Kenevo Gen1 Kenevo 2019 vs 2020 my review

[cozzy]

So ive been fannying around with thoughts of the 2020 model for most of this year eventually deciding to get a 2022 next year. Nothing wrong with my current kenevo & it has some nice bits on it. Best laid plans & all that saw me buying a 6 month old 2020 that appeared on my facebook by chance.

Me - too old, too heavy & too unfit with a preference to bikepark laps rather than long pedally rides.

2019
large expert with 190mm boxxers, santa cruz reserve wheels, saint brakes & fox van rc shock.

2020
s4 expert with charger 2.1 damper, code rsc brakes & eagle gx gears.

Climbing - It just feels easier on the 2020, maybe due to the geometry as they are both 90nm motors. I dont have to shift around to keep the front wheel down on steep bits so less wheelspin. It just keeps going.

Descending - Wow. Just wow. Likely the charger 2.1 has some input here but the 2020 is unbelievable. Smashed all my records at the bikepark this weekend and that includes times from my dh bike! Truly staggering how good this is at going fast downhill. Its a massive confidence booster.

General - obviously the 700wh battery makes a difference. Whereas my 2019 would do about 10 runs before red the 2020 still had 4 bars left after 10 runs. Never as issue on the 2019 though as I had a spare battery to use.
The sram code rsc brakes are brilliant, loads better than the code r I had originally on the 2019 but I think I will be fitting the saints, mainly as I have lots of spare pads! Although its a close call.

Issues - the roval wheels, or more specifically hubs are rubbish on the 2020, quite a bit of play in the bearings. Although I gather they were none to clever on the 2019 either. Will be fitting my carbon wheels.
The eagle gears are shockingly bad. I cant get them right. Ordered shimano 11 speed to replace it all with. I dont see the need for a 50t cassette on an ebike to be honest.
The brose 2.1 is definitely noisier than the 1.3

Conclusion - anyone on the fence, just get it done

 

[CjP]

FYI the 2019 has 75nm. I noticed like you it just felt a little easier/smoother uphills.

The 1 degree slacker head and longer wheel base on the 20 really makes a noticeable difference on the downhill stuff. Consequently on the tighter trails I felt the 19 was a little nicer to ride.
I did solve all the problems you mention with upgraded parts though which really made both bikes weapons.

 

[Mcharza]

Do I remember wrong that the Brose 1.3 engine has 90 Nm of torque

 

[cozzy]

Do I remember wrong that the Brose 1.3 engine has 90 Nm of torque

No certainly the European bikes with the brose 1.3 had 90nm.

 

[Al Boneta]

I have owned both myself and there is no comparison, the second gen Kenevo destroys the first gen

 

[CjP]

Do I remember wrong that the Brose 1.3 engine has 90 Nm of torque

No certainly the European bikes with the brose 1.3 had 90nm.

I stand corrected!
You are both right, I don’t know what planet I was on but I just checked their website. I always read it as 75nm and can’t for the life of me work out why.
I could be living in a parallel universe. Would explain the covid situation and why things don’t make sense to me anymore.
Either that or I’m in a coma and this is all a dream. I was saying just the other day I haven’t crashed for a while and that’s really strange for me.

 

[wepn]

I have owned both myself and there is no comparison, the second gen Kenevo destroys the first gen

I think that's right in just about every way except when the second gen Kenevo 2.1 motor destroys itself. Yes the extended warranty is peace of mind except when you've suffered shutdown or meltdown on a trail 30 km from home. So I think of Gen 2 as Bike Park DH & Gen 1 as Enduro in the the true sense.

 

[wepn]

I could be living in a parallel universe. Would explain the covid situation and why things don’t make sense to me anymore.
Either that or I’m in a coma and this is all a dream. I was saying just the other day I haven’t crashed for a while and that’s really strange for me.

Or a multiverse which makes more sense to astrophysicists or Rick & Morty fans. I'm one of the latter. Since you bring it up, I still don't think that would explain the covid situation. That is human failure on a massive scale, second only to warfare. [+] I had to rethink that - third only to human planetary environmental destruction and warfare.

Keep up the not crashing in all your universes [+] maybe our skills keep on accumulating until age or injury put a stop to it?

 

[CjP]

Yes I meant multiverse, I was still waking up and talking shit.
Also I crashed today trying to manual a massive mud puddle with my covid tires so I’m good. It was the first single track I’ve done the whole covid lockdown. So it’s just me, not the multiverse...

 

[Al Boneta]

I think that's right in just about every way except when the second gen Kenevo 2.1 motor destroys itself. Yes the extended warranty is peace of mind except when you've suffered shutdown or meltdown on a trail 30 km from home. So I think of Gen 2 as Bike Park DH & Gen 1 as Enduro in the the true sense.

I have never had a motor “destroy” itself on any of my Specialized bikes with 2.1 motors. I have owned two comps, one Kenevo and I am on my second S-Works.
I have replaced my fair share of customer’s motors, most of those were broken belts due to trying to climb steeps grades in too high of a gear while in Turbo.
If you keep your cadence between 60 to 90 rpm, you’ll never break a belt and you will get maximum range.
The Kenevo would be my favorite bike, but I can’t run 29s front and back.
My current Levo is 170mm in the front with 168mm in the back.
I use a cascade components linkage, an over-stroked air shock and an offset bushing on the top eyelet to give me the extra travel while giving me a slacker head angle than stock.
It feels like a hybrid between the first and second gen Kenevos and it’s become my go to bike for everything.

 

[wepn]

I have never had a motor “destroy” itself on any of my Specialized bikes with 2.1 motors. I have owned two comps, one Kenevo and I am on my second S-Works.
I have replaced my fair share of customer’s motors, most of those were broken belts due to trying to climb steeps grades in too high of a gear while in Turbo.
If you keep your cadence between 60 to 90 rpm, you’ll never break a belt and you will get maximum range.
The Kenevo would be my favorite bike, but I can’t run 29s front and back.
My current Levo is 170mm in the front with 168mm in the back.
I use a cascade components linkage, an over-stroked air shock and an offset bushing on the top eyelet to give me the extra travel while giving me a slacker head angle than stock.
It feels like a hybrid between the first and second gen Kenevos and it’s become my go to bike for everything.

Fair enough - you would know much more than I would. That does make sense although I have read some of the other most knowledgable people here mention pedal strikes as a likely source of sprag clutch issues.

The 170mm front & 168mm rear travel Levo sounds ideal. Of course I'd like an IGH & Mahle with that

 

[SpaceBubba]

The Kenevo would be my favorite bike, but I can’t run 29s front and back.
My current Levo is 170mm in the front with 168mm in the back.
I use a cascade components linkage, an over-stroked air shock and an offset bushing on the top eyelet to give me the extra travel while giving me a slacker head angle than stock.
It feels like a hybrid between the first and second gen Kenevos and it’s become my go to bike for everything.

I couldn't find a Kenevo so I picked up 2021 Comp and I'm interested in doing the same seup. Would you mind sharing the exact parts and components you used? And some pics would be great


Nick

 

[richie_Kenevo]

So ive been fannying around with thoughts of the 2020 model for most of this year eventually deciding to get a 2022 next year. Nothing wrong with my current kenevo & it has some nice bits on it. Best laid plans & all that saw me buying a 6 month old 2020 that appeared on my facebook by chance.

Me - too old, too heavy & too unfit with a preference to bikepark laps rather than long pedally rides.

2019
large expert with 190mm boxxers, santa cruz reserve wheels, saint brakes & fox van rc shock.

2020
s4 expert with charger 2.1 damper, code rsc brakes & eagle gx gears.

View attachment 38686

Climbing - It just feels easier on the 2020, maybe due to the geometry as they are both 90nm motors. I dont have to shift around to keep the front wheel down on steep bits so less wheelspin. It just keeps going.

Descending - Wow. Just wow. Likely the charger 2.1 has some input here but the 2020 is unbelievable. Smashed all my records at the bikepark this weekend and that includes times from my dh bike! Truly staggering how good this is at going fast downhill. Its a massive confidence booster.

General - obviously the 700wh battery makes a difference. Whereas my 2019 would do about 10 runs before red the 2020 still had 4 bars left after 10 runs. Never as issue on the 2019 though as I had a spare battery to use.
The sram code rsc brakes are brilliant, loads better than the code r I had originally on the 2019 but I think I will be fitting the saints, mainly as I have lots of spare pads! Although its a close call.

Issues - the roval wheels, or more specifically hubs are rubbish on the 2020, quite a bit of play in the bearings. Although I gather they were none to clever on the 2019 either. Will be fitting my carbon wheels.
The eagle gears are shockingly bad. I cant get them right. Ordered shimano 11 speed to replace it all with. I dont see the need for a 50t cassette on an ebike to be honest.
The brose 2.1 is definitely noisier than the 1.3

Conclusion - anyone on the fence, just get it done

Really appreciate the level of detail on your review. I was on the fence and have the 2019 kenevo but upgraded this week. Bike will be here in 2 days. End of season sales!

 

[cozzy]

Really appreciate the level of detail on your review. I was on the fence and have the 2019 kenevo but upgraded this week. Bike will be here in 2 days. End of season sales!

And I still have the bike 3+ years later it's that good .

 

[GeordieKenevo]

Only just seen this thread and have an XL 2019 Kenevo Comp as per my profile pic and a S4 2020 Kenevo Comp I bought second hand with a 700 battery but that is currently up for sale in the classifieds here as I prefer my 2019 Gen 1

The 2020 had a brand new motor 60 miles ago and pulls great but is definitely slightly louder than the original 2019 motor that's still going strong. Both are still running 27.5 wheels front and back with the main difference between them for me is the feel through the chatter and rock gardens at high speed with the 2019 feeling much better. Of course this is likely just down to the different suspension on them - 2019 with Yari RC fork and Fox Van RC coil and 2020 with Marzocchi Z1 fork and Fox DPX2 shock but will be interesting to here your thoughts @richie_Kenevo when you get yours

Also FWIW I'm around 100kg fully kitted up riding weight and 6'2 tall.

 

[richie_Kenevo]

Only just seen this thread and have an XL 2019 Kenevo Comp as per my profile pic and a S4 2020 Kenevo Comp I bought second hand with a 700 battery but that is currently up for sale in the classifieds here as I prefer my 2019 Gen 1

The 2020 had a brand new motor 60 miles ago and pulls great but is definitely slightly louder than the original 2019 motor that's still going strong. Both are still running 27.5 wheels front and back with the main difference between them for me is the feel through the chatter and rock gardens at high speed with the 2019 feeling much better. Of course this is likely just down to the different suspension on them - 2019 with Yari RC fork and Fox Van RC coil and 2020 with Marzocchi Z1 fork and Fox DPX2 shock but will be interesting to here your thoughts @richie_Kenevo when you get yours

Also FWIW I'm around 100kg fully kitted up riding weight and 6'2 tall.

I will come back and write some of my experiences as i am 210-215 bs fluctuating throughout the summer season and 6 feet tall on an XL 2019 Kenevo expert going to the latest gen 2. My 2019 has a 2021 boxxer ultimate (203 mm) and the original Ohlins shock. The reason for the upgrade was that I had a good dela on it and had swapped the orginal dual crown to a single, but not a huge fan of that setup. The dual crown for me was a significant difference on any terrain and less stable. I like plush and cloud landings as I ma trying bigger gap jumps and table tops and if I mess up I dont want to feel it as much.

 

[richie_Kenevo]

OK so two full days on the new Kenevo! My first impressions had me thinking its not a mind-blowing difference like some people describe it. It had me thinking a few times about wanting my 2019, but, once I got it a little more dialled in with the suspension it got better and started to have more fun. There were a few things that still annoy me as per below.

Positives:
The reach being 22 mm+ was not noticeable, and the overall fit is spot-on
The battery life did slightly better than the 500 W
Drive train feels good
Handles better overall on turns, little jumps, and bumps
Lighter by 6 lbs which was noticeable when putting it on the truck
Air can was more poppy and feels pretty good on smaller jumps, bumps and roots
Just the feel of the bike is a little better
TCU on the expert is nice and want to explore this more

Little annoyances but not deal breakers:
Noisier motor but not terrible and I forgot all about hte nise on day 2.
Pedal strikes got so annoying with something like 30-35 strikes (2019 Kenevo on the same trails maybe 1 strike) in 6 hours of riding and might need 150-155 mm and a coil might stop the bouncy rear. I did not want to firm it up as I like it plush (Rear shock Sag set at 25% and air pressure slightly higher than suggested.
The lower bottom bracket, in general, is not great and a bash guard with a 29 upfront might help
Super Deluxe Select + bottomed out several times on a 1-2 foot drop to decline and will need volume spacers
The suspension Is not as plush and forgiving as my RS Ultimate and Ohlins shock pairing on the 2019

Summary
Not sure if I helped at all with this review but overall I do think it's a nice upgrade if you get a good discount (I got it for 40% off) but would have never paid full price when upgrading from 2019. I think going plusher with a 203 mm ultimate, bash guard, 29er, coil rear, and shorter cranks will give the bike a much better experience for me and would surpass 2019. The 2019 needed nothing out of the box except the fork upgrade for a more plush front end.

 

[cozzy]

Im sure it will continue to grow on you.

I was comparing 2 fairly customised bikes, the gen2 being 2nd hand rather than out the box new.
Reading back the issues I had with gears & hubs would have been down to the previous owners 6 months of neglect.
I don't get pedal strikes. I did try 155mm cranks just because people said they are awesome, but I didnt like them & went back to 165mm. Felt like riding a childs bike.
I went from a large to an s4, so gained +40mm in reach & +50mm in wheelbase. This is likely why it climbed so much better without wanting to loop out, plus felt more confident in the steeps.
After initially raving about the charger 2.1 v the select damper, I grew to dislike it. Just constantly chasing down harshness issues. I eventually changed to a fox40 a year ago which I love.
The original gen2 came with a coil which felt ok but cracked. The replacement kitsuma coil felt amazing for a short while but fell to bits and was warrantied. The current ohlins ttx22 is ok, nothing more really. Feels a bit harsh & I will get it re-tuned at the next service. Ive never ran the bike with an airshock so cant compare it.

To think I paid 5.5k used which at the time was a good deal. Its probably worth about 2.5k these days after the recent price drops. Still ive had over 3 years of awesome riding & I never fully gelled with the gen1 due to the geometry. I think I sold that for 3k, so was a £2500 upgrade cost.

Once you add some upgrades Im sure you will love it.

 

[richie_Kenevo]

Im sure it will continue to grow on you.

I was comparing 2 fairly customised bikes, the gen2 being 2nd hand rather than out the box new.
Reading back the issues I had with gears & hubs would have been down to the previous owners 6 months of neglect.
I don't get pedal strikes. I did try 155mm cranks just because people said they are awesome, but I didnt like them & went back to 165mm. Felt like riding a childs bike.
I went from a large to an s4, so gained +40mm in reach & +50mm in wheelbase. This is likely why it climbed so much better without wanting to loop out, plus felt more confident in the steeps.
After initially raving about the charger 2.1 v the select damper, I grew to dislike it. Just constantly chasing down harshness issues. I eventually changed to a fox40 a year ago which I love.
The original gen2 came with a coil which felt ok but cracked. The replacement kitsuma coil felt amazing for a short while but fell to bits and was warrantied. The current ohlins ttx22 is ok, nothing more really. Feels a bit harsh & I will get it re-tuned at the next service. Ive never ran the bike with an airshock so cant compare it.

To think I paid 5.5k used which at the time was a good deal. Its probably worth about 2.5k these days after the recent price drops. Still ive had over 3 years of awesome riding & I never fully gelled with the gen1 due to the geometry. I think I sold that for 3k, so was a £2500 upgrade cost.

Once you add some upgrades Im sure you will love it.

Yes, I know it will too! I want to be clear that the Kenevo is by far the best riding experience I have had. Owner of Santa Cruz 5010, Nomad, Bronson, Trek top fuel 9.9 SL, to the Kenevo. Hands down beat them all as I have fun going over things without feeling like I was in a paint can mixer and landing big hits feel so amazing.
I am looking forward to getting this bike perfect for me and want to assure readers that the Kenevo was still a great purchase with no regrets after having some of my Day 1 riding gitters. Thanks for your comments and feedback @cozzy as I agree with you. You cannot go wrong with any Kenevo period!

My take is purely if you are thinking of upgrading I do agree with @cozzy if you're on the fence do it, but not at full price as you will prob need some upgrades.

 

[GeordieKenevo]

Great to hear your updated thoughts guys. I'm considering mulleting my 2019 but just wondered if those that did stuck with the 44mm offset forks or go up to 51mm?

Alternatively, I am also considering 'upgrading' the original Yari Charger RC 180mm 27.5 forks with a 46mm offset to a RockShox Lyrik Ultimate Charger 2.1 RC2 27.5 180mm with a 46mm offset or a Zeb Ultimate Charger 2.1 RC2 27.5 180mm with a 38mm offset - is the Zeb worth the extra for the thicker chassis and 'newer' model?

 

[richie_Kenevo]

Great to hear your updated thoughts guys. I'm considering mulleting my 2019 but just wondered if those that did stuck with the 44mm offset forks or go up to 51mm?

Alternatively, I am also considering 'upgrading' the original Yari Charger RC 180mm 27.5 forks with a 46mm offset to a RockShox Lyrik Ultimate Charger 2.1 RC2 27.5 180mm with a 46mm offset or a Zeb Ultimate Charger 2.1 RC2 27.5 180mm with a 38mm offset - is the Zeb worth the extra for the thicker chassis and 'newer' model?

I cannot comment on the 29er as I am looking to do the same, but I know my experience on the 2.1 charger damper was amazing and such a difference from the Boxxer Select.