Levo Gen 4 Specialized Gen 4 Levo - Official Thread

I think Specialised have missed a trick here, I love the new motor design but wish it was in the Gen 3 Frame as I think it looked better than the new one in my opinion, and why reserve the high power mode just for the S-works? They got rid of the bloated motor casing and made the downtube fatter? I understand why but was it really necessary and how many people actually remove the batteries it wasn't that hard to remove anyway? I must admit I'm pretty disappointed by the look of this bike and will maybe lean towards amflow this time? or a bike fitted with the DJI motor. I'm sure they will still sell shed loads as they have a large number of Fanboys! Big brands like Specialised can someone become arrogant like Apple and 'force' designs onto us that we either don't like or don't want, time will tell I guess. I was prepared to buy an S-works but I'm sorry to say I just dont like the look of it for the amount it costs, even if it does have wonderful technology it has to wow me and it doesn't!
 
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I was told by my dealer that we can’t fit a SWORKS engine on non-SWORKS bike as externals are differents. Je also told le that internals are a little bit different (better bearings, treatments…). Sounds strange…
 
torabora851 said:
How can making a large hole in the side of the downtube possibly increase structural integrity?
Removing material from a high-stress area like the downtube typically weakens a structure—not strengthens it. Even if Specialized reinforced the area with additional carbon or structural inserts, that’s compensating for a loss, not improving beyond a fully intact frame.

That said, the strength of the frame isn’t even my biggest issue with the new design. What I don’t get is why they went this direction at all. I don’t remember anyone complaining that the bottom-load battery was difficult to remove.

Meanwhile, you just have to look at the Rail thread to see how many people are frustrated with the side hatch approach—rattles, alignment problems. Why switch to a system that introduces new potential failure points and user complaints when the old one was simple and worked well?"
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Again listening to the design manger, the trade off of the removable battery / larger battery / SWAT Box and lowering the center of gravity is what drove the larger down tube. "Don't remember anyone complaining", everyone complained as they wanted faster / easier access to the battery. As for structural strength, they actually added material (all the complaints about the large downtube), the opening design has little impact on strength unless you ride around without the cover. Where Specialized missed out here was was not developing a modular battery design (Stacking), like a 420watt 1/2 stack and a full 840watt stack in the tube). That would have allowed for a very quick solution to drop kilos if you weren't concerned about range.
 
I've never even tried to remove the battery in the 5+yrs i've owned my Gen2 Levo.
 
Good thing the target audience for Specialed is the poser that finds themselves in a bike store, fills out their credit application and takes the bike home to sit in the garage for 5 years and not the people on Internet forums.

It’s ugly, heavy and has a wired controller why anyone would buy one who knows.

I have yet to see an actual review, all I’ve seen is a bunch Specialed employees saying how great it is, I’m skeptical.
 
Desert_Turtle said:
Now, the new Rail, there’s a bike that barely has anything new to offer!
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Err, wireless remote and no side loading battery spring immediately to mind...
 
Looks like a couple of sworks models coming (LTD, NB, and Reverb) . Alloy in base and comp.

I'm guessing LTD will be coil, Reverb will be with a reverb post and not sure what NB is.

Screenshot 2025-04-09 070758.png
 
ckkone said:
Good thing the target audience for Specialed is the poser that finds themselves in a bike store, fills out their credit application and takes the bike home to sit in the garage for 5 years and not the people on Internet forums.

It’s ugly, heavy and has a wired controller why anyone would buy one who knows.

I have yet to see an actual review, all I’ve seen is a bunch Specialed employees saying how great it is, I’m skeptical.
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We know you hate it, you dont need to cry about it 50th time:cool:

Me as a person who don't use front fender, big down tube is a pro

stiahnuť.jpeg
 
linkqwd said:
View attachment 158005
flowmountainbike weighted with extender only and it is 20.88 kg, put 36 fork and lighter tires and it probably gets around 20kg with pedals. its not possible to make it 19.6kg with 600wh battery, there is a mistake in MBR article
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I agree and I also think that this is an intentional (marketing) mistake launched by someone with a reason, all reviewers are talking about it, there is a sub 20kg version, some saying 19,9 some 19,6...most say it's with the 600, some say it's only with the extender(which it probably is), nothing is clear, the view of the bike version hanging from the scale(that isn't turned on)...

It's a psychological trick...with confusion you make people remember better as they are talking more about it, just like us now, and so unintentionaly creating free marketing for a product.

As a big percentage of population isn't tech savy and will allow myself to say, also pretty naive, this approach works pretty good.

While it's possible to create a good mid lightweight version of the bike with the 600, that is only possible with some extra $ lightweight parts.

But buying another 600Wh on top of a new bike for a kg of weight savings, not really viable imo. The only hope is, later on they offer bikes with a choice for the battery size.

Made a little comparison table just for an example what is actually possible, some parts I own and some random...could be a mistake here or there...don't kill the messenger 😂

Imo 22kg is a goldilocks zone for emtbs ✌

20250409_161659.jpg
 
DuncanDoughnuts said:
Frame option might not come with cable routing for non wireless shifters...
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I am planning on purchasing the S-Works frameset. I would prefer to use a rear cabled derailleur (Sram has re-released a non ASX version of the XX Derialleur for 2025). Im not seeing a port in the right rear swing arm to accommodate the cable/housing. Anyone else have any info on derailleur cable routing for the S-Works frames?
 
emtbeast said:
I agree and I also think that this is an intentional (marketing) mistake launched by someone with a reason, all reviewers are talking about it, there is a sub 20kg version, some saying 19,9 some 19,6...most say it's with the 600, some say it's only with the extender(which it probably is), nothing is clear, the view of the bike version hanging from the scale(that isn't turned on)...

It's a psychological trick...with confusion you make people remember better as they are talking more about it, just like us now, and so unintentionaly creating free marketing for a product.

As a big percentage of population isn't tech savy and will allow myself to say, also pretty naive, this approach works pretty good.

While it's possible to create a good mid lightweight version of the bike with the 600, that is only possible with some extra $ lightweight parts.

But buying another 600Wh on top of a new bike for a kg of weight savings, not really viable imo. The only hope is, later on they offer bikes with a choice for the battery size.

Made a little comparison table just for an example what is actually possible, some parts I own and some random...could be a mistake here or there...don't kill the messenger 😂

Imo 22kg is a goldilocks zone for emtbs ✌

View attachment 158019
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For weight weenies if you set it tubeless (-250g+-) and throw out that swat in head tube, you have already covered weight of pedals.

Obrázok WhatsApp 2025-04-09 o 16.43.46_46d1f714.jpg
 
Just checked weight of mine gen3 alloy, upgraded with fox38, fox x2 shock and cannibal tyres dh t9 (almost 3kg just tyres alone), its 25kg exactly. I dont feel it super heavy, but thats maybe because I got used to it. i guess it wont be long until they release updated levo sl for those who like to see lighter bike.
 
MonsterMX said:
For weight weenies if you set it tubeless (-250g+-) and throw out that swat in head tube, you have already covered weight of pedals.

View attachment 158020
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That's the spirit 😂👍...

don't get me wrong I would never go that lightweight on emtb, a 38 and min EXO+ front/DD rear tire on Alu rims is a must imo...it's just that I don't like when company's mislead us with bogus claims and because there is so many people saying it's heavy, just wanted to show from where and why it's so heavy, battery, fork, tires are the main offenders ✌️
 
emtbeast said:
That's the spirit 😂👍...

don't get me wrong I would never go that lightweight on emtb, a 38 and min EXO+ front/DD rear tire on Alu rims is a must imo...it's just that I don't like when company's mislead us with bogus claims and because there is so many people saying it's heavy, just wanted to show from where and why it's so heavy, battery, fork, tires are the main offenders ✌️
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I'm going to keep you on speed dial for the next time I meet a lady and need some reassurance ..

She's not Heavy, she's just easy to see ...
 
emtbeast said:
That's the spirit 😂👍...

don't get me wrong I would never go that lightweight on emtb, a 38 and min EXO+ front/DD rear tire on Alu rims is a must imo...it's just that I don't like when company's mislead us with bogus claims and because there is so many people saying it's heavy, just wanted to show from where and why it's so heavy, battery, fork, tires are the main offenders ✌️
Click to expand...
It was just point of view that you can save some weight, if someone wants to compare apples with apples, just for fun, I am curious how much weight that magnetic swat box :unsure:
 
Went to LBS to check the bike today. Looks good. There`s clever things on it and apparently rides really nice. Side loading battery is clever but I don`t know if I can ever get over how it looks from the non drive side 😀 Well thought bike, hope it sells good even that I`m more into the Gen3.
 
Peter Hill said:
I think Specialised have missed a trick here, I love the new motor design but wish it was in the Gen 3 Frame as I think it looked better than the new one in my opinion, and why reserve the high power mode just for the S-works? They got rid of the bloated motor casing and made the downtube fatter? I understand why but was it really necessary and how many people actually remove the batteries it wasn't that hard to remove anyway? I must admit I'm pretty disappointed by the look of this bike and will maybe lean towards amflow this time? or a bike fitted with the DJI motor. I'm sure they will still sell shed loads as they have a large number of Fanboys! Big brands like Specialised can someone become arrogant like Apple and 'force' designs onto us that we either don't like or don't want, time will tell I guess. I was prepared to buy an S-works but I'm sorry to say I just dont like the look of it for the amount it costs, even if it does have wonderful technology it has to wow me and it doesn't!
Click to expand...
I know exactly how you feel, I look at my AMflow and think just wow. I keep trying to see the this Gen 4 from various angles. but it just doesn’t work. I am a big Spec fan have had 7 of there E bikes Inc 5 S works and none E bikes before that but this Gen 4 bike just looks odd with the Mullet set up and the large down tube, Ok they have got the Tech right from the looks of it, but at this price point Looks are so important. Spoke to one dealer he had only had one that had gone through with an order. Time will tell if they have got this wrong.......
 
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Doomanic said:
Err, wireless remote and no side loading battery spring immediately to mind...
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The issues with Treks side loading battery were really about the mechanism that held the battery. If it didn’t rattle or come out of adjustment….or didn’t need a key, nobody would have cared. You got me on the wireless remote but that’s an accessory that specialized could probably still add. The new Rail is probably just as solid of a bike as the rest of the Rails but it’s just not that different. I’d love to try one and/or see some reviews. It just doesn’t seem like Trek put as much effort into improving it (in my opinion).
 
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