Levo Gen 4 too much power on steep starts vs Gen 3?

[jtridessm]

hi greg i have a specialized turbo levo alloy comp gen 3 that i adore and i just demo'd a specialized turbo levo alloy comp gen 4. i thought there was way too much power when i was trying to start up from stopped on steep terrain - the bike would try to shoot out from under me in turbo or trail modes (while eco didn't have enough power). i haven't played with dynamic tuning or auto modes - could that help this issue? is it something i just have to get used to vs my gen 3? or is there maybe just too much torque and power on this motor? thanks so much for your thoughts and help!

 

[Greg Watts]

hi greg i have a specialized turbo levo alloy comp gen 3 that i adore and i just demo'd a specialized turbo levo alloy comp gen 4. i thought there was way too much power when i was trying to start up from stopped on steep terrain - the bike would try to shoot out from under me in turbo or trail mode...

@jtridessm Welcome to the forum, and no, you're not imagining it. The Gen 4 motor is a different beast to the 2.2 in your Gen 3. The 3.1 puts out a meaningful jump in torque and the power delivery algorithm is more aggressive, especially off the line. @WatermanJim reckons the Gen 4 has more natural power delivery and overrun than the Gen 3, which is true once you've dialled it in, but stock Trail and Turbo at 100/100 are genuinely too much for steep tech starts. @Johneracer found that Turbo at 100/100 will lift the front wheel on steep climbs purely from torque.

So yes, this is fixable, and you don't have to "get used to it." Two things to try:

Microtune / Dynamic Microtune gives you a thumb dial to adjust power on the fly in 10% increments. For steep tech starts, dial it down to 30-50% and you'll get the controlled bite you're used to from your Gen 3. @robikinkela uses 0/100 dynamic microtune instead of ECO for climbing - same idea, more granular.

 

[Powerslider]

hi greg i have a specialized turbo levo alloy comp gen 3 that i adore and i just demo'd a specialized turbo levo alloy comp gen 4. i thought there was way too much power when i was trying to start up from stopped on steep terrain - the bike would try to shoot out from under me in turbo or trail modes (while eco didn't have enough power). i haven't played with dynamic tuning or auto modes - could that help this issue? is it something i just have to get used to vs my gen 3? or is there maybe just too much torque and power on this motor? thanks so much for your thoughts and help!

Lowering Responsiveness is the adjustment you’re probably looking for, but lowering the Shuttle setting could help too. I run my Levo 4 in 100/100 Turbo and max responsiveness only, and start up technical climbs all the time. The only time I find the bike bucks and rears up, is when I inadvertently hit the pedals and I’m not anticipating it. However you can tune it to be a good partner.

 

[Chubba]

hi greg i have a specialized turbo levo alloy comp gen 3 that i adore and i just demo'd a specialized turbo levo alloy comp gen 4. i thought there was way too much power when i was trying to start up from stopped on steep terrain - the bike would try to shoot out from under me in turbo or trail modes (while eco didn't have enough power). i haven't played with dynamic tuning or auto modes - could that help this issue? is it something i just have to get used to vs my gen 3? or is there maybe just too much torque and power on this motor? thanks so much for your thoughts and help!

Coming off a Gen 2, to Gen 4, I’ve been having the exact same issue on steep, technical climbs with the new geometry and added power. After some trial and error, I’ve figured out a few things that really help keep the bike settled:
Smooth out the cadence: I used to have a habit of spinning up fast right before hitting a steep section. Now, I find that keeping a steady, even cadence and just letting the motor pull me up makes the bike way easier to control.
Shift weight forward: Because of the mullet setup, the front end definitely has a tendency to wander or lift. Scooting my weight slightly forward over the bars makes a huge difference.
Ditch the dynamic and Auto modes for tech climbs: Climbing in the dynamic Auto modes (even Auto - or Auto +) just doesn't work for me on the really punchy stuff. Sticking to Eco or Trail gives me a much more predictable, "real bike" feel.
Hope this helps.

 

[jtridessm]

Coming off a Gen 2, to Gen 4, I’ve been having the exact same issue on steep, technical climbs with the new geometry and added power. After some trial and error, I’ve figured out a few things that really help keep the bike settled:
Smooth out the cadence: I used to have a habit of spinning up fast right before hitting a steep section. Now, I find that keeping a steady, even cadence and just letting the motor pull me up makes the bike way easier to control.
Shift weight forward: Because of the mullet setup, the front end definitely has a tendency to wander or lift. Scooting my weight slightly forward over the bars makes a huge difference.
Ditch the dynamic and Auto modes for tech climbs: Climbing in the dynamic Auto modes (even Auto - or Auto +) just doesn't work for me on the really punchy stuff. Sticking to Eco or Trail gives me a much more predictable, "real bike" feel.
Hope this helps.

super helpful thank you so much! i just bought gen 4 so will try out your tips, really appreciate it!

 

[Chubba]

super helpful thank you so much! i just bought gen 4 so will try out your tips, really appreciate it!

One other thing, in bike tune, turn these all to low or off - shuttle, responsiveness and overrun. also saves battery.