2019 Turbo Levo Owners Thread

Swissrob

Well-known member
Sep 4, 2018
327
298
Switzerland
Before going crazy adding tokens.
He clearly doesn't have enough pressure in the fork in the first place.

tokens simply alter the spring curve making the fork spring more progressive.
Agree. Low (25%) sag and lowering tyre pressure made a world of difference on mine, I run zero clicks on compression normally but if I head down a steep rough part I add a couple. Another problem I had was low speed due to my confidence and skills as all of this increases the forks perform better at speed.
 

hgray

New Member
Sep 24, 2018
10
14
SoCal USA
How much better does your bike look with the saddle down!!! :)

Seriously though, your forks have marks on the stanchion in % of sag.
You set your air pressure so that when you are standing on the bike in a balanced riding position, those legends line up with the lip of the dust wiper (you need a friend/partner/servant to help with this). If you do mostly DH, you want it set somewhere between 30-35%, for a more trail riding setup, go for around 25-28%, it says it clearly on the fork leg, you can't go wrong, that's the first step.

Now if your using too much travel, which is easy to do with the Debonair spring due to the positive/negative air chamber size ratio, add volume spacers.
You should have three volume spacers that came with your fork/bike, i'm positive you'll sort it with just that, but if it's still not supporting you enough with all three spacers installed, increase compression damping a bit at a time, that's all there is to it.

It's all about experimentation, and don't be afraid to have a go because the only mechanical thing you need to do is let the air out, remove the spring side top cap, put a spacer or spacers in, replace the top cap and pump it up again, which if you have the right tool and a shock pump, is literally a two minute job.

You definitely do not need to change your fork, unless you need more/less travel, stiffness, looks or any other attribute a different fork can provide, the spring and damper tech in the Revelations is as good as you'll get on anything else.

Stick with it and have a play, if you get stuck we're all here to help :)
Thank you! Definitely will try that out. Cheers!
 

robikinkela

Member
Oct 11, 2018
34
55
Aosta IT
Good evening to everyone. A few days ago I made this video to show the noise of my Levo 2019:


Today I went to the dealer who tried the bike and said that the noise is normal and there is nothing strange. It seems that the noise of the new Brose engine mounted on 2019 is higher than the 2018 model. That's all. So who buys the new model simply has to expect a bike noisier than the previous model. The retailer was kind and asked me to keep the situation under control. The fact is that there are no clear references on the question and the assessment risks becoming subjective.
 

R120

Moderator
Subscriber
Apr 13, 2018
7,819
9,190
Surrey
Good evening to everyone. A few days ago I made this video to show the noise of my Levo 2019:


Today I went to the dealer who tried the bike and said that the noise is normal and there is nothing strange. It seems that the noise of the new Brose engine mounted on 2019 is higher than the 2018 model. That's all. So who buys the new model simply has to expect a bike noisier than the previous model. The retailer was kind and asked me to keep the situation under control. The fact is that there are no clear references on the question and the assessment risks becoming subjective.

Your shop is wrong - see this:

2019 Turbo Levo Delivery Countdown - EMTB Forums
 

Rob Rides EMTB

Administrator
Staff member
Subscriber
Jan 14, 2018
6,260
13,700
Surrey, UK
Just incase anyone missed it, @Specialized Rider Care have posted in another thead, but I'm cross posting here as this thread is getting a lot of visits.

I did have a bike with the same noise as @robikinkela, but mine has had the motor changed. You will also be able to get yours changed to a much, much quieter one, as soon as they are available. To manage expectations there may be a delay whilst Specialized go through their own QC on the replacements etc.

Here's my new motor (apologies for the crappy iPhone video, it was all I had on me to record). But you can hear, much quieter. This was in Turbo mode, where on the effected models, has a very loud whine.


Full Specialized Message posted below:
Thanks to those on here that have asked/shared their concerns about motor noise. We can confirm that there have been a small reported number of motors with a significantly louder motor noise than expected. Whilst the majority of bikes are not affected, this noise does not meet our strict quality standards hence we paused bike shipment as a precautionary measure to investigate the issue further. Apologies to those who expected an answer from us on this forum sooner, we needed to ensure we had conducted preliminary investigations and shared the message with retailers that had already received bikes before posting. Please also note that this noise does not affect safety or the performance of the motor.

Affected motors can be best identified through a test-ride since affected motors sound noticeably different to normal motors:
  • Normal noise: When riding on the flat with average rider input, our new 2.1 motor is relatively quiet with more noise coming from the tyres than from the motor. When riding under load – for instance on a climb - the motor will certainly be audible and likely a bit louder than the first-generation motors (this is due to the increased power output and the magnesium housing) BUT with no extreme peaks or spiky noises across the frequency range. It will sound like a normal motor and you can expect it to be quieter than most competitor motors on the market.
  • Noise of affected motors: When riding under load, affected motors will exhibit a loud “whining” noise. This noise is significantly louder, slightly aggressive and irritating in character – in short: it is VERY different to the typical noise of our motors. The difference between a normal and an affected motor is most obvious at cadences of 80-100 rpm, especially on climbs / under load.
If you feel you have an affected motor, please notify your retailer (they may ask you to bring your bike in for test) who will verify the issue together with us and then ensure that a replacement motor is ordered for you. Please note that we have also paused the shipment of replacement motors until we're confident we have resolved all noise issues and therefore can't replace the motor immediately. Your bike is completely safe to continue riding and as soon as we can provide you a replacement motor, your retailer will contact you to book the bike in for service at a time to suit you. We apologize for this inconvenience, naturally all work will be carried out under warranty.
 
Last edited:

FOG

Member
Oct 5, 2018
38
15
Sheffield UK
Any word on when bikes will be released in the UK for delivery after the Spez check on motor noise? I have a base model on order at my LBS and they were moaning that there was no sign of their actual shop stock let alone individual orders.
 

Rob Rides EMTB

Administrator
Staff member
Subscriber
Jan 14, 2018
6,260
13,700
Surrey, UK
Any word on when bikes will be released in the UK for delivery after the Spez check on motor noise? I have a base model on order at my LBS and they were moaning that there was no sign of their actual shop stock let alone individual orders.
I don't know any details yet.
 

Ron

Member
Patreon
Sep 27, 2018
102
74
Campbell, CA USA
A thread for owners of the 2019 Levo. Post your pics and rides and feedback ?

First proper ride today.

View attachment 5318
My new 2019 Turbo Levo Comp Carbon at the top of our local hill in Los Gatos, CA- ridden this loop many times but first time up on my new Levo one happy rider
28BED7D8-151F-4DB8-8B23-AE8150AAD42A.jpeg


926DEA5D-94BA-4ED0-8C49-7662DDD94547.jpeg
 

Rob Rides EMTB

Administrator
Staff member
Subscriber
Jan 14, 2018
6,260
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Surrey, UK
Just wondering, why did you go for the HX Wheelset and not EX or even MX?? 150 Kg weight limit seems to be a bit of an overkill... ;)
They’re press / test wheels supplied free of charge, and DT Swiss want to show them off to EMTB riders ?

Check out their mini site on their website for some of the stats/tech/testing etc

But basically, DT are saying that ebikers put more miles, more sustained torque through the hubs, ride for much longer than regular MTBers, 400w average power output, higher average speed etc etc

Thus the need for a beefier wheelset ?

I’ll let you know how they get on.
 

albert1

Member
Sep 13, 2018
9
2
barcelona
Hello lucky 2019 owners, maybe you can help me, i would like that someone who owned a 2018 levo and now a 2019 levo could tell me if its worth to go for the 2019 (allu comp both).
My riding style is agressive, love technical singletracks.
My fears are with the new thinner 2.6 29 wheels, noisy motor, no speed tuning. But i love the new 150 mm rear and that the bike rises about 3 cms more from the floor.
 

Adasb

Active member
Subscriber
Jun 6, 2018
62
70
New Zealand
Hello lucky 2019 owners, maybe you can help me, i would like that someone who owned a 2018 levo and now a 2019 levo could tell me if its worth to go for the 2019 (allu comp both).
My riding style is agressive, love technical singletracks.
My fears are with the new thinner 2.6 29 wheels, noisy motor, no speed tuning. But i love the new 150 mm rear and that the bike rises about 3 cms more from the floor.

Hi,
I have changed from 2017 Alu Comp w/ fatties to 2019 S works. So not necessarily the comparison that directly relates to you but here are my thoughts....

They are chalk and cheese.
I am riding far more aggressively than I did on the 2017. The 29's are a blessing. I haven't had any traction issues, they soak up everything I have thrown at them and they feel far more accurate and nimble with cornering. The fatties seemed very floaty, disconnected and imprecise in comparison. (I have only been riding in dry conditions though...)

I have noticed the baseline noise from the motor to be slightly more noticeable than the old bike. There may be other factors i.e. Carbon frame vs Alu at play? I think I am listening harder for it with all the online talk re noise, but my wife commented on it too. However, there is a second 'whining' noise at higher cadence which is new. Specialized have stated there is a motor noise issue, so I'm not too concerned - I'm sure my LBS will look after me and swap it out when the dust settles. Besides the noise, it's functionally perfect so I'm enjoying it immensely for the moment.

I can't really comment on speed tuning. I presume you're referring to BLevo etc? I've been happy with the Mission control app on the old bike so haven't had any issue with the new version either.
 

albert1

Member
Sep 13, 2018
9
2
barcelona
Hi,
I have changed from 2017 Alu Comp w/ fatties to 2019 S works. So not necessarily the comparison that directly relates to you but here are my thoughts....

They are chalk and cheese.
I am riding far more aggressively than I did on the 2017. The 29's are a blessing. I haven't had any traction issues, they soak up everything I have thrown at them and they feel far more accurate and nimble with cornering. The fatties seemed very floaty, disconnected and imprecise in comparison. (I have only been riding in dry conditions though...)

I have noticed the baseline noise from the motor to be slightly more noticeable than the old bike. There may be other factors i.e. Carbon frame vs Alu at play? I think I am listening harder for it with all the online talk re noise, but my wife commented on it too. However, there is a second 'whining' noise at higher cadence which is new. Specialized have stated there is a motor noise issue, so I'm not too concerned - I'm sure my LBS will look after me and swap it out when the dust settles. Besides the noise, it's functionally perfect so I'm enjoying it immensely for the moment.

I can't really comment on speed tuning. I presume you're referring to BLevo etc? I've been happy with the Mission control app on the old bike so haven't had any issue with
Hi,
I have changed from 2017 Alu Comp w/ fatties to 2019 S works. So not necessarily the comparison that directly relates to you but here are my thoughts....

They are chalk and cheese.
I am riding far more aggressively than I did on the 2017. The 29's are a blessing. I haven't had any traction issues, they soak up everything I have thrown at them and they feel far more accurate and nimble with cornering. The fatties seemed very floaty, disconnected and imprecise in comparison. (I have only been riding in dry conditions though...)

I have noticed the baseline noise from the motor to be slightly more noticeable than the old bike. There may be other factors i.e. Carbon frame vs Alu at play? I think I am listening harder for it with all the online talk re noise, but my wife commented on it too. However, there is a second 'whining' noise at higher cadence which is new. Specialized have stated there is a motor noise issue, so I'm not too concerned - I'm sure my LBS will look after me and swap it out when the dust settles. Besides the noise, it's functionally perfect so I'm enjoying it immensely for the moment.

I can't really comment on speed tuning. I presume you're referring to BLevo etc? I've been happy with the Mission control app on the old bike so haven't had any issue with the new version either.

Thanks for your comments, it is a difficult decision to change a bicycle when it is almost brandnew and perfect for my kind of rides.
About wheels everybody seems to be happy with 29 ers, and i guess that the battery will last a little longer with small 2.6 tyres.
About new motors noise it's a big step back, yes maybe with carbon sounds louder but its a shame and it is not what I expected in the new motor.
And yes with speed tuning i am talking about Belovos, etc... it is really annoying when with the 2018 at 25 kms/h motor cuts power all in a sudden.

Thank you for your help, after reading your thoughts it seems that this new 2019 levo its a more capable ebike that will give me even more fun than the 2018
 

Will Ridealpine

New Member
Sep 18, 2018
146
79
Idaho
Just been in touch with my LBS where I bought my bike from to order the Invisiframe and to book my first service.
I informed them of the paintwork problem and the noisy motor,and have been told to send photo's which will be forwarded on to Specialized.
If and when I get an answer i'll let you know the outcome,i'm not holding my breath. :(
My 2012 stumpjumper expert fsr came with the invisi stuff
 

Will Ridealpine

New Member
Sep 18, 2018
146
79
Idaho
I can confirm that my 2019 is def louder than my 2018. The prior version was near silent. I think Robs video sounded super loud though...I wouldnt say mine is that loud, but its def got more noise which is not faborable. The ride itself...its pretty different handling. Then again, I also modded this more that the last one I had for maybe a week.
My 2019 expert levo was loud today as usual, 14 miles of tech.
 

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