Levo Gen 2 Levo vs Levo sl dilemma please help

chrismechmaster

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Dec 7, 2020
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Good evening everyone

I wonder if anyone can help me with a way forwards in this dilemma that I constantly have

So I am fairly fit 42 and sold my normal mtb for a ebike

best decision I ever made I am hooked on ebikes and won’t go back !!!!
(Got that bit right)

so I ordered a Levo sl and just as I was about to collect it I cancelled the order and got a Levo full fat instead

now I love this bike but I feel I don’t need the assistant it gives but in eco on low due to the weight of the bike it feels like a chore to ride on big long rides

should I of gone for the sl as it would of required more input from me but still helped me on the climbs but would of been light enough to pedel with the motor off

so dilemma is

sell the Levo which I will clearly loose quite a bit of money on

but a sl as a second bike but then that’s a large debt paying off two bikes

or be happy with what I choose give it more time and see if I start enjoying it more

any help or advice would be great or maybe If you have been in the same position as I am

many thanks
 

Zimmerframe

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Jun 12, 2019
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Everyone will have a different opinion as everyone is different ! :)

When you say you have it on eco low - you mean the standard eco settings, or you've turned it down ??

Compared to others, I find the Spesh settings to be more punchy in Eco on the standard settings.
 

R120

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Apr 13, 2018
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Personally I would just ride the Levo how it’s meant to be ridden, stick it in trail mode and rail the hell out of it.

IMO it’s pointless unless you are trying to conserve battery to ride around in Eco, your missing out on what a full fat EMTB is all about.
 

R120

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What setting do you generally run ? Maybe I need to just experiment more
I don’t have a Levo, but have ridden them and the SL, plus a lot of other EMTB’s.

both the SL and the Levo are super fun, but for me the fun in riding EMTB’s is that they enable your to ride at you optimum for longer - when I go out for a ride injust stick the bike in trail, and go for 2-3 hours non stop, until either I or the battery is drained.

don’t try and make the Levo behave like your normal bike with a bit of help, make it behave so that it’s fun to ride - I never really use Turbo because it’s too much, but the middle mode in most EMTB’s is the sweet spot where the power available mitigates the weight, but also opens up the fun you can have.

basically the bike will come alive if you turn up the wick a bit more, and with that the fun factor
 

apac

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Aug 14, 2019
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Try using the three settings as your gears. So experiment with them until it's like going up n down gears.
but to answer your original question.... Yes, you should sell the levo and get an SL. That's my honest opinion. I've owned both. Unfortunately my ff levo was stolen. i now have a SL and I would never go back. My ff was 23kg, my SL is 17.5kg. It rides completely differently.
 

tacoma22

Member
Dec 8, 2019
70
57
California
Regular levo and a regular bike. You’ll want another analog bike again. Huge mistake when I sold my analog bike and only had an E bike. They are not the same.

When I ride the E bike I don’t want less power. I’m out for a rip. Only eco if it’s a huge day.
 

jbodnar

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Nov 23, 2019
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I own both...I decided to keep both.

If I want to rip going up, take the Levo, else the take the SL.

Actually, I’ve been alternating bikes for each ride.

You can’t go wrong with either.

Sounds like you would prefer the SL...you can still go up faster than most analog bikes, if you want.

If I could only have one, might pick the Levo due to more power.

The great thing is you can get as much exercise as you want by adjusting the modes.

I only have 1 analog bike now (for places where ebikes aren’t allowed).
 

chrismechmaster

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Dec 7, 2020
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Thanks everyone
I think I will experiment with the setting and get to know the ff Levo better and maybe in the future once I have payed off a good chunk of the Levo try and own both
 

R120

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I also think worth holding out before buying an SL right now, as I think there will be newer models coming out over the next year, and also more rivals to it like the Orbea rise which have a bit more power.
 

p3eps

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Dec 14, 2019
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I also think worth holding out before buying an SL right now, as I think there will be newer models coming out over the next year, and also more rivals to it like the Orbea rise which have a bit more power.

The SL was originally released in February this year, and the 2021 model came out in September with refreshed parts.
Surely they’re not going to take out another update until September?
 

chrismechmaster

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Dec 7, 2020
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Yes, I recommend you do that.

My current setup:
Eco 10/35 - riding with non ebike friends or saving battery
Trail 20/70 - all round mode
Turbo 85/100 - for those special occasions :devilish:

Acceleration: 0
Shuttle 20%
Much appreciated Alex Cheers
 

R120

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The SL was originally released in February this year, and the 2021 model came out in September with refreshed parts.
Surely they’re not going to take out another update until September?
I am thinking more along the lines of an expanded model line, with another if not more EMTB's with the SL motor.
 

R120

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Thats what I would like to see, their are rumours of an Enduro based SL too.
 

lmartins

Active member
Sep 19, 2018
103
124
Portugal
there are two aspects you need to consider when pondering which bike is best for you - playfulness and assistance.

The SL is way better in agility and overall feel. You can move the bike so much better, but compared to the full levo the assistance difference is significant.

I have both, andif you asked me a few months back if I had to keep just one, which would that be, I’d answer the full levo. Today I have a different opinion. If you’re fairly fit, I feel like you’ll have more fun on the SL. Sure, it depends on what kind of trails you ride, but the more I ride the SL the more I like it.
 

chrismechmaster

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Dec 7, 2020
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Many thanks

I have actually order a carbon Levo sl Christmas Day so super excited !!!!!!!!
Just got to wait until Monday to find out when I can collect it

going to keep my Levo full fat aswell and hopefully keep up the payments on both?
 

ian408

Member
Dec 1, 2020
21
9
Silicon Valley
The biggest thing I learned was the Levo's all want to be ridden more toward the middle of the chainring and not the extremes. I got a kick out of how my LBS owner decides which to ride-he lets those he's riding with decide SL or Extreme. If he's riding with mostly analog owners, SL. Levo owners, takes the Extreme.

I know it was difficult to decide for me so maybe the answer really is one of each?
 

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