2019 turbo levo vs eOne-sixty 800?

[Ren]

Hi guys,

Been new to a eMtb world is not easy with too many options to chose from and not much knowledge (myself and not helpful dealers).

After doing some research and demo ride, I’ve got in love with the 2019 tubo levo comp but the price is out of my budget (9000nzd) so my options are:

2019 turbo levo (entry level) = 7500nzd (no discount in NZ)
2019 MERIDA eOne-sixty 800 = from 7499nzd retail price to 6900nzd with discount (price match)

My personal opinion is the Merida is much more value for the money with better suspension and much more affordable spare battery price (800nzd).
Specialized is better looking design, quitter and more powerful motor but more expensive, inferior suspension, no dropper seat and 1200nzd for the spare battery and more new battery is not interchangeable with any other model so far.

I think to buy another ebike to my wife in the near future and would be great to share the battery and with Specialized I would have to buy the same bike in order to share the battery.

I was thinking about the Giant Trance e+ 1 pro but it is not available here yet, just after Christmas.... and I want it for next couple of days.

What do you guys think about my dilemma?

 

[Al Boneta]

Hi guys,

Been new to a eMtb world is not easy with too many options to chose from and not much knowledge (myself and not helpful dealers).

After doing some research and demo ride, I’ve got in love with the 2019 tubo levo comp but the price is out of my budget (9000nzd) so my options are:

2019 turbo levo (entry level) = 7500nzd (no discount in NZ)
2019 MERIDA eOne-sixty 800 = from 7499nzd retail price to 6900nzd with discount (price match)

My personal opinion is the Merida is much more value for the money with better suspension and much more affordable spare battery price (800nzd).
Specialized is better looking design, quitter and more powerful motor but more expensive, inferior suspension, no dropper seat and 1200nzd for the spare battery and more new battery is not interchangeable with any other model so far.

I think to buy another ebike to my wife in the near future and would be great to share the battery and with Specialized I would have to buy the same bike in order to share the battery.

I was thinking about the Giant Trance e+ 1 pro but it is not available here yet, just after Christmas.... and I want it for next couple of days.

What do you guys think about my dilemma?

My opinion and I know it won’t be the popular one is the Specialized. Full disclosure I am a Specialized dealer, but it’s not like I benefit from you buying a Specialized in New Zealand.
The Specialized may have “inferior components” but it has a superior frame design and a much better motor.
You can’t switch to the better motor, but you could always get a better fork down the road.
Every Sram derailleur shifts exactly the same regardless of what level it is. Sure there are plenty of people on the Internet that will you tell you otherwise. Mostly this is them justifying to themselves spending money on a lighter version of the same derailleur to feed their ego and win the parking lot pissing match with their buddies. It’s like shaving off your eyebrows to lose weight.
Value and perceived value are relative. I could put XTR on a Fuji, but at the end of the day it’s still a Fuji

 

[Sherman]

It’s like shaving off your eyebrows to lose weight.

Haha, quote of the day - thanks

I would also think about dealer support. Ebikes are still a bit new and possibility to have issues is pretty high. I'm on my 2nd emtb and both have required some work with the motor or motor area which a regular bike shop can't handle.

 

[Swissrob]

I would go with the Specialized but it depends on the dealer. They have about a 30%margin so there is a little wiggle room, I would look for a store that sells a lot of Levos as they have probably better knowledge and more likely to do a deal, take your other offer in and explain you will be looking for a second one later. You will need a dropper post and pedal upgrade so it maybe more attractive for the shop to throw in a few things than outright cash. Maybe line up for an ex demo for your wife if she is not doing as many miles as you.

I went through the same dilemma when I bought my bike (2017 Expert vs 2018 Comp) I am glad I got the better motor and battery. I had a lot of concerns about specifications but the base components today (as Al said) are probably better than XT/XTR in days of old, the upside is they are also cheap to replace like with like.

 

[Bonz]

Hi guys,

Been new to a eMtb world is not easy with too many options to chose from and not much knowledge (myself and not helpful dealers).

After doing some research and demo ride, I’ve got in love with the 2019 tubo levo comp but the price is out of my budget (9000nzd) so my options are:

2019 turbo levo (entry level) = 7500nzd (no discount in NZ)
2019 MERIDA eOne-sixty 800 = from 7499nzd retail price to 6900nzd with discount (price match)

My personal opinion is the Merida is much more value for the money with better suspension and much more affordable spare battery price (800nzd).
Specialized is better looking design, quitter and more powerful motor but more expensive, inferior suspension, no dropper seat and 1200nzd for the spare battery and more new battery is not interchangeable with any other model so far.

I think to buy another ebike to my wife in the near future and would be great to share the battery and with Specialized I would have to buy the same bike in order to share the battery.

I was thinking about the Giant Trance e+ 1 pro but it is not available here yet, just after Christmas.... and I want it for next couple of days.

What do you guys think about my dilemma?

Hi Ren,
Are you able to take both bikes for a ride. It’s a personal thing.
I’m in the Merida camp. Four of us have Meridas which we all really enjoy. None of us have had any issues so far, Iv’e clocked 3500 on mine.
Good luck.

 

[khorn]

Another option could be to try and find a good deal on a 2018 FSR with better specs, just because the 2019 is a fantastic bike does not mean that the 2018 is less good. By doing so, there will also be more options to find a second Levo for wife where you can swap batteries as the 2018 battery fit all Levo's from the beginning all the way to 2019 HT's and 2019 Kenevo's.

If there are any left you could negotiate a cracking deal

I bought a 2018 Comp carbon with 2000€ off the listed prize and a 2019 Levo HT to my wife and now have 2 batteries for longer rides + 2000€ to upgrade both bikes.

Karsten

 

[knut7]

it has a superior frame design and a much better motor.

I think that's a little funny after reading all the posts about the hole in the frame. What makes the Brose motor much better than the Shimano?

 

[Ren]

The Specialized may have “inferior components” but it has a superior frame design and a much better motor.
You can’t switch to the better motor, but you could always get a better fork down the road.

Hi Al Boneta.

That’s a very good point. On a eMTB we can upgrade anything but the frame and the motor... not saying the Brose is better than Shimano or otherwise but I get your idea.

Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts

 

[Ren]

Haha, quote of the day - thanks

I would also think about dealer support. Ebikes are still a bit new and possibility to have issues is pretty high. I'm on my 2nd emtb and both have required some work with the motor or motor area which a regular bike shop can't handle.

Hi Sherman.

The Specialized are a “Specialized concept store” and all the others are regular bike shop... maybe a good point to consider.

Thanks for sharing your idea.

 

[Ren]

I would go with the Specialized but it depends on the dealer. They have about a 30%margin so there is a little wiggle room, I would look for a store that sells a lot of Levos as they have probably better knowledge and more likely to do a deal, take your other offer in and explain you will be looking for a second one later. You will need a dropper post and pedal upgrade so it maybe more attractive for the shop to throw in a few things than outright cash. Maybe line up for an ex demo for your wife if she is not doing as many miles as you.

I went through the same dilemma when I bought my bike (2017 Expert vs 2018 Comp) I am glad I got the better motor and battery. I had a lot of concerns about specifications but the base components today (as Al said) are probably better than XT/XTR in days of old, the upside is they are also cheap to replace like with like.

Hi Swissrob.

There is only one Specialized dealer here in Christchurch which makes very difficult any price negotiation... unfortunately.

Maybe I can try to get the dropper post with no additional cost.

Thanks

 

[Ren]

Hi Ren,
Are you able to take both bikes for a ride. It’s a personal thing.
I’m in the Merida camp. Four of us have Meridas which we all really enjoy. None of us have had any issues so far, Iv’e clocked 3500 on mine.
Good luck.

Hi Bonz.

This is exactly why I’m having this dilemma. I was completely convinced and happy to buy the Merida because I tried it in the car park (that’s all you can do) and I liked the first experience even though it was very limited. but then I found the Specializied store and they offered me to have the bike for a day and take it to the park. It was a completely different experience because I could really feel what is going to be like riding my bike.
Now I have the real experience with Brose motor knowing how it feels and work and in the other hand I have all the information that I get on the internet about the Shimano but no chance to try it.

Thank for sharing your opinion.

 

[Ren]

Another option could be to try and find a good deal on a 2018 FSR with better specs, just because the 2019 is a fantastic bike does not mean that the 2018 is less good. By doing so, there will also be more options to find a second Levo for wife where you can swap batteries as the 2018 battery fit all Levo's from the beginning all the way to 2019 HT's and 2019 Kenevo's.

If there are any left you could negotiate a cracking deal

I bought a 2018 Comp carbon with 2000€ off the listed prize and a 2019 Levo HT to my wife and now have 2 batteries for longer rides + 2000€ to upgrade both bikes.

Karsten

Hi Karsten.

The 2018 are not available here but they have the Kenevo which is 8000nzd (500 more than the levo 2019) but with better suspension, dropper and previous motor/battery.... not bad idea... maybe I’ll try the Kenevo and see if I like as much as I liked the 2019.

Thanksss

 

[Ren]

I think that's a little funny after reading all the posts about the hole in the frame. What makes the Brose motor much better than the Shimano?

Hi knut7.

I really wish I could try the Shimano to have my personal opinion. It would make so much easier to choose because I’m very happy with everything about the Merida eOne-sixty but no real opinion about the main component which is the motor.

Thanks

 

[knut7]

Hi knut7.

I really wish I could try the Shimano to have my personal opinion. It would make so much easier to choose because I’m very happy with everything about the Merida eOne-sixty but no real opinion about the main component which is the motor.

Thanks

Hi Ren

The Shimano E8000 is among my favourite motors. But I have limited time on the Brose 1.3 and 2.1, so I'm not comfortable comparing them in much detail. The Brose is less noisy, and that's a good thing. But I think I prefer how the motor kikcs in on the E8000, it seems a bit easier to control. But that's just my initial impression. The new tuning options in the Specialized Ride Control app could possibly adjust how the motor kicks in. Hopfully I'll get the chance to do a review of the Brose 2.1 this fall.

 

[R120]

Its a difficult one to answer without putting time on both of them.

My experience of riding a 2018 Levo and various Shimano motored bikes was that i preferred the bikes the Shimano motors where in, to the Levo, and preferred having the display. I couldnt really have said one motor was better than the other, but i definitely found the trail mode on Shimano to be the most natural experience of all the bikes i tried, but i know the newer Brose software means that it now has a more reactive response.

I have only ridden the new levo round a car park, which gave me no real insight into the motor, but i could tell that it was far more sorted for what i want out of a bike in terms of fit and geo, and if i was in the market for a new bike now it would be right up there based off that, rather than the motor.

Its quite hard to get a steer on this from the Forum, simply because (and especially with Specialised) so many members have spent time setting up the bikes with apps like Blevo, which make a big difference to how the motors behave.

I also tried several Bosch bikes which i also liked, but couldnt live with the clunky display because i am a tart.

Personally i would go with the bike which has the best geo/frame specs for the riding you want to do, both have good motors, and you can upgrade bits over time.

 

[MattyB]

Given you are a) likely to end up with two of whatever you choose and b) it sounds like you want a spare battery, I would say Merida all the way. The specs are way better for the money and using that std battery has lots of advantages - it's way easier to carry, cheaper and your wife could have a different spec from Merida but still utilise the same battery. Only if you have serious misgivings about the support you will receive from your local Merida dealer would I look at Specialized; that battery is less convenient to swap out and harder to carry, and I would take better suspension components over slinky integration any day of the week.

PS - Re: the "best" motor, you will hear as many people preferring the Shimano as the Brose. They are both good, so I would ignore anyone who sells them telling you one is clearly superior. Previous models of Brose have had a good rep and all the Shimano E8000 riders I know still like their choice, but there are plenty of people in the 2019 Levo thread who are not happy with the motor and frame issues on the new model. You pays your money...

Matt (who owns neither, but has ridden both Shimano and Brose bikes )

 

[Al Boneta]

I think that's a little funny after reading all the posts about the hole in the frame. What makes the Brose motor much better than the Shimano?

This is not a debate. I offered the OP my opinion. I sell Specialized, Haibike and Bulls in my store. Based on my experiences with all motors systems, I offered my opinion. Some other members offered their opinions too. I don’t agree with all of them, but I am not going to reply to every comment or post in this thread with a contrary opinion, because it’s not going to help the OP

 

[Wiltshire Warrior]

Hi guys,

Been new to a eMtb world is not easy with too many options to chose from and not much knowledge (myself and not helpful dealers).

After doing some research and demo ride, I’ve got in love with the 2019 tubo levo comp but the price is out of my budget (9000nzd) so my options are:

2019 turbo levo (entry level) = 7500nzd (no discount in NZ)
2019 MERIDA eOne-sixty 800 = from 7499nzd retail price to 6900nzd with discount (price match)

My personal opinion is the Merida is much more value for the money with better suspension and much more affordable spare battery price (800nzd).
Specialized is better looking design, quitter and more powerful motor but more expensive, inferior suspension, no dropper seat and 1200nzd for the spare battery and more new battery is not interchangeable with any other model so far.

I think to buy another ebike to my wife in the near future and would be great to share the battery and with Specialized I would have to buy the same bike in order to share the battery.

I was thinking about the Giant Trance e+ 1 pro but it is not available here yet, just after Christmas.... and I want it for next couple of days.

What do you guys think about my dilemma?

The Merida is a Fulls Sus bike but the Turbo Levo is a hard tail - not sure this is a good comparison

 

[knut7]

The Merida is a Fulls Sus bike but the Turbo Levo is a hard tail - not sure this is a good comparison

I though the Turbo Levo HT was the hardtail.

 

[knut7]

This is not a debate. I offered the OP my opinion.

Yeah, I understood that. Just wanted to know why you think the Brose is much better.

 

[MattyB]

Yeah, I understood that. Just wanted to know why you think the Brose is much better.

This thread might help explain...

New Motor - EMTB Forums

I will be interested to hear your opinions on the validity of the chart posted halfway down that thread given you have ridden the latest Yamaha motor in the Giant...

View attachment 5672
No, they would still be ahead of Yamaha

 

[knut7]

This thread might help there...

New Motor - EMTB Forums

Yeah, remember that graph. He didn't want to elaborate on that either.

 

[R120]

All the motors do the same thing at a fundamental level, what differs is the delivery of the power. All of them are more than powerful enough to get you up anything you might want to attempt before your bike handling skills become the deciding factor.

What if find quite interesting, is that although the Yamaha and Bosch motors are quite often perceived as being the most behind in terms of development on the forum (something i have been guilty of) they way they deliver their power might actually be a lot better for some riders.

At two extremes lets take a rider who all they want the motor for is basically an uplift to lap bike parks and gravity riding - now the Yamaha for example is great for this, because it has instant power and is perfect for just cruising back up to the top to do another lap with minimal expenditure on the riders part because it works well at a lower cadence. At the other end of the spectrum the same might apply to a rider who has health issues and needs a bike that gives access to its max assistance very early in the power curve, again Yamaha is good at this.

 

[MattyB]

Agreed on all points, but it seems pretty clear from the reviews I've read and watched about the the latest Giants that (whilst it probably isn't class leading in this respect) the Yamaha is no longer weak at higher cadences. The only "weakness" appears to be it's lack of an adaptive power delivery mode, but it seems pretty likely they will remedy that in the future with a software upgrade - they have all the sensors needed to implement one.

 

[R120]

Yeah i don't think any of them are weak so to speak, they just all have quirks.

I would be interested to try a Levo that has been set up with Blevo to see what this does to it

 

[R120]

This is not a debate. I offered the OP my opinion. I sell Specialized, Haibike and Bulls in my store. Based on my experiences with all motors systems, I offered my opinion. Some other members offered their opinions too. I don’t agree with all of them, but I am not going to reply to every comment or post in this thread with a contrary opinion, because it’s not going to help the OP

Al, what are you thoughts on the brose motor fitted in other bikes compared to the tweaked one in the Specilized's? Is there a noticeable difference?

 

[Ren]

Thanks to all you guys for sharing experience and it is really helping me.

I believe will never be such thing like the “best motor”. I think For what I need any motor would do the job very well because I’m looking for assistance going uphill so what I really should focus is to find the best bike straight out of the pack because I don’t see myself doing any upgrades other than buying a better one next year .

 

[Al Boneta]

Yeah, remember that graph. He didn't want to elaborate on that either.

Sorry it might havegot lost in the dozens of notifications I was getting at that time.
The graph came from Specialized. The results were done by an independent lab. All I know. I am finished with elaborating and arguing on this forum. It’s really turned into a nerdier version of Pinkbike.
Like what you like.
Prefer what you prefer.
If I offer an opinion, it’s going to be offered as just my opinion not an absolute.

Al, what are you thoughts on the brose motor fitted in other bikes compared to the tweaked one in the Specilized's? Is there a noticeable difference?

Not that much. The Bulls bikes that use it are fantastic. I really liked the the Rotwilde DH I got to ride a couple of years ago.

None of this is helping the OP to make a choice of which bike to buy.

 

[Al Boneta]

It’s worth noting, that both of these bikes are manufactured in the same factory.

 

[R120]

@Al Boneta i don't think the Forums headed anything like how PB is or similar, i think you just happen to have got caught in the crossfire a couple of times, it would be a shame to loose your input