Levo SL Gen 1 Official Levo SL Thread

iainc

Active member
Jul 21, 2019
171
134
Glasgow
so what’s your issue? your RE is currently sitting at full charge and hasn’t been discharged for a few weeks?
Yes, I charged it up when I got it a few weeks ago and haven’t tried it yet as none of the rides accessible to me in current lockdown need it. I’d rather store it part charged.
 

apac

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Aug 14, 2019
1,326
1,173
S.Wales
Yes, I charged it up when I got it a few weeks ago and haven’t tried it yet as none of the rides accessible to me in current lockdown need it. I’d rather store it part charged.
Obviously, lithium cells are not designed to be held at full charge for long periods. The only downfall from doing this will be the possibly of losing a small amount of capacity held in the cells, probably due to a small build up of internal resistance? However, I wouldn’t lose sleep over it and it won’t ‘damage the battery’ over a few week period. But you do want to try and check that both your large pack is fully charged and the RE is fully charged and then try and drain at least 25% from the RE when you can.
 

Moe Ped

Well-known member
Apr 19, 2020
215
357
Perth Australia
2021 Comp Carbon Levo SL for Australia gets a minor brake upgrade and $800 price increase, and a new colour. and is available to buy now.

 

SquireRides

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Sep 4, 2018
540
556
UK
2021 Comp Carbon Levo SL for Australia gets a minor brake upgrade and $800 price increase, and a new colour. and is available to buy now.


Guide RE? That's a decent upgrade...
 

SquireRides

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Sep 4, 2018
540
556
UK
Cables and hoses .... I got my UK spec SL a few weeks ago and loving it. I am a wee bit disappointed at the nose and cable lengths as supplied and it’s going back to the lbs for some tweaks in a couple of weeks. I have the 150mm dropper pretty much as far into the seat tube as it will go, being a short arse 5ft 9.5 with a 30 inch inside leg. The dropper cable is a good 5-6 inches too long, with a huge loop out front. Similarly the rear brake hose is a few inches too long, while the front hose is definitely a bit short. Spinning the bars in the stand the front hose stops rotation way before anything else and would be a likely casualty in an off. Anyone else found this ? View attachment 33935
My cables are all over the place, too long, too short, weird routing...
 

SquireRides

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Sep 4, 2018
540
556
UK
When we got the presentation from Specialized in South Africa they said that draining the RE first was not the optimal way of using the battery and there would be a significant drop off in power nearing the end of the RE's battery. Hence, don't do it.

Even on a standard Levo at 3-4 bars the power output is less as the Voltage drops from the battery.

The idea of using RE first is that if you have more than one, to use RE first and loop back and swap out for another. It's not recommended if your going to ride a normal loop with a RE to use that first, then switch to Main Battery. Go for dual discharge. You do need the Y lead to charge both.

Always go for dual discharge in MC if you have a single Range Extender plugged in.

Unless you're a machine I can't see a need to use 2 Range Extender's and the Main Battery, your're talking about a 50-60 mile loop and just swap the RE out when it drops if that's your bag. Rob and I rode and his discharge rate was almost identical to mine on the FF Levo.

@TomH Were both batteries fully charged? The software is smart and from what they said at the presentation it will balance them, but I would assume it needs them to be somewhere near equal to their full capacity or it might not handle the discharge of each efficiently. From what I remember of the talk they said with more than one Range Extender the logic should be in MC to use RE, RE, Main battery. Otherwise, with a RE and Battery, it was discharge both at the same time. That would imply, and I'm speculating, they all need to be at full capacity.

I hadn't thought about the physics, so good point.

My reason for using the drain-RE-first options are:
- For day-long rides it's easier to find somewhere to plug the RE to charge, so I favor draining the RE and saving the main battery
- To reduce overall charge cycles on the main battery

Even considering physics, the battery management could be better with the option to swap from RE to main battery at the point it would otherwise significantly restrict power. If that was 10-15% I'd be fine with that.

Until then, it sounds like draining both at once is the way to go, because my reasons for draining the RE first are not deal breakers.
 

dasurpha

Member
May 9, 2020
62
41
Helsinki
My reason for using the drain-RE-first options are:
- For day-long rides it's easier to find somewhere to plug the RE to charge, so I favor draining the RE and saving the main battery
- To reduce overall charge cycles on the main battery

During my weekday rides (hour and a half or so) I use both batteries at the same time, charging the RE fully after every ride, but I only charge the bike when it gets below 30% or so or before the weekend rides.
 

TomH79

Well-known member
Jan 5, 2020
322
304
Finland
Fitted today the extender. Last time i used it was about 2 weeks ago.
Mc setting is like i use both main and entender at the same time.
Still when connecting it and power on, there 5 blue and 5 green bars in tcu. Tried to change it from mc but no change.

So went for a ride, and like assumed, bike died after extender was used. Needed to take the cable off from the bike to be able to ride again.

Anyone had this? I still wanna use both batteries at the same time.
Am i only to have this? It worked normally 2 weeks ago showing only blue lights when re was connected.
What has changed?
 

dasurpha

Member
May 9, 2020
62
41
Helsinki
Am i only to have this? It worked normally 2 weeks ago showing only blue lights when re was connected.
What has changed?

When both batteries are full, it should have 5 blue and 5 green lights. Only when the RE is empty, every light should be blue.
2F82BA78-CCCB-4107-ACC0-52764D8136AB.jpeg
 

TomH79

Well-known member
Jan 5, 2020
322
304
Finland
When both batteries are full, it should have 5 blue and 5 green lights. Only when the RE is empty, every light should be blue.
View attachment 34110

Yes when you use it like you wanna drain the re first. But when using both at the same time there use to be only blue leds.

Now it only works like draining re first=bike dies after it is empty and cord needs to be took away.
 

SquireRides

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Sep 4, 2018
540
556
UK
Yes when you use it like you wanna drain the re first. But when using both at the same time there use to be only blue leds.

Now it only works like draining re first=bike dies after it is empty and cord needs to be took away.

Pretty sure on mine the bars look the same however you are drawing down the power.
 

Bencab

Well-known member
Feb 13, 2020
190
483
California
Bencab,
How do XR4 29x2.4 tires ride on Levo sl? I assume they are mounted on the stock wheels. No clearance issue, front and rear? Thanks!
Hello - XR4 is good tire but it gets outgun when it is steep and loose. Also, I already destroyed the rear - puncture that cannot be sealed. I still use the XR4 (front) paired with Ardent when doing mellower XC rides. But when I ride on steeps, I use Maxxis DHF and Vittoria Agarro on a wheelset with cushcore. Also, I am not using the stock wheels.
 

Bencab

Well-known member
Feb 13, 2020
190
483
California
Question to SL owners - anyone currently using SRAM AXS dropper 170mm on a medium SL? Just trying to check if its doable. I am 5'8'' for reference. Thank you.
 

Dusty

Active member
Jul 14, 2018
251
106
Liverpool
Talking of walk assist, I found on the demo bike that it hardly worked. It was very feeble to the point of being useless.
going in to place my order for a carbon comp this mornin. Will get them to replace drive train and brakes with SLX.
Hi did you get the drive train and brakes changed ? If so did you get a decent deal on it
Thanx
 

TomH79

Well-known member
Jan 5, 2020
322
304
Finland
Has anyone same thoughts that sl rattles more than ff levo when ride gets rowdy?
Mine rattles quite a lot when bombing rocks and roots ect,where the ff remained very silent.

What can cause it? Other than chain?
 

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