Levo's negative forum reviews are a concern?? Reliability succses rate??

[33red]

Gopro has been the market leading pov camera for years and I have regularly used a Gopro ever since the launch of their fist hd model ....quite a few years ago. I regularly viewed the gopro forum. If you read the fkrum you would never buy a gopro....so many faults. So how come I am now on my 5th gopro ( I still regularly use 3 of them) and have never experienced a single fault......and I have made over 250 videos. Forums are no place to judge the quality or reliability of a product. What they are useful for is gleaning facts about best practise and potential pitfalls.....every product has them. For example it is easy to see from this forum that trust placed in the lbs should not be automatic....some are obviously v good whilst some are not. Very few are likely to have much experience of e bike electronics or software but they assemble your bike in the first place....clearly some do it well and some do not.

I can agree with the first half of this post.
When you imply the manufacturer is not to blame, well we all know many places around the world selling bikes is a seasonal thing. LBS have a hard time keeping employees because of that and like you mentioned some dices are throwned. Any decent manufacturer knows that. What is left to the shop should be minimal and simple. I do not want a very good service, i want to ride a bike or i do not buy a bike, simple. We are not talking 100$ Walmart bike good to do the grocery but bikes we ride 30 kms from home expecting our investment is worth it. I am not talking against Specialized they built me a fatbike that is trouble free. Here the question is are their Ebikes worth the $ they ask?

 

[Sandy]

Somone did a poll of the Levo owners on here to see who had had issues and 41% had electrical/motor problems

Issues on 2019 Levo USER SURVEY - EMTB Forums

I see the poll, most of the comments seem not to be electrical or motor related. One wonders how they voted based on the poll question?

 

[Sandy]

I know 5 people with Brose motored Specialized bikes, 4 Levos and a Vado. All of them have had at least 1 motor replacement within the warranty period, one or two multiple replacements. Most have also had other transient electrical gremlins which required visits to the LBS and replcament parts (power cables etc).

Is 5 a representative sample? Probably not, but when combined with the significant price premium and the fact my local Spec LBS is not very knowledgeable when it comes to ebikes it's enough to cross Specialized off my personal list. YMMV.

Price premium? The thing is there are so many Levos, yes some models are super expensive. I picked a Levo HT because it was the cheapest eMTB, the only one I could afford.

 

[33red]

Price premium? The thing is there are so many Levos, yes some models are super expensive. I picked a Levo HT because it was the cheapest eMTB, the only one I could afford.

You have to look at the components. Presently their website for Canada shows all the low/entry level price cutter. Just read many paid big price than switched suspension that is just crazy. Some of their low price have 400Wh, old generation motor. The Specialized is not the cheapest look around Marin etc...

 

[R120]

There are several hardtail EMTB's with decent spec cheaper than the Levo HT? Unless you picked it up for sub 2k

 

[Sandy]

There are several hardtail EMTB's with decent spec cheaper than the Levo HT? Unless you picked it up for sub 2k

Indeed I got my HT for less than £2k. The 400wh battery is fine for my needs. I did 14miles the other day and still had some left and I used Turbo a lot and have a tweaked top speed which I used. I also care not one jot that I have the 1.2e motor, tried and tested I guess, the old one had issues, they fixed it. The new motor is not a known quantity, who knows it might too have issues, so playing n-1 is a good play.

 

[Donnie797]

Here's another good review - well, it's a 2017 Kenevo but f*** it, i love it!

 

[Dax]

Here's another good review - well, it's a 2017 Kenevo but f*** it, i love it!

Likewise. My kenevo is awesome.

 

[levity]

Some additional data points: We have seven Specialized E-bikes in our extended family - two '18 Levos, two '18 Vados, and three '19 Levos. No service/repairs other than some software updates have been required yet, though one 2019 Levo has developed a somewhat noisy motor that may need attention down the road. Some of this may be due to luck, but Specialized deserves some credit for their role in developing ebike technology. Purchasing from a knowledgeable local shop is also key. We buy in confidence from Orange Cycles (@Al Boneta) that makes sure the bikes are right before they go out the door, notifies us and takes care of warranty updates, and has our back should problems develop.

 

[Mikerb]

My mate has the basic Levo I have the comp...we have both covered a bout 200 miles so far, all on trails and mostly using the bike to its maximum potential ( or at least ours!) and neither of us have had any issues. Neither of us have changed anything on the bikes and all we did when we first picked them up was check that everything was built properly. The only maintenance we have done is cleaning plus re greasing the headset ( because dust and grit can get onto the bottom cartridge bearing due to the split bearing seat at the bottom of the headset and there is bound to be a little settling of the bearings there once the bike has had some use). We are both also super conscious of the need for cleanliness and care when the battery to motor connector is removed for charging. I keep the charger lead connector covered when not in use and also cover the connector when unplugged for charging...…….these connections are literally a magnet for any dust dirt or metallic fragments, and my guess is that contamination of these is a significant cause of some of the problems experienced by others. Apart from taking care with those connectors my main advice would be not to automatically expect every lbs uses bike mechanics that actually know what they are doing...……….clearly some are very good.....some not...and they do the initial build plus any modifications you request at the time of purchase or later. So check everything. If the correct torques are applied and thread lock used where required there is no reason for things to come loose. What you can expect is for some aspects of the bike to "break in" after a reasonable amount of use so you may need to re-adjust the derailleur for example, but that's normal.

 

[R120]

I would make the general point, that if you ride any EMTB hard, and by that I don’t mean mega miles but thrashing it, shredding trails, and pushing your riding, you will eventually hit problems.

We are yet to see motors and systems that can really handle being ridden hard regularly in all conditions.

 

[Mikerb]

[QUOTE="R120, We are yet to see motors and systems that can really handle being ridden hard regularly in all conditions.[/QUOTE]
……...but referring specifically to the Levo, it is an All Mountain bike and recommended for use on category 4 territory...…….that does not include big jumps and drop offs, downhill, freeride, hucking etc. So if ridden beyond its recommended use then it is likely problems will occur.

 

[Rusty]

Have only done 300k on my Levo Comp and pretty much loving it with no issues so-far. I do know that my LBS will look after me if I do experience problems so no real biggie. Compared to my Shimano powered bike it is nice and quiet. That is one of the 2 reasons I went that way and the other was the availability of the 700Wh battery.
With my Scott that has about 1200k on it I have had a derallieur fail when one of the idler wheel pins fell out and have had a suspension pivot bolt break. I attribute both issues to poor assembly at the factory and nothing untoward.
My only real bitch about Specialized and this has always been the case is that they always skimp on components for the price-point.

 

[33red]

Have only done 300k on my Levo Comp and pretty much loving it with no issues so-far. I do know that my LBS will look after me if I do experience problems so no real biggie. Compared to my Shimano powered bike it is nice and quiet. That is one of the 2 reasons I went that way and the other was the availability of the 700Wh battery.
With my Scott that has about 1200k on it I have had a derallieur fail when one of the idler wheel pins fell out and have had a suspension pivot bolt break. I attribute both issues to poor assembly at the factory and nothing untoward.
My only real bitch about Specialized and this has always been the case is that they always skimp on components for the price-point.

It is simple their $$ go in publicity and we see many feeling the need to upgrade. I prefer when they sell value and rely on word of mouth to get sales. Here in Canada we have an outdoor coop with tons of members. We are all telling our family members, coworkers to go benefit of the low prices.

 

[Mikerb]

It is simple their $$ go in publicity and we see many feeling the need to upgrade. I prefer when they sell value and rely on word of mouth to get sales. Here in Canada we have an outdoor coop with tons of members. We are all telling our family members, coworkers to go benefit of the low prices.

I have a Levo Comp and also Cube Stereo sl analogue bike. The Cube has "supposed" better components than the Levo allround except for the 4 pot Code calipers. Pike instead of Revelation etc...can I feel any difference in performance of components? No. Which bike performs better? The Levo. Are there components on the Levo that limit its performance? No. Is my Comp able to tackle trails that my mates base level Levo fails at? No. It is the sum of the parts and how they combine together that gives a bike its feel and performance. Im guessing for the majority of riders it either works or is does not. Eye candy and component branding envy are probably not the best guide to bike performance and enjoyment!

 

[33red]

I have a Levo Comp and also Cube Stereo sl analogue bike. The Cube has "supposed" better components than the Levo allround except for the 4 pot Code calipers. Pike instead of Revelation etc...can I feel any difference in performance of components? No. Which bike performs better? The Levo. Are there components on the Levo that limit its performance? No. Is my Comp able to tackle trails that my mates base level Levo fails at? No. It is the sum of the parts and how they combine together that gives a bike its feel and performance. Im guessing for the majority of riders it either works or is does not. Eye candy and component branding envy are probably not the best guide to bike performance and enjoyment!

I am not the envy guy, i appreciate simplicity. Just reading many Specialized Ebikes do not last long without upgrades. I ride a HT, no dropper, 500 Wh nothing fancy just what works for what i do.

 

[miPbiP]

I am not the envy guy, i appreciate simplicity. Just reading many Specialized Ebikes do not last long without upgrades. I ride a HT, no dropper, 500 Wh nothing fancy just what works for what i do.

where do you ride?

I would, and have, given up gears and all suspension before a dropper.

 

[R120]

[QUOTE="R120, We are yet to see motors and systems that can really handle being ridden hard regularly in all conditions.
……...but referring specifically to the Levo, it is an All Mountain bike and recommended for use on category 4 territory...…….that does not include big jumps and drop offs, downhill, freeride, hucking etc. So if ridden beyond its recommended use then it is likely problems will occur.

Well that pretty much rules it out of any proper mountain biking doesn't it

I was more referring to the motor, which is used across various disciplines from hardtail commuter bikes to downhill bikes

 

[Rusty]

where do you ride?

I would, and have, given up gears and all suspension before a dropper.

First dropper was last year. Yup, I have given up gears & suspension too ;-)

 

[33red]

where do you ride?

I would, and have, given up gears and all suspension before a dropper.

I do not know but maybe the fact i am more flexible than average or my long legs let me move. At a demo i tried one, it felt good but i never miss having one.

 

[Rich-Baillon]

Its always true that those that have had issues are most likely to complete a survey and complain. I have just got my Turbo Levo and it seems excellent. Rode Yeti for the past few years, all carbon plus switch infinity, never had a problem but loads of people saying don't buy nothing but trouble etc, etc. Answer is don't tinker with it unless you know what you are doing and find a damn good dealer and then pay them to do work you are no qualified to do on your bike and you will be fine. IMHO

 

[Rebie]

I have two friends that have had blown motors in the first 5 months. They have to wait 6 weeks
for a new one. My Levo has been in the shop 6 times with electrical problems, now the battery has shit the bed.
Specialized says they can only get me a 500wh now to replace my 700wh that came with the bike. Reliability
on these bikes for a price of $8000 to $12,000 absolutely SUCKS !

 

[J200George]

Have to admit, It is tainting my buying choice.

I do keep being drawn to Levo but even if I could get a hold of a 2020 one right now I think I would decline the option to purchase (unless they confirmed the motor was the newer build with the kevlar belt).

Even then there are still a few issues, but hey I accept that NOTHING is perfect in any walk of life, no matter how much it costs. There are however some things such as the motor that have to have a normal life cycle else the bike is rendered useless and my expensive purchase starts to look unwise.

 

[Rebie]

I have had my Levo 2019 Expert in the shop 6 times. TCU switch problems, can't take any moisture whatsoever ,plug problems, and now the battery has died.
Bike has only 500 miles on it, took Specialized 3 weeks to OK a new battery and here is the total BS ! , They say the 700wh battery they can't get now and will send me a 500wh battery instead have no idea when the 700wh will come in. My pal and his dad have had to have motors on both bikes replaced in the first 5 months. Reliability for bikes that are $8000 and $12000 is horrible !

 

[miPbiP]

Had my Carbon Comp 11 months now, done over 1500km, much of it quite demanding - banging down rooty singletrack and steep pulls back out, often in mud. Once it wouldn't start due to water ingress after cleaning and inverting (I need to get the cable upgrade), and I broke the battery cover due to heavy BB strikes on a log. It's stock apart from the bars and tyres.

All good.

 

[KennyB]

I am not going to risk fate by stating how many thousand trouble free kms I have had on my 8 month old 2020 alu comp lots of it in really bad conditions over last winter in the SW and I'm guessing a lot of us feel that way.

 

[maynard]

I can rely on my Levo to be awesome every time I ride it . So much fun