Levo SL Gen 1 Official Levo SL Thread

apac

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Aug 14, 2019
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Looks like fun... apart from the bone shaking Lol. I never get to see dry dust trails like that. In fact they are so alien to me I’d probably just slide out.
 

jcmonty

Well-known member
Sep 5, 2018
472
406
California
Looks like fun... apart from the bone shaking Lol. I never get to see dry dust trails like that. In fact they are so alien to me I’d probably just slide out.
Haha.. It's not too bad. At dry/dusty is really all we get out of a few good days a year.

This segment is definitely a bit of a "bone-shaker" (HD, 4k processing ATM of post if the quality is poor)

 

jcmonty

Well-known member
Sep 5, 2018
472
406
California
Another epic ride in 4th of July. Supposed to be a 4 hour ride but turned into over 6 hours - in my 30-mile the rear tubeless valve got hit by a twig and started leaking air. I have to stop every 2 miles to put air. Cush Core helped a bit.





View attachment 34987


Wow. That is an impressive amount of vert and mileage! One RE only, I take it?

I have that rear tire now as well. So far liking it a lot as a faster rear tire with decent traction. Fingers crossed I avoid puncture (also running CC XC)
 

Bencab

Well-known member
Feb 13, 2020
190
483
California
Wow. That is an impressive amount of vert and mileage! One RE only, I take it?

I have that rear tire now as well. So far liking it a lot as a faster rear tire with decent traction. Fingers crossed I avoid puncture (also running CC XC)
Jcmonty - i used 2 range extenders but have about 40% left after the ride - I rode full turbo on my way up (about 11 miles of climbing) after that leaky valve incident.
 

grantini

E*POWAH Master
May 7, 2019
611
539
Delaware
It really isn't. It's an historical hold-out from the days when the very first electric bikes could only do around 25 kph. So it became a convenient (and arbitrary) de facto figure to legislate around, and the law has never caught up.


Nope. Speed limits are legally enforced against the person in charge of the vehicle. It is, as far as I can tell, unique to ebikes that manufacturers are being made responsible for the application of a limit (for example, the European 155 mph limit on car speeds isn't a statutory requirement): but it's purely in order to avoid the need to type-approve the vehicle - it means they're not legally classified as "mopeds".

The Speed argument is a convenient justification used now, but it's not why the 25 kph cut-off exists.

And it's no problem at all to exceed that speed on an acoustic bike...


Speculation with no evidence to support it. In fact, (ignoring your arbitrary 30 mph Straw Man punt - nobody who is interested in higher motor support talks about 30 mph, nobody says "no limits") it's pretty well accepted that there are clear risks attached to running out of steam on a shared road when the support cuts out - common sense tells you that.

There is research which confirms that a rider is less likely to be cut (or knocked) off by an impatient overtaking driver if he's riding more quickly than 25 kph - which higher support would explicitly help with; and being able to get away from traffic lights and not bog down at the motor limit, is obviously safer.

But even if a "pedelec" could do 30 mph, riders simply wouldn't, any more than owners of 155 mph cars will routinely try to reach that kind of speed.

Lets be clear about this, though: an increase in support to (say) 20 mph will not result in the kind of carnage that you colourfully speculate about. If it did, would the USA choose it? (28 mph in some states, in fact).

And Switzerland allows Speed-pedelecs (45 kph) to ride anywhere an acoustic bike can.

None of this would be the case if higher level of support = catastrophe.

Oh - and being taxed and MOTd doesn't meaningfully reduce the risk of accidents anyway.


Oh, come on, man. Seriously? "buy a motorbike" is the equivalent of Godwin's Law for ebikes.

Even with motor support, going faster still involves pedalling - you're on an ebike forum, so I have to assume you know this.

It's not about "going faster". It's about going the same speed I can ride on an acoustic bike, but with some help from a motor.

And if that's a reasonable aspiration under 25 kph, it's logically every bit as reasonable above 25 kph.

The only good thing that might fall out of Brexit is that the UK govt. might finally "take back control" and increase the speed at which ebikes cut off support.

A great example is this anecdote; when I bought my first ebike a little more than a year ago, I found I could do the loop I used to do when I was thirty, (I'm 60 now) in about an hour. Guess how long it took me to do it when I was thirty? An hour... it's not a "motorbike" (really? motorbike?) it's a time machine.
 

Tobers

Well-known member
Jun 20, 2020
140
309
England
My new SL has arrived in my LBS! I've been fidgety and impatient for some weeks now, and I just hate waiting for stuff. But I've finally seen it nestling in its box. Red Ally Comp XL. Should be ready to collect on Friday once they've put some Guide Ultimate brakes and XX1 shifter & derailleur on (eBay scavenges).

I am, obviously, very excited. And credit to Ace Bicycles in Guildford (UK) for getting it in earlier than expected.
 

apac

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Aug 14, 2019
1,326
1,173
S.Wales
anyone know what Barr/stem combo these are?

0AC3E32F-AC87-4D98-9EB1-54CAC4CDB2DE.jpeg
 

KeithR

Well-known member
Jul 1, 2020
679
611
Blyth, Northumberland
anyone know what Barr/stem combo these are?

View attachment 35381
Syncros Hixon:
 

KeithR

Well-known member
Jul 1, 2020
679
611
Blyth, Northumberland
A great example is this anecdote; when I bought my first ebike a little more than a year ago, I found I could do the loop I used to do when I was thirty, (I'm 60 now) in about an hour. Guess how long it took me to do it when I was thirty? An hour... it's not a "motorbike" (really? motorbike?) it's a time machine.
Exactly - I think of them as equalisers, no more, no less. They give you back something of the ability you used to have, but - and this is the point I was making - for the most part they don't make you faster.

At the age of (nearly) 60 I can still absolutely go as quickly on my acoustic Giant Trance II as I can on my ebike (soon to be ebikes - got an SL on order) - in either case, way north of 25 kph - so the whole notion that the cut-off is about limiting speed for safety reasons because there's some sort of innate problem with 25 kph on an ebike that needs special treatment, bears no logical analysis.
 
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jedduh

Member
Jun 4, 2019
5
3
Santa Cruz, California

p3eps

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Dec 14, 2019
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Scotland
160mm Ohlins M2 fork and TTX rear. Few Carbon bits, wheels, bars. Full AXS. 17.25KG in XL and 16.5 if I just remove the internal run the extender battery.

Head angle with this setup is 64.6 degrees.

How’s the Ohlins TTX Rob? I’m wanting to change the rear shock, and stick with air.
It’s one of the possibilities I’ve been looking at - but I’m waiting for RS to bring out the 2021 Super Deluxe Ultimate before I make a choice.
 

Rob Rides EMTB

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Jan 14, 2018
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Surrey, UK
How’s the Ohlins TTX Rob? I’m wanting to change the rear shock, and stick with air.
It’s one of the possibilities I’ve been looking at - but I’m waiting for RS to bring out the 2021 Super Deluxe Ultimate before I make a choice.
I’ve limited time with it to be fair. But I have noticed that it is very very sensitive in mid stroke.
not fully tested it yet but feels very nice on what I have ridden.
 

p3eps

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I’ve limited time with it to be fair. But I have noticed that it is very very sensitive in mid stroke.
not fully tested it yet but feels very nice on what I have ridden.

Cool... let us know how you get on with it after you’ve tested it out a bit. It gets really good reviews, but I’m interested to hear how it works on an SL.
 

R120

Moderator
Subscriber
Apr 13, 2018
7,819
9,190
Surrey
160mm Ohlins M2 fork and TTX rear. Few Carbon bits, wheels, bars. Full AXS. 17.25KG in XL and 16.5 if I just remove the internal run the extender battery.

Head angle with this setup is 64.6 degrees.

View attachment 35389
The bike just looks like it means serious bizznizs now, love it, lean mean shredding machine.

I still can’t bring myself to like the AXS dropper though, it’s the best dropper, but the battery location looks like the saddle has a full nappy. I hope on the next version they can tuck it away somehwere
 

Rob Rides EMTB

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Jan 14, 2018
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The bike just looks like it means serious bizznizs now, love it, lean mean shredding machine.

I still can’t bring myself to like the AXS dropper though, it’s the best dropper, but the battery location looks like the saddle has a full nappy. I hope on the next version they can tuck it away somehwere
Yeah, luckily I don’t see the shit sack whilst riding. Just the lack of dangly cables handing from the bars ?
 

Stephen

Member
Jan 10, 2019
34
52
Mallorca , Spain
160mm Ohlins M2 fork and TTX rear. Few Carbon bits, wheels, bars. Full AXS. 17.25KG in XL and 16.5 if I just remove the internal run the extender battery.

Head angle with this setup is 64.6 degrees.

View attachment 35389
Hi Rob , very nice bike and your forum is excellent . I have the axs on my bikes and am very happy with the system . I have also shortened the brake hoses because they are usually far too long up front , easy to do and it really cleans up the front end . Just an idea :) . Greetings from Mallorca .
 

p3eps

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
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Dec 14, 2019
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Scotland
Thoughts on the the new RS ZEB fork for the SL? 44mm offset?

I think changing to a Lyric or a Fox 36 is a worthwhile exercise if you’re upping the travel.
I think a Zeb or Fox 38 is adding excessive weight. The SL is not a DH bike, and the 38 / Zeb are designed for hard hitting DH riding.

I love my 160mm 51mm Lyric as it gives the bike a slightly slacker feel, and is much more plush than the Fox 34 was. Although I love buying new toys, I don’t see the Zeb as a requirement for the SL.
 

ImSundee

Well-known member
Jan 20, 2020
328
315
Oxford
I think it depends, If you are a heavier weighted rider the 38s/Zeb are better due to the more accurate steering.

The Lyric to Zeb is 200g, thats not really alot.
 

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