Review: 6 Months Aboard the Specialized Levo SL eMTB

Frame Details

The Levo SL takes on classical Specialized shapes with straight legged, round tubes and FSR suspension. There’s also an abundance of geometry tweaks to be found throughout the frame which can hold a 27.5 or 29” rear wheel.

Previously the Levo SL featured a frame-stiffening sidearm, bridging the seat tube and top tube. That member has been removed to increase access to the shock and eliminate the chance of bonking your knee on the brace. Inside the front triangle, a Zee side-load cage holds a common water bottle with grazing the shock reservoir.

Aside from all of the possible geometry configurations, the new 1.2SL motor is the main talking point of the Levo SL. That’s been rejigged to produce 50Nm of torque, 15Nm more than the previous generation, and updated to tone down the noise levels. At peak power, it’ll pump out 320W, versus 565W of the full-size Levo.

Inside the downtube you’ll find a 320Wh battery, which is removable, but you’ll have to partially unbolt the motor to do so. For most rides, slotting the 160Wh Range Extender in the bottle cage will be the play. If you’re embarking on unknown routes or all-day rides, carrying or stashing a second extender isn’t out of the question. One important consideration when using a Range Extender is that you’ll need to toggle the “deplete range extender first” option if you’re planning on ditching it along the way. Wisely, the charge port has a spring-loaded door and the Range Extender cord locks into place there.


Elsewhere, the finishing is well thought out with the MasterMind TCU which lies inside the top tube, lowering the chance of smashing any electronic controls. The remote is only as large as it needs to be with four buttons, although I’d like to see a wireless option in the future. Depending on where the dropper post remote is located, you may find it interferes with the walk-mode button.

The Specialized App is similarly easy to navigate to change the MasterMind display and make other battery or motor tuning choices. Toggling the alarm and motor lock on gives you peace of mind and doesn’t come at any extra cost either, unlike the Bosch’s system.

Between the chain routing lies the wavy chainstay protector, welcomed chainstay mud flap, and an integrated chain guide. Shocking, many eMTBs don't utilize a frame skid plate or have chain protection. The Levo SL has adequate ground clearance in this area, but I'd add a chainring mounted bash guard if this was my own baby.

Suspension Design

Specialized has been using the four-bar Horst-Link arrangement for decades now. The main pivot lies in line with the 32-tooth chainring but the rear axle sits on the seatstay. This allows for greater independence arranging the suspension kinematics. Likewise, the brake mount is also placed on the seatstay, reducing the compressive braking forces on the suspension.

Specialized opted for a 210x55mm (210x50 on the S1 frame) Fox Float X air shock on the Levo SL. That’s been built to their unique “Rx Tune” damping requirements and delivers a low-to-medium amount of progression to the wheel rate - hard bottom-outs only occurred on grimacing impacts while the beginning of the travel is supple enough that finding more forgiveness from a coil shock would be questionable.

Geometry & Sizing

Specialized built six size front triangles for the Levo SL. The smallest S1’s tiny frame does limit the rear wheel travel to 144mm.

Adaptability is a major talking point of the Levo SL and for good reason. There are three places to reposition hardware on the frame. Flip-chips are found along the chainstay and lower shock yoke, plus the head tube also captures an interchangeable upper cup system. All of the necessary components are included with the bike and can be made with the SWAT multi-tool hidden in the steer tube.

The dropout pivot is offset to allow for quick changes between rear wheel sizes without altering the geometry. In the case of a 27.5” rear wheel, you have two choices; a 432mm chainstay length with a -29mm BB drop, or a longer, lower ride position at 442mm and -34mm. Specialized felt that these two lengths fit each half of the size range well, while keeping the nature of the bike on the sporty side. They still offer two options to customers of all sizes, however, I'd wager that riders on the S4 frame size and up will opt for the longer position, regardless of wheelsize.

The angles can be tweaked further at the head tube with the use of two cups, a neutral or 1.0 offset option. In total, the head angle can range from 63.8- 65.7 degrees. Straight edges on the otherwise circular cups eliminate alignment errors or shifting in the frame

At this time, Specialized doesn’t have the same handy Stumpy EVO geometry calculator tool available for the Levo SL, but they do explain the changes further on the support page.

Furthermore, Specialized has an extensive user manual available for the Levo SL, and not just a basic one you toss in the bin when unboxing a new bike.

Specifications

Rear shock pressures ranged between 187-197 psi depending on conditions, trail choice and if I was carrying extra goods in a pack. The recommended sag is 13.75mm, but I ended up closer to 12mm most days. I also reduced the volume of air in the rear shock, switching the stock 0.2 spacer to a 0.4 after a few metal clangs on bottom-outs. I could see the benefit of a shock with a hydraulic bottom-out to provide softer stops at full-travel and avoiding the higher return forces of additional volume spacers.

A 170mm Reverb AXS dropper post works fine for just about all situations for me, but on occasion, lowering it for mega-steep trails or jump tracks provided extra clearance.

Throughout the test, I rode the Levo SL in what I’d consider the most likely configurations, including dual 29” wheels. Discussing the habits of each one would be a painful read, but having the ability to switch wheel sizes without skewing the geometry is reassuring.

Climbing

I like to think of SL eMTBs as the most lucrative way to save energy getting to the top while still enjoying the freedom of a lightweight bike on the descents. They won’t climb up walls like a full-powered e-bike but it's no sweat to gain more vert per hour than a non-assisted bike.

The Levo SL grips the ground insanely well, however, the short chainstay and relaxed seat tube angle (in the more aggressive settings) do place the rider’s seated weight generously over the rear axle. When the grade does turn uphill sharply, you’ll have to be mindful about keeping your weight forward in the saddle. With that said, if you can avoid doing wheelies, the rear wheel sticks to the ground. I'd call it efficient but not that effective.

In terms of ground clearance, the BB does ride fairly low, even in the steeper settings. You’ll want to use the climb switch, which is thankfully easy to reach, to avoid the pedal strikes. As stated, you can choose the geometry to shine on climbs - a 29” rear wheel, +1.0 head tube adjustment and high shock setting will do the best job of clearing obstacles if you’re want a more agile and reactive bike for pedalling through undulating trails.


As for the motor haptics, the torque winds down and picks up again in a timely fashion. There’s no unexpected bursts of energy at the crank. Restarting on hill climbs isn’t impossible either. The motor clutch engagement is extremely quick too.

If you wish to divert from the stock motor settings, there’s no shortage of pedal pickup and power delivery to play with in the app either. On that note though, I did notice that the battery life dropped substantially faster in “Turbo” compared to the “Trail” mode even though the outputs were fairly close.

Descending

Ironically, with all of the laborious hours that went into building this bike, I could sum it up in just two words; buttery smooth. From the rear suspension to the motor’s power delivery, the Levo SL is very pleasant to rider, and I'd like to think that would be the case for a rider of any level.

In our Fall Field Test, we talked about frame stiffness quite a bit. It seems to be a common finding, but round tubes don’t send as many vibrations through the frame to the rider and that adds to the smooth ride of the Levo SL. The rear triangle absorbs off-camber hits and holds through chattery flat corners well, even more so in the longer chainstay setting.

The Levo SL’s suspension has a floating feeling about it, eerily like a chainless ride. Almost everything about the rear suspension works seamlessly, whether keeping the wheels on the ground to slow down or pushing into the bike to gain speed. There are no irregularities in the travel such as progression spikes or mid-stroke wallowing. From start to finish, it's consistently smooth. If you’re a rider that stabs the brakes hard between consecutive bomb holes, you could find the bike’s balance to be mildly disrupted at times. On steeper trails where you’re fighting to release the brakes, you’ll appreciate how the wheels stick to the ground though.

Normally, my first ride on a test bike ends with at least five negative points, but finding things to complain about the Levo SL was a chore. We got off to solid start, however, there was a peculiarity about the steering took longer than anticipated to debunk. I swapped out to the full 29er setup which helped and actually raised the BB. In the end, I stuck with the longer chainstay setting, even with the 27.5" rear wheel and chalked up the quirky turning habits to the low center of gravity and short chainstay, which gave a false sense of security on the steeper, chunky trails found on the North Shore.


Frequently, I’d have to remind myself that this is a 150mm-travel bike and not to get too carried away with my downhill antics. In the slacker settings, the significant BB drop and low center of gravity add to the planted feeling of the Levo SL.

The short chainstay and 27.5” rear wheel do slightly detract from its stability, but only when the trail becomes choppy and steep. Switching the chainstay into the long setting (27.5” wheel, shock flip-chip in high position, -1.0 cup) was my preferred arrangement. That provided the most balance and therefore the most traction for rallying through Squamish’s best handbuilt trails.

After six months of hard riding, the Levo SL hasn’t missed a beat - not one loose bolt, creaking from the headset, or motor irregularities. It faced everything from blasting through muddy ruts and plinko-ing down blown-out moto tracks. Impressively, the motor clutch is still as quiet as day one as well and the wheels are as straight as an arrow.

It wasn’t without a few minor quirks though. The derailleur mount did need to be retorqued a couple weeks into testing and extra slack in the TCU meant rearranging the cable internally to avoid rattling inside the top tube.

What's the Best Value?

Overall cost aside, when comparing the value of the models in the Levo SL line, the Expert is a sensible choice given it's still a carbon frame loaded with high-performance components - basically, you skip the extra pizazz of the S-Works and a few carbon bits. There is a slight difference in the frame layup of the Comp and Expert, versus the S-Works carbon finish itself, but is that extra weight savings really worth the extra dough? Likely not for most riders - that money could be best saved for spare tires and upgrades down the road.

On the specifications side, you still receive the same Fox Performance Elite dampers but skip the flashy Kashima coating. Similarly, the brakes a minor step down to Code Stealth Silver, which use the new lever body style and include reach and bite point adjustments. Similarly, the drivetrain is the latest Transmission type from SRAM which eliminates the derailleur hanger and cables.

How Does It Compare?

Trek and Specialized have each cooked up SL eMTBs that showcase their product development team’s skills - there’s little left to be desired if you’re in the market for one of these sub-18kg machines. The Fuel EXe and Levo SL don’t exactly line up against one another in their stock configuration, however, depending on how you set them up, there could be considerable overlap.

The Fuel Exe has 10mm less travel at either end, but a 160mm fork isn’t out of the question. Out of the box, it arrives with dual 29” wheels. Again, swapping the stock parts for a 27.5” rear wheel will make it more “flickable”. Those two attributes point the Fuel EXe closer to a 60/40 split of up descending and climbing, versus the Levo SL’s 70/30 realm.

A critical change for Specialized to keep up with the market meant bumping the SL 1.2 motor up 50Nm of torque. That matches TQ’s HPR50 now, however, Trek’s integrated battery holds 40 more watt-hours. One thing you don't want more of on an e-bike is noise. While the Levo SL motor acoustics aren't loud, it does have a slightly higher pitched whine compared to the TQ, particularly at higher RPMs.

Both the Levo SL and Fuel Exe came in the flashiest trim available, however, the Trek slightly undercuts Specialized in terms of pricing. The Levo SL S-Works costs $1000 USD more than the Fuel Exe’s $13,999 USD price tag. House branded carbon bars, wheel are found on each bike, along with SRAM’s top-tier T-type wireless shifting and Code brakes. Tires are another item sourced within each brands’ garage. Specialized’s rubber is light years ahead of the plastic-like Bontrager treads, which were swiftly removed from the Fuel EXe.

Another bonus point for Trek is the entry price. Aluminum Fuel EXes begin at $5,499 USD and still use the sought after TQ motor. Oddly enough though, only the aluminum Fuel EXe is equipped with a interchangeable headset cup to alter the angles which is an option that Trek’s customers spending top dollar would appreciate. Of course, this could be accomplished using aftermarket headsets if desired.


Technical Report

Fox 36 Factory: Before the burly 38 fork, the 36 served as the long-travel single crown for in Fox’s lineup. Between the two, there is a subtle difference in stiffness and how the air spring operates, but it still packs a punch. With the Grip2 damper and fool-proof volume spacers, it’s still a quality bit of kit for enduro and trail bikes.

Code Stealth Ultimate Brakes: The master cylinder may look different on the outside, but internally, they use the identical parts to the previous generation Code RSCs. A reshaped lever has a rounder side profile which seems to be welcomed by all. Most apparent, the brake lines exit on an angle to tie into stem clamps for a neat and quiet setup.

SL 1.2 motor: Bumping the torque from 35 to 50Nm may not seem like much on paper, but it’s significant on the trail. Grinding up climbs and lunging up tech moves comes with an added boost. It’s also much quieter than the first generation motor and most importantly, less whiny.

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Pinkbike's Take

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