Levo SL Gen 1 SL vs Levo motor noise levels

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jimsydney2000

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Im super excited about the new Levo SL. I have been saying for years, that etmb's are built so heavy to accommodate the amazing power output and batteries etc when all you really want is assistance getting to the top and riding further when you go out.

Im even thinking of selling my 4 week old 2020 comp which is great, but the SL is the bike I have really always wanted.

My question is, when I watched Robs review on youtube of the SL vs the Levo, it sounds like the SL motor is a lot louder and whinnier than the Levo. The super quiet Brose motor is a major plus on regular Levo's, so does anyone have any first hand knowledge to share.

Next question, I usually wait for second generation or second year releases of new products to iron out any minor problems. Whats everyone's thoughts on a wait and see approach to the new SL.
 
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The noise is really picked up on camera, my footage sounds the same but riding along, its only really audible in turbo mode. And that was brand new first 10miles on the bike.
 
I've been on about 6 rides on my SL and it seems it has gotten quieter to my ears anyway.

No need to wait the bike is under warranty and is fantastic.
 
There will undoubtedly be teething pains with this all new model. And the belt driven motor of the 2018 and 2019 is definitely quieter. There’s no debating that.

I have a 2018 SWorks which I love. I think it’s a better balance between nimbleness and stability than the 2019, because the 2018 as the 28” wheels.
I’m tempted to get the 2020 SL, but the price is obscene. Sorry, but a 30% increase over the 2018 model is crazy. I paid about $12K for my SWorks in 2018, and a new SL would be close to $20k. I’m sorry, WHAT?! No one can convince me it’s worth that - there’s zero need for this type of price increase, other than corporate greed.
 
jimsydney2000 said:
Im super excited about the new Levo SL. I have been saying for years, that etmb's are built so heavy to accommodate the amazing power output and batteries etc when all you really want is assistance getting to the top and riding further when you go out.
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These are EXACTLY my preferences. I had all Levos from the beginning on and the 2020 Alu Comp with the 700Wh battery was the worst when it belongs to handling and riding fun. Way too heavy and clumsy.
So sell the Comp, get the SL.
You will be so satisfied! Don´t worry about the noise. Cell phone microphones, or even the Go Pro microphones are always recording lots of mid range sounds and enhance them. The motor itself sounds different in real butits a comfy sound.

P.S. It you want to save money, don´t buy an E-MTB at all ;-)
 
Hi All,

Thanks very much for the fast replies today, I have found a local LBS that has demo on the floor and looking forward to taking it for a ride on the weekend.

It is a bit annoying that the bike hit the shops a week after I bought my 2020 comp, with none of the sales people mentioning it was coming.

Thanks again James.
 
jimsydney2000 said:
Hi All,

Thanks very much for the fast replies today, I have found a local LBS that has demo on the floor and looking forward to taking it for a ride on the weekend.

It is a bit annoying that the bike hit the shops a week after I bought my 2020 comp, with none of the sales people mentioning it was coming.

Thanks again James.
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Don´t they take it back?
 
jimsydney2000 said:
It is a bit annoying that the bike hit the shops a week after I bought my 2020 comp, with none of the sales people mentioning it was coming.
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I don’t think most shops knew it was coming. Mine didn’t! They just had demo bikes arrive on the release Tuesday.

I had bought a Trek Rail 2 weeks prior to this - but managed to swap it (with a large refund to me!) for a Levo SL Expert under their 30 day satisfaction programme.

As other have said - it sounds much louder on camera than it did on my test ride. I rode mainly in Trail, and it was pretty quiet. I did notice it a bit louder in Turbo, but not any louder than I found the Bosch in eMTB mode.

Looking forward to riding my own one this weekend!
 
jimsydney2000 said:
It is a bit annoying that the bike hit the shops a week after I bought my 2020 comp, with none of the sales people mentioning it was coming.
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Thats the NDA shops are under, they were probably aware of it as a dealer email would have gone out a week earlier - now how far that made it down the management chain in a shop is another question.
 
First my LBS staff knew was when three boxes were delivered.
 
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I went into my Lbs Spec dealer in middle of January with the intention of buying a Levo after riding a mates. The head man there asked what my riding intentions were and then advised me to wait till February the 4th as a new lighter bike was being unveiled. He said it’s not common knowledge so don’t blab it about.
ive taken a Levo out for a demo and really enjoyed it and I pick up an SL tomorrow and got it till Monday.
luckily I’ve found this forum before spending over 4 grand and now im also looking a Bosch motor power e bike too. Whyte at another lbs is tempting me.
 
Surge....the Levo SL aluminum starts around $6500 USD. Not sure where you are getting $20000 from? The founders edition SL with gold leaf paint is $16000.
 
losgatosgtr said:
Surge....the Levo SL aluminum starts around $6500 USD. Not sure where you are getting $20000 from? The founders edition SL with gold leaf paint is $16000.
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I’m quoting Canadian dollars
Not sure where you got the gold leaf?
 
I might be stating the obvious, but I don't see a mention so far in the thread that the SL motor is all gears unlike the belt drive normal Levo and that may be a reason for a little more gear whine.
 
In any currency, the 2020 bike is more than 30% more expensive than the 2018 bike. That’s crazy. I love Specialized - I own 3 SWorks bikes, but the price of the new SL is just crazy. I’m out.
 
Blutto said:
I might be stating the obvious, but I don't see a mention so far in the thread that the SL motor is all gears unlike the belt drive normal Levo and that may be a reason for a little more gear whine.
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Yes, it’s mentioned in a few places. Just look at the cutaway. That’s definitely why it’s noisier - gears vs belt.
 
Surge said:
In any currency, the 2020 bike is more than 30% more expensive than the 2018 bike. That’s crazy. I love Specialized - I own 3 SWorks bikes, but the price of the new SL is just crazy. I’m out.
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Are you still banging on about this?

The Levo S Works was £9000 here for MY2018, £10000 for MY2019 and is still that price For MY20. Granted the S Works SL is more expensive here at £11k but it follows the inflation in prices. The Founders is just a novelty model. It isn’t the new S Works.

In case you wonder why you don’t get much sympathy from a Brit? Our prices are quite a bit more than yours in Canada.
 
Fivetones said:
Are you still banging on about this?

The Levo S Works was £9000 here for MY2018, £10000 for MY2019 and is still that price For MY20. Granted the S Works SL is more expensive here at £11k but it follows the inflation in prices. The Founders is just a novelty model. It isn’t the new S Works.

In case you wonder why you don’t get much sympathy from a Brit? Our prices are quite a bit more than yours in Canada.
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I'm not sure what you don't understand. A 35% increase in 2 years is not "due to inflation"!! Inflation runs about 2%.
I'm not talking about the Founders' Edition.
In Canada/US the Turbo Levo S-Works retailed for USD10,000 in 2018:
Men's S-Works Turbo Levo FSR Carbon 6Fattie/29 | Specialized.com

The 2020 SL is $13,525 - a whopping 35% increase!
There is no reason for the SL to cost so much - if anything it should cost less, because it has a less powerful motor and battery.

If you like being financially raped, that's your perogative. I think it's nuts.
 
Back on topic -- no one has properly compared noise levels against the belt driven models of 2018 and 2019? Obviously the new bike is louder - gears most of the time are louder than belts.
 
I didn’t say it follows inflation, however it follows the trend in bike prices (especially Specialized, mtb or emtb).

Like I say, your prices are cheap over there compared to us and if you don’t like it why post about it all the time (and in a thread about motor noise too!)? Get over it and buy another bike. Jeez.
 
Surge said:
Back on topic -- no one has properly compared noise levels against the belt driven models of 2018 and 2019? Obviously the new bike is louder - gears most of the time are louder than belts.
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From the reports I’ve read the noise beds in after a little while and isn’t noticeable. I’m willing to bet it’s no noisier than the Shimano motor once bedded in. I don’t find the Shimano motor that loud but others do.
 
Fivetones said:
I didn’t say it follows inflation, however it follows the trend in bike prices (especially Specialized, mtb or emtb).

Like I say, your prices are cheap over there compared to us and if you don’t like it why post about it all the time (and in a thread about motor noise too!)? Get over it and buy another bike. Jeez.
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Because we can influence their pricing by calling them out when it's ridiculous!
 
Surge said:
Because we can influence their pricing by calling them out when it's ridiculous!
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...and you call them out by not buying it. Will everyone else? Judging by the interest on here, no. The S-Works is especially bad value for money, choose a Comp Carbon and upgrade. That’s likely the thing that will change their pricing decisions too.

As it happens I agree these are insane prices but EMTB’s are silly money full stop. Some more silly than others though.
 
You make some good points... this industry is still young - we’ll see where it settles out in terms of value for the money.
I have 3 Specialized bikes, so I love the products. I just wished they had kept increases to inflation.
 
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