First Impressions Review
Introducing the 2026 Yeti MTe
Yeti launches its latest and greatest e-bike into the world today. The all-new MTe is a 145 mm travel e-bike with the all-new TQ HPR60 motor. There are two battery sizes; 580 Whr and 290 Whr. Weights start at 38 lbs. Yeah, versions of this e-bike weigh less than my trail bike.
The 2026 Yeti MTe. Bellissimo!
Frame Details
The new Yeti MTe is built around TQ's all-new HPR-60 motor. I haven't spent any time on the old TQ motor, but I'm told that this new TQ-HPR-60 is a huge step forward. From what I understand, ignore any impressions you might have about TQ's previous motors. The HPR-60 will output 350W, in a small, quiet, and efficient package.
Yeti has opted for their Sixfinity suspension primarily for packaging reasons. Yeti's Switch Infinity system, which is common on their analog trail bikes, competes for the same real estate as the electric motor.
The frame is carbon, with Vectran (a Kevlar-like fiber) reinforcements in areas where impacts are more likely (this was developed on their Special Projects Downhill bike).
As expected with Yeti the MTe has all the little frame details you'd expect. Tidy cable management, moto brake compatible, a little fender to protect the linkage from mud/debris, good chain slap protection, and additional mounts on the underside of the top tube for accessories.
Yeti MTe Geometry Chart, a modern take on a 145 mm trail bike.
The TQ HPR-60 is a tidy little unit.
The new TQ display is clear with many display options. I particularly like the display showing meat motor power output and electric motor power output.
The MTe uses a custom chain guide that integrates with the lower shock bolt.
Yeti's Sixfinity linkage uses a flip chip on the lower shock mount to adjust progression, and a flip chip on the seat stay to allow for 29er or 27.5 rear wheel options.
Additional mounts under the top tube for accessories.
The optional Range Extender plugs into the charge port.
Suspension Kintematics: Sixfinity
While there are a lot of bearings and moving parts here, I think this is an elegant suspension system that gives Yeti a lot of flexibility. Yeti claims they tune this suspension platform for pedaling efficiency at sag, and bump compliance deeper in the travel. Yeti manages the chain growth with this strategy, so an idler pulley isn't required.
Yeti uses flip chips in the linkage to allow for 27.5 or 29" rear wheel options without affecting geometry or suspension kinematics. Another set of flip chips are used to adjust the progression of the rear shock from 12 to 25%.
The lower shock mount has 4 configurations for varying the linkage progression.
The Sixfinity linkage essentially moves the instant center up and then down to provide a compromise of bump compliance where you want it (between sag and 2/3s travel) without excessive chain growth that would require an idler.
Anti-rise with the rear brake is neutral through the travel.
MTe Build Specs
The lightest T4 spec comes with a 290 Whr battery. Price is in USD.
The T3 is a high end spec, with the larger 580 Whr battery. Price is in USD.
The C2 is the most cost effective build. Price is in USD.
Initial Ride Impressions
I haven't spent a ton of time on e-bikes, and generally I'm left underwhelmed. I've had the new Yeti MTe for a couple of weeks now, and I'm impressed. I think the build kit is dialed, the geometry is spot on, and it's just so damn fun to ride.
I'm finding the TQ motor and drivetrain surprisingly powerful and efficient. On full boost I'm regularly doing 1,300 - 1,400 m of vertical over 2.5 hours, and I'm keeping up with more powerful bikes. In the middle setting, that vertical expands to 1,800 m over about 3.5 hours, and in the ECO setting you'd go all day and with 3,000 m of vertical. On a bike that weighs only 45 lbs with pedals, this is brilliant! The motor is very quiet too, actually the whole bike is quiet up and down.
After more time in the saddle, I'll have more to say about the way the MTe rides, which I'll share when I publish the full review.
Look at how much fun she's having!
I feel like this every time I ride the MTe.
I think Yeti has a cracker of a bike with the MTe. It's one of the most fun bikes I've ridden, period. The new TQ-HPR60 is quiet and efficient. The build kit is spot on and the geometry is perfect. While the suspension design is complicated, it's worth the complexity. The MTe has a stable and efficient suspension platform, while feeling much plusher and deeper than the advertised 145 mm of travel. The Yeti MTe has converted me into an ebike fan! Stay tuned for a full review in the coming weeks.
Age: 42
Height: 183 cm / 6'
Weight: 83 kg / 182 lbs
Ape Index: 1.055 / +10 cm
Inseam: 81 cm / 32"
Preferred Riding: Gravity Mountain Bike
Bar Width: 800 mm
Preferred Reach: 500 - 520 mm (but this is stack and head angle dependent)
Comments
Morgan Heater
1 month, 1 week ago
It's strange, but I think the constant release of new e-bikes actually makes them less attractive to me. It's like when I was a kid and I was always waiting to buy a gaming console until the next one came out because it was going to be so much better.
Phew! Saves me some money.
Also, I don't really hate the mountain biking experiences I'm currently having.
Reply
Cr4w
1 month, 1 week ago
Remember how hyped people used to get over new iphones? Now it's like, oh they're all really good but I'll just get that when my current phone dies. No point rushing to spend a lot of money on the latest thing when you'll need a new phone within a couple of years anyway.
Reply
Morgan Heater
1 month, 1 week ago
Yeah, that's another side of the equation, what's the warranty for the motor/controls/battery? $10k for a product that's functionally obsolete in 5 years if parts are no longer available? It's one thing when you're talking about a $300 piece of electronics, but that's some serious coin.
Reply
XXX_er
1 month, 1 week ago
its usually a 2 yr warranty my Santa Cruz Bullit had a Shimano EP8 which shit the bed last month, I would not have minded coming up with say 800$ for another EP8 cuz the rest of the Bullit is still good but Shimano North America could or would not sell me another EP8 motor. I say would not becuz meanwhile on a EP8/ EP801 fb user group based in England an LBS bloke tells me he gets new EP8s in 3 days so pluck shimano eh.
and IME/ IMO do not buy an Eeb with a Shimano motor and I can say after a month of Bosch ownership its a better product in every way
A dead motor is nothing a sharp credit card can't fix so Cha-ching I got a new SC Vala, time to upgrade after 5 yrs anyhow, I am done with Shimano and it appears SC is also done with Shimano cuz they switched to Bosch motors. So to do that SC had to redesign their E-bike line to a 4-bar rear end from VPP which they did. And you must wonder what happened to the Bullit, its is on its way to a new owner in Tennesse I told buddy the price reflects the fact that the motor has issues so eveything is good EXCEPT the motor but he likes to work on bike so i wish him luck LOL
Reply
Morgan Heater
1 month, 1 week ago
Oof, that would give me serious buyers remorse. I guess $$/smile can be near zero when smiles are priceless, but still.
Reply
XXX_er
1 month, 1 week ago
It would be better for the Eeb market if here was a standard for the motor mounting but really the bike was 5 yrs old, so the only thing that would fit my Bullit was another Shimano motor the EP801 model but absolutely nothing can be resused so I would be throwing close to 2 K at a motor i don't really trust SO it really made sense to sell the bike to someone else on pinkbike and get out of Shimano which is the same thing we would do with any bike sell it on PB.
I have seen very high end new acoustic bikes for 12K
Jerry Willows
1 month, 1 week ago
how much does a Bosch replacement motor cost, including labor? I believe the battery pack is around $1000 but probably $1,500 for a Yeti.
Reply
Jotegir
1 month, 1 week ago
Canadian MSRP for Bosch drive units is right around $1,200 across the board. Install? Unknown. I'd imagine there's lots of shops that would (probably wrongfully) eat the cost of install if it was a bike and motor purchased from them but I'd think an between an hour and two of shop rate in any event. If everything else is kept the same swapping a bosch motor isn't a huge task if the motor mounts line up (ask me how I know about that last comment).
XXX_er
1 month, 1 week ago
I don't think swapping ^^ a motor is any harder than things I've fixed in the past its getting the motor that is the problem
not really sure but now I have 2 yrs warranty. That Bullit was my 1st Eeb so maybe next time I sell after 2 yrs ?
Since i've gone thru it now I don't see much difference between buying n selling an acoustic bike or an Eeb just put it on PB
Assuming Shimano still sells the 801 I might have put a EP801 on my Bullit for probaly close to 2 K or maybe find an EP8 somehwere or spend who knows how much time and money wanking around with the old bike but it was easier & faster to just cha-ching and get riding the latest Eeb asap
Jotegir
1 month, 1 week ago
Bosch has stated they'll keep the same standard in ebike as they will with automotive, which is that they will guarantee replacement products for 7 years after the end of manufacture of a particular line.
In any event, Bosch is ubiquitous enough and has been around long enough that there are a few places in the world doing motor core refurbishment. I'm fairly confident that there'll be a few more remanufacturing options as time goes on.
Reply
XXX_er
1 month, 1 week ago
well so should Shimano ^^ but in real life Shimano North America is rather lacking, the motor was getting that dreaded E010 code when they sold it to me and only quit after the 2nd firmware update and then I can't get one in north america but they sell em in england
the shimano has a shitty hard plastic power connector that will break and cost 100$, wires on the bar that break.
Bosch has a large manly bplug that isnt gona break, no wires on the bar cuz no display bluetooth power mode buttons, in spite of the advertised 85NM for both the Bosch has more low end power for sure
Reply
Tehllama42
1 month ago
The deflationary pressure here is real. I have no interest in buying an eBike until the AMFLOW V2 powertrain comes out and there are hubs that can handle the combined output of that plus me (who is VO2 deeply unfit, but capable of 1.5kW bursts)
Reply
Mike Kittmer
1 month, 1 week ago
Same.
Reply
Allen Lloyd
1 month, 1 week ago
My riding buddy and I keep debating if we want things like this or a big power big travel monster truck of an e-bike. Personally I feel something like this with another 10-20 mm of travel front and back would be perfect. I don't need more power, but I appreciate more travel.
Reply
XXX_er
1 month, 1 week ago
I down sized from Bullit to Vala so 170/ 170 to 150/ 160 and < 50 lbs, not that many lbs but the bike sure feels lively, maybe its the placement of the weight but it sure steers lighter ?
Reply
Tim Coleman
1 month ago
I primarily ride 170+ mm travel bikes. I've thoroughly enjoyed my time on the MTe and can't say I've wished for more travel. It sounds like hyperbole, but it feels like more than 145 mm travel. And that new 36 with 160 mm travel is phenomenal.
Reply
Cr4w
1 month, 1 week ago
We are getting closer and closer to cracking the code on these things. But that price tag plus the not making of an XXL mean I'm off the hook for a while yet if not forever.
Reply
Mark
1 month, 1 week ago
This sounds like a great bike. Do they have the same bike in their lineup sans motor?
Reply
Cam McRae
1 month, 1 week ago
I guess the SB 160 would be closest. It has a 150mm fork and 140mm rear travel. My sense after talking to Tim is that the MTE is more capable on challenging terrain, beyond the differences in front and rear travel.
Reply
Mark
1 month, 1 week ago
I wonder whether as motors get smaller if the bike co's will move to a manufacturing platform where the same or a very similar bike/frame is offered as regular or motorized. Looking at this bike it would seem to be fairly simply to produce the same thing without a motor.
Or peak choice would be a frame where the motor is easily removable.
Reply
Perry Schebel
1 month, 1 week ago
may be a future cottage industry salvaging obsolete ebikes by purging motors & batteries and replacing them with bb cradles (like orbea with martin maes wcdh bike last year) and dt storage solutions. no need to dumpster your 5 yr old $20k levo s-works!
Reply
Mark
1 month, 1 week ago
Are any bike batteries the same size as a tall can? Asking for a friend.
Reply
XXX_er
1 month, 1 week ago
I have seen the supplimental batteries that fit in a water bottle cage be pretty small
smaller batteries are less weight/ less watts of power so thats why a mid power bike like this Yeti can weigh less and be more acoustic like in ride end handling
My neighbor the videographer was hyped on mid power after riding the SL heckler he told me he wanted the mid power spesh.
then he took a full power vala around the block and said " Ya Baby with all that camera gear on my back I want all the power I can get ! " and he is scoping the Vala
Buddy is a sled head videographer so he doesnt worry about the not going to heaven aspect
I can say that IME SC managed to make the new VALA feel less DH sled like than the Bullit even tho the weight isnt that much different
Tim Coleman
1 month ago
Yeah this MTe feels like a lot more travel than the claimed 145 mm. It just devours rough, fast, technically challenging terrain.
Reply
Jerry Willows
1 month, 1 week ago
Prices in CDN or Freedom Units?
Reply
Shoreboy
1 month, 1 week ago
Not posted yet, but just on approximate conversion rates the top spec model is north of $20K CDN. That's a lot of Loonies for a bike that cant even bother to offer size specific chainstays.
Reply
Dave Smith
1 month, 1 week ago
It's a premium brand so a premium price is to be expected but $14,300USD in the highest spec is an eye-watering conversion of $19,623.85CAD plus tax.
It's so wild to think financing programs and demand loans are the reality of e-bike buying these days.
Edit:
For these prices brands need to look harder at what luxury car brands are doing for customer service, support and overall experience. Premium prices demand a premium brand experience. From a brand/design standpoint I have always put Yeti at the very top in the bike industry. Everything is top notch. Yeti has historically done some nice activations with the Tribe but they need to think about making that welcome to the club feel huge if prices are going to continue to climb.
Reply
Jerry Willows
1 month, 1 week ago
it'll be 50% off next year
Reply
Hawkinsdad
1 month, 1 week ago
As a 64-year-old analog curmudgeon with 40 years of mountain bike experience, I observe with interest and skepticism about the trajectory of mountain biking. The trails are getting wider. Fewer people like me, my buddy, and my partner actually propel themselves uphill for the reward, and the cost? Hell, I could buy a nice Husqvarna FE 350 for less than this Yeti. My Yeti SB140 weighs a nostril hair under 30 pounds. Sorry, I'm just not there yet re the current e-bike madness.
Reply
Skooks
1 month, 1 week ago
Ha, I'm the same age and the same attitude as you. Gonna keep pedalling my bike up the mountains for as long as I possibly can. Will I get a EZ-bike at some point? Probably, but hopefully not for a long time. I don't care what type of bike other people ride, but I have zero interest in a motorized MTB.
Reply
XXX_er
1 month, 1 week ago (below threshold) log in to show
well then why even read the thread, why even comment, you claim you don't care what other people ride and have zero interest in an Eeb but you feel the need to tell us and contribute absolutely zero to the discussion which is i believe VIRTUE SIGNALING. Lot of things in these articals I don't care about and so if i can't contribute anything of any value I just give it a pass
Reply
Hawkinsdad
1 month, 1 week ago
I don't see virtue signaling at all, just your attempt to disqualify an opinion you dislike. Not fully understanding or buying into a trend is not a claim that someone is better than others. I know a guy who is 75 who rides four times a week and another with bad knees, both of whom benefit from e-bikes. I'm supportive of that and okay with e-bikes in general. I just am not there, yet. Maybe in five or ten years. Let's try to be kind. There is enough polarization out there.
Skooks
1 month ago
Nope, not "Virtue Signalling". Just agreeing with a previous comment about pointing out that not all old guys want a motor to get up the mountain. If you choose to then that's cool too.
Kenny
1 month, 1 week ago
Yeah. I keep expecting these things to come out with leasing programs like cars. Just more expensive, financed, disposable garbage. It's the (North) American dream!
Reply
grant millispie
3 weeks, 4 days ago
makes even more sense than with cars since being caught on a 3yo eMTB is oh-so embarrassing!
Reply
XXX_er
1 month, 1 week ago
Looks kind of VPP-ish ? After 4 yrs on VPP I'm on 4 bar so i just slow the fox down and its OK, Can you compare Yeti to the Vala or I guess it was Cam who did the Vala
what do you think of SRam DER with that flat top chain ?
IME it sure shifts quiet after 4 yrs on a clunky NX sometimes its like wow did that really shift ?
Reply
Cam McRae
1 month, 1 week ago
I hope to ride the MTe a few times while Tim is away but I'm pretty sure it's an XL - which is a little big for me - so my observations may not be that useful.
Reply
XXX_er
1 month, 1 week ago
" I'd imagine there's lots of shops that would (probably wrongfully) eat the cost of install if it was a bike and motor purchased from them but I'd think an between an hour and two of shop rate in any event. "
Well its a product under warranty so the LBS has to fix it right, I've seen this happen but with a Shimano motor 4 yrs ago a local builder bud buys a Norco off NOT THE LBS to tow his BOB full of trail building gear so IME usually it doesnt matter on an acoustic bike I just tweek it a bit myself right, BUT the motor shits the bed in 6 rides so getting a warranty motor is not the problem having it instaled/ dealing with Shimano was the major probelm becuz it wasnt bought local and there is no way for the LBS to recover the hrs spent wanking around with a Shimano product he didnt sell SO trail bro got a bill for the labor
SO IMO/ IME buying from your LBS was never more important than with an Eeb and this time I did and the mechanic even rides same bike as me
the caveat might be except with a YT cuz i believe being an internet company they will pay for your LBS
Reply
Please log in to leave a comment.