Kenevo Gen1 Official 2018/2019 Kenevo thread

[Salvie69]

The spring is exactly the same.
Just checked part number of my old spring. 18074 -10 457lbs spring
18074-13 525 lbs spring
Same part number apart from the last two . Thats to do with spring rate.
You won’t hsve any issues with new spring.
Exactly the same ?

 

[chuanito]

18074 is not the Enduro spring 18075 is the Enduro spring - see my link. I ordered the 18075 version (Enduro)...

 

[Salvie69]

Mine turned up with the 18074 number.
I ordered my spring from tf tuned.
They were really helpful
It will be the same spring.

 

[Salvie69]

Where did you order from?
I couldn’t get one from specialized as they were out of stock.
Specialized order their stock from tf tuned

 

[chuanito]

I ordered mine from:

https://www.bike-components.de/de/OeHLINS/Stahlfeder-fuer-TTX-22-M-200-mm-p54312

The 18074 are the original Kenevo springs and have 63mm hub and the 18075 are the Enduro ones with 57mm hub. I guess, that I need to try out to see if it works or not

 

[Salvie69]

Let me know how you get on?
I didn’t have any issues with mine.
I spoke to specialized and tf tuned before I ordered to make sure I got the correct spring for bike and rider.
The ttx 22m has the 2.5” stroke.
Slightly different spring diameter depending on tention on spring.
Mine turned up with same part number accept last 2 numbers.

 

[Donnie797]

After doing some research (but not had the change for a test-ride yet), i do have some questions regarding the Kenevos dropper post WU.

On the L/XL Frame it has a 150mm travel, but the "real travel" only is 115mm. So while the back of the saddle is 150mm lowered, the tip of the saddle is actually higher than that on the Levo which has a 125mm travel dropper.
Does this saddle tip gets in the way when moving the bike sideways actively on the trail?
Does the tip get in the way when doing a bunny hop (during the "L" shape move)? It might "catch" the pants...
I read somewhere, that because of the saddle/dropper has more movement points, you can hear and feel that thing moving when riding. How bad is that?
The WU dropper has a 14 stop "cruise control" between 25 and 100m - how does it work in reality? Are you happy with it?
When does the back tilting begin? Is it tilting from beginning more and more till it's fully down, or is there no tilt until you reach the last inch of the travel?

Thanks in advance - can't wait to test-ride that beast!

 

[ccrdave]

My wife had one on her kenevo and she hated it swapped it out for a brand x and peace resumed

 

[picrots]

I just ordered a new Kenevo comp and the only component on it that makes me happy is its xfusion dropper (and not WU) :-D

 

[Dax]

Does this saddle tip gets in the way when moving the bike sideways actively on the trail?
Does the tip get in the way when doing a bunny hop (during the "L" shape move)? It might "catch" the pants...
I read somewhere, that because of the saddle/dropper has more movement points, you can hear and feel that thing moving when riding. How bad is that?
The WU dropper has a 14 stop "cruise control" between 25 and 100m - how does it work in reality? Are you happy with it?
When does the back tilting begin? Is it tilting from beginning more and more till it's fully down, or is there no tilt until you reach the last inch of the travel?

So far I'm almost entirely happy with the Wu, despite only having 125mm of travel it goes up high enough to pedal comfy and goes down low enough to get out the way when descending. I've certainly not had any issues with catching it or hocking it on my shorts while descending or doing jumps, and it's mostly been fairly technical riding since I got the bike. I even tried a bit of descending sat down to try out the angle when dropped, as discussed above...it was kinda scary but the angle didn't feel unnatural. Possibly a black trail at Staunton wasn't the best place to try it!

The only thing I don't like about the saddle is the way it clamps the seat rails, when I first picked it up I sat down hard and moved the angle of the seat on its mount, since I torqued it up it hasn't moved but has recently started creaking. It's a feature of how the dropper works that it has a single central pivot, I need to tighten it up again and see if the noise goes away.

 

[Donnie797]

So far I'm almost entirely happy with the Wu, despite only having 125mm of travel it goes up high enough to pedal comfy and goes down low enough to get out the way when descending. I've certainly not had any issues with catching it or hocking it on my shorts while descending or doing jumps, and it's mostly been fairly technical riding since I got the bike. I even tried a bit of descending sat down to try out the angle when dropped, as discussed above...it was kinda scary but the angle didn't feel unnatural. Possibly a black trail at Staunton wasn't the best place to try it!

The only thing I don't like about the saddle is the way it clamps the seat rails, when I first picked it up I sat down hard and moved the angle of the seat on its mount, since I torqued it up it hasn't moved but has recently started creaking. It's a feature of how the dropper works that it has a single central pivot, I need to tighten it up again and see if the noise goes away.

Thanks a lot! It seems like a lot mixed feelings out there about the WU.

You might stop the creaking with adding some lube maybe?

 

[ccrdave]

I'm not a fan of any of the spesh dropper posts they need constant maintenance to keep them working properly. Not so bad in the summer but in the winter when it's wet and muddy I have to lube inside my post every other ride and the notched height setting is just bit of a gimmick that's starts to wear out pretty quick, my current post is only a few months old and its already starting knock.
One problem with the wu post is the height between the top of the drop and the saddle is quite big, if your on the edge of the seat tube length for your chosen frame size the wu can make the difference between getting a correct saddle height and not. On my wife's bike with the post fully inserted the saddle was still too high for her and she needed that frame size to get a decent reach. Changing to another post with the same drop solved the problem

 

[Dax]

Ask me again in 6 months time!

 

[Donnie797]

I did a test-ride on the Kenevo today and I'm stoked!!
After that test-ride the choice is now pretty easy - taking the black now with a little discount, or wait for the blue where pricing and delivery date is still unknown. Guess I will go with the black and start riding it next week ^^ Will think about it till Monday and then call the dealer...

Regarding the coil-spring - I'm 100kg so I want/need a stronger one. I took a photo of the spring in the Kenevo size L which has 502 lbs:

Interesting was, that the Kenevo in size M has a coil spring of 457 and the size XL has a spring with 548 lbs (hope I remember correctly).

Here's the table with recommended rider-weight and part numbers.
Rider-weight is rider + gear + backpack, so "ride-ready" weight.
In that case, the 571 lbs spring is the choice for me:

 

[davegixer]

I did a test-ride on the Kenevo today and I'm stoked!!
After that test-ride the choice is now pretty easy - taking the black now with a little discount, or wait for the blue where pricing and delivery date is still unknown. Guess I will go with the black and start riding it next week ^^ Will think about it till Monday and then call the dealer...

Regarding the coil-spring - I'm 100kg so I want/need a stronger one. I took a photo of the spring in the Kenevo size L which has 502 lbs:
View attachment 3045
Interesting was, that the Kenevo in size M has a coil spring of 457 and the size XL has a spring with 548 lbs (hope I remember correctly).

Here's the table with recommended rider-weight and part numbers.
Rider-weight is rider + gear + backpack, so "ride-ready" weight.
In that case, the 571 lbs spring is the choice for me:

View attachment 3046

Haha, brilliant! I'm pleased you managed to get out on one and are stoked - what a difference a test ride makes! Studying specs is important, or it was for me, but testing it is what swung me (and you by the sounds of it).

That's good info ref the spring. I was anticipating needing a new spring too - I will be under 100kg fully loaded, but only just, so the spring on the XL i've ordered should just about cut it.
Let us know Monday what you definitely decide.....

 

[Doomanic]

Will Spesh swap the spring or is it a cost upgrade?

 

[davegixer]

Will Spesh swap the spring or is it a cost upgrade?

Cost upgrade as far as I'm aware, I didn't even ask I just assumed I would be fitting the bill. I'll ask Monday when I go and see if mine is ready for collection yet.

 

[Dax]

That's interesting, I'm running too stiff a spring

 

[Donnie797]

That's interesting, I'm running too stiff a spring

In the german specialized question & answer section they say that these numbers are just recommendations to start with. If someone wants to have it softer or harder or is going for big jumps or more comfort, don't hesitate to go up or down with the spring rate so it fits your needs.
It's the same as with the recommended 30% sag - you will be absolutely fine with 20% as well if you want to ride it a bit harder.

Haha, brilliant! I'm pleased you managed to get out on one and are stoked - what a difference a test ride makes! Studying specs is important, or it was for me, but testing it is what swung me (and you by the sounds of it).

Yes indeed, I knew I have to test-ride it to find out if I will go Levo or Kenevo. But seeing the both bikes next together was a bit of an eye opener for me. Something that's not mentioned in the stats and I didn't really realize when I watched hundreds of photos and videos is that the Kenevo has much bigger bearings and a much thicker chainstay. It's made for heavy duty and since I have a tendency to break lightweight components, I'll be better suited with the stronger stuff. The test-ride then made it all clear - I'm going to be Donnie Kenevo

The WU dropper post felt pretty good, don't had any issue with it catching my shorts and it's also rideable in the lowest position, so not bad at all.

The Brose motor is definitely engaging and disengaging very smoothly, didn't like that abrupt behavior on the Shimano or Bosch that much. Also no need to wait for the new Brose S Mag motor - this one is already fine for me.

The suspension is super smooth, never ridden a coil before and I like it a lot! Even with the spring-rate being too low for me, it felt much better than my 150mm Fox Float X Performance damper on the non-e mtb. I could feel a big difference between soft and firm damping, which isn't the case on the Fox Float X which I have to run close to maximum pressure.

The blue color rocks but I think I don't wait for it since it's not clear when my dealer will have them available. We will have a good long summer this year and I want to ride that beast now! And anyway... my other bike is black, my car is black, my motorbike is black... my wife is blonde but that's okay

 

[Bigbarper]

Picked up my Kenevo yesterday, haven’t stopped grinning since.

All ‘concerns’ about 180mm being too much for the majority of my general goofing around riding, it not going uphill as ‘fast’ as the Levo, the additional 2kg weight, have been completely smashed away by the bike.

It does as little assistance (want a workout) or as much as you want, it’s completely and seamlessly flexible.

Forum posts about the seat post nearly put me off, the reality is the bike is so comfortable and adjustable effort wise you can ride it with the seat post anywhere and at any stage of it’s tilt travel.

Never ridden a coil on an MTB before, hopefully never have to go back to an air shock!!

Only issue (should be an easy fix) fork appears to have blown all its oil out of the mission control cap?

Luv it, its the way forward!!

Phil.

 

[Sophie777]

In the german specialized question & answer section they say that these numbers are just recommendations to start with. If someone wants to have it softer or harder or is going for big jumps or more comfort, don't hesitate to go up or down with the spring rate so it fits your needs.
It's the same as with the recommended 30% sag - you will be absolutely fine with 20% as well if you want to ride it a bit harder.




Yes indeed, I knew I have to test-ride it to find out if I will go Levo or Kenevo. But seeing the both bikes next together was a bit of an eye opener for me. Something that's not mentioned in the stats and I didn't really realize when I watched hundreds of photos and videos is that the Kenevo has much bigger bearings and a much thicker chainstay. It's made for heavy duty and since I have a tendency to break lightweight components, I'll be better suited with the stronger stuff. The test-ride then made it all clear - I'm going to be Donnie Kenevo

The WU dropper post felt pretty good, don't had any issue with it catching my shorts and it's also rideable in the lowest position, so not bad at all.

The Brose motor is definitely engaging and disengaging very smoothly, didn't like that abrupt behavior on the Shimano or Bosch that much. Also no need to wait for the new Brose S Mag motor - this one is already fine for me.

The suspension is super smooth, never ridden a coil before and I like it a lot! Even with the spring-rate being too low for me, it felt much better than my 150mm Fox Float X Performance damper on the non-e mtb. I could feel a big difference between soft and firm damping, which isn't the case on the Fox Float X which I have to run close to maximum pressure.

The blue color rocks but I think I don't wait for it since it's not clear when my dealer will have them available. We will have a good long summer this year and I want to ride that beast now! And anyway... my other bike is black, my car is black, my motorbike is black... my wife is blonde but that's okay

Three questions:
1. Do you personally find the Kenevo any more difficult to ride or control than the Levo?
2. I know this is a question you may find difficult to answer, but do you think a Kenevo would be more difficult to ride than the Levo for an inexperienced rider?
3. The WU dropper post - can you ride on it in the lowest or mid-position for a "long time"? You don't feel like you may slide off the back of the seat while riding in any position but the top position?

Thanks once more for offering your insightful input!

 

[Donnie797]

Three questions:
1. Do you personally find the Kenevo any more difficult to ride or control than the Levo?
2. I know this is a question you may find difficult to answer, but do you think a Kenevo would be more difficult to ride than the Levo for an inexperienced rider?
3. The WU dropper post - can you ride on it in the lowest or mid-position for a "long time"? You don't feel like you may slide off the back of the seat while riding in any position but the top position?

Thanks once more for offering your insightful input!

1. Definitely a No. It's just a bit of a different riding experience because of the different geometry and suspension. The coil suspension of the Kenevo is smooth like hell, I think you would like it. Both are very comfortable and astonishing easy to control, I felt "at home" instantly on both. Climbing was supported by the motor, so I didn't feel and care at all about the weight difference, though it might cost a bit more battery.

2. Everyone is different, so I can just give you my humble opinion. I didn't had the chance to test them on a wicked trail, but I did steep climbs and descents, stairs, roots, gravel and some small jumps and wheelies. For me (besides of the stronger components that I do prefer) that Kenevo suspension and geometry is superb, you can steam over stuff like you don't care whereas with the Levo a bit of a better line choice should be preferred. So you could even say the Kenevo is easier to ride for an inexperienced rider because it has plenty of backup in that suspension if a line choice wasn't the best. But sure - a downhill geometry and 180mm travel might be a bit "over the top" for an inexperienced rider that has your riding-profile (you mentioned before what you gonna ride)... but in your case, sitting on the bum all the time, I must say you would totally love that rear suspension of the Kenevo! I do love it too

3. In mid-position it's no problem at all. In the lowest, tilted saddle position riding for a long time is really not recommended. That might stress the blood-flow and surely isn't comfortable for a long period of time. Why would you do that? If you really want to ride a long time in the lowest saddle position, I would recommend to switch to another dropper.

 

[Bigbarper]

Hey Sophie 777

Re the seat post it really isn’t an issue, as the post drops the angle of the seat changes IIRC 12 degrees, so simply set the angle you prefer at the position you will ride most, simples non?

 

[davegixer]

In the german specialized question & answer section they say that these numbers are just recommendations to start with. If someone wants to have it softer or harder or is going for big jumps or more comfort, don't hesitate to go up or down with the spring rate so it fits your needs.
It's the same as with the recommended 30% sag - you will be absolutely fine with 20% as well if you want to ride it a bit harder.




Yes indeed, I knew I have to test-ride it to find out if I will go Levo or Kenevo. But seeing the both bikes next together was a bit of an eye opener for me. Something that's not mentioned in the stats and I didn't really realize when I watched hundreds of photos and videos is that the Kenevo has much bigger bearings and a much thicker chainstay. It's made for heavy duty and since I have a tendency to break lightweight components, I'll be better suited with the stronger stuff. The test-ride then made it all clear - I'm going to be Donnie Kenevo

The WU dropper post felt pretty good, don't had any issue with it catching my shorts and it's also rideable in the lowest position, so not bad at all.

The Brose motor is definitely engaging and disengaging very smoothly, didn't like that abrupt behavior on the Shimano or Bosch that much. Also no need to wait for the new Brose S Mag motor - this one is already fine for me.

The suspension is super smooth, never ridden a coil before and I like it a lot! Even with the spring-rate being too low for me, it felt much better than my 150mm Fox Float X Performance damper on the non-e mtb. I could feel a big difference between soft and firm damping, which isn't the case on the Fox Float X which I have to run close to maximum pressure.

The blue color rocks but I think I don't wait for it since it's not clear when my dealer will have them available. We will have a good long summer this year and I want to ride that beast now! And anyway... my other bike is black, my car is black, my motorbike is black... my wife is blonde but that's okay

Donnie Kenevo, brilliant. Decision made, get it ordered and lets get riding. Hoping to have a collection date for mine tomorrow.

 

[Dfriz]

All you need now is the MRP for the front fork !!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Donnie797]

All you need now is the MRP for the front fork !!!!!!!!!!!!!

what's that?

 

[Sophie777]

Hey Sophie 777

Re the seat post it really isn’t an issue, as the post drops the angle of the seat changes IIRC 12 degrees, so simply set the angle you prefer at the position you will ride most, simples non?

I think I previously read the angle of the seat cannot be changed?

 

[R120]

what's that?

He means the MRP Bartlett fork - Its a 180-200mm dual crown fork - you can put dual crowns on the kenevo, but most will radically change the geo, the MRP wont

 

[eFat]

I think I previously read the angle of the seat cannot be changed?

He means the angle at the upper position.
The manual: https://media.specialized.com/support/collateral/0000087535.pdf

 

[Donnie797]

He means the MRP Bartlett fork - Its a 180-200mm dual crown fork - you can put dual crowns on the kenevo, but most will radically change the geo, the MRP wont

View attachment 3077

View attachment 3078

thanks, looks like a serious upgrade. But i think with my riding style i will be happy with the Lyric since it's not a bad fork.