The new Specialized SL 1.2 motor resembles the old SL 1.1 in a few ways. Both the looks and weight is very similar, and they are both “generous” motors. I find there are two categories of mild emtb motors, they can be generous or stingy. See our motor review or keep reading below.
The old 35 Nm Specialized SL 1.1 was a very generous motor when ridden with maximum assistance. It was eager to put out maximum power. With max assist, the motor was constantly pushing 240W even though we didn’t pedal hard. If we decided to hit the pedals to increase speed, we discovered the motor had nothing more to give. The SL 1.1 was a bit difficult to handle with max assistance and it was twitchy when pedaling at cut-off speed.
The SL 1.2 has a bit of motor overrun. It’s a relatively short push that can easily be aborted by back-pedaling. We find the motor behaves very well at max assistance. It can feel a tad slow to engage, but in most cases that means the motor is easy to handle.
The Specialized 1.2 SL is silent when coasting, there is no motor rattle.
A generous motor
A stingy motor can be strong, but it requires more effort from the rider. This usually results in a natural ride feel and good range. A generous motor requires less rider effort, making it feel more like a full power motor. It’s possible riding fast uphill without becoming too exhausted. This does of course reduce the range.The old 35 Nm Specialized SL 1.1 was a very generous motor when ridden with maximum assistance. It was eager to put out maximum power. With max assist, the motor was constantly pushing 240W even though we didn’t pedal hard. If we decided to hit the pedals to increase speed, we discovered the motor had nothing more to give. The SL 1.1 was a bit difficult to handle with max assistance and it was twitchy when pedaling at cut-off speed.
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More power
The new 50 Nm Specialized SL 1.2 has the same generous characteristics at full assistance. According to the bike display, we were pedaling 70 W at 70 cadence and the motor was pushing 300 W. That’s close to the 320 W max power output. The SL 1.2 is powerful and more well behaved than the old SL 1.1.More control
When starting to pedal, the SL 1.2 ramps up the power quite carefully and comfortably. Some rotation of the pedals is required before the motor activates and it’s reasonably fast to disengage when we stop pedaling. Motor overrun, a motor that keeps pushing after the pedals have stopped, can be difficult to handle on low-speed technical trails. It can result in an unexpected push that disturbs the riding. But motor overrun can also be an advantage. It can help us through and over obstacles where there’s no room to turn the pedals.The SL 1.2 has a bit of motor overrun. It’s a relatively short push that can easily be aborted by back-pedaling. We find the motor behaves very well at max assistance. It can feel a tad slow to engage, but in most cases that means the motor is easy to handle.
Is less assistance is better?
Like the SL 1.1, the SL 1.2 is eager to put out maximum power. When pedaling harder the new motor too has reached its limit and has nothing more to offer. The solution is to reduce the power amplification, what Specialized calls “support” in the Mission Control-app. This reduces power consumption since we’re getting less help. And it results in a more natural ride feel. Now the motor has a power reserve when we increase pedaling force during a climb. This feels great, just the way a mild lightweight emtb is supposed to be. But it’s nice to have the option to ride the motor both ways, sometimes we want easy access to full motor power. And that’s just what we get with the Specialized SL 1.2.Not always powerful
The small and light SL 1.2 isn't far behind the 85-90 Nm motors in some situations. But we immediately notice this is a weaker motor if we enter a climb in a way too tall gear. If the cadence drops too low, most of the assistance disappears. This isn’t unusual for a lightweight motor. We need to pay more attention to shifting gears compared to a full fat emtb. We also notice there is little power when we start pedaling in the middle of an ascent, but the power improves with a turn of the pedals or two.Noise
The new motor is less noisy than its predecessor. SL 1.1 was among the noisier lightweight motors. The new one has a pleasant noise level but it’s not as silent as the TQ and Fazua motors. Specialized have lowered the noise level a bit, but they have also dropped the frequency of the noise to where the human ear is less sensitive. The SL 1.2 sounds much less noisy.The Specialized 1.2 SL is silent when coasting, there is no motor rattle.
