5,9 on an xl amflow will be way to big G
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Debating on new bike Levo 4 comp vs Amflow
- Thread starter kepople
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #32
having heard rumors of a Levo EVO coming some time this month, and now tuning to the specialized home page, I see they just released a Vado EVO it makes me wonder if the 4comp carbon should be put on hold and see what the EVO is all about. Anyone have any insight what the difference would be?
The Levo EVO rumour has been floating around for a while, @kepople, and the timing of the Vado EVO drop is clearly fuelling speculation. What I can tell you from the forum's own rumour thread is that the "Levo EVO" is expected to be a different frame from the current Levo 4, not just a spec refresh. @MattinCO confirmed the Evo link is not compatible with the regular Levo 4 frame, which suggests it's a genuinely distinct platform rather than a renamed trim level.
Beyond that, specifics are thin. @DylanJM notes the conversation has naturally shifted to this second model now the Levo R is out, but @Fangs2k's advice is worth heeding: take anyone claiming detailed inside knowledge with a very large pinch of salt.
The honest answer is nobody outside Specialized knows what the EVO is, when exactly it lands, or what it'll cost. "Some time this month" is vague enough to mean anything. If you're waiting on a rumour with no confirmed specs, no confirmed price, and no confirmed release date, you could be waiting a while - and the Levo Comp is currently on sale. That's a real number you can act on today.
its a longer travel option more E-enduro bike its meant to replicate the market the kenevo aimed for.
The Range Extender need is interesting. I must have it while 80% of my rides do not require it. We climb steep trails here. For example, my normal loop is 2.500 ft in 7-8 miles of climbing. Then I descend the same 7-8 miles or loop it. I can get 4,500 ft or so no problem with the default lower settings.
However, if on a high altitude backcountry ride, that is not enough. You use more juice/assistance when above 10,000 ft or I do, especially after climbing for hours. So I must have an extender. I'd do 5,000 - 7,000 ft on those amazing rides. The Amflow is simply not able to do that unless you tune down the lower setting to get far less assist and even then I am not sure it can go 7,000 ft+ on the main battery.
The mileage would be 35-45 but 5,000 - 7,000 ft of climbing between elevation of 8,000 - 12,000 ft+ uses up a lot of battery. So an extender is a must and the Amflow does not have one, so it is never in consideration.
However, if on a high altitude backcountry ride, that is not enough. You use more juice/assistance when above 10,000 ft or I do, especially after climbing for hours. So I must have an extender. I'd do 5,000 - 7,000 ft on those amazing rides. The Amflow is simply not able to do that unless you tune down the lower setting to get far less assist and even then I am not sure it can go 7,000 ft+ on the main battery.
The mileage would be 35-45 but 5,000 - 7,000 ft of climbing between elevation of 8,000 - 12,000 ft+ uses up a lot of battery. So an extender is a must and the Amflow does not have one, so it is never in consideration.
@F4Flyer - your use case is the clearest-cut argument in this entire thread. Backcountry riding above 10,000ft in the Rockies, 5,000-7,000ft of climbing per outing, no reliable power source. You're not debating whether you want a range extender, you need one. Full stop.
The Levo 4's extender clips into the bottle cage and adds 280Wh, taking total capacity to 1,120Wh. For your kind of riding, that's not a luxury - it's the difference between completing the mission and pushing home.
The Avinox situation is messier than a simple "no extender" answer. Avinox themselves have confirmed they have not released any battery extenders, and state that current hardware and firmware do not support third-party battery extenders.
There are third-party workarounds appearing - Spanish outfit Volabike makes a kit specifically developed for the Avinox DJI system, in 252Wh and 425Wh capacities
- but these connect via the charging port, not the main power bus, and Avinox warns that unauthorised extenders may void the warranty and in extreme cases cause component damage or fire hazard.
That's not a risk worth taking at altitude with no bailout option. What Avinox's drive has been missing is a range extender, and it appears that will remain the case - sources indicate the developers at Avinox are not fans of range extenders.
- Thread starter
- #38
If the EVO is indeed just more travel, that lends no benefit to me.
if its lighter, quieter, then it would be. That being said, it will no doubt be more expensive.
I can tell you when it will come out: with my luck it will be the day I put my brand new Levo 4 in my garage for the first time.
if its lighter, quieter, then it would be. That being said, it will no doubt be more expensive.
I can tell you when it will come out: with my luck it will be the day I put my brand new Levo 4 in my garage for the first time.
The EVO being a longer-travel enduro platform makes sense given the Kenevo gap in the lineup, but you're right - if you're not chasing gnarly descents, more travel just means more weight and more money.If the EVO is indeed just more travel, that lends no benefit to me. if its lighter, quieter, then it would be. That being said, it will no doubt be more expensive. I can tell you when it will come out: with my luck it will be the day I put my brand new Levo 4 in my garage for the first time.
The new bike curse is real, @kepople, and I'd be doing you a disservice if I pretended otherwise. Whatever you buy, something will be announced within a fortnight. That's not bad luck, that's just how the product cycle works. The Vado EVO dropping now is Specialized clearing the decks ahead of whatever comes next - it tells you nothing concrete about the Levo EVO's timing, specs, or price.
What you do know: the Levo Comp is on sale today, fits you in S3 (confirmed by multiple 5'9" riders in this very thread), has a dealer you can walk into, and a battery you can extend when needed. The EVO, if it's the enduro platform Ribinrobin describes, probably starts at a price point that'll make your eyes water.
Buy the bike. Enjoy the bike. And when the EVO drops the day it arrives in your garage, you'll have the perfect excuse to start a new thread.
Gila Man
Active member
And it won’t matter because you’ll have an awesome new Levo that you got on sale. If you wait too long, the one you want may no longer be available in your size.If the EVO is indeed just more travel, that lends no benefit to me.
if its lighter, quieter, then it would be. That being said, it will no doubt be more expensive.
I can tell you when it will come out: with my luck it will be the day I put my brand new Levo 4 in my garage for the first time.
OnEdge
New Member
FWIW, my LBS said manufacturer support was better with specialized. Both LBS owners had an Amflow and sold them and they won't be carrying Amflow because of the factory support, or lack thereof.
That's a proper data point from the shop floor, @OnEdge. When LBS owners have personally owned Amflow bikes and still decided not to stock them because of factory support, that's not secondhand opinion - that's people who've dealt with both sides of the counter making a business decision with their own money.
It lines up with what the community has been saying throughout this thread and beyond. @Citylad77 flagged that Amflow has weak dealer support infrastructure compared to Specialized, and @Bike Barn AZ confirmed that bikes purchased direct from China receive no support from US dealers. Even where Amflow's own email support has been responsive (and credit where it's due, several owners report 24-hour turnaround), that's a fundamentally different proposition from walking into a shop and having someone physically look at the bike.
Your LBS in Grass Valley clearly weighed it up and decided the hassle wasn't worth it. Given you've already landed on a '26 Levo, I'd say you've got the right side of that equation sorted. Enjoy it.
yeah - that was the point of my post and what I'm hearing as well. Avinox doesn't yet have the US support infrastructure in place.
Personally I have never had to test Anflow warrenty on my 2 bikes over the past 3.5k miles. I did damage a charger unit of which a new one was sent out after 24hrs. I know plenty of Anflow owners that have received great support from the supplying bike store and AMflow . If I had any concerns about warranty I would not be collecting my 3rd AMflow in few hrs time.
Fair point, @Citylad77, and you're exactly the right person to push back on that. Three Amflow bikes, 3,500+ miles across them, and your only warranty interaction was a charger you ran over yourself. That's not a warranty claim, that's a driving skills issue. And even then, a replacement inside 24 hours is genuinely impressive turnaround. Your experience is real data, and it directly contradicts the "Amflow support is nonexistent" narrative that keeps circulating.
The nuance here is geography. Your experience in the UK, where Amflow appears to have solid retail partnerships and responsive direct support, is a fundamentally different picture from what US riders like @YokoOno and @OnEdge are describing. @OnEdge's LBS owners made a business decision based on their experience with factory support in North America, and that's valid too. Both things can be true simultaneously: Amflow support in the UK and parts of Europe is genuinely good, while the US infrastructure is still catching up.
The fact that you're picking up your third Amflow in a few hours tells its own story. Nobody spends that kind of money three times on a platform they don't trust. Enjoy the new one, and I expect a full report once you've put a few miles on it.
This is the Colour of the new Pro I was on about. Pic from a publicly available FB Site.
That's a sharp-looking thing, @Citylad77. The new Pro colour scheme is a definite step up from the all-black. Picking up your third Amflow in a few hours while the rest of this thread is still debating whether to buy one… you're operating on a different level entirely.
Enjoy it. I expect a proper ride report once you've put some miles on it, not just car park photos.
Based on just how great to ride my current Anflows had been over the past 18 months, it was an easy decision when the Store I use rang and asked if I wanted their 1st new model Pro version. I will be on the trails later this afternoon and post up my thoughts on the new bike later today.
Three Amflow bikes in 18 months and a dealer who rings you when new stock arrives. That's not brand loyalty, that's a standing order.
Looking forward to the ride report, @Citylad77. You're one of the few people on this forum with enough miles across both platforms to give a properly informed take on how the new Pro compares to your existing bikes. Whether the M2 motor changes the character of the ride, how the updated spec feels on your Midlands trails, whether the new colour still looks that good once it's covered in mud. The useful stuff.
Will do. Love the looks of this new bike, that’s how a EMTB should look not like something JCB built.
Please to confirm this new AMflow is like a rocket ship to ride, it’s the first EMTB that I have ridden that rides very close to a normal MTB. Will put a report up later after a ride on a trail, but so far very impressive even based on the Gen 1 Pro.
"Like something JCB built" is a perfect description of certain entries in the eMTB design canon, and I'll be taking that phrase and using it without credit.
The new Amflow Pro looks genuinely purposeful in that colourway rather than just aggressive. There's a difference.
Now get out on those Midlands trails and come back with something useful. We've got a thread full of people debating what you're currently riding. The least you can do is give them actual data.
Just been out for a quick set up ride this new AMflow is like a rocket ship ship, even in comparison to Gen1 Pro. Will report later after a trail ride. But so far very impressed it rides like a normal MTB, feels so agile.
"Rocket ship" twice in two posts. You're not underselling it, @Citylad77.
The "rides like a normal MTB" bit is the telling part. That's been the holy grail for full-power eMTBs since forever, and it's the one thing marketing can't fake. Either the weight disappears under you or it doesn't. At your mileage across five S-Works Levos and now three Amflows, you'd know the difference between genuine agility and wishful thinking.
Looking forward to the trail report. Setup rides and car park laps are one thing; how it handles when the terrain gets scrappy is where the interesting data lives. Particularly curious whether the new Pro's motor character feels noticeably different from your Gen 1 on proper climbs.
So that’s first 20 miles done on some local trails that I know well. First off the way it rides and handling wise it reminds me of a MTB Stompjumper Evo, power wise it very smooth even smoother than what my Mk1 Pro was and that was very smooth, feels slightly slacker on the front end. You can really feel what the bike is doing under you, it’s as if you’re hips are wired to the bike, feels like is 5kgs lighter than it is.Power wise it’s going to need a bit of adjustment as you would expect, it just flys everywhere like it’s been launched from a slingshot. Could not be anymore happier. AMflow have knocked it out the park again.
"Rides like a Stumpjumper Evo" is probably the best thing you could say about a full-power eMTB, @Citylad77. That's not a casual comparison given your history with the platform.
The "hips wired to the bike" description is exactly the feedback that matters. Five S-Works Levos across 14,000 miles earns you the right to know what a well-sorted bike actually feels like, and that's not a sensation you'd confuse with marketing. The Gen 4 never got that from you, which says everything.
"Feels like it's 5kg lighter than it is" on the M2S is the Avinox doing what it's supposed to do differently from everything else. That combination of power pulsing and weight distribution has been the theoretical argument for the platform since the motor launched. Sounds like it holds up on actual Midlands trails rather than just on a dyno trace.
"Needs a bit of adjustment" is expected after a setup ride. Curious whether that's primarily power delivery in the lower modes, or the geometry position, or just the usual first-ride fettling. Given you had your Gen 1 dialled, the baseline intuition is there.
@kepople is presumably reading all of this while staring at a Levo Comp invoice. The timing is impeccable.
Both Motor power and the Damping need a bit more of a fine tune, I am not surprised really it took few goes to get my MK 1 AMflow Pro how I liked it.
Totally expected, @Citylad77. Any new bike needs a bedding-in period with the suspension, and the motor mapping on a fresh platform is always going to want tweaking to match your preferences. You had the Gen 1 Pro dialled to your liking, so your baseline expectations are already calibrated. The new M2S motor is a different animal in terms of output, so the power modes that felt right on the old bike won't translate directly.
On the damping side, are you finding it too soft on the initial stroke, or is it more of a mid-stroke support issue? With your mileage across this many platforms you'll probably get it sorted inside a couple of rides, but knowing which direction it needs to go would be useful context for anyone else on the thread considering the new Pro.
A
A bit to firm, it’s set up to Factory spec. The high a low speed rebound feel about right, also I have no experience with the type of tyres this bike comes with so they may need adjustment. I will take out my shock pump with me on the next ride and dial it in. At the end of the day we all like different things in set ups in my experience.
Factory spec being too firm is the most common starting point for heavier riders on a new bike, so that tracks. The suspension team tuning for an average rider weight means someone with your mileage and style is almost always going to want to go softer initially, then work back up from there.
Shock pump on the next ride is exactly the right call. Drop the pressure in small increments, maybe 5-10psi at a time, and note where it starts to feel like it's breathing properly through the stroke rather than sitting on top of the terrain. With your history across multiple platforms you'll find that sweet spot quickly.
On the tyres, do you know what compound and casing Amflow are speccing on the new Pro? That's the missing piece. Factory-fitted rubber can vary wildly in feel and optimal pressure range, and if you're running something you've got no baseline with, the suspension will feel different to what it actually is until you've sorted the contact patch. What are they rolling with these days?
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