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Yeti 303R - Initial Impressions

djjohnr

djjohnr

Turbo Monkey
Apr 21, 2002
3,017
1,719
Northern California
Picked up my 303R complete a little over a week ago. It hasn’t been nearly long enough for a review but here are my first impressions about both the frame and the stock build –

Actual geometry: (medium frame – lowest/slackest setting, fork crowns set at factory specs)

HA: ~63/64
CS: 17.25”
WB: 45 7/8”
BB: 13 7/8”

Notes:
  • Bike feels nice and low
  • Rear end is very stiff. I used to have an ASX and the rear was a wet noodle.
  • Bike has serious pop off jumps, it’s very noticeable
  • Doesn’t have buttery small bump compliance (trade-off for pop)
  • Suspension rate ramp-up feels very linear, no major variations throughout the travel detected while riding
  • 30mm rise 700mm wide bar feels out of place, especially with the 40mm stem (that needs a 5mm spacer under it to clear the top crown). Essentially the bar is too high and narrow. I’ve got a Sunline set-up coming this week.
  • Rear wheel brakes loose a little too easy on high speed steeps so far. This is likely do to the body positioning induced by the bar/stem combo and getting used to the brakes (doesn’t take much to lock them up). It’s also very dry here right now, lot’s of lightly dusted hardpack.
  • Rail is very easy to maintain. Wash off grime, squeeze in lube, bounce up and down a few times, wipe off excess. Non-issue.
  • Complete build includes 170mm cranks. In all honesty it hasn’t been an issue, but for a bike with a sub 14” BB 165s would have been nice.
  • Delivery time was QUICK. I ordered it on a Monday and it was being built up two days later.

Pics and an actual review later
 
djjohnr

djjohnr

Turbo Monkey
Apr 21, 2002
3,017
1,719
Northern California
No, but I'll be up there Saturday so I can provide more info next week. I ran into the slipperiness in Pacifica, specifically the Crack and the top of Mile. Both trails are pretty beat right now. I think a 50mm stem and lower bar height will make a huge difference.
 
RUFUS

RUFUS

e-douche of the year
Dec 1, 2006
3,480
1
Denver, CO
gurp said:
No, but I'll be up there Saturday so I can provide more info next week. I ran into the slipperiness in Pacifica, specifically the Crack and the top of Mile. Both trails are pretty beat right now. I think a 50mm stem and lower bar height will make a huge difference.
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It will make a huge different. I am running the 50mm sunline stem and 740mm sunline V1 OS bar. The V1 flat bar might be even nicer. Cornering would be amazing.

I have also found that the middle setting has been the best for almost all conditions so far. I will try out the slack setting at MSA next weekend as it is more suited for courses like that.

Have fun man, it is a SICK frame.
 
djjohnr

djjohnr

Turbo Monkey
Apr 21, 2002
3,017
1,719
Northern California
RUFUS said:
It will make a huge different. I am running the 50mm sunline stem and 740mm sunline V1 OS bar.
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That's exactly what I ordered.

On my first day out I did one run in each setting. I've stuck with the low bb setting since but I also haven't been riding any tight trails that would require a steeper head angle.
 
rockofullr

rockofullr

confused
Jun 11, 2009
7,342
924
East Bay, Cali
I wanna see a 303R vs 951 cage match to the death. I just can't decide which one of these bikes I like more.

Interesting about the small bump compliance. I didn't expect that considering what a champ the 303 is in chatter.

hmmmmm.... maybe it should be a tag team match. 303DH and 303R vs 951 and M6. :D
 
djjohnr

djjohnr

Turbo Monkey
Apr 21, 2002
3,017
1,719
Northern California
rockofullr said:
I wanna see a 303R vs 951 cage match to the death. I just can't decide which one of these bikes I like more.

Interesting about the small bump compliance. I didn't expect that considering what a champ the 303 is in chatter.
Click to expand...
I considered the 951 too, but the Yeti met my requirements better. Namely it came with a Fox 40, I was able to get it around $4k complete and it was immediately available. For the 951 I would have wound up with a Boxxer, spent a grand more and waited a month (or more). Plus Intense's customer service record isn't stellar.
 
S

stringbean

Chimp
Aug 30, 2008
68
0
riding mine with a zero rise stem and sunline v1?? bars (the silver ones) very low front end and feels really good. bike rails corners but drifts very controled. since i got the right weight spring in it i havnt had a problem with the suspention. agree with the pop off jumps and lack of small bump sensitivity, but im pretty sure i like the popy feel better than a dead feel.
 
djjohnr

djjohnr

Turbo Monkey
Apr 21, 2002
3,017
1,719
Northern California
This isn't a review, just my first impressions. I'll do a review after I've ridden it for a few months.

Past DH/FR bikes -

2000 Stab Primo
2001 Turner DHR
2002 Titus Quasimoto
2003 Marin Team DH
2005 Yeti-ASX
2007 Giant Reign X

Other DH bikes I've demoed (full day of resort riding) -

Rocky Mountain RM7
Specialized Demo 9
Karpiel Armageddon
Cannondale Gemni
Rocky Mountain Switch
Specialized Bit Hit

Other DH bikes I've done a run or two on -

Specialized Demo 7/9
Rocky Mountain RM 6/x
Santa Cruz V10 (v1)
 
Brian HCM#1

Brian HCM#1

MMMMMMMMM BEER!!!!!!!!!!
Sep 7, 2001
32,119
378
Bay Area, California
rockofullr said:
I wanna see a 303R vs 951 cage match to the death. I just can't decide which one of these bikes I like more.

Interesting about the small bump compliance. I didn't expect that considering what a champ the 303 is in chatter.

hmmmmm.... maybe it should be a tag team match. 303DH and 303R vs 951 and M6. :D
Click to expand...
I don't think they'd fight, most likely they would just sit there leaning against the fence.
 
S

stringbean

Chimp
Aug 30, 2008
68
0
MrPlow said:
what bike did you have before? I think that makes a difference to this review.
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I rode a gt dhi before my 303r, the yeti is head and shoulders above the gt in every way except the pedaling, but even then its still awsome for a dh bike. felt very awkward and unstable on the gt at speed, uncomfortable in the air, fine in burmed corners but very twitchy on flat ones. the i feel great on the yeti now and am so glad the gt cracked as it gave me an excuse to get rid of it.
 
T

Tdiddy

Monkey
Apr 8, 2009
222
1
I had a chance to ride my friend's 303r at kicking horse in BC 2 weeks ago. I'm riding a large morewood makulu, and the yeti was a medium, set in the middle position for HA and BB. It had much more pop than my makulu, but felt a little small. My biggest problem is that the front end wasn't low enough, although maybe a flat bar would help to bring it down. So in that respect, I found the cornering suffered a little, but it felt very smooth and agile on the straights, and stable in the air. I can't make too many comments based on the smaller size of the frame, but the Makulu was a lot more stable at speeds, was easier to corner at faster speeds, and pedalled better, but the yeti had way more pop.
 
djjohnr

djjohnr

Turbo Monkey
Apr 21, 2002
3,017
1,719
Northern California
Tdiddy said:
I'm riding a large morewood makulu, and the yeti was a medium.

the Makulu was a lot more stable at speeds, was easier to corner at faster speeds, and pedalled better, but the yeti had way more pop.
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The stability and high speed cornering are what you'd expect on a smaller sized frame. Same thing would probably happen if you hopped on a medium Makulu, especially if the bar was set up high for your preference.

I wouldn't mind trying a Makulu with a Stoy.
 
T

Tdiddy

Monkey
Apr 8, 2009
222
1
other way around, the makulu is much longer wheel base, and my front end is quite a bit lower than the yeti, but sitting at 63.3 degrees and 13.7 BB. The yeti didn't feel overly small in the medium frame in the cockpit, but I think I noticed the difference in wheelbase. The yeti is a fun ride for sure. It would be good to try it for a while on the different settings.
 
djjohnr

djjohnr

Turbo Monkey
Apr 21, 2002
3,017
1,719
Northern California
Tdiddy said:
other way around, the makulu is much longer wheel base, and my front end is quite a bit lower than the yeti, but sitting at 63.3 degrees and 13.7 BB. The yeti didn't feel overly small in the medium frame in the cockpit, but I think I noticed the difference in wheelbase. The yeti is a fun ride for sure. It would be good to try it for a while on the different settings.
Click to expand...
Sorry, my post was poorly written. What I was trying to say is that I'd expect a larger bike with a longer wheelbase to feel more stable at high speeds.
 
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DirtMcGirk

DirtMcGirk

<b>WAY</b> Dumber than N8 (to the power of ten alm
Feb 21, 2008
6,379
1
Oz
I love, love, love my 303dh. I have never ridden a bike I love so much. Even on really ****ty days, like today when my head just wasn't in the game, she carried me home in style. It was fantastic.

I've had:
Demo 9
Morewood Izumu
V10
Cannondale Judge
M3

And its head and shoulders above the rest. Really allowed me to become a better rider. I'm already looking at the 303r to have as well. Love me some Yeti.
 
greenhood

greenhood

Turbo Monkey
Jun 12, 2006
1,084
0
SEATTLE-MINNEAPOLIS
Way back in the day, I had a dh6, not very cool by todays standards, but ten years ago it was pretty sick. i look forward to someday getting back with yeti. They are the ****.
 
S

Summit

Monkey
Sep 23, 2001
369
0
here 'n there
So how does the 303R do under braking? That's my main concern with it being a single pivot. I REALLY hate suspension stiffening under braking.
 
djjohnr

djjohnr

Turbo Monkey
Apr 21, 2002
3,017
1,719
Northern California
Is your review based on Northstar?? Just asking as I've seen a few up there and was wondering how they rode up there.
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Rode Northstar on Saturday. Here's what I can tell after one day -

64 deg head angle setting is too slack for most of the trails; too many tight/loose corners and not enough high speed sections.

64.5 setting felt great. Didn't try the 65 degree setting.

Bike pedals well and pumps great; it was money on the Zephyr lift trails. Vista trails were a bit rougher compared to something with greater small bump sensitivity and a more rearward axle path.

It will make a huge different. I am running the 50mm sunline stem and 740mm sunline V1 OS bar. The V1 flat bar might be even nicer. Cornering would be amazing.
Click to expand...
Tried the same set-up. Love the bar. The 50mm stem didn't work out for me. In the 64 degree setting the steering felt too floppy to be usable. It felt OK in the 64.5 setting, just a little floppy. The 65 degree setting felt absolutely dialed. I'll probably spend most of my time in the 64 and 64.5 settings, so I'm exchanging it for a 42mm.

So how does the 303R do under braking? That's my main concern with it being a single pivot. I REALLY hate suspension stiffening under braking.
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It stiffens a bit; I can't tell if it's any better/worse then other single pivot DH bikes I've owned/ridden. If you can't stand any stiffening I'd stay away from single pivots all together.



Random thought-
A six inch version of this bike would be PHENOMENAL. Make the settings something like 66/13.5, 67/13.75, 68/14.
 
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