Levo SL Gen 1 Levo SL and a heavy rider

[Cavi]

I am going to buy a Levo, but I want to also think about maybe a SL. I am a heavy guy at 260lbs. I have ridden a normal Levo and I love it but the lighter SL would be nice. I rode the levo in ecco mode most of the day, but did switch to Turbo mode for the bigger hills. I am worried that the SL might not have enough to get me up the same hills. To make it worse I cannot ride standing as i have a bad knee from a motorcycle crash. any other heavy riders out there on a SL?

 

[RickBullotta]

I'm not 100% sure but I think the SL has a rider + gear limit of 109kg/240 lbs.

 

[Cavi]

It might list that but usually that is just because they want to get out of replacing things that might break because of the weight and rider error. For example, if a rider is trying to ride in the wrong gear he will be causing the motor to overwork. If there are two riders doing this one is only 180lbs and the other is 260lbs, the motor might survive the 180 riding in the wrong gear but the strain from the 260 is much higher, and might burn up the controller or maybe the motor.
I am willing to take that risk as I know how to ride and watch for that type of thing (as for the extra weight breaking the frame, I am not doing downhill, mainly calm green trails... so the frame should hold up fine)
I am wanting to know how the power of the motor feels on steeper hills.

 

[Murch]

I have both versions SL and a Levo. If you have problems with your knees get the normal Levo. The SL is a fun bike but will not pull you up a hill like the Levo can. They SL will take a little of the pain away from the climb but you are still going to need to work at and if it gets really steep you will wonder if the motor is helping at all. As you found with the Levo you can leave it in eco all you want but when needed the Turbo is there. The SL there is nothing more than Turbo it has which really doesn't even feel like Eco on the Levo. When I ride the SL I am full time in Turbo and I find myself hitting the plus button for more power which isn't there. On my Levo I ride in Trail most of the time with some fun rides in Turbo.

 

[Cavi]

thank you that was my thought, thanks for confirming!!!

 

[RickBullotta]

It might list that but usually that is just because they want to get out of replacing things that might break because of the weight and rider error. For example, if a rider is trying to ride in the wrong gear he will be causing the motor to overwork. If there are two riders doing this one is only 180lbs and the other is 260lbs, the motor might survive the 180 riding in the wrong gear but the strain from the 260 is much higher, and might burn up the controller or maybe the motor.
I am willing to take that risk as I know how to ride and watch for that type of thing (as for the extra weight breaking the frame, I am not doing downhill, mainly calm green trails... so the frame should hold up fine)
I am wanting to know how the power of the motor feels on steeper hills.

Yup. Just sharing data. Good luck.

 

[boBE]

Looking at the Levo vs SL the torque of the SL is about 1/3 but the power is about 1/2 (continuous power is about the same, see below). This shows that the SL requires more rpm from the motor and from you to reach peak power. The Levo will certainly pull harder up hills *but*... only until the motor heats up, then the continuous power is about the same as the SL (250 vs 240 W). If we are putting in 120 W at some point the LEvo and SL should provide the same amount of assist although the SL will still require a higher cadence.
The big question is: how long does it take at full power before the Levo starts throttling back?

In any event, if you like the Levo power I agree that you will probably be disappointed in the SL, it takes more from the rider both in rpm and power.

 

[wkearney99]

I'm in the same weight class, I also have bad knees (tendons, not the joints). I rode them both back-to-back and found the Comp gave me better assistance during steeper climbs. That is, the Comp was able to keep a solid amount of momentum with less pedal cranking, whereas the SL needed me to gear down more and spin (losing momentum in the process).

As for weight savings, well, not having my bulk on the saddle would be a far greater weight savings. Shaving off a few pounds on the bike isn't going to make much difference. I don't find the Comp to be a problem lifting it onto a hitch rack, or up 4 steps from indoor storage.

For me the knee situation isn't going to improve. I'll still need assistance even if/when I shed some of my weight. Now, there IS something to be said for a lesser degree of PAS being a motivator for more spinning and the resulting cardio boost. But I don't have enough time on the Comp to speak to this, yet.

 

[Cavi]

I pulled the trigger earlier today!!! I got a NOS 2019 Base Levo, and at a great savings!!!

 

[grantini]

Rode 16 miles, climbing almost 1300 feet yesterday on a 2020 Expert Carbon SL. I'm 240 and was able to keep up with my buddy on his acoustic who I can NO WAY keep up with on my acoustic bike. I never used turbo, mostly ran in trail which was set at 50%. I used about half the battery. Super impressive. No external battery....

 

[Moe Ped]

RickBullotta said:
I'm not 100% sure but I think the SL has a rider + gear limit of 109kg/240 lbs.

For carbon frame yes

Hi can you please provide a link to this ? I have not heard it has a weight limit.

 

[Rusty]

I'm 240lb and found the SL OK power-wise, but sucked the battery way too fast.

 

[grantini]

I'm 240lb and found the SL OK power-wise, but sucked the battery way too fast.

I'm 240 and I banged out 16 miles with 1200 feet of climbing, pretty much all in trail and used about half of the battery.... I don't see myself ever riding much more than 20 or 21 miles, especially with that bike. I was pretty beat at the end of that ride!

 

[grantini]

I'm 240lb and found the SL OK power-wise, but sucked the battery way too fast.

If you notice the speed on my Strava, I averaged about 7mph, which is in line with an acoustic ride at that location..... for a relatively fit rider. If I was on the levo I would be closer to 10mph. So it's much more of an acoustic experience

 

[Konanige]

For carbon frame yes

Hi can you please provide a link to this ? I have not heard it has a weight limit.

Don't know the carbon weight limit, but the alloy is 117 kg for rider and kit, if you are in EU it will be printed on a label under top tube to comply with EU law.

 

[Rusty]

I'm 240 and I banged out 16 miles with 1200 feet of climbing, pretty much all in trail and used about half of the battery.... I don't see myself ever riding much more than 20 or 21 miles, especially with that bike. I was pretty beat at the end of that ride!

I have a 45km (27sh miles) loop with 900M climbing (around 2900ft) with average speed of around 14km (about 8 1/2mph)
Ride 80-85% in Eco about 5% in Turbo (3 short sharp climbs) and the rest in Trail. Don't quite make it on the Levo with 504Wh battery and with the 700Wh I have around 10-12% left. With the SL I only got around 34-35km (21 miles) at around 12kph before going flat.
To be fair, was a hell of a lot easier to ride out on the SL than on my Levo Comp.

 

[Moe Ped]

Interesting that the weight limit is not mentioned on the Specialized website or any reviews I have read, and is put on a sticker under the top tube that is not really visible unless you are hanging upside down over the bike.

With my Merida the weight limit is due to the carbon wheels i wonder if this is the same for the SL?

I am 101 kg plus the bike so am over the max weight limit i rang my shop and they did not know there was a 109 kg total weight limit as its not on any of their documentation.

 

[Moe Ped]

From what i can find the 109 kg is the max load weight, which is for the rider and equipment not including the bike.

 

[Cavi]

I have a 45km (27sh miles) loop with 900M climbing (around 2900ft) with average speed of around 14km (about 8 1/2mph)
Ride 80-85% in Eco about 5% in Turbo (3 short sharp climbs) and the rest in Trail. Don't quite make it on the Levo with 504Wh battery and with the 700Wh I have around 10-12% left. With the SL I only got around 34-35km (21 miles) at around 12kph before going flat.
To be fair, was a hell of a lot easier to ride out on the SL than on my Levo Comp.

Did the SL have a extender on it also?

 

[SquireRides]

Big chap (~220lbs) but I couldn't drain my main battery + range extender on a 60 miler yesterday: Levo SL Owners Thread - EMTB Forums

 

[Rusty]

Did the SL have a extender on it also?

No - just the base battery.

 

[Vasspi]

Hello guys ! I have just bought a brand new Levo SL comp MY 2021 , but as you can see from the sticker the year of manufacture is 2019 , and the weight limit is 136 kg. The size of the bike is Medium

 

[Konanige]

Hello guys ! I have just bought a brand new Levo SL comp MY 2021 , but as you can see from the sticker the year of manufacture is 2019 , and the weight limit is 136 kg. The size of the bike is Medium

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Yeah the alloy bike has a higher weight limit than the carbon bike. I think Specialized put a 109 kg limit on anything that is carbon, ie: frames, wheels, seatposts, cranks, bars etc.