How We Made The Levo - Specialized Levo SL Designer

[@humantrailmachine]

Thanks for asking about the Kenevo SL !

[@billderas3420]

My Gen 1 Levo SL is 3 years old with 5,500 beautiful miles on it. Battery Health is 93% per shop's Studio program (not per Mission Control which is still showing 100%). The Gen 2 is a nice progression of the Levo SL line IMO. Picking up my new Gen 2 Comp Carbon tomorrow.

[@andrewhillman9632]

Wonderful interview, great job conveying the passion of the Specialized team along with some technical tidbits for those of us who like to get into the weeds a bit on specs. 🤓

[@The.JZA.]

Interesting to hear the story and technical details. One thing I'll point out (again) is that Torque is not the same as power. You can't say "50Nm of power". Nm is torque and power is Watts. The formula to calculate power from torque and RPM is: Power(Watts) = Torque(Nm)*RPM(Cadence)/9.5488 (W=T*RPM/9.5488). This can be rearranged to solve for T if desired. So at a normal cadence of 80 RPM and a power output of 320 Watts, the torque is 38.2 Nm. At 60 RPM with 50Nm of torque, the power output would be ~260 watts. Etc.

[@AstronautKitty-w5y]

I tested this bike in Santa Cruz for a couple days with 5 of my friends. We had all of the different models. The Kenevo Sl does not have enough power with 35 nm, the seat hight is way to high-29 wheels on steep UC trails it was no good. It was the worst out of the Three. The fully powered models where great on power and even still felt better than the Kenevo. My whole crew as younglings all were bmxers. The new Levo Sl is the best mountain bike I have ever ridden. It has a BMX feel. I honestly don't know how they pulled this off. It felt so comfortable and stable. It roomy with out being to long. I am 6 foot and the S4 size was perfect. The mullet made the steep stuff feel like a breeze. The power delivery of the new motor is very natural and it can keep up with the full power ones. The travel is more than enough to handle everything we through at it. It left me speechless. I am sitting here trying to figure out what sell out of my garage to find some funds for this. Before buying any E-Bike try this Levo Sl , Specialized hit it out of the park!

[@IIISentorIII]

Sell the Dog.

[@barbamatteo]

I own a CreoSL and Levo.. both 2020 (used.. nearly new). Amazing bikes, no noise, great software, noiseless engine, supercomfy. Specy has some issues with price/quality in new bikes but used you can allways count on value and shop support (so does my shop).

[@ChupacabraOffroad]

Awesome interview, very passionate guy and seriously considering this as my next bike. People can hate but Specialized REALLY DOES "Innovate or die"

[@chickenclips]

always nice to hear it from the horse mouth. Well done, Rob. Your content is a gem. I envy your job

[@Tobias611]

That last sentence though, can't wait to see the Vado and Creo SL line to get the new motors as well!

[@DarrenSmith-x6h]

Very nice bike it screams quality ,as the old saying goes you get what u pay for .well done specialized

[@jerryofthebikes]

all ok and cool and everything.. but Specialized prices are just nuts..

[@pcarts232]

Yup I bought the Orbea it’s just as good

[@Zetler]

For this price I expect the best in class. It isn’t.

[@chickenclips]

You're not just paying for a bike. You're paying for the best after sales support in the business.

[@BahWeepGranahWeepNiniBong]

@@chickenclips Let's face it, you're partly paying for the name too.

[@der_arvid]

@RobRidesEMTB would have loved a cheeky question towards seeing the new motor in the Kenevo SL ;)

[@Model6780]

Really looking forwards to a new kenevo 😊❤ 🚲

[@chickenclips]

you're gonna be looking for at least a year

[@Model6780]

@@chickenclips it's well overdue hopefully soon

[@TCK71]

Great interesting interview.

[@emtbtrailrider539]

I still want 360 wh battery 🪫 & I want new 50 nm pedal assist motor on my older Levo SL 🇺🇸

[@donjon1733]

really hard to bite the bullet again on another specialized ebike. Got burned w/the 2nd gen Turbo Levo, the gen with all the motor problems. Went through 7 motors in 4 years. What a pain in the ass. Felt like I was a beta tester for Marco et al. I hope they got their shit together with this new bike!!!!!!!!!

[@lozetchells9164]

Rob, how does the noise compare with the full fat 2022 Levo Brose motor?

[@billybrownz]

Hello future (and current) Specialized owners! I'd like to bring a topic to your attention that not many talk about: the waterproofing of these bikes. Although my bike is of the previous generation Levo SL (1.1) than the one mentioned in this video, I'd like to share my experiences of 1 year into ownership. Let me start by saying, that the bike gave me a lot of please while it was working and there's no denying that ebikes can bring a lot of joy. However, this comes at (in my case) at quite a cost. I purchased my bike in 2023 November and used in throughout the winter, no matter of the weather (which is around 0 degrees C and rainy in Hungary). By March my bike started having issues, and by the end of the month the motor died. Because the warranty does not cover any type of water damage, I had to pay for a replacement (although I did receive a 30% discount on it). Getting a new motor took almost three months and only received the replacement in May. Unlike winters, summers a pretty dry and hot here, so my new motor did not see a lot of water until last weekend, when although it was not raining, the forest was quite muddy because of the rain in the previous days. This did not stop me from riding, not suspecting that it would cost me my second motor. I got home without any issues by my bike won't turn on since than. The service center told me that this is most likely due to water ingress. I have always taken great care of my bike and since the first incident, even tried to stay away from wet, however this still could not prevent the second motor dying on me within a year. Do yourself a favour and before buying a bike (or taking your current one into wet conditions) do a google search for "bike won't turn on" and "water ingress" to see that a lot of people a struggling with these issues. These (Levo) motors were just simply not made for serious MTB use! From content creators, like Rob, it would be great to see an investigation into the longevity of these motors, because I feel like these interviews only tell the happy part of the story and should not be used to make decisions about a €7000+ purchase.

[@jumbleross]

I’m interested to see how the motor is connected inside the frame, any plans to drop the motor and let us have a look Rob? Based on my experience with the Trek Rail I want a system that can tolerate some flex in the frame and not put a lot of strain on the connectors.

[@robscreen]

Could this motor be purchased from a dealer and retro fitted to a 2022 kenevo sl?

[@peakz1099]

The 1.2 motor does not fit in old models

[@oxharp]

Do you know if this motor is going into the road bikes?

[@IIISentorIII]

My 21/22 Stumpjumper Carbon Expert did cost me new 3.6k (Euro) six month ago and five years from now it will be still fine, heck maybe get a SRAM Transmission on sale Three years from now. The Turbo Levo SL Expert Carbon cost 10K (Euro) and you are testing a brand new Motor/Software and you need to buy another 29er Wheel if you don't like mullet and obviously a range extender at some point. In the Next Three years a never version will replace it. I think the E-Bike technologie is evolving way to fast to justifie those prices if you are being rational. I also wear out 1-2 Drivetrains each year so... All that being said, I did test ride this Bike and it feels like a Stumpjumper EVO and it's amazing! Just not 15k Amazing ;)

[@thewrx2600]

I would love to see these ebikes on a dynometer, and give us the actual wtq and whp, not sure what a mtb chain setup equals in drag losses.

[@ianbriggs3388]

So when can we expect the Gen2 Kenevo SL?

[@chickenclips]

Next year

[@koho]

One reason going to 50 Nm is important is it reduces the gap when rising with others riding "full power" E bikes. This can be a real issue - I own the original SL, best bike ever, but it can be hard to keep up with friends who have since adopted the Levo or other such E bikes. 50 Nm seems like a good compromise for those who want the trail performance that you can only get with a light E bike.

[@nickstine6209]

Will the new 50nm 1.2 motor fit in my older 1.1 version sl frame? If so, will they be made available?

[@rezenclowd3]

My understanding it fits, but Specialized states it wont work "because of the software" which is ass backwards.

[@rodent]

@@rezenclowd3 so buy motor and TCU and you're set. right?

[@rezenclowd3]

@@rodent they are not sold only exchanged

[@hatueytavarezolmos4858]

When are they launch the Kenevo with this new “engine”?

[@Shawn-in-da-Canyon]

I’ll stay with my Trek EXe!

[@chickenclips]

the new SL shits all over the EXe - I've owned both

[@Shawn-in-da-Canyon]

@@chickenclips My girlfriend owns a bike shop and I own an EXe. And I’ve ridden the SL. That’s simply not true.

[@OSM_Enduro]

Why, in these interviews, nobody asks specialized why they didn't go for a 400wh battery? The extra weight? +-400g? The weight distribution? The extra cost for the client? The extra cost for specialized? It seems to be the elephant in the room ;-)

[@streddaz]

Marco did say that they did not want to increase the weight, a 400wh battery would increase the weight.

[@Donkeydoedel]

Because 320 is enough most of the time. And when it's not, you have an optional range extender. I like their choice for this category of ebike.

[@OSM_Enduro]

​@@Donkeydoedel let's see if Specialized thinks 320 is enough most of the time next year when they upgrade the Kenevo SL. You're probably right, maybe it's enough for 80% of potential customers. I have an Enduro and two of my friends just bought a Levo full power. I would prefer a KSL with 50NM and 400wh + 200Wh (range extender). I think with that combination I could ride with them on the days they use most of the 700wh battery. Mentally I still don't feel prepared for a full power 😜😃

[@halfbrain86]

Rob am I right and this was filmed last summer? So the rumours are true - this bike was ready summer 2022 already?

[@romma11]

i ride my levo on max 50%-50%, never needed for full power, most rides actually 15-35%, should I wait for sl 2.0 or take sweet deal on now old sl 1.1

[@BobBob-bq2be]

Why only 320wh battery? Bit rubbish is you ask me and I own a KSL

[@billryan8721]

Get the range extender if you need more juice.

[@emtbtrailrider539]

@@billryan8721 KSL wud be better if it had 360 wh battery in all honesty because if u take it to the bike parks it will be consumed quickly

[@megane230f1]

@@emtbtrailrider539 love the ksl especially in that horny yellow

[@artstech]

For the price I hope the motor lasts at least 10 years. Battery slightly less and there should be no issues buying a replacement if need be. This is the biggest fear that a battery or motor fail and will not be available anymore years down the road. Now you have a $15K paper weight. Also when purchasing there should be an option to choose a 29 rear.

[@slickrock1371]

No doubt he caused a few cerebral hemorrhages every time he said the word, "engine."

[@Renae-ca]

Yup! LOL

[@robertwalker841]

I like the noise of an e bike.

[@MrJob91]

Yeah because the noise nature makes sucks. Nature sounds like artificial asmr.

[@HarryKuloh]

Incorrect

[@BahWeepGranahWeepNiniBong]

@@HarryKuloh Yes you are incorrect.

[@joe.s]

So if I use Specialized's app it sends all my data to Specialized? Not too happy about that unless there's an opt out.

[@RobRidesEMTB]

Read about how data is used here: support.specialized.com/home/missioncontrol/en/troubleshooting/faqs

[@AntonCor]

It's a bit sad that he can't talk on the record about the new Fazua and TQ motors or how this Levo SL compares to the competition. That conversation would be awesome, but it's not possible.

[@RobRidesEMTB]

In my (limited) experience the new 50Nm SL is feeling more powerful than the TQ 50Nm - but need more back to back testing.

[@ttengineer404]

ugh, its a motor, not an engine. Motors use electrical input to drive the unit. Engines use Fuel.

[@Tobias611]

Oxford English Dictionary: Engine: the part of a vehicle that produces power to make the vehicle move Motor: a device that uses electricity, petrol, etc. to produce movement and makes a machine, a vehicle, a boat, etc. work Conclusion: You can change them interchangeably in the context of this video.

[@ttengineer404]

@@Tobias611 Wrong Motors run on electricity and engines run on combustion. The engine converts various forms of fuels into mechanical force, while the motor transforms electrical energy into mechanical energy. People may use them interchangeably, but they are wrong.

[@chickenclips]

it also makes me cringe when I hear people call electric motors engines....

[@DanAdams-jq1ew]

I feel like he’s completely missed the point by talking about existing riders of the old SL not needing more power. There’s a whole market that wouldn’t buy the original SL as it’s so underpowered (myself included) but are looking for lighter and less powerful than a full emtb. I’m not sure that this group would buy the new SL either with a 320w battery. Running 50nm in turbo is going to hammer through the battery. Think Specialised have missed the market on this one.

[@jamesj97370]

The price of these bikes is absurd!

[@21AirDrop]

Just keep in mind the price is high, but it is volume of production. There’s a lot of technology into these bikes and a lot of cost to bring them into production as well as getting them into the market. I have no idea what their profit is but I can’t imagine it being that amazing.

[@wenlambotomy6231]

Next Gen - as in it doesn’t break within a 6 months like their last motors 😂

[@Lee-ic2yn]

😂 True My bosch didn't last much longer though

[@wenlambotomy6231]

4years on original shimano e8000 motor - done 5k miles- mostly battered on reds and blacks and jumps. Hasn’t missed a beat I am pleased to say which is as it should be for spending £5k+ on a bike.

[@megane230f1]

@@wenlambotomy6231 you have been very lucky to have an e8000 on 5k mine went at 3k with the dreaded e010 error code

[@carlconium5459]

My friends e8000 went tits up with 500 miles on and took 3 months to be replaced. Got my 3100 miles slightly noisy but still working fine Levo motor replaced in 24 hrs.

[@TheAngryHusky]

Noise isn't an issue when you crank up your earbuds.

[@Hodler82]

You miss the point

[@philipp3340]

Shut up and take my ... oh, wait ... whaaat?

[@chrishurley5711]

How about they make this one upgradable, I'm a gen 1 owner who feels completely screwed over by this guy. How Effin hard is it to make the motor an upgradable component of a bike. 2 years ownership and my ridiculously priced bike is now obsolete. Also, don't make a blanket statement based on only the people who share their data with you voluntarily. People do want more power, they absolutely do, they took what you gave because that's what was available. I've lost faith in this brand though I admit I'm feeling stung. Specialized, never again.

[@josephk.1842]

That’s not an engine.

[@topchoice1621]

I didn’t know e-bikes have engines lol 😂

[@IIISentorIII]

for 15k they better have!