Kenevo SL Next Gen Kenevo / Kenevo SL

PeterHenric said:
@mustclime so when you say, the shock will not survive, does that depend on the type of riding that is being done? Is it only if I’m doing larger stuff or is it just a matter of time regardless of the nature of the riding?
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Bikes that use shock yokes put a lot of leverage on the shock shaft. The shock yoke is just an extension of the shaft. When you bottom out the suspension, the yoke acts like a lever arm trying to snap off the end of the shock shaft. Alloy shock shafts like on the dhx2 and super deluxe are a real issue. I really like this guys videos, he is a bit of a nut but he has a lot of info on the Kenevo, lots of shock tests, of course he does a lot of hucks to flat…

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The ttx22 did 2 years on my ff kenevo between a service. It needed a new steel shaft due to scoring because of the side loads. They were very fine and i wouldn't have noticed them without the shop pointing them out. Was a cheap part though.
Currently running an e-storia which i prefer.

Regarding a new kenevo, ive given up on specialized releasing a replacement. I'll by buying a velduro rogue next year to replace mine.
Mind if they did and it used the fat gen4 levo side loading battery, then i wouldn't want one anyway.
 
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cozzy said:
The ttx22 did 2 years on my ff kenevo between a service. It needed a new steel shaft due to scoring because of the side loads. They were very fine and i wouldn't have noticed them without the shop pointing them out. Was a cheap part though.
Currently running an e-storia which i prefer.

Regarding the kenevo, ive given up on specialized releasing a replacement. I'll by buying a velduro rogue next year to replace mine.
Mind if they did and it used the fat gen4 levo battery, then i wouldn't want one anyway.
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If Specialized ever releases a new Kenevo, I will look hard at it but for now I’m going to a 180 front 170 rear and that should do 95% of what I need it to do
 
I have been thinking about getting a base alloy Levo 4. Add a 180mm fork, a cascade long shock kit and a 230x65 shock. The chain stays are a little short but it’s a good option.
 
mustclime said:
I have been thinking about getting a base alloy Levo 4. Add a 180mm fork, a cascade long shock kit and a 230x65 shock. The chain stays are a little short but it’s a good option.
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That’s what I did so I’ll follow up with my feelings. I’ve actually loved the feeling of this bike so I’m hoping it doesn’t screw it up.
 
This is personal opinion based on experience and I have very little knowledge about the mountain bike market. But the Kenevo was the downhill version of the levo on its conception if I'm correct, to me that would lean to more extreme riders looking for more solid bikes with the ability to push up all day long. So even releasing a SL version was just counter intuitive in my opinion. They should have gone the other way and put as much power and battery life as legally possible, had a double crown and fully committed to delivering the bike riders are looking for.
 
The King Of Broken Things said:
This is personal opinion based on experience and I have very little knowledge about the mountain bike market. But the Kenevo was the downhill version of the levo on its conception if I'm correct, to me that would lean to more extreme riders looking for more solid bikes with the ability to push up all day long. So even releasing a SL version was just counter intuitive in my opinion. They should have gone the other way and put as much power and battery life as legally possible, had a double crown and fully committed to delivering the bike riders are looking for.
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The gen 2 full power Kenevo existed alongside the SL version. Specialized tried to cater to both types of rider. The full power motors and batteries of the time were also not compact enough to fit within the SL frame. They wanted to retain as much of the Enduro frame design as possible.
 
The King Of Broken Things said:
This is personal opinion based on experience and I have very little knowledge about the mountain bike market. But the Kenevo was the downhill version of the levo on its conception if I'm correct, to me that would lean to more extreme riders looking for more solid bikes with the ability to push up all day long. So even releasing a SL version was just counter intuitive in my opinion. They should have gone the other way and put as much power and battery life as legally possible, had a double crown and fully committed to delivering the bike riders are looking for.
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KSL works really well. Much more engaging to ride than a full fat Kenevo and still easy to do big days on it if you’re even slightly fit.
 
Dax said:
KSL works really well. Much more engaging to ride than a full fat Kenevo and still easy to do big days on it if you’re even slightly fit.
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Yea but if you like tech climbs they kinda suck. I ride my Kenevo as a mullet for the roll over. My general rule is buy a bike that fits the trails you ride. I live some place where the ice age dumped all its rocks after the ice melted. So every trail is just riding on rubble. The 180mm travel is a big help.
 
mustclime said:
View attachment 168961View attachment 168962


Well as someone that has been on a bunch of shocks, I think I can speak from some experiences. The only shock company with an alloy shock shaft that supports 230mm long shocks on yoke suspension is EXT. I have run a fox float x, a Rockshox super deluxe select air , fox dhx, suntour voro and an Ohlins ttx1 air shocks on my 2023 Kenevo. The stock rockshox was crap, the dhx has a great peddle platform but it is NOT PLUSH. The float x is much better than than the rockshox but not as good as the steel spring dhx. The Ohlins ttx1 is the more progressive version of their air shocks, the Kenevo needs this as its suspension only has progressive rate of around 21%. The suntour voro with a progressive spring is the best shock I have put on the Kenevo so far. The voro has a 14mm steel shaft and built like a dirt bike shock.

As for fox rear shocks ,the dhx2 will not survive on a long yoke bike. Also remember the old dhx2 and dhx 2 float were twin tube shocks, fox couldn’t keep them from blowing seals. The new dhx2 and dhx2 float are single tube shocks like just like the float x and dhx. The “2” was originally for the twin tube design, now it just means more adjustment knobs and they do less as single tube shocks have less of an adjustable range. IMO fox makes some nice forks but their rear shocks are kinda junk. The Ohlins ttx1 air is way better than the float x and dhx, it’s just not as plush and well damped as the progressive string voro.
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Suspension is a personal thing. Same in moto. You can have one guy rave about a set of suspension, and the next guy thinks it sucks. I've run high end moto suspension valved by industry veterans that do the suspension for every top pro in motocross. I had new set of high end, highly expensive Showa suspension valved for me and I couldn't ride a lap around a track, yet the cheap suspension tuner down the street delivered bliss. Here's the thing, all suspension operates with the same set of principles, but who valves them will dictate the level of enjoyment you will experience - regardless of brand. Sometimes, or often, the OEM stuff works well enough for the masses.

You may not fall into the masses category, but I hear this argument often in the moto world - "KYB is better than Showa" or vise-versa. The reality is they work the same way - oil, pressure, spring rates, and valving. You do highlight some of the design variations, but in the end, it ALWAYS comes down to oil, pressure, spring rates (if you are using a spring) and valving, and clicker settings of course. When I tune my suspenion, it's not uncommon for me to find an acceptable range of comfort within 1-2 clickers. Outside of this window and it may not work correctly or feel like shi*t. Add in sag settings, etc and it's not uncommon to see riders who don't touch a clicker and form strong opinions. Does this mean the brand of suspension is good or bad?....No.

Simply swapping suspension endlessly with whatever valving and settings that come with it isn't a real evaluation.

In the end, VALVING can make a set of suspension magical or marginal. It's really that simple.
 
i heard that a “Levo R” will be coming out to compete with amflow. Anyone else hear of any new upcoming emtb models from specialized?
 
Kenevo was ahead of its time. KSL is cool but grossly underpowered. I really wanted the Levo 4 to be the KSL suspension and frame design with the new motor, would have absolutely destroyed on the trails but no dice.
 
New Vado SL has been just announced. It uses SL 1.2 motor which we know from LSL2 and KSL2 but a new battery - 520wh. It would be interesting to see a new KSL with such a battery and slightly upgraded motor. I would be 100% in.
 
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Cameyo said:
New Vado SL has been just announced. It uses SL 1.2 motor which we know from LSL2 and KSL2 but a new battery - 520wh. It would be interesting to see a new KSL with such a battery and slightly upgraded motor. I would be 100% in.
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Wonder if the battery will fit in a KSL..
 
Cameyo said:
i don't think so: "The oversized square-profile down tube houses the large battery"

www.bikeradar.com

Specialized Vado SL 2 4.0 review: it goes further than ever, but it's heavier than ever too | BikeRadar

The new Vado SL brings some significant changes from the previous iteration. Most significant of these is a new motor, Specialized’s in-house 1.2 unit, increasing torque from 35Nm to 50Nm.
www.bikeradar.com www.bikeradar.com
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Cons: on-bike charging only.
This is so true because fires involving cheap Chinese electric bikes have led to charging bans in bike garages/storages.
 
Cameyo said:
New Vado SL has been just announced. It uses SL 1.2 motor which we know from LSL2 and KSL2 but a new battery - 520wh. It would be interesting to see a new KSL with such a battery and slightly upgraded motor. I would be 100% in.
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„new“

we sell those for about a year already…
 
no idea, doesn't fit in the kenevo sl so didn't bother to find out. the vado sl2 4.0 we sell are about 2kg more than the old ones
 
Buy a new gen4 Levo and get a SL free problem solved mind you I don’t think there selling many gen 4
 
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