Levo SL Gen 1 Official Levo SL Thread

[Four Flusher]

2021 Levo SL

just realized that the specialized website displays new 2021 Levo SL S Works & Levo SL Expert Carbon. (both bikes feature stock FOX 36 forks and upgraded brakes, same with new 2021 FF Levos appearing)

nevertheless a new 2021 Levo SL Comp Carbon won´t show up yet...

should we expect a new 2021 Levo SL Comp Carbon upcoming in the next days?

Do you think it will feature an upgraded Fox 36" fork?

Still nothing about the Carbon Comp on specialized site. I wonder why? Seems like folks have gotten theirs, correct?

 

[Hugh-Jazz]

Took my Levo SL out for the first time this weekend. What a blast. I have access to so many more trails now from my house in the same time.

On my comp carbon - I was planning on getting new suspension and drivetrain before I rode it. I was actually surprised at how good the Fox 34 felt on the front. I may ride it through the fall. The rear shock was so so. I am spoiled by PUSH suspension on my other bike, so that is what I am comparing it to.

NX Eagle - I was not impressed as much by this. I have a mixture of GX Eagle/AXS on my other bike and it has been flawless for 600 miles. The NX Eagle had a few issues on gears jumps. I have an old 12 speed GX Eagle derailleur that I may swap out and see how that works.

All in all it was my first real E bike ride. I did an 18 mile loop with 3,600 of climbing. Did trail mode most of the time and boost on some of the steep climbs; 15% battery remaining. Got an incredible workout and I am glad I went with the SL instead of another e bike.

I have had a similar impression of my new carbon comp. The e-bike 34 is actually stiffer than the standard 36. I prefer the damper on the 36, but am content with the e-bike 34 grip damper. The rear shock is not great compared to the DXPS on my YT Decoy. The NX drivetrain works, but I have a new XT 12-sp drivetrain and another set of wheels with a microspine freehub that will be nicer and lighter. The brakes are OK, but I have some MT7s to swap over too. The stock tires are just OK, but no flats yet through some nasty rock gardens.

I love the nimbleness compared to the YT Decoy. My trails are chunky technical, tight and twisty, and the Levo SL has great agility. So much easier to a manual and hop the rear wheel over obstacles. I was afraid the SL wouldn’t be stable compared to the Decoy on our long/steep downhill. The SL did fine and just a bit slower pace until I get it dialed in. If anything, the SL is better down loose chutes since is lighter and easier to keep from sliding.

 

[Waldolo]

Hey guys, wanted to run this by a few SL owners. I removed the downtube battery because I was finding that after most of my local laps, I'll still have +80% left over. I'm the kinda guy who gets annoyed when I pack 3 tshirts for a trip and only wear 2 (ie. I overpacked). I find it wasteful to carry that extra weight only to use a bit of it. So anyway, took the downtube battery out, bought a range extender and never looked back. I do most laps without the extender and man the bike is awesome and feels very similar to my 2015 comp evo stumpy. As I described it to a buddy, "it's like sleeping with an ex" lol. However, now I have all this room in the downtube and looking at my buddy's Enduro, I'm thinking "Why not suggest to Specialized that one day, they make a SWAT storage conversion kit for Levo SLs?" They make the carbon frame with the SWAT hole under the removeable bottle cage. With the battery in, if you open the SWAT hole, you just see the battery (maybe they put in a seal so water doesn't get onto the integrated battery). But if you are an owner who removes the downtube battery, you would buy a conversion kit where you basically push an insert up into the downtube which creates the SWAT cavity. After the conversion, if you open the SWAT hole under the bottle cage, voila...you have SWAT storage like your Enduro buddy. What do you guys think?!?!

 

[aklemm]

New bike day!

I love this thing. I weigh 230lbs and rode 21 miles with 2,900 ft of climbing. I would normally ride 10-12 miles with 1,200-1,800 ft of climbing, so this bike effectively doubled my distance and elevation gain.

I didn't believe everyone's range claims, but now I'm a believer. I used the range extender and had a combined 35% of battery life left. I still had 165Wh left (approx 11 miles & 1,500 ft of climbing left in the tank) ?

I'm 5'10" with short legs (30-32" inseam) and I felt right at home on a size large.

Don't wait if you're on the fence, buy this machine!

 

[Konanige]

Hey guys, wanted to run this by a few SL owners. I removed the downtube battery because I was finding that after most of my local laps, I'll still have +80% left over. I'm the kinda guy who gets annoyed when I pack 3 tshirts for a trip and only wear 2 (ie. I overpacked). I find it wasteful to carry that extra weight only to use a bit of it. So anyway, took the downtube battery out, bought a range extender and never looked back. I do most laps without the extender and man the bike is awesome and feels very similar to my 2015 comp evo stumpy. As I described it to a buddy, "it's like sleeping with an ex" lol. However, now I have all this room in the downtube and looking at my buddy's Enduro, I'm thinking "Why not suggest to Specialized that one day, they make a SWAT storage conversion kit for Levo SLs?" They make the carbon frame with the SWAT hole under the removeable bottle cage. With the battery in, if you open the SWAT hole, you just see the battery (maybe they put in a seal so water doesn't get onto the integrated battery). But if you are an owner who removes the downtube battery, you would buy a conversion kit where you basically push an insert up into the downtube which creates the SWAT cavity. After the conversion, if you open the SWAT hole under the bottle cage, voila...you have SWAT storage like your Enduro buddy. What do you guys think?!?!

My only question would be, why on earth did you waste money on an E bike?

 

[Waldolo]

My only question would be, why on earth did you waste money on an E bike?

You mean "spend money on the last bike i'm going to buy"? =). I told my wife this is likely going to be the last bike I buy and that rather bold statement actually has a decent chance of being true. Geo numbers might change slightly but my 2015 stumpy's geo is still very much rideable. Weight might go down a few pounds but at 37-38lbs without any battery, meh...I can manage. I just think this bike is as "future-proofed" as anything in the market and it was time for a new bike. I also have a MacRide seat for my 4yr old and it makes hitting the trails with her on it so much easier with a bit of assist. I don't regret dropping the dough on this bike whatsoever.

 

[p3eps]

Hey guys, wanted to run this by a few SL owners. I removed the downtube battery because I was finding that after most of my local laps, I'll still have +80% left over. I'm the kinda guy who gets annoyed when I pack 3 tshirts for a trip and only wear 2 (ie. I overpacked). I find it wasteful to carry that extra weight only to use a bit of it. So anyway, took the downtube battery out, bought a range extender and never looked back. I do most laps without the extender and man the bike is awesome and feels very similar to my 2015 comp evo stumpy. As I described it to a buddy, "it's like sleeping with an ex" lol. However, now I have all this room in the downtube and looking at my buddy's Enduro, I'm thinking "Why not suggest to Specialized that one day, they make a SWAT storage conversion kit for Levo SLs?" They make the carbon frame with the SWAT hole under the removeable bottle cage. With the battery in, if you open the SWAT hole, you just see the battery (maybe they put in a seal so water doesn't get onto the integrated battery). But if you are an owner who removes the downtube battery, you would buy a conversion kit where you basically push an insert up into the downtube which creates the SWAT cavity. After the conversion, if you open the SWAT hole under the bottle cage, voila...you have SWAT storage like your Enduro buddy. What do you guys think?!?!

I’ve got a SWAT pocket in my Stumpy, which usually contains a spare tube, tyre levers, 2 x CO2 cartridges + head... and sometimes a snack. Although it’s a great idea for a lighter weight bike like the Stumpy, it seems kind of counter productive on the SL.

Remove the weight of the battery, to add weight with accessories!!
I’ll just stick with the battery in the frame - and sometimes return home with it at 15%, and sometimes 55%+ depending on my ride.

 

[Waldolo]

I’ve got a SWAT pocket in my Stumpy, which usually contains a spare tube, tyre levers, 2 x CO2 cartridges + head... and sometimes a snack. Although it’s a great idea for a lighter weight bike like the Stumpy, it seems kind of counter productive on the SL.

Remove the weight of the battery, to add weight with accessories!!
I’ll just stick with the battery in the frame - and sometimes return home with it at 15%, and sometimes 55%+ depending on my ride.

The weight is on there anyway. Currently strapped to my frame are tube, levers, and CO2. On longer rides, I also carry snacks and a more comprehensive tool in my hip bag. It'd just be cleaner if I had a SWAT box to shove everything into.

 

[EVILTaylor]

New bike day!

I love this thing. I weigh 230lbs and rode 21 miles with 2,900 ft of climbing. I would normally ride 10-12 miles with 1,200-1,800 ft of climbing, so this bike effectively doubled my distance and elevation gain.

I didn't believe everyone's range claims, but now I'm a believer. I used the range extender and had a combined 35% of battery life left. I still had 165Wh left (approx 11 miles & 1,500 ft of climbing left in the tank) ?

I'm 5'10" with short legs (30-32" inseam) and I felt right at home on a size large.

Don't wait if you're on the fence, buy this machine!

View attachment 40830

View attachment 40831

View attachment 40832

I too am amazed. I did 18 miles, 3,700 feet of climbing and I had 15% left (no extender). Not sure if I need the extender now.

 

[Norcalsl]

Hey guys, wanted to run this by a few SL owners. I removed the downtube battery because I was finding that after most of my local laps, I'll still have +80% left over. I'm the kinda guy who gets annoyed when I pack 3 tshirts for a trip and only wear 2 (ie. I overpacked). I find it wasteful to carry that extra weight only to use a bit of it. So anyway, took the downtube battery out, bought a range extender and never looked back. I do most laps without the extender and man the bike is awesome and feels very similar to my 2015 comp evo stumpy. As I described it to a buddy, "it's like sleeping with an ex" lol. However, now I have all this room in the downtube and looking at my buddy's Enduro, I'm thinking "Why not suggest to Specialized that one day, they make a SWAT storage conversion kit for Levo SLs?" They make the carbon frame with the SWAT hole under the removeable bottle cage. With the battery in, if you open the SWAT hole, you just see the battery (maybe they put in a seal so water doesn't get onto the integrated battery). But if you are an owner who removes the downtube battery, you would buy a conversion kit where you basically push an insert up into the downtube which creates the SWAT cavity. After the conversion, if you open the SWAT hole under the bottle cage, voila...you have SWAT storage like your Enduro buddy. What do you guys think?!?!

Does your bike handle any differently with the frame battery out and just using a RE?

 

[Waldolo]

Does your bike handle any differently with the frame battery out and just using a RE?

Yup! So much so that I ended up wearing elbow pads for a few rides after a couple of slide outs. I think my body position was just used to having some weight down the center of the bike and without it, I noticed my front tire was washing out a bunch. I've adjusted now though so i'm back to no elbow pads. Having the RE in there helps as it puts a bit of weight back. I'm pretty sure on my two wash outs, I just had a water bottle in the cage.

 

[mtb_brett]

A question on the AXS dropper shim on the S-Works SL - can it be purchased separately? How long is it? I want to put a 31.6 AXS dropper on my carbon comp (which is the same frame mostly) and I purchased a problem solvers shim, but it says it is not to be used on carbon frames. What are your thoughts on that? The S-Works comes from the factory with a shim, so there is obviously a shim that is supported by Specialized.

 

[crazymelki]

This is the original one SPECIALIZED SEATPOST SHIM KIT 34,9mm -> 30,9mm

 

[paquo]

A question on the AXS dropper shim on the S-Works SL - can it be purchased separately? How long is it? I want to put a 31.6 AXS dropper on my carbon comp (which is the same frame mostly) and I purchased a problem solvers shim, but it says it is not to be used on carbon frames. What are your thoughts on that? The S-Works comes from the factory with a shim, so there is obviously a shim that is supported by Specialized.

Seatpost Shim, 31.6 Seatpost to 34.9

 

[mtb_brett]

Thanks. The Problem Solvers shim I have says it is not for use on Carbon frames. Not sure why.

 

[paquo]

Thanks. The Problem Solvers shim I have says it is not for use on Carbon frames. Not sure why.

with the stock shim on my levo there was a loud creak so i used the problem solvers, i hope my bike doesn't blow up

 

[onkelshort]

Fox will have the code in their system. Have you had trouble getting it from them?

Hi, for specialized it's called Rx tune. Fox told me a good point to start is with tune that contains CM and DRM (I think this means Compression Medium and Degressive Rebound Medium).

 

[Hugh-Jazz]

 

[Hugh-Jazz]

View attachment 40980

The SL rules! King of trail bikes!

 

[AlexEMTB]

The SL rules! King of trail bikes!

Hear, hear!

 

[monkeyboy]

YES you can remove it but you will only save 35 grams ? Having that switch at my disposal is must to ride single track and sudden hills quickly....

@LeeBoy - not a weight saving exercise mate, mostly just tooling around with my young kids on basic trails, so totally OTT machine for that job, just don't need the functionality and fancy the clean cockpit. Does it just disengage inside the frame - currently in the bike shop for firmware upgrade (mistake maybe!) so can't check. Cheers!

 

[Junior]

Properly blew out my shock in an enduro race today. There was an on-site suspension rebuild service and they confirmed the shaft is snapped inside. Guess it’s time to upgrade!

 

[Junior]

Has anyone had any issue with running a 210 x 55 mm shock? Can’t seem to find anything I want to purchase in a 52.5mm strike, but plenty of 210 x 55 are available. I’m on a XL

 

[p3eps]

Has anyone had any issue with running a 210 x 55 mm shock? Can’t seem to find anything I want to purchase in a 52.5mm strike, but plenty of 210 x 55 are available. I’m on a XL

I’m on an XL, and am running a 210 x 55 RS Super Deluxe Ultimate with no issues.

 

[Junior]

I’m on an XL, and am running a 210 x 55 RS Super Deluxe Ultimate with no issues.

What do you think of the shock? Looks like it’s between this and a DPX2. I’m tempted to get an X2 like I had on my last bike, but the clearance looks awfully tight.

 

[p3eps]

What do you think of the shock? Looks like it’s between this and a DPX2. I’m tempted to get an X2 like I had on my last bike, but the clearance looks awfully tight.

Never liked Fox shocks TBH, which is why I went RS. I have the MegNeg upgrade in it, which makes it awesome.
Really smooth to ride compared to the stock DPS, and the small bump sensitivity is great.
Still retains the pop and playfulness that this bike should have, and hardly adds any weight - unlike a coil would.

 

[Junior]

Yeah I’m torn on the idea of a coil. I wouldn’t mind the supple ride, but I also fluctuate in weight a lot, so I am concerned about needing several springs. Furthermore, I just dropped some serious dough making the bike lighter and I feel like adding most of the weight back with a coil would be a bit of a bummer.

 

[Etacata]

What do you think of the shock? Looks like it’s between this and a DPX2. I’m tempted to get an X2 like I had on my last bike, but the clearance looks awfully tight.

I run a 220x55 x2 air. its tight but fits. 2 months of hard riding and no issues. great shock for this bike

 

[Junior]

I run a 220x55 x2 air. its tight but fits. 2 months of hard riding and no issues. great shock for this bike

What year is your X2? I see some stuff floating around about the 2021 being a bit fatter on the air can, but having a shorter reservoir. What size frame and have you checked compatibility with a range extender?

 

[Manitunc]

My light ride is a dvo Topaz t3. My heavy ride is a dvo Jade x. Both are excellent . The jade coil is like riding a pillow.