I have had my ASR5 (alloy) for about 2 months now.
It replaced a turner 5spot dw link (fitted with angleset and CCDB).
My goal for swapping was to achieve a lighter weight and something with less travel, with most of my riding being around the Surrey Hills.
So far, I am deeply impressed with it. I have a second bike (ragley ti hardtail). When I had the choice of riding the turner or ragley, I would more often pick the ragley, since getting the yeti I find thats my first choice, its got some hardtail like vibe going on, with 125mm rear travel and a set up that favours a firm suspension setting (the Yeti 575 is the bike to buy if you prefer plush feeling suspension).
I worried (wrongly) I might break the carbon swingarm, liking my jumps and drops (albeit I only weigh around 72kilos), but so far so good and have ridden a genuine 4-5ft drop to flat (Judges seat for anyone who knows surrey hills)without any breakages.
I use a 140 talas fork, but have never used the reduced travel setting.
The suspension design does bob when pedalling (single pivot design) which took some getting use to, you dont really feel it, but you can look down to the shock and see it moving loads. The turner DW link use to pull the chain taught under pedalling loads, so this does feel quite odd, but the bike climbs technical rooty climbs better as the rear wheel moves more to hung the ground and maintain better traction.
I recently took the bike to chicksands and it turns out to be an excellent 4x bike, manualled brilliantly over the doubles/tripples there and has a nice low BB for good cornering. The bike sits so low (even with 140 forks) that again this prompts a firmer set up with the shock to reduce pedal strikes.
I have 1x10 gearing, crossmax ST wheels, XTR brakes, xtr drivechain, carbon bar, dropper post and it weighs just under 26lbs which seems really good for what the bike can handle.
This is my first yeti frame, have always fancied owning a yeti and am well impressed. Sorry to waffle, hope comments are helpful.
