Kenevo Gen1 Official 2020 Kenevo Owners Thread

[beutelfuchs]

You want to put the saddle back for real? I pushed mine as far forward as possible to pedal comfortable on the uphills (I have no flat parts, though)

 

[danrodcr]

2020 Kenevo Comp vs 2020 Decoy Comp. Anyone have ridden both bikes? Difference on the agility on flowy/technical trails?

 

[Kiwiman]

Hmm so I tried to install my bikeyoke revive 185mm on my s5 last night. Looks like to
he cable routing is a bit weird. Might need to drop the motor to run a new cable housing by the looks of it. Has anyone done this before? Is it a big deal ? Any help be awesome. Cheers

 

[danrodcr]

Good day!

More than 300km on my S3 Kenevo 2020 Comp now, a first review as follows:

About the rider:

80kg, 173cm height, 36 year old, father of a toddler and a newborn, working approx. 40 to 50 hours per week, at least a couple of business trips abroad during the month, riding mostly on the weekends, once or twice. Free time for riding is limited. I would consider myself fit, not an athlete though... I started downhill riding in 2007.

Ex Bikes:

Specialized Big Hit 2009, Specialized SX Trail 2009, Pipedream Cycles Moxie 2018. I also had a Knolly Chilcotin for a few months but did not ride it more than 10 times and sold it quickly. Everything is sold now, only the Kenevo is in my hands as we speak.

The ride:

Due to the motor, it simply climbs great, especially when in turbo, it climbs very very fast, like the wind!! Try to climb it without the motor, it is very heavy and slow, if you plan to ride it "analogue" just don't...

Point it downhill and it just rips, it is simply great. Very fast, point and shoot, hover over everything, jump over everything, G-outs, pin it etc., it does everything and it does it good.

This is a self shuttling bike. Nothing more, nothing less. If you want to get to the top of the downhill trails fast without a lift or a shuttle, buy a Kenevo.

Until now, most of my rides are done in full turbo mode. Go bomb the downhill trails until the battery is gone. I will need another battery. I also did a couple rides in full ECO mode. I got three hours of riding, very nice rides.

The fit:

For some reason, Specialized bikes were always a perfect fit for me. I changed the saddle to a WTB Silverado that I always used for years on my bikes, however, I think the Specialized would be just fine too. Cockpit wise, I didn't change a thing. Stem length, stem spacers, handlebar dimensions, all were perfectly adjusted for me right out of the box and I don't plan on touching anything.

Upgrades so far:

1. Fully invisiframed.
2. DT Swiss 350 hub on the rear wheel.
3. Vittoria Insert on the rear wheel.
4. SRAM GX Eagle (cassette, chain, derailleur and shifter).

What I don't like that much:

1. The X-fusion Manic seat-post. Not bad on the trails. It performs good while riding. However, If you try to lift the bike from the seat while the post is slammed down, it extends... Same like the KS Lev DX did when I had it on my SX Trail. Also, I would prefer a longer travel seatpost. Lastly, the loop of the cable inside the frame is not a good idea. Probably the Reverb AXS is getting on the bike next.
2. The Butcher tyres along with the Roval DH (inner width 28mm) rims. These are really not a bad combination. However, due to the fact that the bike is a heavy downhill electric machine, you need a combo that will provide more support. I feel the tyres collapsing during turning, both the front and the rear. Wider rims and DH casing Wide Trail tyres are next.
3. The Marzocchi Z1 fork. I never liked air forks/shocks. I always had coil springs both front and rear. The DVO Diamond forks changed my mind on the air forks, however, it took me a lot of time to set it up the way I liked it. Converting the fork to coil via "Vorsprung Smashpot Kit" would be a good option. Another thing I don't like though is that the damper controller is not staying where I want it. It always goes to the open side by itself. This is frustrating.

Upgrades that are under consideration as of now:

1. A second battery, either 500wh or 700wh...
2. Wide rims and tyres for sure. I would like to try the WTB combo options although the safe choice would be DT Swiss and Maxxis combo. A second insert in the front tyre as well.
3. Rockshox Lyrik Ultimate with coil conversion (either Vorsprung or Push).
4. Rockshox Reverb AXS.

Upgrades that would blow my wallet and my mind and would finish my dream kit:

1. EXT ARMA HBC V3
2. FULL AXS SHIFTING KIT

Food for thought:

1. I hear some "clacks" every now and then from inside the motor. Its like something inside is skipping... Performance is pretty good though. I believe it will fail soon. The bike shop/dealer tells me to monitor it and if the clacking sound continues we shall then see what we do. In any case, I plan to ride the hell out of this bike until it breaks. This is a relatively complex bike. I feel that Specialized should offer the option of extended warranty and service packs/schemes, same like what the car industry does. I would be very happy to pay a premium for a 5-year warranty and service plan for this bike. Two years warranty is just not enough.

1. I would also like to see from Specialized the possibility to upgrade parts while ordering the bike. Some degree of customization would be nice, at least to be able to fit the bike properly to its owner. For example, I would like the option to choose the seatpost travel, saddle width, stem length, grip size and compound, handlebar width and rise. Since they offer the perfect S-sizing, why not offer the rest so that someone can fine tune the fit? In my opinion, bike fitting is one of the most important aspects of safe riding.

Brgds/Nikolaos Tsivis

Thanks for sharing. I am considering Kenevo Comp 2020 vs Decoy Comp. What size of stem do you ride on the Kenevo?

 

[JasonNZ]

Just picked up a new Kenevo on Saturday from Berkshire Cycles.

Great bike but need to make a few tweaks to get it right.

First noticeable thing is seating position.
On paper the top tube length is huge however the bike feels tiny like I'm sat too far forward. It's and s4 and I'm 182cm.

I can't seem to tilt the seat back enough. If anything the nose is pointing down. There doesn't appear to be any more adjustment on the seat post.

I need to get over the back of the bike more. Command post doesn't feel no where near as good as my Xfusion on the Levo.

Anyone else felt like this? And what have you done to address it?

Yeah, the Command Post on my opinion is a terrible feeling post for a bike of that value. The XFusion feels much nicer.....I fitted an AXS Dropper which is awesome. Except it’s been away for over 3 weeks now getting fixed......so back to the Command Post in the meantime - which sux a lot.

I’m 188cm and also on an S4, have slid my seat back on the rails amongst many other changes.....but the bike has done around 700kms now and is pretty dialed (in my opinion anyway). Loving the confidence it gives and the ability to be so agile for a bike of this size and weight. It’s been an evolution but everything I’ve done has made it better and better. Can’t imagine riding anything else right now.

 

[Nikolaos Tsivis]

Good day all.

This is an update on my 2020 Kenevo Comp.

A. Upgrades done so far over the stock 2020 Kenevo Comp:

+++

1. DT Swiss 350 rear hub + brass nipples on the rear wheel.
2. Sram EX1 drivetrain (cassette, chain, derailleur, shifter).
3. Maxxis Assegai 2.50WT MaxxGrip DH casing tyres front and rear.
4. Vittoria Air Liner insert on the rear + Peaty's tubeless valves and Spank Fratelli tubeless tapes front and rear.
5. OneUp composite pedals, OneUp pump + tools.
6. WTB Silverado saddle.

+++

B. A few comments on some of the upgrades done already:

A complete SRAM EX1 (8 speed, e-bike specific) kit was installed recently on the bike. It works nice. No problems so far although it has only about 250km of usage. The 12 speed Eagle GX kit was simply not working on the bike. Just to mention here that the derailleur hanger was bent a couple times during hard riding. Same was re-aligned at the shop professionally using the right tools, however, the GX kit could just not work properly for more than a couple of rides. It never did. Lets see how the EX1 will go.

The stock Specialized Butcher tyres were replaced with Maxxis Assegai 2.50WT MaxxGrip DH casing. On the rear I also have installed a Vittoria insert (air liner). I have also installed Peaty's tubeless valves. I now have proper support and security. The grip is excellent. The Specialized tyres were folding during hard cornering. The setup is very heavy but very secure as well. Power consumption must have been increased but not that much, I didn't notice any significant changes. The Kenevo needs DH tyres in my opinion. Since I installed the Assegai tyres, I don't feel the need to upgrade the rims to wider ones, the setup is perfect now.

C. Comments on the components that matter in my opinion when riding the Kenevo:

When I purchased the Kenevo Comp back in November, I was planning to start swapping out stuff immediately. I planned based on my experience from analogue bikes. However, the more I ride the ebike, the more I see things from different angles. In this respect, here are my conclusions so far:

1. Drivetrain is very important. I find myself changing gears a lot. I do a lot of technical climbing with the bike as well as shuttle mode, high cadence/speed climbing, fire road climbing, in all modes (eco, trail and turbo) depending on the ride. The 11 speed NX kit that came with the bike was sold immediately so no comments on this. The GX kit sucked and sold as well. The EX1 looks promising. The best solution though would be electronic shifting either by AXS kit or by Archer Components actuator. The Archer Components actuator seems that would be the best since it is super adjustable and should provide more life to the drivetrain even with slightly bent derailleur hangers. Added bonus, no internal cabling.

2. Tyres selection and setup. As I mentioned earlier, the tyres I chose are full on DH casing ones. Nothing less for the Kenevo. This is a DH/FR e-bike. Setup though is also very important. Ultra low tyre pressures are not going to work with the e-bike. If you want to ride hard and blast the DH runs you need to go up in pressure. I run 28psi in the rear and 26psi in the front. Compared to my analogue bikes, I used to run 22 in the rear and 20 in the front... The ebike will allow you to do a lot more runs than the analogue bike. Buy a digital pressure reader (I have the Topeak one) and experiment on your trails.

3. Suspension setup. Again, the ebike will allow you to do a lot more runs than the analogue bike. Also, the bike is very heavy. The tyres are stiff and supportive. The bike can keep a straight line beautifully during the DH runs without deflecting, however, it needs to be setup correctly so that control and traction are maintained. Again, remember, this is an ebike, it is different compared to the analogue bike. I decided not to proceed with any suspension upgrades until I was absolutely sure that the existing equipment (Marzocchi Z1 and Bomber CR shock) were properly setup. I purchased a ShockWiz and started tweaking with the fork, testing different tuning profiles (poppy, planted, etc.). Also, I read all the Shockwiz 101 articles available online, very good material for tuning the suspension. Until recently, I was a huge fan of the coil shocks. Set it up and forget it, do not adjust anything. Now I am different. The Marzocchi Z1 fork is very nice. The Grip damper though is not enough for the Kenevo. I plan to upgrade to Grip2 damper during next full service. The Bomber CR shock will be replaced by a Fox Float X2 shock. I plan to make the purchase from a suspension specialist shop (either J-tech suspension or TFTuned) and have the shock properly setup for the specific bike and rider. Then I will start tuning with the aid of the shockwiz. I will also keep the stock size, 230x62.5, I prefer not to alter the maker's setup.

4. Disc Brakes. The Sram Code R disc brakes are nice, nothing major to complain of. I was running Shimano Saint M820 on my previous analogue bikes that felt better that the Code R brakes on the Kenevo. However, I have decided as mentioned earlier in this post, not to compare the analogue bikes and the ebikes. We are at another league with other needs. I do plan to upgrade to something else though if I find someone to buy the Code Rs. Magura Mt7 would be on the top of the list probably...

Stem, handlebar, grips, seatpost, all are just fine, I will not change anything. The bike fits me like a glove. Would I like more drop from the seatpost? Yes, I would. WOuld I pay for it? No way, the seatpost is just fine.

D. Problems?

The usual problem with the rear shock. Repaired under warranty. No problems or waiting time here.

I bent the non-drive side crank arm and the pedal during a hard pedal strike. I purchased a new crank arm from Specialized and OneUp renewed under warranty my pedals. OneUp is simply such a great company. I use a lot of their products for a few years now and it has been great. Best of all though is customer service. In any case, the Kenevo is low and very prone to pedal strikes. I will not bother yet finding shorter crank arms, other parts have priority.

Motor/battery/e-components? See section E...

Generally the bike seems to be durable at the moment. However, note that here in Greece the climate is dry and dusty. No mud pools, not much rain even in the winter. I have washed the bike twice only. Otherwise I let the mud dry up and then brush it off with a nylon brush.

E. Concerns / food for thought.

I read a lot here in the forums that 5 years time is too much for keeping an ebike, that after 5 or 7 years everything will be obsolete and no support will be offered. Although I have already mentioned that we are in another league, the ebike league, that we should not compare ebikes to conventional bikes, I do not feel comfortable with the idea that in 2023 my 2020 bike will be obsolete. I have a mid-2014 Macbook that still runs just fine, runs the latest software and I can find support and spare parts almost everywhere. I have a 2017 iPhone X as well. In 2019 I sold a perfectly fine 2009 Specialized SX Trail fully serviced, ready to hit the trails. Saracen sells in 2020 her top tier DH bike, a true winner of a bike, with Shimano Saint M820 groupset that was first introduced in 2013. Why would our ebikes be obsolete within the next two or three years? If this is the case, then there is simply no need to upgrade anything, I should just sell the bike and buy an Enduro...

Until now, no problems observed in the motor/battery/e-components. Lets see how will it run in the next years to come. I do plan to keep the bike as much as possible.

In any case, the 2020 Kenevo is the best bike I have ever purchased. I really enjoy it. Reverting with next review/report.

Any questions, comments etc., let me know.

Brgds/Nikolaos Tsivis

 

[Mcharza]

Good day all.

This is an update on my 2020 Kenevo Comp.

A. Upgrades done so far over the stock 2020 Kenevo Comp:

+++

1. DT Swiss 250 rear hub + brass nipples on the rear wheel.
2. Sram EX1 drivetrain (cassette, chain, derailleur, shifter).
3. Maxxis Assegai 2.50WT MaxxGrip DH casing tyres front and rear.
4. Vittoria Air Liner insert on the rear + Peaty's tubeless valves and Spank Fratelli tubeless tapes front and rear.
5. OneUp composite pedals, OneUp pump + tools.
6. WTB Silverado saddle.

+++

B. A few comments on some of the upgrades done already:

A complete SRAM EX1 (8 speed, e-bike specific) kit was installed recently on the bike. It works nice. No problems so far although it has only about 250km of usage. The 12 speed Eagle GX kit was simply not working on the bike. Just to mention here that the derailleur hanger was bent a couple times during hard riding. Same was re-aligned at the shop professionally using the right tools, however, the GX kit could just not work properly for more than a couple of rides. It never did. Lets see how the EX1 will go.

The stock Specialized Butcher tyres were replaced with Maxxis Assegai 2.50WT MaxxGrip DH casing. On the rear I also have installed a Vittoria insert (air liner). I have also installed Peaty's tubeless valves. I now have proper support and security. The grip is excellent. The Specialized tyres were folding during hard cornering. The setup is very heavy but very secure as well. Power consumption must have been increased but not that much, I didn't notice any significant changes. The Kenevo needs DH tyres in my opinion. Since I installed the Assegai tyres, I don't feel the need to upgrade the rims to wider ones, the setup is perfect now.

C. Comments on the components that matter in my opinion when riding the Kenevo:

When I purchased the Kenevo Comp back in November, I was planning to start swapping out stuff immediately. I planned based on my experience from analogue bikes. However, the more I ride the ebike, the more I see things from different angles. In this respect, here are my conclusions so far:

1. Drivetrain is very important. I find myself changing gears a lot. I do a lot of technical climbing with the bike as well as shuttle mode, high cadence/speed climbing, fire road climbing, in all modes (eco, trail and turbo) depending on the ride. The 11 speed NX kit that came with the bike was sold immediately so no comments on this. The GX kit sucked and sold as well. The EX1 looks promising. The best solution though would be electronic shifting either by AXS kit or by Archer Components actuator. The Archer Components actuator seems that would be the best since it is super adjustable and should provide more life to the drivetrain even with slightly bent derailleur hangers. Added bonus, no internal cabling.

2. Tyres selection and setup. As I mentioned earlier, the tyres I chose are full on DH casing ones. Nothing less for the Kenevo. This is a DH/FR e-bike. Setup though is also very important. Ultra low tyre pressures are not going to work with the e-bike. If you want to ride hard and blast the DH runs you need to go up in pressure. I run 28psi in the rear and 26psi in the front. Compared to my analogue bikes, I used to run 22 in the rear and 20 in the front... The ebike will allow you to do a lot more runs than the analogue bike. Buy a digital pressure reader (I have the Topeak one) and experiment on your trails.

3. Suspension setup. Again, the ebike will allow you to do a lot more runs than the analogue bike. Also, the bike is very heavy. The tyres are stiff and supportive. The bike can keep a straight line beautifully during the DH runs without deflecting, however, it needs to be setup correctly so that control and traction are maintained. Again, remember, this is an ebike, it is different compared to the analogue bike. I decided not to proceed with any suspension upgrades until I was absolutely sure that the existing equipment (Marzocchi Z1 and Bomber CR shock) were properly setup. I purchased a ShockWiz and started tweaking with the fork, testing different tuning profiles (poppy, planted, etc.). Also, I read all the Shockwiz 101 articles available online, very good material for tuning the suspension. Until recently, I was a huge fan of the coil shocks. Set it up and forget it, do not adjust anything. Now I am different. The Marzocchi Z1 fork is very nice. The Grip damper though is not enough for the Kenevo. I plan to upgrade to Grip2 damper during next full service. The Bomber CR shock will be replaced by a Fox Float X2 shock. I plan to make the purchase from a suspension specialist shop (either J-tech suspension or TFTuned) and have the shock properly setup for the specific bike and rider. Then I will start tuning with the aid of the shockwiz. I will also keep the stock size, 230x62.5, I prefer not to alter the maker's setup.

4. Disc Brakes. The Sram Code R disc brakes are nice, nothing major to complain of. I was running Shimano Saint M820 on my previous analogue bikes that felt better that the Code R brakes on the Kenevo. However, I have decided as mentioned earlier in this post, not to compare the analogue bikes and the ebikes. We are at another league with other needs. I do plan to upgrade to something else though if I find someone to buy the Code Rs. Magura Mt7 would be on the top of the list probably...

Stem, handlebar, grips, seatpost, all are just fine, I will not change anything. The bike fits me like a glove. Would I like more drop from the seatpost? Yes, I would. WOuld I pay for it? No way, the seatpost is just fine.

D. Problems?

The usual problem with the rear shock. Repaired under warranty. No problems or waiting time here.

I bent the non-drive side crank arm and the pedal during a hard pedal strike. I purchased a new crank arm from Specialized and OneUp renewed under warranty my pedals. OneUp is simply such a great company. I use a lot of their products for a few years now and it has been great. Best of all though is customer service. In any case, the Kenevo is low and very prone to pedal strikes. I will not bother yet finding shorter crank arms, other parts have priority.

Motor/battery/e-components? See section E...

Generally the bike seems to be durable at the moment. However, note that here in Greece the climate is dry and dusty. No mud pools, not much rain even in the winter. I have washed the bike twice only. Otherwise I let the mud dry up and then brush it off with a nylon brush.

E. Concerns / food for thought.

I read a lot here in the forums that 5 years time is too much for keeping an ebike, that after 5 or 7 years everything will be obsolete and no support will be offered. Although I have already mentioned that we are in another league, the ebike league, that we should not compare ebikes to conventional bikes, I do not feel comfortable with the idea that in 2023 my 2020 bike will be obsolete. I have a mid-2014 Macbook that still runs just fine, runs the latest software and I can find support and spare parts almost everywhere. I have a 2017 iPhone X as well. In 2019 I sold a perfectly fine 2009 Specialized SX Trail fully serviced, ready to hit the trails. Saracen sells in 2020 her top tier DH bike, a true winner of a bike, with Shimano Saint M820 groupset that was first introduced in 2013. Why would our ebikes be obsolete within the next two or three years? If this is the case, then there is simply no need to upgrade anything, I should just sell the bike and buy an Enduro...

Until now, no problems observed in the motor/battery/e-components. Lets see how will it run in the next years to come. I do plan to keep the bike as much as possible.

In any case, the 2020 Kenevo is the best bike I have ever purchased. I really enjoy it. Reverting with next review/report.

Any questions, comments etc., let me know.

Brgds/Nikolaos Tsivis

Very good review and info, even though I didn't agree all. Thanks

 

[Jpzeroday]

2020 Kenevo Comp vs 2020 Decoy Comp. Anyone have ridden both bikes? Difference on the agility on flowy/technical trails?

I’ve owned both. Kenevo for the win on agility. Much easier to carve and maneuver. Plus the break over clearance on the decoy is very low by comparison...it’s hard to get over obstacles often striking the under motor shield when the Kenevo clears easily. The Kenevo is a much better bike imo.

 

[Mcharza]

What they've done for later-built Kenovo 2020 models. I weighed it today with size S3. 22.5 kg with Saint clipless pedals. Kenovo Comp 2020 with 700Wh battery

 

[Mcharza]

What they've done for later-built Kenovo 2020 models. I weighed it today with size S3. 22.5 kg with Saint clipless pedals. Kenovo Comp 2020 with 700Wh battery

Maybe made of aluminum for aircraft...

 

[beutelfuchs]

The usual problem with the rear shock. Repaired under warranty. No problems or waiting time here.

Means your dealer had a spare in stock?

I think the issue with riding this bike for a few years might be the motor running out of warranty + availability of replacements. Same for the battery.

 

[Nikolaos Tsivis]

Good day.

Means your dealer had a spare in stock?

Fox repaired the shock under warranty within a couple of days. Specialized just sent the broken damper to Fox.

I think the issue with riding this bike for a few years might be the motor running out of warranty + availability of replacements. Same for the battery.

Obviously. Lets see how these items are handling different weather conditions in different parts of the world, how will Specialized handle damaged parts out of warranty and what spare parts stock will they keep for supporting older bikes.

Brgds/Nikolaos Tsivis

 

[Dave11]

I find the new Kenevo quite difficult to jump on small gap jumps etc. The rear shock combination with the rear yoke and possibly the geometry make small jumps a lot of hard work. Hard to compress into the jumps and little pop forcing much higher speeds that is often optimal. Has anyone figured a solution ?.

You definitely need a decent pre load on the smaller steeper senders but I find my
Comp jumps like a dream off anything. I have put a 35mm stem and 50mm rise bars on it to get the bars up closer to the height of an Expert.

 

[ggeorge]

Well after reading for a couple of months all the reviews, thoughts, ideas in this thread, here is the time for me to write my impression of my new 2020 Kenevo expert S4.
I started mtb 5 years ago with a Cube full suspension analogue bike, moved to the 2018 Haibike almtn 9 (in the meantime i have ordered the new flyon nduro xduro 10 but after all these delays i cancelled) and here we are now with the best of the best.

WHAT A HELL OF A BIKE!

As i have had only 80kms mixed (forest roads, trails, technical uphills) on the odometer i must say that it is a completely different thing from the allmtn Haibike! Maybe it is the geometry, because my previous bike was all mountain oriented... This is with no doubt a mini downhill bike!
But in the same time with the necessary fine tune to fit your riding position, you can uphill anything! And much more easily than before! I had my concerns before buying for the technical uphills but after these two days of riding i must say that it is the ideal all-rounder! The motor is smooth (more bicycle'e than bosch) and helps you the most on hard steep uphills!

But the bike with that geometry and suspension setup was made for fast trails going like a rocket downhill! I am not a downhill rider, i prefer fast flowy trails, turns, drops and small jumps!
Well that bike put a big smile on my face the last two days! First ever on a dual crown fork and man this so precise! Never pushed so hard on turns the front end on my trails here, never passed obstacles with so much confidence... All this with the thought in mind that, the bike is able to handle MORE! WTF????
The only thing i would prefer is maybe softer reactions from the boxxer! Maybe it needs its fine tune! It is too early to say!

For those that are thinking of buying the bike just GO for it!!!!!!
Update and impressions after some trails on the weekend!!!!!

 

[Tbar]

Anybody else find the stock Butcher tyres lethal? I find the front washes out often and makes for a very nervous ride. I am still running tubes, so can’t go super low with the pressures but I’m still very surprised by the poor performance.

Are these bad tyres or could it just be that I’m expecting too much from a tyre keeping a 25kg ebike on the trail?

I know there are a million tyre threads out there so I’ll spare you all a repeat of that discussion but what tyre widths do people prefer on the 2020 Kenevo Expert? Something like a 2,5 WT Maxxis or something with a bit more volume?

 

[Spagnol]

Anybody else find the stock Butcher tyres lethal? I find the front washes out often and makes for a very nervous ride. I am still running tubes, so can’t go super low with the pressures but I’m still very surprised by the poor performance.

Are these bad tyres or could it just be that I’m expecting too much from a tyre keeping a 25kg ebike on the trail?

I know there are a million tyre threads out there so I’ll spare you all a repeat of that discussion but what tyre widths do people prefer on the 2020 Kenevo Expert? Something like a 2,5 WT Maxxis or something with a bit more volume?

I'm liking the 2.6 butcher on the rear , I just put an assegai 2.5 in the front and found it perfect now .

 

[Tbar]

I'm liking the 2.6 butcher on the rear , I just put an assegai 2.5 in the front and found it perfect now .

How do they compare size-wise?

 

[Spagnol]

I'm liking the 2.6 butcher on the rear , I just put an assegai 2.5 in the front and found it perfect now .

How do they compare size-wise?

You can tell the butcher is larger , on taller side both of them are pretty much equal

 

[Kiwiman]

I just got a couple of michelin ewilds 2.6. Going to put them on with cushcore this afternoon or trying too anyway. I also didn’t care much about the butcher up front.

 

[CjP]

The butchers in 2.8 are good for touring, 2.6 for thrashing. They run much better tubeless with the right pressure for the right terrain. Still they’re no halo tire but I find them predictable and they last a while. I like them as a rear tire with a Hillbilly front. Great combo.
Im trying out a Purgatory rear atm and so far it seems to be alright on a mixed terrain. Waiting to see how it goes on loose over hard pack/marbles.

 

[Mcharza]

Anybody else find the stock Butcher tyres lethal? I find the front washes out often and makes for a very nervous ride. I am still running tubes, so can’t go super low with the pressures but I’m still very surprised by the poor performance.

Are these bad tyres or could it just be that I’m expecting too much from a tyre keeping a 25kg ebike on the trail?

I know there are a million tyre threads out there so I’ll spare you all a repeat of that discussion but what tyre widths do people prefer on the 2020 Kenevo Expert? Something like a 2,5 WT Maxxis or something with a bit more volume?

I think Butcher's compound is hard when the weather is cold, also Maxxis 3C do that. I'll wait for warmer weather and make my decision after that.
By the way, I like Butcher, you can ride at low pressure because it has solid sidewalls.

Magic Mary 2.6 Soft Addix is a very good front tire

 

[#lazy]

I went with Michelin ewilds 2.6 fronts on f and r , tubeless 20psi in both and am a happy chappy ! I thought the butchers were ok but the ewilds are faster rolling and have better corner grip !

 

[Tbar]

I went with Michelin ewilds 2.6 fronts on f and r , tubeless 20psi in both and am a happy chappy ! I thought the butchers were ok but the ewilds are faster rolling and have better corner grip !

This is the combo I am leaning towards. What kind of terrain are you primarily riding on?

 

[#lazy]

This is the combo I am leaning towards. What kind of terrain are you primarily riding on?

Surrey hills/Pirbright which is a mix of soft loam , roots but not too rocky , I think they’ll be a Goodyear all rounder ! If you don’t need so much grip then a rear on rear would be good but more grip is better for me !

 

[JasonNZ]

Anybody else find the stock Butcher tyres lethal? I find the front washes out often and makes for a very nervous ride. I am still running tubes, so can’t go super low with the pressures but I’m still very surprised by the poor performance.

Are these bad tyres or could it just be that I’m expecting too much from a tyre keeping a 25kg ebike on the trail?

I know there are a million tyre threads out there so I’ll spare you all a repeat of that discussion but what tyre widths do people prefer on the 2020 Kenevo Expert? Something like a 2,5 WT Maxxis or something with a bit more volume?

I’m running 2.5 Assegai up front and 2.4 Dissector out back. Both with DH Casing and 3C MaxxGrip. Running 20psi up front and 22.5psi out back. Steers better, rolls faster and a more lively feel than the stock Butchers. Any slides feel controlled and I’ve so far never felt like I was going to wash out - I think it provides great F/R balance which is probably why I love ‘em!

May have to change wheel diameter in Mission Control (or get dealer to do it) as it will be a slightly smaller circumference, but don’t think it makes too much difference to be honest as I checked using a gps app and it might be 1km on assistance cutout at most, it was hard to tell.

 

[Shimanomike]

So does anybody outside the US want to sell me a 2020 Kenevo expert S2 and ship it to the US? Was supposed to get mine at the end of February but just found out it wont be until August. I picked a bad time to sell my 2019 Levo. The only one I could find in the US is an S3. I'm 5'6" and just assumed an S2 would fit better. Any thoughts?

 

[Rittiman]

So does anybody outside the US want to sell me a 2020 Kenevo expert S2 and ship it to the US? Was supposed to get mine at the end of February but just found out it wont be until August. I picked a bad time to sell my 2019 Levo. The only one I could find in the US is an S3. I'm 5'6" and just assumed an S2 would fit better. Any thoughts?

Don't know where you are located there is a S2 in the Bay Area.
https://gpsportsonline.com/Specialt...-Jose-CA-3d422e69-1082-4dee-9e46-ab57007f576b

 

[Shimanomike]

Don't know where you are located there is a S2 in the Bay Area.
https://gpsportsonline.com/Specialt...-Jose-CA-3d422e69-1082-4dee-9e46-ab57007f576b

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Thats crazy. If you talk to a local dealer, nobody has one in stock. Sounds like they dont want to share sales. Anyways, I called them and they do have one but won't ship it. They do have a person that delivers their atv's they sale to within 5 hours of me in April so I'm guessing I will go that route. Scares me a little to pay for something like that only trusting to receive it but what do you do.

 

[CjP]

I can ask my local guy if they’d send you one from Aus if your that desperate?

 

[Shimanomike]

I can ask my local guy if they’d send you one from Aus if your that desperate?

I think I have located one. Yes I was panicking because I'm not used to being without a bike. I put my 19 Levo up for sale and 2 days later it was gone. I never thought it would go that quick. Anyways, I think I can wait until mod April for one. Thanks for the thought though.