Coil Spring Options for a Kenevo SL for a 260 lb rider

[Bruizer]

So as a heavy rider 260 lbs, should i upgrade the rear shock on my Kenevo SL to a coil shock? what are some good options?

 

[Greg Watts]

So as a heavy rider 260 lbs, should i upgrade the rear shock on my Kenevo SL to a coil shock? what are some good options?

Welcome to the forum, @Bruizer. Right, let's get into this properly. The short answer: yes, a coil is worth considering at 260lbs. The stock air shock will work, but at your weight you'll be running high air pressure just to get proper sag, which tends to kill small-bump sensitivity. A coil gives you that supple, consistent feel regardless of weight, and no air loss to worry about.

First, the basics. The Kenevo SL has 170mm rear travel and uses a 230x62.5mm shock.

That's your spec to shop against. Some riders run 230x65mm for a touch more travel, and an S3 with a 65mm shock gives around 179mm travel with no fouling anywhere.

Now the important bit for your weight. There's a yoke-related side-load issue to be aware of on the Kenevo.

Specialized frames are on the "do not use" list for coil shocks from both Fox and RockShox due to the yoke/strut length, which on the Kenevo is around 155mm - more than double the 72mm maximum they specify.

In practice, plenty of riders run coils without issue, but you want a shock with a robust shaft. The EXT E-Storia is purpose-built for eMTBs with a 14mm steel shaft, which makes it one of the more sensible choices here.

Confirmed to work with no clearance issues on the KSL: Öhlins TTX, EXT Storia, Cane Creek Kitsuma, DVO Jade X, Fast Fenix, and Push ElevenSix.

If you want to stick with air, the Super Deluxe Ultimate RC2T in 230x62.5mm is the Kenevo SL-specific option and comes with a Specialized-tuned RC2T base tune - worth knowing about before you commit to coil.

EDIT: Removed an incorrect reference to the "SDU Ultimate RC2T" being a coil shock - it's an air shock. Clarified it as the Super Deluxe Ultimate RC2T air shock with the Specialized-tuned RC2T base tune. Thanks @Bruizer for the heads up.

 

[Bruizer]

Would a rockshox super deluxe coil select work?

 

[Greg Watts]

Would a rockshox super deluxe coil select work?

Good. The RockShox FAQ makes it crystal clear. Here's the short version, @Bruizer. The Super Deluxe Coil Select is the problem.

RockShox themselves flag the Kenevo as a known exception - it's only compatible with a Super Deluxe Air shock or a MY23 Super Deluxe Coil with a steel shaft.

The Select sits below the Ultimate in the RockShox range and uses an aluminium shaft. That's exactly what you don't want here, especially at 260lbs where side-load forces on the yoke are already higher than average. The steel shaft requirement isn't a suggestion - it's there because the Kenevo's yoke geometry puts real stress on the shock shaft.

So: Super Deluxe Coil Select = no. Super Deluxe Coil Ultimate (MY23+) = yes, provided you verify it's the steel-shaft version. There are even Kenevo SL-specific tunes listed on retailer sites for the SDU RC2T in 230x62.5mm, so you can buy with confidence on that one.

That said, at your weight the Ultimate is probably the right call anyway - it gives you proper high and low speed compression adjustment, which matters when you're pushing more load through the suspension than the average rider. The EXT E-Storia is still the premium option with its 14mm steel shaft built for eMTBs, but if budget is a factor, the SDU RC2T in MY23 or newer is a solid, proven choice on this frame.

 

[Bruizer]

What retailers have Kenevo sl-specific tunes listed for the SDU RC2T in 230x62.5mm?

 

[Greg Watts]

What retailers have Kenevo sl-specific tunes listed for the SDU RC2T in 230x62.5mm?

Worth clarifying: the SDU Ultimate RC2T is an air shock, not a coil. Given we've been discussing coil options throughout this thread, I want to make sure we're talking about the same thing. If you do want the air Ultimate RC2T in 230x62.5, that's a different direction entirely.

That said, the Kenevo SL-specific tune does exist in that size. The Super Deluxe Ultimate RC2T in 230x62.5mm is listed explicitly for the Specialized Kenevo SL 2020+.

The RC2T base tune is set by the frame manufacturer to suit their exact kinematics, sitting right in the middle of the tuning range - so you're getting a Specialized-spec'd tune out of the box, not a generic.

For retailers with that specific C1/Kenevo SL variant in stock, the search surfaced a handful of US shops (The Lost Co, Tree Fort Bikes, ProBike Supply, BikeandTrike), but nothing UK-based with confirmed stock. @Bruizer, I'd check Tredz and Sigma Sports first for UK availability - both carry RockShox shock ranges. If they're drawing a blank on the Kenevo SL-specific SKU, Bike24.com or Bike-Discount.de in Germany are worth a look; they tend to stock the full RockShox range and the saving usually covers postage.

One flag: TFTuned (mentioned in our community knowledge) offer custom tuning on the Super Deluxe Coil RC2T - useful if you end up with a non-Kenevo-spec unit and want it dialled for your 260lb weight anyway.

 

[Bruizer]

Worth clarifying: the SDU Ultimate RC2T is an air shock, not a coil. Given we've been discussing coil options throughout this thread, I want to make sure we're talking about the same thing. If you do want the air Ultimate RC2T in 230x62.5, that's a different direction entirely.

That said, the Kenevo SL-specific tune does exist in that size. The Super Deluxe Ultimate RC2T in 230x62.5mm is listed explicitly for the Specialized Kenevo SL 2020+.

The RC2T base tune is set by the frame manufacturer to suit their exact kinematics, sitting right in the middle of the tuning range - so you're getting a Specialized-spec'd tune out of the box, not a generic.

For retailers with that specific C1/Kenevo SL variant in stock, the search surfaced a handful of US shops (The Lost Co, Tree Fort Bikes, ProBike Supply, BikeandTrike), but nothing UK-based with confirmed stock. @Bruizer, I'd check Tredz and Sigma Sports first for UK availability - both carry RockShox shock ranges. If they're drawing a blank on the Kenevo SL-specific SKU, Bike24.com or Bike-Discount.de in Germany are worth a look; they tend to stock the full RockShox range and the saving usually covers postage.

One flag: TFTuned (mentioned in our community knowledge) offer custom tuning on the Super Deluxe Coil RC2T - useful if you end up with a non-Kenevo-spec unit and want it dialled for your 260lb weight anyway.

Tell me more about the ext storia

 

[Greg Watts]

Tell me more about the ext storia

Right, the EXT Storia. Italian suspension meets eMTB. This is a genuinely interesting option for your situation.

The core of it: the e-Storia features much of the same technology as the Storia V3 but in a more robust package built specifically for the stresses involved with the higher vehicle weight of e-bikes.

It's not just a rebranded standard shock - the overall construction is much tougher, with a bigger shaft made out of chromoly, a stronger nest for the spring, and new high viscosity index oil.

That steel shaft matters for the Kenevo specifically, given what we established earlier about side-loading from the yoke/strut design. The headline feature is the Hydraulic Bottom-out Control (HBC).

The last 15% of the shock's travel are controlled by a hydraulic bottom-out piston which increases the force required to compress the shock by 50%.

This is critical for the Kenevo's relatively linear leverage ratio. The Kenevo has a relatively linear ratio so you need some kind of bottom out protection or a stiffer spring

- and the EXT's HBC is arguably the most elegant solution to that problem. Someone on our own forum who's run the e-Storia in 230x62.5 on the Kenevo SL confirmed it:

"I am running the e-Storia 230x62.5 in the Kenevo. Absolutely loving it! I was a little concerned putting a coil in a rather linear rear end. But with the HBO it works perfectly in the Kenevo."