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Trail Tested | Yamaha YDX Torc Power Assist MTB

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Trail Tested | Yamaha YDX Torc Power Assist MTB

Price: $3499

A few weeks ago, we published a story about taking a ride on Yamaha’s Wabash Power-Assist Gravel Bicycle, and what a great time we had on it. Truth be told, that wasn’t our first ride on a Yamaha power-assist bicycle, as we were invited to the launch of the YDX Torc mountain bike one year earlier, but waited until we could spend some more time aboard the MTB to write a proper review. Recently, we were able to get our hands on one again, and have been enjoying the good times that can be had in the saddle of the YDC Torc.

A little backstory first! Yamaha has been producing pedal-assist commuter bicycles in Japan since 1993 and by 2016 had sold a whopping two million of them! That’s right, Yamaha is one of the pioneers in pedal-assist bicycles, which are quickly gaining popularity and acceptance in the United States in recent years. Yamaha motors are used in several other manufacturer’s bicycles, and they come in a few different configurations with different battery capacities and power delivery characteristics. The most-powerful PW-X motor is at the heart of the YDX Torc MTB, and it cranks out 500W and 80Nm of torque at max delivery.

The YDX Torc is for all intent and purposes, and entry level E-MTB. Priced at a moderate $3499, its target consumer is someone looking to get their feet wet in mountain biking, not someone who is looking to climb long fire roads and bomb down the singletrack descents. That said, it is equipped with a RockShox Recon RL fork with 120mm of suspension travel and a hydroformed and butted aluminum tubing frame. An 11-speed Shimano SLX drivetrain puts the power from the PW-X motor to the ground. The bike rolls on 27.5 wheels wrapped in Maxxis Ardent 2.25′ wide tires. 

The motor itself is controlled by a handlebar-mounted switch that offers five different levels of assist, from battery saving eco mode, all the way up to full turbo. The motor will match the effort the rider puts in, all the way up to a 20mph max. (If you wanna go faster than 20mph, you’ll need to pedal hard and fast!) One of the most common misconceptions about pedal-assist bikes is that they do all of the work for you, but that is completely false as the bike only puts in as much work as you do.

On the trail, the Yamaha YDX Torc is a lot of fun. Our test rider Nicole Cesa has done her fair share of mountain biking in the past, but the prospect of keeping up with her more-experienced friends with the help of the Yamaha YDX Torc was intriguing. That said, the YDX Torc is the first pedal-assist MTB she’s ridden, and it was a game-changer, to say the least.

While the motor inside the Wabash gravel bike we tested before was on the controllable side (read: mellow), the PW-X motor inside the YDX Torc MTB really kicks butt. In the lower settings – where we started Nicole – the feel is completely intuitive with natural acceleration and a gradual ramp up, but in the high mode it is a complete kick in the pants! Day we say it, but the Yamaha motor is the strongest we’ve encountered, and it’s almost a shame that it is mounted inside a hardtail frame. When Yamaha decides to throw its hat into the full-suspension game, we’ll be the first in line!

The Yamaha battery requires a four-hour charge time to 100% if it is completely dead, but we never ran the battery all the way down as the motor seems to be plenty efficient. We logged a 25-mile ride the on the YDX Torc and still had just over 50% battery life left. Of course, rider weight and riding style will vary, and both will have a direct impact on battery life.

The Shimano drivetrain performed flawlessly under power, although grabbing multiple downshifts under power is especially a no-no on a pedal-assist bike as the added power can easily bend the derailleur hanger. The brakes, likewise, worked perfectly and never squealed or faded, even under abuse. 

All in all, the YDX Torc is a great bike for a new rider or the casual enthusiast who doesn’t have the time or interest in building the big base level of fitness required to truly enjoy mountain biking. There’s some resistance from purists who think pedal-assist bikes are bad for the sport of cycling, but more butts in saddles in a good thing, whether it’s conventional or assist. The Yamaha YDX Torc has a great powerplant with excellent range, a fair-handling chassis, and good looks that make it stand out. And, at under $3500, it doesn’t have the crazy price tag that other pedal-assist bikes do.

Visit YamahaBicycles.com for more info!

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Donn Maeda

Donn Maeda is a 30-year veteran in moto-journalism, having worked at Cycle News and Dirt Rider before launching MXracer Magazine and TransWorld Motocross Magazine. Maeda is the Editor-In-Chief at Swapmoto Live and you can catch him on a dirt bike or in the saddle of a mountain bike on most days.

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