Kenevo Gen1 Official 2018/2019 Kenevo thread

[cozzy]

Good grief the marvelous kenevo thread has dropped from page 1. We can't have that.
My expert, with the fox van. Just fitted Saint brakes and santa Cruz reserve wheels from my Bronson, as let's be honest, I won't be riding it again!
Had to buy some mich e-wilds in 2.6 as the reserves are only 30mm, they are so much lighter than the stock wheelset. I also had to get a cassette to fit the XD driver, so I've dropped to a 10tooth which will be useful as it felt undergeared.
I kept the icetech rotors from the Bronson as I prefer them, even though I had to drop to 180mm on the back as thats what I had, they just feel better than the SRAM disks. Will get the 203mm once it wears out.
I get around 20miles with 3200ft elevation with my current settings.

EDIT hardest tyres ever to seat. In fact I failed to get them tubeless & put a tube in them. WIll try again once they have stretched a bit.

EDIT 2 I have given up trying to get these Michelins tubeless. Ive done loads over the years but these have truly beaten me. They simply wont blow up on a santacruz 30mm carbon rim. Tried all the tricks. Borrowed an airshot and that wouldnt do it either. Tubes it is.

 

[Zimmerframe]

so I've dropped to a 10tooth which will be useful as it felt undergeared.

It looks seriously mean !!! Kinda like Vin Diesels bicycle for the next instalment of "The Fast and the Furious - Green day"

Take it you had to change the shifter for the 10 tooth too .. I think I'm retarded as I can hardly ever get lovely smooth shifts. With the E8000 and the 10 speed they were like butter, with this I ease of, carefully shift and CLANK ! feels like a tooth gets ripped off every time. So I can't help but think the cassette isn't going to last long ... you have a spare cheap second hand one though ! ;-)

 

[cozzy]

I take it you had to change the shifter for the 10 tooth too ..

No still an 11 speed cassette, just a 10-42 instead of an 11-42. Yes it did feel noisy with the stock nx cassette. I havent used this gx one enough yet to see if its any quieter.

 

[CjP]

It looks seriously mean !!! Kinda like Vin Diesels bicycle for the next instalment of "The Fast and the Furious - Green day"

Take it you had to change the shifter for the 10 tooth too .. I think I'm retarded as I can hardly ever get lovely smooth shifts. With the E8000 and the 10 speed they were like butter, with this I ease of, carefully shift and CLANK ! feels like a tooth gets ripped off every time. So I can't help but think the cassette isn't going to last long ... you have a spare cheap second hand one though ! ;-)

You just need to adjust them, I basically rebuilt my bike since I’ve had it as I just wasn’t happy with how the bike shop built it. They obviously didn’t love the Kenevo as much as I did. Bloody road loving riders.
They still don’t change as smooth as my brothers Merida but I can pedal and change simultaneously and it still changes, I mean I try not too but sometimes I just have to machine gun that trigger!

Watch some YouTube videos and adjust them yourself. Or just get a Rohloff.

 

[Zimmerframe]

You just need to adjust them, I basically rebuilt my bike since I’ve had it as I just wasn’t happy with how the bike shop built it. They obviously didn’t love the Kenevo as much as I did. Bloody road loving riders.

I have I have .. every ride I'm trying tiny adjustments to fine tune it up or down. I've re-indexed it from scratch several times. Winding it in closer to the cassette helped, but I still find it difficult to get nice changes. Yes, they're not all clunky hell changes, but it's way more clunky than I'd like - to the point that I'm adjusting to changing gears less instead. I know the brose runs on a few ms's longer than the Shimano and I take that into account and do two really slow pedal revolutions before a change but half the time I'm still rewarded with a clank. Rohloff is the way to go. Or a cheaper Nuvinci N380 .. I can only blame my incompetence so much !

 

[CjP]

I have I have .. every ride I'm trying tiny adjustments to fine tune it up or down. I've re-indexed it from scratch several times. Winding it in closer to the cassette helped, but I still find it difficult to get nice changes. Yes, they're not all clunky hell changes, but it's way more clunky than I'd like - to the point that I'm adjusting to changing gears less instead. I know the brose runs on a few ms's longer than the Shimano and I take that into account and do two really slow pedal revolutions before a change but half the time I'm still rewarded with a clank. Rohloff is the way to go. Or a cheaper Nuvinci N380 .. I can only blame my incompetence so much !

Yes even new it’s definitely not as smooth as my brothers Shimano XT gear.
Can’t have it all I suppose but if it helps you sleep at night, mines still going strong after 2000km. Was playing up for a few months and just the other day I found a bent tooth, straightened it up and good as gold.

 

[Zimmerframe]

Was playing up for a few months and just the other day I found a bent tooth, straightened it up and good as gold.

I can't believe your brother lets you practice dentistry on him after a ride - you aussies are tough b4stards ! He's not called ""Donk" is he ?

mines still going strong after 2000km.

Good to know !!! I'm thinking with more constant tweaking and pedal/shift familiarisation It will get better ... it will .. it will ...

 

[CjP]

Also FYI the cable for the derailleur usually goes along the side cover on the chain side. On my Kenevo they re routed it over the motor instead. Might be a better path.

 

[Zimmerframe]

On my Kenevo they re routed it over the motor instead. Might be a better path.

I saw them do that on Rob's "Berkshire Cycles" video..... I'll have a look at making the change !

Anyone changed their chainring size ? I think it's 32? by default ? I think as @cozzy said, it feels a bit under geared ..

 

[Joeyrotundo]

I saw them do that on Rob's "Berkshire Cycles" video..... I'll have a look at making the change !

Anyone changed their chainring size ? I think it's 32? by default ? I think as @cozzy said, it feels a bit under geared ..

Went to a 36t up front and it's awesome, I don't think you could go any bigger because of the ridge in the chainstay.
Got a Praxis Aluminum but will probably throw a steel ring on at some point,also praxis.



11-42 in the back looking at something with a 10 or 9 , but also wondering about a geared hub and being done with it.

 

[Zimmerframe]

So when I got the Kenevo, the gear changes seemed Clunky .. so wound the derailleur closer to the cassette.. Just wound it out a few mm and that seems a bit smoother. Strangely about 70% of changes I can now make and you can't feel or hear them . the other 30% are hideous ... bizarre.. (stupid piggin autocorrect random word changer is anoying as hell !)

Today's questions ... do go faster stripes make you go faster ?? ;-)

OK, so it seems my battery is fault (another thread) and I generally use about 22wh/km no matter what mode I'm in .. Hopefully that will get sorted.

about 80% of the time when I set off from a stop or applying power after a "peaceful" section .. There's a clunk which sounds like the front chainring area -similar to a bad gear change chain settling onto a ring type clunk .. but everything seems tight and I can't replicate it by wobbling anything, pulling anything, turning anything.

When pedalling above the assistance speed, the motor makes a Zzziiiiipppppppppppp sound a bit like a two stoke engine when you begin pedalling .. is this normal ? clutch ?

 

[CjP]

Wow sounds like my bike when I bought it but completely different issues. All I can suggest is pull apart your bike and put it back together yourself and check all bolts etc.
Bothersome I know but I just don’t trust bike mechanics anymore. They never seem to really put any love in it.

Ever since I did that too mine it’s been a dream!

 

[Zimmerframe]

They never seem to really put any love in it.

I don't think ANYONE ! put's the same love into it as you put into your's !

But you're correct .. I'd not thought that it could actually be a bolt not tight or aligned correctly .. Could just be something which keeps settling one way and the other - makes a lot more sense than a weird chainring problem.

 

[CjP]

Hahaha for the price we pay for these things I don’t know why people don’t put in the love.

You’d be surprised what just a misplaced washer can do to the bike.
I honestly got to a stage where I thought my bike was just a lemon. So many issues, then I decided to play with it a bit and check everything over and found many small issues that the so called “pros” has created.
I took the time out to learn and work through each issue and now I can happily say my bike is just perfect. The last 3 months I haven’t had one issue compared to at least one issue every 2 to 3 rides.

Re your zipping issue, check the chain guide isn’t rubbing, check the whole drivetrain. If it’s none of that then maybe it could be your motor. If that’s the case then you can get that replaced along with the battery.

 

[Zimmerframe]

Hahaha for the price we pay for these things I don’t know why people don’t put in the love.

You’d be surprised what just a misplaced washer can do to the bike.
I honestly got to a stage where I thought my bike was just a lemon. So many issues, then I decided to play with it a bit and check everything over and found many small issues that the so called “pros” has created.
I took the time out to learn and work through each issue and now I can happily say my bike is just perfect. The last 3 months I haven’t had one issue compared to at least one issue every 2 to 3 rides.

Re your zipping issue, check the chain guide isn’t rubbing, check the whole drivetrain. If it’s none of that then maybe it could be your motor. If that’s the case then you can get that replaced along with the battery.

The Zzzzziiiiiippp definitely sounds like it's from inside the motor (though sounds can be deceptive) Will do a thorough check over again.. though at the moment I'm a little reluctant to take the motor out and so on as I can't help but think that if I end up having to do anything with Spesh France they'll just do the usual French warranty thing and use anything as an excuse to void it or drag their feet for as long as necessary that the warranty has expired, and I'll end up with a DIY baffang'ed Frankensteined Kenevo

I'm sticking with the general Kenevo mentality - Ride It ! Enjoy It ! Don't think about it, it's fine. So the only sensible thing to do is charge it up (which for me takes hardly anytime unlike all your slow charging energy hogging batteries) and go back out an enjoy it some more !

 

[CjP]

Thats the spirit, just get out and ride. The rest will work itself out eventually!

?

 

[s90gav]

Dunno why but I've not manged to post anything in this thread yet. So here's a couple pics of my Kenevo Expert. Recently just fitted a Hope V4 on the front with a vented rotor, made a huge difference on the steeper stuff I usually ride.

 

[Zimmerframe]

Rain due so finally got round to ordering the mudhuggers (2 x race fronts) one for front one for the rear. Felt a bit under geared compared to the 34t shimano, so went for a 36t front chainring (aptly, for me, named snail) and the 11sp rear has a wider spread than the previous shimano .. the brose has more torque .. soooo, seemed like a good idea .. and some chain ring bolts.. amazingly all found on amazon and supplied by amazon, so that was easy.

Do quite the look of this one too, seen it on some Decoy's on here and it looks tidy..

RRP ProGuard Front Mudguard | Tredz Bikes

Xmas :

 

[CjP]

Nice! I need some better guards. Too many rocks in my eyes lately.
Get some pictures up already so I know how they look on mine!

 

[Zimmerframe]

Things are going slower than planned ..

Today's tip is for people planning on changing the chainring ..

The original is steel - like the 2020 kenevo frame .. my new one is ally - so not sure how that will wear..

The receiving bolts on the Specialized one are captive. Presumably the same on the levo.

The bolt kit I purchased didn't specify size, but did come with spacer washers ..

Everything I'd read made it sound easy .. tape the receiver bolts/nuts to the back of the chainring . put on viola .. except with the bolts taped on, you can't get the ring on, I couldn't anyway. (because they were too long.....)

Next problem .. I'd checked the lengths before hand and it looked like it should all fit. Couldn't get the outer ones to tighten, not helped by the fact that it's difficult to hold the back ones in place. Eventually sussed that they couldn't tighten anymore because they were at their limits.

So removed, started again with the spacers at the back . Which doesn't work as a 2mm spacer causes the receiving bolt to touch the motor casing.

So took it all off again and reduced the receiving bolts to 4mm bolts/nuts instead of 6mm bolts/nuts - whatever you want to call them.

It's now on. I think to take it off again, I'll need a tool to take the spider off ... wadza that called ?

Mudguards next .. Lets hope that doesn't take as long ..

Before : 32 tooth Factory :

After .. cheepo 36 tooth .. on a size "L" there's about 3mm clearance between teeth and rear triangle.

 

[Zimmerframe]

OK Impatient one !

Front mudhugger . Comes with 4 zip ties, but I've used 6. Test fitting showed holes 2/3 on the top sits ok. If you use hole 4 (back), it's too far forward and the nose catches the tyre - or looks like it will .

On, with the top ties done up and the lower fork leg ones .. it ALMOST touches the tyre - which is similar to other pictures I've seen ..

Tighten up the upper fork ties and it lifts it a couple of mm.

I personally think the other ones a couple of posts up look aesthetically a little more attractive for some reason .. maybe they follow the wheel shape better ? .. Should keep things dry/eyes more protected and the plastic is much more supple than the cube ones. I don't think any mud guards look very nice ... maybe that's just me ... but they don't look too bad.

 

[Mcharza]

I cut a small part of my wife's front mudhugger. Worked fine and not touching the tyre

 

[Al Boneta]

The reasons the Kenevos have clunky shifting is the poor cable routing, no shift sensor and rider shift input.
I have done so many experiments to make it shift better for myself and my customers.
I tried the Berkshire Cycles idea of routing up over the motor, but this didn’t make that much of a difference.
I have tried different drivetrains like the BOX 2 Ebike 9-speed, XT 11 and I even ignored my own advice and tried Eagle on it. They all sucked on my Kenevo. I even used and Archer wireless system and it still shifted like shit. It ended up still being the cable.
I also tried routing the cable outside the chainstay for a while and that actually improved it a lot.
So in my bikes latest configuration, I am running a Gore ride-on cable routed over the motor and outside the chain stay. I also really liked the 1x9 Microshift Advent 1x9 that is speced on the Rockhoppers in our showroom, so I am running that currently. The bike has never shifted better and all it took was a $30 cable, a $120 drivetrain and the most Jerry rugged cable routing I have ever done to one of my bikes.
With all of my other mods, this is better than any other Emtb I have ever owned.
And now I am selling it because I have 3 new bikes ordered

 

[Zimmerframe]

Mug hugger rear ..

Chopped the nose off to the correct shape .. ish ... Two extra holes either side, higher up than the existing fork leg holes and two more to fasten it near the hinge to stop it moving about/flapping ?! (edit - these two didn't work, the tyre/linkage snapped them straight away)

Now all I need is an advent 9 and an external cable ..

 

[Zimmerframe]

Quick test ride round the Sand MTB school ..... (OH isn't here...)

The two rear zip ties near the pivot pinged off, so either I didn't have them tight enough or they get pinched or something ...

Doesn't look too bad ...

 

[Zimmerframe]

With all of my other mods, this is better than any other Emtb I have ever owned.
And now I am selling it because I have 3 new bikes ordered

I won't be doing it at the moment, but how straight forward is the change to the Advent 1x9 ? Just swap the shifter and the cassette/chain ?

I guess you of all people have access to items to try with regards to mods So I have to ask, what were the winners ?

You've ordered 1 of each of the new Kenevo Models ?

 

[Eduardoramundo]

mm.

How is that wheel supposed to spin when caked in mud?

 

[Zimmerframe]

How is that wheel supposed to spin when caked in mud?

This is the risk .. Hopefully it will magically self clean rather than clog up .... It might scrape the crap off and deposit it off to the sides .. we live in hope ..

 

[Al Boneta]

I won't be doing it at the moment, but how straight forward is the change to the Advent 1x9 ? Just swap the shifter and the cassette/chain ?

I guess you of all people have access to items to try with regards to mods So I have to ask, what were the winners ?

You've ordered 1 of each of the new Kenevo Models ?

Manitou Mezzer is currently my favorite fork.
I have never gotten along with Öhlins products, I am running a DVO Topaz air shock at the moment.
The advent set up went on with no issues and it’s performed flawlessly

 

[CjP]

I’m pretty sure praxis do a steel 36t ring??
I’m going to buy one today as I need it.
I solved my clunky gear problem with another solution. Albeit an expensive one.
I like the guards mate, they look the goods. I will have to order a set soon.