Kenevo Gen1 Official 2018/2019 Kenevo thread

pgtips

Well-known member
Patreon
Jun 3, 2018
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278
Somerset
Maybe a stupid question, but can you fit 29" wheels on the Kenevo? I have an itch that I like to scratch!!!
 

khorn

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Patreon
Jul 19, 2018
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Well, go ahead and try for yourself ;) Btw, on my Levo the 29” wheels are 8-9 mm taller with 2.4 tires compared to 2.8 Butchers on my 27.5 rims.

Karsten
 

Sherman

Active member
May 9, 2018
243
457
3rd Rock
a 6Fattie and a 29" are the same outside diameter so what exactly is not going to fit?

No they are not. 27.5x2.8 is smaller than a 29er. 27.5x3 is almost there, but still a bit smaller. 27.5x3 is quite a lot bigger (volume) than 27.5x2.8, more than numbers suggest. There are variations between tires and manufacturers, but take this as a rule of thumb. I've had them all, including 26x4 :)
 
Last edited:

Grez

New Member
Oct 25, 2018
23
8
Derby
new kenevo owner and new to coil shocks. I'm trying to set the sag at 30% my rider weight is around 90kg for trails and 92kg for bike parks (extra protection) I've got the xl with a 96/548/100kg rider weight.

im thinking i should swap it out for a slightly softer spring. like a 88/502/90kg or 92/525/95kg

what's confusing me is ive worked out 30% of the 63m stroke at 18.9mm sag

ive sat on the bike moving the bump stop to the top sat down without bouncing and ive measured best i can without removing the coil and its around 19/20mm with preload screw only with just a few rotations on so the spring is not slack when its unladed.

with the spring being heavier on spec i didn't expect to see this much sag Im i doing somthing wrong?
 

Geoff

Active member
Aug 21, 2018
65
57
Australia
new kenevo owner and new to coil shocks. I'm trying to set the sag at 30% my rider weight is around 90kg for trails and 92kg for bike parks (extra protection) I've got the xl with a 96/548/100kg rider weight.

im thinking i should swap it out for a slightly softer spring. like a 88/502/90kg or 92/525/95kg

what's confusing me is ive worked out 30% of the 63m stroke at 18.9mm sag

ive sat on the bike moving the bump stop to the top sat down without bouncing and ive measured best i can without removing the coil and its around 19/20mm with preload screw only with just a few rotations on so the spring is not slack when its unladed.

with the spring being heavier on spec i didn't expect to see this much sag Im i doing somthing wrong?

Congratulations on your new Ride.

The sag measurement is not actually a percentage of the dampers stroke length. It is the amount of shock/fork travel used (measured at the shock/fork) when the bike settles with a rider on board. I hope this makes sense and clears up the confusion.

The Ohlins TTX22m manual is also a great source of information on how to set up this particular shock. If you didn't get it with your bike just hit up your preferred search engine with "Ohlins TTX22m Owners manual" and you should find the PDF for download.

I'm unsure of where you have got your spring information from as it does not appear to match any other of the Kenevo spring guides that I have seen and/or used. Below is one of the best examples of a Kenevo specific spring sizing charts that I have come across. Bear in mind that the recommended spring rates are just that - a recommendation.

The 548Lb/in spring for your riding weight should be a good starting point for you to get a feel for what you want from your rear suspension. Don't get too hung up on getting a specific sag % focus on achieving a ride characteristic that suits the terrain you are riding. Any where between 25% and 30% sag is good on a Kenevo. Increasing the preload can only do so much before it impacts the behaviour of the spring so if you find you are using a lot of preload to achieve 30% sag your spring rate probably needs to be a bit heavier. Remember the spring rate is only one part of the puzzle when tuning an Ohlins TTX damper there's also Rebound, HSC, and LSC adjustments that contribute to how the shock performs.

I ride a medium Kenevo which came with a 457Lb/in (18074-10) spring. My current fully kitted up riding weight is around 94kg. Not being able to get hold of a 548Lb/in (18074-14) Ohlins spring when I needed it, I sourced a compatible 550Lb/in Cane Creek Valt spring. I'm getting about 30% sag with the recommended preload and that is working well for me and my riding style.

Cane Creek springs only come in 50Lb increments so available spring rates are nowhere near as granular as what you can get with the Ohlins springs. Ohlins have smaller increments between spring rates thus there's scope for achieving a more precise match for a riders weight. That said, if your riding weight is as you have told us then your current 548Lb/in spring is probably the correct one. A 525Lb/in recommended for a 88kg rider is going to have greater sag which may or may not work for you but its always worth a try to get a proper comparison.

For anyone who's interested, I've included a picture of the 2.5x550 Cane Creek Valt spring installed on the Ohlins TTX fitted to my Kenevo.

tabla-kenevo-levo-768x1167.jpg



IMG_20181026_183546.jpg
 
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Grez

New Member
Oct 25, 2018
23
8
Derby
Congratulations on your new Ride.

The sag measurement is not actually a percentage of the dampers stroke length. It is the amount of shock/fork travel used (measured at the shock/fork) when the bike settles with a rider on board. I hope this makes sense and clears up the confusion.

The Ohlins TTX22m manual is also a great source of information on how to set up this particular shock. If you didn't get it with your bike just hit up your preferred search engine with "Ohlins TTX22m Owners manual" and you should find the PDF for download.

I'm unsure of where you have got your spring information from as it does not appear to match any other of the Kenevo spring guides that I have seen and/or used. Below is one of the best examples of a Kenevo specific spring sizing charts that I have come across. Bear in mind that the recommended spring rates are just that - a recommendation.

The 548Lb/in spring for your riding weight should be a good starting point for you to get a feel for what you want from your rear suspension. Don't get too hung up on getting a specific sag % focus on achieving a ride characteristic that suits the terrain you are riding. Any where between 25% and 30% sag is good on a Kenevo. Increasing the preload can only do so much before it impacts the behaviour of the spring so if you find you are using a lot of preload to achieve 30% sag your spring rate probably needs to be a bit heavier. Remember the spring rate is only one part of the puzzle when tuning an Ohlins TTX damper there's also Rebound, HSC, and LSC adjustments that contribute to how the shock performs.

I ride a medium Kenevo which came with a 457Lb/in (18074-10) spring. My current fully kitted up riding weight is around 94kg. Not being able to get hold of a 548Lb/in (18074-14) Ohlins spring when I needed it, I sourced a compatible 550Lb/in Cane Creek Valt spring. I'm getting about 30% sag with the recommended preload and that is working well for me and my riding style.

Cane Creek springs only come in 50Lb increments so available spring rates are nowhere near as granular as what you can get with the Ohlins springs. Ohlins have smaller increments between spring rates thus there's scope for achieving a more precise match for a riders weight. That said, if your riding weight is as you have told us then your current 548Lb/in spring is probably the correct one. A 525Lb/in recommended for a 88kg rider is going to have greater sag which may or may not work for you but its always worth a try to get a proper comparison.

For anyone who's interested, I've included a picture of the 2.5x550 Cane Creek Valt spring installed on the Ohlins TTX fitted to my Kenevo.

View attachment 7334


View attachment 7336

I did a test-ride on the Kenevo today and I'm stoked!!
After that test-ride the choice is now pretty easy - taking the black now with a little discount, or wait for the blue where pricing and delivery date is still unknown. Guess I will go with the black and start riding it next week ^^ Will think about it till Monday and then call the dealer...

Regarding the coil-spring - I'm 100kg so I want/need a stronger one. I took a photo of the spring in the Kenevo size L which has 502 lbs:
View attachment 3045
Interesting was, that the Kenevo in size M has a coil spring of 457 and the size XL has a spring with 548 lbs (hope I remember correctly).

Here's the table with recommended rider-weight and part numbers.
Rider-weight is rider + gear + backpack, so "ride-ready" weight.
In that case, the 571 lbs spring is the choice for me:

View attachment 3046

Thanks for the info, its interesting as i came across this earlier in this thread regarding spring rates. so which is correct i wonder. I think im going to leave the spring on that it came with and go out and try it on there trails and see how it performs as i have only rode it up the street so far.
 

Studo

New Member
Aug 25, 2018
42
27
Bristol
Just to clarify the process for measuring sag...its the compressed stroke measurement whilst sitting on the bike divided by the totak stroke length ie 19mm/63mm = 0.30 ie 30% so spot on...or am i missing someting?
 

Dax

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 25, 2018
1,461
1,834
FoD
Thanks for the info, its interesting as i came across this earlier in this thread regarding spring rates. so which is correct i wonder. I think im going to leave the spring on that it came with and go out and try it on there trails and see how it performs as i have only rode it up the street so far.

Don't over think it. Sag is very much about you and the trails you ride. 25-30% is a guideline. Ride it, if it's too stiff, fit a softer spring. If you need lots of turns of preload or it feels too soft, fit a stiffer one.
 

Kiwi in Wales

Short cranks rule!🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
Patreon
Founding Member
Jan 24, 2018
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Carmarthen, Wales
Don't over think it. Sag is very much about you and the trails you ride. 25-30% is a guideline. Ride it, if it's too stiff, fit a softer spring. If you need lots of turns of preload or it feels too soft, fit a stiffer one.
That’s what all the girls say to me ☹️
 

travo

Member
Nov 2, 2018
15
6
bracknell
Hi all,
I'm set on getting myself a kenevo expert and have the usual sizing questions.
I'm 5'10 and a bit so fall between medium and large, I've had a very short go on both sizes and still haven't been able to make up my mind. the medium felt good reach wise when standing but maybe a little short when seated (could just be a case of sliding back the saddle, I took no notice of where it was positioned)

The large felt ok but I fear the standover height maybe the issue, I'm guessing a different post would go some way to remedy this.

I've always preferred smaller bikes and currently ride a medium 2017 giant reign which fits really well (apart from a slightly low stack height) and I prefer shorter wheelbase bikes.

Any advice from similar sized Kenevo owners would be greatly appreciated.
 

Mcharza

E*POWAH BOSS
Aug 10, 2018
2,509
4,785
Helsinki, Finland
Hi all,
I'm set on getting myself a kenevo expert and have the usual sizing questions.
I'm 5'10 and a bit so fall between medium and large, I've had a very short go on both sizes and still haven't been able to make up my mind. the medium felt good reach wise when standing but maybe a little short when seated (could just be a case of sliding back the saddle, I took no notice of where it was positioned)

The large felt ok but I fear the standover height maybe the issue, I'm guessing a different post would go some way to remedy this.

I've always preferred smaller bikes and currently ride a medium 2017 giant reign which fits really well (apart from a slightly low stack height) and I prefer shorter wheelbase bikes.

Any advice from similar sized Kenevo owners would be greatly appreciated.
I'm 176 cm, is it 5,8 or 5,7 and have Medium, absolutely go to Large
 

lcdavies5

Member
Nov 1, 2018
18
12
South Wales
Hi all,
I'm set on getting myself a kenevo expert and have the usual sizing questions.
I'm 5'10 and a bit so fall between medium and large, I've had a very short go on both sizes and still haven't been able to make up my mind. the medium felt good reach wise when standing but maybe a little short when seated (could just be a case of sliding back the saddle, I took no notice of where it was positioned)

The large felt ok but I fear the standover height maybe the issue, I'm guessing a different post would go some way to remedy this.

I've always preferred smaller bikes and currently ride a medium 2017 giant reign which fits really well (apart from a slightly low stack height) and I prefer shorter wheelbase bikes.

Any advice from similar sized Kenevo owners would be greatly appreciated.
Pretty much identical situation to my own. Same height and I also own a Giant Reign in a medium. I drove to Cardiff to try the large then straight to Swansea to try a medium and felt the medium was more akin to my Giant. I went for the medium Kenevo which I'm very pleased with after using it twice so far! I don't think I would have been as comfortable on the large with less room to move about (I ride a lot of steep / technical / tight trails). I was sceptical though as I had watched videos suggesting people often choose bikes too small for them and the guy in the shop who was shorter than I am told me people his size ride larges, so I understand your concern. Difficult decision when there's not much opportunity to hit the trails on each before buying but I'm having no regrets with my choice. I did look up the dimensions and the reach on the Giant was longer which worried me a little. Anyway, before my bike was able to be collected I convinced myself that I'd be able to adapt to whichever one I chose. It's up to you really but you might be helped to know that I made the right decision on the size but the only thing for me is I may need a higher spring rate on my rear coil (which comes with the bigger bikes or ordered separately) being around 83kg bollocky buff. Hope this helps.

EDIT: Mcharza above would definitely reccommend a large. Just goes to show it's each to their own!
 

travo

Member
Nov 2, 2018
15
6
bracknell
Thanks for the replys, I've always preferred smaller bikes so am heading in the medium direction (I think) I have the same concern as you, Icdavie with the reach being shorter, although I have had shorter reach bikes in the past. I'm not 100% sold on this longer is better thing.

The spring weight is a good shout, Anyone got any idea of a relativity cheap ohlins substitute spring?

Just got to get the Reign sold to help fund it now....
 

lcdavies5

Member
Nov 1, 2018
18
12
South Wales
Thanks for the replys, I've always preferred smaller bikes so am heading in the medium direction (I think) I have the same concern as you, Icdavie with the reach being shorter, although I have had shorter reach bikes in the past. I'm not 100% sold on this longer is better thing.

The spring weight is a good shout, Anyone got any idea of a relativity cheap ohlins substitute spring?

Just got to get the Reign sold to help fund it now....
I will just say that, as far as I know, the large may actually be better suited to me. I'll probably never know this as I won't have the opportunity to get used to one. But happy where I'm at!

With the shock, I have achieved the baseline 30% sag but have quite a lot of pre-load. It feels OK to me so may be borderline on the spring as well as the size Ha!

My Reign is a 2016 so decided to keep it. I think I'll get more use out of it than it's worth now.
 

R120

Moderator
Subscriber
Apr 13, 2018
7,819
9,185
Surrey
Bare in mind on an EMTB you quite often position the saddle further forward, especially on longer travel bikes, to help keep the front end down when climbing steep stuff. The Kenevo is not a particularly long bike by 2018 standards either.

I would get a large, and bin the stock dropper post as it really doesn't drop that far, as if you are on the cusp between the two sizes i can imagine that being the only issue
 

Dax

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 25, 2018
1,461
1,834
FoD
Sizing is tricky, we talked about it a lot earlier in this thread iirc. A big factor is length of torso vs length of legs.

Fwiw, I'm 6'3 and ride a large and am very happy with it. Iirc Rob is about the same height, maybe a touch shorter, and rides a XL.
 

Mcharza

E*POWAH BOSS
Aug 10, 2018
2,509
4,785
Helsinki, Finland
Thanks for the replys, I've always preferred smaller bikes so am heading in the medium direction (I think) I have the same concern as you, Icdavie with the reach being shorter, although I have had shorter reach bikes in the past. I'm not 100% sold on this longer is better thing.

The spring weight is a good shout, Anyone got any idea of a relativity cheap ohlins substitute spring?

Just got to get the Reign sold to help fund it now....
At the german site, they told that this can be use Cane Creek Stahlfeder für Double Barrel 200 mm
 

TPP

New Member
Oct 1, 2018
52
24
Leeds
Just had my first ride on my new Kenevo Expert. I was very pleased, especially impressed with the motor. I did 19km with 980m climbing using 64% of the battery. I'm a pretty big guy, 6'6" and 17 stone, so range will always be a bit of an issue for me. Has anyone who has changed their tyres to 2.5/2.6s found that it made a noticeable difference to the range?
Also I need to get a stiffer spring, as with the one fitted (548 lb/in) my sag is about 50% I've spoken with Ohlins and they have recommended a 112N/mm / 640lb/in from the Specialized Enduro range. Does anyone know of anyone else who who make a spring of roughly that rate that would fit on the kenevo?
 

profgruen

Member
Aug 19, 2018
58
18
Austria
Dear all

I've a serious question concerning my Kenevo Expert which came with the 504 Wh battery. After
17 times charging and appx 640 km (not miles!) I had 100% battery health but from the 18. charging and now having 681 km, battery health dropped down to 95%. Got the bike from shop in August. Battery was charged and stored in the house only at suitable temperature.

As the Spec App shows that Battery can charge appx 680x I do not understand that battery health starts dropping after 18 charging times (linear calculated it should drop after appx 34 charging times. As we have 6 months guarantee time here in Austria I kindly ask for feedback, your experiences and advice how to go on.

Thank you

ProfGruen
 

Mcharza

E*POWAH BOSS
Aug 10, 2018
2,509
4,785
Helsinki, Finland
Dear all

I've a serious question concerning my Kenevo Expert which came with the 504 Wh battery. After
17 times charging and appx 640 km (not miles!) I had 100% battery health but from the 18. charging and now having 681 km, battery health dropped down to 95%. Got the bike from shop in August. Battery was charged and stored in the house only at suitable temperature.

As the Spec App shows that Battery can charge appx 680x I do not understand that battery health starts dropping after 18 charging times (linear calculated it should drop after appx 34 charging times. As we have 6 months guarantee time here in Austria I kindly ask for feedback, your experiences and advice how to go on.

Thank you

ProfGruen
I though the guarantee of the battery is international, 2 years or 1000 cycles
 

profgruen

Member
Aug 19, 2018
58
18
Austria
I just read this similar in an European forum. (2 years guarantee or min 75% after 300x charging.

I'll ask my shop for that but that is really very soothing as these batteries are very expensive.

Thank you Mcharza for your quick response.

regards

Wolfgang
 

Grez

New Member
Oct 25, 2018
23
8
Derby
Dented my rim first outing on the commute to work I rode up a small kerb at speed. Testing out the plushness! ? I’ve not even ridden it on the trails yet I’m Gutted. what’s my options if I press the sidewall of the tire it leaks air. What’s my options, tempted to have a go with some soft jaws and a soft drift to remove it. Whats my options after some adivse.
1F0A7DC5-2CAE-4024-9D4D-3E0D932CE534.jpeg
 

lcdavies5

Member
Nov 1, 2018
18
12
South Wales
Dented my rim first outing on the commute to work I rode up a small kerb at speed. Testing out the plushness! ? I’ve not even ridden it on the trails yet I’m Gutted. what’s my options if I press the sidewall of the tire it leaks air. What’s my options, tempted to have a go with some soft jaws and a soft drift to remove it. Whats my options after some adivse.
View attachment 7539
I've previously used an adjustable spanner to to bend back a dented rim on another bike. There's a few tutorial videos on YouTube I'd advise watching if you go down that road. I know the rims can crack if not done properly.
 

JonasH

Active member
Founding Member
Jan 23, 2018
169
104
Norway
What are folks running for wheels if you have moved on from stock on this bike? I have found that these Traverse 38 are fairly heavy and soft. Plus, I am not sure how they would run with smaller tires such as 2.5-2.6. My guess is fairly squared off tread?

I am currently looking at the Santa Cruz Reserve 37 - pricey, but no-questions-asked warranty plus claims to work well with 2.5-2.8. Thoughts?

Both the rims and the quality of the hubs on the original Kenevo, Roval are crap! Changed bearings twice in the rear wheel, once in front, and now the bearings in the boss are f.... used it for 5 months and 420km. And of course many, many rimdings. I just orderd a ebike specific wheelset, DT Swiss H1700, and are really looking forward to try it and see how that is going. If you can afford the Reserve, go for it! And please keep me posted for uptdates on how it's handeling the abuse :) BTW I'll be installing CushCore. Are currently running 2 huck norris in the back wheel with 23psi (i'm 73kg)
 

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