Name: Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo FSR 6Fattie Review
Item: Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo FSR 6Fattie
Author: Court Rye

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Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo FSR 6Fattie Review

Specialized S Works Turbo Levo Fsr 6fattie Electric Bike Review 1

Specialized S Works Turbo Levo Fsr 6fattie

Specialized S Works Turbo Levo Fsr 6fattie Motor Protector Guard

Specialized S Works Turbo Levo Fsr 6fattie Battery Control Pad

Specialized S Works Turbo Levo Fsr 6fattie Bar Grips Cockpit

Specialized S Works Turbo Levo Fsr 6fattie Body Geometry Saddle

Specialized S Works Turbo Levo Fsr 6fattie Electric Bike

Specialized S Works Turbo Levo Fsr 6fattie Brose Mid Drive Motor

Specialized S Works Turbo Levo Fsr 6fattie Fox Float Autosag

Specialized S Works Turbo Levo Fsr 6fattie Magnetic Charging Port

Specialized S Works Turbo Levo Fsr 6fattie Rockshox Pike Suspension Fork

Specialized S Works Turbo Levo Fsr 6fattie Sram Guide Rs Carbon Brakes

Specialized S Works Turbo Levo Fsr 6fattie Sram Xx1 11 Speed

Specialized S Works Turbo Levo Fsr 6fattie Sizing Chart

The highest level full suspension e-mountain bike from Specialized, purpose built frame incorporates battery and motor seamlessly
Premium suspension from RockShox Pike RCT3 and Fox Float with Autosag, 11 speed SRAM XX1 drivetrain, Command Post seat post dropper and oversized SRAM Guide RS Carbon hydraulic disc brakes front and rear
Extremely expensive, limited control interface (but you can use a mobile device via Bluetooth and ANT+ for more options), no shift sensing can lead to loud destructive gear changes when the motor is engaged

Make:

Specialized

Model:

S-Works Turbo Levo FSR 6Fattie

Price:

$9,000 USD

Body Position:

Forward

Suggested Use:

Trail, Mountain

Electric Bike Class:

Pedal Assist (Class 1)

Learn more about Ebike classes

Warranty:

2 Year Battery and Motor, Lifetime Frame and Fork

Availability:

United States, Europe

Model Year:

2016

Total Weight:

48.5 lbs (21.99 kg)

Battery Weight:

8 lbs (3.62 kg)

Frame Material:

Specialized M5 Aluminum Alloy, Forged and Braced Motor Mount

Frame Sizes:

15.5in(39.37cm) in (39.37 cm)17.5in(44.45cm) in (44.45 cm)19in(48.26cm) in (48.26 cm)21.5 in (54.61 cm)

Frame Types:

High-Step

Frame Colors:

Metallic Gloss Gray with Blue Accents

Frame Fork Details:

RockShox Pike RCT3, 140 mm Travel, Tapered Aluminum Steerer, 15 mm x 110 mm Maxle Ultimate Thru-Axle

Frame Rear Details:

Custom FOX FLOAT Factory DPS, AUTOSAG, Rx Trail Tune, Boost Valve, Kashima coating, 197 mm x 47.6 mm

Gearing Details:

11 Speed 1x11 SRAM XX1, 10-42 Tooth

Shifter Details:

SRAM XX1 Triggers on Right

Cranks:

Custom Praxis, Steel, 32T Ring, 104 BCD spider

Pedals:

Aluminum Alloy Platform with Adjustable Set Screws

Headset:

Hella Flush, 1-1/ 8" and 1-1/ 2" Threadless, Campy Style Upper with 1-1/ 2" Lower, Cartridge Bearings

Stem:

Syntace F109, 6-Degree Rise

Handlebar:

Specialized FACT Carbon, 8-Degree Backsweep, 6-Degree Upsweep, 10 mm Rise, 750 mm, 31.8 mm Diameter

Brake Details:

SRAM Guide RS Carbon Hydraulic Disc, Metallic Pads, 200 mm Front Rotor, 180 mm Rear Rotor, Centerline Rotors, SRAM Guide RS Carbon, Carbon Lever, Reach Adjust, Cartridge Bearing Lever Pivot

Grips:

Specialized Sip Grip, Light Lock-On, Half-Waffle, S/M: Regular Thickness, L/XL: XL Thickness

Saddle:

Body Geometry Henge Expert, Hollow Ti Rails, 143 mm

Seat Post:

Command Post IRcc, Cruiser Control Technology, Micro-Adjust Height Adjustable, Alien Head Design, Bottom Mount Cable Routing, Remote Adjust SRL Lever, Small: 100 mm Travel, M/L/XL: 125 mm Travel

Seat Post Diameter:

30.9 mm

Rims:

Roval Traverse SL 38 650b, Carbon Disc, 38 mm Wide, 24/28 Hole

Spokes:

DT Swiss Revolution

Tire Brand:

Specialized 6Fattie Purgatory Control Front, Specialized 6Fattie Ground Control Rear, 27.5" x 3"

Wheel Sizes:

27.5 in (69.85cm)

Tire Details:

60TPI, 2Bliss Ready, Folding Bead

Tube Details:

Presta Valve

Accessories:

4 Amp Charger (Weighs ~4.5 lbs), Optional 1.6 Amp Charger (Weighs ~1.3 lbs), Replacement Battery Pack $800

Other:

Locking Removable Battery Pack, 148 mm Spacing, Full Sealed Cartridge Bearing FSR, 135 mm Travel, SRAM PC-XX1 Chain with PowerLink, Roval Traverse Front Hub, Roval Traverse SL 148 DT Swiss Star Ratchet 54T Engagement SRAM XX1 Driver Body Rear Hub, Custom Specialized 42V 4A Charger with Rosenberger Plug (Magnetic EnergyBus Standard), Battery Stops with 4% at Top and Bottom to Avoid Straining Cells

Motor Brand:

Brose, Trail Tune

Motor Type:

Mid-Mounted Geared Motor

Learn more about Ebike motors

Motor Nominal Output:

250 watts

Motor Peak Output:

530 watts

Motor Torque:

90 Newton meters

Battery Brand:

Samsung

Battery Voltage:

36 volts

Battery Amp Hours:

14 ah

Battery Watt Hours:

504 wh

Battery Chemistry:

Lithium-ion

Charge Time:

3.5 hours (7 Hours with Optional Travel Charger)

Estimated Min Range:

25 miles (40 km)

Estimated Max Range:

55 miles (89 km)

Display Type:

Integrated 10 LED on Downtube

Readouts:

Battery Level, Assist Level (1-3)

Display Accessories:

Integrated Button Pad on Downtube, Mission Control App (Bluetooth) iOS and Android, ANT+ Wireless

Drive Mode:

Advanced Pedal Assist (Cadence and Torque Sensing)

Top Speed:

20 mph (32 kph)

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Make or Model

Model Year

Body Position

Suggested Use

Frame Type

Drive Mode

Availability

Price Range

$0 (0 €)$18,000 (16,920 €)

Total Weight

0 lbs (0 kg)227 lbs (103 kg)

Top Speed

0 mph (0.0 km/hr)50 mph (80.5 km/hr)

Battery Watt Hrs

0 watt3,456 watt

Frame Size

0 in (0.00 cm)432 in (1,097.28 cm)

Motor Power

0 Newton meters250 Nm

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This review was for a pre-production Specialized Turbo Levo. I was told by reps at the company that it was an S-Works level but that does not appear to be the case. I am leaving it here for historical purposes but a more accurate and updated review of the Specialized Turbo LEVO FSR Expert 6Fattie can be found here, sorry for the confusion and inconvenience :)

The Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo FSR 6Fattie offers a level of performance that I honestly cannot appreciate as a recreational rider. From Autosag self-adjust rear suspension pressure to SRAM Guide hydraulic disc brakes with integrated heat sink fins and Roval Traverse carbon rims this thing is truly loaded… And of course, you should probably be loaded too if you want to buy one. While Specialized is offering two lower-level FSR (full suspension electric) models for 2016 that bring the price down a bit, the S-Works build shown here is ~$9k. For those who might be shocked, keep in mind that many other non-electric bikes from Specialized are also priced in this range.

I enjoyed testing this full suspension trail oriented e-mountain bike and admittedly only had a short time to do so. One of the highlights is how clean the frame looks, the motor is so well integrated into the bottom bracket that it almost disappears. The battery is also really well positioned fitting up into the downtube vs. mounting on top of it like many competing designs. It felt sturdy with the large locking pin and is rated for water, dirt and mud exposure. I love that you’re given a wide range of gears here and the SRAM XX1 component group is top of the line but I did not love the jerky shifting under power… A common experience for me was: start from rest in a low gear, quickly accelerate with the help of the motor and begin shifting up then “crunch, crunch, crunch”. The bike relies on a combination of speed and torque sensors for fluid output but it does not take into account gear changing.

It’s difficult to overlook this mashing tendency because many other premium electric mountain bikes (all of the Bosch Powered Haibikes and Impulse Powered Focus bikes) offer shift sensing technology that significantly reduces or completely eliminate this kind of experience. With a little practice you can adapt your ride style to suite the powered drivetrain and of course, it offers excellent torque and efficiency by leveraging your cassette, but the mashing still crops up occasionally. I heard it again and again as demo riders mounted the bike and headed out for a demo lap (and these were bicycle shop owners who presumably know how to shift correctly). Since the motor kicks in based on your pedaling torque, you can back off a bit prior to shifting but there’s a slight delay in motor operation and this leads to longer gaps in pedaling when you want to shift smoothly under power.

One option I’ve explored on other mid-drives to reduce this sort of experience is on the fly power adjustment (the less power, the less mashing). Unfortunately, on the Turbo Levo the control pad for adjusting power directly is not within reach of the grips, which keeps the cockpit clean, but this means you’re basically limited to one level for an entire stretch of ride. While I was not able to test the Bluetooth enabled Mission Control App, it does not sound like this feature offers power control over motor output either (and of course you’ll need to mount your smart phone to the handlebars or use a carrying strap or pouch and this might make it inconvenient to reach and use on the fly as well). My preference would be that the system protect itself and recognize the ~90 Newton meters of force being delivered by the motor as both a strength for climbing but a liability for the chain, sprockets and derailleur.

Overall, the Turbo Levo seems like a premium mountain bike with electric assist added on instead of fully integrated optimized. The way it’s mounted to the frame is beautiful and it feels sturdy but I cannot deny the possibility for operational improvement. I trust Specialized as a company because they’ve been around since 1974 and offer an amazing warranty with a full (and ever expanding) line of bikes. They know their stuff and custom engineer everything from frames to saddles and grips, lights and helmets. The original Turbo is well done and enduring and gets refined with each passing year.

I enjoyed the 27.5″ x 3″ tires which cushion the ride and improve traction, suspension was great and the overall weight of the bike was decent. There’s something awesome about “just riding” and not having to use any extra buttons or displays and I think they could maintain this simplicity by improving how systems respond to the rider. I especially liked the integrated bottle cage mount on the downtube… it screams quality and thoughtfulness just like the suspension seat post with dropper adjust, internally routed cables and Autosag suspension adjust. Maybe if they brought a very minimalist power level button pad up to the handlebars (allowing the rider to go from no assist through 1, 2 and 3) it would improve how people interact with the bike without adding too much clutter. I enjoyed riding the S-Works Levo in unpowered mode as much as any other high end traditional mountain bike and it almost looks like one with the slim battery and motor profile. Powered operation produces a bit of whirring (especially at high RPM) but otherwise the bike is quit, stiff and stable. The model I tested for this review was brought over from Europe and reprogrammed from the ~15.5 mph limit to 20 mph but I’m told it’s very close to the final production build. I’d love to hear from people who have tried the bike internationally and am excited to see how the drive systems are refined in future iterations.

Pros:

Completely purpose built, designed with battery and motor weight in mind, one of the sleekest and drive system implementations I’ve seen on any ebike to date
Proprietary M5 Aluminum alloy is sturdy and light, sloped top tube lowers standover height, motor and battery weight are low and center for excellent balance
Battery is bolted into the downtube for improved strength and reduced rattling, it’s still removable for off-bike charging and reduced overall weight during transport
The battery casing was designed to be very rugged and well sealed against dirt and water, it’s rated at IP 67 (this international protection marking standard aims to provide users more detailed information than vague marketing terms such as waterproof)
Premium components including carbon Roval Traverse SL 38 650b wheels, a 140 mm RockShox Pike RCT3 fork, SRAM Guide RS Carbon brakes, and a SRAM XX1 groupset for shift and drivetrain functions
Unique “6Fattie” 650b wheelset with 3″ diameter tires offers increased traction, reduced deflection (flex in the fork) and improved rolling momentum, floatation and gap spanning
Fully enclosed cable routing, everything from shift wires, brake cables, electrical and the seat post dropper wires are hidden and protected from snags
Autosag feature on the Fox Float rear suspension makes setup easy… pump it up with air then sit on the bike and let the pressure equalize using Autosag
While many electric bikes forgo bottle cage bosses (and nearly every full suspension ebike) this one offers them! Specialized managed to work in bottle cage bosses right where you’d expect them on the downtube
Ergonomic grips and active saddle by Body Geometry from Specialized help to reduce hand and butt fatigue over long distances and higher speeds
Quick release on the front wheels makes tuneups, trail flats and transport super fast and easy, thru-axle systems keep discs aligned and wheels stiff
Optional quick charger is slim, light weight at ~1.3 lbs and costs $120, it could be useful for commuters

Cons:

The motor produces a noticeable whining noise that increases with RPM and lacks shift sensing which means you can really mash your gears when shifting up (straining the chain, sprockets and derailleur)
Extremely expensive… one of the highest priced electric bikes I’ve ever tested, thankfully there are two other FSR LEVO models from Specialized that are more affordable if you’re willing to take cheaper components
Considering that this is the top of the line full suspension model from Specialized I was surprised that it wasn’t lighter weight, some other full suspension electric bikes I’ve tested are lighter and cost less
Limited top speed of 20 mph, no throttle mode, no display on the handlebars or control pad for changing assist levels easily… you have to reach down to the left part of the downtube and arrow up or down
The included battery charger is very fast but also large and heavy which makes it much more difficult to take along in your pack to charge at work etc. however, there is a small light weight travel charger available for ~$120

Resources:

Official Site: http://www.specialized.com/
Official Specs: specialized-turbo-levo-specs.pdf
More Pictures: https://goo.gl/photos/pYRf65rZLyAddV74A

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Dan

9 years ago

Court,

I believe you have mis-classified this bike as a Speed pedelec. The max speed is stated as 20mph.

Court Rye

Hmm, thanks Dan! I think you’re correct (or maybe I got misinformation early on). I’ll update this right away :D

Chris

I’m curious about the S-Works title of the bike. I see the very “S-Works” price you mentioned ($9k) and I noticed you mentioned the lower priced FSR options, however, I didn’t notice any S-Works branding on the bike. The reason I even looked for the branding was because I can’t find the S-Works version on Specialized’s website. I saw the lower priced versions you mentioned (at around $5.5k). Do you know if this particular version of the bike has not yet been released? (I apologize in advance if this was covered in the review and I missed it.)

Hi Chris, honestly… this was a very confusing ebike to review. I covered it well before they began selling and believe I was fed some incorrect information about the model and price. I did my best at the time to fit the pieces together but perhaps the bike I covered here was not S-Works or they pivoted and decided not to offer this trim level. I apologize for the limited information and confusion, hopefully the video and some of my thoughts in the writeup provide some insight into what did make it to market :)

No worries at all. I was just curious as my fiancée has fibromyalgia but wants to bike with me. I’d like her to be able to without wearing her down too badly. I know the prices differ greatly from non-S-Works bikes to the S-Works line. I was just hoping the S-Works might be lighter because the less she weight she has to deal with, the better, in my eyes. And it would be worth the price difference to me for her to have an easier, and thus a more enjoyable time. Also, I’ve noticed in the past, Specialized have had certain models release a bit later in the year. Not sure if it’s because they weren’t done with R&D or not, but I’ve noticed it a couple of times. A lot of the specs and definitely the price they quoted you align with the S-Works branding so I’m hopeful it’s just yet to be released. Thanks so much for your quick reply and the great review.

Jason

8 years ago

This is not an S-works bike which normally always have some red and are clearly identified on the bike as S-works. I would correct your articles because its not correct to say you reviewed an S-works bike. If anything its an expert level bike. Check Specialized website and you will see the difference.

Hi Jason! I think you’re onto something here… I was told it was an S-Works by Specialized staff but some of their details didn’t line up. I believe the model was imported (one of the first LEVO’s in the US) and I did my best to measure and be independent but went with their naming and then mixed in details from the site. I’m in the process of buying a LEVO Expert for more detailed tests of the Brose motor system and it looks just like the bike in this review (black with blue). Eventually I may replace this article but I have chosen to leave it up and accept comments and corrections for a historical record. Thanks for adding your voice and sorry for the confusion…

Philip

What are the requirements for a charger for the Turbo Levo. Could any Rosenberger (EnergyBus) charger be used?

I have a Turbo Levo HT – great bike with nice kick from the motor. A bit heavy, but hardly noticeable. Have a 54V charger with Rosenberger plug – any reason that would not work for the Turbo Levo battery?

Oh man… I wish I could say one way or another. Most companies tell me to always use the charger that comes with the bike so you don’t wreck the battery but the Energy Bus “STANDARD” sounds more like a standardized thing right? Like USB or something. I’d call your Specialized dealer but honestly, not sure if they’d know either. Given the price of your bike at $4k+ I’d just order another charger and have it shipped fast vs. risking your $800+ battery ;)

Vincent Ochieng

How can I get the bike am in Kenya

Hi Vincent! Some electric bikes are sold online and can be shipped internationally, I think Falcon bikes offer this. Alternatively, if you’re willing to pay extra for shipping I’ve heard that some shops will also consider fulfilling international orders. One such shop is Motostrano which is based near San Francisco California, USA and has a wide selection of bikes. Hope this helps! I’d love to hear back from you if you’re able to get one shipped and how much it costs etc.