ENDURO BIKE TEST

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ENDURO BIKE TEST
SPEC
Frame
Fork
Shock
Cassette
Derailleur
YT Industries Capra
BOS Deville TRC
BOS Kirk
42
SRAM XG 1195 10SRAM X01
SRAM
Chain
E.13 XCX+
Chainguide
SRAM X01
nk
Cra
SRAM X0Trail
s
Brakes/Disc
Truvativ GXP, PF30
Bottom Bracket
Renthal
Bar
Acros AZX 203
et
ads
He
duro
Mavic Crossmax En
Wheels
verb Stealth
Re
AM
SR
Seat/post
Renthal Duo 40mm
Stem
am/
Mavic Crossmax Ro
Tyres
Charge
SDG
t
Sea
S, M, L
Sizes
(£3308)
YT Capra Pro €3999
.com
www.yt-industries
100 DIRT
DIRT 101
Above: Job done. Visually
striking and balanced with
all the right components
and faultless angles, YT
have totally restructured
any idea of what long
travel can and shall do.
One of the most major
developments for some
time.
YT INDUSTRIES CAPRA
SHAPE AND PURPOSE
This bike challenges all previous theories on what
long travel is all about. At the same time it also
dismantles ideas of what long travel can actually
do. Finally it smashes to pieces the reality that
carbon, high spec, beautifully presented bikes have
to be closer to five figures than three. The shape of
the Capra is designed to charge, this might seem a
compromise on a bike that sells itself as a do–it–all
weapon. It is not. Thirteen kilograms in weight,
with quick wheels and neutral suspension means
that it’s a bike that can be ridden hard all day any
way. It is the first 170mm of its kind that can do
this. It is the only bike that can do this.
SUSPENSION
BOS front and rear brings high performance,
highly supportive suspension and offering superb
sensitivity on the dials. The Pike Solo Air/Monarch
Plus equipped bikes are superb, the Kirk/Deville
spec is simply better. More than this, the frame
design is super smooth and the bike delivers on its
ability to be pedalled about and in the darkest corners
of any wood the Capra holds its poise superbly.
FEELING
Light, lively with an ability to be placed anywhere
instantly. It’s interesting that most 150/160 bikes
lean either towards downhill or cross country in
their nature, both the Kona and Lapierre do this.
What’s striking about the Capra is that it can
almost hold its own against a full–on downhill bike
yet still maintains a lively trail nature. Its all–round
ability is simply staggering.
102 DIRT
Top right: A slight rattle in
the down tube area from
the internal cable was one
of the bike’s only faults
in proto form. YT, true to
form, got it sorted.
AD
Right: Mavic wheels
have proved a revelation
offering just the right
balance of flex and
strength.
Below: BOS front and rear
by way of Kirk and Deville
offer great sensitivity, but
importantly offer much
needed sensitivity at high
speed.
VERDICT
The Capra was a monumental spanner in the
works for this enduro test. We knew it was
coming, what we didn’t know was quite how
brilliant it would be. It is one of the most
LIMITATIONS
significant developments in mountainbiking for
The internal cable chatter that was evident on our
some time. I believe it to be a bike that could easily
ride in Israel (see last issue) was remedied by the
win certain World Cup downhill races, that’s how
time the bike arrived in the UK. This is how YT work. good it is. But that would compartmentalize the
Capra, a bike far too feral to be hemmed into the
COMPONENTS
confines of World Cup racing. It’s a bike up for
The best of the best. End of. Consider the always
anything whatsoever. It delivers ‘A ’ on pretty
precise engagement of SRAM X01, with the super
much everything, from specification/geometry/
quick Mavic wheelset, the much loved Renthal bar/ performance/pricing and visually it wins the game
stem combination, matchless RockShox Reverb
before you hit the trail. It blows everything out of
Stealth seatpost and the magic BOS damping and you the water by a mile, no other bike gets anywhere
have a killer, some would say matchless, package.
near it.
*
DIRT 103
ENDURO BIKE TEST
KONA
PROCESS
153 DL
CONCLUSION
Pre–Capra it was pretty much nip and
tuck between the three other bikes, hence
the comparisons you might notice
between ‘the other three bikes’. When
‘the goat’ entered the fray late in the day it
changed everything and it emphasized
very clearly that as good as ‘you’ are there
simply is no room for error when YT are
on their game.
Last July when we first tested the
beautifully evolved Spicy it went straight
to the top of our most wanted enduro bike
list. Its graphic, suspension and light
weight make it a winner. But it’s too much
money for a bike with metal wheels. By
August Kona were marching forwards
with their new Process, more revolution
than evolution and with superb angles,
the Kona scores as a gritty general duty
bike that can be roughed up. The Norco
simply continued with the good work
made on the alloy Range making it lighter
and sexier and fourteen hundred pounds
cheaper than the Spicy. All three bikes are
the cream of what’s currently available,
but there are imperfections.
To be blown so forcefully out of the water
by a little company who have got not just
most things right, but everything right,
must rankle slightly. When you’ve piled
your heart and soul into a bike after so
much effort it must be slightly
demoralizing. But how can you not take
your hat off to YT Industries for not just
revolutionizing what’s possible on a long
travel bike but to deliver in such a flawless
package something that looks so good too.
Each of the other bikes are class yet there
are errors which will never compete with
the total performance of the Capra. When
YT are so on the ball you simply cannot
make any mistakes. As stinging a reality as
it is the Capra pretty much murdered this
enduro test, proving that sometimes your
best simply aint good enough. z
104 DIRT
NORCO
RANGE
7.1
LAPIERRE
SPICY
TEAM
YT
INDUSTRIES
CAPRA