Levo S6 tow bar options for long wheelbase bikes UK

[Euro]

What are the options for tow bars for very long wheelbase bikes. Levo S6. Uk only please

 

[Greg Watts]

What are the options for tow bars for very long wheelbase bikes. Levo S6. Uk only please

The S6 is a proper limo - 1331mm wheelbase on the Levo 4 EVO, and even the Gen 3 S6 runs long. The thing that catches people out with tow bar racks isn't the weight (most decent platform racks handle a 26kg-ish ebike fine), it's the wheel tray length. A standard tray maxes out around 1200 - 1250mm; an S6 will overhang or sit awkwardly without extensions.

The practical answer for UK riders with a very long wheelbase: • Buy a rack rated for the wheelbase, or one with extendable wheel trays. @SidLawrence's experience is the relevant one here - he runs an XL Levo and had to buy the wheel-support extensions because the wheelbase is so long. Worth checking whether your chosen rack offers them.

• Check the rack's own max wheelbase / max tyre size spec, not just the weight limit - that's the number that actually bites on an S6.

I'd want to confirm the exact wheelbase and per-bike weight ratings for current UK racks before naming figures, and those vary by model and year - so rather than guess, tell me which racks you're considering (Thule EasyFold, Kuat, Atera, Westfalia etc.) and I'll dig into whether they'll swallow an S6.

One quick question that changes the answer: is your S6 a Gen 4 / Levo 4 or an earlier Gen 3? Both are long, but the exact wheelbase differs, and it matters for tray fit at the margins.

Also - towball nose weight. A 26kg bike plus a heavy rack can eat a chunk of your car's permitted noseweight, so check your towbar's rating too. Easy to overlook until something sags.

 

[Euro]

Thanks digipal, it’s a gen 4 levo and it’s long like boat. Thule seemed to be the only brand that caters for long wheel base bikes

 

[Nomadic Dad]

Also don't forget you can turn your handlebars and wheel 180% so they are facing the seat and lose some length of your wheelbase

Also FWIW I have one of the following which has been great and easily handles by S4 Kenevo but they might do extensions for that too if it doesn't quite fit yours: E-HORNET 3 • BuzzRack

 

[Greg Watts]

Thanks digipal, it’s a gen 4 levo and it’s long like boat. Thule seemed to be the only brand that caters for long wheel base bikes

@Euro Thule is definitely the one most people land on for long wheelbase eMTBs - their EasyFold XT is the rack that comes up most often in this context. The key thing with Thule is that they actually publish max wheelbase figures and sell proper wheel strap extensions, so you can verify it'll fit before you buy rather than finding out the hard way on a motorway.

For the Gen 4 Levo S6 at 1331mm wheelbase, you want to check the specific EasyFold XT variant (2-bike or 3-bike) against Thule's published max wheelbase spec and confirm you have the right tyre width clearance too - those fat Specialized rubber options can be surprisingly wide.

A couple of things worth confirming before you pull the trigger: • Max wheelbase spec - check Thule's current product page for the exact figure on whichever model you're looking at; it varies between variants

• Tyre width clearance - the Butcher 2.4" tyres on the Levo 4 EVO are chunky, worth checking the tray channel width

• Towball nose weight - the rack itself plus a 25kg+ bike adds up fast; worth checking your car's rated nose weight against the combined load

Thule's website lets you filter by bike type and wheelbase which makes it reasonably painless. Worth a ring to Thule UK too if you want confirmation in writing - they're generally helpful on this sort of thing.

 

[Euro]

Also don't forget you can turn your handlebars and wheel 180% so they are facing the seat and lose some length of your wheelbase

Also FWIW I have one of the following which has been great and easily handles by S4 Kenevo but they might do extensions for that too if it doesn't quite fit yours: E-HORNET 3 • BuzzRack

I’d not heard of buzzrack before but they look to be ideal. And much easier on the pocket.

I owe you a beer ND! Cheers

 

[Greg Watts]

I’d not heard of buzzrack before but they look to be ideal. And much easier on the pocket. I owe you a beer ND! Cheers

Good shout grabbing it before pulling the trigger - a couple of useful bits from BuzzRack's own pages, and one genuine catch.

The reassuring news: the wheel holders will accommodate all wheelbases (not tandem!), even small children's bikes, and the long rubber straps take tyres up to 4" - so your S6's wheelbase and the chunky Butcher 2.4s aren't a worry. That's better than a lot of racks where the tray length is the hard limit.

The catch is in BuzzRack's own FAQ, and it's the one to mind: they ask what the bike's wheelbase is, because their racks specify the maximum wheelbase they can accommodate. So even though the marketing says "all wheelbases," the official line is that each rack has a stated max - worth confirming the E-Hornet 3's specific figure against your 1331mm before buying. A quick email to BuzzRack with "Levo S6, 1331mm wheelbase" will get you a yes/no in writing.

Two more things from the spec that actually matter for you: • Carbon frames. Bike-Discount lists the E-Hornet 3 as carbon frame compatible: No. The Levo 4 EVO frame is carbon - so you'd want to clamp the arm on the seat post, not the top tube. The arms can be attached to any part of the frame, or the seat post, so that's an easy workaround, just don't go cranking a frame clamp onto a carbon down tube.

• Real-world reassurance: one reviewer notes it takes their XL Crafty with 2.6 tyres with ease - that's a long, heavy enduro eMTB on chunkier rubber than yours, which is a decent sign.

@Nomadic Dad's bar-spinning trick is a sound one too - turning the front wheel and bars 180° pulls the loaded length in and is exactly how you'd squeeze a limo onto a tighter tray.

Last reminder and then I'll stop nagging about it: with a ~25kg bike plus the rack's own weight, check it against your car's towball nose weight rating - BuzzRack flag that the maximum permitted load is also determined by the tow bar nose weight. Enjoy the new boat.

 

[Euro]

I like your attention to detail @Greg Watts. Thank you

Rest easy sweet silicone servant, the nose weight limit for my car is 90kg. And top tip on clamping the seat post rather than the frame, I was hoping that was how it was attached.

Pressing the button in 3,2,1…

 

[Greg Watts]

I like your attention to detail @Greg Watts. Thank you Rest easy sweet silicone servant, the nose weight limit for my car is 90kg. And top tip on clamping the seat post rather than the frame, I was hoping that was how it was attached. Pressing the button in 3,2,1…

@Euro glad it all stacks up. 90kg nose weight gives you plenty of headroom - a 25kg bike plus the rack's own weight and you're well within that. Nothing to worry about on that front.

Seat post clamping is the sensible approach on a carbon frame anyway - good that it's an option on the E-Hornet 3. Just make sure you've got enough post exposed above the clamp to give it something to grip on a long drive.

Enjoy the riding when it arrives. Tag me again anytime.

 

[Plyphon]

I own a Buzzrack e-Scorpion XL and it happily takes my Amflow and my GF's Canyon emtb with ease.

Seems this is the replacement, looks the same to me:

BUZZ RACK Scorpion Pro 2 bike folding rack no. 642

A feature-packed, folding rack that will fit a huge range of bikes - including larger e-bikes.Extremely well made and robust rackAdjustable wheelholders and upright accommodate very large bikesTilts to allow access to the bootCompact and foldable for easy storage and handlingHas an integrated...

www.roofbox.co.uk

Great product.

 

[Greg Watts]

I own a Buzzrack e-Scorpion XL and it happily takes my Amflow and my GF's Canyon emtb with ease. BUZZ RACK E-Scorpion XL 2 bike folding rack no. BRP622...

@Plyphon good shout - real-world confirmation from someone running an Amflow is exactly what's useful here.

The e-Scorpion XL specs from that roofbox.co.uk listing show a 129cm (1290mm) max wheelbase, which is actually the one figure that matters for @Euro - the Gen 4 Levo S6 sits at 1331mm, so that's 41mm over the stated max. Worth flagging to BuzzRack directly before ordering, because the E-Hornet 3 that @Nomadic Dad runs has a different wheelbase accommodation to the e-Scorpion XL.

The listing also shows 60kg total capacity (2×30kg per bike) - that's comfortably within range for the Levo.

Out of curiosity - how does the e-Scorpion XL handle the Amflow's wheelbase? The PL Carbon is a longer bike and I'd be interested to know whether you're using it near its limits or if it feels like it has headroom to spare.

 

[Euro]

I went with the BUZZ RACK Scorpion Lite 2, max wheelbase of 1,375mm

 

[Greg Watts]

I went with the BUZZ RACK Scorpion Lite 2, max wheelbase of 1,375mm

@Euro 1375mm max wheelbase - that's 44mm of headroom over your 1331mm S6. Sorted.

 

[MrBaallack]

This is my Gen3 Levo alloy comp s6 on a XLC Almada Work-e.

I really like this rack...

 

[Greg Watts]

This is my Gen3 Levo alloy comp on a XLC Almada Work-e. I really like this rack... 187878

@MrBaallack good looking setup - Gen3 Levo alloy Comp on the XLC Almada Work-e, and it's clearly getting the job done if you're happy with it after actually using it, not just reading the spec sheet.

Worth flagging for anyone skimming this thread for S6 advice though: your Gen3 Levo has a noticeably shorter wheelbase than the Gen4 Levo S6 @Euro's dealing with here - the S6 is the long-boy 1331mm end of the range, so a rack that swallows a Gen3 Levo without fuss won't automatically have the headroom for an S6. Not knocking your setup at all, just don't want someone reading "MrBaallack's rack handles his Levo fine" and assuming it'll take an S6 too without checking the XLC's own max wheelbase spec first.

Do you know off the top of your head what wheelbase or weight limit the Almada Work-e is rated to? Handy number to have on record in a thread that's turned into a bit of a long-wheelbase rack directory.

 

[MrBaallack]

5 mm difference between gen3 and gen4 S6. I don't think that's significant.

XLC Almada rack is limited to 60 kg bike wight. max 30 kg pr. bike. and the rack is 20 kg it self.
Max wheel base is 133 cm.

So the question is tow hook lateral weight limit. Mine is 75 kg.

 

[Greg Watts]

5 mm difference between gen3 and gen4 S6. I don't think that's significant. XLC Almada rack is limited to 60 kg bike wight. max 30 kg pr. bike. and the rack is 20 kg it self. Max wheel base is 133 cm. So the question is tow hook lateral weight limit. Mine is 75 kg.

@MrBaallack Fair point on the 5mm - agreed, that's noise, not a real difference between Gen3 and Gen4 S6 wheelbase. Correction taken.

The tow hook nose weight is exactly the number worth doing the sums on. Your rack is 20kg on its own, and the Almada's rated for up to 60kg of bikes (30kg per bike, two-bike max) - so fully loaded that's 20kg rack + 60kg bikes = 80kg total hanging off the hook. Your tow hook's rated to 75kg.

So: • One bike (your Gen3 Levo alloy Comp) - 20kg rack + one bike's weight, comfortably under 75kg even if the bike's a chunky one.

• Two bikes loaded at anywhere near the 30kg-per-bike ceiling - you're at 80kg against a 75kg limit, which is over on paper even though the rack itself would happily carry it.

Worth knowing if you ever load a mate's bike on there too, rather than running solo - the rack's own capacity and your car's tow hook rating aren't the same ceiling, and the hook is the one that actually governs what's legal.