LEvo SL vs Fazua E-mtb (nox helium or Lapierre Ezesty)

[TonTonUB]

Hello,

I'm very interested in light E-mtb.
Both Levo SL and fazua powered bikes have my preference (over regulard E-mtb), till now.
But i'd really like to read, before the choice time, if anyone has already tested both ?
And in this case, wich one do you prefer ? And why ?

Thank you

PS : yes, i've read all the test i could find, videos too. But none involved the 2 systems tested at the same time, face to face, in a battle concept, with more than one tester.
Something like this, to be more precise (battle concept, nothing scientific, but more 'feeling and personnal taste' oriented) :
27,5" vs 29"

 

[R120]

You read this one . . .

The best light eMTB of 2020 – 3 super lightweight e-bikes in review

Light eMTBs are one of the big new trends. While this market segment is still very small, we tested its three most exciting representatives. This test allowed us to identify one undisputed winner in the new eMTB Light category and also gave us many exciting insights.

ebike-mtb.com

 

[TonTonUB]

Of course, i did.
But i'm still very interested about the experience of the forum users.

 

[Eddy Current]

Those emtb magazine guys make this forum looks critical with Spe. Fazua is lighter more powerful you can take the whole system out the bike ... said but theirselves! but hey the SL 1.1 is better because is more natural

What a bunch of fanboys motherf....

 

[Eddy Current]

Where do you see lighter?!?
I live in Germany and never heard of those Other brands.
View attachment 32522

Fazua system is lighter, not the ebikes that mount it

 

[TonTonUB]

Fazua need a rework :
- a 'V' structure, with crankset at the bottom, Motor in the seat tube, and battery in the other tube, with a slightly powerfull battery aswell a range extender mechanism / link.

 

[flash]

I have an e-Zesty AM 9 on order. The Fazua firmware update pushed me over the edge. These are my thoughts.

1. I already have a Faua powered bike. An e-Gravel bike. So I can swap batteries and motors. The smoothness of the Fazua is perfect for me. On my gravel bike it's hardly noticeable when I go above the limiter and the bike rides great at higher speeds. So I know I'll be happy even if the disengagement of the SL is a bit more progressive.
2. The Fazua is quieter than the Specialised.
3. I prefer 27.5 wheels to 29. I'm not racing and choose the snappy feeling over outright speed. I get that it's mostly just a feeling than actual handling differences. But I like what I like.
4. I'm going to upgrade the Fazua to either XTR or AXS. Even with an upgrade it'll be lots cheaper than a similar equipped SL.
5. I think the Fox 34 is undersized for my weight. (94kg). That'll increase the weight to close to where my Zesty will end up.
6. I'll lose. A kg or so off the zesty easy. The NX cassette alone is 600 grams!.
7. At least in Oz the SL's are really expensive for a really average spec. I get the motors are exclusive. I kind of see the normal Levo being being a good combo of light, powerful and with a big battery. But the SL seems a bit greedy to me.
8. I kind of get two bikes for one. My acoustic is on long term loan so the Zesty fills that gap. I'll still have my full powered emtb as well. That's also 27.5 so I can share wheels between the bikes if I do a Shimano build on the Zesty.

I don't think the Zesty will be a better bike than the SL. The main factors are the 27.5 wheels and the fact I have a Fazua bike already.

Gordon

 

[TonTonUB]

I have an e-Zesty AM 9 on order. The Fazua firmware update pushed me over the edge. These are my thoughts.

1. I already have a Faua powered bike. An e-Gravel bike. So I can swap batteries and motors. The smoothness of the Fazua is perfect for me. On my gravel bike it's hardly noticeable when I go above the limiter and the bike rides great at higher speeds. So I know I'll be happy even if the disengagement of the SL is a bit more progressive.
2. The Fazua is quieter than the Specialised.
3. I prefer 27.5 wheels to 29. I'm not racing and choose the snappy feeling over outright speed. I get that it's mostly just a feeling than actual handling differences. But I like what I like.
4. I'm going to upgrade the Fazua to either XTR or AXS. Even with an upgrade it'll be lots cheaper than a similar equipped SL.
5. I think the Fox 34 is undersized for my weight. (94kg). That'll increase the weight to close to where my Zesty will end up.
6. I'll lose. A kg or so off the zesty easy. The NX cassette alone is 600 grams!.
7. At least in Oz the SL's are really expensive for a really average spec. I get the motors are exclusive. I kind of see the normal Levo being being a good combo of light, powerful and with a big battery. But the SL seems a bit greedy to me.
8. I kind of get two bikes for one. My acoustic is on long term loan so the Zesty fills that gap. I'll still have my full powered emtb as well. That's also 27.5 so I can share wheels between the bikes if I do a Shimano build on the Zesty.

I don't think the Zesty will be a better bike than the SL. The main factors are the 27.5 wheels and the fact I have a Fazua bike already.

Gordon

Hello Flash,
(or Gordon ? Or Flash Gordon?)

Thank you for such an input. I'm still hesitating about the Ezesty. So it's nice to read all those nice infos about it.
If you allow me, i would have some questions :
- How do climb your Ezesty, alone and / or compared to your full powered Emtb (wich model, please ?).
- What about range, for which assistance mode ? Do you feel it's enough, or need a bit more miles / km per battery ?
- What abour raw power, in your opinion ?
- Do 27,5+ wheels fit on Ezesty ?

I'm still very interested in Ezesty (and more globally, in Fazua Evation) concept, but i will definitely wait to see if for 2021, Fazua upgrades something (battery, especially. I'd like 300/350Wh par battery, for the same weight of course). System switching to 48V could help a lot in the power and range departement, too.

What prevent me to insta-buy a fazua E-mtb is the fact that where i'm living, the least trail is a wall to climb (small mountains, very stiff uphills). Thus i'm still locked between any Fazua Emtb, and a FOCUS with regular motor and 378 Wh battery (or any regular Emtb with a small battery, as long i can plug a range extender).

 

[Zimmerframe]

Fazua system is lighter, not the ebikes that mount it

Steady Eddy ..

The Fazua system weighs 4.6 kg's with 250wh of battery.

The Mahle motor weighs 1.95 kg's and the 320wh battery another 1.8 kg's ..

The range extender battery for the SL weighs 1kg and gives another 160wh .

So in the real world, where things are weighed with scales and not emotions ... The Levo SL setup with the extender gives almost twice the total capacity of the Fazua system for only a few grams more weight. Or considerably less than the Fazua system with JUST it's 320wh battery.

 

[Zimmerframe]

If you want e-light .. this is light ... I took this bad boy out earlier for a bit of a KOM fest on the climbs !

The tiny motor only weighs a few grams and just turns the rear tyre using friction. On the front is a shiny silver solar collector to absorb sunshine, light from car headlights, if you're commuting, or just any old energy floating about in the air it wants to suck up. There's no battery, The super conducting wires used in the system are so efficient, they act as their own capacitor and hold all the energy needed to drive the system. Stuff your Levo SL and Fazua, this is the future !

 

[ThierryGTLTS]

I have an e-Zesty AM 9 on order. The Fazua firmware update pushed me over the edge. These are my thoughts.

1. I already have a Faua powered bike. An e-Gravel bike. So I can swap batteries and motors. The smoothness of the Fazua is perfect for me. On my gravel bike it's hardly noticeable when I go above the limiter and the bike rides great at higher speeds. So I know I'll be happy even if the disengagement of the SL is a bit more progressive.
2. The Fazua is quieter than the Specialised.
3. I prefer 27.5 wheels to 29. I'm not racing and choose the snappy feeling over outright speed. I get that it's mostly just a feeling than actual handling differences. But I like what I like.
4. I'm going to upgrade the Fazua to either XTR or AXS. Even with an upgrade it'll be lots cheaper than a similar equipped SL.
5. I think the Fox 34 is undersized for my weight. (94kg). That'll increase the weight to close to where my Zesty will end up.
6. I'll lose. A kg or so off the zesty easy. The NX cassette alone is 600 grams!.
7. At least in Oz the SL's are really expensive for a really average spec. I get the motors are exclusive. I kind of see the normal Levo being being a good combo of light, powerful and with a big battery. But the SL seems a bit greedy to me.
8. I kind of get two bikes for one. My acoustic is on long term loan so the Zesty fills that gap. I'll still have my full powered emtb as well. That's also 27.5 so I can share wheels between the bikes if I do a Shimano build on the Zesty.

I don't think the Zesty will be a better bike than the SL. The main factors are the 27.5 wheels and the fact I have a Fazua bike already.

Gordon

What about the new Software 2.0 (FAZUA Black Pepper Performance-Update)?

Really better, have you tested it?!

Thierry

 

[TonTonUB]

@ThierryGTLTS
I wish Rob had the opportunity to test again in depth the Lapierre, after 2.0 blackPP update ... and report with the same luxury of details than for previous test ! (of course, Nox H. fast look after blackPP update was a nice start, but i'm really curious to read in-depth analysis of this 2.0 Evation).

 

[flash]

Hello Flash,
(or Gordon ? Or Flash Gordon?)

Thank you for such an input. I'm still hesitating about the Ezesty. So it's nice to read all those nice infos about it.
If you allow me, i would have some questions :
- How do climb your Ezesty, alone and / or compared to your full powered Emtb (wich model, please ?).
- What about range, for which assistance mode ? Do you feel it's enough, or need a bit more miles / km per battery ?
- What abour raw power, in your opinion ?
- Do 27,5+ wheels fit on Ezesty ?

I'm still very interested in Ezesty (and more globally, in Fazua Evation) concept, but i will definitely wait to see if for 2021, Fazua upgrades something (battery, especially. I'd like 300/350Wh par battery, for the same weight of course). System switching to 48V could help a lot in the power and range departement, too.

What prevent me to insta-buy a fazua E-mtb is the fact that where i'm living, the least trail is a wall to climb (small mountains, very stiff uphills). Thus i'm still locked between any Fazua Emtb, and a FOCUS with regular motor and 378 Wh battery (or any regular Emtb with a small battery, as long i can plug a range extender).

I don't have my eZesty yet. I have ordered it and paid for it. It'll be July before I get it as it's currently enjoying a cruise from Europe to Australia. My current bike with a Fazua motor is a gravel bike (Cairn 01). My full power bike is a 2019 Merida e160-900 with a Shimano motor.

I'll let you know when I get it. Most of the trails I ride are undulating, technical tracks with few if any long steep climbs. Steep sections are short and sharp (less than 50 meters). I'm a heavier rider. I get about three 12km laps out of a 504wH battery on my Merida. But I can change batteries each lap if I need to.

Gordon

The AM 9.0 comes with 27.5" wheels and 2.5" tyres. That's going to be enough for me.

 

[flash]

What about the new Software 2.0 (FAZUA Black Pepper Performance-Update)?

Really better, have you tested it?!

Thierry

I have loaded it but not really tested it due to the Corona virus. Took it for a spin to make sure it worked after the update. That's all at the moment. But I trust Rob's judgment more than most. I'm sure it won't dissapoint.

We have been able to ride mountain bikes but restricted to our local trails. They just aren't suitable for a gravel bike as they're quite technical with lots of rocky and rooty sections combined with tight turns. I've only ridden my Merida for the last three months.

Really look forward to getting back on the Cairn though.

Gordon

 

[Tobi]

I am new to the forum and looking for information on light emtb bikes.
When the E-zesty appeared I was thrilled, then came the Levo SL who slapped the E-zesty. And now Lapierre thrilled with GLP-2 again. Yes the latter is full powered but is special in construction and weight distribution. It's really hard for me to decide...

 

[Tobi]

Eddy is a bit emotional about this and doesn’t want the SL to be better even if the article explained why the Fazua lost.

Fazua is good concept but need some improvement ASAP

 

[Dirtnvert]

Fazua could use some refinements. Mostly make it easier to use and access the battery and motor and on/off, it would seem. With a bit of familiarity and use that might not be a problem though.
Fazua has more tourque and i wouldnt mind having one of those small batteries in a pack. Extender should always be an option with any emtb im finding.
I can work around the current fazua set up i think.
Big question for me is how does the durability compare between the sl and fazua. Fazua has been around a year now and i havent heard of any durability issues, or maybe i missed them? Seems like a few problems with specialized offerings, especizlly first year products. Maybe thats partially why theyre on to a new motor and its being addressed? In any case, im not buying anyones first year attempts and im not sure theres a lot of fazua equipped emtb's out there to realistically call them a 2nd year product.
It would be great to see a back to back test review , ezesty vs levo sl. I think its an obvious match up

 

[TonTonUB]

I'm very curious to see, in the future, if :
- Fazua Evation will survive in the Emtb motor ecosystem
- If Fazua will fast improve the system (especially the battery, for at least 350Wh)
- Do they have plans for an Evation 2 (more power and / or more battery), with the same volume / size ? In this case, they could deeply disrupt the whole market ... And i really wish it, since i dont like much the 'big engines' of actual E-mtb.

That's why i can't wait for 2021 news ...

 

[Dirtnvert]

I'm very curious to see, in the future, if :
- Fazua Evation will survive in the Emtb motor ecosystem
- If Fazua will fast improve the system (especially the battery, for at least 350Wh)
- Do they have plans for an Evation 2 (more power and / or more battery), with the same volume / size ? In this case, they could deeply disrupt the whole market ... And i really wish it, since i dont like much the 'big engines' of actual E-mtb.

That's why i can't wait for 2021 news ...

If with ya. I cant wait. Im thinking they should have both smaller and larger battery options. No reason the motor/battery cartridge cant be designed to accept different lengths/size of batteries to a point. Its not going to be 700w stuffed in there but a 300+ like you want with one or two 200's in your pack or truck would get a light emtb a fair distance. Mix and match your battery combos for the days plan.A sub 200w battery will be the easiest way to save weight on the system. Its already very light and has more tourque than the levo sl and an ezesty is pretty light and yet capable. I think im happy with the tourque on that bike but then its not going to replace my regular 45lb+/70nm longer travel bike

 

[TonTonUB]

If with ya. I cant wait. Im thinking they should have both smaller and larger battery options. No reason the motor/battery cartridge cant be designed to accept different lengths/size of batteries to a point. Its not going to be 700w stuffed in there but a 300+ like you want with one or two 200's in your pack or truck would get a light emtb a fair distance. Mix and match your battery combos for the days plan.A sub 200w battery will be the easiest way to save weight on the system. Its already very light and has more tourque than the levo sl and an ezesty is pretty light and yet capable. I think im happy with the tourque on that bike but then its not going to replace my regular 45lb+/70nm longer travel bike

You are perfectly right ! The ability to play with battery size is essential, for such an assistance tool. About torque, yes, i think too 60 Nm is ok, even if a bit more wont hurt. Maybe in the future they'll offer the choice to mix battery size and motors ? It would be damn nice !

 

[Dirtnvert]

You are perfectly right ! The ability to play with battery size is essential, for such an assistance tool. About torque, yes, i think too 60 Nm is ok, even if a bit more wont hurt. Maybe in the future they'll offer the choice to mix battery size and motors ? It would be damn nice !

Thats a cool idea, diffeeent size motors. That cartridge system does lend itself to different options along with the regular bike(no moror or battery). I was thinking of the sub 200w batteries because you could fly with a battery in the bike and one in your carry on luggage. I hope we see more fazua options in north america . Fazua have set up shop in north america this year but Lapierre and Nox dont have north american distribution. I want a bike with a minimum of 150mm rear travel. ATM i think the only option in NA is a Bulls bike and its only 120mm of travel. The rest of the bikes with fazua are townies or road bikes

 

[TonTonUB]

Thats a cool idea, diffeeent size motors. That cartridge system does lend itself to different options along with the regular bike(no moror or battery). I was thinking of the sub 200w batteries because you could fly with a battery in the bike and one in your carry on luggage. I hope we see more fazua options in north america . Fazua have set up shop in north america this year but Lapierre and Nox dont have north american distribution. I want a bike with a minimum of 150mm rear travel. ATM i think the only option in NA is a Bulls bike and its only 120mm of travel. The rest of the bikes with fazua are townies or road bikes

Same here : i wait for more option, especially fully-suspended mtb.
I also think that the technology isn't mature yet. I wait for a generation 2 Evation (hardware, not software).
And yes : having the choice from 150Wh to 350Wh battery would be more than cool, and a real innovation.
But with such tiny capacities, i really think the system should move on 48 v, like the levo SL motor / battery, for a smoother and more regular / linear power delivery (especially when battery charge falls under 50%).

Sadly, i don't own any looking-glass secret device to spy the near future !

 

[MattyB]

I'm very curious to see, in the future, if :
- Fazua Evation will survive in the Emtb motor ecosystem
- If Fazua will fast improve the system (especially the battery, for at least 350Wh)
- Do they have plans for an Evation 2 (more power and / or more battery), with the same volume / size ? In this case, they could deeply disrupt the whole market ... And i really wish it, since i dont like much the 'big engines' of actual E-mtb.

That's why i can't wait for 2021 news ...

I don't think you should expect too much from Fazua with respect to EMTB specific motors. Remember, they are a small company and the vast majority of what they make goes into road bikes, some of them super premium ones (Pinarello, Bianchi, Look, Ridley etc). That is a way more profitable market for them than EMTBs, and the motors have an easier life too. At most I would expect them to come out with a v2 road/gravel focussed variant with the same power, slightly lower weight and perhaps a couple of different battery options.

 

[TonTonUB]

I don't think you should expect too much from Fazua with respect to EMTB specific motors. Remember, they are a small company and the vast majority of what they make goes into road bikes, some of them super premium ones (Pinarello, Bianchi, Look, Ridley etc). That is a way more profitable market for them than EMTBs, and the motors have an easier life too. At most I would expect them to come out with a v2 road/gravel focussed variant with the same power, slightly lower weight and perhaps a couple of different battery options.

Hello MattyB,

Yes, i know there's around 99,99% for you to be right.
But when i watch at the actual state of technology embedded on Emtb, and what the technology allows (at a reasonnable cost), i feel fooled.
So even if i know you perfectly described the reality, i'll stick on the 0,01% for a good surprise from Fazua.
A dreamer's life can be hard and cruel, sometimes But thank you for the friendly awakening !

 

[Eddy Current]

A bump to this. The main problem of the SL is the geo. The NoX and the Ezesty are more appealing to me.

 

[TriciaPug]

I have an e-Zesty AM 9 on order. The Fazua firmware update pushed me over the edge. These are my thoughts.

1. I already have a Faua powered bike. An e-Gravel bike. So I can swap batteries and motors. The smoothness of the Fazua is perfect for me. On my gravel bike it's hardly noticeable when I go above the limiter and the bike rides great at higher speeds. So I know I'll be happy even if the disengagement of the SL is a bit more progressive.
2. The Fazua is quieter than the Specialised.
3. I prefer 27.5 wheels to 29. I'm not racing and choose the snappy feeling over outright speed. I get that it's mostly just a feeling than actual handling differences. But I like what I like.
4. I'm going to upgrade the Fazua to either XTR or AXS. Even with an upgrade it'll be lots cheaper than a similar equipped SL.
5. I think the Fox 34 is undersized for my weight. (94kg). That'll increase the weight to close to where my Zesty will end up.
6. I'll lose. A kg or so off the zesty easy. The NX cassette alone is 600 grams!.
7. At least in Oz the SL's are really expensive for a really average spec. I get the motors are exclusive. I kind of see the normal Levo being being a good combo of light, powerful and with a big battery. But the SL seems a bit greedy to me.
8. I kind of get two bikes for one. My acoustic is on long term loan so the Zesty fills that gap. I'll still have my full powered emtb as well. That's also 27.5 so I can share wheels between the bikes if I do a Shimano build on the Zesty.

I don't think the Zesty will be a better bike than the SL. The main factors are the 27.5 wheels and the fact I have a Fazua bike already.

Gordon

This is really good feedback. Thanks.
The bike I just bought has Fazua black pepper, so it has the updated technology.
Coming from a Bosch powered e-mtb I'm finding a learning curve.