Yeti Power!!!!!!

R120

Moderator
Subscriber
Apr 13, 2018
7,819
9,185
Surrey
Hey, I wrote this article and I just want to provide some detail on this bike.

I wrote 4 articles on this patent; each article is a distinct embodiment that Yeti wants to protect. The first two articles provide supporting suspension designs that work with this new e-bike, the first being a 6 bar system with a Watts system, the second being a Chebyshev system. In the case of this E-bike (4th article), Yeti's novelty is a suspension system that is incorporated into the gearbox assembly and the front triangle. This should simplify the design and reduce weight.

If you want to read about them, or other cool new bike tech, check out my site at www.wheelbased.com and please follow along on whatever your chosen platform is.

Thanks everyone!
Keep up the good work, your website/articles are great reading.
 

Doug Stampfer

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2018
736
751
NZ
I often think smaller boutique brands must curse the popularity of Emtbing as they must struggle to keep up with the refining, development & production of their analogue bikes let alone now have to do the R&D to try to "better" the already great emtbs from mainstream companies.
I mean apart from having a cool label I seriously doubt they will outperform what's already out there.
 

Doug Stampfer

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2018
736
751
NZ
Well... um... yeah.
I guess I mean the masses of other non - trek giant specialised scott focus SC Merida companies.
Actually yeah I'd put Yeti in the boutique type category in that I don't see many around & they're usually a lot more expensive than the other generic brands
 

Gary

Old Tartan Bollocks
Author
Subscriber
Mar 29, 2018
10,496
10,688
the internet
Don't kid yourself YETI are neither a small or boutique brand. A boutique brand sells expensive products to a limited clientele. Yeti have been around since the mid 80s with a rich heritage/history in mtb racing and their bikes and frames are available off the shelf worldwide to anyone who wants one.

Giant, TREK, Specialized, SC, Scott and Merida all sell bikes with RRPs rivaling or greater than YETI's
Focus is the only brand in your list who don't and even their bikes aren't "generic"
YETI frames and full builds pricing is in line with all high end bicycles. The main difference between YETI and the brands you mention is that they don't really manufacture low end bikes at all.

You won't actually find very many genuinely boutique brands making FS mtbs at all nevermind FS Emtbs
 

RustyIron

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Jun 5, 2021
1,477
2,345
La Habra, California
now have to do the R&D to try to "better" the already great emtbs from mainstream companies.
I mean apart from having a cool label I seriously doubt they will outperform what's already out there.

The boutique brands have always had to compete against the big dogs. Some would say that they've excelled and have been rewarded with the ability to charge a premium for their products. I would think that a vibrant company would welcome a new market opportunity, and a chance to once again build a distinctive product that sets them apart from run-of-the-mill big-name bikes.

My personal preference is for boutique bikes, the superiority/inferiority of which we could quibble about all day long. There's no denying, though, the better customer service of the small fish. We ride hard, bash our bikes around, sometimes there are problems. We need help from the manufacturer when that happens. For both brands that I currently ride, I can have tech support on the phone by mid-morning when they open up on Monday.
 

Hob Nob

Active member
Jun 4, 2020
152
149
UK
I'm hearing it's a matter of weeks at this point for the announcement. I'm gonna speculate under 40lbs and climbs like a goat.

Being a Yeti, I’m going to speculate eye watering prices, shocking build quality, terrible reliability & questionable support from Yeti when it (definitely & repeatedly) goes wrong.

Could this be the first ebike where frame reliability is more questionable that motor/battery & electronics ?
 

KSL

Member
Jul 10, 2021
186
82
SoCal
Being a Yeti, I’m going to speculate eye watering prices, shocking build quality, terrible reliability & questionable support from Yeti when it (definitely & repeatedly) goes wrong.

Could this be the first ebike where frame reliability is more questionable that motor/battery & electronics ?

There's a self-help:oops: group I'm sure.
 

KSL

Member
Jul 10, 2021
186
82
SoCal
Not sure if these specs will turn out to be true BUT....

SB 160E will be released Sep 13
2 versions/colorways - $10k Rhino Grey frame and $12k for Turq frame
Optional carbon wheel upgrade
SB150-like geo with steeper seat tube
EP8 + ~650watt batt
Fox 38/Float X
 

jbrown15

Well-known member
May 27, 2020
741
627
Chilliwack, Canada
Not sure if these specs will turn out to be true BUT....

SB 160E will be released Sep 13
2 versions/colorways - $10k Rhino Grey frame and $12k for Turq frame
Optional carbon wheel upgrade
SB150-like geo with steeper seat tube
EP8 + ~650watt batt
Fox 38/Float X

i really hope it has more than 150mm of rear travel.
 

KSL

Member
Jul 10, 2021
186
82
SoCal
i really hope it has more than 150mm of rear travel.

To me, the linkage design is "diffeent" looking. :) Toptube looks tiny. Maybe it'll be great.

p5pb21110005.jpg
 
Last edited:

Randy

Member
Apr 23, 2020
56
37
Henley on Thames
Being a Yeti, I’m going to speculate eye watering prices, shocking build quality, terrible reliability & questionable support from Yeti when it (definitely & repeatedly) goes wrong.

Could this be the first ebike where frame reliability is more questionable that motor/battery & electronics ?

I’ve had two yeti’s, and sb75 and an sbc6 (which I still have) and in my experience that couldn’t be further from the truth. Both bikes were bought as ex demo at really good money, have done many thousands of miles in all conditions across my local x country trail centres dh and alps. Usual bearing changes, sb6 had a rebuilt shock and dropped under warranty by silverfish soon after I bought it and an infinity link under warranty a couple of years in. Silverfish particularly are really good to deal with.

All that said, I wouldnt buy a new one at retail money, crazy when you can get bikes pretty much as good for a fraction.
 

KSL

Member
Jul 10, 2021
186
82
SoCal
I’ve had two yeti’s, and sb75 and an sbc6 (which I still have) and in my experience that couldn’t be further from the truth. Both bikes were bought as ex demo at really good money, have done many thousands of miles in all conditions across my local x country trail centres dh and alps. Usual bearing changes, sb6 had a rebuilt shock and dropped under warranty by silverfish soon after I bought it and an infinity link under warranty a couple of years in. Silverfish particularly are really good to deal with.

All that said, I wouldnt buy a new one at retail money, crazy when you can get bikes pretty much as good for a fraction.

Too add....Yeti makes one thing - the frame. As to the rest of em. Wheels, bars, brakes, etc are all sourced/3rd party products.
 

MrSimmo

E*POWAH Elite
Apr 24, 2020
1,048
985
The Trail.
Yup, Ive had two sb5/6c bikes - the Yeti components were faultless throughout. Mind you, to this day I still have no idea if I put the infinity link oil in correctly as it was a pita to do, but it didnt seem to cause any problems.
 

mastakilla

Member
Apr 25, 2020
153
51
usa
Why do so many companies use EP8 when its less powerful and dismal range compared with Bosch? Do they get that much of better price on the system? Yeti is going to have a premium ebike with the market loser motor just makes no sense to me. Same thing with the Santa Cruz Bullit.
 

MrSimmo

E*POWAH Elite
Apr 24, 2020
1,048
985
The Trail.
Why do so many companies use EP8 when its less powerful and dismal range compared with Bosch? Do they get that much of better price on the system? Yeti is going to have a premium ebike with the market loser motor just makes no sense to me. Same thing with the Santa Cruz Bullit.

Shimano offer (although supply chain may change this) discounts to bike manufacturers to fit their motors to bikes (as they do with other components). Bosch dont.
 

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