Levo SL Gen 1 Sworks levo 2021 VS sworks levo sl 2020

[MSH]

Hi,

New to emtb and looking for a bike. I've spent hours between 2 bikes and what's killing me is that one day I'm all for the sl and next day I want the levo.

Right now I've found these 2 bikes in the used market at a very good price.

Now, who is me. 174, 88kg, 34yo, fitness bad and own a stumpjumper.

I like to go downhill but the climbings are literally killing me to a point that I lose control on the descents cuz of tiredness.

Also, how is the levo pass the speed limit threshold? I heard that the sl is very unnoticeable.

I rode 1 time, 30 second a friend's Shimano motor bike and past the 25kmp it was like hitting a wall. Didn't fancy that.

BR.

 

[Konanige]

104kg, 56years, dodgy knees, average fitness, went with the Sl in the end after trying both. I just didn't like how the heavier bikes rode, too cumbersome and slow on the trails I ride, however if you just want to get to the top with no effort and plough a straight line back down the hill they're great. As for the cutoff I love it when racing my mate on his Focus, when we get to the limit its like he's pulled his ripcord!!

 

[MSH]

104kg, 56years, dodgy knees, average fitness, went with the Sl in the end after trying both. I just didn't like how the heavier bikes rode, too cumbersome and slow on the trails I ride, however if you just want to get to the top with no effort and plough a straight line back down the hill they're great. As for the cutoff I love it when racing my mate on his Focus, when we get to the limit its like he's pulled his ripcord!!

OH God... The rip cord part ?? the thing is, 2 of my riding buddies have FF eebs and something I forgot to mention.. The noise of the sl.. God I've been watching reviews and the sound was awful!!

 

[Konanige]

Yeah its a bit noisier but I only ever notice it if I'm on a long fireroad climb with no-one to chat to. Rest of the time the music of tyres and suspension working drowns it out.

 

[CjP]

Levo SL for sure.
Ip67 rated motor, better reliability (so far), way better above the cutoff. As for the sound, all I hear is F1, I love it but I’m not ebike shy

 

[Mondfuchs]

Difficult to answer MSH. The question is what kind of area you're driving. If you've got only less steep climb (forest streets) then SL might be perfect. If you would have steep trails to climb (and if you love that as me / having a kind of alpine terrain then you would be better suit with the Levo.
The weight difference might be one part of the discussion but having no power reserve you need to consider this as well.

I do have the Levo SWorks Custome builg at 21kg (3" tire) and it feels nimble as I drive 27.5" wheelset which does have an impact on handling too
Due to Mission Control both bikes can be individual settled and even for the Levo I'm driving many times with quite reduced power peaks and support - depending on my daily interest and motivation.
Above 25kmh/h indeed the Levo feels a bit heavier but this can be managed over the Tyres - and there is again a question; if you're like to driving downhill you need heavier tires of course which would then be more cumbersome above 25km/h
But I know the thinking all the time about Levo and Levo SL - sometimes I would like to have both

As I live in Switzerland and have beside small hills also alpine terrain its quite perfect to have power reserve / and when I tow my kids then I love this as well ?
all the best for your decision

 

[James_MTB]

You need to test ride them tbh

I found the SL very lackluster on the climbs

 

[MSH]

Difficult to answer MSH. The question is what kind of area you're driving. If you've got only less steep climb (forest streets) then SL might be perfect. If you would have steep trails to climb (and if you love that as me / having a kind of alpine terrain then you would be better suit with the Levo.
The weight difference might be one part of the discussion but having no power reserve you need to consider this as well.

I do have the Levo SWorks Custome builg at 21kg (3" tire) and it feels nimble as I drive 27.5" wheelset which does have an impact on handling too
Due to Mission Control both bikes can be individual settled and even for the Levo I'm driving many times with quite reduced power peaks and support - depending on my daily interest and motivation.
Above 25kmh/h indeed the Levo feels a bit heavier but this can be managed over the Tyres - and there is again a question; if you're like to driving downhill you need heavier tires of course which would then be more cumbersome above 25km/h
But I know the thinking all the time about Levo and Levo SL - sometimes I would like to have both

As I live in Switzerland and have beside small hills also alpine terrain its quite perfect to have power reserve / and when I tow my kids then I love this as well ?
all the best for your decision

View attachment 44001

This was perfect, thx. Nice picture!

 

[MSH]

You need to test ride them tbh

I found the SL very lackluster on the climbs

I really wish I could, I live in Spain but in my province there are no place where I can test ride them. Also this covid shit that won't let me move freely

 

[MSH]

Yeah its a bit noisier but I only ever notice it if I'm on a long fireroad climb with no-one to chat to. Rest of the time the music of tyres and suspension working drowns it out.

I watched a motor test.. I realized that all motors have some level of notice, I should just accept that fact I think

 

[Bigtuna00]

I would take the 2021 purely for the upgrades. Magura brakes instead of SRAM, full AXS, new Fox fork. You're not going to be happy with the Fox 34 on the Levo SL if you like descending.

The Levo is definitely a pig on the descents. But it literally DOES NOT MATTER because it makes everything a descent! Have you ever had to brake going uphill into a turn? You'll do that on the Levo. Full disclosure: I run all Turbo, all the time.

I am also tempted to try a Levo SL just to see what it's like. But after getting used to the Levo power I don't see how I could be happy with less. Even putting the Levo in "trail" mode sucks.

The cutoff is real. There's no doubt about it. You *will* notice it. But it's not the end of the world most of the time. You lose assist in the final gear on flat ground, so I typically back off 1 gear and let the assist provide some support. For pure descending, how often are you pedaling, given that you said you are not fit? And there are ways around it...

 

[MSH]

I would take the 2021 purely for the upgrades. Magura brakes instead of SRAM, full AXS, new Fox fork. You're not going to be happy with the Fox 34 on the Levo SL if you like descending.

The Levo is definitely a pig on the descents. But it literally DOES NOT MATTER because it makes everything a descent! Have you ever had to brake going uphill into a turn? You'll do that on the Levo. Full disclosure: I run all Turbo, all the time.

I am also tempted to try a Levo SL just to see what it's like. But after getting used to the Levo power I don't see how I could be happy with less. Even putting the Levo in "trail" mode sucks.

The cutoff is real. There's no doubt about it. You *will* notice it. But it's not the end of the world most of the time. You lose assist in the final gear on flat ground, so I typically back off 1 gear and let the assist provide some support. For pure descending, how often are you pedaling, given that you said you are not fit? And there are ways around it...

You make my life easier. LOL thx!!

 

[Tobers]

I got the SL after trying the Levo and a Whyte.

I didn’t like the additional power of the Levo. The SL just felt much more like a mountain bike to me. I got the base model ally SL and used the money I saved to get some lush extras like Ohlins coil forks and DHX2 rear, carbon bars, and bling wheels. I will be stripping the ally frame to make it bare and lovely-looking, which is why I didn’t get the carbon one.

This might trigger some lust:

 

[TorAtle]

I really wish I could, I live in Spain but in my province there are no place where I can test ride them. Also this covid shit that won't let me move freely

Considered the new Orbea Rise? Levo SL type weight but with more power.

 

[Chicane]

My first post here after trying my first Emtb ride yesterday. I demoed a 2021 SL Expert (brand new demo bike) and I wouldn’t want a 50# Levo. Why not consider the 21 Expert SL that comes with the Fox 36/DPX2 over the S Works if you go the SL route. The 21 expert weighs 40.5# with Oneup pedals. For me the SL was more than enough for the climbs and the wide open areas I ride. It also felt real similar on tight switchbacks, jumps and the downs as my Ripley does. I did a 26/2700 ride and was on the last red bar for the last 3 miles back on flat ground. No chance I could have done this ride on my 27# Ripley yesterday with my ailing knee/leg, but all the climbs were effortless and for me the SL is more then enough.

 

[MSH]

Considered the new Orbea Rise? Levo SL type weight but with more power.

I liked the concept, but I like the specialized design and pedigree more.

 

[James_MTB]

Did you watch the live youtube show last night? Correct me if I'm wrong but Sam, Rob, and bike pilot said if they had to have one bike it would be full fat.

 

[KeithR]

Did you watch the live youtube show last night? Correct me if I'm wrong but Sam, Rob, and bike pilot said if they had to have one bike it would be full fat.

And I, for one, wouldn't.

Does appearing on a video somehow make someone's opinions more valid?

 

[KeithR]

I found the SL very lackluster on the climbs

Isn't that precisely what you would expect, though?

 

[James_MTB]

And I, for one, wouldn't.

Does appearing on a video somehow make someone's opinions more valid?

No, but they have ridden more ebikes than anyone

*edit plus they all explained the reason behind that decision

 

[James_MTB]

Isn't that precisely what you would expect, though?

Nope, I didn't expect it to be that inferior.

 

[MSH]

I got the SL after trying the Levo and a Whyte.

I didn’t like the additional power of the Levo. The SL just felt much more like a mountain bike to me. I got the base model ally SL and used the money I saved to get some lush extras like Ohlins coil forks and DHX2 rear, carbon bars, and bling wheels. I will be stripping the ally frame to make it bare and lovely-looking, which is why I didn’t get the carbon one.

This might trigger some lust:

It did trigger some lust..for a drone ?

 

[mopar04]

I have a 2021 Levo SL Expert in XL, I’m 6’4 and 225lbs and do 90% of my riding in the middle power setting. It’s still a great workout but I can go a hell of a lot farther and longer with just that 120W boost. I’ve ridden lots of full fat Levos and they are an absolute blast, but you definitely feel like you’re “e-biking” (not a bad thing but it’s very different from normal riding) unless you turn the power way down. With the Levo SL you feel like you’re just a really fit analogue MTB rider, and I still get about 600-800 calories burned in an hour of riding. With 2 young kids the dad bod struggle is real so it helps with that more than a full fat would. The normal Levo is also a heavy bastard to get into a roof rack or truck bed if that’s something you’re going to be doing, not impossible by any means but if you’d manage to hurt your shoulder or something when riding it would be a struggle to lift.

Some of my local shared-use trail loops are also now 1-way and backwards of their better bike traffic flow due to COVID and social distancing, which makes for some really insane and tight uphill switchbacks. The short chain stays and ability to click up to full boost with the controller on the bars makes them not suck quite as bad. Either way you can’t go wrong.

 

[CoreyB]

I’m 57 / 210 lbs (95 Kg) and am in okay shape for my age and profession, but never have been a good climber and during the best of times am only able to ride a max of twice a week.
I tested the SL / Levo / Heckler - although testing them on the side roads near the bike shop did little to let me know how they were going to preform in the mountains and trails I ride.
I ended up going with the SL because the bike felt more like a bike to me and less like I was coasting downhill on my Yamaha with the motor off (this is a huge exageration, but I don’t really know any other way to describe the difference). I’m a fairly aggressive downhiller for my age and really enjoy the decent and having a bike that is responsive and playful. I was concerned that the SL was going to be too much like a Stumpy and what I really would’ve liked was an Evo Stumpy. I’ve gone mullet on my SL which should get me close to the Evo geo...haven’t ridden it yet to give a thumbs up or down on my decision yet
I don’t think there’s a ‘wrong’ decision, if I had an SL and a Kenevo, I’d find great use of both in different areas that I ride. Ultimately it all comes down to what you enjoy doing and what the terrain is like where you ride.
I live in the States in the Pacific Northwest. Most of my riding is long moderate to steep climbs with long technical single track descents. The climbs have always been the price paid for the enjoyment of the descents. My typical ride now with the SL is first loop in the ‘eco’ mode, second loop switching back and forth from ‘eco‘ to ‘trail’ and third loop in ‘trail’. When I’m finished I typically have about 25% battery left (I don’t have the extender), but I have about 0% legs left! I enjoy getting a good workout and the SL allows me to triple my workout without hating the climb (it’s actually pleasurable now) and enjoy much more time on the trails.
I agree with the earlier post - the Expert model‘s suspension is a solid benifit...the Fox 34 and DPS are not up to the task for the type of riding I do - I actually upgraded my DPS2 to the X2 amongst several other upgrades to my Expert. The motor whine? Ehh...no big deal to me. The cutoff at max speed? I had to turn my boost off and on in order to know if it was cutting off or not...so smooth that I couldn’t tell...also, again depends on the type of terrain you‘re riding - in my area, the only time I’m exceeding the max speed is on the fire road back to the truck.

 

[grantini]

I got both....

 

[MSH]

I got both....

Dude.......

 

[MSH]

I’m 57 / 210 lbs (95 Kg) and am in okay shape for my age and profession, but never have been a good climber and during the best of times am only able to ride a max of twice a week.
I tested the SL / Levo / Heckler - although testing them on the side roads near the bike shop did little to let me know how they were going to preform in the mountains and trails I ride.
I ended up going with the SL because the bike felt more like a bike to me and less like I was coasting downhill on my Yamaha with the motor off (this is a huge exageration, but I don’t really know any other way to describe the difference). I’m a fairly aggressive downhiller for my age and really enjoy the decent and having a bike that is responsive and playful. I was concerned that the SL was going to be too much like a Stumpy and what I really would’ve liked was an Evo Stumpy. I’ve gone mullet on my SL which should get me close to the Evo geo...haven’t ridden it yet to give a thumbs up or down on my decision yet
I don’t think there’s a ‘wrong’ decision, if I had an SL and a Kenevo, I’d find great use of both in different areas that I ride. Ultimately it all comes down to what you enjoy doing and what the terrain is like where you ride.
I live in the States in the Pacific Northwest. Most of my riding is long moderate to steep climbs with long technical single track descents. The climbs have always been the price paid for the enjoyment of the descents. My typical ride now with the SL is first loop in the ‘eco’ mode, second loop switching back and forth from ‘eco‘ to ‘trail’ and third loop in ‘trail’. When I’m finished I typically have about 25% battery left (I don’t have the extender), but I have about 0% legs left! I enjoy getting a good workout and the SL allows me to triple my workout without hating the climb (it’s actually pleasurable now) and enjoy much more time on the trails.
I agree with the earlier post - the Expert model‘s suspension is a solid benifit...the Fox 34 and DPS are not up to the task for the type of riding I do - I actually upgraded my DPS2 to the X2 amongst several other upgrades to my Expert. The motor whine? Ehh...no big deal to me. The cutoff at max speed? I had to turn my boost off and on in order to know if it was cutting off or not...so smooth that I couldn’t tell...also, again depends on the type of terrain you‘re riding - in my area, the only time I’m exceeding the max speed is on the fire road back to the truck.

Wow.. Nice and long review. Thanks buddy! I went for the Levo though, I kept thinking about it and as much as I love the design and weight of the SL, without trying it I couldn't risk it. A full year not doing any sports just killed my lungs and heart and actually I'm wheezing after a few minutes so until I regain some fitness I reasoned that it's better to have ample power and not using it than not having enough. Next bike after I regain fitness will definitely be an SL like eeb.

 

[Mtbvkk]

I realize this is an older thread but I traded in my Levo for an SL. The raw power of the Levo regular is enticing and nice to have but with my diminutive body having issues (shoulder, knee) I felt like I was having to muscle around a heavy dirt bike on technical single track and it made some of my problems worse. On fire roads it’s brilliant and I’m going to miss that. But with exercise a goal, the SL wins out fir me.

 

[ZeLeo]

Sl