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.

 

[43ride]

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

I I see you have Industry nine wheels. Can you tell me more about them, do you like them or would you buy them again?
I am looking for a new set of wheels... The more I read, the less I know what to buy

 

[p3eps]

I I see you have Industry nine wheels. Can you tell me more about them, do you like them or would you buy them again?
I am looking for a new set of wheels... The more I read, the less I know what to buy

I upgraded my Levo SL 1.1 to 1.2 in May last year. It was a frame only, so I moved all my bits from my 1.1 to the 1.2 and upgraded a few more on the way. One of the bits I wanted to swap were the wheels, as I still had the Roval SL Carbon wheels that came with the bike. I was the same - I didn't know what to buy, and spent a lot of time looking. I have a thread on here somewhere asking about wheels, and got loads of suggestions.

My budget was about £1500 - 2000 if I remember correctly. I wanted carbon rims that were reasonably light, but also strong. The i9 EN series were well out of my budget, but I loved the customisability of being able to pick spoke colours.
I hummed and hayed for a while, and then one day, my SL 1.1 Frame that I had listed on eBay sold for the asking price rather than all the silly offers I kept getting. £2150... so I decided I would take the plunge and order the i9 wheels I wanted... the EN315 carbon rims fully customised. I think they were £2550 from memory.

They took about 6 weeks to come, and by the time I'd had them on my bike for a week, Industry Nine had released a new model! The EN325 / 310. A slightly wider front wheel, and a more solid rear wheel.
Although I loved what I had, I was a bit miffed... and sent i9 and email expressing my disappointment. Rather than saying "tough luck - that's a product cycle" they were amazing. They offered me 3 options -

1. buy another set at cost (huge discount), then sell on my current ones myself.
2. return my ones, pay a small restocking fee, and get the new ones sent out.
3. take an i9 goodie bag (headset, stem, spacers etc) as a goodwill gesture.

I decided to go with option 2. By the time this all came to fruition, I'd been riding the wheels for a few months, and they had various scrapes and dings... so getting a new set was nice. I was without them for about 3 weeks, but timed it with a holiday so that I was away whilst they were. I had Slik Graphics do some custom stickers too, so they're exactly as I wanted them.

Anyway - probably too much information there.
In answer to the original question - I love them, and would definitely buy them again. Support from i9 is amazing, and I've got the full service kit for the Hydra hubs, so hopefully can keep them going for a long time.
I often get compliments on them whilst out on the trails too.

 

[43ride]

I upgraded my Levo SL 1.1 to 1.2 in May last year. It was a frame only, so I moved all my bits from my 1.1 to the 1.2 and upgraded a few more on the way. One of the bits I wanted to swap were the wheels, as I still had the Roval SL Carbon wheels that came with the bike. I was the same - I didn't know what to buy, and spent a lot of time looking. I have a thread on here somewhere asking about wheels, and got loads of suggestions.

My budget was about £1500 - 2000 if I remember correctly. I wanted carbon rims that were reasonably light, but also strong. The i9 EN series were well out of my budget, but I loved the customisability of being able to pick spoke colours.
I hummed and hayed for a while, and then one day, my SL 1.1 Frame that I had listed on eBay sold for the asking price rather than all the silly offers I kept getting. £2150... so I decided I would take the plunge and order the i9 wheels I wanted... the EN315 carbon rims fully customised. I think they were £2550 from memory.

They took about 6 weeks to come, and by the time I'd had them on my bike for a week, Industry Nine had released a new model! The EN325 / 310. A slightly wider front wheel, and a more solid rear wheel.
Although I loved what I had, I was a bit miffed... and sent i9 and email expressing my disappointment. Rather than saying "tough luck - that's a product cycle" they were amazing. They offered me 3 options -

1. buy another set at cost (huge discount), then sell on my current ones myself.
2. return my ones, pay a small restocking fee, and get the new ones sent out.
3. take an i9 goodie bag (headset, stem, spacers etc) as a goodwill gesture.

I decided to go with option 2. By the time this all came to fruition, I'd been riding the wheels for a few months, and they had various scrapes and dings... so getting a new set was nice. I was without them for about 3 weeks, but timed it with a holiday so that I was away whilst they were. I had Slik Graphics do some custom stickers too, so they're exactly as I wanted them.

Anyway - probably too much information there.
In answer to the original question - I love them, and would definitely buy them again. Support from i9 is amazing, and I've got the full service kit for the Hydra hubs, so hopefully can keep them going for a long time.
I often get compliments on them whilst out on the trails too.

Thanks for your response
I have the opportunity to buy this 315c version at a good price, but they have 24 spokes and it is also an older model, so I'm wondering.
At the beginning I decided that I would make my bike even lighter and I wanted to buy Roval Control Carbon wheels. They have very good opinions... Coming back to the hydra hubs, I have also read a lot about them and some people are in love with them and others complain about the pedal kickback... Hence my dilemmas
Did you notice any difference between roval (dt ratchet) and i9 hydra?
Thanks

 

[p3eps]

I went with the 32 spoke version. They were lighter than my Traverse SL set. From memory, I think I'm 1740g for the pair - which seemed pretty good for a very robust 29" set.

Once I got past the initial noise of the Hydra, I'd say I fell into the Love category! For a start, it felt like it was pretty slow rolling, but that was just because it was packed full of grease. I followed the service guide and just put a little grease in, and now they roll much quicker... however are much louder. Some see that as a good thing. I ride with airpods in, so it doesn't bother me too much. When I'm out riding round the block with my 4 year old, it's really loud when we're rolling down the hill!!

The engagement is much better on the Hydra, and I've never had pedal kickback. I never had an issue with the DT's though.

The difference between the EN315c and the EN325/310c is so little, I doubt anyone would actually notice. They need to change things up a bit of sell new wheels! If the model hadn't changed within a week of me getting them, then I probably wouldn't have bothered.

 

[43ride]

I went with the 32 spoke version. They were lighter than my Traverse SL set. From memory, I think I'm 1740g for the pair - which seemed pretty good for a very robust 29" set.

Once I got past the initial noise of the Hydra, I'd say I fell into the Love category! For a start, it felt like it was pretty slow rolling, but that was just because it was packed full of grease. I followed the service guide and just put a little grease in, and now they roll much quicker... however are much louder. Some see that as a good thing. I ride with airpods in, so it doesn't bother me too much. When I'm out riding round the block with my 4 year old, it's really loud when we're rolling down the hill!!

The engagement is much better on the Hydra, and I've never had pedal kickback. I never had an issue with the DT's though.

The difference between the EN315c and the EN325/310c is so little, I doubt anyone would actually notice. They need to change things up a bit of sell new wheels! If the model hadn't changed within a week of me getting them, then I probably wouldn't

I went with the 32 spoke version. They were lighter than my Traverse SL set. From memory, I think I'm 1740g for the pair - which seemed pretty good for a very robust 29" set.

Once I got past the initial noise of the Hydra, I'd say I fell into the Love category! For a start, it felt like it was pretty slow rolling, but that was just because it was packed full of grease. I followed the service guide and just put a little grease in, and now they roll much quicker... however are much louder. Some see that as a good thing. I ride with airpods in, so it doesn't bother me too much. When I'm out riding round the block with my 4 year old, it's really loud when we're rolling down the hill!!

The engagement is much better on the Hydra, and I've never had pedal kickback. I never had an issue with the DT's though.

The difference between the EN315c and the EN325/310c is so little, I doubt anyone would actually notice. They need to change things up a bit of sell new wheels! If the model hadn't changed within a week of me getting them, then I probably wouldn't have bothered.

Thank you very much for your comprehensive answer
The only thing that puts me off these wheels are the 24 spokes but I can have them for half the price you paid...

 

[sethimus]

you want to ride those wheels or just look at them on a scale?

 

[p3eps]

Thank you very much for your comprehensive answer
The only thing that puts me off these wheels are the 24 spokes but I can have them for half the price you paid...

I went with the 32 hole, as when researching and shopping around I was advised by a couple of wheel builders that given my weight (approx 85kg in riding gear) and the terrain I ride - I should stay away from the 24 hole wheels. I'd rather have them over built than under built!

Cost wise, there are 3 tiers when buying new wheels from i9.
Tier 1 - plain black hubs / spokes all round
Tier 2 - 1 colour (I think)
Tier 3 - any combination of colours you like

I think moving from Tier 1 to Tier 3 is about a £300 cost... so if you're looking at a black set, that'd immediately be a big saving. There's not much difference in cost of 24 v 32 spoke.

you want to ride those wheels or just look at them on a scale?

Not sure who that is directed at? Part of having an SL (super light) bike for me, is that it is actually light - whilst remaining suitable for my riding. I've fitted components that weigh more than the originals because either I need them, or I want them (eg the SRAM AXS dropper is heavier than most, but it's a fantastic piece of kit I wouldn't be without).
Wheels are an easy area to save weight, and actually feel the difference. If I'm going to spend £2500+ on a set of wheels, they need to be an improvement on the previous ones... and these saved about 200g's on my old ones. They also look cool (in my opinion anyway!) which is another selling point!

 

[2WheelsNot4]

Nice looking bike.

It would be even nicer if those blue bits were purple bits.

 

[p3eps]

It would be even nicer if those blue bits were purple bits.

I've been swapping parts on my daughters bike - she's getting purple!

 

[Zimmerframe]

I've been swapping parts on my daughters bike - she's getting purple!

I've available for adoption if you want to swap any bits onto mine ...

 

[sethimus]

I went with the 32 hole, as when researching and shopping around I was advised by a couple of wheel builders that given my weight (approx 85kg in riding gear) and the terrain I ride - I should stay away from the 24 hole wheels. I'd rather have them over built than under built!

Cost wise, there are 3 tiers when buying new wheels from i9.
Tier 1 - plain black hubs / spokes all round
Tier 2 - 1 colour (I think)
Tier 3 - any combination of colours you like

I think moving from Tier 1 to Tier 3 is about a £300 cost... so if you're looking at a black set, that'd immediately be a big saving. There's not much difference in cost of 24 v 32 spoke.


Not sure who that is directed at? Part of having an SL (super light) bike for me, is that it is actually light - whilst remaining suitable for my riding. I've fitted components that weigh more than the originals because either I need them, or I want them (eg the SRAM AXS dropper is heavier than most, but it's a fantastic piece of kit I wouldn't be without).
Wheels are an easy area to save weight, and actually feel the difference. If I'm going to spend £2500+ on a set of wheels, they need to be an improvement on the previous ones... and these saved about 200g's on my old ones. They also look cool (in my opinion anyway!) which is another selling point!

24 spoke wheels are for gravel biking.

 

[43ride]

I went with the 32 hole, as when researching and shopping around I was advised by a couple of wheel builders that given my weight (approx 85kg in riding gear) and the terrain I ride - I should stay away from the 24 hole wheels. I'd rather have them over built than under built!

Cost wise, there are 3 tiers when buying new wheels from i9.
Tier 1 - plain black hubs / spokes all round
Tier 2 - 1 colour (I think)
Tier 3 - any combination of colours you like

I think moving from Tier 1 to Tier 3 is about a £300 cost... so if you're looking at a black set, that'd immediately be a big saving. There's not much difference in cost of 24 v 32 spoke.


Not sure who that is directed at? Part of having an SL (super light) bike for me, is that it is actually light - whilst remaining suitable for my riding. I've fitted components that weigh more than the originals because either I need them, or I want them (eg the SRAM AXS dropper is heavier than most, but it's a fantastic piece of kit I wouldn't be without).
Wheels are an easy area to save weight, and actually feel the difference. If I'm going to spend £2500+ on a set of wheels, they need to be an improvement on the previous ones... and these saved about 200g's on my old ones. They also look cool (in my opinion anyway!) which is another selling point!

I weigh the same as you. The wheels are ready to ride, so they cannot be changed in any way. Unfortunately, they have 24 spokes and that is my only concern. They are assembled on Hydra hubs and have rainbow-colored spokes. Their rider weight limit is 113kg, so there is almost 30kg in reserve. But as you mentioned, it's better to have stronger wheels than to regret later... The wheels are intended for enduro purposes, so I don't know where the user sethimus gets his information and strange comments... Thanks for your time pal

 

[p3eps]

I've available for adoption if you want to swap any bits onto mine ...

And my daughters old pink bike is in the process of going through gender reassignment... to become a lovely 'flip' blue colour for my boy!

Day 1 of sandblasting. I say day... I did it for about 20 mins after work!

 

[p3eps]

I weigh the same as you. The wheels are ready to ride, so they cannot be changed in any way. Unfortunately, they have 24 spokes and that is my only concern. They are assembled on Hydra hubs and have rainbow-colored spokes. Their rider weight limit is 113kg, so there is almost 30kg in reserve. But as you mentioned, it's better to have stronger wheels than to regret later... The wheels are intended for enduro purposes, so I don't know where the user sethimus gets his information and strange comments... Thanks for your time pal

You'll find that most of the Roval wheels that come on Spesh bikes have 24 spokes. I know the Traverse SL ones I removed only had 24. The EN wheels are specced for Enduro, so should be fine for most use.

The 32 hole spec on i9 website says "If the question is what is the best option for Enduro? The answer is clear: Enduro 325/310 32h DUO"...
whereas the 24 hole says "Eager to attack aggressive terrain in at the bike park one day, and spend the next day climbing to off the beaten path downhills, our DUO concept-equipped EN325/310 24h is light enough to make trail category wheels blush but burly enough to keep you in the mix when you're chasing bigger bikes back down to the lift line".

A lot of money to spend on something that you feel may not be sufficient for your requirement... however they do come with a lifetime guarantee!

 

[head]

You'll find that most of the Roval wheels that come on Spesh bikes have 24 spokes. I know the Traverse SL ones I removed only had 24. The EN wheels are specced for Enduro, so should be fine for most use.

24? All of the roval wheels on my Specialized bikes (Levo gen 2, gen 3, and current Enduro) had 28 spokes, not 24.

 

[p3eps]

24? All of the roval wheels on my Specialized bikes (Levo gen 2, gen 3, and current Enduro) had 28 spokes, not 24.

Sorry - you're absolutely right... both my Stumpy and Levo SL came with 28 spoke, not 24. It was 28 the wheel builders advised me against too - not 24.

 

[Snoman]

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'

did your motor swap inculde battery and TCU or did you just swap motor?

 

[Olivier Clg]

did your motor swap inculde battery and TCU or did you just swap motor?

Motor + TCU only

I had also swaped the battery to test, but no difference in use : same power, same range, they are the same. So I still use the original battery from the KSL and it's perfect.