Kenevo Gen1 Official 2020 Kenevo Owners Thread

[fodmtb]

New bike day , great support from specialized uk direct & race co cycles .

 

[Rob Rides EMTB]

New bike day , great support from specialized uk direct & race co cycles .
View attachment 22298

That looks very nice. Some nice custom shizzle going on there.

 

[fodmtb]

That looks very nice. Some nice custom shizzle going on there.

Cheers Rob hopefully a Fodmtb wrap soon

 

[R120]

Someone needs to strip back a frame to raw, reckon it would look the nuts

 

[Mcharza]

Wow! A good discount. Is this shop safe? Anybody used it

I decided not to order there. I want to support a local bike shop even if it costs more

 

[DisasterHamster]

I decided not to order there. I want to support a local bike shop even if it costs more

I usually do to and I appreciate that
However, the price difference to buying the bike from a shop here in Finland was approx. 1800€, so I thought of giving myself some slack..

Any ideas on an explanation for the wife?

 

[Zimmerframe]

I usually do to and I appreciate that
However, the price difference to buying the bike from a shop here in Finland was approx. 1800€, so I thought of giving myself some slack..

Any ideas on an explanation for the wife?

With my previous bike I decided to support the "local bike shop", though my first BIG mistake was not knowing anything about them other than that they were the local bike shop. So I paid over the odds for a very average bike. Then discovered that they talked the talk, but didn't have a clue about anything - not even converting to tubeless. So I guess a lot depends on supporting a decent shop or propping up a moron Due to that, the next bike I bought on-line with the view I had nothing to loose.

 

[Zimmerframe]

I usually do to and I appreciate that
However, the price difference to buying the bike from a shop here in Finland was approx. 1800€, so I thought of giving myself some slack..

Any ideas on an explanation for the wife?

Basically, you're fecked !

You can tell her you've just saved €1800 ... but when she finds out what you spent on a bicycle ... she'll still go nuts..

So you might as well tell her you've been completely stupid and say you bought it for the full price, suck up the grief, and stash the €1800 to one side for "upgrades" which you wouldn't otherwise be allowed because of that the "stupid thing cost in the first place"

Don't forget to buy her something nice or take her out though ... but certainly not to celebrate the new bike ....

 

[Ameiza]

Over here Emtb isn’t very big yet. Bought mine in a highly regarded LBS (for the most), but they couldn’t offer me a swap of suspension spring to match my body weight. I had to purchase it. They simply do not sell enough bikes, let alone ebikes.

 

[Mcharza]

I usually do to and I appreciate that
However, the price difference to buying the bike from a shop here in Finland was approx. 1800€, so I thought of giving myself some slack..

Any ideas on an explanation for the wife?

Well I have until Monday to change my mind

 

[DisasterHamster]

Basically, you're fecked !

You can tell her you've just saved €1800 ... but when she finds out what you spent on a bicycle ... she'll still go nuts..

So you might as well tell her you've been completely stupid and say you bought it for the full price, suck up the grief, and stash the €1800 to one side for "upgrades" which you wouldn't otherwise be allowed because of that the "stupid thing cost in the first place"

Don't forget to buy her something nice or take her out though ... but certainly not to celebrate the new bike ....

Sounds like there's a bit of experience behind those tips

I like "upgrades" method, but I just realized my wife always tells me she was simply saving money by buying something, so I'm gonna go with that?

 

[Dfriz]

63! Hard to understand when looking at your avatar

Tight Butts drive me Nuts

 

[Nikolaos Tsivis]

Good day!

More than 300km on my S3 Kenevo 2020 Comp now, a first review as follows:

About the rider:

80kg, 173cm height, 36 year old, father of a toddler and a newborn, working approx. 40 to 50 hours per week, at least a couple of business trips abroad during the month, riding mostly on the weekends, once or twice. Free time for riding is limited. I would consider myself fit, not an athlete though... I started downhill riding in 2007.

Ex Bikes:

Specialized Big Hit 2009, Specialized SX Trail 2009, Pipedream Cycles Moxie 2018. I also had a Knolly Chilcotin for a few months but did not ride it more than 10 times and sold it quickly. Everything is sold now, only the Kenevo is in my hands as we speak.

The ride:

Due to the motor, it simply climbs great, especially when in turbo, it climbs very very fast, like the wind!! Try to climb it without the motor, it is very heavy and slow, if you plan to ride it "analogue" just don't...

Point it downhill and it just rips, it is simply great. Very fast, point and shoot, hover over everything, jump over everything, G-outs, pin it etc., it does everything and it does it good.

This is a self shuttling bike. Nothing more, nothing less. If you want to get to the top of the downhill trails fast without a lift or a shuttle, buy a Kenevo.

Until now, most of my rides are done in full turbo mode. Go bomb the downhill trails until the battery is gone. I will need another battery. I also did a couple rides in full ECO mode. I got three hours of riding, very nice rides.

The fit:

For some reason, Specialized bikes were always a perfect fit for me. I changed the saddle to a WTB Silverado that I always used for years on my bikes, however, I think the Specialized would be just fine too. Cockpit wise, I didn't change a thing. Stem length, stem spacers, handlebar dimensions, all were perfectly adjusted for me right out of the box and I don't plan on touching anything.

Upgrades so far:

1. Fully invisiframed.
2. DT Swiss 350 hub on the rear wheel.
3. Vittoria Insert on the rear wheel.
4. SRAM GX Eagle (cassette, chain, derailleur and shifter).

What I don't like that much:

1. The X-fusion Manic seat-post. Not bad on the trails. It performs good while riding. However, If you try to lift the bike from the seat while the post is slammed down, it extends... Same like the KS Lev DX did when I had it on my SX Trail. Also, I would prefer a longer travel seatpost. Lastly, the loop of the cable inside the frame is not a good idea. Probably the Reverb AXS is getting on the bike next.
2. The Butcher tyres along with the Roval DH (inner width 28mm) rims. These are really not a bad combination. However, due to the fact that the bike is a heavy downhill electric machine, you need a combo that will provide more support. I feel the tyres collapsing during turning, both the front and the rear. Wider rims and DH casing Wide Trail tyres are next.
3. The Marzocchi Z1 fork. I never liked air forks/shocks. I always had coil springs both front and rear. The DVO Diamond forks changed my mind on the air forks, however, it took me a lot of time to set it up the way I liked it. Converting the fork to coil via "Vorsprung Smashpot Kit" would be a good option. Another thing I don't like though is that the damper controller is not staying where I want it. It always goes to the open side by itself. This is frustrating.

Upgrades that are under consideration as of now:

1. A second battery, either 500wh or 700wh...
2. Wide rims and tyres for sure. I would like to try the WTB combo options although the safe choice would be DT Swiss and Maxxis combo. A second insert in the front tyre as well.
3. Rockshox Lyrik Ultimate with coil conversion (either Vorsprung or Push).
4. Rockshox Reverb AXS.

Upgrades that would blow my wallet and my mind and would finish my dream kit:

1. EXT ARMA HBC V3
2. FULL AXS SHIFTING KIT

Food for thought:

1. I hear some "clacks" every now and then from inside the motor. Its like something inside is skipping... Performance is pretty good though. I believe it will fail soon. The bike shop/dealer tells me to monitor it and if the clacking sound continues we shall then see what we do. In any case, I plan to ride the hell out of this bike until it breaks. This is a relatively complex bike. I feel that Specialized should offer the option of extended warranty and service packs/schemes, same like what the car industry does. I would be very happy to pay a premium for a 5-year warranty and service plan for this bike. Two years warranty is just not enough.

1. I would also like to see from Specialized the possibility to upgrade parts while ordering the bike. Some degree of customization would be nice, at least to be able to fit the bike properly to its owner. For example, I would like the option to choose the seatpost travel, saddle width, stem length, grip size and compound, handlebar width and rise. Since they offer the perfect S-sizing, why not offer the rest so that someone can fine tune the fit? In my opinion, bike fitting is one of the most important aspects of safe riding.

Brgds/Nikolaos Tsivis

 

[Ameiza]

Good day!

More than 300km on my S3 Kenevo 2020 Comp now, a first review as follows:

About the rider:

80kg, 173cm height, 36 year old, father of a toddler and a newborn, working approx. 40 to 50 hours per week, at least a couple of business trips abroad during the month, riding mostly on the weekends, once or twice. Free time for riding is limited. I would consider myself fit, not an athlete though... I started downhill riding in 2007.

Ex Bikes:

Specialized Big Hit 2009, Specialized SX Trail 2009, Pipedream Cycles Moxie 2018. I also had a Knolly Chilcotin for a few months but did not ride it more than 10 times and sold it quickly. Everything is sold now, only the Kenevo is in my hands as we speak.

The ride:

Due to the motor, it simply climbs great, especially when in turbo, it climbs very very fast, like the wind!! Try to climb it without the motor, it is very heavy and slow, if you plan to ride it "analogue" just don't...

Point it downhill and it just rips, it is simply great. Very fast, point and shoot, hover over everything, jump over everything, G-outs, pin it etc., it does everything and it does it good.

This is a self shuttling bike. Nothing more, nothing less. If you want to get to the top of the downhill trails fast without a lift or a shuttle, buy a Kenevo.

Until now, most of my rides are done in full turbo mode. Go bomb the downhill trails until the battery is gone. I will need another battery. I also did a couple rides in full ECO mode. I got three hours of riding, very nice rides.

The fit:

For some reason, Specialized bikes were always a perfect fit for me. I changed the saddle to a WTB Silverado that I always used for years on my bikes, however, I think the Specialized would be just fine too. Cockpit wise, I didn't change a thing. Stem length, stem spacers, handlebar dimensions, all were perfectly adjusted for me right out of the box and I don't plan on touching anything.

Upgrades so far:

1. Fully invisiframed.
2. DT Swiss 350 hub on the rear wheel.
3. Vittoria Insert on the rear wheel.
4. SRAM GX Eagle (cassette, chain, derailleur and shifter).

What I don't like that much:

1. The X-fusion Manic seat-post. Not bad on the trails. It performs good while riding. However, If you try to lift the bike from the seat while the post is slammed down, it extends... Same like the KS Lev DX did when I had it on my SX Trail. Also, I would prefer a longer travel seatpost. Lastly, the loop of the cable inside the frame is not a good idea. Probably the Reverb AXS is getting on the bike next.
2. The Butcher tyres along with the Roval DH (inner width 28mm) rims. These are really not a bad combination. However, due to the fact that the bike is a heavy downhill electric machine, you need a combo that will provide more support. I feel the tyres collapsing during turning, both the front and the rear. Wider rims and DH casing Wide Trail tyres are next.
3. The Marzocchi Z1 fork. I never liked air forks/shocks. I always had coil springs both front and rear. The DVO Diamond forks changed my mind on the air forks, however, it took me a lot of time to set it up the way I liked it. Converting the fork to coil via "Vorsprung Smashpot Kit" would be a good option. Another thing I don't like though is that the damper controller is not staying where I want it. It always goes to the open side by itself. This is frustrating.

Upgrades that are under consideration as of now:

1. A second battery, either 500wh or 700wh...
2. Wide rims and tyres for sure. I would like to try the WTB combo options although the safe choice would be DT Swiss and Maxxis combo. A second insert in the front tyre as well.
3. Rockshox Lyrik Ultimate with coil conversion (either Vorsprung or Push).
4. Rockshox Reverb AXS.

Upgrades that would blow my wallet and my mind and would finish my dream kit:

1. EXT ARMA HBC V3
2. FULL AXS SHIFTING KIT

Food for thought:

1. I hear some "clacks" every now and then from inside the motor. Its like something inside is skipping... Performance is pretty good though. I believe it will fail soon. The bike shop/dealer tells me to monitor it and if the clacking sound continues we shall then see what we do. In any case, I plan to ride the hell out of this bike until it breaks. This is a relatively complex bike. I feel that Specialized should offer the option of extended warranty and service packs/schemes, same like what the car industry does. I would be very happy to pay a premium for a 5-year warranty and service plan for this bike. Two years warranty is just not enough.

1. I would also like to see from Specialized the possibility to upgrade parts while ordering the bike. Some degree of customization would be nice, at least to be able to fit the bike properly to its owner. For example, I would like the option to choose the seatpost travel, saddle width, stem length, grip size and compound, handlebar width and rise. Since they offer the perfect S-sizing, why not offer the rest so that someone can fine tune the fit? In my opinion, bike fitting is one of the most important aspects of safe riding.

Brgds/Nikolaos Tsivis

A very nice review, I have very much of the same impression. I am at the same heigth and S3 Comp. I would like to add that I think the bike is more agile than expected, and that it holds up very well even in tight singletracks.
I have a Smashpot spring conversion on order (Black Friday deal).

 

[Peko]

I hear some "clacks" every now and then from inside the motor. Its like something inside is skipping...

Do you here this while starting pedaling in turbo mode with a high torque?
If yes... the “clacks“ are probably generated by the motor's freewheel clutch.
Sometimes I can hear and even feel them too. On my Levo with the C161 and also on my Kenevo with the S-Mag.
Think this can happen in some case of pedaling positions and I'm not worried about it.

 

[Nikolaos Tsivis]

Good day.

Anyone knows if the Fox Float X2 will fit the Kenevo 2020? We know it fits the Levo, will it fit the Kenevo though?

Brgds/Nikolaos Tsivis

 

[beutelfuchs]

I hear some "clacks" every now and then from inside the motor.

Interesting. I had the feeling that it comes somewhere from the fork whenever the front wheel hits the ground after being up.. Are you sure about the motor?

Btw, as nice as the AXS dropper is, in down position it also extends when pulled. But that's really it's only disadvantage.

 

[Tbar]

I have the Thule XT3 and needed to get the longer straps from Amazon for the S5.

@Rob Hancill just wondering if you have an image of your Kenevo on the Thule XT3? Interested to know where the frame clamps attach. Cheers ?

 

[Nikolaos Tsivis]

Btw, as nice as the AXS dropper is, in down position it also extends when pulled. But that's really it's only disadvantage.

Good day!

Really? What a disappointment... I used a DVO Garnet this year that was almost perfect. Build quality was great, it was very sturdy, no play, no weird noises, no extension when pulled. The two problems were the crappy controller that I replaced with a proper one from BikeYoke as well as the very long stack when fully slammed down. I could easily run a 185 travel on my Moxie but with the Garnet I could only run a 150, even if DVO produced a longer version, which they don't.

Brgds/Nikolaos Tsivis

 

[wepn]

Someone needs to strip back a frame to raw, reckon it would look the nuts

It would. I want to do that on my vintage Stealth Bomber (B-52). A lot of metal to polish then clear coat which would be fine if it was in an e-mtb museum but I'd have to ride it and of course gather chips exposing the metal to corrosion - unless there's some kind of rock & stone proof coating maybe.

 

[Rob Rides EMTB]

@Rob Hancill just wondering if you have an image of your Kenevo on the Thule XT3? Interested to know where the frame clamps attach. Cheers ?

Hope this helps mate. I double secure it with a cord to make sure it stays put if it’s a longer journey.

 

[Tbar]

Hope this helps mate. I double secure it with a cord to make sure it stays put if it’s a longer journey.

View attachment 22560

Perfect, @Rob Hancill! Cheers.

Sorry about going off topic but are you happy with the rack in general?

 

[Mcharza]

Using Thule Easyfold XT3. Travelling 6000 km with two bikes and second trip was 2500 km with 3 emtb's

 

[Rob Rides EMTB]

Perfect, @Rob Hancill! Cheers.

Sorry about going off topic but are you happy with the rack in general?

Yes other than the torque locking handles only lasting about 6-12 months. I have to keep buying replacements as the plastic inside wears away.

 

[Marcus Arrowsmith]

Raceco in Stourbridge did a brill job for me, my new Kenevo. Picked it up tonight

 

[CjP]

Raceco in Stourbridge did a brill job for me, my new Kenevo. Picked it up tonight

View attachment 22612

View attachment 22613

View attachment 22614

Looks real nice!

 

[Topov]

Raceco in Stourbridge did a brill job for me, my new Kenevo. Picked it up tonight

View attachment 22612

View attachment 22613

View attachment 22614

What is the rear shock??

 

[Zimmerframe]

What is the rear shock??

It's part of the upgrade from a hard tail ...

Looks like the standard expert shock with 180mm .

RockShox Super Deluxe Coil Select, 62.5x230mm, S2 : 450lb, S3 : 500lb, S4 : 550lb, S5 : 600lb.

 

[Peko]

It's part of the upgrade from a hard tail ...

Maybe ripped from an older 1990 Kenevo?

 

[Pablo]

Twins ?