Kenevo Gen1 Official 2020 Kenevo Owners Thread
- Thread starter Rob Rides EMTB
- Start date
max pressure on rear shock ?
Hi there, I have finally got my new 2020 expert with airshock. have still my 2019 expert with coil - and my first impression after only one ride on the 2020 is - noisier, dont feel as strong as old one in turbo? - but it defenitly feels more steady downhill
It feels like it will jump easyer and a little longer, but I am not sure if this is due to the Butcher tires lower rolling ressistance than what I am used to - Magic Mary front and Eddie Current back (my absolute favorite combo)
But - my question is - what is max pressure for rear shock ? my weight is 105 kg and I have put 230 psi in - but it is still not enough - it bottoms out on jumps. I have 160 in the forks and looks OK
what are you guys running in pressure ?
Hi there, I have finally got my new 2020 expert with airshock. have still my 2019 expert with coil - and my first impression after only one ride on the 2020 is - noisier, dont feel as strong as old one in turbo? - but it defenitly feels more steady downhill
It feels like it will jump easyer and a little longer, but I am not sure if this is due to the Butcher tires lower rolling ressistance than what I am used to - Magic Mary front and Eddie Current back (my absolute favorite combo)
But - my question is - what is max pressure for rear shock ? my weight is 105 kg and I have put 230 psi in - but it is still not enough - it bottoms out on jumps. I have 160 in the forks and looks OK
what are you guys running in pressure ?
Which shock do you have on the Expert?
I have a 2021 Comp and it came with the Fox DPX2 Performance, and despite the Fox manual stating that you should start with your weight in pounds as the PSI value, I have to go way, way higher.
I weigh just 60kg, so around 132lbs, and if I take into account the extra ~8kg from the bike, this would put me to around 150lbs. But I have to put in around 250 PSI to not bottom out, instead of the recommended 150 as a "starting" value.
I even contacted Specialized about that, and asking what heavier riders than me would have to do and if it was even possible, mentioning that the bike is specified up to 300lbs rider weight (136kg), but they said everything is fine and told me to ask Fox itself for any further infos. Haven't done that so far though.
beutelfuchs
Active member
Maybe they spec a different tune for smaller sizes? That would even make sense...
It would make sense, but I don't think they do. As far as I know no manufacturer does out of the box.
For what it's worth, this is the tune for the shock according to the short ID info page:
2021, FLOAT DPX2, P-S, A, 3pos, Evol LCR, Specialized, Kenevo, 230, 62.5, 0.6 Spacer, CCF002, RLA018, Rezi M2+ L M+, Standard Logo, N/M
For what it's worth, this is the tune for the shock according to the short ID info page:
2021, FLOAT DPX2, P-S, A, 3pos, Evol LCR, Specialized, Kenevo, 230, 62.5, 0.6 Spacer, CCF002, RLA018, Rezi M2+ L M+, Standard Logo, N/M
| 0.6 in³ spacer | (apparently the largest one the shock can handle for this length, according to this) |
| CCF002 | Compression Shimstack |
| RLA018 | Rebound Shimstack |
| M2+ L M+ | the 3 presets: Medium 2+, Light, Medium+ |
the shock is a Rockshox Super Deluxe Select Plus , i just tested with 250 now, and close to bottoming but still acceptable, however I did not jump fully through
- and sag is around 30% - so OK I thinkAh ok. For you the "weight in lbs = pressure in PSI" seems to hold up then, as 105kg + 8kg extra weight is around 250 lbs.the shock is a Rockshox Super Deluxe Select Plus , i just tested with 250 now, and close to bottoming but still acceptable, however I did not jump fully through
Hm. So after having to put in so much pressure into the Fox Float DPX2, I've now installed a DVO Topaz on my Kenevo, and I also need to put quite a bit more pressure into it then what is recommended in the manual. 
I checked my weight with riding gear, which is around 64kg, so with the additional 8kg from the bike I end up around 72kg.
The DVO Topaz setup guide would put me to around 165 psi. I had to put in 195 psi. And 5 spacers in the positive air chamber. And am still using every mm on my test track.
The Kenevo's leverage ratio seems to greatly differ from what the shock manufacturers seemed to have had in mind when they put together their pressure recommendations.
Does anyone else have to put way more pressure into their shocks than what the manual for their shock says?
I also wonder if a more linear coil shock would actually work so well in the Kenevo, when I have to put in so many spacers into the air shock and increase the pressure so much. And originally they did sell the Kenevo with coil shocks.
I checked my weight with riding gear, which is around 64kg, so with the additional 8kg from the bike I end up around 72kg.
The DVO Topaz setup guide would put me to around 165 psi. I had to put in 195 psi. And 5 spacers in the positive air chamber. And am still using every mm on my test track.
The Kenevo's leverage ratio seems to greatly differ from what the shock manufacturers seemed to have had in mind when they put together their pressure recommendations.
Does anyone else have to put way more pressure into their shocks than what the manual for their shock says?
I also wonder if a more linear coil shock would actually work so well in the Kenevo, when I have to put in so many spacers into the air shock and increase the pressure so much. And originally they did sell the Kenevo with coil shocks.
Rosemount
E*POWAH Elite
The bolts and coloured spacers are a one time use part .
I read a Spesh rider care guy say a new kit is supplied when they exchange motors and should only be used once . Too bad if you want to change the dropper post cable .
You don't necessarily need to remove the motor when replacing the dropper post cable. It's a total PITA and you don't want to do it, but it's possible.
beutelfuchs
Active member
My totally uneducated guess: The Ken is just not made to work well with air. After Spez figured that all the cheap coils will break, the air was the only choice left maybe saving them from reimbursing 100% of the bikes rather then maybe the 20% of people who will actually notice the issue with the air. I also wonder if the Ken is still being produced and if anyone heavier would confirm the above or not. (Please share your FOX IDs printed on the shock for easy comparison.)
I hope for you and other owners that I am wrong and that there is another easy explanation we just couldn´t see.
Otherwise in your shoes I would probably swallow the pill and buy the Oelins coil which I´m runnin for more than a year now w/o issues (100Kg+Bike) and after breaking 3x Fox/RS coils before that one.
A linkage that's designed for coil shocks would need to be progressive due to the linear characteristics of coil springs. This would normally in turn reduce the need to put spacers into air shocks, as the progressiveness is already achieved by the linkage design itself, since there's (almost) no way to make coil springs more progressive, in contrary to air springs.
And the Kenevo does seem to have this progressive curve, if you can believe the Linkage Design blog, which I'm pretty confident in (they do a lot of pretty good bike analysis):
https://linkagedesign.blogspot.com/2020/07/specialized-kenevo-2020.html
I've also asked DVO and they (Ronnie) even promptly answered (the last time I had to wait for days)!
And the Kenevo does seem to have this progressive curve, if you can believe the Linkage Design blog, which I'm pretty confident in (they do a lot of pretty good bike analysis):
https://linkagedesign.blogspot.com/2020/07/specialized-kenevo-2020.html
I've also asked DVO and they (Ronnie) even promptly answered (the last time I had to wait for days)!
So it seems I'm in the right ballpark with the pressure I'm using, and that the Kenevo simply requires more than other bikes.Ronnie Dilan <[email protected]> said:
beutelfuchs
Active member
Interesting. Leaves te question what heavier riders would do other than exceeding air pressure specs of the shock...
Ratling noise from behind ?
I think my 2020 expert has way more rattle noise than my 2019 expert, any one else noticed this ? its pretty annoying - thought it was rearwhell not tightened - casette etc, but nothing is loose - its when i ride fast through roots. someone said it could be cables inside frame at the rear ?
any help is appreciated
Allan
I think my 2020 expert has way more rattle noise than my 2019 expert, any one else noticed this ? its pretty annoying - thought it was rearwhell not tightened - casette etc, but nothing is loose - its when i ride fast through roots. someone said it could be cables inside frame at the rear ?
any help is appreciated
Allan
Eduardoramundo
E*POWAH Master
2022 is the same as 20/21 but with different colors and a higher price.
Make sure your battery bolt is tight. That happened to me today.Ratling noise from behind ?
I think my 2020 expert has way more rattle noise than my 2019 expert, any one else noticed this ? its pretty annoying - thought it was rearwhell not tightened - casette etc, but nothing is loose - its when i ride fast through roots. someone said it could be cables inside frame at the rear ?
any help is appreciated
Allan
Geo Alber
Member
Anyone try to use a Chris King Dropset Headset with the Kenevo..jf so which one. I cannot get the stock one to stop creaking.. (at least I think it is the headset not the fork).
Alexbn921
Well-known member
Have you replaced the lower split crown race with the CC40 one?
CjP
PRIME TIME
Drop set 5 is what you need mate.
JJ503
Member
Anyone experience a dull knocking/rattling from their motor? I have a brand new 2021 Kenevo that makes this noise over trail chatter. Is this normal? This is exactly why I didn’t consider a Shimano motor. The shop I bought the bike from is downplaying it and not sure what to do.
Alexbn921
Well-known member
My 2021 has the same rattle, but it's pretty muted.
JJ503
Member
Thanks, good to know. I wasn’t expecting this with the Brose motor. I talked to someone the other day on an a previous gen Levo and he said he doesn’t have any motor noises when descending. I hope there is a fix.
Christox
Member
Hi !
My Kenevo gen1s 3xDrive S alloy had no rattle over 2 years.
Now my Ken gen2 and Lev gen3 both have a hearable plastic sound gear rattle from the Drive S-mag at highspeed impacts.
I think they are caused by pedalkickbacks which are rotating the motorgear rearwards. You can hear the same rattle when starting to roll the bike rearwards suddenly.
Greets,
Chris
My Kenevo gen1s 3xDrive S alloy had no rattle over 2 years.
Now my Ken gen2 and Lev gen3 both have a hearable plastic sound gear rattle from the Drive S-mag at highspeed impacts.
I think they are caused by pedalkickbacks which are rotating the motorgear rearwards. You can hear the same rattle when starting to roll the bike rearwards suddenly.
Greets,
Chris
JJ503
Member
Thanks! I’ll share this with the shop and see what they say.
Thinking it sprag clutch
Christox
Member
I think thats not likely. the filigrane sprag bodys of brose have nearly no movement in the bearing seat and are additionally fixed/held down by a spring onto the smooth surface. The shimano/bosch clutch on a teethed surface can rattle more likely. I also have the experience that the brose rattle sounds more like a loose plastic part
Hi all, new to the site. I am riding My21 Kenevo Expert with Rockshox ultimate select plus as original rear shock, which I am not satisfied with.
I've noticed quite many here have put Fox X2 with 65mm stroke that gives 188mm travel. I understood MY20 Fox fits directly but MY21 not but requires some frame modifications?
I wonder has anyone put Rockshox Select ultimate with 65mm stroke instead, does it fit? Select ultimate is as tunable as Fox X2 but can be fitted with megneg to have better mid range support. Plus it helps if it fits directly...
I've noticed quite many here have put Fox X2 with 65mm stroke that gives 188mm travel. I understood MY20 Fox fits directly but MY21 not but requires some frame modifications?
I wonder has anyone put Rockshox Select ultimate with 65mm stroke instead, does it fit? Select ultimate is as tunable as Fox X2 but can be fitted with megneg to have better mid range support. Plus it helps if it fits directly...
Alexbn921
Well-known member
I just put an 2021 X2 on an S5 expert and it clears but just barely. I used the stock fox bushing and sanded down the spacers. It would be easy to offset it and get more clearance if needed. There should be zero difference in the air cans between 2020 and 2021, which is the closest part.
I cut out the 2.5mm spacer on the stock super delux and tested clearance of the rear, there is plenty of room. Zero problems with 65mm stroke.
Stock shock needs extra spacers badly. Megneg would be a great upgrade if you are using all of the travel now. Ultimate + Megneg < X2. I just got the X2 as I feel its a better overall package and the cost was about the same.
Still considering changing out the Boxxer damper, but don't want the charger 2.1 and I feel like the next Charger 3 will be a ifp design like fox. Plus the stock damper is pretty good for a budget setup.
I cut out the 2.5mm spacer on the stock super delux and tested clearance of the rear, there is plenty of room. Zero problems with 65mm stroke.
Stock shock needs extra spacers badly. Megneg would be a great upgrade if you are using all of the travel now. Ultimate + Megneg < X2. I just got the X2 as I feel its a better overall package and the cost was about the same.
Still considering changing out the Boxxer damper, but don't want the charger 2.1 and I feel like the next Charger 3 will be a ifp design like fox. Plus the stock damper is pretty good for a budget setup.
I noticed my RS coil had a crack in it last April. As lead times were months back then I replaced it with a canecreek kitsuma coil with the intent of getting the superdelux repaired, so I could use it on another bike, or warrantied so I had a spare.
Well I sold the other bike & had it rattling around in my van since then as I kept meaning to drop it into berkshire bikes for them to warranty it for me. I never got round to this so posted it to them 5 days ago & my replacement RS air shock arrived today
Excellent service from both berkshire bikes & sram uk.
Bit odd the sram documentation stated "replaced as goodwill as item is out of warranty" as I thought it had 2 years and was under this time. Regardless its all sorted now & hopefully this will be more reliable than the coil shock, but im not holding my breath. Never had an airshock last more than 8 months or so before leaking or cavitating.
EDIT crikey they need some psi. 300 or so for 30% sag at 100kg.
Well I sold the other bike & had it rattling around in my van since then as I kept meaning to drop it into berkshire bikes for them to warranty it for me. I never got round to this so posted it to them 5 days ago & my replacement RS air shock arrived today
Excellent service from both berkshire bikes & sram uk.
Bit odd the sram documentation stated "replaced as goodwill as item is out of warranty" as I thought it had 2 years and was under this time. Regardless its all sorted now & hopefully this will be more reliable than the coil shock, but im not holding my breath. Never had an airshock last more than 8 months or so before leaking or cavitating.
EDIT crikey they need some psi. 300 or so for 30% sag at 100kg.
Hey, your post says you’re running 29er front and rear? If so what if any struggle did you have to make the rear fit? Thanks!
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