Levo SL Levo SL Owners Thread
- Thread starter Rob Rides EMTB
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I don't think an oval chainring is optimal for the Levo SL. Unlike on a regular bike, on the SL the crank is not aligned with a fixed point on the chainring. For example if you backpedal on the SL, the cranks move but the chainring/chain does not. So your pedaling would not be in the preferred alignment with the oval chainring, which removes any advantages it would otherwise have over a round ring.
Probably wouldn’t be good for the motor to constantly change tempo.
Big day on the SL.. bike continues to impress. Ended up with 13% battery left (no RE) - mostly eco for about ~ 4300ft of vert, and Trail for the rest (with a little bit of turbo for the last 100-200ft).
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Read all 100+ pages and some of the other threads before deciding to sell my Ripmo and switch to a emtb. Picked up a L CC this weekend, I'm a little over 5'10" with 32" or so inseam, and very happy with the fit. Liked the idea of the SL still feeling like a playful bike and being able to ride without power (I've put over 6000 miles on a Giant Quick E+ for daily commuting in the before times and that's very painful when you run out of juice).
Looked at the new Santa Cruz bikes and the FF Levo was tempting but didn't want to bother with potential issues as my friend is on his fifth Levo motor after 9000 miles. I like to do long rides (30+ miles) out in Henry Coe and it's a long ride out usually with elevation for most of the spots I visit so favored weight and reliability or a miscalculation in range.
Got a nice deal on extenders at 25% off this weekend so picked up two thinking I'll be able to get some 40-50 mile rides in and not be too beat.
Did a quick checkout ride yesterday, 10 miles, 1000' gain at 99% on ECO at 35/50 which was a pretty good workout, I'm 215 lbs w/o pack and used 22% or 74wh. Plan to ride the same loop in different modes/mix to get a good idea of how this all works, still not exactly clear after seeing that same settings in different modes give different results so I'll characterize that myself.
Pretty happy with the stock bike but the loop I did is pretty smooth so I'll hit some more nasty stuff and get more miles on her before deciding what to upgrade. Was going to rip off the Guide RE brakes to switch to XT without riding them but they didn't feel too bad (after a bed in session) so I'll give them a chance.
Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for posting their experiences, it really helped me understand the SL and I got exactly what I expected the first time I hit the dirt and an actual climb.
Ant
Looked at the new Santa Cruz bikes and the FF Levo was tempting but didn't want to bother with potential issues as my friend is on his fifth Levo motor after 9000 miles. I like to do long rides (30+ miles) out in Henry Coe and it's a long ride out usually with elevation for most of the spots I visit so favored weight and reliability or a miscalculation in range.
Got a nice deal on extenders at 25% off this weekend so picked up two thinking I'll be able to get some 40-50 mile rides in and not be too beat.
Did a quick checkout ride yesterday, 10 miles, 1000' gain at 99% on ECO at 35/50 which was a pretty good workout, I'm 215 lbs w/o pack and used 22% or 74wh. Plan to ride the same loop in different modes/mix to get a good idea of how this all works, still not exactly clear after seeing that same settings in different modes give different results so I'll characterize that myself.
Pretty happy with the stock bike but the loop I did is pretty smooth so I'll hit some more nasty stuff and get more miles on her before deciding what to upgrade. Was going to rip off the Guide RE brakes to switch to XT without riding them but they didn't feel too bad (after a bed in session) so I'll give them a chance.
Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for posting their experiences, it really helped me understand the SL and I got exactly what I expected the first time I hit the dirt and an actual climb.
Ant
Dude. This is all fucking awesome. Good to see you loving it. I’m sure you already know but try just keeping it in trail mode at 30/70. That’s what I use and use the same exact WH for 10 miles.
Good to hear you’re Loving your SL. Question: Where did you find the extenders for 25% off. I need one!
I also need one! My guess is it was a Black Friday/Cyber Monday deal somewhere...
Yeah it was a black Friday deal from Al's sporting goods in UT so I grabbed that and my LBS matched the discount when I bought the SL so I picked up another one. The one that shipped from Al's wasn't in the original packaging so I need to capacity test it against my new one. I went back to Al's site and don't see them listed anymore at all.
Nice, I'm very happy with that weight so I'll definitely get this model....and very likely this colour too?
Yes, Large tubeless, why off course. This was a demo and I was lucky enough to take it out for it’s maiden voyage.
New rotors added 
18.23 kg so far, not so bad for XL size with coil fork
18.23 kg so far, not so bad for XL size with coil fork
Last thing you need is a neat damper to keep up with that forkNew rotors added
18.23 kg so far, not so bad for XL size with coil fork View attachment 46279 View attachment 46280 View attachment 46281
You might want to clarify whether it's "Specialized policy" or the law.
Most of the world - I can see no reason why the US would be any different - has extremely rigorous laws preventing Li-Ion batteries from being routinely shipped without strict controls and (often show-stopping) additional safety requirements, due to Li-Ion batteries on their own being considered such a fire risk.
It works great. The chain does not rub on the chainstay protector and you won’t need a larger chainring. Shift quality is the same as with the GX cassette I ran previously.
Are you running a Cascade link with the Jade X coil?
I see quite a few are using the link with coil shocks but I don’t see anyone saying whether it’s required or just a good idea.
thanks.
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I thought their cassette had bad reviews. Be interesting to see how long it lasts being lighter than the XX1.
It’s not a need. I have one with an X2. It just gives another 6mm of travel I think, with a x55 shock it’s around 160 rear. I still haven’t measured so I could be wrong. I’ll have to do that one of these days......
TBH with the CC link you have to add more psi and I’m pretty 110% sure I have more pedal bob with it. Bike now bounces more than my 170mm travel bike. Which is bad because the motor provides a more uniform pressure running flats.
as for a coil over you probably would be fine. But there’s a higher failure rate when the suspension used the shock for structural stability as the Levos use.
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I do recall reading about a coil failing more often, thought it was a different manufacturer? I'll do more research before buying the coil. I'll go ahead and order the link though, it just sounds like a good idea after doing more reading last night.
thanks a bunch.
I THINK that cascade link is "need" if you run coil.
Anyway, for the moment I am still with no coil
BTW this lightworks great for me (so far)
Anyway, for the moment I am still with no coil
BTW this lightworks great for me (so far)
