Kenevo Gen1 29er Front and Rear Kenevo

[mustclime]

Hope you have long legs, the stock Kenevo s3 has a stand over of 799mm….. the 29er conversion adds 50mm to the front and 25mm to the rear

 

[M789]

Legs are quite longish, 82cm inseam, i ussually run 210 dropper…
Anyone in similar size ran the stock 160/165 crank and switched to 155?

 

[Levo Laland]

Hi kenduro crowd, just got the 23 comp s3 yesterday, starting with the build:
F38 180 / boxxer wc 29 180 ?
Sd 65 or storia v3 65 or stock fox dpx ?
F and B on 29.

Crank lenght: stock is 160 alu praxis, but have a good offer for 165 carbon praxis? Anyone on s3 with 165 riding steep technical uphill with no problems or should i search for 155 cranks?

I run 165 carbon cranks on the 29er F&R no issues at all.

 

[Levo Laland]

The Kenevo has a short stack height compared to Levo etc, so I’d avoid going too short on the crank arm length.

 

[cozzy]

Yes I prefer 165 also. Felt like a childs bike when I tried 155.

 

[M789]

Thank you for the replys, will try the 165 first

 

[CJM83]

Just curious, has anyone gone from a Gen 3 Levo back to a Gen 2 Kenevo, and if so is it a step in the right/wrong direction ?!

My Levo Expert Gen3 will be out of warranty in a few months and I’m wondering whether to sell it and put whatever money I can get towards a reduced “new” Kenevo so I can benefit from another 2 year warranty cover…….….or just run with the risk of having to possibly (likely) replace motors out of warranty with the Gen3.

Never ridden a Kenevo btw and have been following this thread for a while re 29rs

 

[M789]

Just did this 2weeks ago; went from g2 M size levo (but very custom- f38 180, magneg 55 rear, 27,5 rear) to kenevo s3 and put the same parts on the new kenevo, which i ride in full 29 or with 27,5 rear.

Kenevo is a BEAST uphill, also on speedy downs, can do front&rear pivots on twisty and technical stuff, but much more rider input is neccesarey. Also on short berms its harder to throw it in and be spat out of the corner…

I mosty did it as M levo is 435 reach and it got too small for my growing 4yo daughter - we use shotgun pro.

 

[Nikolaos Tsivis]

Just curious, has anyone gone from a Gen 3 Levo back to a Gen 2 Kenevo, and if so is it a step in the right/wrong direction ?!

My Levo Expert Gen3 will be out of warranty in a few months and I’m wondering whether to sell it and put whatever money I can get towards a reduced “new” Kenevo so I can benefit from another 2 year warranty cover…….….or just run with the risk of having to possibly (likely) replace motors out of warranty with the Gen3.

Never ridden a Kenevo btw and have been following this thread for a while re 29rs

Good day!

On May 24th my Gen2 Kenevo was stolen.

Within June had the oportunity to order, for the same money, either a new Gen2 Kenevo Expert (the one with Mastermind TCU) or a Gen3 Levo Carbon Expert.

I thought about it a lot and ended up ordering the Gen2 Kenevo, again. I also sized up from S3 to S4. Reason I did this was to avoid the carbon frame, enjoy more travel, fairly easy to convert to mullet or 29er, "good" price.

I am now waiting for the new bike, should be in by end of July 2023.

Brgds/Nikolaos Tsivis

 

[Levo Laland]

Just curious, has anyone gone from a Gen 3 Levo back to a Gen 2 Kenevo, and if so is it a step in the right/wrong direction ?!

My Levo Expert Gen3 will be out of warranty in a few months and I’m wondering whether to sell it and put whatever money I can get towards a reduced “new” Kenevo so I can benefit from another 2 year warranty cover…….….or just run with the risk of having to possibly (likely) replace motors out of warranty with the Gen3.

Never ridden a Kenevo btw and have been following this thread for a while re 29rs

Firstly, if you do not flip to the Kenevo then as soon as your Levo warranty ends send your Levo motor off to Performanceline Bearings to have it upgraded at a fraction of the cost of a new motor (even with Specialized making a goodwill contribution). Regarding the goodwill, I've been told that Specialized always discounts the cost of an out-of-warranty motor replacement, here in the UK anyway.

I went from a Gen 2 Levo to a Kenevo, and I chose the Kenevo because of how good it was supposed to be as a full 29er, and as a 29er it is awesome. I did not buy a Gen 3 Levo mainly as I'm not a fan of MX bikes, and it's easier to MX a Kenevo than it is to 29er a Levo Gen 3. Gen 3 Levo has lots of adjustments, but the stock setting on a Kenevo is great for all but long flat XC runs.

Is it a step in the wrong direction? I think not, the Gen 3 Levo geometry, in its slackest mode, is almost the same as the stock Kenevo. The Kenevo's BB height is a bit low as a full 27.5 bike if you pedal hard and ride flat out, but is great as a full 29er. Since I bought the Keveno and made it a full 29er many new Enduro E-bikes have been launched (Pole for example) and when I check the geo numbers they are all coming out very close to those of the Kenevo , a bike that came out in 2019. The answer does also depend on the configuration you would want to make the Kenevo, if you're not specifically wanting a 27.5-wheel bike, it's going to be easier to stick with the Levo rather than modify a Kenevo.

So, I think you need to establish what if anything you don't like about the Levo, or establish if the Kenevo is a better bike for how and what you like to ride. Rob EMTB seems to think the Kenevo is the better bike, in 29er format anyway.

If the reason for flipping is just the warranty, then sell your old battery on and buy a new one with a new 2-year warranty at a net cost of around £300 and get the motor upgraded by Performance line for about £200, assuming it's a later motor in a serviceable condition, then you've basically got yourself 2 years extra life out of the expensive parts on the Levo for a reasonable cost.

 

[CJM83]

Thanks for the comments all. Decided I’m going to get a Kenevo in October when warranty expires on Levo just to have another 2 years peace of mind. Looking at resale value I’m going to take a big hit on Levo but that’s life.

Can you post your F&R suspension specs along with wheel sizes please. I’ll probably dive straight in and 29er or Mullet it from the off.

 

[Christurbo]

Hi,

I have just pulled the trigger on the Kenevo Expert (22/23) and have a load of new parts to fit.

- Fox Factory 38 - 44mm offset - 29" forks - 180mm
- Ohlins TTX22M2 230 x 65 shock - tuned by J-Tech Suspension
- Hope 36T chainring and 155 cranks
- Hope Fortus 30 mullet with Hope Pro 5 hubs
- Renthal Fatbar 35 Carbon with Apex stem
- Fox factory Transfer seat post
- Shimano Saint Levers
- Magura MT7 Pro calipers
- Magura MDR-P 220mm rotors
- Ergon grips and saddle
- Maxxis Assegai F and DHR II R tyres
- Cushcore Pro inserts
- EMTB Protect bashgaurd

Question - what parts will I need to fit the single crown Fox Factory 38's? Headset / race /etc? Ive seen its not a simple as removing the old fork and then popping in the new one, like you can do on the Levo, etc.

Thanks

Chris

 

[mustclime]

One question: have you ridden the bike? I bought my Kenevo expert with a Domain 29er fork with the thought that I would make it a 29er right out of the box. I mounted the Domain fork for the first ride(I pulled the Boxxer as soon as I got the bike home). I found the bike was to slack for my riding with the 29er 180 mm travel fork. The Kenevo is a plow bike right out of the box, addition of 29er wheels do not make the bike more agile IMO. I am currently riding the bike with a 27.5 Zeb 180mm and the flip chip in high with 27.5 x 2.6 tires and IMO the bike still rides large. All I am saying, maybe ride the bike before you collect a mass of parts to change it on other people opinions of the bike.

 

[Christurbo]

One question: have you ridden the bike? I bought my Kenevo expert with a Domain 29er fork with the thought that I would make it a 29er right out of the box. I mounted the Domain fork for the first ride(I pulled the Boxxer as soon as I got the bike home). I found the bike was to slack for my riding with the 29er 180 mm travel fork. The Kenevo is a plow bike right out of the box, addition of 29er wheels do not make the bike more agile IMO. I am currently riding the bike with a 27.5 Zeb 180mm and the flip chip in high with 27.5 x 2.6 tires and IMO the bike still rides large. All I am saying, maybe ride the bike before you collect a mass of parts to change it on other people opinions of the bike.

View attachment 119996

Valid point however they were all parts I have in stock already prior to buying it. I was upgrading something else but that never happened. I will test ride it and if it isn’t worth upgrading then I won’t.

Any tips on the parts needed to fit a single crown fork on the Kenevo?

Ps. Lovely rig!

 

[M789]

I think you re good to go, crown race on my f38 that i had on levo was a direct fit for kenevo…
Maybe you need caliper monts as its pm 180 and you have 220.

do it asap, as its a BEAST

…i only have it for 2 weeks now and we zinged on last rides. First few rides it felt too high, but i soon got used to it and it flies now,
on tech alpine terrain- pivots are ok, and also on twisty closed switchbacks and berms i learned how to push it in and get some Gs out of corner… veery happy with my decission

 

[Christurbo]

I think you re good to go, crown race on my f38 that i had on levo was a direct fit for kenevo…
Maybe you need caliper monts as its pm 180 and you have 220.

do it asap, as its a BEAST

…i only have it for 2 weeks now and we zinged on last rides. First few rides it felt too high, but i soon got used to it and it flies now,
on tech alpine terrain- pivots are ok, and also on twisty closed switchbacks and berms i learned how to push it in and get some Gs out of corner… veery happy with my decission

What a build! Yes I have the Magura 220 post mounts so that they fit the fat belly of the MT7 Pro Caliper. SRAM post mounts won't work as they foul the caliper/piston body. Thanks for the crown race.... seems straight forward like the Levo then.

 

[Christurbo]

Does anyone know if the Gen 3 Levo shares its shock hardware with the 2022 Kenevo?

 

[mustclime]

Valid point however they were all parts I have in stock already prior to buying it. I was upgrading something else but that never happened. I will test ride it and if it isn’t worth upgrading then I won’t.

Any tips on the parts needed to fit a single crown fork on the Kenevo?

Ps. Lovely rig!

This is what I am using, seems to work.

 

[Christurbo]

I think you re good to go, crown race on my f38 that i had on levo was a direct fit for kenevo…
Maybe you need caliper monts as its pm 180 and you have 220.

do it asap, as its a BEAST

…i only have it for 2 weeks now and we zinged on last rides. First few rides it felt too high, but i soon got used to it and it flies now,
on tech alpine terrain- pivots are ok, and also on twisty closed switchbacks and berms i learned how to push it in and get some Gs out of corner… veery happy with my decission

View attachment 120005 View attachment 120006

is your bike a comp or expert? E.g did it come with a single or dual crown setup stock?

 

[Hol47]

Did exactly the same. This is the bottom crown race you need.

Fork Crown Bearing Race | 1.5"

Fork Crown Bearing Race 1.5"Split design for easier fitting and removal45 Degree ChamferPart Ref: KBB9049Pack QTY: 1

www.kineticbikebearings.com

One thing I did was drop the front travel to 170mm. I thought 180mm with the 38 would make it a bit too slack.

 

[Christurbo]

Did exactly the same. This is the bottom crown race you need.

Fork Crown Bearing Race | 1.5"

Fork Crown Bearing Race 1.5"Split design for easier fitting and removal45 Degree ChamferPart Ref: KBB9049Pack QTY: 1

www.kineticbikebearings.com

One thing I did was drop the front travel to 170mm. I thought 180mm with the 38 would make it a bit too slack.

I ordered the comp headset kit for my expert to convert to a single crown tapered config…

Part no:- S182500005

Still not sure what mounting hardware I need for my Ohlins TTX22M2 shock. I’ve done a search but can’t find anything. It’s been setup for a Levo but guess it needs different hardware on the top mount. On the Levo you can transfer over (I bought new) - not sure if you can do that on the Kenevo

 

[Christurbo]

For anyone looking for a ‘headset kit’ that allows you to fit a tapered fork on the Kenevo……

 

[mustclime]

Just my opinion: I avoid any headsets that have a split bearing seats. They need to be kept “wet” with lube or they creak.

 

[Christurbo]

Just my opinion: I avoid any headsets that have a split bearing seats. They need to be kept “wet” with lube or they creak.

The headset race? Easier to get off though!

 

[#lazy]

Hi,

I have just pulled the trigger on the Kenevo Expert (22/23) and have a load of new parts to fit.

- Fox Factory 38 - 44mm offset - 29" forks - 180mm
- Ohlins TTX22M2 230 x 65 shock - tuned by J-Tech Suspension
- Hope 36T chainring and 155 cranks
- Hope Fortus 30 mullet with Hope Pro 5 hubs
- Renthal Fatbar 35 Carbon with Apex stem
- Fox factory Transfer seat post
- Shimano Saint Levers
- Magura MT7 Pro calipers
- Magura MDR-P 220mm rotors
- Ergon grips and saddle
- Maxxis Assegai F and DHR II R tyres
- Cushcore Pro inserts
- EMTB Protect bashgaurd

Question - what parts will I need to fit the single crown Fox Factory 38's? Headset / race /etc? Ive seen its not a simple as removing the old fork and then popping in the new one, like you can do on the Levo, etc.

Thanks

Chris

View attachment 119991

If you’re replacing all the bits why didn’t you buy the comp and save some bucks ?

 

[Christurbo]

If you’re replacing all the bits why didn’t you buy the comp and save some bucks ?

Unfortunately it doesn’t come with the mastermind TCU display which I have become used to with the Gen 3 Levo Expert.

 

[mustclime]

If you’re replacing all the bits why didn’t you buy the comp and save some bucks ?

Comp is just a lot of parts that will not last very long. The expert has a good wheel set( rims should be wider), the drive train is awesome and the code rs brakes are really good. The comp’s rear wheel is crap, not a fan of guide brakes, the drivetrain is junk, the z1 is really flexible in the 180mm and you get a 500wh battery on the comp instead of the 700 wh battery on the expert.

 

[#lazy]

Comp is just a lot of parts that will not last very long. The expert has a good wheel set( rims should be wider), the drive train is awesome and the code rs brakes are really good. The comp’s rear wheel is crap, not a fan of guide brakes, the drivetrain is junk, the z1 is really flexible in the 180mm and you get a 500wh battery on the comp instead of the 700 wh battery on the expert.

He did say he’s replacing the fork , wheels , brakes , bar/stem so that just leaves the drivetrain which is ok and can upgrade when worn , the battery which can also be upgraded and the tcu which also also can be upgraded and save bucks !

 

[Christurbo]

He did say he’s replacing the fork , wheels , brakes , bar/stem so that just leaves the drivetrain which is ok and can upgrade when worn , the battery which can also be upgraded and the tcu which also also can be upgraded and save bucks !

I’m upgrading the drivetrain too … I’ve just had SRAM AXS arrive.

Basically I’m replacing everything (even the dropper pictured below to Factory Transfer and cranks / chainring to Hope.

Have a massive box of new parts now

It looks like this at the moment ready for invisiframe

 

[#lazy]

You’re building a BEAST