Kenevo SL Official 2022 Kenevo SL (KSL) Megathread!

[KSL]

195ish

More like a Fox aversion tbh I have found Fox products to be unreliable in the past (blown shocks, creaking CSU's) plus I'm not a fan of the local Fox repair agent where I live so I'm happy to not run them. The 38 has been quite good (better than I had expected) and if I didn't already have the DVO enroute when I bought the bike I probably would have kept the 38 on (possibly adding a luftkappe). Also the bike is painted in a pretty drab colour so a decent splash of bright green doesn't do any harm!

The Michelin tyres are great. The DH22 front is tenacious!

Better than the stock K-SL tires? I think the stock tires grip well, but a little flat in the profile, so they don't roll over as good as I want.

 

[Kinger]

Better than the stock K-SL tires? I think the stock tires grip well, but a little flat in the profile, so they don't roll over as good as I want.

Definitely better than the Specialized Butchers. (Don’t get me wrong, these new / revised Specialized tires are pretty darn good).

The Michelin DH tires are for : set and forget / don’t bother with inserts / grip is never an issue / no worries with slower rolling / who cares about battery life / AssagWho?

?

…but seriously, if you have rowdy local terrain - really worth a try.

 

[KSL]

Definitely better than the Specialized Butchers. (Don’t get me wrong, these new / revised Specialized tires are pretty darn good).

The Michelin DH tires are for : set and forget / don’t bother with inserts / grip is never an issue / no worries with slower rolling / who cares about battery life / AssagWho?

?

…but seriously, if you have rowdy local terrain - really worth a try.

Cool. Good to know. All I know is Maxxis tires and thus far have been pretty impressed with the Specialized tread having zero knowledge of them. I do like the Yellow sidewalls on the Michelin's. I've never run inserts - ever.

 

[ebikerider]

Definitely better than the Specialized Butchers. (Don’t get me wrong, these new / revised Specialized tires are pretty darn good).

The Michelin DH tires are for : set and forget / don’t bother with inserts / grip is never an issue / no worries with slower rolling / who cares about battery life / AssagWho?

?

…but seriously, if you have rowdy local terrain - really worth a try.

I changed my usual combo of Maxxis EXO rear with cushcore to the Michelin DH tyres and no cushcore....first run on my other bike with 25psi in the rear of the Michelin I pinch flatted and dented a new rim! I'm running 27psi in the rear of the KSL to avoid hitting my carbon wheels. I actually thought they would be more robust given how heavy they are! They do grip well though.

 

[notaninfluencer]

Doesn't deserve the Kenevo name, should have been 180mm 27.5

Nice bike, but not for me. The point of Kenevo is self shutling. But where does this bike leave next gen Levo SL? If there ever will be one..

Ive got one on test, the bike is nice, but its really niche, for most trails ive ridden from big mountain to woods, the bike is totally over biked... a sweet spot could be halfway between Levo SL and this...

 

[Kinger]

I changed my usual combo of Maxxis EXO rear with cushcore to the Michelin DH tyres and no cushcore....first run on my other bike with 25psi in the rear of the Michelin I pinch flatted and dented a new rim! I'm running 27psi in the rear of the KSL to avoid hitting my carbon wheels. I actually thought they would be more robust given how heavy they are! They do grip well though.

I’ve been running the Michelin DH tires on my WR1 Agent rims (Carbon) for 6 months now.
I usually ride with 22 / 23 psi in wet and 24 / 26 dry.
I’ve been very happy and have not taken it easy on the wheels.

When these Michelin’s wear out, I am also curious to test an EXO MaxxGrip DHR 2 front and EXO+ MaxxTerra DHR 2 rear.
(w/ cushcore).

 

[motivio]

Hi, I'm looking for a drawing of the Kenevo SL, which is showing the way the rear brake hose has to run thru the frame.
Can anybody get me a copy of such a service drawing?
For the Levo SL there was a "Tech_Service_Workbook_Retailer" shared in this forum.
I hope there is something similar for the Kenevo SL.

 

[Blownoutrides]

I’ve been running the Michelin DH tires on my WR1 Agent rims (Carbon) for 6 months now.
I usually ride with 22 / 23 psi in wet and 24 / 26 dry.
I’ve been very happy and have not taken it easy on the wheels.

When these Michelin’s wear out, I am also curious to test an EXO MaxxGrip DHR 2 front and EXO+ MaxxTerra DHR 2 rear.
(w/ cushcore).

After issues with Maxxis tires wobbling with cushcore I tried a pair of Michelin DH 34s.They were wire casing / non-foldable, but this cushcore fanboy still managed to stuff in the inserts. While technically feasible, I would not recommend the experience. The DH 34s worked great but no appreciable difference to the double Assegai (DH casing) combo. They flatted so I swapped them out. Never tried sans cushcore cause I’m too heavy (220lbs) to trust my carbon rims to a no-cushcore setup.
I figure cushcore may add 3mins of climbing per ride but on the other hand I completely stopped carrying plugs/levers/tube about a year ago and haven’t flatted since with (somewhat wobbly) Maxxis DH + cushcore.

I guess bottom line is that they might be a great substitute for Maxxis + cushcore for the sub-200lb crew. Traction was spot on. Just way too much work with that wire casing if you need to pack inserts.

 

[ebikerider]

After issues with Maxxis tires wobbling with cushcore I tried a pair of Michelin DH 34s.They were wire casing / non-foldable, but this cushcore fanboy still managed to stuff in the inserts. While technically feasible, I would not recommend the experience. The DH 34s worked great but no appreciable difference to the double Assegai (DH casing) combo. They flatted so I swapped them out. Never tried sans cushcore cause I’m too heavy (220lbs) to trust my carbon rims to a no-cushcore setup.
I figure cushcore may add 3mins of climbing per ride but on the other hand I completely stopped carrying plugs/levers/tube about a year ago and haven’t flatted since with (somewhat wobbly) Maxxis DH + cushcore.

I guess bottom line is that they might be a great substitute for Maxxis + cushcore for the sub-200lb crew. Traction was spot on. Just way too much work with that wire casing if you need to pack inserts.

Spot on.

I've had the Maxxis wobble with and without fitting cushcore, I really think its a manufacturing flaw in the carcass construction and you just can't tell until you fit them.

I'm going back to a cushcore setup also when the Michelins wear out unless I flat them again in which case they'll be coming straight off.

 

[KSL]

I've been on Maxxis for years...Never had or even heard of this wobble issue.

 

[rb.]

Not sure anyone's interested, but I recently tried a shorter stem - 35mm from the standard 50mm. Really allowed for easy pull up on the front for jumps or pulling up obstacles, holes, etc...Really liked this aspect, but I personally felt it was a wee bit too much.

Since, I've picked up a 40mm and a 45mm stem..... just installed the 45. This 45 might be the ticket for me. Seems to fit just about right, yet still offers improved pull up and better feel in the front and generally on the bike. Haven't tested the 40 yet, but I'll keep the 45 on for now. I'm about 5'10" in heels. Not easy to locate a 45, but Spank makes one that looks pretty good on the bike. The stem really can change the feel in the cockpit on this bike.

I also have a new Deity 35mm in black should anyone want to buy it. Same one they use on the S-Works.

View attachment 67164

I’d recommend keeping all stem sizes for future use if you’re someone who likes to tinker with setup. I say this from experience, as in the past I’ve sold a one-up bash guard and various stems I wasn’t using. But then when I got a different bike, I went and re-bought exactly what I just sold.

 

[jcmonty]

Not sure anyone's interested, but I recently tried a shorter stem - 35mm from the standard 50mm. Really allowed for easy pull up on the front for jumps or pulling up obstacles, holes, etc...Really liked this aspect, but I personally felt it was a wee bit too much.

Since, I've picked up a 40mm and a 45mm stem..... just installed the 45. This 45 might be the ticket for me. Seems to fit just about right, yet still offers improved pull up and better feel in the front and generally on the bike. Haven't tested the 40 yet, but I'll keep the 45 on for now. I'm about 5'10" in heels. Not easy to locate a 45, but Spank makes one that looks pretty good on the bike. The stem really can change the feel in the cockpit on this bike.

I also have a new Deity 35mm in black should anyone want to buy it. Same one they use on the S-Works.

View attachment 67164

I am running a 45mm atm. I pulled it from my SL because I also wanted to run my carbon bars that I preferred.

definitely made the fit better for me. 6’1 on an s4

 

[ebikerider]

Ride report to come.

 

[CjP]

Ride report to come.

View attachment 67225

Love the green!

Just needs a sneaky Festool sticker somewhere and I’m done ?

 

[Kinger]

Love the green!

Just needs a sneaky Festool sticker somewhere and I’m done ?

Nothing says EMTB like a little woodworking humor!



Oh, @ebikerider - looks amazing! ?

 

[KSL]

I'm gonna say better than the Fox Elite.

 

[ebikerider]

Got out for a few rides on the KSL, loving the bike!

In short the DVO Onyx fork is one of the easiest to set up and a fork that I have really come to love in a short period of time. I got the Onyx from DVO NZ, wasn't available anywhere else, and what a great job he as done setting this up.

First impressions were that it felt like the ERA. The way it held up with very stout mid stroke support was impressive. Initially I ran it with plenty of pressure and zero damping to get a feel, then dropped the pressure and added HSC to keep me from bottoming on the bigger hits and quickly found a sweet spot. The fork is really active and is super supple and very relaxed over small chatter. The Mezzer over this terrain I found fatiguing after a while as it needed the rider to be somewhat going for it to work well. Braking heavily on the steeps the stiffness seems to be spot on, with no binding or added friction when loaded, just active, smooth and controlled movement.

The biggest compliment I can give this fork is that on my last ride I didn't think about the fork once. This is super rare for me as something usually gets my attention and I start thinking about the cause and solution. This Onyx and my Hayes Dominion brakes are set and forget

Compared to the 38 the Onyx is possibly even slightly more supple on the small stuff, stiffness feels very similar, weight is also very similar (Onyx was 2.3kg with uncut steerer). Onyx held up better in its mid stroke than the 38. The Onyx feels like it recovers quicker than the 38 and so feels calmer going hot into corners with a heap of chatter. The front end grip from the fork tracking so well, not deflecting adds a heap of confidence. I'm having to recalibrate when I need to get my inside foot out in anticipation of a drift because the front is hanging on better (same tyre and pressure just a change of fork). I'm playing with pressures and adding more HSC and so far I've felt no harshness at all. No hand pain on longer runs even with the added damping. So far all is looking good!

Not all doom and gloom for the 38 though. In fact I did a complete 180 on that (I was going to sell it). Decided to keep the 38, Smashpot it and put it on my other bike

 

[jcmonty]

Got out for a few rides on the KSL, loving the bike!

In short the DVO Onyx fork is one of the easiest to set up and a fork that I have really come to love in a short period of time. I got the Onyx from DVO NZ, wasn't available anywhere else, and what a great job he as done setting this up.

First impressions were that it felt like the ERA. The way it held up with very stout mid stroke support was impressive. Initially I ran it with plenty of pressure and zero damping to get a feel, then dropped the pressure and added HSC to keep me from bottoming on the bigger hits and quickly found a sweet spot. The fork is really active and is super supple and very relaxed over small chatter. The Mezzer over this terrain I found fatiguing after a while as it needed the rider to be somewhat going for it to work well. Braking heavily on the steeps the stiffness seems to be spot on, with no binding or added friction when loaded, just active, smooth and controlled movement.

The biggest compliment I can give this fork is that on my last ride I didn't think about the fork once. This is super rare for me as something usually gets my attention and I start thinking about the cause and solution. This Onyx and my Hayes Dominion brakes are set and forget

Compared to the 38 the Onyx is possibly even slightly more supple on the small stuff, stiffness feels very similar, weight is also very similar (Onyx was 2.3kg with uncut steerer). Onyx held up better in its mid stroke than the 38. The Onyx feels like it recovers quicker than the 38 and so feels calmer going hot into corners with a heap of chatter. The front end grip from the fork tracking so well, not deflecting adds a heap of confidence. I'm having to recalibrate when I need to get my inside foot out in anticipation of a drift because the front is hanging on better (same tyre and pressure just a change of fork). I'm playing with pressures and adding more HSC and so far I've felt no harshness at all. No hand pain on longer runs even with the added damping. So far all is looking good!

Not all doom and gloom for the 38 though. In fact I did a complete 180 on that (I was going to sell it). Decided to keep the 38, Smashpot it and put it on my other bike

Nice report! So, you have had a Mezzer and the ERA as well?? Assuming those weren't on the KSL at any point..

DVO has always piqued my interest, especially since they are fairly local. Good to hear it's a solid performer. Your report also further makes me think that the DSD Runt or the Secus could be a big performance boost for the mid stroke on the 38.

Now... how about that coil?!? That's the real item of interest at least to me

------
Btw - has anyone weighed their KSL? I saw a post on a FB group about someone weighing their KSL, and it was heavier than I thought. Granted he had added cushcore and a coil fork which probably adds at least 2 lbs, but he was at 46lbs with that setup.

 

[Kinger]

Now... how about that coil?!? That's the real item of interest at least to me

I got a bunch more ride time on the RockShox SD Ultimate Coil.

I really prefer it to the Float X2, and here’s why:

Bigger impacts are handled and soaked right up - just a smoother ramp to the end stroke.
I don’t feel that I’ve lost any “pop” when needed on trail. The MRP progressive coil is likely a big help here. (550+)
Sensitivity off the top. Of course.
Better high speed composure. Especially when it gets really rough.
Simple setup. Progressive spring with SAG set to 30% - no or very little compression needed and then set rebound to flavour.

Some critiques:
I haven’t needed to lock out the shock on climbs yet but I’ve thought about flipping the switch.
On pedally roots / rock littered slow trails, this 170mm bike, especially with the coil can get bogged down - wasn’t so bad with the air shock, from what I remember.

 

[jcmonty]

I got a bunch more ride time on the RockShox SD Ultimate Coil.

I really prefer it to the Float X2, and here’s why:

Bigger impacts are handled and soaked right up - just a smoother ramp to the end stroke.
I don’t feel that I’ve lost any “pop” when needed on trail. The MRP progressive coil is likely a big help here. (550+)
Sensitivity off the top. Of course.
Better high speed composure. Especially when it gets really rough.
Simple setup. Progressive spring with SAG set to 30% - no or very little compression needed and then set rebound to flavour.

Some critiques:
I haven’t needed to lock out the shock on climbs yet but I’ve thought about flipping the switch.
On pedally roots / rock littered slow trails, this 170mm bike, especially with the coil can get bogged down - wasn’t so bad with the air shock, from what I remember.

on the slow , janky trails you think it just gives up trail to easily? I wonder if the progressive spring influences rebound settings that are needed. Does it have lsr and hsr adjustments?

 

[Kinger]

on the slow , janky trails you think it just gives up trail to easily? I wonder if the progressive spring influences rebound settings that are needed. Does it have lsr and hsr adjustments?

I’m pedalling through the compressions and I think because the coil shock is so supple I feel that I need to spend more energy and effort to maintain any speed.
As soon as the speed picks up, the bike feels amazing.
The shock has no HSR tuning (done when the shock is setup for rider / bike)
Your thought on how rebound works with a progressive coil is a good one.
I’m sure it’s not set to handle the range of progression.

 

[ebikerider]

I got a bunch more ride time on the RockShox SD Ultimate Coil.

I really prefer it to the Float X2, and here’s why:

Bigger impacts are handled and soaked right up - just a smoother ramp to the end stroke.
I don’t feel that I’ve lost any “pop” when needed on trail. The MRP progressive coil is likely a big help here. (550+)
Sensitivity off the top. Of course.
Better high speed composure. Especially when it gets really rough.
Simple setup. Progressive spring with SAG set to 30% - no or very little compression needed and then set rebound to flavour.

Some critiques:
I haven’t needed to lock out the shock on climbs yet but I’ve thought about flipping the switch.
On pedally roots / rock littered slow trails, this 170mm bike, especially with the coil can get bogged down - wasn’t so bad with the air shock, from what I remember.

Jade X coil with 475-575lb progressive spring.

Better than the X2 everywhere.

No experience with DVO coils prior to this but plenty with other brands. In the car park the Jade feels almost undamped. It is so different to my other bikes coil I even contacted the seller and asked a few questions before I rode about the tune and if it needed a bleed! I trusted him and rode it the next day with the recommended rebound setting. I fully expected to be bucked and the rear end to be out of control but was I wrong. Whether it is the KSL linkage flattering the coil, or this shock just suits me but honestly the way the back end feels is what I've been looking for for some time now.

The shock is super reactive to small bumps so that magic carpet muted thunder ride is there. The spring is holding the rear end up more, I haven't had a pedal strike since the coil went on! High speed chatter the rear is getting out of the way and following the terrain...traction for days. No hammering off line, it just gets on with it.

Honeymoon perhaps...lets hope not. More rides!

 

[jcmonty]

I’m pedalling through the compressions and I think because the coil shock is so supple I feel that I need to spend more energy and effort to maintain any speed.
As soon as the speed picks up, the bike feels amazing.
The shock has no HSR tuning (done when the shock is setup for rider / bike)
Your thought on how rebound works with a progressive coil is a good one.
I’m sure it’s not set to handle the range of progression.

Given how progressive springs work… it kinda makes sense. More of the energy is stored later in the spring stroke vs a linear assuming same sag point. Meaning you probably use a bit more in those scenarios. Also probably why tuning rebound could be a bit more complicated . I ran a progressive spring on my 1st gen Kenevo . I think I found similar to you, but I was under sprung with the progressive so it was exacerbated I believe

maybe try adding a bit of lsc to see if that helps? Might negate a bit of the suppleness, but could be worth a shot.

 

[jcmonty]

Jade X coil with 475-575lb progressive spring.

Better than the X2 everywhere.

No experience with DVO coils prior to this but plenty with other brands. In the car park the Jade feels almost undamped. It is so different to my other bikes coil I even contacted the seller and asked a few questions before I rode about the tune and if it needed a bleed! I trusted him and rode it the next day with the recommended rebound setting. I fully expected to be bucked and the rear end to be out of control but was I wrong. Whether it is the KSL linkage flattering the coil, or this shock just suits me but honestly the way the back end feels is what I've been looking for for some time now.

The shock is super reactive to small bumps so that magic carpet muted thunder ride is there. The spring is holding the rear end up more, I haven't had a pedal strike since the coil went on! High speed chatter the rear is getting out of the way and following the terrain...traction for days. No hammering off line, it just gets on with it.

Honeymoon perhaps...lets hope not. More rides!

Ah you people spending my money again… ?

have you measured sag? If so, how did it compare to when you had the x2?

 

[ebikerider]

Ah you people spending my money again… ?

have you measured sag? If so, how did it compare to when you had the x2?

Very similar.

Sag @ 230psi in the X2 gave approx 49mm of wheel sag. 240psi gave a few mm less and didn't give much more mid support but did become choppy at the higher pressure.

One turn of preload gave approx 48mm of wheel sag. All figures are approximate and could be slightly variable but it's in the ball park (the people I used to help measure may have built in parallax error lol).

 

[jcmonty]

Very similar.

Sag @ 230psi in the X2 gave approx 49mm of wheel sag. 240psi gave a few mm less and didn't give much more mid support but did become choppy at the higher pressure.

One turn of preload gave approx 48mm of wheel sag. All figures are approximate and could be slightly variable but it's in the ball park (the people I used to help measure may have built in parallax error lol).

Did you go with the 230x65mm version or did they shim it to 62.5mm? Custom tune?

 

[KSL]

Nice report! So, you have had a Mezzer and the ERA as well?? Assuming those weren't on the KSL at any point..

DVO has always piqued my interest, especially since they are fairly local. Good to hear it's a solid performer. Your report also further makes me think that the DSD Runt or the Secus could be a big performance boost for the mid stroke on the 38.

Now... how about that coil?!? That's the real item of interest at least to me

------
Btw - has anyone weighed their KSL? I saw a post on a FB group about someone weighing their KSL, and it was heavier than I thought. Granted he had added cushcore and a coil fork which probably adds at least 2 lbs, but he was at 46lbs with that setup.

Yup....43/44 lbs on my scale with all the stock stuff.

 

[KSL]

Any wheel experts here mind providing their input?

I'm trying to figure out if there's a way to get better wheel pickup if I were to go to another wheelset with better hubs? Anyone running Carbons on their K-SL?

 

[ebikerider]

Did you go with the 230x65mm version or did they shim it to 62.5mm? Custom tune?

I believe it is 62.5mm and regarding the tune I honestly don't know. DVO NZ build every fork and shock from scratch for the rider/bike so I'm guessing there could be valving changes to suit the linkage but possibly could be standard and just assembled correctly.

Any wheel experts here mind providing their input?

I'm trying to figure out if there's a way to get better wheel rotation pickup if I were to go to another wheelset with better hubs, but still keep a beefier rim like an EX511 and perhaps DT Swiss 240's or i9Hydras?

According to the Roval site, the KSL wheelset with DT Swiss 370 hubs come in at 1870 grams. Other than going to more of an XC wheel or carbon, I'm not finding many options for removing rotational mass so I'm trying to see if better hubs/wheelset may be enough to notice a difference considering there won't be much of a weight variance if I stay with alloys. With such a heavy bike, enduro rims are probably the best option.

The next question, is anyone running Carbons or have the S-Works that can comment for the K-SL Expert?

Definitely not a wheel expert but I'm running carbon wheels with Onyx Vesper hubs. I found the standard wheels a little flexy, the WAO rims are much stiffer so the steering feels more direct and the back end more solid. I've got Michelin DH tyres on these rims so my rotational mass has not been reduced lol

 

[Mcharza]

Finally got it (or I got enough money raised) size S3
This model has such a good parts and maybe the 1st time I have no hurry to change anything. Later maybe the seat post and tyres.
Can't get seat post low enough.

And oh' boy how it rides, so smooth and silence.
And it assist just right and you have to use your own legs.

The fork Fox 38. When you test it in the parking lot, it feels hard but as the speed increases and terrain get more technical , it just gets better. So smooth as also the rear X2. What a great suspension.