Eyeing a 2019 Turbo Levo what else should I look at before committing?

[Brianjonesphoto]

I’m very seriously eyeing a new Turbo Levo for my first emtb. Being in the USA my options are somewhat limited. I’m also 2m tall so I need something that runs long in the top tube.

I’ve been able to test ride a xl levo in a car park. The new power looks like it could fit on paper but I’ve ridden a bosh bike before and didn’t care too much for it after riding the levo.

Ice also stated considering the new trance E. It too looks about the same size as the levo and better spec for the price.

I guess my question is who beside specialized is focusing on refining the rider experience with tunable software and smooth transitions between assist and pedal only.

Thanks

 

[All Mountain Coaching]

BULLS E-STREAM EVO AM 4

 

[Tim29]

The 2019 Fantic 160 race is prob one of the best enduro reads bikes I’ve ridden.
I have had two bulls, a turbo levo, Haibike and a Fantic 180 and now have the 160 race.
I really like my 180 but that 160 race is quick, full of life and still rock stable at speed.
Being in USA like me i would seriously look into one.
They also have great battery life.
I rode the 180 Integra at mammoth Kamikazi games and won on
It’s a tough call between the 160 and 160.
If i could only have 1 i would prob lean towards the 160 race.
The large would fit you good as i have a 6”2 wing span and i like the large best.
I have gone away from the Bulls as there seat post heights where to high and my corner speed compromised and on really chunky downhills i didn’t feel settled into the bike and it was nose heavy.
If they get there seat post down another 25mm. That ecore be one sick bike as it has great geometry if you spent any time on spesh you would find the post height an issue as well
On a large levo post down you can touch both feet with room to spare with 34” inseam.
On bulls you can’t touch either foot
Fantic you can touch both feet but it’s still about 15mm higher then levo.

 

[R120]

Pretty much all the motors have apps that allow you to tune the riding experience and modify the assistance in the various modes.

You should test as many bikes as you can.

 

[Interpaul]

Canyon Spectral:On

Great bikes and lot less £££ than the Turbo Levo. Note that I don't own one but my mate does and it looks the business. Very light and the Shimano Motor is excellent - fully tuneable.

£3899 gets a spec that blows away the basic Levo and is still cheaper.

And the 7.0 is in stock, so you can get it in a few weeks and they have an XL frame. Not sure if they deliver to the US though?

I don't understand the obsession on this forum for Levos, lots of other good bikes out there.

 

[Doomanic]

I don't understand the obsession on this forum for Levos, lots of other good bikes out there.

This is how I generally feel on a forum ride...

 

[Doomanic]

You should test as many bikes as you can.

Good luck finding a Bulls, as far as I know there's only one UK dealer.

Two Wheels in Stourbridge have Fantic 160 test bikes.

 

[Unspecialized]

The 2019 Fantic 160 race is prob one of the best enduro reads bikes I’ve ridden.
I have had two bulls, a turbo levo, Haibike and a Fantic 180 and now have the 160 race.
I really like my 180 but that 160 race is quick, full of life and still rock stable at speed.
Being in USA like me i would seriously look into one.
They also have great battery life.
I rode the 180 Integra at mammoth Kamikazi games and won on
It’s a tough call between the 160 and 160.
If i could only have 1 i would prob lean towards the 160 race.
The large would fit you good as i have a 6”2 wing span and i like the large best.
I have gone away from the Bulls as there seat post heights where to high and my corner speed compromised and on really chunky downhills i didn’t feel settled into the bike and it was nose heavy.
If they get there seat post down another 25mm. That ecore be one sick bike as it has great geometry if you spent any time on spesh you would find the post height an issue as well
On a large levo post down you can touch both feet with room to spare with 34” inseam.
On bulls you can’t touch either foot
Fantic you can touch both feet but it’s still about 15mm higher then levo.

The fantic sure looks very impressive. But I am 1,94m tall

The 2019 Fantic 160 race is prob one of the best enduro reads bikes I’ve ridden.
I have had two bulls, a turbo levo, Haibike and a Fantic 180 and now have the 160 race.
I really like my 180 but that 160 race is quick, full of life and still rock stable at speed.
Being in USA like me i would seriously look into one.
They also have great battery life.
I rode the 180 Integra at mammoth Kamikazi games and won on
It’s a tough call between the 160 and 160.
If i could only have 1 i would prob lean towards the 160 race.
The large would fit you good as i have a 6”2 wing span and i like the large best.
I have gone away from the Bulls as there seat post heights where to high and my corner speed compromised and on really chunky downhills i didn’t feel settled into the bike and it was nose heavy.
If they get there seat post down another 25mm. That ecore be one sick bike as it has great geometry if you spent any time on spesh you would find the post height an issue as well
On a large levo post down you can touch both feet with room to spare with 34” inseam.
On bulls you can’t touch either foot
Fantic you can touch both feet but it’s still about 15mm higher then levo.

The fantic looks like a very cool bike. Beeing 1,94m tall (6,36 foot), I assumwd the largest size (wich is large, I guess) seemed to be too small for me. Is it with testing for tall people as me?

 

[Brianjonesphoto]

The fantic sure looks very impressive. But I am 1,94m tall

The fantic looks like a very cool bike. Beeing 1,94m tall (6,36 foot), I assumwd the largest size (wich is large, I guess) seemed to be too small for me. Is it with testing for tall people as me?

I have made the same assumption. I’m not even interested in the 2018 levo because it is too short in the top tube. The Fantic looks awesome on paper but it’s a size too small. One of the things that makes the levo so attractive to me is the dealer network. There are at least 7 dealers within an hours drive that sell specialized ebikes. 1 dealer that carries mostly commuter ebikes from Cube and Bulls. I hope the new Trance E+ rides well as the geometry it pretty close to the 2019 levo.

 

[Tim29]

I haven’t found not having local Fantic dealer an issue.
The local bike shop has worked on my bikes of all brands without a hesitation and most the components are able to be warrantied through any dealer.
Brose will warranty the motors direct and the diagnostics are easy.
As for the large frame with 6ft 3” tall.
It’s a tiny bit small.
But with a KS offset seat post and 50mm stem it’s plenty stretched on top tube.

 

[John Locke]

I really like my 2018 Haibike All Mountain 8.0 for $4500 USD out the door. That's about $800 off MSRP which many shops will match. My friend has the Turbo Levo, $7200. It looks awesome and works well for him, but it doesn't have a display, and only 3 power assist levels. You can't even see your battery level without leaning way out to the left side to see the battry level, which is something you want to always monitor. My Haibike in comparison offers 5 levels of assist and an easy color indicator LED to confirm what level assist you are in. The Haibike display provides percentage battery left, mileage range available based on current assist level, trip odometer, total mileage on bike, and programmability to display only what you want. There's also a USB power port. The Haibike battery is also much easier to remove, as certain scenarios benefit from the ease of recharging the battery without the whole bike. Although the Haibike is aluminum, and the Turbo Levo is carbon fiber, this is not an issue with the epower, unlike regular non e-powered bikes, where every once counts. I suggest you ride the Haibike if money is important. I think it offers the best value IMO. They do offer an extra large 50cm frame size.

 

[Unspecialized]

I have made the same assumption. I’m not even interested in the 2018 levo because it is too short in the top tube. The Fantic looks awesome on paper but it’s a size too small. One of the things that makes the levo so attractive to me is the dealer network. There are at least 7 dealers within an hours drive that sell specialized ebikes. 1 dealer that carries mostly commuter ebikes from Cube and Bulls. I hope the new Trance E+ rides well as the geometry it pretty close to the 2019 levo.

I tested the Levo 19 in XL. Seems much more comfortable to mee, than the 2018 version. At the beginning it felt still a bit short, but after a few minutes I was pretty satisfied. It climbs also good, as far as I can tell (don't have much experience with other bikes). Motor was very quiet and provided good torque, sufficent even for a 94 kg man as I am. The only thing is the price, as we all know. €6800.- for a comp carbon - which just looks awesome to me in tint blue and is the only reason why I would get the carbon version - is very beefy, considering the specs. Compare this to a Canyon Spectral ON or maybe also to Ghost SL AMR X S, and beware of depression. The Levo looks better, no question, especially due to the internal battery and maybe I will get one anyway. But I am feeling kinda fooled and try not think about, that one gets these bikes to slam it through dirt. It seems crazy.

 

[knut7]

Even though the Reach is about the same, the Giant Trance E+ in XL should be a little bit smaller than the Levo in XL due to the low Stack of 611mm. That's 24mm lower than the Levo in size L! That's not necessarily a bad thing. At 194cm, you could be happy with a smaller XL frame on an emtb.

Scott Genius e-Ride 9xx in XL is a few mm longer than the Levo XL.

I like both the Shimano and Giant motor, they're not as silent though. Here's a review of the Giant Syncdrive Pro

 

[neils]

A good second hand 2018 Turbo Levo Expert or Comp Carbon would save you a lot. Pop some 29er wheels and 2.35 tyres on it and you'll be very happy!

 

[R120]

Great vid as always @knut7

One of the great things about your and @Rob Hancill 's videos is identifying the things that usually only become apparent over longer term ownership, once that new bike feeling has worn off.

 

[pabloazocar]

What about this?
DEVINCI - DC XT

Devinci DC XT

 

[Wiltshire Warrior]

Another consideration is do you want a long and thin or short and fat battery. I am not as tall as you at 185cm and value the lower centre of gravity provided from the short/fat Bosch inframe battery on the Moterra, as the battery ends at the same height as the lower shock pivot and I suspect some other designs could have the batteries running almost to the head tube.

Or to make it simple look for bikes where the top of the battery is lower than the top of the tires!

 

[Tim29]

Another consideration is do you want a long and thin or short and fat battery. I am not as tall as you at 185cm and value the lower centre of gravity provided from the short/fat Bosch inframe battery on the Moterra, as the battery ends at the same height as the lower shock pivot and I suspect some other designs could have the batteries running almost to the head tube.

Or to make it simple look for bikes where the top of the battery is lower than the top of the tires!

I agree 100%, that’s my complaint about my bulls FS3, and one my strong points on Fantic Intera

 

[MattyB]

I think a decent percentage of 2019 Levo owners are going to end up hating that integrated battery, slick though it may look. Having to turn the bike on it's side to remove it, storing a spare in your backpack is painful, and worst of all those contacts are buried miles up in the frame where they are very difficult to get at if something goes wrong... I much prefer a partially integrated battery like on the Merida, Vitus or Canyon.

 

[Unspecialized]

I think a decent percentage of 2019 Levo owners are going to end up hating that integrated battery, slick though it may look. Having to turn the bike on it's side to remove it, storing a spare in your backpack is painful, and worst of all those contacts are buried miles up in the frame where they are very difficult to get at if something goes wrong... I much prefer a partially integrated battery like on the Merida, Vitus or Canyon.

Good points!

 

[Cal]

I tested the Levo 19 in XL. Seems much more comfortable to mee, than the 2018 version. At the beginning it felt still a bit short, but after a few minutes I was pretty satisfied. It climbs also good, as far as I can tell (don't have much experience with other bikes). Motor was very quiet and provided good torque, sufficent even for a 94 kg man as I am. The only thing is the price, as we all know. €6800.- for a comp carbon - which just looks awesome to me in tint blue and is the only reason why I would get the carbon version - is very beefy, considering the specs. Compare this to a Canyon Spectral ON or maybe also to Ghost SL AMR X S, and beware of depression. The Levo looks better, no question, especially due to the internal battery and maybe I will get one anyway. But I am feeling kinda fooled and try not think about, that one gets these bikes to slam it through dirt. It seems crazy.

Hi Unspecialized, I'm just about to buy an L or XL turbo Levo 2019. How tall are you? I'm 187cm or 6'1.5" so I'm right on the limit between the 2 sizes. I think I'll find the longer reach on the XL more comfortable but not sure. Will be riding one on Sunday which the bike shop is getting in for me. It will cost me more to get the XL and I prefer the colour of the L too.

 

[Cal]

I’m very seriously eyeing a new Turbo Levo for my first emtb. Being in the USA my options are somewhat limited. I’m also 2m tall so I need something that runs long in the top tube.

I’ve been able to test ride a xl levo in a car park. The new power looks like it could fit on paper but I’ve ridden a bosh bike before and didn’t care too much for it after riding the levo.

Ice also stated considering the new trance E. It too looks about the same size as the levo and better spec for the price.

I guess my question is who beside specialized is focusing on refining the rider experience with tunable software and smooth transitions between assist and pedal only.

Thanks

Hi Brian, I'm looking at L or XL Turbo Levo 2019. How tall are you? I'm 187cm or 6'1.5" so I'm in between the sizes. I think I'll like the reach of the XL but not sure about the extra seat tube length as the seat on the L fits me well.

 

[Unspecialized]

Hi Unspecialized, I'm just about to buy an L or XL turbo Levo 2019. How tall are you? I'm 187cm or 6'1.5" so I'm right on the limit between the 2 sizes. I think I'll find the longer reach on the XL more comfortable but not sure. Will be riding one on Sunday which the bike shop is getting in for me. It will cost me more to get the XL and I prefer the colour of the L too.

I am 194cm tall. Can't tell, what size would be better for You, sorry. For me, only XL is an option and I am thinking about having a look on Giant bikes, since they produce geometrys with extra long reach.