Levo SL Gen 1 Levo SL Gen 2: Are You Happy?

[Black Bear Trail]

So, after the dust has settled, are you happy with your new Levo SL Gen 2? I guess the question is, is the new motor really much of an improvement from the 35 Nm to a 50 Nm? On paper, it sounds good, but I'm wondering if it really is all that noticeable. I ride a Kenevo SL with the 35 Nm motor and it's a lot of work, and I also have a 2023 Levo full fatty. Going from my Kenevo SL to the Levo full fatty is a huge difference. As an older rider, and not in great shape, I really appreciate the 90 Nm motor on the Levo. However, I get a much better workout on the Kenevo SL. Curious to see what the most recent reports are on the new Gen 2 Levo SL.

 

[chrismechmaster]

I know it’s not a direct answer to your question but maybe helpful
I have a levo gen 3 90 nm and being mid forties slightly over weight and have diabetes I really appreciate the power of the levo gen 3 !!!

I tried the sl gen 1 35 nm and I agree it’s a lot of work and to me somewhat underpowered
I haven’t tried the sl2 but when for a Orbea rise with 60 nm

With the lighter weight bike and the 60 nm it’s a absolute dream and more than enough for me

So I am sure the sl 2 with just 10 nm less will be really good

Hope this helps

 

[sethimus]

had a rise gen1 and now ksl2, felt not really different. motor even a tad more efficient?

 

[chrismechmaster]

had a rise gen1 and now ksl2, felt not really different. motor even a tad more efficient?

Which would you say is more efficient the ksl ?

 

[p3eps]

I rode the Levo SL 1.1 from February 2020 through to May 2023, and have had a Levo SL 1.2 since (about 10 months now).

In answer to the title of the thread - yes, I am happy. For me, the newer Levo SL is a much nicer bike to ride. The geometry suits me better, and I've gone from an XL gen 1 to S4 gen 2, so it's more manoeuvrable and more fun.

Motor wise - yes, I notice the difference. I used to ride my gen 1 in my own custom setting - 35/80 95% of the time.
Occasionally 100/100 if I needed a boost up a technical climb, and occasionally 5/10 if I was riding with analogue bikes or running very low in battery.
I now ride the gen 2 in 15/30... which feels about like for like with 35/80 on the old motor. Although it's comparable power wise, it offers me slightly better range than the gen 1.

Another thing to note is that there is a technical climb on a route I frequent that I could NEVER get up on the Gen 1 (100/100). I had a Trek Rail for a short period of time, and could fly up it on that... but the SL Gen 1 just didn't have enough help to do it.
On the Gen 2, I can get there... just. It's a tough climb, but the extra 15Nm are just enough to help me to the top.

 

[Black Bear Trail]

I know it’s not a direct answer to your question but maybe helpful
I have a levo gen 3 90 nm and being mid forties slightly over weight and have diabetes I really appreciate the power of the levo gen 3 !!!

I tried the sl gen 1 35 nm and I agree it’s a lot of work and to me somewhat underpowered
I haven’t tried the sl2 but when for a Orbea rise with 60 nm

With the lighter weight bike and the 60 nm it’s a absolute dream and more than enough for me

So I am sure the sl 2 with just 10 nm less will be really good

Hope this helps

Basically describes my situation, too. I found that I just stopped riding the Kenevo SL 1.2 after a while, and just rode my Gen 3 Levo. But, I liked the Kenevo SL geometry - just not the motor. So now I'm thinking that I might go back to a Kenevo SL with the new 1.2 motor and see if it is a happy medium for me.

 

[Black Bear Trail]

I rode the Levo SL 1.1 from February 2020 through to May 2023, and have had a Levo SL 1.2 since (about 10 months now).

In answer to the title of the thread - yes, I am happy. For me, the newer Levo SL is a much nicer bike to ride. The geometry suits me better, and I've gone from an XL gen 1 to S4 gen 2, so it's more manoeuvrable and more fun.

Motor wise - yes, I notice the difference. I used to ride my gen 1 in my own custom setting - 35/80 95% of the time.
Occasionally 100/100 if I needed a boost up a technical climb, and occasionally 5/10 if I was riding with analogue bikes or running very low in battery.
I now ride the gen 2 in 15/30... which feels about like for like with 35/80 on the old motor. Although it's comparable power wise, it offers me slightly better range than the gen 1.

Another thing to note is that there is a technical climb on a route I frequent that I could NEVER get up on the Gen 1 (100/100). I had a Trek Rail for a short period of time, and could fly up it on that... but the SL Gen 1 just didn't have enough help to do it.
On the Gen 2, I can get there... just. It's a tough climb, but the extra 15Nm are just enough to help me to the top.

View attachment 136147

Nice looking bike.

 

[Olivier Clg]

Basically describes my situation, too. I found that I just stopped riding the Kenevo SL 1.2 after a while, and just rode my Gen 3 Levo. But, I liked the Kenevo SL geometry - just not the motor. So now I'm thinking that I might go back to a Kenevo SL with the new 1.2 motor and see if it is a happy medium for me.

For my part, I also owned a Levo Gen3 for a year. Then I switched to a Kenevo SL, much more suited to my practice. In June 2023 I bought a Levo SL2. Very good bike and which gives me satisfaction and I didn't touch my KSL again until February 2024... But, with the bad weather helping, I took advantage of a rainy day to swap the SL2 engine in my KSL and it was the revelation : the chassis, the geometry and the suspension design of the KSL is for me much better than the LSL and the fact of having put the new engine is really what it was missing to be in my eyes the best bike! Here we go again for a season with my 'new' Kenevo SL 'V2'

 

[Lightme]

I love my new Levo SL 2. I’m two rides in, and so far it’s clear the rear suspension is much more capable than it previously was. I’ve got a 170mm Fox 38mm fork and it feels really nice. A very capable enduro bike. The motor is noticeably more powerful than the 1.1 motor - as is the battery drain on turbo.

 

[Johnathan]

Really love my gen 2 levo sl, its a totally different experience to the 1st gen. The motor went pop again this week though. I say again as its a replacement for the first motor that failed and the bike is only 7 months old . Hey ho, Ebikes hey

 

[Black Bear Trail]

Really love my gen 2 levo sl, its a totally different experience to the 1st gen. The motor went pop again this week though. I say again as its a replacement for the first motor that failed and the bike is only 7 months old . Hey ho, Ebikes hey

So you're going on 3 motors now after 7 months? That's crazy. Interesting to see you say that it's a different experience. I had a Kenevo SL last year. I sold it after I bought my Levo. The motor, though, is what I'm nervous about. I've had my Levo a year now this April. I sometimes hear a whistling sound, and I think it's coming from the motor. But I bought it in Taiwan and moved to Japan with it where they do not sell or offer service for Levos or Kenevos. So if my motor stops working, I guess I have to take it out and send it back to Taiwan. Is taking the motor out of a Levo fairly simple? The Japanese guy at the Specialized shop near me said he could not take the motor out for me, but maybe we had some communication problems. He said that he just sends the motor back to Specialized Japan, which means that he must take the motor out of the bike. Maybe he thought I meant "open the motor" to have a look at it. I like my Levo, but it really is a bad idea to bring an e-bike to a country like Japan where there is no service available for it. I can't even update the software for my Levo in Japan. If the motor dies, I might try to sell the Levo and by a new Kenevo SL 2 since there is service available in Japan for the SL models.

 

[Ribinrobin]

I've sold mine now.
The bike was amazing, i really gelled with it. However i still ride my normal bike alot, so i found myself not wanting to put as much work in on my ebike days. When i do ebike rides its with friends or on off days from normal riding. i found to conserve battery i was doing a similar amount of work on the sl2 as i was on my stumpy. I've had a gen 3 levo since 2022 and have changed its spec over and over trying to get it right, im still not 100% happy with it but for now it suits my ebike riding needs.

I think if the levo sl had better battery life so i can run it with a bit more power id have kept it, but in a 3 bike garage it didnt make sense to keep it.