focus on ride quality and handling.
With the priciest T4 build weighing in at a claimed 17.5kg, it could well be one of the lightest 145mm-travel eMTBs out there.
Battery capacity varies between builds, with two of the three spec options coming with a 580Wh battery, although the priciest and lightest MTe comes with a much smaller 290Wh – handy if you’re keen on keeping weight to a minimum.
However, considering most MTe builds weigh in the region of 19.6-20kg, which is almost identical to DJI’s full-power, high-capacity-battery Amflow PL Carbon, will riders be left wanting more?
Yeti MTe motor and battery details
The new MTe is designed to be all about the ride quality and handling, but with a little extra assistance thrown in for good measure.
To help achieve this, Yeti partnered with TQ and built the MTe around its new HPR60 motor.
This delivers 60Nm of torque, up from 50Nm in the first iteration of the motor, and a 17% increase in peak power, meaning it can now deliver 350 watts when needed.
TQ claims to have reduced noise, enhanced cooling and improved the integrated colour display.
At 1.9kg, it’s reasonably light and compact, too, ensuring brands such as Yeti aren’t held back when designing bike frames.
The TQ motor modes remain unchanged, with ‘eco’, ‘mid’ and ‘high’ to choose from via the small bar-mounted controller. There’s also a walk mode, should you need it. Of course, there’s an app to enable you to customise the modes.
According to TQ’s ‘performance curve’, the HPR60 motor has been designed to work across a broad cadence range, meaning assistance should be easy to maintain, no matter how fast or slow you’re spinning the cranks.
When it comes to battery options, Yeti is offering the MTe in three builds, two of which feature the largest 580Wh battery option.
The priciest and lightest MTe is the only bike to come with the smaller 290Wh unit.
If you want more juice, TQ offers a 160Wh range extender.
Batteries can be removed and there’s a neat little storage slot for an AirTag should you want to keep track of the bike.
For context, though, bear in mind that the DJI Avinox drive unit – which is just over 600g heavier – delivers up to 120Nm of torque and a mind-melting 1,000 watts of peak power.
Yeti MTe frame and suspension details
The MTe delivers its 145mm of rear-wheel travel via Yeti's well-established Sixfinity suspension system.
In the case of this bike, Yeti enables you to tune how progressive that 145mm of travel is (going from a plusher 14% up to a harder-to-bottom-out 25%) via flip chips in the lower shock mount.
Yeti says the anti-squat figures (the suspension’s ability to resist pedal-induced bob) are higher than those of its full-power 160E eMTB to help keep the MTe suitably efficient and lively. The anti-rise numbers (the ability of the rear suspension to extend under braking) are said to “strike an ideal balance” between geometry preservation, suspension activity and rear-wheel traction.
With the intention of ensuring the MTe's carbon frame lasts the distance, Yeti has included ‘Vectran plies’, a high-performance multifilament-like Kevlar, which have been added in areas that are likely to experience high impacts.
Yeti MTe geometry details
Yeti offers the MTe in four sizes, from small to extra-large, with reach figures ranging from 430mm to 505mm, all designed to work with a 160mm-travel fork up-front.
Head tube angles are 64 degrees across the board, while seat tube angles are suitably steep at 77 degrees for all sizes.
Chainstay lengths remain the same for each frame, measuring a claimed 449mm, while bottom brackets sit suitably low at 342mm off the floor.
Yeti includes flip chips (sorry Tom Marvin, I know you don’t like flip chips). These enable you to switch from the stock 29in rear wheel to a 27.5in hoop, without altering angles or proportions in the process.
| | S | M | L | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat tube angle - eff (degrees) | 77 | 77 | 77 | 77 |
| Seat tube angle - actual (degrees) | 71 | 71.1 | 71.3 | 71.5 |
| Head tube angle (degrees) | 64 | 64 | 64 | 64 |
| Chainstay (mm) | 449 | 449 | 449 | 449 |
| Front center (mm) | 764 | 799 | 824 | 854 |
| Seat tube (mm) | 390 | 420 | 440 | 460 |
| Top tube (mm) | 572 | 604 | 627 | 654 |
| Head tube (mm) | 93 | 104 | 115 | 126 |
| Fork offset (mm) | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Bottom bracket height (mm) | 342 | 342 | 342 | 342 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 1213 | 1248 | 1273 | 1303 |
| Standover (mm) | 722 | 742 | 742 | 742 |
| Stack (mm) | 615 | 625 | 635 | 645 |
| Reach (mm) | 430 | 460 | 480 | 505 |
| Fork (axel to crown) (mm) | 576 | 576 | 576 | 576 |
| Fork (vertical travel) (mm) | 144 | 144 | 144 | 144 |
Yeti MTe range overview
Yeti offers three different build options, all featuring the same motor but differing battery sizes, SRAM brakes and drivetrains. All builds come with a RockShox Reverb AXS wireless dropper post.
Yeti MTe C2 Eagle 90 Transmission
- Frame: Carbon, 145mm travel
- Motor: TQ HPR60
- Battery: 580Wh
- Fork: Fox 36 Performance, 160mm travel
- Shock: Fox Float X Performance
- Drivetrain: SRAM Eagle 90 Transmission
- Brakes: SRAM Maven Bronze
- Tyres: Schwalbe Magic Mary Trail Pro 2.5 Radial Ultra Soft / Schwalbe Albert Trail Pro 2.5 Radial Soft
- Weight: 20.09kg
- Price: $9,850
Yeti MTe T3 X0 Transmission
- Frame: Carbon, 145mm travel
- Motor: TQ HPR60
- Battery: 580Wh
- Fork: Fox 36 Factory GRIP X2, 160mm travel
- Shock: Fox Float X Factory
- Drivetrain: SRAM X0 Eagle AXS Transmission
- Brakes: SRAM Maven Silver
- Tyres: Schwalbe Magic Mary Trail Pro 2.5 Radial Ultra Soft / Schwalbe Albert Trail Pro 2.5 Radial Soft
- Weight: 19.64kg
- Price: $12,650
Yeti MTe T4 XX Transmission
- Frame: Carbon, 145mm travel
- Motor: TQ HPR60
- Battery: 290Wh
- Fork: Fox 36 Factory GRIP X, 160mm travel
- Shock: Fox DPS Factory
- Drivetrain: SRAM XX Eagle AXS Transmission
- Brakes: SRAM Motive Ultimate
- Tyres: Maxxis Minion DHF EXO / Maxxis Minion DHR II EXO
- Weight: 17.5kg
- Price: $14,300
Yeti MTe T3 X0 Transmission ride impressions
My time on the MTe was limited to around half a day, although that was spent on my local trails, which I know like the back of my hand.
Sadly, the UK distributor couldn’t provide the correct size for me (medium), so I rode the large. That means my ride impressions are a little limited, although I was able to comment on the motor and suspension performance easily enough.
Smooth and capable
What is clear from the outset is the time Yeti has put into ride feel and handling has been well spent.
Yes, it’s a 20kg bike, but a 20kg bike that comes with very few downsides.
In a lot of ways, it’s like riding an enduro bike with plenty of grip and an impressive suspension feel. The motor's assistance – which is far more subtle compared to a full-power equivalent – makes you feel as if you’re just back from a training camp at altitude and are fitter than ever.
As with other lighter-weight eMTBs, the ride experience is simply a different proposition from that of a bike with a big battery and high-powered motor – but that’s no bad thing, if that’s what you’re looking for.
Pedal inputs aren’t met with instantaneous power, as they are on the likes of the DJI Avinox drive unit, but assistance kicks in quickly enough to ensure you can add those last-minute, hard-to-time bursts on tricky uphill sections.
It’s really quiet, too, maybe even the quietest electric mountain bike motor I’ve used, which adds to that natural ride feel.
In chattery, rough sections where you’re heavy on the brakes, the MTe feels very composed and predictable.
That 145mm of rear-wheel travel is controlled impeccably, offering plenty of grip through loose, flat turns, but more than enough ramp-up as and when the bigger hits start coming thick and fast.
It helps that the performance is well-matched up-front, with the new Fox 36 fork feeling smoother and freer to move, enabling it to work in sync with the rear.
Will you want more?
Answering this question is tricky. At a time when the motor capturing all the headlines produces nearly double the torque and almost triple the peak power, opting for something such as the MTe with the new TQ motor might be a bit of a hard sell.
It could be harder still if you ride in a group and all your mates are aboard full-power eMTBs.
But, right now at least, for those who are looking for a bit of extra help on the climbs and aren’t willing to compromise when it comes to handling, bikes such as the MTe are certainly worth considering. You will need deep pockets, though.
