Specialized Turbo SL for 3.5k brand new or Second Hand Trek EXE

[DzikieEmtb]

Hey There, I'm looking to buy an Emtb for the first time, There is trek dealer near me and I loved the TREK EXE.

New EXE online 2023. - 5.8k
Second Hand - 4.4k

Brand new Specialized levo turbo SL 2022 - 3.5k
Second hand probably about 2.6k

I know that those things are not cheap and loose value like crazy, is trek exe so much quiter and more reliable that it would be worth it ?

Thanks

 

[Ribinrobin]

Hi there!

So i'll start with the specialized levo sl 2022, by the price you've shown this will be the older model (gen 1). This model is light and good on battery, however it has a noisy motor that is quite slow to pick up. A lot of people love this bike but its dated in geometry and the motor noise is quite loud. Its a fun bike but it will not hold money and be hard to sell second hand should you ever decide its not the right bike.

I owned the levo sl gen 1 and it was a great bike, alot of fun! I did about 1000+ miles on it before selling it for the kenevo sl. They have just released a new levo sl that is alot better, but I feel the new one drains battery quite quick as they've increased power but not changed the battery.

As for the trek fuel exe, I've rode a friends and the motor is insanely quite. There isnt another light weight ebike that replicates the motor, it really is whisper silent.

The trek has a natrual power delivery and more power (50nm) than the older levo (35nm)
The trek is a bit heavier than the levo by about a 1.5kg if i remember rightly.

I havent spent time riding the trek on trail so cant comment how it performs but my friend is super fast on his and loves it. The trek has had some motor issues in the earlier batches, if it was me i'd fork out for it new rather than take risk of getting an older motor without full warranty.

 

[DzikieEmtb]

I'm so glad for your post. It sheds a lot of light. Do you think that prices are going to go down ? Should I wait until winter ?

New Trek EXE 9.5 - 4.5k Right now
New trek EXE 9.7 - 5.8k

 

[Ribinrobin]

I'm so glad for your post. It sheds a lot of light. Do you think that prices are going to go down ? Should I wait until winter ?

New Trek EXE 9.5 - 4.5k Right now
New trek EXE 9.7 - 5.8k

No worries! The lightweight ebike market is one Im very passionate about so spent alot of time researching. The only price reductions that will happen is when trek release new colourways, normally that sometimes reduces price of older models.

I see your in london? if you check out these boys Head to the hills they offer fuel exe demos in the surrey hills. You pay a fee but can take the bike for a weekend, and the fee is refunded should you buy the bike through them.

 

[Tooks]

I'm so glad for your post. It sheds a lot of light. Do you think that prices are going to go down ? Should I wait until winter ?

New Trek EXE 9.5 - 4.5k Right now
New trek EXE 9.7 - 5.8k

The £3.5k Levo SL stock is run out pricing, I expect when they’re gone they’re gone.

Now things bike supply wise are normalising, there will always be deals to be had on a new bike, especially if it’s last years or a superseded model.

Probably one thing we all got out of the habit of doing when bikes were in short supply was test riding, but that’s always worth doing especially when you’re looking at spending thousands of pounds.

 

[deksawyer]

I was going to get the base EXe, as it ticked all the boxes, but the in-house (Bontrager) component spec put me off. I was looking around for a similar thing, ie light, mid power, carbon and reasonably specced...I ended up with a Haibike Lyke CF11, with the Fazua Ride 60 motor, which ended up being on sale at £4999 - 26% off I think. Plenty of places still offering that.

Early days, but so far so good. The boost mode is great if you're used to full fat bikes like I am.

 

[DzikieEmtb]

Okay, so I've taken note of the prices for the Trek EXE 9.5 and 9.7, and they have dropped by £100 in just two days between September 5th and 7th.

Last week, I rented a Turbo Levo SL for 2 hours in Surrey Hills for £60, and it was a really cool experience. I enjoyed it a lot.

One thing that's really discouraging about eMTBs is the significant devaluation. You can buy an expensive e-bike in March, and by September, if you want to sell it, it's likely to be worth 50% less. For that reason, I'm considering looking for something second-hand in the winter.

On the other hand, there's the issue of motor reliability. It would be great to have them under warranty.

Navigating this industry is quite challenging, and you can easily end up losing a substantial amount of money.

I've even thought about buying something inexpensive for now until a Fuel EXE becomes available on eBay as it might not happen anytime soon

 

[MikeP]

I'm so glad for your post. It sheds a lot of light. Do you think that prices are going to go down ? Should I wait until winter ?

New Trek EXE 9.5 - 4.5k Right now
New trek EXE 9.7 - 5.8k

I paid £5.7k for my 9.5 in Feb, so they sound like great deals. Choice of model probably depends on how much you like good spec components. The frame motor and battery are identical across the range of course.
I can't fault mine, rides fantastic, no tech issues

 

[ragetty]

I tend to um and ah all the cost options too, but in the fast developing e-bike space, your new or less than new bike is going to ‘age’ rapidly - accept this as a given, or do not plan to sell.

So, focus on prioritizing your needs and desires in the performance of an e-bike … get anything less and you will be dissatisfied, and have wasted your time and money. In a nutshell, buy a keeper.

If the resell value is nonetheless still a major feature of your purchase decision, then preference new/newer over old, and move the bike on quickly. Also, a more highly specced ‘complete bike’ is (IMHO) likely a better resell option than a base model with swapped parts (cos you or the previous owner were not happy with the originals). Regardless, YMMV in terms of absolute or % value regained.

 

[JayGoodrich]

Hi there!

So i'll start with the specialized levo sl 2022, by the price you've shown this will be the older model (gen 1). This model is light and good on battery, however it has a noisy motor that is quite slow to pick up. A lot of people love this bike but its dated in geometry and the motor noise is quite loud. Its a fun bike but it will not hold money and be hard to sell second hand should you ever decide its not the right bike.

I owned the levo sl gen 1 and it was a great bike, alot of fun! I did about 1000+ miles on it before selling it for the kenevo sl. They have just released a new levo sl that is alot better, but I feel the new one drains battery quite quick as they've increased power but not changed the battery.

As for the trek fuel exe, I've rode a friends and the motor is insanely quite. There isnt another light weight ebike that replicates the motor, it really is whisper silent.

The trek has a natrual power delivery and more power (50nm) than the older levo (35nm)
The trek is a bit heavier than the levo by about a 1.5kg if i remember rightly.

I havent spent time riding the trek on trail so cant comment how it performs but my friend is super fast on his and loves it. The trek has had some motor issues in the earlier batches, if it was me i'd fork out for it new rather than take risk of getting an older motor without full warranty.

Everything that Ribinrobin is on point. I can add to the ride of the Trek EX-e. I have been on one all summer. I have to say that it is one of the best riding bikes that I have ever slung a leg over. It descends amazingly over small and large tech sections and it even excels in the bike park when I am chasing my kid. Rides solid and quiet through just about everything you can throw at it. Trek has a designed a winner here. I instantly understood why guys like Cam McCaul and Brandon Semenuk ride for this brand when putting the Trek through its paces this summer.

The battery is very easy to remove on the Trek as well.

The motor is dead quiet as well. I love the fit and finish Trek has provided with this bike as well. Everything seems very thought out.

My stock EX-e was definitely on the heavier side. I've got it down to just over 38 pounds in a size large but sacrificed weight savings for running a Fox 36 160 and a Fox X2. The bike rode great with the stock Rock Shox suspension, but I can't have a bike without Fox on it. Quickest way to shave pounds on the EX-e is to dump the wheelset.

 

[Harry Fettes]

Hey There, I'm looking to buy an Emtb for the first time, There is trek dealer near me and I loved the TREK EXE.

New EXE online 2023. - 5.8k
Second Hand - 4.4k

Brand new Specialized levo turbo SL 2022 - 3.5k
Second hand probably about 2.6k

I know that those things are not cheap and loose value like crazy, is trek exe so much quiter and more reliable that it would be worth it ?

Thanks

I’m 62, 90kg not too fit (ride once or twice a week). I can easily climb 1000m and do 25km on about 60% of my Gen 1 SL battery. I manage 18% technical climbs in trail mode. I sold my full fat Levo, way too heavy. My large SL has an alloy frame I also have a carbon framed XL (for sale). The alloy bike is a lot less whiney (noisy).
I do like Trek and have a 9.8 Remedy. For me the best feature of the Trek is the 108pt engagement on the freewheel.

 

[QuackFU]

Okay, so I've taken note of the prices for the Trek EXE 9.5 and 9.7, and they have dropped by £100 in just two days between September 5th and 7th.

Last week, I rented a Turbo Levo SL for 2 hours in Surrey Hills for £60, and it was a really cool experience. I enjoyed it a lot.

One thing that's really discouraging about eMTBs is the significant devaluation. You can buy an expensive e-bike in March, and by September, if you want to sell it, it's likely to be worth 50% less. For that reason, I'm considering looking for something second-hand in the winter.

On the other hand, there's the issue of motor reliability. It would be great to have them under warranty.

Navigating this industry is quite challenging, and you can easily end up losing a substantial amount of money.

I've even thought about buying something inexpensive for now until a Fuel EXE becomes available on eBay as it might not happen anytime soon

Remember that anything you buy second hand won't be covered by warranty. Which IMO is HUGE on something with an electric motor.

 

[QuackFU]

BTW Trek Fuel exe owner and love it with exception of battery size.

 

[DzikieEmtb]

Thank you for all the comments, I'll wait a moment more and might buy a new one after all.

BTW. what do you think about this chain and seat stay ? Does it look like has been repaired ?

 

[JayGoodrich]

Thank you for all the comments, I'll wait a moment more and might buy a new one after all.

BTW. what do you think about this chain and seat stay ? Does it look like has been repaired ?

View attachment 124515

That just looks like it has a clear frame protector on it to me.

 

[DzikieEmtb]

It doesn't have it amywhere ese though Trek Exe 9.7, Deep Smoke Paint, RRP £8350 | eBay

 

[JayGoodrich]

It doesn't have it amywhere ese though Trek Exe 9.7, Deep Smoke Paint, RRP £8350 | eBay

The other side has chain stay protection top and bottom so it makes sense being only on the non-drive side. Carbon frame repairs typically ruin the paint and need to be repainted entirely so you wouldn't see any edge lines. Check out this repair page for Don's... Carbon Fiber Bike Frame Repair - Rialto, California

 

[Ribinrobin]

Remember that anything you buy second hand won't be covered by warranty. Which IMO is HUGE on something with an electric motor.

Specialized offer transferable warranty, so does trek but its only for 2 years. This also depends how much warranty is left on the bike second hand too.

 

[Ribinrobin]

Thank you for all the comments, I'll wait a moment more and might buy a new one after all.

BTW. what do you think about this chain and seat stay ? Does it look like has been repaired ?

View attachment 124515

I'd be more concerned about the massive scratch across the top tube thats on the ebay ad!

 

[QuackFU]

Specialized offer transferable warranty, so does trek but its only for 2 years. This also depends how much warranty is left on the bike second hand too.

Exactly....its the time left from the original retail purchaser. But, the caveat with Trek is "This does not include items such as wheels, suspension forks, drive train components, etc"
And I would bet you they would count the motor as part of the drive train.