Kenevo SL Official 2022 Kenevo SL (KSL) Megathread!

KnollyBro

E*POWAH Elite
Dec 3, 2020
992
2,334
Vancouver
@Stompweaver @KnollyBro the lower mount spacers can come out of the bearing very slightly so it helps to ensure they are both fully seated using your fingertips before trying to get the bottom of the shock in or else it can feel like it's never going to fit!
Thanks for the tip. In the end, I think it was my predilection for putting too much grease on the spacers which caused the eyelet spacing between the spacer bushings to be JUST a little too tight. After wiping off 3/4 of the grease and making a custom tapered flange bushing spreader, the shock slipped in with a lot less force than I was attempting to use before. Live and learn. Grease good. Too much grease, not so good.
 

HarzEnduro

Member
Jan 23, 2022
73
102
Germany
Has anyone managed to route braided cables through the frame? (5mm ones) I tried using the ones I got for my MXA but I'm unable to cut it nicely so that it doesn't have an OD bigger than 5mm. Had to use the cable of my Direttissima for now.

Dual MXA.jpg
 

CjP

PRIME TIME
Subscriber
Jan 1, 2019
1,671
2,394
Everywhere
Has anyone managed to route braided cables through the frame? (5mm ones) I tried using the ones I got for my MXA but I'm unable to cut it nicely so that it doesn't have an OD bigger than 5mm. Had to use the cable of my Direttissima for now.

View attachment 91848
Yes I ran the Hope braided but it was a tight fit. May have been easier as I had the bike dissembled when I routed it.
 

Endurafrika

Member
Jul 7, 2022
27
12
Cape Town
hi there, there are rumours floating around that there is a sl motor software update in the making increasing power to 45NM.
Is this technically doable? My understanding was the motor only having a max of 40NM, which specialized capped at 35nm.
 

ebikerider

Active member
Oct 1, 2019
706
484
Australia
Given Trek are about to drop the lighter weight bike with a 50Nm motor and the Fazua 60 is in the Pivot/Transition etc I think it would be a safe bet that Specialized will do something with the SL package in the Levo and Kenevo to make it more competitive. Even a 5Nm increase would be good...a 10Nm increase would be close to perfect.
 

R3Z3N

Member
Mar 2, 2022
82
64
California
Given Trek are about to drop the lighter weight bike with a 50Nm motor and the Fazua 60 is in the Pivot/Transition etc I think it would be a safe bet that Specialized will do something with the SL package in the Levo and Kenevo to make it more competitive. Even a 5Nm increase would be good...a 10Nm increase would be close to perfect.

I would disagree. Turbo already is only for when I can no longer pedal safely, and the overrun makes it hard for tech as we have here for climbs. However I do like the Fazua integration into the BB much better simply as it looks to be much more stealth, sadly Fazua's LED display comes no where close to Specialized computer integration.

Another nicety would be to have half 3/4 or half the battery size, as sometimes I just want to quickly bomb up 2k feet so that I can get back home to cook dinner for my family, but do not want the already big 10lb weight penalty of the e-bike. 5more lbs off the weight would be epic and just perfect for my local rides.

Anyway, ordered an E-Storia and having Suspension Syndicate (EXT USA) valve it for good DH chunk/rock/loose action, and switch to compromised trail so that I can pump without loosing all energy to the suspension. I still will have to change fork settings to compensate for the LOK switch "trail".
 

Doomanic

🛠️Wrecker🛠️
Patreon
Founding Member
Jan 21, 2018
8,698
10,330
UK
Another nicety would be to have half 3/4 or half the battery size, as sometimes I just want to quickly bomb up 2k feet so that I can get back home to cook dinner for my family, but do not want the already big 10lb weight penalty of the e-bike. 5more lbs off the weight would be epic and just perfect for my local rides.
I'd be surprised if the whole battery weighed much more than 5lbs...
 

Zimmerframe

MUPPET
Subscriber
Jun 12, 2019
13,998
20,749
Brittany, France
I'd be surprised if the whole battery weighed much more than 5lbs...
I think the 320 weighs 1.8kg's (3.96lbs in caveman)
The range extender (160wh) weighs 1.1kg ish (2.42lbs) (can I use a "." or should I use ounces ?)
So you're not going to save much with a half sized (50%) or 3/4 (75%) :confused: sized internal battery.
 

Endurafrika

Member
Jul 7, 2022
27
12
Cape Town
Where have you seen information from mahle or specialized that it’s in fact a possibility? Or are you hoping and throwing voodoo sticks?
Where have I seen the info? Somewhere, hence my original post. If I had the info from mahle or specialised I’d probably not go to a public forum to get confirmation.
Voodoo? No! Hoping? Perhaps!
Nevertheless… where does the “stupid” fit in? Just interested why your buddy from stuttgart thinks it’s stupid to enquire re possibilities?
 

Zimmerframe

MUPPET
Subscriber
Jun 12, 2019
13,998
20,749
Brittany, France
where does the “stupid” fit in? Just interested why your buddy from stuttgart thinks it’s stupid to enquire re possibilities?
This is becoming very circularly "stupid" :)

Ever since the Mahle was released, there have been rumours that the power will be increased.

Initial strip downs suggested the motor was more than capable. There's more to it than that though. You have a battery and range extenders, the extenders can't pull any more current than they do.

If it was as simple as that, it's safe to say by now that Spesh would have done it - to make the SL/KSL more attractive to more buyers.

Yes, it would be a double edged sword, more power, less range.

@BAMBAMODA always has a plentiful supply of women he needs to rush back to, if there was anyway his friend at Mahle could make his bike faster, he would have.

I'm sure you're more than capable of interpreting what stupid means. So unless you have more to offer, can we stop asking the same question or we'll have to keep reading bambam's reply's .. and that's just painful ! 🙃
 

ebikerider

Active member
Oct 1, 2019
706
484
Australia
I would disagree. Turbo already is only for when I can no longer pedal safely, and the overrun makes it hard for tech as we have here for climbs. However I do like the Fazua integration into the BB much better simply as it looks to be much more stealth, sadly Fazua's LED display comes no where close to Specialized computer integration.

Another nicety would be to have half 3/4 or half the battery size, as sometimes I just want to quickly bomb up 2k feet so that I can get back home to cook dinner for my family, but do not want the already big 10lb weight penalty of the e-bike. 5more lbs off the weight would be epic and just perfect for my local rides.

Anyway, ordered an E-Storia and having Suspension Syndicate (EXT USA) valve it for good DH chunk/rock/loose action, and switch to compromised trail so that I can pump without loosing all energy to the suspension. I still will have to change fork settings to compensate for the LOK switch "trail".
If the motor had a little more torque it would make it a much better climbing bike because as it is, it is one of the worst ebikes that I've climbed on due to the lack of torque and the way it relies more on power and cadence which makes the overrun an issue occasionally. I find the rear tyre loses grip easily on even midly rocky terrain and then spins out (I can ride my normal bike further up steeper, rocky loose hills than the KSL). Best way to maintain or increase grip is to drop two or three gears but it quickly reaches a point where I'm needing more torque from the motor to keep things moving.
 

HarzEnduro

Member
Jan 23, 2022
73
102
Germany
If the motor had a little more torque it would make it a much better climbing bike because as it is, it is one of the worst ebikes that I've climbed on due to the lack of torque and the way it relies more on power and cadence which makes the overrun an issue occasionally. I find the rear tyre loses grip easily on even midly rocky terrain and then spins out (I can ride my normal bike further up steeper, rocky loose hills than the KSL). Best way to maintain or increase grip is to drop two or three gears but it quickly reaches a point where I'm needing more torque from the motor to keep things moving.
I, on the other hand, have managed to ride up steep and rocky loose climbs that I haven't been able to ride up before the KSL. It's an E-Bike for people who don't have problems riding long rides on a normal bike either. It doesn't need more power than it already has*. If you need more, Rocky Mountain has something to offer.

You can also adjust the percentage of how fast the power of the motor kicks in. I have it at 50 or 60% I believe and have never had any problems with a slipping rear wheel. Maybe change the tire?

*I have recorded about 750watts (5:27) of my power going in plus the additional 238watts of the motor (set to 80%). This is about 1000watts. More than enough to get up steep climbs.
 

KnollyBro

E*POWAH Elite
Dec 3, 2020
992
2,334
Vancouver
I, on the other hand, have managed to ride up steep and rocky loose climbs that I haven't been able to ride up before the KSL. It's an E-Bike for people who don't have problems riding long rides on a normal bike either. It doesn't need more power than it already has*. If you need more, Rocky Mountain has something to offer.

You can also adjust the percentage of how fast the power of the motor kicks in. I have it at 50 or 60% I believe and have never had any problems with a slipping rear wheel. Maybe change the tire?

*I have recorded about 750watts (5:27) of my power going in plus the additional 238watts of the motor (set to 80%). This is about 1000watts. More than enough to get up steep climbs.

I am not sure how much power I have generated on KSL but I am happy to say that I have been able to "go were no me has gone before, so often and with enough ease" to make me stop complaining about riding up a mountain. That being said, I used to have a Kenevo and loved the way it would blast up an FSR with minimal effort but the trade off with it being so heavy on the way down, was not even close to worth it.
I rode my KSL at Silverstar bike park in BC today. I was quite pleased with its performance even after getting a gash in my rear tire within the first 2 minutes of riding. Bacon 🥓 for the win!
 

ebikerider

Active member
Oct 1, 2019
706
484
Australia
I, on the other hand, have managed to ride up steep and rocky loose climbs that I haven't been able to ride up before the KSL. It's an E-Bike for people who don't have problems riding long rides on a normal bike either. It doesn't need more power than it already has*. If you need more, Rocky Mountain has something to offer.

You can also adjust the percentage of how fast the power of the motor kicks in. I have it at 50 or 60% I believe and have never had any problems with a slipping rear wheel. Maybe change the tire?

*I have recorded about 750watts (5:27) of my power going in plus the additional 238watts of the motor (set to 80%). This is about 1000watts. More than enough to get up steep climbs.
Torque is what it needs, not power.

I'm running a T9 Butcher Gravity on the rear. You must have insanely grippy terrain if you have never felt the rear spinning. I've had multiple people ride my bike up the same loose, rocky terrain and every single rider had issues with grip on the same sections. Sections that a full fat ebike would trundle up, scrambling but ultimately finding grip, sections that normal bikes can clear without stopping, the KSL struggles because it has such little torque and spins up. When I reach sections that like I'm happy to get off and walk anyway as I find it too energy sapping trying to manage the traction loss.

For info I generally ride in trail at whatever the standard settings are.
 

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