Levo SL Gen 1 Levo SL 2023 Megathread

[RAG]

Agree that the colour is a bit conservative but for me it redeems itself with the polished ally and carbon link assembly… what can I say, I’m a tart

Plus if you take away the cost of the range extender and cables (£500+) it’s £1750 cheaper than the comp. Based on the the components that I would personally look to replace on the comp, makes it hard to justify the £1750 difference.

 

[p3eps]

The Roval carbon wheels are fantastic. Been riding them for 12 years and not a single issue. Give a lovely riding feel too.
I’ve tried others including Enve and DT Swiss. Always came back.
Nice to choose which brakes/bars/stem etc though.
Need to see if I can find the cash for the new AXS though

I've had Roval wheels on my last 4 bikes, and currently have them on just now.
I'm looking to change, as I have the Traverse Carbon (Not the Traverse SL) and they're looking a bit worse for wear.
I was tempted to go with a set Traverse SL's because I can pick them up for about £1350 and they'll drop about 200g off the current weight... but I feel like if I'm going to splash out that sort of money on a new set of wheels, I want something else that don't look like the OEM ones that come with the bike.

I wouldn't imagine many people would specifically choose a set of Specialized carbon bars, when there are so many other options out there... and the same with the Code Stealth Ultimate - there are better brakes for much less money.

 

[Rich-H]

The crank arm part numbers were posted a couple of pages back… although I don’t think they’re available yet.
I ordered a set of boots for mine after realising I’d caught one on a rock already!
I’d like to go to 165 too.

I spoke to SRAM yesterday, they confirmed that it's a OE-only crank, so would have to be purchased through Specialized.

Also for anyone who wants the correct boots for these cranks, order the following:

• 11.6118.074.001 - SRAM Guard Boots for XX / X0 Eagle Crank Arms - T-Type | D1 - E-MTB (Brose)​

 

[Cell4soul]

What is the frameset only cost? Haven't seen the option here in the US yet.

I did pickup a new SL Comp today. Still have my Fuel EXe as well so will spend some time riding them back to back before I sell the EXe.

Please report back, I would love to hear a comparison. There really hasn't been much of any on the internet/YouTube yet.

 

[p3eps]

Agree that the colour is a bit conservative but for me it redeems itself with the polished ally and carbon link assembly… what can I say, I’m a tart

Plus if you take away the cost of the range extender and cables (£500+) it’s £1750 cheaper than the comp. Based on the the components that I would personally look to replace on the comp, makes it hard to justify the £1750 difference.

I was just looking for a new 145mm cable for my RE since the handle to lock the cable to the frame snapped off mine.
A RE is £340, the standard cable is £30 and the Y-split is £48... so £418 for the lot. I now have 2 Y-split cables, and can't say I've ever used it in the 3 years I've had it!

On the plus side... I emailed my LBS a picture of my broken one, and they said they'd replace it and return it to Spesh for a warranty claim as it shouldn't break like that!

 

[Suns_PSD]

Agree that the colour is a bit conservative but for me it redeems itself with the polished ally and carbon link assembly… what can I say, I’m a tart

Plus if you take away the cost of the range extender and cables (£500+) it’s £1750 cheaper than the comp. Based on the the components that I would personally look to replace on the comp, makes it hard to justify the £1750 difference.

I was told the S-works frameset is $8K in the USA.

Selling low end parts, like what comes on the Comp, is more PITA than it's worth. Plus, you get the range extender/ carbon cranks/ carbon link and a much nicer finish overall.

I too would rather just buy the S-works frame.

 

[Suns_PSD]

Will definitely post my feedback on both bikes.

You have a lot of bike experience so looking forward to your review.

Did you get an S3 or S4?

 

[Rich-H]

I was told the S-works frameset is $8K in the USA.

Selling low end parts, like what comes on the Comp, is more PITA than it's worth. Plus, you get the range extender/ carbon cranks/ carbon link and a much nicer finish overall.

I too would rather just buy the S-works frame.

I think we all came to the same conclusion!

Levo SL Gen 1 - Levo SL 2023 Megathread

Here’s the official SRAM guidance re chain sizing: Thanks - I'll give it a watch when I get home. I watched a Park Tools one last night, where they basically said to compress the shock fully, and wrap the chain round the front chainring / largest sprocket missing out the derailleur - then...

www.emtbforums.com

I asked my LBS to order me a frame but they were unable to get one from their supplier, Specialized UK told them that there were none available until 2024. I was advised to find someone who had one in stock as once they're gone you'll be waiting a while...

 

[Lexle]

Hi Folks,

read on the forums for years, but first post today..

Anybody knowing where I can get a S4 LS S-Works Frame in black currently

cheers

 

[brizi2003]

The rubber band was designed to go round the plug and not the bottle cage. I see so many with this incorrectly positioned. Got this from a Specialized manager.

I'm not so sure about that - I think it's there to make sure the bottle cage doesn't 'open' when bouncing down the trail. That's where it's fitted in my owners manual too. The cable once correctly pressed in - should stay in place.

 

[bryankcc]

Hi Folks,

read on the forums for years, but first post today..

Anybody knowing where I can get a S4 LS S-Works Frame in black currently

cheers

Hi there. apparently i snapped up the last s3 available... they mentioned theres a ready stock s4.

https://brink.uk/specialized-levo-sl-2-s-works-frame-2023

 

[johnsogr]

Anyone know what size O-ring is on the angleset top cap?

 

[bryankcc]

Weighed in S3 with heavy magped pedals at 17.7kg. 2.3 maxxterra dhr2s. Have also a turbo levo gen3 pro. gonna see how the power differs... whether trail 50% on levo can match this SL turbo at which %.. or not.. initial impressions are that 1.2 motor is as silent or more silent than 2.2 turbo levo. assistance at turbo 80% on 1.2 seems like trail 50% on 2.2

 

[Pete N]

Weighed in S3 with heavy magped pedals at 17.7kg. 2.3 maxxterra dhr2s. Have also a turbo levo gen3 pro. gonna see how the power differs... whether trail 50% on levo can match this SL turbo at which %.. or not.. initial impressions are that 1.2 motor is as silent or more silent than 2.2 turbo levo. assistance at turbo 80% on 1.2 seems like trail 50% on 2.2
View attachment 117254

Very nice. Frame decals look good too!

 

[RAG]

Quick update on the crank boots saga

I’ve tried both the 444 part no and the 321 as posted previously (borrowed a 444 from a mates X01 crank).

This is the 444 (X01,XX1) fitted:

Looks exactly as others have described, a couple of mm too small.

This is the 321 fitted:

Fits perfectly

You can see the difference in size 444 left 321 right:

If anyone is after them use the link 43ride posted

 

[Rich-H]

Quick update on the crank boots saga

I’ve tried both the 444 part no and the 321 as posted previously (borrowed a 444 from a mates X01 crank).

This is the 444 (X01,XX1) fitted:
View attachment 117290
Looks exactly as others have described, a couple of mm too small.

This is the 321 fitted:

View attachment 117291
Fits perfectly

You can see the difference in size 444 left 321 right:

View attachment 117292

View attachment 117293

If anyone is after them use the link 43ride posted

Haha, I have now ordered both 444 left 321 and they both fit as per your 444 picture. As per my previous post, I think sellers are mixing up the boots so it's a lottery as to what you will receive!

I ordered 321 from - SRAM CARBON CRANK ARM BOOTS GUARDS PROTECTION FOR SRAM AND TruVativ 710845764288 | eBay so avoid!

I ended up taking a scalpel to mine, they fit fine now!

If you want to be sure to get the correct boots order:

• 11.6118.074.001 - SRAM Guard Boots for XX / X0 Eagle Crank Arms - T-Type | D1 - E-MTB (Brose)​

 

[p3eps]

I'll have to have a look at the packet mine came in (if it's not already in the bin) and see if there's a part number.
The item I ordered was the 321 part number, but it fits like the 444!

 

[Salespunk]

You have a lot of bike experience so looking forward to your review.

Did you get an S3 or S4?

I got an S4.

Regarding the frame only vs the complete, understand you get the RE but I would rather have a full bike of spares for the small increase in cost relative to the frame only. I am a hoarder though and have a ridiculous amount of spares. Personally not super stoked on the dark chocolate brown, but I have parts that I think will coordinate nicely.

 

[p3eps]

Apparently mine are correct

 

[rpr]

From what I can see on Specialized’s website the 1.2 SL motor has a significant bump in peak power output (320W vs 240W) and torque (45Nm vs. 35Nm). Yet I really don’t see anyone commenting on the stronger 1.2 motor vs. the original 1.1 motor.

My only complaint with my 2022 SL Expert (1.1 motor) is that it just feels like it quits on me on uphill climbs after the first few seconds. Like it’s ramping down the power output to conserve the battery. I’ve ridden a few different Gen 1 SLs and (to me) they all vary in this regard. Mine is pretty bad but my dealer found no issues. Power in all other circumstances other than uphill climbs is more than adequate.

So I’m glad to see the increased peak power output and increased torque in the 1.2 motor, but specs don’t always translate to expected performance gains. Since I don’t see anyone commenting on the increased power/torque that leads me to believe that maybe the power of the 1.2 motor hasn’t significantly changed despite the impressive changes to the specs.

For anyone who has directly compared the original SL (1.1 motor) with the SL2 (1.2 motor), does the 1.2 feel stronger to you on uphill climbs?

 

[Salespunk]

First ride done on the SL. Will break my feedback into two parts, motor/software and bike.

So the motor, not sure if mine was setup how it ships from the factory or someone had messed with it before I rode it. Settings were 35/35 Eco 75/80 Trail and 100/80 in Turbo. Spent the entire ride in Trail. I need to do more research on how the settings effect the ride, but it was super strong in general. My friend was riding a standard Levo and I had no problem keeping up. In general bike felt very artificial, but I will need some more rides on my updated settings before I can give a definitive answer. A few other notes on the Specialized, it has significantly more overrun. Another thing I noticed was a strange cutoff when hitting any large compressions while climbing. Not sure if anyone else notices this, but the power drops dramatically for .75-1.5 seconds.

Right now I would say that the Trek feels much more natural from a power delivery perspective. It cuts in and out almost instinctively to the point where you stop even noticing it.

Regarding noise, this is no contest and the Trek wins hands down. Most of the time on the Trek you literally can't hear it. Sometimes on the road you can hear a faint whine, but only if you are really paying attention. Contrast this with the SL/G2 which has a high pitch whine that is very noticeable and constant.

One other small point, the screen is much better on the Trek/TQ package. More readable and better information like time/distance remaining along with charge status, etc.

Overall, IMO the Trek is a better motor package based on sound and power delivery. This is a very early opinion right now and subject to change. Sound is obviously not going to be altered at all, but as I tune the Specialized more I expect the gap to close significantly. One last note is that I have never tuned the motor on the Trek and had no idea of the setting until I looked tonight to compare them to the Specialized.

Now onto the bike portion. Spent time moving over my preferred build today. It is the same build I run on everything so no surprises there and it came directly off the Trek. Only differences between the bikes were the frame, rear shock, dropper and cranks. My bike is setup full 29/high rear shock position/-1 headset. So the ride, oh the ride. This is where Specialized shines. The bike rides so well it is hard to describe, It feels very natural and you never get the sense that you are riding an eBike. I rode a pretty nasty climb that I haven't made in months on either my analog bikes or my Trek. It is steep, rocky and rutted (Secret Trail into Elfin Forest for those that are local). The SL just cruised right up it and I felt in complete control never once feeling like I might not make it or getting kicked off line. My buddy on his Levo did not clean it and it is not about power. It is about balance and control and this bike has it in spades.

Descending is more of the same. I am running a Zeb up front, but have the stock Fox rear shock right now. Rode some rough/fast descents that were not particularly steep, just very rocky and loose. Lots of slower loose corners with very fast straights where line choice is critical. The bike just ate all of it up and is super balanced and planted. Absolutely loved it and blows the Trek out of the water in every aspect of ride quality. The front end of the Fuel is very low and the bike gets kicked around way more which can make for some interesting moments. I was able to get the Trek dialed in, but it took me 4-6 weeks. For the SL I just tried to get the rear shock close in pressure, did the parking lot bounce to check rebound and rode. I am sure there is more in the bike once I put a little more time and effort into tuning it. I just took a look at Strava and my time down it would have been the 5th fastest time of the year overall whether analog or eBike. That is on the first ride with zero time spent tuning it. Pretty wild.

So that's it. Trek has a more refined motor/software package and Specialized dominates the ride experience. For me I will definitely be keeping the SL because the ride quality is simply outstanding. I will say that if Specialized released a new SL tomorrow with the TQ motor and 500 wHr internal battery I would literally be first in line for it. The stealth nature of the TQ setup with the compact/nearly invisible motor, smoother power delivery and virtually imperceptible sound is far superior to the Mahle setup. Would happily take a 1 to 2 lb weight penalty to have 500 wHr on board with a range extender add on to do truly epic ride distances. Hopefully some manufacturer figures this out soon because I don't think I am the only one that wants something like this.

As always, let me know any specific questions I did not answer.

A few pics just because

Before it got dirty

Untitled by Sales Punk, on Flickr

Weight (Will work to get this below 40 lbs at some point)

Untitled by Sales Punk, on Flickr

How good does the bronze 5Dev stem look on this setup!?

Untitled by Sales Punk, on Flickr

After the ride

Untitled by Sales Punk, on Flickr

 

[p3eps]

From what I can see on Specialized’s website the 1.2 SL motor has a significant bump in peak power output (320W vs 240W) and torque (45Nm vs. 35Nm). Yet I really don’t see anyone commenting on the stronger 1.2 motor vs. the original 1.1 motor.

My only complaint with my 2022 SL Expert (1.1 motor) is that it just feels like it quits on me on uphill climbs after the first few seconds. Like it’s ramping down the power output to conserve the battery. I’ve ridden a few different Gen 1 SLs and (to me) they all vary in this regard. Mine is pretty bad but my dealer found no issues. Power in all other circumstances other than uphill climbs is more than adequate.

So I’m glad to see the increased peak power output and increased torque in the 1.2 motor, but specs don’t always translate to expected performance gains. Since I don’t see anyone commenting on the increased power/torque that leads me to believe that maybe the power of the 1.2 motor hasn’t significantly changed despite the impressive changes to the specs.

For anyone who has directly compared the original SL (1.1 motor) with the SL2 (1.2 motor), does the 1.2 feel stronger to you on uphill climbs?

I found that with my 1.1 it would slow down on hills… but that’s because my cadence would drop. If I kept it at about 80ish, I’d receive the full power for the mode I was in. It was all about getting in the correct gear and keeping my legs turning!

For me, the 1.2 is clearly more powerful, as I used to ride in 30/80, and now I’m in 20/80 and it still feels like it’s giving me more. At 100/100 I was able to make it much further up a climb I could never get up on my 1.1 set at 100/100.

 

[p3eps]

First ride done on the SL. Will break my feedback into two parts, motor/software and bike.

So the motor, not sure if mine was setup how it ships from the factory or someone had messed with it before I rode it. Settings were 35/35 Eco 75/80 Trail and 100/80 in Turbo. Spent the entire ride in Trail. I need to do more research on how the settings effect the ride, but it was super strong in general. My friend was riding a standard Levo and I had no problem keeping up. In general bike felt very artificial, but I will need some more rides on my updated settings before I can give a definitive answer. A few other notes on the Specialized, it has significantly more overrun. Another thing I noticed was a strange cutoff when hitting any large compressions while climbing. Not sure if anyone else notices this, but the power drops dramatically for .75-1.5 seconds.

Right now I would say that the Trek feels much more natural from a power delivery perspective. It cuts in and out almost instinctively to the point where you stop even noticing it.

Regarding noise, this is no contest and the Trek wins hands down. Most of the time on the Trek you literally can't hear it. Sometimes on the road you can hear a faint whine, but only if you are really paying attention. Contrast this with the SL/G2 which has a high pitch whine that is very noticeable and constant.

One other small point, the screen is much better on the Trek/TQ package. More readable and better information like time/distance remaining along with charge status, etc.

Overall, IMO the Trek is a better motor package based on sound and power delivery. This is a very early opinion right now and subject to change. Sound is obviously not going to be altered at all, but as I tune the Specialized more I expect the gap to close significantly. One last note is that I have never tuned the motor on the Trek and had no idea of the setting until I looked tonight to compare them to the Specialized.

Now onto the bike portion. Spent time moving over my preferred build today. It is the same build I run on everything so no surprises there and it came directly off the Trek. Only differences between the bikes were the frame, rear shock, dropper and cranks. My bike is setup full 29/high rear shock position/-1 headset. So the ride, oh the ride. This is where Specialized shines. The bike rides so well it is hard to describe, It feels very natural and you never get the sense that you are riding an eBike. I rode a pretty nasty climb that I haven't made in months on either my analog bikes or my Trek. It is steep, rocky and rutted (Secret Trail into Elfin Forest for those that are local). The SL just cruised right up it and I felt in complete control never once feeling like I might not make it or getting kicked off line. My buddy on his Levo did not clean it and it is not about power. It is about balance and control and this bike has it in spades.

Descending is more of the same. I am running a Zeb up front, but have the stock Fox rear shock right now. Rode some rough/fast descents that were not particularly steep, just very rocky and loose. Lots of slower loose corners with very fast straights where line choice is critical. The bike just ate all of it up and is super balanced and planted. Absolutely loved it and blows the Trek out of the water in every aspect of ride quality. The front end of the Fuel is very low and the bike gets kicked around way more which can make for some interesting moments. I was able to get the Trek dialed in, but it took me 4-6 weeks. For the SL I just tried to get the rear shock close in pressure, did the parking lot bounce to check rebound and rode. I am sure there is more in the bike once I put a little more time and effort into tuning it. I just took a look at Strava and my time down it would have been the 5th fastest time of the year overall whether analog or eBike. That is on the first ride with zero time spent tuning it. Pretty wild.

So that's it. Trek has a more refined motor/software package and Specialized dominates the ride experience. For me I will definitely be keeping the SL because the ride quality is simply outstanding. I will say that if Specialized released a new SL tomorrow with the TQ motor and 500 wHr internal battery I would literally be first in line for it. The stealth nature of the TQ setup with the compact/nearly invisible motor, smoother power delivery and virtually imperceptible sound is far superior to the Mahle setup. Would happily take a 1 to 2 lb weight penalty to have 500 wHr on board with a range extender add on to do truly epic ride distances. Hopefully some manufacturer figures this out soon because I don't think I am the only one that wants something like this.

As always, let me know any specific questions I did not answer.

A few pics just because

Before it got dirty

Untitled by Sales Punk, on Flickr

Weight (Will work to get this below 40 lbs at some point)

Untitled by Sales Punk, on Flickr

How good does the bronze 5Dev stem look on this setup!?

Untitled by Sales Punk, on Flickr

After the ride

Untitled by Sales Punk, on Flickr

Look forward to seeing how your thoughts change regarding the motor and software when you actually go into the settings.

Yes, the SL1.2 still has a considerable whine (especially when under load), but the software on it is the best out there bar none. Press the + / - buttons on the bar together, and you get into the setup of the TCU and can set the display to read any of about 50 things you want it to. The customisation is crazy compared to anyone else.

 

[ah1]

This is from Specialized video of the G2 SL. Looks like they've accidentally slipped a shot with the Rockshox Flight Attendant fork. I'm guessing that's going to be an S-Works option further down to boost the price past $15k USD

 

[Semmelrocc]

That is the S-Works Limited Edition, see here.

 

[ah1]

That is the S-Works Limited Edition, see here.

Ah, that didn't make it to the US site yet. Thanks! 15K EUR is... record breaking

 

[Pete N]

First ride done on the SL. Will break my feedback into two parts, motor/software and bike.

So the motor, not sure if mine was setup how it ships from the factory or someone had messed with it before I rode it. Settings were 35/35 Eco 75/80 Trail and 100/80 in Turbo. Spent the entire ride in Trail. I need to do more research on how the settings effect the ride, but it was super strong in general. My friend was riding a standard Levo and I had no problem keeping up. In general bike felt very artificial, but I will need some more rides on my updated settings before I can give a definitive answer. A few other notes on the Specialized, it has significantly more overrun. Another thing I noticed was a strange cutoff when hitting any large compressions while climbing. Not sure if anyone else notices this, but the power drops dramatically for .75-1.5 seconds.

Right now I would say that the Trek feels much more natural from a power delivery perspective. It cuts in and out almost instinctively to the point where you stop even noticing it.

Regarding noise, this is no contest and the Trek wins hands down. Most of the time on the Trek you literally can't hear it. Sometimes on the road you can hear a faint whine, but only if you are really paying attention. Contrast this with the SL/G2 which has a high pitch whine that is very noticeable and constant.

One other small point, the screen is much better on the Trek/TQ package. More readable and better information like time/distance remaining along with charge status, etc.

Overall, IMO the Trek is a better motor package based on sound and power delivery. This is a very early opinion right now and subject to change. Sound is obviously not going to be altered at all, but as I tune the Specialized more I expect the gap to close significantly. One last note is that I have never tuned the motor on the Trek and had no idea of the setting until I looked tonight to compare them to the Specialized.

Now onto the bike portion. Spent time moving over my preferred build today. It is the same build I run on everything so no surprises there and it came directly off the Trek. Only differences between the bikes were the frame, rear shock, dropper and cranks. My bike is setup full 29/high rear shock position/-1 headset. So the ride, oh the ride. This is where Specialized shines. The bike rides so well it is hard to describe, It feels very natural and you never get the sense that you are riding an eBike. I rode a pretty nasty climb that I haven't made in months on either my analog bikes or my Trek. It is steep, rocky and rutted (Secret Trail into Elfin Forest for those that are local). The SL just cruised right up it and I felt in complete control never once feeling like I might not make it or getting kicked off line. My buddy on his Levo did not clean it and it is not about power. It is about balance and control and this bike has it in spades.

Descending is more of the same. I am running a Zeb up front, but have the stock Fox rear shock right now. Rode some rough/fast descents that were not particularly steep, just very rocky and loose. Lots of slower loose corners with very fast straights where line choice is critical. The bike just ate all of it up and is super balanced and planted. Absolutely loved it and blows the Trek out of the water in every aspect of ride quality. The front end of the Fuel is very low and the bike gets kicked around way more which can make for some interesting moments. I was able to get the Trek dialed in, but it took me 4-6 weeks. For the SL I just tried to get the rear shock close in pressure, did the parking lot bounce to check rebound and rode. I am sure there is more in the bike once I put a little more time and effort into tuning it. I just took a look at Strava and my time down it would have been the 5th fastest time of the year overall whether analog or eBike. That is on the first ride with zero time spent tuning it. Pretty wild.

So that's it. Trek has a more refined motor/software package and Specialized dominates the ride experience. For me I will definitely be keeping the SL because the ride quality is simply outstanding. I will say that if Specialized released a new SL tomorrow with the TQ motor and 500 wHr internal battery I would literally be first in line for it. The stealth nature of the TQ setup with the compact/nearly invisible motor, smoother power delivery and virtually imperceptible sound is far superior to the Mahle setup. Would happily take a 1 to 2 lb weight penalty to have 500 wHr on board with a range extender add on to do truly epic ride distances. Hopefully some manufacturer figures this out soon because I don't think I am the only one that wants something like this.

As always, let me know any specific questions I did not answer.

A few pics just because

Before it got dirty

Untitled by Sales Punk, on Flickr

Weight (Will work to get this below 40 lbs at some point)

Untitled by Sales Punk, on Flickr

How good does the bronze 5Dev stem look on this setup!?

Untitled by Sales Punk, on Flickr

After the ride

Untitled by Sales Punk, on Flickr

Good review.
On the MTBR video review you could hear that the Trek was quieter but that is the benchmark for noise currently. The positive for the Gen 2 is that it’s quieter than the old one and the Mahle is widely regarded as the most reliable out there(not perfect but the best so far) MTBR preferred the power and feel of the Mahle too but that will always be down to what each rider prefers.
Great to hear the descending capability in full 29er as that’s how I’m building mine!

 

[Julie_X1]

First ride done on the SL. Will break my feedback into two parts, motor/software and bike.

So the motor, not sure if mine was setup how it ships from the factory or someone had messed with it before I rode it. Settings were 35/35 Eco 75/80 Trail and 100/80 in Turbo. Spent the entire ride in Trail. I need to do more research on how the settings effect the ride, but it was super strong in general. My friend was riding a standard Levo and I had no problem keeping up. In general bike felt very artificial, but I will need some more rides on my updated settings before I can give a definitive answer. A few other notes on the Specialized, it has significantly more overrun. Another thing I noticed was a strange cutoff when hitting any large compressions while climbing. Not sure if anyone else notices this, but the power drops dramatically for .75-1.5 seconds.

Right now I would say that the Trek feels much more natural from a power delivery perspective. It cuts in and out almost instinctively to the point where you stop even noticing it.

Regarding noise, this is no contest and the Trek wins hands down. Most of the time on the Trek you literally can't hear it. Sometimes on the road you can hear a faint whine, but only if you are really paying attention. Contrast this with the SL/G2 which has a high pitch whine that is very noticeable and constant.

One other small point, the screen is much better on the Trek/TQ package. More readable and better information like time/distance remaining along with charge status, etc.

Overall, IMO the Trek is a better motor package based on sound and power delivery. This is a very early opinion right now and subject to change. Sound is obviously not going to be altered at all, but as I tune the Specialized more I expect the gap to close significantly. One last note is that I have never tuned the motor on the Trek and had no idea of the setting until I looked tonight to compare them to the Specialized.

Now onto the bike portion. Spent time moving over my preferred build today. It is the same build I run on everything so no surprises there and it came directly off the Trek. Only differences between the bikes were the frame, rear shock, dropper and cranks. My bike is setup full 29/high rear shock position/-1 headset. So the ride, oh the ride. This is where Specialized shines. The bike rides so well it is hard to describe, It feels very natural and you never get the sense that you are riding an eBike. I rode a pretty nasty climb that I haven't made in months on either my analog bikes or my Trek. It is steep, rocky and rutted (Secret Trail into Elfin Forest for those that are local). The SL just cruised right up it and I felt in complete control never once feeling like I might not make it or getting kicked off line. My buddy on his Levo did not clean it and it is not about power. It is about balance and control and this bike has it in spades.

Descending is more of the same. I am running a Zeb up front, but have the stock Fox rear shock right now. Rode some rough/fast descents that were not particularly steep, just very rocky and loose. Lots of slower loose corners with very fast straights where line choice is critical. The bike just ate all of it up and is super balanced and planted. Absolutely loved it and blows the Trek out of the water in every aspect of ride quality. The front end of the Fuel is very low and the bike gets kicked around way more which can make for some interesting moments. I was able to get the Trek dialed in, but it took me 4-6 weeks. For the SL I just tried to get the rear shock close in pressure, did the parking lot bounce to check rebound and rode. I am sure there is more in the bike once I put a little more time and effort into tuning it. I just took a look at Strava and my time down it would have been the 5th fastest time of the year overall whether analog or eBike. That is on the first ride with zero time spent tuning it. Pretty wild.

So that's it. Trek has a more refined motor/software package and Specialized dominates the ride experience. For me I will definitely be keeping the SL because the ride quality is simply outstanding. I will say that if Specialized released a new SL tomorrow with the TQ motor and 500 wHr internal battery I would literally be first in line for it. The stealth nature of the TQ setup with the compact/nearly invisible motor, smoother power delivery and virtually imperceptible sound is far superior to the Mahle setup. Would happily take a 1 to 2 lb weight penalty to have 500 wHr on board with a range extender add on to do truly epic ride distances. Hopefully some manufacturer figures this out soon because I don't think I am the only one that wants something like this.

As always, let me know any specific questions I did not answer.

A few pics just because

Before it got dirty

Untitled by Sales Punk, on Flickr

Weight (Will work to get this below 40 lbs at some point)

Untitled by Sales Punk, on Flickr

How good does the bronze 5Dev stem look on this setup!?

Untitled by Sales Punk, on Flickr

After the ride

Untitled by Sales Punk, on Flickr

Thanks for the thorough review and write up!

“It is about balance and control and this bike has it in spades.”

I am pretty intrigued at this point… I suspect I will get the G2 SL at some point, because I would really enjoy such a bike.

I never really cared about the motor noise on my previous Specialized Mahle 1.1 motor bike. But I have to say, now that I’ve experienced the quiet and stealth of the TQ motor (and yes, their display is the best as well IMO), it would be hard to go back.

 

[RAG]

(and yes, their display is the best as well IMO)

Purely from an objective perspective, for the sake of others that might not be aware when reading this thread, have a look at the link below, I totally get a number of the advantages of the TQ system, but the TQ display and UI are miles behind the MasterMind TCU and MissionControl from Specialized.

MasterMind TCU & TCD Display Options

support.specialized.com

 

[socal_rider]

First ride done on the SL. Will break my feedback into two parts, motor/software and bike.

So the motor, not sure if mine was setup how it ships from the factory or someone had messed with it before I rode it. Settings were 35/35 Eco 75/80 Trail and 100/80 in Turbo. Spent the entire ride in Trail. I need to do more research on how the settings effect the ride, but it was super strong in general. My friend was riding a standard Levo and I had no problem keeping up. In general bike felt very artificial, but I will need some more rides on my updated settings before I can give a definitive answer. A few other notes on the Specialized, it has significantly more overrun. Another thing I noticed was a strange cutoff when hitting any large compressions while climbing. Not sure if anyone else notices this, but the power drops dramatically for .75-1.5 seconds.

Right now I would say that the Trek feels much more natural from a power delivery perspective. It cuts in and out almost instinctively to the point where you stop even noticing it.

Regarding noise, this is no contest and the Trek wins hands down. Most of the time on the Trek you literally can't hear it. Sometimes on the road you can hear a faint whine, but only if you are really paying attention. Contrast this with the SL/G2 which has a high pitch whine that is very noticeable and constant.

One other small point, the screen is much better on the Trek/TQ package. More readable and better information like time/distance remaining along with charge status, etc.

Overall, IMO the Trek is a better motor package based on sound and power delivery. This is a very early opinion right now and subject to change. Sound is obviously not going to be altered at all, but as I tune the Specialized more I expect the gap to close significantly. One last note is that I have never tuned the motor on the Trek and had no idea of the setting until I looked tonight to compare them to the Specialized.

Now onto the bike portion. Spent time moving over my preferred build today. It is the same build I run on everything so no surprises there and it came directly off the Trek. Only differences between the bikes were the frame, rear shock, dropper and cranks. My bike is setup full 29/high rear shock position/-1 headset. So the ride, oh the ride. This is where Specialized shines. The bike rides so well it is hard to describe, It feels very natural and you never get the sense that you are riding an eBike. I rode a pretty nasty climb that I haven't made in months on either my analog bikes or my Trek. It is steep, rocky and rutted (Secret Trail into Elfin Forest for those that are local). The SL just cruised right up it and I felt in complete control never once feeling like I might not make it or getting kicked off line. My buddy on his Levo did not clean it and it is not about power. It is about balance and control and this bike has it in spades.

Descending is more of the same. I am running a Zeb up front, but have the stock Fox rear shock right now. Rode some rough/fast descents that were not particularly steep, just very rocky and loose. Lots of slower loose corners with very fast straights where line choice is critical. The bike just ate all of it up and is super balanced and planted. Absolutely loved it and blows the Trek out of the water in every aspect of ride quality. The front end of the Fuel is very low and the bike gets kicked around way more which can make for some interesting moments. I was able to get the Trek dialed in, but it took me 4-6 weeks. For the SL I just tried to get the rear shock close in pressure, did the parking lot bounce to check rebound and rode. I am sure there is more in the bike once I put a little more time and effort into tuning it. I just took a look at Strava and my time down it would have been the 5th fastest time of the year overall whether analog or eBike. That is on the first ride with zero time spent tuning it. Pretty wild.

So that's it. Trek has a more refined motor/software package and Specialized dominates the ride experience. For me I will definitely be keeping the SL because the ride quality is simply outstanding. I will say that if Specialized released a new SL tomorrow with the TQ motor and 500 wHr internal battery I would literally be first in line for it. The stealth nature of the TQ setup with the compact/nearly invisible motor, smoother power delivery and virtually imperceptible sound is far superior to the Mahle setup. Would happily take a 1 to 2 lb weight penalty to have 500 wHr on board with a range extender add on to do truly epic ride distances. Hopefully some manufacturer figures this out soon because I don't think I am the only one that wants something like this.

As always, let me know any specific questions I did not answer.

A few pics just because

Before it got dirty

Untitled by Sales Punk, on Flickr

Weight (Will work to get this below 40 lbs at some point)

Untitled by Sales Punk, on Flickr

How good does the bronze 5Dev stem look on this setup!?

Untitled by Sales Punk, on Flickr

After the ride

Untitled by Sales Punk, on Flickr

Thanks for posting your comparison. I was curious what you’d think. What you stated is kind of what I figured based on all the comments from various sources.

I sort of agree with your perfect bike. I think a mashup of the SL and EXe would be so good. The chassis of the SL (as a 29er), stealth of the EXe motor, a little more grunt, 400-450 Wh battery, 250Wh extender.

I like my EXe. It’s not perfect, but it’ll do for now. I pretty much have to ride in Eco turned downed to 80W to do any decent length ride. I can use Trail and Boost for small bursts. A power hour ride where I can ride in Trail the whole time is pretty fun. A perfect bike would allow longer rides in Trail.

…we can dream.