Levo Gen 3 New 2022 Levo Owner - Carbon Defects?

[September910]

Hello - just picked up a 2022 S-Works Turbo Levo frame. Mine is the blue/black version (I think the only version available as a standalone frame) and I noticed a bunch of defects on the carbon finish. It's quite ugly but some of the damage is UNDER the frame protection sticker indicating they let it leave the factory this way. Does anyone else have a frame that looks like this?

One other random question - what adapter do I need for the rear brake mount for a 203mm rotor? In other words, what's the stock size? I can see the fully completed bikes have an adapter there. Edit - Found my answer to this in the workbook, looks like it's 180mm!

Thanks!

 

[Barbs734]

Mine is like that too, it's a raw finish and supposed to look like that.......

 

[September910]

Mine is like that too, it's a raw finish and supposed to look like that.......

No kidding? Jeez it looks awful - lol. Didn't see this mentioned anywhere or notice it in any pics. Maybe mine is just particularly bad.

 

[ebsocalmtb]

that's not a defect, those are the different ply's of UD carbon sheets that you are seeing. this is a design aesthetic that many companies are doing at the moment. Some of them are spraying a tinted clear coat over the UD plys's such as Orbea with Rise in Coal Blue. Specialized is opting for the most part, to spray matte clearcoat over the carbon. that's why you see the different layers coming together. They do this on most, if not all of their sworks frames.

You can see this across several of their emtb and non emtb models. check the product pages and scroll through the pictures.

S-Works Turbo Levo SL

The Turbo Levo SL is a new, lightweight breed of eMTB that harnesses the quick and lively ride of our Stumpjumper...and adds just enough power to introd...

www.specialized.com

Turbo Levo SL Expert Carbon

The Turbo Levo SL is a new, lightweight breed of eMTB that harnesses the quick and lively ride of our Stumpjumper...and adds just enough power to introd...

www.specialized.com

 

[Rich-EMTB-UK]

Yes my Yeti Arc frame in raw and my SB5 frame look like that in raw its a trick of the light thing. Sometimes using the Mic Off Bike cleaner spray gets ride but it always comes back. Wasn't aware there was a frame only option for the TL interesting.

 

[ebsocalmtb]

Here's my wife's rise in the sun. I quite like the effect the way orbea did it. I also like it in some of specialized's bikes/frames... although I do see why it's bothering you on that matte black/blue frame. It looks too close in color/finish to just a matte black... so it ends up looking like a mistake or finish error.

 

[September910]

Here's my wife's rise in the sun. I quite like the effect the way orbea did it. I also like it in some of specialized's bikes/frames... although I do see why it's bothering you on that matte black/blue frame. It looks too close in color/finish to just a matte black... so it ends up looking like a mistake or finish error.

View attachment 77176

Yeah it looks more like a bunch of sanding/prep work was done for paint rather than raw carbon fiber. It's just kind of random and ugly looking IMO - I've seen the raw carbon fiber on other bikes and it looks different. I can live with it I guess! Thanks for all the replies.

 

[September910]

that's not a defect, those are the different ply's of UD carbon sheets that you are seeing. this is a design aesthetic that many companies are doing at the moment. Some of them are spraying a tinted clear coat over the UD plys's such as Orbea with Rise in Coal Blue. Specialized is opting for the most part, to spray matte clearcoat over the carbon. that's why you see the different layers coming together. They do this on most, if not all of their sworks frames.

You can see this across several of their emtb and non emtb models. check the product pages and scroll through the pictures.

S-Works Turbo Levo SL

The Turbo Levo SL is a new, lightweight breed of eMTB that harnesses the quick and lively ride of our Stumpjumper...and adds just enough power to introd...

www.specialized.com

Turbo Levo SL Expert Carbon

The Turbo Levo SL is a new, lightweight breed of eMTB that harnesses the quick and lively ride of our Stumpjumper...and adds just enough power to introd...

www.specialized.com

Thanks - yeah it's quite obvious in the SL pics you linked (although still doesn't look as random or unfinished as mine does) but I did not notice it at all in the standalone S-Works Frame pics which is what I researched and purchased: S-Works Turbo Levo Frameset | Specialized.com

Nor is it mentioned in the description or colorway details (just says ghost blue + black, etc - usually they point out that it's a "raw" carbon finish when that's the case).

 

[RustyIron]

The raw look has been popular with avante-garde aesthetes since the invention of carbon fiber... or aluminum... or titanium... or cast iron.

Here's a raw aluminum car for your viewing pleasure. You gearheads already recognize the car as belonging to a certain late night talkshow comedian. You might not, however, recognize the backside of the chap in the cowboy hat. That's Ed Iskenderian. The raw cast iron engine in the picture belonged to me. Not all of us want to look all sparkled-up like Liberace's rhinestone cape. We're filthy curs who ride in the dirt.

 

[Alexbn921]

Normal. That's how raw carbon looks.

 

[Stan23]

All specialized raw carbon bikes look like that. I like the way it looks too!

 

[dsd1036]

My 2020 Levo Carbon expert was Gloss Carbon, when I picked it up I too thought it was a defect, being gloss the top tube looked like it had had stickers applied, removed and left patchy residue, guy in the shop soon put me right on it! Learnt to like it although if im honest I now have a 2022 comp carbon in matt black and find it easier on the eye

 

[Mikerb]

mmm.......virtually every part of my windsurfing kit is carbon....masts, booms, boards.......I have never seen a carbon finish like that!! It looks to me like an epoxy coat that is then rubbed down by hand in places leaving more of the epoxy where the composite finish was not flat and less elsewhere. You can even see where the tubes are joined. Nothing wrong with that structurally but it needs a paint finish if your finished tube looks like that! ( ps in the absence of any paint I hope the epoxy used in the layup was UV resistant! )

 

[maynard]

I'll swap you for my glossy carbon 2019 levo .

 

[maynard]

It has no unsightly carbon marks . Used lightly in turbo de restricted for about 6000kms.

 

[DuncanDoughnuts]

Its not a defect ..its a feature.... (According to guy in specialised store)

 

[Mikerb]

How to make a carbon laminate frame properly!! Same techniques are used on my windsurfing kit ...carbon boom £600-£1000, carbon mast £800, typical slalom board cost £2500

Making a Carbon Fibre Bike Frame Start to Finish - Video - Easy Composites