Specialized Levo SL vs. Specialized Levo - Which is the best ebike for you?

[@frazhussain2211]

By far the best comparison video on youtube. Love how talking and thinking about them makes you smile

[@UAWPrez]

Great comparison, I was torn between these two bikes, I’m going with the Turbo Levo Comp Carbon, dark blue, 2020. I’m an older rider, 57, just retired, and enjoying my regular mountain bike on local trails and would love having the assist to spare my legs. This was the most helpful comparison around!

[@tommyian4984]

nice honest review of both bikes with no silly bling attached to the video ! I rode the sl comp carbon today. Took it out on a trial from my hometown (le Fayet) at the foot of Mont Blanc & up to tthe top of le Bettex, some 1600m (5,200ft). Massive help where it was needed, turned off & rideable on the flatter parts. 3 hour ride (2.5h up) & only used 3 bars (30%?) of the battery. Real fun, good workout, helped with all the tricky bits but rode like a more regular bike.

[@williammitchell6921]

"You don't want to be making a lot of noise. You just want something discrete." Wish the motor wasn't so loud on the SL.

[@erynhughes3036]

Good job humanizing the bikes! We do really grow to love them like people...

[@lauriemcdermott1826]

Thanks. Love the SL concept

[@19jwd]

Excellent job highlighting the difference between the two bikes, Thank you.

[@christopherritchie3185]

Very help and simple descriptions of both bikes. It is a difficult decision between both bikes especially when it comes to performance and agility on the trails. I still don't know which one Ill be picking...thank you for the very helpful video!

[@Threadexpress]

You explain the effort/range comparison better than most reviews. I am a mechanical design engineer and am concerned the hype is glossing over a key point and buyers are being misinformed. Let me summarise. Turbo Levo vs SL Levo range is not similar if rider output is matched. And this is not explained enough. Sure a fit rider working much harder can match the range of a average guy, but all the reviews I have watched that is often glossed over. Look at the maths: 4 kg weight savings over bike, rider and gear weight of lets say 100kg is a 4% improvement of range on uphill. With riders of equal averaged leg output - say 200W, and equal motor output, say 200W ( a turbo levo on eco with a 700 WHr battery , and a SL on high output with a 340 Hhr battery) on a long trip together. That would be a fair comparison. The 700Whr battery should take its bike about twice as far (less the 4%). If it does not then the belt driven Brose motor may be less efficient and may be a factor - this would be worth exposing, but I doubt the lower effeciency would be that much. I am not at all against the SL - I just want to hear good journalism.

[@RCReviewChannel]

Absolutely correct!!! The other factor is the the 9 lb weight savings is without the Levo SL's Range Extender battery. With the extra battery (to match the Levo's range), the weight savings is 7 lbs. A key detail that was a bit cumbersome to explain. The key with the SL though is modularity of batteries and the possibility of a 38 lb configuration.

[@taylordoingstuff]

One thing you are missing in your equation. The voltage of the SL is 48 volts vs the Levo at 36 volts.

[@Threadexpress]

@@taylordoingstuff The watt-hour (Wh) rating includes volts (amp hour x volts) .

[@wsl5585]

Great comparison. I'll enter the world of e-mtb with the SL because it is closer to riding a mtb. Although, I never had a mtb with more than 130mm of travel.

[@kirks7140]

You may be going to heaven, in comparison.

[@WaveGlydr]

Great information, I still have no idea which one to buy.

[@ebikesmile2743]

Great video! Thanks Francis Cebedo for sharing it in "eBike Smile eMTB Community" facebook group, where there is a lot of interested in both Levos! I love the 2018 Levo that I ride!

[@MtbrVideos]

Right on. Appreciate that. Your group is huge and dynamic. I'll check in there and learn from that community.

[@alainpfammatter8224]

Great video 👍. I was looking at both bikes and dont know which one to pick. I ride a lot of XC bikes and roadbikes and have a good fitness level. I m looking for a fun bike for my recovery rides.

[@thim8009]

Need to see a review from a 235 pound man. Your review is very appreciated and a thumbs up, but different strokes for bigger folks.

[@jimbo4203]

After waiting for a year, my local shop got a few sl in my size. Im 220 lbs and after a test ride i bought one and it pulls me around great. 120 mi so far its been fun

[@markfitzsimmons3916]

Really informative comparison. Regarding the cornering and handling, the shorter chain stay on the SL is a big factor. Also weight location. Both amazing bikes.

[@MtbrVideos]

Correct. The 437mm chainstay length on the Levo SL (15mm shorter than Levo) is crazy short, even by unassisted bike standards. Also, the battery is smaller and shorter now and it's slammed low against the motor. So the weight is lower and not as close to the steer tube. Quite noticeable.

[@mtbsavant5414]

Great informative video. Thank you! I need to demo an SL

[@MtbrVideos]

For a daily workout on simple trails, the Levo SL is very intriguing. The Levo though is very good for quick rides from home riding to far away trailheads. Turbo mode makes the 2-hour window adventure bubble much bigger.

[@n22pdf]

Great vid many thanks.. I've hit the subscribe :) still deciding which is best for me.. currently riding a 2009 Stumpy Comp so either will be a major upgrade.. have you heard of any issues with the new SL1.1 motors ? one thing that worries me a little is going with the standard Levo and the motor failing while out, where as with the SL1.1 I can easily carry on with a ride due to the weight if a problem did occur.

[@alex1231235]

Good call on both!

[@pinoyurbantactical3374]

Great reviews as always 😀👍👍⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@jimmyz5831]

You have a great idea about the downhill ebike. Pass that along to Specialized.

[@stevenschiff808]

Excellent overview and opinion. Thank you.

[@MtbrVideos]

Appreciate it. They look the same but they're different bikes that will cater to different audiences. So it's key that the buyer buys the right bike for them. It's not easy since most buyers have no experiences with ebikes and it takes time to understand their sweet spot. The Levo SL will do very, very well since it has little competition right now.

[@stevenschiff808]

@@MtbrVideos I currently have last years Kenevo (as well as a Meg Tower) and want to get a new Ebike. I have been waiting to see the new offerings. With all these very different new Ebikes the choice is hard. They are all very different and really work well in the use they are designed for. And there is the problem, where do I want to compromise? You did spell out the differences which I found helpful. Again thank you.

[@batipapo]

Not sure why you’d compare their battery range with the SL having the piggy back extra battery and not the Turbon Levo (which doesn’t come standard and would add to the overall weight).

[@vin374]

Bought a green SL Expert....waiting for it to be built

[@MtbrVideos]

That's what I would buy!! Carbon and then put our own light bits.

[@outerbike]

Great video Mtbr! We did our own comparison on the world famous slickrock bike trail this weekend and came to many of the same conclusions you did. A few take aways -the SL struggled a bit with some of the very steepest climbs that really needed extra torque where as the standard Levo could crank right up them - especially in turbo mode. The 170mm cranks of the SL (instead of 165's) threw us off a bit too with a few surprise pedal strikes. The 10 lb lighter over package sure was nice though! #trybeforeyoubuy www.outerbike.com/

[@jevgeniardassov]

Video was so informative. Thanks. Subscribed.

[@seattlevkk]

Thanks for posting this, great comparison. Any idea of the range of the 500wh battery in the comparison you had above? I'm tossing between the base model and the comp of the Levo and figuring out whether I can live with the 500wh battery. Thanks

[@993mike]

That S-works Levo is more like 45 lbs, and if you run the 500 watt battery you can get it to under 44lbs. The S-works SL is about 38 lbs, and boy - you're going to be hard pressed to drop it anywhere near that 3-4 pound reduction you're talking about. Even with a set of Enve wheels you'll maybe lose a 1/2 pound, and that's about all you can really do as it's already a top-spec bike.

[@kirks7140]

It seems you give the lowest weights available and also the lowest pricing. The pricing almost doubles for the lowest weight though.

[@rolandaber5322]

I just bought a turbo levo SL comp carbon. It weights 41.2 lbs with pedals. I spent days looking at every review on Utube trying to decide which one to buy. For me the decision was made because of one thing, less weight. Try lifting a 50 lb. Bike on a roof rack when you are 71 years old and have many spinal injuries from years of action sports! If feel like 50 years again on the levo SL carbon. The cabon has a better ride quality and the motor sounds less that the aluminum frame model....something I have not hear in any review yet. Cheers

[@alwaystwoam]

Fantastic overview. Thanks!

[@MtbrVideos]

Right on, thank you. Haven't done one of these in a while but this turned out good. Thank you to Trailhead Cyclery in Cupertino, CA for loaning us the bikes.

[@MTBFreeks]

So sick

[@rjames9833]

How's the motor sound compare to the levo kuya? I'm debating with the levo expert vs the sl carbon. My local bike shop still doesn't not have the SL for demo. Thanks in advance po.

[@MtbrVideos]

The Levo SL is a bit louder than the Levo which is hands-down, the quietest ebike made today. The Levo SL sounds quite similar to the Shimano E-8000 motor but about 75% as loud. It's louder under heavy load and high rpm so it's pretty quiet most of the time. The reason it's louder is because the belt drive was replaced by many, many gears. It should prove a lot more reliable too since most of the motor issues on the Levo were related to the belt.

[@ChupacabraOffroad]

Nice video, decisions decisions...

[@Threadexpress]

Nice review - Thanks.

[@MtbrVideos]

Appreciate it. We haven't done these videos in a while so we're glad they have value.

[@kirks7140]

Both cost more than a motocross motorcycle. Lots of room for improvement on cost!!!

[@sergiozapata605]

Hi sl is best for me

[@tamasvarga67]

Personally, I still cannot see the point in an underpowered underspecced ebike (Fox 34 @150mm on an ebike????). Just get a trail bike which is much lighter so you can ride it with the same effort and handles better or a ‘proper’ ebike which you can have lots of fun with climbing some ridiculous stuff. Specialized marketing created a story around the SL reviewers are repeating it.

[@jroase1658]

This remark is just 100% false. You get way more support with the SL than analog bike. A statement like this says you have never ridden the SL or any ebike for that matter . I ride with pros and I can keep up with any of them fairly easy in turbo on the sl .

[@tamasvarga67]

@@jroase1658 It’s an underpowered ebike there’s no way around it. You might keep up with people riding regular bikes but you won’t keep up with ‘normal’ ebikes other than very easy rides. You are wrong, I have an ebike I rode it for ~7000km and never wished for less power. The E8000 is powerful enough for me personally but I feel l have to push harder when riding with guys using Bosch g4, Yamaha or Brose.

[@lenbata]

Bring on the elevation

[@mattx4253]

The best ebike for me is one that is not paid for by specialized adverts which are funded by their overpriced and underspecced bikes. Your video should contain a paid promotion notification at the beginning under EU law

[@johnstroh7075]

Luckily the United States are not subject to EU law. I think that became settled around 1776 if I'm not mistaken.

[@mattx4253]

@@johnstroh7075 you realise that spesh ebike division is based in Switzerland you dumb yank fuck