Levo SL Gen 1 Official Levo SL Thread

[CjP]

I would say the SL is easier to climb in slow, tight technical terrain where as the Kenevo will bowl over anything due to its momentum. Bare in mind my Kenevo is running 200mm travel with 62 degree HA.
I personally don’t find the Kenevo to be lacking in its climb ability unless it gets really tight with lots of ruts or rocks.
The SL is just an easier bike to manoeuvre around due to its weight and single crown forks but it’s definitely more work to climb as far as pedalling effort.
On flat to flatfish terrain there’s nothing in it between SL and FF ebikes. Above 25kp/h the SL is way nicer then the FF bikes.

 

[dasurpha]

Why not ride what you have till stuff wears out then replace? Your fork and rear shock are fine for anyone. They work.

My plan exactly. Except the brakes, ordered Shimano straight away. I never liked the SRAM feeling and apparently the stock brakes in Comp are lacking in power.

 

[CJaMTB]

I'm 5'6" tall, have the Medium, and nearly went Large. At 5'10" I'd say you want the Large all day long (genuinely surprised that people are suggesting Medium). I'm a Level 3 MTB coach, so know a bit about sizing, and think the Medium would just be far too cramped for you. Yes, you would be able to chuck it about a little easier, but if you were really chucking the bike about, your skill levels would suggest that you'd prefer the extended reach and high speed stability that the size Large would bring and you would still have the skills to 'chuck it about'. Even if you don't have those skill levels, you need a bike that fits. The Levo ranges are known for having shorter geometry than other contemporary bikes, so where possible people are being advised to size up. Your height puts you firmly in the Large size bracketing when you take that into account, no way you should be riding a Medium frame.

 

[CJaMTB]

Anyone that has picked up an SL in the last week or so, could you post up your firmware versions, wondering if I need to go and get mine updated

Here you go...

 

[CJaMTB]

You just about have me sold on it ! Can I ask, what size bike and what height etc are you ? I’m a shade under 5’10, long back, short legs at 30” and think I’d be on a large but need to get dropper swopped to 125.

I have 29" legs and am running a 150mm dropper on my medium frame. Why would you want to go to a 125mm dropper?

 

[iainc]

I have 29" legs and am running a 150mm dropper on my medium frame. Why would you want to go to a 125mm dropper?

I have done the maths on the seat-tube length for a large frame and the distance I need from centre BB to the top of my saddle. on paper, with a 150mm dropper the saddle will be about 8-10mm too high when the dropper is inserted as far as it'll go and is fully extended

 

[MrBrownstone]

I would say the SL is easier to climb in slow, tight technical terrain where as the Kenevo will bowl over anything due to its momentum. Bare in mind my Kenevo is running 200mm travel with 62 degree HA.
I personally don’t find the Kenevo to be lacking in its climb ability unless it gets really tight with lots of ruts or rocks.
The SL is just an easier bike to manoeuvre around due to its weight and single crown forks but it’s definitely more work to climb as far as pedalling effort.
On flat to flatfish terrain there’s nothing in it between SL and FF ebikes. Above 25kp/h the SL is way nicer then the FF bikes.

Thank you ?

 

[Killswitch73]

I’m 5”10 but I’m a short arse with only 29in inseam ..I have the large SL and I swapped the dropper to the axs 150mm .. the stack height of the post is 10mm to high as my feet can just reach the floor with my toes . If I change the rear wheel to a 27.5 I can then touch the floor better . It really does not bother me As on Berms my feet can touch the floor easily enough as bike is at that angle . If I had gone with a medium it would of been far to cramped for my as I do have a longer torso .

 

[Killswitch73]

Idk man. S-works said it comes with it. I just don’t like that I have to have both plugged in to kick on the charger. I’ll have to try again maybe I just have to wait longer or maybe there’s a master cable and slave.

Now i get you . S-works does indeed come with the extender.. not sure about what charger ? comes with it though but having to charge both at same time is a bit weird . Ask specialized for a single charger ..

You can perhaps get it much cheaper through a dealer .
SL Battery Charger | Specialized.com

 

[dasurpha]

First picture Picking up the pedals while the charger does its magic, test ride in a few hours...

 

[MrBrownstone]

I’d agree. I’m 5’9” + a little and with the 29” wheels a medium felt best. If I was crushing some crazy DH/enduro tracks at insane speeds yes a L would be best. But this age thing tells me that I can’t afford to get hurt anymore so I’ll be fine with my medium and reasonable speeds.

Yup medium. All. Day. Long.?

 

[MrBrownstone]

I'm 5'6" tall, have the Medium, and nearly went Large. At 5'10" I'd say you want the Large all day long (genuinely surprised that people are suggesting Medium). I'm a Level 3 MTB coach, so know a bit about sizing, and think the Medium would just be far too cramped for you. Yes, you would be able to chuck it about a little easier, but if you were really chucking the bike about, your skill levels would suggest that you'd prefer the extended reach and high speed stability that the size Large would bring and you would still have the skills to 'chuck it about'. Even if you don't have those skill levels, you need a bike that fits. The Levo ranges are known for having shorter geometry than other contemporary bikes, so where possible people are being advised to size up. Your height puts you firmly in the Large size bracketing when you take that into account, no way you should be riding a Medium frame.

 

[dasurpha]

You won’t be disappointed man. I did 31km/19 miles yesterday And Didn’t finish extender. So should be able to do 40 miles on the bikes internal battery. And if you run out it’ll feel like a normal MTN bike.

Yep, it’s fun! Was expecting it after a short run on tarmac...but it’s much better on the singletracks!

Did a short one-hour ride and tested the different modes - eco/trail when in the woods and turbo for the last stretch home. I was really surprised how well the internal battery lasts.

First observations:
-Yes the Spesh handlebar is wide. Forgot it after 10 minutes and hit a tree with the end of it when following my old marks. Was not running fast at the spot so had the .5 sec to find a soft landing spot.
-SWAT tool is handy, and having the brake handles even slightly in a different angle is annoying. Easily fixed along the road.
-BOY how low it runs! Pedals were hitting rocks on my regular paths like never before! Saints seem to take it well.
-Brakes were better than expected. For the first 20 mins. Then it started raining and when wet they make more sound than an 18-wheeler honking! (Luckily my XTs are on their way.)
-Dropper works very well.
-Ride is very plush. Did not tune sag yet, just added pressure to match my weight.
-Tires roll well and given they had decent pressure the grip on wet cliffs was surprisingly good. Wet roots sideways...well nothing has grip on them.
-Large is spot on for me - I’m 183.5cm/6’ with 32.5” inseam.
-Drivetrain...I’ll need to test more.

 

[dasurpha]

 

[dasurpha]

My tires came with tubes inside and were at like 40psi. Hopefully tomorrow I can get it tubeless. Was surprised that my buddies aluminum wheels were a lot lighter than my carbon ones.

Tubeless is my plan later this week as well.

 

[CJaMTB]

I have done the maths on the seat-tube length for a large frame and the distance I need from centre BB to the top of my saddle. on paper, with a 150mm dropper the saddle will be about 8-10mm too high when the dropper is inserted as far as it'll go and is fully extended

Blimey, that does surprise me but I'll take your word for it. I think X Fusion do a 130mm dropper, which might give you a little extra room, not 100% certain of that though.

 

[CJaMTB]

View attachment 31461

The original mullet setup! I'm running 29 front and rear though.

 

[p3eps]

Here’s what I got back from J-tech Suspension on changing my rear shock...

“For this application, we’d recommend either the CCDB IL Coil or CCDB IL Air. They both use the same design damper, which can offer support, without feeling chattery, like you have now. The Air can offer more adjustment to the progression, however there are progressive coil springs now available for the Coil shock. So the only thing to weigh up between the 2 is either you go for the increased sensitivity, consistency and reliability of a coil shock, or you go for the lighter weight and slightly more adjustability of the air shock. Personally I’d go for the coil, but it’s just personal preference really. You will definitely get better performance from the coil shock, for a weight penalty of around 250-300 grams.”

A Cane Creek air or coil. A good bit cheaper than the Öhlins offerings that TF recommended - but still going down the route of a coil being better.

What’s the thoughts from our experts here?
I’ve never ridden a coil... and my only experience of a double barrel shock is the 3 weeks I had the Trek Rail - which had the RS Deluxe Ultimate. It felt really good, but then it was a 22.5kg bike v’s what is now a 17.5kg bike.
I want the rear to feel less bumpy at lower speeds, and also when trying to pedal fast over roots etc.

Will I notice a big difference from a good air shock v’s the Fox DPS? Should I not worry about the extra 300g, and go with a coil? I don’t want to lose the pop - just the bouncy rear end!

 

[jcmonty]

Here’s what I got back from J-tech Suspension on changing my rear shock...

“For this application, we’d recommend either the CCDB IL Coil or CCDB IL Air. They both use the same design damper, which can offer support, without feeling chattery, like you have now. The Air can offer more adjustment to the progression, however there are progressive coil springs now available for the Coil shock. So the only thing to weigh up between the 2 is either you go for the increased sensitivity, consistency and reliability of a coil shock, or you go for the lighter weight and slightly more adjustability of the air shock. Personally I’d go for the coil, but it’s just personal preference really. You will definitely get better performance from the coil shock, for a weight penalty of around 250-300 grams.”

A Cane Creek air or coil. A good bit cheaper than the Öhlins offerings that TF recommended - but still going down the route of a coil being better.

What’s the thoughts from our experts here?
I’ve never ridden a coil... and my only experience of a double barrel shock is the 3 weeks I had the Trek Rail - which had the RS Deluxe Ultimate. It felt really good, but then it was a 22.5kg bike v’s what is now a 17.5kg bike.
I want the rear to feel less bumpy at lower speeds, and also when trying to pedal fast over roots etc.

Will I notice a big difference from a good air shock v’s the Fox DPS? Should I not worry about the extra 300g, and go with a coil? I don’t want to lose the pop - just the bouncy rear end!

I have weighed going coil on this bike, but I don't think I will end up doing that (my other bike is coil right now). I posted somewhere else, but you should try cushcore XC. It helps the small bump/traction immensely. Coil has other benefits, but if you don't want to go full swap - might be worth trying inserts

 

[CJaMTB]

Here’s what I got back from J-tech Suspension on changing my rear shock...

“For this application, we’d recommend either the CCDB IL Coil or CCDB IL Air. They both use the same design damper, which can offer support, without feeling chattery, like you have now. The Air can offer more adjustment to the progression, however there are progressive coil springs now available for the Coil shock. So the only thing to weigh up between the 2 is either you go for the increased sensitivity, consistency and reliability of a coil shock, or you go for the lighter weight and slightly more adjustability of the air shock. Personally I’d go for the coil, but it’s just personal preference really. You will definitely get better performance from the coil shock, for a weight penalty of around 250-300 grams.”

A Cane Creek air or coil. A good bit cheaper than the Öhlins offerings that TF recommended - but still going down the route of a coil being better.

What’s the thoughts from our experts here?
I’ve never ridden a coil... and my only experience of a double barrel shock is the 3 weeks I had the Trek Rail - which had the RS Deluxe Ultimate. It felt really good, but then it was a 22.5kg bike v’s what is now a 17.5kg bike.
I want the rear to feel less bumpy at lower speeds, and also when trying to pedal fast over roots etc.

Will I notice a big difference from a good air shock v’s the Fox DPS? Should I not worry about the extra 300g, and go with a coil? I don’t want to lose the pop - just the bouncy rear end!

It's horses for courses. People on here will back both options, for differing reasons. Nothing will beat a properly set up coil, but getting the set up spot on is harder to do than with an air shock. You also have the weights, if that's a factor for you. For me personally, I'll be sticking with air on my SL, just because I don't think you can beat an air shock for that poppy feeling.

 

[MrBrownstone]

Seems crazy to me to put a heavy coil shock on an SL.

 

[CjP]

Coil feels nicer. Run a slightly heavier spring to give you back some pop. These bikes are light enough that the coils weight penalty makes very little difference.
That’s my experience anyway.

 

[jemen]

Here you go...

View attachment 31446

I have exactly the same firmware version for the motor.
My last update included a "Display update", so lets compare the display firmware and battery firmware too..

 

[p3eps]

Coil has other benefits, but if you don't want to go full swap - might be worth trying inserts

I run my tyres at 19psi front and 23 rear. Is this going to make a big improvement?

It's horses for courses. People on here will back both options, for differing reasons. Nothing will beat a properly set up coil, but getting the set up spot on is harder to do than with an air shock. You also have the weights, if that's a factor for you. For me personally, I'll be sticking with air on my SL, just because I don't think you can beat an air shock for that poppy feeling.

Totally - everyone will recommend what they have. Weights are a factor for me - I’ve spent a lot of money changing things and getting the weight down (whilst trying not to lose performance).

Seems crazy to me to put a heavy coil shock on an SL.

I agree with this completely. I bought a £230 saddle to shave off 100g, and an XX1 cassette to replace my GX saving another 100g. Adding an extra 300g+ for a coil (on top of the weight of a decent air shock) seems counter productive... however I do want performance over weight!
The Fox DPS weighs next to nothing, so even a decent air shock is going to add 150-200g. I’m not sure I want to increase my total weight 500g+ from where it is now.

Coil feels nicer. Run a slightly heavier spring to give you back some pop. These bikes are light enough that the coils weight penalty makes very little difference.
That’s my experience anyway.

I get that... the general consensus is that a coil will give me better performance / feeling. What I really want to know is what sort of improvement would I get with a top of the range air shock over the basic DPS.
If a coil was perfect (100%), would a good air shock give me 90%?!

I’m looking to make the problem I have with the rear shock better, whilst potentially compromising with the weight.
If a Öhlins TTX air or RS Deluxe Ultimate air would give me ‘as near as’ a coil, but saving 300g+, then I’d go for that. As long as I can feel a decent improvement, then I’ll be happy.
I’ve never ridden a coil, so I won’t have anything to compare it to - other than its much better than the DPS was!

I can get the RS for about £450 and the Öhlins is £780.

I assume I’d be looking at a 210 x 52.5 - which is always classed as a Stumpjumper 27.5 fitting?

 

[ImSundee]

I have exactly the same firmware version for the motor.
My last update included a "Display update", so lets compare the display firmware and battery firmware too..
View attachment 31523
View attachment 31524

Cheers for that both

I got mine in Feb first batch.

Battery Firmware hasn't changed.

Motor is 41.3.6
Display is 22.B.0

Looks like I need some updates then

What is nice, is no hardware revision changes.

 

[CjP]

.
I get that... the general consensus is that a coil will give me better performance / feeling. What I really want to know is what sort of improvement would I get with a top of the range air shock over the basic DPS.
If a coil was perfect (100%), would a good air shock give me 90%?!

I’m looking to make the problem I have with the rear shock better, whilst potentially compromising with the weight.
If a Öhlins TTX air or RS Deluxe Ultimate air would give me ‘as near as’ a coil, but saving 300g+, then I’d go for that. As long as I can feel a decent improvement, then I’ll be happy.
I’ve never ridden a coil, so I won’t have anything to compare it to - other than its much better than the DPS was!

I can get the RS for about £450 and the Öhlins is £780.

I assume I’d be looking at a 210 x 52.5 - which is always classed as a Stumpjumper 27.5 fitting?

My only experience with air shocks have been the SL comp fox, top of the range rs and Ohlins air. Both really nice and poppy but coil just felt nicer for me.
You seem to be mostly concerned with weight so I’d stick to air if that’s the case. I’d assume a double barrel air shock would be a good improvement over stock.

 

[dasurpha]

Many say the extender cable is tight. Solution: use the road cable which is 60mm longer

 

[crazymelki]

or rotate the extender to the left (counterclockwise) in the bottle holder....

 

[dasurpha]

Tubeless is my plan later this week as well.

Easiest tubeless ever, the tires held pressure even without sealant.

 

[Killswitch73]

Many say the extender cable is tight. Solution: use the road cable which is 60mm longer

View attachment 31547

This will cause problems in the long run ..get the proper lead ffs .