Things you wish you did with your new Levo (protection/maintenance, not actually ride it :-) )

[Andy__C]

Hey All, how's it going?

I new forum member and owner of a new 2019 Turbo Levo Comp Carbon Expert, had it two days and one ride and I'm really happy with it. I'm lucky enough to live a short ride from some forest with some nice trails - but certainly being careful not to be irresponsible in these times.

I've picked up some good tips from the forum already, but wanted to specifically ask for you guys that have had your Levo's for a while now - what maintenance or protective measures do you wish you carried out straight away on your levo? Especially as there is a little more time to get this carried out.

After the first ride I've ordered an invisiframe. That lovely bare carbon (I have the lime and bare carbon colour scheme) will take some dings and scratches I can tell already. I was going to get a smaller kit but decided to do the full bike.

I've picked up a mudhugger front guard for the rear of the bike (saw that on here) to stop mud getting into that rear pivot and back of the motor, and a standard enduroguard for the front tyre.

I was thinking of some black rubber tape under the bottom bracket/motor housing (same as my stumpy)

Either 3m scotch rubber mastic or the cheaper stuff here:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/self-amalgamating-rubber-tape-black-3m-x-25mm/2115v

Is there any reason why that might be a bad idea on the bottom bracket with the motor housing?

Any other thoughts or advice appreciated. Cheers!

 

[JaySal]

Change your chainring to a 36tooth Praxis one, makes a big difference.

 

[KennyB]

Swop the jockey wheels for Hope, before the SRAM ones sieze. I've had 2 new bikes in the last 4 years and both had this at the 4 month point. Get some silicon grease and smear a teensy bit on the o-ring of the battery plug. Ask your LBS to get you a new battery-motor lead.

 

[miPbiP]

Invisiframe, and not washed the gloss carbon with a brush.

I'm not really an Invisiframe kid of guy - a bike's a bike, ride it - but glossy carbon needs it.

 

[Squatch]

I'll tell you what I wish I didn't do...... Let the seat dropper cable get away from me in the seatpost tube. The way it is routed and looped, I had to pull the motor loose to get it back in position. I've put a lot of internal cables in and this one was the worst.

Things that I found was very little if any grease on all fasteners, splines and shafts (not talking about loctited ones). Maybe LBS should have did mine on initial assembly.

 

[Nativio]

Hello guys what does the 36 tooth chainring help with? Thanks

 

[Squatch]

Hello guys what does the 36 tooth chainring help with? Thanks

Some like to have higher gearing for higher speeds and some prefer to keep the low gear hill climbing ability. It depends how you ride and where you ride. I live in an area that has a lot of steep mountainous trails with less flow, so I keep mine stock.

 

[Funkeydunk]

Change the butcher tyres to anything else, I found them light but zero grip
shortened the stem 31mm ( I was having a pain in the neck)
install riser bars (cos I’m a pussy)
changed the brakes the SRAM are shite
go tubeless
change the roval wheels. its a lottery with these some people love em, but they are flimsy.
mud guards (depends on where you live)
grease the headset
start saving money for chains and cassettes. I’m typically chewing through chains every 450 miles. Cassettes in 1000.

knowing what known now this is what I’d do.

 

[maynard]

Clean very well before invisiframe. And lose any small children or wifes before you start the install. Cos it will take a day to Do it and you need to focus. And get some bright lights . Otherwise it will turn out rubbish like my job. Still glad i did it though . Go tubeless and get a quality pump . And carry a plug kit. Just enjoy the machine .

 

[Andy__C]

Thanks for the inputs all - really useful to have and set expectations.

Will be invisiframing this week - I've done 100km in 5 days and really enjoying the bike.

The pings of rocks flying off that bare carbon make me shudder :-D and with the kit arriving will be doing wrapping and a tubeless conversion done at the same time the bike is on the stand.

I've got some silicone on that battery charger ring now 0- cheers KennyB! Kenny - what would I need a new battery-motor lead for - or do these burn out with water (I'm guessing) easily?


Things like the chainring and jockey-wheel, I will probably wait until these wear. Same with the tyres - I know this is personal opinon and I appreciate the inputs. Going from 26" wheels to 29" I'm enjoying the different feel and grip at the moment of those much wider tyres.

In due course I'll probably swap the butcher tyres for Schwalbe or Maxxis. I've done well with both the Marys and the Minions.

Thanks All

 

[KennyB]

Thanks for the inputs all - really useful to have and set expectations.

Will be invisiframing this week - I've done 100km in 5 days and really enjoying the bike.

The pings of rocks flying off that bare carbon make me shudder :-D and with the kit arriving will be doing wrapping and a tubeless conversion done at the same time the bike is on the stand.

I've got some silicone on that battery charger ring now 0- cheers KennyB! Kenny - what would I need a new battery-motor lead for - or do these burn out with water (I'm guessing) easily?


Things like the chainring and jockey-wheel, I will probably wait until these wear. Same with the tyres - I know this is personal opinon and I appreciate the inputs. Going from 26" wheels to 29" I'm enjoying the different feel and grip at the moment of those much wider tyres.

In due course I'll probably swap the butcher tyres for Schwalbe or Maxxis. I've done well with both the Marys and the Minions.

Thanks All

The new lead is much better than the old which had a reputation for failing and available, certainly in the UK I found, for the asking, so I changed mine a month+ ago. I could have waited till it failed but it may take a week to get one, and I now have a spare. Same with jockey wheels.

 

[James_C]

RE jockeys - my SRAM ones were full of mud.. You'll know when the jockey's have seized as it will lock, throw the chain and destroy the whole derallieur cage. You'll also be stranded. VOE.

You could just replace the bearings with whatever hope use instead I guess.

 

[croz]

Has anyone replaced their single-shift thumb shifters with a shifter that will shift more than one gear at a time? I’m interested in replacing my GX single shifter with an X01 shifter.

 

[Mina08]

Has anyone replaced their single-shift thumb shifters with a shifter that will shift more than one gear at a time? I’m interested in replacing my GX single shifter with an X01 shifter.

its an Emtb, you can only shift 1 gear at a time as not to destroy your group set

 

[Mcharza]

Has anyone replaced their single-shift thumb shifters with a shifter that will shift more than one gear at a time? I’m interested in replacing my GX single shifter with an X01 shifter.

I have changed to my Kenovo the Shimano system. Shifter, derailleur and cassette. I can still shift 1 gear at a time

 

[R120]

its an Emtb, you can only shift 1 gear at a time as not to destroy your group set

Sorry but that's totally wrong, learning how to change gears sympathetically is what prevents you destroying chains etc.

There is no reason you cant fit a multi shifting shifter to a Sram Groupset, the main reason the single shift system exists is because a lot of Ebikes are bought by people who dont have that much prior experience with 1X drivetrains, nor how to correctly change gear, meaning when you throw that in with the torque of the motor you get problems.

If you change gears properly and not under full load then you are unlikely to have any issues.

Shimano drivetrains have no restriction to the shifting.

 

[miPbiP]

its an Emtb, you can only shift 1 gear at a time as not to destroy your group set

we're grown ups we can work it out.

 

[Swissrider]

I think it’s arrogant to say SRAM brakes are “shit” It depends on individual taste. Some folk like a very powerful on/off sort of brake, some prefer more progressive modulation. SRAM brakes are often praised for their modulation. I have a Kenevo, which is not a light bike and live in the Alps and often do very long steep descents. I was happy enough with the Codes that came with the Bike. I’ve since upgraded to Trickstuff pads and a 220mm disk on the front, which were not expensive or difficult mods and now I’m even more happy - great modulation, plenty of power with one finger braking and no fade. I would stick with originals and/or modify them a bit before lashing out on new (and expensive) brakes.

 

[Supratad]

Change your chainring to a 36tooth Praxis one, makes a big difference.

What actual difference does it make? (to misquote The Smiths).
I mean, I know all the gears will be a bit taller, but what benefit is that on the ground?

edit, just read answer a few posts up.

Any 12t Hope jockeys or a specific one?

 

[KennyB]

As far as I can tell, Hope only does one 12t jockey wheel and that's the one you want for SRAM 11spd. Like the original SRAM ones these are asymetric, other after market ones aren't and aren't going to align quite properly, having said that I have another bike with symmetric ones (Superstar) and the difference seems slight. It's not just the bearings on both these bearings the shields are machined and much better as well. IMO

 

[Supratad]

Without unlocking the garage to go and look, are both wheels 12t or is the upper one 14?

 

[croz]

its an Emtb, you can only shift 1 gear at a time as not to destroy your group set

I figured as much but as others have noted if you don't dump 4 or 5 gears in turbo mode the drivetrain should be ok. I'd like to be able to shift more than one gear in eco or trail mode while riding in the woods. Does anyone know if GX and X01 are compatible? I owned XT/XTR for years and compatibility within the groups was a given. Seems like SRAM can be a little more finicky.

I ordered the Praxis 36T ring. I find even on trails I'm always in the 11 or 12 cogs on the cassette. I'd rather be in the middle of the cassette so my chain line isn't jacked way out. Center of the cassette means less friction.

 

[KennyB]

Without unlocking the garage to go and look, are both wheels 12t or is the upper one 14?

I only have SRAM GX 11spd on my bikes, both 12t.

 

[Supratad]

.
I ordered the Praxis 36T ring. I find even on trails I'm always in the 11 or 12 cogs on the cassette. I'd rather be in the middle of the cassette so my chain line isn't jacked way out. Center of the cassette means less friction.

If you’re always riding in the highest gears, you’ll be above 16mph, which brings me to the inevitable question, what’s the point in having the e-bike. You’re just lugging an overly heavy bike now.

 

[croz]

If you’re always riding in the highest gears, you’ll be above 16mph, which brings me to the inevitable question, what’s the point in having the e-bike. You’re just lugging an overly heavy bike now.

In central FL we primarily ride flat trails or punchy short ups and downs and we don't have any epic mile-long climbs. I'm a former xc racer recovering from a stem cell transplant in Nov so I'm using my Levo as a rehabilitation tool as well. To summarize, e-mtb's are ridden in an endless number of ways.

 

[Mina08]

Sorry but that's totally wrong, learning how to change gears sympathetically is what prevents you destroying chains etc.

There is no reason you cant fit a multi shifting shifter to a Sram Groupset, the main reason the single shift system exists is because a lot of Ebikes are bought by people who dont have that much prior experience with 1X drivetrains, nor how to correctly change gear, meaning when you throw that in with the torque of the motor you get problems.

If you change gears properly and not under full load then you are unlikely to have any issues.

Shimano drivetrains have no restriction to the shifting.

I hear you, but do you make a perfect shift every time, even when climbing tech climbs where you need to keep pressure on, 90nm is a lot of force. And no most people dont shift correctly.
So no not totally wrong, i have been riding MTB's off road for over 30 years and have crunched many gears....

 

[Mina08]

we're grown ups we can work it out.

I am sure you can

 

[R120]

I hear you, but do you make a perfect shift every time, even when climbing tech climbs where you need to keep pressure on, 90nm is a lot of force. And no most people dont shift correctly.
So no not totally wrong, i have been riding MTB's off road for over 30 years and have crunched many gears....

Yes, but I can always just hit a single gear, I just like to have the option of multiple shifts when needed.

 

[escrs]

When you clean and re oil the chain, check the jockey wheels spin smoothly/freely

If they don't then just remove them from the cage, pop off the bearing seals, carefully prise out the rubber bearing cages (the bearings will stay in the jockey wheel) clean the bearings with compressed air and some isopropyl alcohol, allow to dry then re fit the bearing cage and pack them with grease, re fit the bearing seals and they are good for another 3-4 months

Been doing this to Sram jockey wheels for 3 years, never had one fail on me yet

 

[JaySal]

What actual difference does it make? (to misquote The Smiths).
I mean, I know all the gears will be a bit taller, but what benefit is that on the ground?

edit, just read answer a few posts up.

Any 12t Hope jockeys or a specific one?

Same as others have mentioned , I get full range from the cassette now.