Kenevo SL Official 2022 Kenevo SL (KSL) Megathread!

Jorel

Active member
Mar 4, 2021
109
290
Germany
I'm no fan of that SL Kenevo at all.
Non removable battery, low output and only 4kg lighter than a good eMTB with a grown up motor.
Where's the difference when a 95kg guys sits on it?

But damn, @Rob Rides EMTB , your video is real quality.
A feast for the eyes.
Loved watching it ??
 

h.grenade

Member
Feb 13, 2021
65
43
PNW
Props to Spesh for this bike! ? Its definitely an advance in tech. They included the geo changing and headset cups so you could run this mullet or full 27.5 no problem. The only fail IMO is the old motor but I think that was a dev or supply chain problem. A spesh shop owner told me a few months ago that the bike would have a new motor by a new manufacturer and it would be more like 50nm.

I would guess that the next model will be the real game changer. I would be okay with half power but 1/3 is not enough. Plus I have heard that they are louder.

This looks like it would be a blast on the downs though!
 

rb.

Active member
Apr 27, 2020
388
262
San Jose, usa
I disagree. The normal mtb is about 10 kg lighter.
Trail riding and jumping, pumping, moving, sliding and doing manuals and bunny hops is so much easier and more fun on a mtb. Mtb is not dead
Also depends on where you live. Some rides I go on 75% of the mountain bikers I see are on ebikes here in Northern California. Also there are more and more bike shops opening up that sell ONLY ebikes. Does that mean normal bikes are dead? No. But at some point I would not be surprised if ebikes surpass normal bikes on a large scale.
 

Tbar

Member
Aug 18, 2019
116
55
Germany
I spend 90% of my time in ECO mode on the 2020 FF Kenevo. Mainly long fireroad climbs (sometimes quite steep) where I ride.
Is trail or turbo on the SL motor comparable to ECO on the FF?
Am I going to be burning through battery for similar support?
Do people who’ve ridden both types still find the SL underpowered on road climbs or are the comments predominantly aimed at the tech stuff?
 

jcmonty

Well-known member
Sep 5, 2018
472
406
California
I think this, along with the original SL, are a niche within a niche compare to other lightweight offerings, in that they are competing against regular bikes rather than other Ebikes.

To me the interesting question here would be is the Kenevo SL actually a better bike to ride than the Enduro? Does that added weight actually improve it once pointed down.

For me the bike choice here isn’t Regular Kenevo or Kenevo SL, it’s Enduro or Kenevo SL
Totally. I personally never really enjoyed the full power of a typical ebike. It was fun at first, but i kept reducing the power. And
So good. That's the one I ordered as well. So - it's actually an X2 like the pictures and not a Float X?
 

Bencab

Well-known member
Feb 13, 2020
190
483
California
Totally. I personally never really enjoyed the full power of a typical ebike. It was fun at first, but i kept reducing the power. And

So good. That's the one I ordered as well. So - it's actually an X2 like the pictures and not a Float X?
Yes X2. Big bike. Sizing down from S3 to S2 and will be selling my Levo SL.
 

R120

Moderator
Subscriber
Apr 13, 2018
7,819
9,190
Surrey
What’s the deal with seat post insertion - looks pretty poor due to the motor shifting up the shock window and hence the bottom of seat tube vs the enduro.
 

flash

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Patreon
Nov 24, 2018
1,050
986
Wamberal, NSW Australia
I'm no fan of that SL Kenevo at all.
Non removable battery, low output and only 4kg lighter than a good eMTB with a grown up motor.
Where's the difference when a 95kg guys sits on it?

But damn, @Rob Rides EMTB , your video is real quality.
A feast for the eyes.
Loved watching it ??

Agree on the battery and video quality. Disagree on the weight. I'm that guy (97kg on bike) and I can absolutely feel the 4kg between my full fat and low power eBike's weight. Manhandling an 18kg bike is MUCH easier than a 22kg one.

Gordon
 

Rob Rides EMTB

Administrator
Staff member
Subscriber
Jan 14, 2018
6,260
13,699
Surrey, UK
Agree on the battery and video quality. Disagree on the weight. I'm that guy (97kg on bike) and I can absolutely feel the 4kg between my full fat and low power eBike's weight. Manhandling an 18kg bike is MUCH easier than a 22kg one.

Gordon
Agreed. The 19KG Kenevo SL and 22Kg S-Works feel massively different, even just picking up and moving around.
 

Rob Rides EMTB

Administrator
Staff member
Subscriber
Jan 14, 2018
6,260
13,699
Surrey, UK
How's the range?

Can’t remember the exact battery I returned with here but no where near empty
https://strava.app.link/ag9xNVKFegb
1620942508644.png
 

Rich the gasman

E*POWAH Master
May 4, 2019
178
259
North east
Stunny video lads, I really want to like it but it doesn’t tick my boxes. My levo SL is super cable as I have it. Seen a lot of enduro frame failures and the lower part is awfull for getting rocks jammed in. look at many enduro racers and events, riders don’t pick the enduro they pick the stumpy evo (mainly) I’ve no doubt it’s a fun bike and amazing but if you’ve enduro spec a SL then you wouldn’t really gain much. I have a s works stumpy evo and ride a enduro s works and every time I’d pick the stumpy as it’s way more fun.
 

jcmonty

Well-known member
Sep 5, 2018
472
406
California
Stunny video lads, I really want to like it but it doesn’t tick my boxes. My levo SL is super cable as I have it. Seen a lot of enduro frame failures and the lower part is awfull for getting rocks jammed in. look at many enduro racers and events, riders don’t pick the enduro they pick the stumpy evo (mainly) I’ve no doubt it’s a fun bike and amazing but if you’ve enduro spec a SL then you wouldn’t really gain much. I have a s works stumpy evo and ride a enduro s works and every time I’d pick the stumpy as it’s way more fun.
Don’t tell me that haha. Agreed on most, but I do miss the Uber plus you can get only with travel. The geo suits me better as well. I will probably keep my normal sl for a tad to see back to back how they compare, but most likely will sell after swapping some parts
 

gabryp

Member
Feb 17, 2021
11
6
Italy
I spend 90% of my time in ECO mode on the 2020 FF Kenevo. Mainly long fireroad climbs (sometimes quite steep) where I ride.
Is trail or turbo on the SL motor comparable to ECO on the FF?
Am I going to be burning through battery for similar support?
Do people who’ve ridden both types still find the SL underpowered on road climbs or are the comments predominantly aimed at the tech stuff?

Last week I rode both a Levo Comp and a Levo SL expert on very steep climbs (where it feels difficult even on the FF turbo mode), but thanks to the lighter weight of the SL I managed to do it. Obviously much more effort needed.
I would say turbo of Sl matches trail of a FF, mostly thanks to the reduced weight
(Sorry for the OT)
 

Rob Rides EMTB

Administrator
Staff member
Subscriber
Jan 14, 2018
6,260
13,699
Surrey, UK
I think one of the things that the full fat motor has that helps on climbs is the over run. You get almost another crank turn of over run motor assistance to help on technical climbs.

I don’t recall getting this with the SL platform, so you’ve got a lower power motor and missing the over run. I feel that the over run is a feature that can help with bigger rocks and technical climbing.
 

Rahr85

E*POWAH Master
Sep 6, 2020
495
1,058
nottingham
Feel like this sort of model should have always existed. It's not for me as i'm used to the power now but i reckon it is exactly the kind of bike that would tempt my friends towards an emtb (when they get a bit cheaper). It is a niche but it is a niche they still won't be able to supply enough bikes for.

Had i not had the taste of the full power i would lust over one.
 

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