Would you buy another Levo?

[highpeakrider]

How can you bash something and say you would not buy again when you never bought one in the first place? The issues you talk about I do not have. The sponge and new housing has kept my motor squeaky clean. I have had zero issues so far, I have not had long but so far all is good and their are many others that have had the same good fortune

I’m the same as @MattyB I’ve not got one, but the design flaws and price of the poor spec means it would never get onto my short list.
It might ride great, but plenty of other bikes simply give better value for money.
Why should I spend more for the great support knowing the bike will need it,
I don’t expect a bike to need the support in its first years.

 

[atcspaul]

I’m the same as @MattyB I’ve not got one, but the design flaws and price of the poor spec means it would never get onto my short list.
It might ride great, but plenty of other bikes simply give better value for money.
Why should I spend more for the great support knowing the bike will need it,
I don’t expect a bike to need the support in its first years.

Yes but this thread is about would you buy another Levo not would you buy one

 

[Welshman]

Yes but this thread is about would you buy another Levo not would you buy one

i have to agree with you....it seems people are struggling to read the thread title before replying

i dont have a levo...i have 2 x cubes...would i buy ANOTHER levo, i cant answer that cause i never bought a first levo

 

[atcspaul]

i have to agree with you....it seems people are struggling to read the thread title before replying

i dont have a levo...i have 2 x cubes...would i buy ANOTHER levo, i cant answer that cause i never bought a first levo

They are all a blast. I looked at the cube real seriously. They are a great bike.We all get what we like and the levo was for me. I have always rode stumpjumpers now I have what I call the pregnant stumpjumper lol

 

[MattyB]

How can you bash something and say you would not buy again when you never bought one in the first place?

Not sure I understand - I never claimed to have bought one in the first place. I was purely responding to your statement that these issues were down to the bike being "new technology". In the case of the hole in the motor casing and the poorly routed power cable that is demonstrably not the case, it's just poor design (presumably because they didn't test it in wet conditions).

The issues you talk about I do not have. The sponge and new housing has kept my motor squeaky clean. I have had zero issues so far, I have not had long but so far all is good and their are many others that have had the same good fortune

I am happy you are happy, but the facts are clear - to get the spec I want I would need to pay £7k for a Levo, and it would still have fundamental design flaws that could cause reliability issues in the long term. I would far rather buy a £4k bike from another brand (Giant, Canyon or Vitus) that had a better spec, was easier to swap/carry a spare battery, and did not have these issues out of the box. Even if the worst did happen and it needed a motor change outside of the warranty period I could afford to do that and still be well ahead.

Fundamentally I can see why many will gravitate to the Levo for it's good looks and LBS support, but for me that doesn't forgive the fact they have released a beta product with significant design flaws. IMO they have also not been that transparent around the issues, leaving their dealers to pick-up the slack which seems to have been a somewhat variable experience. Perhaps if I lived next door to Berkshire Cycles I would be happier to risk it, but given my local Spec dealer doesn't have that level of expertise I can't see a clear value proposition for spending 40% more than the alternatives which don't have these issues. YMMV.

 

[MattyB]

Yes but this thread is about would you buy another Levo not would you buy one

He may have titled it that, but read the OP's initial post, he explicitly asks for comments about reliability...

Hi guys my wife Linda just adores the Levo and we are planning to go and see one on Saturday it's an Expert model so she wants to know is it reliable, as her Haibike over three years has been totally bombproof and never gone wrong, so is the Levo reliable or is it like a bit tetchy like a thoroughbred horse

As I spend quite a lot of time on this forum and have test ridden both the 2018 and 2019 Levos I felt I could contribute; it's up to him whether he wants to take on board those views. If you think I have broken the rules by posting as a non-owner and questioning the capabilities of the great and holy Levo you are welcome to report my posts to the mods...

 

[Welshman]

He may have titled it that, but read the OP's initial post, he explicitly asks for comments about reliability...


As I spend quite a lot of time on this forum and have test ridden both the 2018 and 2019 Levos I felt I could contribute; it's up to him whether he wants to take on board those views.

but if you have only test ridden them, how can you comment on reliability???

 

[atcspaul]

He may have titled it that, but read the OP's initial post, he explicitly asks for comments about reliability...


As I spend quite a lot of time on this forum and have test ridden both the 2018 and 2019 Levos I felt I could contribute; it's up to him whether he wants to take on board those views. If you think I have broken the rules by posting as a non-owner and questioning the capabilities of the great and holy Levo you are welcome to report my posts to the mods...

You are posting what you have read not first hand experience. I and most others look at this thread to see from peoples experiences with the levo they own if they would buy another one. Didn't mean to upset you however when I read you comments I thought they were from personal experience not hearsay

 

[Andy A]

Wow my post has caused quite a discussion the potential Levo is for my wife Linda as she just loves the looks and that huge battery but I must admit I really do agree with Matty's points that he raises as it is a really expensive bike and those flaws are quite surprising from a company like Specialized! She wanted me to get one but I can't spend that much on a bike for myself so I have just ordered a Jam2 6.8 as I got it for £3850 with the tech pack and the tyres changed to Shwalbe and that is where I wanted to be price wise, I went in to see one yesterday and wow it is stunning in the flesh

I still think Linda will get a Levo as she loves that bike and I don't have a problem with her doing that

 

[ccrdave]

I bought a 2017 a 2018 and now I have a 2019. first lets talk about how it rides which is what we all want to do right? The 17 and 18 were nice to ride, the 19 is in a different league, its fantastic!!!
reliability of the 17 and 18 were about on par, I had new motors and new wiring in both,
the 19 so far has been faultless and if you are aware of the stupid design of the motor casing its an easy fix, since blocking the back up its spotless inside.
powerwise I would say the 18 was the most powerful the 19 the most natural. AND A FANTASTIC RIDE which in my book is very high on the list of wants
and the best trick is to pick a dealer that knows what he is doing, then Spesh warranty is second to none.
would I buy another one? IN A HEARTBEAT!!

 

[Maastricht]

I bought a 2017 a 2018 and now I have a 2019. first lets talk about how it rides which is what we all want to do right? The 17 and 18 were nice to ride, the 19 is in a different league, its fantastic!!!
reliability of the 17 and 18 were about on par, I had new motors and new wiring in both,
the 19 so far has been faultless and if you are aware of the stupid design of the motor casing its an easy fix, since blocking the back up its spotless inside.
powerwise I would say the 18 was the most powerful the 19 the most natural. AND A FANTASTIC RIDE which in my book is very high on the list of wants
and the best trick is to pick a dealer that knows what he is doing, then Spesh warranty is second to none.
would I buy another one? IN A HEARTBEAT!!

As a 2019 owner I fully agree with you!

 

[MattyB]

but if you have only test ridden them, how can you comment on reliability???

You are posting what you have read not first hand experience. I and most others look at this thread to see from peoples experiences with the levo they own if they would buy another one. Didn't mean to upset you however when I read you comments I thought they were from personal experience not hearsay

Guys, this will be my last comment on this thread. I may not be an owner, but the physical issues we are talking about here are not hearsay:

Very Disappointed with my 2019 Specialized Levo - EMTB Forums

Making it completely clear, the following are facts which are not debatable:

• Spec launched this bike to great fanfare with infomercials all over the internet claiming it to be the new benchmark in ebikes and the most highly developed model yet.
• This bike has design flaws in the motor casing which Spec have "fixed" by filling the hole with foam and redesigning the casing. They have not done a recall.
• These bikes are priced at a significant premium above their most obvious competiors. Whilst no bike is flawless, no competitiors I am aware of have had issues requiring case redesigns and new power cables in significant volumes.
• Electrical components and connectors don't like being in damp environments for long periods. Such exposure can and does shorten life.
• Plenty of owners are having decent experiences dealing with their LBS' in the event of an issue, but others have not.
• Specialized's response has not been uniform across the globe, with some markets receiving free motor casings and foam, others just the foam, others have even been told to cut their own as they don't know when manufacturer foam will be available (lots about this elsewhere in the forum, do a search).

The following are my opinions which you can happily debate if you wish...

• On the balance of information I have read, my test rides and the experience I have had in my LBS I would not buy a Levo currently - they have flaws which could affect long term (i.e. beyond the waranty) reliability, and these are issues I suspect will only be fully addressed in the next model year.
• I personally don't feel I should be having to fix issues as fundamental as this myself on a bike that would cost me £7k (yeah yeah, I'm high maintenance drama queen...). As a result I will buying a cheaper, better specced bike where I can put aside the money saved for a replacement motor if it is needed.
• A non-owner obviously can't talk about the reliability of their personal bike, but tbh the single data point that an owner has is not that much use either. You'd need hundreds or thousands of data points across different makes to make a statistically sound reliability analysis, not one forum thread with 70 odd posts. For that reason I think it is fair enough for non-owners to post in such a thread as long as they are clear on why they are doing so.

Hope that helps - byeee....

 

[ccrdave]

@MattyB nothing you have said is wrong and I agree with you but some of the problems are overblown and one of the reasons we hear a lot more about spesh bikes is cos... well there are a lot of them!
Other brands are not faultless I think its just the ratio of users who report. I would go so far to say there is not an ebike brand or model on the market currently that is faultless.
dont stop commenting Matty we are all entitled to our own opinion, thats what a forum is, isnt it!

 

[atcspaul]

Guys, this will be my last comment. I may not be an owner, but the physical issues we are talking about here are not hearsay:

Very Disappointed with my 2019 Specialized Levo - EMTB Forums

Making it completely clear, the following are facts which are not debatable:

• Spec launched this bike to great fanfare with infomercials all over the internet claiming it to be the new benchmark in ebikes and the most highly developed model yet.
• This bike has design flaws in the motor casing which Spec have "fixed" by filling the hole with foam and redesigning the casing. They have not done a recall.
• These bikes are priced at a significant premium above their most obvious competiors. Whilst no bike is flawless, no competitiors I am aware of have had issues requiring case redesigns and new power cables in significant volumes.
• Electrical components and connectors don't like being in damp environments for long periods. Such exposure can and does shorten life.
• Plenty of owners are having decent experiences dealing with their LBS' in the event of an issue, but others have not.
• Specialized's response has not been uniform across the globe, with some markets receiving free motor casings and foam, others just the foam, others have even been told to cut their own as they don't know when manufacturer foam will be available (lots about this elsewhere in the forum, do a search).

The following are my opinions which you can happily debate if you wish...

• On the balance of information I have read, my test rides and the experience I have had in my LBS I would not buy a Levo currently - they have flaws which could affect long term (i.e. beyond the waranty) reliability, and these are issues I suspect will only be fully addressed in the next model year.
• I personally don't feel I should be having to fix issues as fundamental as this myself on a bike that would cost me £7k (yeah yeah, I'm high maintenance drama queen...). As a result I will buyng a cheaper, better specced bike where I can put aside the money saved for a replacement motor if it is needed.
• A non-owner obviously can't talk about the reliability of their personal bike, but tbh the single data point that an owner has is not that much use either. You'd need hundreds or thousands of data points across different makes to make a statistically sound reliability analysis, not one forum thread with 70 odd posts. For that reason I think it is fair enough for non-owners to post in such a thread as long as they are clear on why they are doing so.

Hope that helps - byeee....

All those issues were resolved by specialized on my bike before I picked it up and it is a great bike and owning one with first hand experience I would buy another in a heart beat.

 

[highpeakrider]

but if you have only test ridden them, how can you comment on reliability???

One of the beauties of this forum was that everyone got along and everyone contributed to help people make the right decision and solve technical problems.

Seems we now have rule makers.

1/Only contribute when you meet the criteria in the title, all other contributions are not welcome even if they help the OP in making a decision.

I'll leave you Levo boys to it........

 

[Maastricht]

Guys, this will be my last comment. I may not be an owner, but the physical issues we are talking about here are not hearsay:

Very Disappointed with my 2019 Specialized Levo - EMTB Forums

Making it completely clear, the following are facts which are not debatable:

• Spec launched this bike to great fanfare with infomercials all over the internet claiming it to be the new benchmark in ebikes and the most highly developed model yet.
• This bike has design flaws in the motor casing which Spec have "fixed" by filling the hole with foam and redesigning the casing. They have not done a recall.
• These bikes are priced at a significant premium above their most obvious competiors. Whilst no bike is flawless, no competitiors I am aware of have had issues requiring case redesigns and new power cables in significant volumes.
• Electrical components and connectors don't like being in damp environments for long periods. Such exposure can and does shorten life.
• Plenty of owners are having decent experiences dealing with their LBS' in the event of an issue, but others have not.
• Specialized's response has not been uniform across the globe, with some markets receiving free motor casings and foam, others just the foam, others have even been told to cut their own as they don't know when manufacturer foam will be available (lots about this elsewhere in the forum, do a search).

The following are my opinions which you can happily debate if you wish...

• On the balance of information I have read, my test rides and the experience I have had in my LBS I would not buy a Levo currently - they have flaws which could affect long term (i.e. beyond the waranty) reliability, and these are issues I suspect will only be fully addressed in the next model year.
• I personally don't feel I should be having to fix issues as fundamental as this myself on a bike that would cost me £7k (yeah yeah, I'm high maintenance drama queen...). As a result I will buyng a cheaper, better specced bike where I can put aside the money saved for a replacement motor if it is needed.
• A non-owner obviously can't talk about the reliability of their personal bike, but tbh the single data point that an owner has is not that much use either. You'd need hundreds or thousands of data points across different makes to make a statistically sound reliability analysis, not one forum thread with 70 odd posts. For that reason I think it is fair enough for non-owners to post in such a thread as long as they are clear on why they are doing so.

Hope that helps - byeee....

Although I respect your opinion and feelings where I also need to admit you did a good research for a non-owner. I again need to say that I agree with @ccrdave and @atcspaul.

For me the premium price is justified by the quiet motor (compared to other brands like Bosch, Shimano, etc. but yes, it's maybe slightly louder then the Levo 2017/2018 design) also I really like the open bluetooth connections which allows app like BLEvo to be connected via Smart Power control. This enables me to control support levels based on my heart rate and/or leg power. This function is really powerfull where the end result is a completely dynamic support mode which feels very natural instead of all the static support modes others offer today. I haven't discovered another bike brand, yet, where this would be possible. Even most brands offer fixed static support levels where even the eco setting feels unnatural to me.

But again, everyone is different and everyone has it's own opinion. This is my opinion and yes, I also had the motor and the casing replaced and the foam is added but Specialized and my LBS solved it and therefore I would buy it again.

 

[atcspaul]

My apologies to you all that got upset. That is not what I was trying to do, I read this thread because I wanted to see other owners first hand experiences and thoughts on their bikes.

 

[Maastricht]

My apologies to you all that got upset. That is not what I was trying to do, I read this thread because I wanted to see other owners first hand experiences and thoughts on their bikes.

Did someone got upset? I think we were just all enjoying the positive discussion. So from my side really no apologies required. It just nice to see that we all have our unique buying reasons where I guess all reasons are valid in the end. We only weigh them differently.

 

[albort1]

MattyB
As a 2018 ex Levo owner(my post can be read earlier) I totally agree with you.Nothing has been exploded beyond proportion. I wish I would have latched onto EMTB earlier when I was looking for my first e-bike and settled on the 2018 Levo(not much info around at the time). Thats what these forums are for-to give informed reading about a particular product either from ownership experience from mates/test rides etc. In the end the reader can make up his/her mind on what product would suit.

 

[MattyB]

My apologies to you all that got upset. That is not what I was trying to do, I read this thread because I wanted to see other owners first hand experiences and thoughts on their bikes.

I'm not upset - I just decided to stop posting in the thread as it's a waste of my time arguing with those who believe only owners are "allowed" a view in such debates. Interesting that the OP did not share this viewpoint though...

 

[atcspaul]

I'm not upset - I just decided to stop posting in the thread as it's a waste of my time arguing with those who believe only owners are "allowed" a view in such debates. Interesting that the OP did not share this viewpoint though...

That is not the case. I enjoy your posts however on this particular thread I was looking who was happy with their bike and who wasn't. Would someone buy one again ect. I read your post and thought dang I am in for a lot of trouble, Another person with the exact same problems and when you posted you never owned one it changed the perspective in the thread because not many had posted in it. If I would have been a non owner I would have posted that I did not own one but I had heard that XXXXXXX

 

[Andy A]

I posted this thread as my wife Linda and myself were both going to get a Levo Expert and after reading the replies on here it is very obvious that the people who own a Levo do love their bikes and would buy one again.

I was after honest feedback and that's what I got, I am aware of some of the issues with this bike but they have more or less been put right and even though with it being my first ebike I didn't want to spend that much on myself my wife Linda still wants a Levo and I am happy for her to get one For myself I just ordered a Focus Jam2 which I think is a great bike and I got a good deal on it with the tech pack so I am looking forward to getting my first one. There isn't a bike out there without a few issues and just from reading the positive replies from owners really brings home to me that the Levo is a great bike, yes I know it's expensive and the spec is a bit less than other bikes but the Levo has a lot going for it in my eyes and Linda will be ordering a green/black expert very soon, so thanks for the replies it has helped a lot.

 

[Neilvx]

Currently have a 2017 Levo Comp and would get another hands down.

I have had a couple of minor issues but Berkshire Cycles is my dealer and they are amazing.

You are going to get issues with every brand of ebike, it’s a case of having good dealer support which changes your experience ?.

 

[Doomanic]

Currently have a 2017 Levo Comp and would get another hands down.

Another 2017 or a 2019? Given that the 2019 is the same as the previous models in name only and is afflicted with a whole host of different issues it's an important distinction.

 

[Neilvx]

I would get a 2019 as well

 

[jwrx]

1000km+ on a sworks 2018...would get a 2019 in a heartbeat. But probably a expert, i dont need the carbon wheels...and i would trade with someone for the smaller 504w battery instead of the 700 to get the weight below 20kg

 

[Vilt]

Fundamentally I can see why many will gravitate to the Levo for it's good looks and LBS support, but for me that doesn't forgive the fact they have released a beta product with significant design flaws.

I sincerely disagree.

As many, many reviews have stated - the levo is not about its good looks. (Although, sure, it does.) But the feel and handling is just spot on. Maybe not if you're into extreme XC or Enduro, but it's probably one of the most versatile, most capable, most accesible e-mtbs out there.

I've ridden a few e-bikes before settling on the levo. (Never mind I had a 2012 levo road bike as well.) It just handles better. The brose engine - yes there was a bad batch - is just a step up from bosch or shimano. Just now there are some other Brose bikes coming to market, so that was not an option 6 months ago. But now there are some more interesting e-mtbs available that weren't on the market 6 months ago.

The fact that there have been some running upgrades - which were all installed on my bike under warranty - does not make it a beta product. If that's your definition, then every car in the history of cars can be considered a beta product. My wife's 10 year old prius still gets recalls and updates!

But... all things considered, you are not wrong about the facts. It's just your (mis)intepretation of them that shows to me a bias against Specialized. More specifically, I suspect that you feel it's hard to justify the premium price tag (which is has) and therefore feel it has to be a superior bike without any faults. It's not, in that you are correct. The justification for the price tag has to come from different aspects of the bike. (The excellent warranty/dealer network, arguably one of the better designed frames, the brose-S engine, etc.)

Anyway, to answer the original posters question.

Yes. Absolutely. I would buy it again. The levo is a fantastic bike. It costs a shitload of money, but it's worth it. (I have the alu comp version, upgraded to a 700wh battery and got an ohlins suspension)

There are other great bikes on the market, sure. If you are into downhill or heavy enduro riding other bikes may tick more of your boxes. Sames goes for agile XC type of riding, there are probably bikes out there with a more speedy geometry. But as far as all-mountain, do-it-all, capable of allmost-everything type of bikes go, the Levo is hard to beat and a shitload of fun.

 

[MattyB]

 

[Vilt]

It should be impossible to reply to threads older than 3 days

 

[highpeakrider]

I sincerely disagree.

As many, many reviews have stated - the levo is not about its good looks. (Although, sure, it does.) But the feel and handling is just spot on. Maybe not if you're into extreme XC or Enduro, but it's probably one of the most versatile, most capable, most accesible e-mtbs out there.

If it can’t do extreme XC or enduro how do you claim it’s probably one of the most versatile, most capable, most accessible emtbs out there?