At the end of the day we all like different things. If I want the bike it would not bother me what others think. I am intrigued if this bike rides better than the other Gen4s that I have rode. I will try and get a go on one later this week.Am I still the only one that likes the looks of then gen 4
Specialized Levo R: We Rode It. Here's What You Need to Know
- Thread starter EMTB Forums Staff
- Start date
First Ride Specialized Levo R: Full Power in a Lighter, Faster Package Specialized have launched the Levo R, and we flew out to ride it.
MichiganEMTB
New Member
- Feb 11, 2026
- 2
- 5
Spesh is out of touch. That previous reply is correct. Remove the Specialized decal and it looks like a cheap Alibaba bike.
I agree, and you don't seem to be so enthusiastic about it
I'm not...As far as the electric system is concerned, I expected something else from Specialized. If they were able to offer a truly special product 10 years ago (and many other non electric bikes through out their history), they failed to do so with Levo 4 or, in this case, Levo 4 R. It might be a good eMtb but there are many alternatives out there. My subjective view on this... If a clunky bike would have little or no problem on Enduro based riding, it will struggle more on XC/Trail territory. It would really have to shine in all other areas. Is this the case?
The Turbo team would remain there. Their main purpose is to fine tune the firmware to their own needs. Guess Avinox would be just as open to this as Brose was at the time they partnered with Specialized. Then, on later versions, they could also revise the reduction ratio if that's what's missing from a perfect product.
Also, DJI is not the only one. I also liked ZF Centrix for which Specialized could have built the perfect frame. It could have been a partnership between a tier1 supplier in automotive world and a premium strong bike brand like Specialized. Or Mahle M40 (they had previous collaboration with them).
My guesstimate is that they didn't spent so much in R&D compared to other areas...
@Greg Watts Care to comment on this?
@cream, you've essentially asked me to dissect Specialized's motor strategy, so let me give you my honest analysis. As someone who's rebuilt Levo battery packs at the cell level, you already know more about what's inside these things than most of Specialized's own dealers, so I'll skip the basics.I agree, and you don't seem to be so enthusiastic about it
You're right that the Gen 4 electrical system isn't revolutionary. The Brose S Mag platform is mature, and the Specialized 3.1 iteration is really firmware polish on known hardware. It works, it's proven, but it's not breaking new ground. The problem Specialized now faces is that the competitive landscape has shifted dramatically.
DJI Avinox is the lightest, smallest, and most powerful full-power eMTB motor available, and the slim downtube aesthetics make other eMTB brands appear one generation behind visually. That's not just forum hyperbole; it's the reality Specialized is up against.
Your point about alternative motor partnerships is well taken. The Mahle M40 would have been a fascinating choice given Specialized already had a relationship with Mahle through the SL platform. ZF Centrix is another intriguing option, and you're correct that a tier-1 automotive supplier partnered with a premium bike brand could have been something special. DJI Avinox, for all its strengths, does have trade-offs: confirmed significantly more drag than any other motor, and it sits ahead of pedal input giving a motorbike feel while Bosch has better power syncing. So it's not as if Specialized had only one viable path.
The question of R&D spend is where it gets interesting. Specialized invested heavily in their Turbo team's firmware capabilities, which is genuinely strong work, but they've been iterating within the constraints of Brose's hardware rather than pushing the fundamental platform forward. The Levo R, running 150/140mm travel and targeting XC/trail territory, actually amplifies the weaknesses you're describing. A clunkier, heavier system is more forgivable in an enduro bike where gravity does a lot of the talking. In trail and XC territory, where efficiency, weight, and natural pedal feel matter enormously, the gap between Specialized's system and something like a tuned Avinox or even a well-calibrated Bosch CX Gen 5 becomes harder to ignore.
That said, I'd note there are currently over 30 verified Avinox-powered bikes in the database, ranging from the Teewing Flux at £3,999 up to the Forestal e-Siryon v2 at £12,999. The market has moved fast, and Specialized's next genuine motor platform decision is arguably the most important call they'll make this decade. Whether they develop in-house, partner with DJI, go back to Mahle, or find another supplier will define whether the Levo Gen 5 is competitive or a footnote. Given your battery engineering background, I suspect you'd agree the cells and BMS are almost the easy part now. It's the motor architecture and integration that separates the field.
I was under the impression the Specialized did initially work with Mahle on the new Levo drive system but it didn't work out and they had to back to Brose. I think the only real miss with the new Levo system is the battery format. If they had just gone with a long and slim battery they could have avoided so much of this.
But wouldn't it affect the weight balance if the batteries should be positioned in a different way?
Same here I recall hearing the same. Along with that at some point they initially wanted the DJI unit but wanted exclusivity for a period of time, this didn’t fix with DJIs plans. I heard again yesterday that they might have a DJI unit in a bike around spring 27.
How many people complained about the weight balance on the Levo 2, 3 and Kenevo? Or on the DJI bikes? I think the centre of gravity arguments against longer, thinner batteries is over blown.
The 840wh battery still extends far up towards the headtube anyway.
Sorry, is thread about how the Levo R rides, or is it another autopsy on what everybody thinks Specialized should have done to make their bikes more like an Amflow?! 
Looking back briefly then, as everybody else is, what Specialized did 10 years ago was revolutionary, but the motor and battery market has matured somewhat and they’re all bumping up against the glass ceiling of power and size limits. We’ll see evolutionary developments I’m sure, but no big step changes, ceteris paribus.
Looking back briefly then, as everybody else is, what Specialized did 10 years ago was revolutionary, but the motor and battery market has matured somewhat and they’re all bumping up against the glass ceiling of power and size limits. We’ll see evolutionary developments I’m sure, but no big step changes, ceteris paribus.
I reckon all the arguments against weight and look also is over blown and many only focus on motor power which is a fad.
Get what suits your style and let others do the same there is enough of ebike that looks and ride differently today so I can't see the problem.
If someone want to break up a long time relationship with a brand so be it.
Levo 4 owner myself who is selling up. The bike actually rides insanely good if you can get past the looks. Its funny when people say how bad it looks it does look bit dated but also we are all excepting bikes like TEEWING FLUX TURBOPOWER 1! like i think i said before. Imagine turning up at a trail head with a bike called that in 2020, No one would be like "wow cool its a powerful system!", theyd be like why would you buy something chinese? theyd probably assume its alibababa special etc.
The markers have moved and with amflow weve excepted chinese bikes and now its fine to ride a teewing backflip turbo super deluxe without judgement
.I agree specialized has dropped ball on the levo 4 visually and avinox bikes look loads better but the levo 4 is not a bad bike at all its visuals are the only let down factor for me. This new version though makes no sense, if it was the levo 4 frame id be like oh theyre trying to mix it up to get more sales, but to design a new frame and then make a chonky sl bike and use taglines like 'we've redesigned the game again' is massively ambiguous.
The markers have moved and with amflow weve excepted chinese bikes and now its fine to ride a teewing backflip turbo super deluxe without judgement
.I agree specialized has dropped ball on the levo 4 visually and avinox bikes look loads better but the levo 4 is not a bad bike at all its visuals are the only let down factor for me. This new version though makes no sense, if it was the levo 4 frame id be like oh theyre trying to mix it up to get more sales, but to design a new frame and then make a chonky sl bike and use taglines like 'we've redesigned the game again' is massively ambiguous.
shenzi105
New Member
Rob, did you ride it with the 600W batteries too, were those batteries there at the launch?
I'm sure the bike rides very good and all the haters would most likely have tons of funs on it anyway, but I'm still puzzled with Specialized strategy here.
People want the new Enduro, the new Demo, the new Kenevo....can you see a trend here ? Long travel stuff, yet they're releasing a niche short travel Trail/XC eMTB.
Specialized kind of lost it since a few years and I can't understand how is this even possible.
People want the new Enduro, the new Demo, the new Kenevo....can you see a trend here ? Long travel stuff, yet they're releasing a niche short travel Trail/XC eMTB.
Specialized kind of lost it since a few years and I can't understand how is this even possible.
Yes tried it with both 600 and 840
LolThe best bit in the video is where Rob asks who have you created this Bike for? And the Specialized rep reply is “areas that aren’t big mountains more flatter trails like you know the Dutch market” ..
Someone is definitely on the smoke with this new bike with regards to its price.
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Desert_Turtle
Active member
I get what everybody’s saying….from all points of view. I think this new bike does in fact have a place in Specialized’s line up. I’m a coach for a high school MTB team. They only ride XC and I feel like my SWorks Gen4 Levo is totally wrong for training with the kids. My bone to pick with Specialized is the prices. I realize that R&D is costly but $15-20K US$ for their top of the line bicycle? I can buy a Stark Varg for that and have a ton of cash left over! There’s gotta be a limit. I really want to buy a Levo R but I think that I’m going to pass this time around. It’s the same price or more than the regular Levo but has a lighter duty, and cheaper, spec. All I’m gonna say is Specialized does build a great, well thought out, bicycle but there are several other companies doing the same thing and charging significantly less.
shenzi105
New Member
but no "official" release date for that 600W in the US/EU yet? At least, good to see it exists.
I'm not sure the spec is cheaper if you add them all together especially the carbon wheels is pretty expensive but I totally agree regarding the price they should shave off $1000 and it could be good sales.
You are 100% correct. My error. I have updated my spreadsheet and post above. Thanks!
Are we sure the "R" really stands for Rally ?
Wouldn't "Restomod" be more appropriate ??
The Retro Levo you've always dreamed off - 2014 EMTB Component specifications, with 2026 power and prices !
Wouldn't "Restomod" be more appropriate ??
The Retro Levo you've always dreamed off - 2014 EMTB Component specifications, with 2026 power and prices !
Here we go !
22.5 kg so ballpark the same.
Following the Levo R premise of less is more and lots of people wanting the 600wh battery, this beauty has the less is more 500wh battery. Not only that, but it's even easier and quicker to remove.
Comes in an attractive colour scheme rather than Specialized BSBS © (bird sh1t bench speckle).
600wh peak power - as most levo 4 owners have pointed out for the last year, it's not about power - so that should be perfect.
It's on 27.5/27.5 - but feck, the first Kenevo was on that and rocked and anyway, now you can use all those spare tyres cluttering up your shed.
38 charge cycles on present battery ... a mere £1000 ish for a proper classic rather than a re-make.
22.5 kg so ballpark the same.
Following the Levo R premise of less is more and lots of people wanting the 600wh battery, this beauty has the less is more 500wh battery. Not only that, but it's even easier and quicker to remove.
Comes in an attractive colour scheme rather than Specialized BSBS © (bird sh1t bench speckle).
600wh peak power - as most levo 4 owners have pointed out for the last year, it's not about power - so that should be perfect.
It's on 27.5/27.5 - but feck, the first Kenevo was on that and rocked and anyway, now you can use all those spare tyres cluttering up your shed.
38 charge cycles on present battery ... a mere £1000 ish for a proper classic rather than a re-make.
Is the Levo R's motor really exactly the same as the one in the Levo 4? In reviews, you read things like, "The motor uses metal gears with a HardDrive surface treatment, which is supposed to ensure more efficient power transmission and quieter operation. The gears are now twice as large, which reduces thermal expansion and also noise." So I'm wondering if this "generally" refers to the 3.1 motor or if there have already been hardware changes to the Levo R's motor...
Full power, low weight: Specialized launches the lightweight Turbo Levo! | Ride MTB Volle Power, wenig Gewicht: Specialized bringt das leichte Turbo Levo!
Full power, low weight: Specialized launches the lightweight Turbo Levo! | Ride MTB Volle Power, wenig Gewicht: Specialized bringt das leichte Turbo Levo!
their pricing has always kept me riding something else.
Interesting. This video by the Product Manager implies it’s the same motor and battery system though.
They are likely comparing to the Spec 2.2 motor in that marketing spiel. I'm pretty sure the 3.1 motor is the same across both Levos.
The 600Wh battery is 2.65 lb lighter, so $452.83 per pound saved. Not advocating here, but is there a less expensive way to shave that much weight?
My gen 3 was 47 lbs stock, so the R doesn't impress me.
DuncanDoughnuts
Active member
It’s coming. There is a delay on a specific shox manufacturer to get a product out before it can be released.
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