New Specialized Levo SL

I think this e-MTB will set new standards, the same as previous Levos did in the past.
 
320Wh internal battery? Did we time travel back a decade?

"The [$16,525] Founder’s Edition Levo SL, however, comes equipped with two 160Wh Range Extender batteries, which effectively doubles its capacity."

ykm.gif
 
@tomdav, I think Specialized certainly know what they are doing. It is not the power and the battery size that make a perfect e-MTB. It is its geometry, weight, agility and ability to assist the rider on technical trails. Please do not think in the commuter e-bike terms.
 
Oh, I totally get it. Market a lighter motor and smaller battery and see if people with more money than smarts will pay $6K (or $16K) for it. Even at 1.95kg the motor will weigh more than the one in this kit, and with this kit you can get an even smaller battery if that's your thing! And yes, I realize it's not ideal for a technical eMTB, just saying...

www.lightest.bike

Lightest ebike kit

Lightest ebike motor is an innovative bicycle drivetrain which combines superior performance and lightweight design.
www.lightest.bike www.lightest.bike
 
Last edited:
I'd rather trust these guys.
4 kg lighter than the Levo means a tremendous difference.
 
I wonder why they are pricing the SL $500 higher than the TL Comp? I'd think with a 3x larger battery the TL Comp would price higher. Are the components on the SL Comp that much better or just reverse psychology marketing?
 
Tom, admit you are irritated because you (like most of us) cannot afford the SL ;)
(Not that I need an e-MTB. If I needed it, I would either go for Levo or for BH Lynx 6).
 
This is getting old. It's not "reverse psychology", it's just two different target audiences. Some people want heavy, ponderous ebikes with huge batteries and all sorts of fenders, etc. Other people are fitter, and like the nimble feeling of a light bike that rides more like a real bike. Arguing about which is the better choice is about as dumb as wondering why some people buy Miatas or Golf GTIs instead of Ram trucks or Ford F350s - if your mentality is that you get a lot more pounds of vehicle for your money when you buy an SUV or a truck that's your choice, but other people have different things they're looking for. Heck, if all I cared about was speed, power and range I could buy a gas motorcycle that would run circles around any ebike for about the same amount of money.
 
SL rides like a real Mtn bike. Felt like a normal bike, with a nudge of assist. I always found on the Levo I was 95% of the time in level 1 assist and that level 3 was too much. If you just want or need to sit back and be taken along for the ride, buy a Levo -still the smoothest, quietest, e Mtn bike out there that I have ridden. If you want to be more involved on a bike that is still making you feel super human, then go for the SL. Solom01 And Stefan already understand it! Look up the review at e-Mountain bike for a really accurate description of what it is, and isn't. I love it.
 
The BH CARBON ATOM LYNX 6 is 6-7k and 720wh with 42lb weight.
Only a clueless buyer would get something else.

electricbikereview.com

BH ATOMX Carbon - 2019 Model

BH have been in the electric bike business for years, under the EasyMotion brand for a time, but have now relaunched with an impressive range of models, many of them powered by Brose. Pretty neat to see a bike with the new Brose Drive S Mag and a Carbon frame, 720Wh battery capacity and the new...
electricbikereview.com electricbikereview.com
 
Technical mountain riding is not only the specs, @Ebiker01. Geometry, feel, reputation. It is not that Turbo Levos are so highly acclaimed for nothing.
 
Solom01 said:
Arguing about which is the better choice
Click to expand...
Certainly not arguing about this. For some it will be the better choice. Just seems odd that for them, having 1/3 the battery would cost more unless there are other offsets. That's the reverse marketing psychology I was referring to. I'd think the entry pricing would be be somewhere in between MTB and eMTB.
 
Another interesting review...Specialized’s new electric bicycle is super lightweight and super expensive

electrek.co

Specialized's new electric bicycle is super lightweight and super expensive

Specialized has just unveiled a new series of electric mountain bikes known as the Specialized Turbo Levo SL. They’re super...
electrek.co electrek.co

Our rider feedback shows that mountain bikers love e-bikes, yet there is still a large segment of riders who think they are too heavy, lumbering, and not for them. While many brands have been working to add range and power, we’ve been working for the past three years behind the scenes to trim down and make the most efficient bike possible. Our solution is the Turbo Levo SL. “SL” stands for Super Light, and as light as 17.3 kilograms (38.25 pounds) in the top of the line S-Works model, it is 30% lighter than most competitor e-bikes. This isn’t just the lightest e-MTB in its class— it’s in a class of its own.

1580965194612.png


Specialized actually built their own motor that weighs in at just under 2 kg (4.3 lb), which helps to bring the overall weight of the bike down. It’s not pushing out as much power as Specialized’s bigger motors, creating only 240W in the Turbo Levo SL, which is about all you can ask out of a lightweight motor like this. In fact, it’s the same motor used in the company’s high end electric road bikes and is designed to rely heavily on pedal assist from the rider. While many mid-drive motors can triple or quadruple the rider’s own power, the SL 1.1 motor in the Turbo Levo SL offers only double the rider’s input. When it comes to speed, the motor will power riders up to 25 km/h in Europe or 20 mph in the US.

Next, the battery measures in at just 320Wh. Again, that’s a bit smaller than most electric bikes out there but does help to drop the total weight of the bike. The downtube-enclosed battery is also non-removable (or at least not quickly removable since you have to pop the motor out first to get to it), which is another design consideration intended to reduce weight. If you need more range though, Specialized offers an auxiliary battery that slips into a bottle cage and can be plugged into the main pack’s charge port to piggy-back on another 160Wh of capacity.

So what does a bike like this cost? The base model starts at around $6,500, which will get you rolling with the aluminum frame Specialized Turbo Levo SL Comp edition. But if you have another $10,000 or so, you can upgrade to the Founder’s Edition for around $16,500.
 
Looks like a bike that caters to a very specific class of riders. I would think those riders are not concerned about $$$ or range so much. They are probably out for a completely different riding experience they have never found in other eMTBs in this class. Perhaps a guy like Clint Gibbs could do some interesting maneuvers on this.o_O😜
 
I have been promised a review bike by Specialized some time in March, so hopefully you'll get to seen an objective review by someone who inhabits these forums :)
 
I only wonder... @FlatSix911, do you understand the Shimano motor naming convention? Which is the latest one? What is the purpose of 6100, 7000, 8000 motors?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

M
Vado 4.0 Sale Price
2 3 4
Replies
75
Views
5K
Stefan Mikes
Stefan Mikes
M
Contemplating the Specialized Vado or the Vado SL?
2 3
Replies
50
Views
5K
AvalancheRun
AvalancheRun
D
SL 1.1 Motor Rebuild
Replies
18
Views
4K
Dazmanturbo
D
O
Specialized/Brose motor failures?
2
Replies
27
Views
6K
barakthecat
barakthecat
Stefan Mikes
Upgrading Vado SL Shimano Drivetrain From 10 to 12-speed
2
Replies
35
Views
3K
Stefan Mikes
Stefan Mikes
Back