Tom Reviews The YT Capra Uncaged 11 MX
The YT Capra Uncaged 11 MX has an uncharacteristically high fun factor rating for a long-travel enduro bike, and boy, aren’t we glad to see it!
Watch our video review of the The YT Capra Uncaged 11 MX:
We’ve all witnessed enduro bikes become increasingly capable over the last ten years. However, it has been noticed that with improvements to stability and, thus, breakneck speeds, modern bikes are left, giving us somewhat of a numbed experience. We love that the mixed-wheeled Capra has traded some of its stability for liveliness, bringing colour to that “sweet, sweet” singletrack beneath us. Whilst the bike doesn’t plough mindlessly through rough terrain, it still has 170mm of front and rear travel to soak up trail chunder and those big hits. The MX Capra has put fun at the forefront of what it does, and that’s an ethos we can get around.
The YT Capra Uncaged 11 MX comes in at AUD 10,999. If you throw down your hard earned pennies for this rig, some of the baller kit you’ll be rewarded with is a beautiful carbon frame, Ohlins suspension, carbon Crankbrothers wheels and an electronic drivetrain from SRAM. It’s a bike that will turn the heads of others whilst keeping a smile on yours!
YT Capra Uncaged 11 MX price & specs:
YT Capra Uncaged 11 MX
- Frame | Carbon front and rear, integrated frame protection, high and low position flip chip, MX specific, 148 x 12mm hub spacing.
- Fork | Ohlins RXF38 M.2, HSC – LSC – LSR adjustable / 15x110mm axle, 44mm offset / tapered steerer, 170mm travel
- Shock | Ohlins TTX 22 Coil / 230 x 65mm/ HSC – LSC – LSR adjustable/ 388lbs spring (size large)
- Wheels | Crankbrothers synthesis enduro carbon wheels/ Front 110 x 15mm/ 6 bolt/ Rear 148 x 12mm/ 6 bolt, XD Driver
- Tyres | Maxxis Assegai / 2.5″ / 60TPI Foldable / EXO+ / TR / 3C Maxx Gripp Front. Maxxis DHR II / 2.4″ / 120TPI Foldable / DD/ TR / 3C Maxx Terra Rear
- Drivetrain | SRAM GX Eagle AXS Transmission 12 Speed, Wireless Electronic Shift System
- Brakes | SRAM Code RSC 4 Piston Disc, SRAM 200mm rotors front and rear
- Bar | Renthal Fatbar 35/ Rise 30mm, 7° back sweep and a 5° upsweep
- Seatpost | Rockshox Reverb AXS 31.6mm/ Size S (125mm), M (150mm), L-XXL (170mm)
- RRP | $10, 999 AUD
Mixed Wheeled YT Capra Sizing & Geo:
Tom was the main test pilot during our time with the bike. For reference, he is 179cm tall and YT’s size guide placed him on a large frame. In comparison to its peers, the MX Capra is on the smaller side for a large, with a reach of 464mm. This, however, suits the characteristics of the bike and compliments its playful persona. As a result, the sizing felt bang on.
Along with the 464mm reach, the large MX Capra has a 64° head angle, a 433mm chainstay, a 77.4° seat tube angle, and a wheelbase of 1243mm. Five sizes are available, ranging from a small (424mm reach) to an XXL (504mm reach). Sizes XL and XXL have a slightly longer rear end, with a chainstay measuring 438mm.
These numbers are relatively conservative compared to other bikes in this category. This, along with the smaller rear wheel, is the main contributing factor to its spritely nature. These moderate measurements also mean that it’s not overly long at either end of the bike, which gives quite a centred feel when both climbing and descending.
The Capra Uncaged 11 MX comes with some geo adjustment in the form of a high and low setting that can be flipped at the lower shock mount. As the numbers are pretty conservative to start with, we’d opt for the low setting for everyday riding.
Climbing:
We mentioned the MX Capra’s compact geometry above, and this is something you definitely notice when climbing. It puts you in a really comfortable upright climbing position, allowing you to spin intuitively in both a seated and standing position. We’ve come to expect the steep seat angle of 77.4° on modern enduro bikes; once you’ve ridden a bike with a steeper seat angle, it’s hard to go back! We enjoyed this on the Capra, particularly when we found ourselves slogging up longer climbs.
As you’d expect with a smaller rear wheel, it doesn’t carry as much momentum as the full 29er version of this bike. However, this is a small compromise if your primary purpose is to enjoy the descents. On flatter, more technical sections of trail, you can feel the rear wheel getting caught up at times. However, we didn’t notice it on smoother single-trail climbs or when pedalling up an access road.
The rear shock has an easily accessible compression switch, and we found the firmest positions work great for climbing. It eliminates the pedal bob but also isn’t a complete lock-out, meaning you’re still able to get some traction when needed.
Overall, climbing this bike is a pleasant experience. You won’t be flying up the hill, but if you’re considering a bike like this, it’s unlikely you’re looking for that. The cruisey nature of the climbing position gave us plenty of time to fantasise about the fun to be had on the way down! Rather than thoughts of… “dang, my backs cooked, I need to do more yoga”.
Descending:
It’s easy to look at a bike’s travel and quickly form some prejudiced views on how it’ll ride. The Capra Uncaged 11 MX has some unique ride characteristics that separate it from its fellow 170mm enduro peers. We’ve previously tested the Specialized Status which we referred to as a “fun-duro” bike. The MX Capra is a bike we’d also group with a like minded ‘fun forward’ approach.
The Capra really shines when presented with playful terrain. That could be in the form of jumps, turns or single track that allows you to pick up and pop over obstacles. In particular we found the bike to corner well as it loves switching from edge to edge on the tyres.
The centered geo allows you to throw the bike around with ease. It is also easy to shift your body position because of this, allowing the bike to do its thing under you. We found the bike to be predictable in turns. The grip is there when you want it, but it is also easy to intentionally push through the traction point to let the rear wheel go. I think the technical term is… “shralp-able!”
We believe the MX Capra is a great bike park rig because of its cornering prowess but also with how well it jumps. It provides plenty of confidence when jumping, which is something that can be harder to find with longer travel bikes. The chainstay length of 433mm on the MX Capra isn’t comparably long for an enduro bike. On steeper jumps you don’t feel like the rear end is being left behind as you hit the lip. The slightly shorter rear end also provides responsive feedback when you bunny hop the bike. With this, there is plenty of snap on offer. Something we’ve found to be rare for a bike of this nature.
As a result of the lively characteristics; the MX Capra isn’t the most stable enduro bike we’ve thrown a leg over. However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t capable in rough terrain. It just won’t plough through rocks and roots like some other bikes in this category. At times we felt the bike being pushed off line, requiring more calculated line choice to avoid this. With 170mm of travel it has the ability to soak up gnarlier singletrack, but if you’re after out-and-out straight line speed, this isn’t the bike for you.
It was at higher speeds where we found some shortcomings with the MX Capra. However, on slower and steeper terrain, this bike performed well. The smaller rear wheel is great for cornering, but it also has some added benefits when the trail gets steep. We’ve all heard about the added clearance on mixed wheeled bikes on a vertical plane. In particular, the reduced chance of encountering tyre buzz. Although, we’ve found the most impactful characteristic of the smaller rear wheel, is the ability to move the bike side to side underneath you. We really enjoyed hitting steeper chutes with a tight catch berm at the bottom. The Capra was easy to position on the right line and then had plenty of maneuverability and clearance to change direction sharply.
We also found that when you’re heavy on the brakes, the smaller rear wheel doesn’t create a jackknifing sensation when trying to slow down. At times on full 29er’s, we’ve felt the large rear wheel doesn’t like to be slowed, and often feels as if it wants to push past the front end.
Component Highs & Lows:
Frame:
The carbon frame has a high quality finish as you’d expect for a bike at this price point. Both the front and rear triangle are carbon, which helps with the respectable weight. The rear triangle is specific for the smaller rear wheel meaning the bike is not compatible with a larger 29er rear wheel. We don’t mind this restriction as it means they haven’t compromised anything to try and fit both wheel sizes in.
We did have one issue with the frame that we picked up on during our first ride. One of the linkages was damaged during manufacturing or assembly. The housing that the bolt threaded into was damaged and resulted in a significant amount of play. After reaching out, it was confirmed that this would be covered under warranty, and a new part arrived promptly within a few days.
Suspension:
It’s easy to say the spec on this bike was quite the talking point out on the trails. The Ohlins suspension was the first thing that caught most people’s attention. Maybe because it matches the frame’s colourway, it certainly pairs nicely! The spec on this model brings the weight in at 16.1kgs and that’s setup tubeless and without pedals.
The Ohlins fork and shock come with a reputation of being somewhat of a boutique brand. Overall we found the performance of the suspension to be of a high quality. However there were some quirks that revealed themselves during testing.
We’d say the Ohlins RXF38 M.2 fork was one of the highlight features for us. It’s a highly tunable fork which has a supple and balanced feel when set up correctly. The setup process is a little different to other more common brands. The Ohlins RXF38 M.2 has two air chambers that you can adjust. There is a main chamber as well as a ramp-up chamber. The ramp up chamber provides similar tunability to adding tokens as you would with forks from other manufacturers. This provides support as you move deeper into the travel. The beauty of the Ohlins fork is you can add finer adjustments in the ramp up chamber by adding air in single psi increments. Versus, using the wider sweeping adjustment found when using tokens.
Throughout the testing we ended up adding 10-15psi to the ramp up chamber to gain the support we were after when diving deeper into the travel. A bit of trial and error is needed with this one, but it’s well worth it when you get it right.
The Ohlins TTX 22 rear shock also performed well. Like the fork, it is smooth and supple through its travel. The 388lbs spring that came stock was right in the ballpark for our 77kg tester (fully kitted). We’d be tempted to run a slightly softer spring to see if we could gain a bit more traction and compliance. Perhaps even experiment with an air shock as this would allow for finer tuning and may compliment the playfulness of the bike further.
One slight issue we encountered was some top out when running faster rebound settings. We could only feel it towards the extreme end of the dial, and by slowing it down by just a couple of clicks, we were able to eliminate it. However, it was there, and that may be an issue for people who prefer a faster rebound.
Wheels & Tyres:
Another highlight was the Carbon Synthesis wheels from Crankbrothers. We particularly like the fact that the rims are specific to the front and rear. They come with different stiffnesses, so the front provides a less harsh feel through the hands and better tracking with the ground.
We were also very pleased to see a durable rear tyre paired with a grippy front tyre. We believe all enduro bikes should come stock with this combination. On the Capra, it was delivered in the form of a Maxxis Minion DHR II in the rear with their thicker Double Down casing. On the front, you’ll find a Maxxis Assegai with their softest MaxxGrip compound.
SRAM AXS Wireless Components, Dropper Post and Drivetrain:
Whether you think wireless components are helpful or not. There is no denying the cleanliness of an AXS cockpit. The YT Capra Uncaged 11 MX comes with an electronic GX Transmission drivetrain. We’ve seen these on quite a few test bikes now, and it is a bit of kit that has performed consistently across various reviews.
The AXS Rockshox Reverb dropper post contributed nicely to the neat and tidy cockpit. However, we lost all pressure in the post towards the end of the testing period. So that has left us with some questions about reliability with this one. The smoothness and overall feel of the post was great up until then. Taller riders take note as it only has 170mm of drop, so those who tend to need longer posts in the 200m plus range might need to opt for something else.
Flow’s Verdict:
We see the YT Capra Uncaged 11 MX suiting someone who rides aggressively but doesn’t necessarily want a race machine. This bike could certainly be raced, but we see it being enjoyed more by someone who wants to punch out laps with friends. Potentially riding bike parks regularly and favouring jump and corner-laden trails. It was refreshing to ride a more lively long travel bike. If playfulness is a characteristic you’re looking for in an enduro rig, this might be the one for you.
ABOUT THE REVIEWER - Tom Wilson
Hometown
Kiama, NSW
Height
179cm
Weight
75kg
RIDING STYLE
The tyre-rolling cornering type