Kenevo Mullet Mods

[Stuminator]

Hi all and greetings from a new member in Cairns Australia.
I recently purchased a 2019 Kenevo Expert and after setting up and tweaking the suspension I’m loving it but I’m now wanting to see if more can be done to improve the handling and overall enjoyment. After reading about mulleting mods some of you have done and in particular swapping out the front forks to either Öhlins or Fox to accomodate a 29 inch front wheel I’m keen to explore my options.
There’s of course the option to go straight to a 2020 Kenevo comp and swap out the suspension and go full 29er on an S4 with all the other benefits like the new motor and frame but the big question I have as a reasonably fit 95 kg 57 year old rider who loves to push the limits, is a 2020 Kenevo really that much better than a 2019 Kenevo ?
Should I pimp out my 2019 Kenevo and then when I eventually get a newer Kenevo swap the better components onto the newer Kenevo or bite the bullet and go full 2020 Kenevo 29er with upgraded Öhlins or Fox forks and upgrade the rear shock as well.

I really like the heavier planted feel that I get from the Kenevo compared to my mates Giant Reign E+1 and as I’m relatively new to serious MTB riding but am an experienced motorcycle enduro rider I’m loving learning new skills and am in pursuit of the best EMTB that brings a smile to my dial just like when I ride my 2019 KTM EXC 500.

If anyone has gone down the rabbit hole with this and really feels that the effort and expense was worth it I’d love to hear about your real world experience and any advice you could offer.

Cheers and thanks in advance

Stu aka the “Stuminator”

 

[Shane(NZ)]

You may not want to change suspension on a 2020 expert Ken, it should ride quite different to the 2019 model

 

[Stuminator]

You may be right and I’ve just booked one to hire one this coming weekend and see. It’s interesting to note that there’s no direct back to back comparison videos out there so I’ll take both the 2019 and the 2020 out to my favourite trail “Pipeline” at Smithfield MTB park and clock my ride on Strava and take some camera gear and a rider behind me filming too. Let’s have some Kenevo fun ?

 

[Shane(NZ)]

You may be right and I’ve just booked one to hire one this coming weekend and see. It’s interesting to note that there’s no direct back to back comparison videos out there so I’ll take both the 2019 and the 2020 out to my favourite trail “Pipeline” at Smithfield MTB park and clock my ride on Strava and take some camera gear and a rider behind me filming too. Let’s have some Kenevo fun ?

Thats a great idea , whats you goal? have more fun, go faster , ride harder trails , ride longer?

 

[Stuminator]

Thats a great idea , whats you goal? have more fun, go faster , ride harder trails , ride longer?

I’m 185 cm tall or 6’1 on my 2019 Kenevo large and compared to my XL S-Works Stumjumper the Kenevo feels a little short for me which is another reason I’m thinking seriously about upgrading to the S4 2020 Kenevo.
Put simply the terrain I ride down on my KTM EXC 500 dirt bike without blinking an eye scares the crap out of me on the Kenevo and there must be a way of improving the handling instead of putting up with toy suspension that most mountain bikes have.
My last dirt bike was a Husaberg 570 and after getting the suspension custom tuned for my weight and riding style it completely transformed the bike and improved my confidence and overall skill level where my riding buddies half my age that used to leave me behind were now eating my dust.
It’s the above experience that has me on a quest for the holy grail of improving handling on my Kenevo wether it be my 2019 or making the jump to the 2020.

 

[cozzy]

I was sort of the same but with zero stock of the 2020 anywhere plus a big loss to sell a 6 month old 19 & the extra expense to buy a 20 I decided to keep my 19 for another few years & spend money wisely on that, 2nd battery, better brakes etc.
Im pretty sure I will be the limiting factor anyway, both bikes will be way better than I am.
Very interested in your back to back comparison.

 

[Zimmerframe]

@Christian's probably the guy to help.

Has a 2019 Kenevo which has been run as 200 both ends and I'm pretty sure as a Mullet. He's about 5'10 and that was a Medium.

Also has a 2020 Kenevo (S4) which I'm pretty sure has been run/is run as a Mullet.

 

[Shane(NZ)]

Pretty hard to get the same ride as a MX bike, not to say you cant improve on what you have for sure,

Ride the 2020 and go from there,How much is the 2020 expert in Oz?

 

[Stuminator]

Pretty hard to get the same ride as a MX bike, not to say you cant improve on what you have for sure,

Ride the 2020 and go from there,How much is the 2020 expert in Oz?

$11,400.00 AUD

 

[Stuminator]

I was sort of the same but with zero stock of the 2020 anywhere plus a big loss to sell a 6 month old 19 & the extra expense to buy a 20 I decided to keep my 19 for another few years & spend money wisely on that, 2nd battery, better brakes etc.
Im pretty sure I will be the limiting factor anyway, both bikes will be way better than I am.
Very interested in your back to back comparison.

Yep I’m hearing you with the big loss on the 2019 Kenevo, I bought mine used off Gumtree (owned by eBay) for $5,500 AUD and it had only been charged twice and had a few mods inc a headlight and Cush core tyre inserts. I’ll maybe even make a few dollars if I sell it but there’s no Kenevo Experts available to buy until October so maybe I’ll wait for something second hand to show up. One things for sure these bikes have a worse resale than a BMW ?

 

[Shane(NZ)]

Does it have to be a specialized?

 

[Stuminator]

I’ve been a Specialized rider for a long time and although I’ve had a few questionable failures of various components over a few bikes over the years, my local shop PumpNPedals has always come through with the goods. So to answer your question no not really and I would consider alternatives but it would take a very compelling argument to sway me to another brand as I am a loyal customer who values great customer service when things go pear shaped.

 

[R120]

The question really is your ability such that dropping big money on a new bike going to be that noticeable? Its not like people weren't doing some pretty serious stuff on the previous Kenevo, and modding them into DH bikes, e.g:


Personally I would stick with the current bike, and do the mods you want, you can always transfer the parts over to a new bike in the future. I would also point out that there's as much a chance of making the bike worse as better by doing certain mods - if you run a 200mm 29'r DH fork n the front of either generation Kenevo that's a pretty radical change to the bike, (especially a 2019, and probably work better on the 20 due to the longer geometry.

If you are going down the route of buying another bike, t might be worth looking at a long travel 29'r or mullet instead.

Theres not much a well set up stock Kenevo cant handle, you are talking incremental improvements, and IMO you are really only going to notice the benefits of Dual crown forks and extra travel over the stock on really serious terrain, and if you are riding at the level to appreciate it.

Not trying to talk you out of it, as we all love tweaking our bikes, but sometimes it shard to step back from modding your own bike (something I have been guilty of) without really thinking through what upgrades will actually have the real benefit to your riding.

However full DH Kenevo do look the nuts and there's a certain unquantifiable confidence that having a dual crown gives you! This is my personal favourite, a shop n the UK did a limited run of these

 

[CjP]

Hi Stuminator,
I have both a Medium 2019 Kenevo expert and an S4 2020 Kenevo and I ride primarily gravity/downhill. I also ride plenty of everything else too.

Now the 2019 I felt for my height 5’10 and 80kg kitted was on the edge of the medium size. A large would have suited me better but the payoff is it’s a super agile bike in comparison to the S4 which I am just big enough for. The S4 being super stable on fast downhill anything.

On the 19 I ran the stock set up for 8 months and loved it. Then I threw on a 180 lyric ultimate fork with a 29 wheel. This lifted the front end up which for me was a much nicer riding position and made the bike roll over stuff better.
Then I threw on a 200mm Ohlins fork and modified rear Ohlins shock (for sale if you want- 6 ride old)
I loved this set up but the medium size was just a bit short with this set up.
So I bought a 2020 Kenevo and threw the forks onto that and bought a different Ohlins shock to once again have 200mm rear travel.
I’m currently running it with a 29 rear as well as this one had another degree of HA so the mullet didn’t work.
So far I’m enjoying the bike and have no complaints.

Pm me if there’s anything you want to know or you want to buy my old shock. ?

 

[CjP]

Also I too would keep the 2019 as it’s a really solid bike and upgrade to the newer model next year.

 

[Stuminator]

The question really is your ability such that dropping big money on a new bike going to be that noticeable? Its not like people weren't doing some pretty serious stuff on the previous Kenevo, and modding them into DH bikes, e.g:


Personally I would stick with the current bike, and do the mods you want, you can always transfer the parts over to a new bike in the future. I would also point out that there's as much a chance of making the bike worse as better by doing certain mods - if you run a 200mm 29'r DH fork n the front of either generation Kenevo that's a pretty radical change to the bike.

If you are going down the route of buying another bike, t might be worth looking at a long travel 29'r or mullet instead.

Theres not much a well set up stock Kenevo cant handle, you are talking incremental improvements, and IMO you are really only going to notice the benefits of Dual crown forks and extra travel over the stock on really serious terrain, and if you are riding at the level to appreciate it.

Not trying to talk you out of it, as we all love tweaking our bikes, but sometimes it shard to step back from modding your own bike (something I have been guilty of) without really thinking through what upgrades will actually have the real benefit to your riding.

Well at 57 years old in a few weeks, my ability as a rider is nowhere near as big as my wallet ??? and whilst I love watching Marshall Mullin bomb that crazy stuff I’m really just looking to mod my ride that assists me in being a better rider with more enjoyment and less risk of hurting myself. It’s easy to get caught up in the marketing hype of sponsored riders endorsements and thus I seek the mere mortals real life feedback to provide some guidance. I am a tweaker and no bike, guitar or car has ever remained standard in my ownership and the quest for better performance is almost as much fun as testing the results and enjoying the fruits of ones labour.

 

[R120]

Same here, my bike is a bit like triggers broom

 

[Dfriz]

My Ride love my 19 I have two buds that have the 2020 Exp Kenevos that I ride with Went with 200 mm up front and did a Avalanche Tune in the fork works like my 350fc Husqvarna

 

[Stuminator]

Hi Stuminator,
I have both a Medium 2019 Kenevo expert and an S4 2020 Kenevo and I ride primarily gravity/downhill. I also ride plenty of everything else too.

Now the 2019 I felt for my height 5’10 and 80kg kitted was on the edge of the medium size. A large would have suited me better but the payoff is it’s a super agile bike in comparison to the S4 which I am just big enough for. The S4 being super stable on fast downhill anything.

On the 19 I ran the stock set up for 8 months and loved it. Then I threw on a 180 lyric ultimate fork with a 29 wheel. This lifted the front end up which for me was a much nicer riding position and made the bike roll over stuff better.
Then I threw on a 200mm Ohlins fork and modified rear Ohlins shock (for sale if you want- 6 ride old)
I loved this set up but the medium size was just a bit short with this set up.
So I bought a 2020 Kenevo and threw the forks onto that and bought a different Ohlins shock to once again have 200mm rear travel.
I’m currently running it with a 29 rear as well as this one had another degree of HA so the mullet didn’t work.
So far I’m enjoying the bike and have no complaints.

Pm me if there’s anything you want to know or you want to buy my old shock. ?

Hi Christian, thanks so much for sharing your experience. I’ll pm you later today.

 

[Shane(NZ)]

My Ride love my 19 I have two buds that have the 2020 Exp Kenevos that I ride with Went with 200 mm up front and did a Avalanche Tune in the fork works like my 350fc Husqvarna

View attachment 30992

That looks nasty ?
Is there much gain going to 200mm, is it a 29 front?
The 40s look great in black

 

[Dfriz]

That looks nasty ?
Is there much gain going to 200mm, is it a 29 front?
The 40s look great in black

Thank you No stayed with the 27.5 up front but went with a 2.6 and 2.8 Rear
I'M 63 AND LIKE THE EXTRA TRAVEL!!!!!

Really like the way the dual crown Works and Feels

 

[Ras Thurlo]

Bump

Any rider feedback on the 2020 Kenevo Mullet modification?
Similar question: any rider feedback on putting 29s front a back?
@Christian ?

 

[CjP]

Hey mate, I ran a mullet on my 2020 bike but I run a 200mm front end which is a little higher than the stock bike. I found it slacked out a bit too much.
The stock fork won’t run a proper sized 29 tire so you’d need 29 lowers or a new fork.

My brother runs the stock Boxxer 180mm and recently swapped out for a 29 lower. He’s running 29 back and front as am I and we both find it suits our needs better than the 27.5.
You could run a mullet on his set up but that would be the max geo wise (same as my 200mm f/r, flip chip high, 29 f/r)

On my 19 Kenevo I loved the mullet set up.

Between both 27.5 or both 29 I’d always go 29 for my type of riding which is more trail/gravity/DH
If I was more jump/trick or manicured smooth park style trails I’d defiantly go 27.5.

I hope that made sense.

 

[Ras Thurlo]

thanks makes sense

leads me to think that I would prefer front/back 29s on the 2020 Kenevo - and also avoid most of the geometry issues associated with a mullet conversion

I ride gnarly terrain tracks and don't really jump and defo don't trick

happy if I can just change out Boxxer lowers rather than having to spend on a whole new fork (for now)

 

[CjP]

Yes it shouldn’t be an issue, he did have to wait a few weeks to get it ordered in and it cost around $500 AUD. If you can’t wait, I’ve heard a few good reports of guy swapping out for the 38 forks.

 

[javier161]

Hey guys, 20219 Kenevo Comp, would like to mullet , What fork do I need to do this properly?
Thanks.