Levo SL Gen 1 Official Levo SL Thread

[St4nley]

I think a few others have noticed the stay pivot rubber cover squeaking. Grease just makes it attract more dirt so I was wondering how others have addressed this. Mine was silent for the first 750 miles and now cleaning makes it quiet but temporarily. Does it just pop off for cleaning or is attachment hardware underneath. Thanks

The cover has two torx screws holding it in place, remove your rear wheel lift the cover to get to the screws.

 

[sdcoffeeroaster]

The cover has two torx screws holding it in place, remove your rear wheel lift the cover to get to the screws.

Thanks, a lot to do everytime it starts squeaking though and that seems to happen every ride. I cleaned it last ride from above and it was squeaking again in one ride, a dry rubber rubbing on dry rubber sound. I tried some teflon spray this time but I'm sure that will lead to even more dirt sticking. Maybe a thin piece of teflon between the two pieces of rubber with those screws would help? Or maybe they should have made one of those rubber pieces with a self lubricated material?

 

[sdcoffeeroaster]

Anyone else encounter a walk assist error. It's a red and blue bar, space between I think. It's happened twice on my 2021 expert carbon SL and turning the motor off and on clears it and then walk assist works just fine. Not sure what gear I was in or the circumstances when this happened but no issues like this in the first 1000 miles and now twice it happened in the past 2 weeks.

 

[R120]

Anyone after an SL there are some decent discounts on Speech website sale:

Sale - Specialized

Find our latest clearance items here and snag a deal on quality equipment and apparel.

www.specialized.com

I suspect clearing stock ready for the new SL . .

 

[Mooncat]

Thanks, a lot to do everytime it starts squeaking though and that seems to happen every ride. I cleaned it last ride from above and it was squeaking again in one ride, a dry rubber rubbing on dry rubber sound. I tried some teflon spray this time but I'm sure that will lead to even more dirt sticking. Maybe a thin piece of teflon between the two pieces of rubber with those screws would help? Or maybe they should have made one of those rubber pieces with a self lubricated material?

It's not the cover that's squeaking, it's the cables inside. Take the cover off and put a thin foam sheet or similar between the rubbing cables and the noise will stay away.

 

[chamaruco]

descending very fast yesterday I passed over a branch left on the ground which cut the hose and left the banjo on the brake. Saint Front Brakes saved me

 

[Chicane]

Anyone after an SL there are some decent discounts on Speech website sale:

Sale - Specialized

Find our latest clearance items here and snag a deal on quality equipment and apparel.

www.specialized.com

I suspect clearing stock ready for the new SL . .

The sale hasn't hit here in the US yet, but my guess will be in the next few days. The same sale they had a few months back to clear stock for something coming, but was halted as we know.

 

[sniffy]

Hi All - lost my pedal assist and walk assist, mission control showing a fault code of 4128

any ideas on what this might mean please - thanks in advance

 

[rpr]

The SL machine (Mahle, not Brose) is very durable.
Just remember to keep the crank spinning high at 80-90 per min.
Do not force the Turbo and high gear

I’ve noticed the same thing, but can anyone explain why this is? The SL motor has torque as well as cadence sensors. While the power delivery is smooth and nuanced, as it should be with a torque sensor, it should also ramp up power as you apply more torque to the cranks, like when you hit an incline in a slightly too high gear, but it does not do this. At least on my 2022 SL Expert, if I underestimate an incline and find myself one gear too high, the bike just seems to ramp down power delivery as I increase torque pressure on the pedals. Love the bike, but just doesn’t seem right.

I would much rather deal with reduced battery life than no power at reduced cadence on uphills…

 

[Konanige]

Thats because its a bike designed for mountain bikers, relying on your skills and judgement, to anticipate the trail ahead and not rely on a motor to get you through it.

 

[rpr]

I get what your saying, but it’s not simply an inadequate amount of linear power output on inclines. I might not have adequately explained the issue above.

Power output feels like it’s being severely ramped down on inclines, potentially even shutting off. Yes it will still climb if you pedal like a madman, but it feels like it’s all you with no power assistance. The SL is barely easier on inclines than my analogue MTB. This feels (subjectively) more like a programming flaw or perhaps a calibration issue. It just quits on inclines.

My particular SL originally had terrible power delivery off the showroom floor. I had the shop owner test it and he said it felt like there was “nothing” (no power assist) even on flats. He said he went through a time consuming full software upload (not an update) and a full recalibration and it vastly improved the power output. It felt like a new bike, with the exception that it still feels like the motor just shuts off on inclines.

Could just be an issue with mine.

 

[Mcharza]

I’ve noticed the same thing, but can anyone explain why this is? The SL motor has torque as well as cadence sensors. While the power delivery is smooth and nuanced, as it should be with a torque sensor, it should also ramp up power as you apply more torque to the cranks, like when you hit an incline in a slightly too high gear, but it does not do this. At least on my 2022 SL Expert, if I underestimate an incline and find myself one gear too high, the bike just seems to ramp down power delivery as I increase torque pressure on the pedals. Love the bike, but just doesn’t seem right.

I would much rather deal with reduced battery life than no power at reduced cadence on uphills…

I see it like a car engine. If you drive a manual transmission car in too high gear and press the gas pedal, nothing happens. The engine is not in the optimal rev range.

 

[rpr]

Agreed, that’s a good analogy that applies to the being in a gear too high scenario. But it seems to extend beyond that. I can barely notice a difference on inclines between the SL and my analogue MTB even when I’m in a proper gear with high cadence.

I plan to bring mine in to a LBS to get it checked out, maybe have it recalibrated again, but in the meantime does anyone know if there’s a DIY way to qualitatively test whether the torque sensor is working on these 1.1 SL’s (at all)?

 

[Konanige]

You could try timing a climb with the bike off, have a quick cup of tea then do it again with the motor switched on. If its faster the second time then either the bike is working OK or there is something in your tea!! Happy new year

 

[rpr]

Thought about that, but I prefer high powered dark roast coffee and I’m confident the caffeine in my brews will greatly eclipse any minimal contribution from my SL 1.1 on the inclines.

 

[MLX John]

Definitely something off with your SL. I have cleaned some seriously steep, techy, long inclines with mine with relative ease. Some that I would never be able to do on my Stumpjumper under my own power.

And the power, especially under trail and turbo is very, very apparent.

 

[rpr]

Thank you, more incentive for me to try to figure this out. Just need to find a good Specialized dealer in my area.

 

[levity]

@rpr - I agree with @MLX John that something may be wrong with your bike that needs looking into by a dealer. My SL feels like a Rocket compared to no assist.

Just a chance, but what power settings are you using? Assist level? Peak power? If peak power is set low it may feel Ike power is “cutting out” when you exceed the peak value at any assist level. I set Peak Power at 100% for all assist levels so the motor continues to reward my input efforts at the set assist factor.

 

[rpr]

I’m using 40/40, 65/65 and 100/100. Good suggestion about peak power for all assist levels, but I have this issue even on the 100/100 setting.

I have no complaints about power assist on flats or even slight inclines, the issue is on 5% inclines or higher. It just feels like the motor purposefully reduces the power output the more I get up on the pedals/cranks on those inclines. More torque applied to crank arms = less power output from motor.

In my mind that’s when the torque sensor should be kicking in and doing its job, so it could be a defective torque sensor or calibration.

 

[Pdoz]

I’m using 40/40, 65/65 and 100/100. Good suggestion about peak power for all assist levels, but I have this issue even on the 100/100 setting.

I have no complaints about power assist on flats or even slight inclines, the issue is on 5% inclines or higher. It just feels like the motor purposefully reduces the power output the more I get up on the pedals/cranks on those inclines. More torque applied to crank arms = less power output from motor.

In my mind that’s when the torque sensor should be kicking in and doing its job, so it could be a defective torque sensor or calibration.

So you have it set to the same output peak as baseline -isn't that what you're saying the problem is?

Try , eg, 40/100 and 100/100 , switch back and forward between the two to understand..

 

[rpr]

I have the issue even at the Turbo setting of 100/100. So unless you’re saying 40/100 will provide more output on inclines than 100/100, adjusting the Eco & Trail settings will not help.

 

[Pdoz]

I have the issue even at the Turbo setting of 100/100. So unless you’re saying 40/100 will provide more output on inclines than 100/100, adjusting the Eco & Trail settings will not help.

Try it before deciding it will not help.

100/100 feels like there is nothing in reserve - because there is nothing in reserve..

 

[Seagrave7]

When is the new Levo SL due out?

 

[Loamranger]

When is the new Levo SL due out?

2025

 

[MLX John]

When is the new Levo SL due out?

lol

 

[Streddaz]

I’m using 40/40, 65/65 and 100/100. Good suggestion about peak power for all assist levels, but I have this issue even on the 100/100 setting.

I have no complaints about power assist on flats or even slight inclines, the issue is on 5% inclines or higher. It just feels like the motor purposefully reduces the power output the more I get up on the pedals/cranks on those inclines. More torque applied to crank arms = less power output from motor.

In my mind that’s when the torque sensor should be kicking in and doing its job, so it could be a defective torque sensor or calibration.

I find with my SL is that if you are standing up and cranking you are not spinning fast enough to get a whole lot of assistance. the SL motors do require to be higher up in the cadence and it's not something easily done when standing up and cranking. Spinning faster is much easier sitting down and then it gives you way more power than a non-motored MTB.
The SLs also require you to shift into an easier gear more than the full powered bikes that can just lug along in the same gear.

 

[boBE]

I find with my SL is that if you are standing up and cranking you are not spinning fast enough to get a whole lot of assistance. the SL motors do require to be higher up in the cadence and it's not something easily done when standing up and cranking. Sitting down where spinning faster is easier, gives you way more power than a non-motored MTB.
The SLs also require you to shift into an easier gear more than the full powered bikes that can just lug along in the same gear.

Yes, the SL motor can produce 240 W with 35 n*m and that requires a minimum of about 65 rpm.

 

[George_KSL]

With inbuilt cadence meter on e-mtb (making it easy with inbuilt display on KSL, but my wife just uses her garmin watch) I finally learned to keep almost consistent 85rpm.
That really changes perspective with the amount of power SL can give me, it always feel enough, always very fast compared to normal bike.
You just have to to forget about the kind of grunt fullfat motor gives you even at 40rpm (and often multiplied with features like shuttle mode). When you average the total assistance over longer full ride you might find it not that much behind full-fat. The lack of punchiness just skews the perception.
Or rather: SL gives you the lungs of tri-athlete, not the legs of track cyclists :- )

 

[rod9301]

Yes, the SL motor can produce 240 W with 35 n*m and that requires a minimum of about 65 rpm.

Doesn't it have a torque sensor, so the harder you push on the pedals, the more assist you get?

 

[boBE]

Doesn't it have a torque sensor, so the harder you push on the pedals, the more assist you get?

Yes (depending on the settings), but it is not going past 35 n*m.