Total Weight:
50 lbs (22.67 kg)
Battery Weight:
6.7 lbs (3.03 kg)
Frame Material:
Specialized M5 Aluminum Alloy, Forged and Braced Motor Mount
Frame Sizes:
15.5 in (39.37 cm)17.5 in (44.45 cm)19 in (48.26 cm)21.5 in (54.61 cm)Frame Types:
High-Step
Frame Colors:
Satin Black with Charcoal Accents, Gloss Monster Green with Black Accents
Frame Fork Details:
RockShox Yari RC, 140 mm Travel, Tapered Steerer, 15 mm x 110 mm Maxle Ultimate Thru-Axle
Frame Rear Details:
Custom FOX FLOAT Performance DPS, AUTOSAG, Rx Trail Tune, 197 mm x 47.6 mm, 12 mm Thru-Axle
Attachment Points:
Bottle Cage Bosses
Gearing Details:
11
Speed 1x11 SRAM XG-1150, 10-42 Tooth, SRAM Gx Long Cage DerailleurShifter Details:
SRAM Gx Triggers on Right
Cranks:
Custom Praxis, Steel, 32 Tooth Chainring, 104 BCD spider
Pedals:
Nylon Platform, CEN Standard with Toe Clips
Headset:
Hella Flush, 1-1/ 8" and 1-1/ 2" Threadless, Campy Style Upper with 1-1/ 2" Lower, Cartridge Bearings
Stem:
Specialized XC, 3D Forged Alloy, 4-Bolt, 6-Degree Rise
Handlebar:
Specialized Butted 6000 Alloy, 8-Degree Backsweep, 6-Degree Upsweep, 10 mm Rise, 31.8 mm Diameter, 750 mm Length
Brake Details:
SRAM Guide R Hydraulic Disc with Metallic Pads and Centerline Rotors, 200 mm Front Rotor and 180 mm Rear Rotor, SRAM Guide R Alloy Levers with Reach Adjust
Grips:
Specialized Sip Grip, Light Lock-On, Half-Waffle, S/M: Regular Thickness, L/XL: XL Thickness
Saddle:
Body Geometry Henge Comp, Hollow Cr-Mo 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 650b, Alloy, 38 mm Wide, 24/28 Hole
Spokes:
DT Swiss Industry, Stainless Steel
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:
60 TPI, 2Bliss Ready, Folding Bead
Tube Details:
Presta Valve
Accessories:
Plastic Chain Guide, Zee Cage II Right Bottle Holder, Optional Replacement Battery Pack $800, Optional 1.3 lb Portable 1.6 Amp Charger, Integrated Rubberized Slap Guard
Other:
Eurobike Gold Award Winner 2015, Locking Removable Battery Pack, Battery Stops with 4% at Top and Bottom to Avoid Straining Cells, 42 Volt 4 Amp Charger with Rosenberger Plug (Magnetic EnergyBus Standard), IP67 Water and Dust Protection Rating on Battery Pack, KMC X11L Chain with Reusable MissingLink, Internal Cable and Cammand Post IR Routing, 12 x 148 mm Spacing, Fully Sealed Cartridge Bearings
Jack Tyler
9 years agoCourt, quite a distinct & interesting choice and good discussion. I’m left wondering what we know about the Brose motor. It’s starting to appear on USA-imported ebikes…but haven’t seen much about its performance and/or longevity from the Euro scene. Any thoughts you can share?
ReplyCourt Rye
9 years agoGreat question Jack, my initial feeling was hesitation when I saw it on a demo model last year… no shift sensing, smooth “light” touch feel vs. zippy power. Now it’s growing on me because of the integrated look and my respect for Specialized. I assume they wouldn’t have chosen it if it didn’t hold up to some scrutiny. Their choice of using the Go SwissDrive on the street Turbo models seems to be working out. Lots of companies are looking at Brose because it’s cheaper than Bosch or Impulse and the battery can be integrated for a cool aesthetic. I tried a couple of Bulls bikes with it at the Ebike Expo in San Diego and enjoyed the experience.
Replyjb
9 years ago“Lots of companies are looking at Brose because it’s cheaper than Bosch or Impulse and the battery can be integrated for a cool aesthetic.”
I do not believe the first part of this statement is accurate, people are using Brose because it is better than Bosch and Impulse, not because it is cheaper. The most expensive Euro brand (Rotwild) can afford to use Bosch and they are using Brose. The battery integration offered standard from Brose is way nicer than anything Bosch has released and are only surpassed by the new integrated look on the latest Kalkhoff models which start at $4800 and are not MTBs. I am not sure how your staff having rode both the Haibike and the Levo continues to list the Haibike as the Top Pick. Maybe we have different tastes, but I got off the Levo test ride and dropped $4k. I was not $4k impressed with the Haibike.
Bike_on
9 years agoGreat review. I love the real world interview to add expertise. I want one! :)
ReplyCourt Rye
9 years agoHey, thanks! I enjoyed his perspective and it afforded more filming opportunities from the third person viewpoint. Got one more Levo review to do for the Expert and we dig into the app for that one. Should be here soon :)
Replyjb
9 years agoThe Brose motor is heads above anything else on the market. It produces 90nm of torque and is very efficient. I can ride 15 miles of pavement on my Levo Hardtail with 3″ tires and use 34% of the battery. Based on these numbers the range is about 45 miles at 20mph using range-based assist. I also own a iZip with the 350w mid drive, which has the same size battery as the Levo and it gets half the range. The Brose motor on the Levo is also dang quiet, maybe the most quiet mid-drive on the market. It uses the gates carbon drive internally to isolate vibrations from the frame. That adds up to making Brose the most powerful, most quiet, and most efficient motor on the market. I have also rode the Kalkhoffs and a bunch of Bosch models, not impressed at all. The $5k Kalkhoff was squeaky. If you can’t afford a Specialized Levo, buy a Bulls Evo from Europe, you will be about $2800 shipped (make sure they drop the 20% VAT). btw, the Bulls have massive 650wh batteries!! I have rode the Bulls and was very impressed, but the Levo is just plain awesome with the stock 3″ tires!
ReplyCourt Rye
9 years agoGreat feedback! Thanks for the details about how the Brose motor works and also how it performs for you. The Bulls bikes do look pretty cool, I tested one briefly at an Ebike Expo event here in the US and it performed quite well :)
Replyjb
9 years agoI was just at a shop in Wolfsburg and they have the Bulls E-Stream 2 29″ with Brose and a 615wh battery for 2185 euros excluding VAT. The USA shops are up around $4k for the Bulls, which at that point you just buy the Levo. This is the shop and they speak English well: http://www.zweirad-schael.de/
CW
8 years agoThanks for the great reviews & resource, Court. I just picked this bike up today and its fantastic. I went into to my local specialized dealer with a great deal of knowledge and info, thanks to you. Your website is the de facto ebike website on the net! keep up the great work!
ReplyCourt Rye
8 years agoThat’s awesome! So glad it helped… I actually just ordered an Expert for myself, plan on testing the LEVO motor more thoroughly since lots of brands are going to be using it. Feels like I spent a TON of money even after they gave me a little discount since it’s going to be used for review. I love the look of this thing and feel that it’s one of the best examples of integration so far (noise, position and power wise). Updates on that review will be coming in the next several weeks, feel free to share your own thoughts on the bike ongoing!
ReplyMO
8 years agoOrdered one of these for my so I don’t have to wait so much for her on long rides. Hopefully it will be the “equalizer”. What’s a good pedal for this? I was thinking a downhill spd pedal, as I would like to stay with Shimano.
ReplyCourt Rye
8 years agoAwesome! I bet she’s going to love it… I bought an ebike for my Mom and she uses it on roads just to keep up with her faster road bike friends and she appreciates the ergonomics and feeling that she can go further. Anyway, are you wanting platform or clipless pedals? I really like these large, grippy Magnesium platforms from Wellgo and they come in a bunch of colors to match your bike :)
ReplyNicos Angeli
8 years agothanks for the review.! mines here in a week.! does it have regenerate function? if not, how do you control the speed on long downhills?
ReplyCourt Rye
8 years agoHi Nicos! No, the only type of electric bikes with power regen or regenerative braking that I know of are the gearless hub motors which you can see on the Specialized Turbo (street models), the Stromer models and kits like BionX or Falco. For all other e-bikes (with geared hubs or mid-drives) you simply use your brakes as you would on a traditional bike. Either rubber pads will come into contact with your rims or metal composite pads will come into contact with a disc brake rotor.
ReplyRH
8 years agoDid you get your Levo Turbo FSR Expert and have you done a review yet?
ReplyCourt Rye
8 years agoI did! Have been riding it around and testing different features on the bike. Since it’s very similar to the Comp, I wanted the next review to explore other aspects of the bike like the app and general reliability… It just takes more time to do :)
Replynicosangeli
8 years agoyour review was spot on! great bike! I received 2 chargers, a large one which flashes a red light when it’s attached and a smaller travel one which works but gets quite hot! is the large one which says turbo on it a wrong charger? thanks!
ReplyCourt Rye
8 years agoHmm, I couldn’t say for sure without taking a look but Specialized does have a high power speed charger that’s larger and heavier as well as a more portable charger that is slower but much lighter and smaller. Sounds like maybe you got one of each? If both connect using the same interface and say Specialized then I don’t see why they wouldn’t work but this is definitely an area where double checking could pay off for you… like ask the dealer! If you wreck the battery it can cost over $800 and if you burn your house down that can cost a lot more :O
Jedediah
8 years agoI just purchased a Specialized Stump Jumper with the Fattie 360 tire setup about 3 months ago. I love my bike but then a couple of weeks ago I find out about this one! and I am like NOOO! At my local Specialized dealer the difference in retail between the stump-jumper ($3,800.00) & the Levo ($4,500.00 – I don’t know if they have lower the price or if my shop just sells them at a lower than average price) was only $700 bucks! So after test riding I definitely am feeling a bit of buyer remorse! Guess I will just have to start saving my pennies again!
ReplyCourt Rye
8 years agoOuch… yeah, it’s a lot to spend if you buy two bikes consecutively! Maybe you can list your non-electric stump-jumper for sale on Craigslist and recoup some of the money then get a Levo with a bit more savings? It’s an awesome bike but even the unpowered models are a blast to ride :D
ReplyJohn Thompson
8 years agoHi Court, I really enjoy your videos and written reviews on the e-bikes. I have a question. I am interested in an e bike for mountain biking but I am worried that it will “ruin” me for riding my 3 regular mountain bikes. I am 65 years old so I can’t go as far as I used to or make the steeper climbs. An e bike would change that for me but I’m afraid I would no longer want to ride my regular bikes anymore. I did ride a touring e bike on a greenway trail and it was very nice, especially when I came back and the wind was in my face and all I had to do was raise the level of assist to maintain the same speed! I know you have some injuries that you deal with but what is your opinion of e bikes “ruining” it for regular biking?
ReplyCourt Rye
8 years agoHi John! I own two bikes right now and they are basically the same full suspension frame from Specialized but one is a Levo with assist and the other is a much lighter Stumpjumper. I still ride them both and enjoy the feeling of riding unpowered. It’s way different when you don’t have a 50 lb bike under you… and I suppose that will remain until technology advances significantly. I ride unpowered alone and sometimes with friends, often it’s easier to load that bike on my car and since it’s way less expensive I feel better about parking it in public places. The Levo definitely hasn’t ruined me and I look at it as a way to go further faster or still go out when my knee is sensitive, it’s just less convenient in some ways and more convenient in others :)
ReplyJJ
7 years agoI rode this bike for a full day, about 50 miles road commute and some rough dirt trail climbs. Went uphill over boulders the size of bowling balls for about 1/8 mile, something I just couldn’t do on my Intense Carbine 29.
I liked so much about this bike and now I’m in the market. I see the Bulls E-Stream Evo FS 3 27.5 Plus, as a fairly direct competitor to this Specialized bike. It has two features that make me think it might be a better fit for me:
Does anyone have direct ride compare experience between the Bulls and this Specialized? I ask because I can’t seem to locate a Bullls to ride closer than about 500 miles from my location, still looking.
ReplyCourt Rye
7 years agoHi JJ! I have ridden them both (but I’m also the guy who did both reviews here). I like Specialized as a company, their products are cool and this bike is amazing… but Bulls has created a worthy competitor and the display clicker is pretty neat. You won’t get the Mission Control mobile app and their little control pad could get broken more easily, but I like having quick access to assist vs. leaning down to click. I also like that the Bulls doesn’t have a big LED light ring on the side of the frame because I don’t want people asking me about the bike. I personally bought the Turbo Levo and loved it for a year but felt the same torn feeling when examining the Bulls. That’s a new company to the US but they have been doing great in Europe for years. Ride wise, I feel like they are very similar but Specialized emphasizes their own unique trail tuning. Maybe the Bulls is slightly zippier? I hope this helps, it might come down to local support, the clicker, the colors, the sizes, or the app… I’d love to hear what you choose and how you like it though :)
ReplyScott
7 years agoJust wondering if you have any updated opinions of the Bulls E-Stream FS 3 27.5 Plus vs. this Specialized Levo. I do have a Specialized Turbo X and I do like to have the thumb controls on the handlebar to change the level of assist, see the battery level, etc (and I frequently change the level of assist so I can extend the battery life and also increase my heart-rate when I need a little more exercise). I wish the Specialized Levo had something similar because it’s pretty cumbersome to change the level of assist using the Levo buttons on the side of the downtube. I am in the market for a FS mountain bike and wondered if you had any new thoughts about these two bikes. Thanks.
ReplyCourt Rye
7 years agoHi Scott! I’m a big Specialized fan and enjoy working with my local shop… which is part of why I purchased a Levo (and also because the Bulls model wasn’t available yet). I agree that having a reachable remote is nice and it looks like there is an accessory that will allow you to do this. I found this remote on the Mike’s Bikes website, it appears to be made by Garmin and use wireless signals to allow for assist navigation. The downsides would be that it appears to run on an independent battery vs. being wired in and may not offer as much feedback about battery level, speed, odometer etc. that an integrated display might, like what Bulls offers. I hope this helps with your comparison and consideration of the two bikes, Bulls is definitely offering a wide range to choose from and it looks like 2018 has even more. Here’s a video I recently shot in Las Vegas at the Interbike trade show where we cover many of the new models.
Replydan
5 years agoI may be able to get my hands on a used levo ebike but am questioning myself about the size. The bike is a medium size but chart shows I’d need a large one. Would it be suitable? I’m 5’11” 165lbs :-)
ReplyCourt
5 years agoHi Dan, you’re probably best suited to a large frame, but there are things you could do to “enlarge” a medium if it felt too small. You could get a riser stem with extra length, upgrade the seat post length or just set the dropper post to the max position, you could swap out the crank arms for slightly longer (probably not necessary). Sure, the frames are going to differ by 5 to 10 centimeters in some direction, but it’s really not that much… the wheel size is the same and even the handlebars will likely be the same. If this is a great deal and you’re willing to give it a shot and make a few sub $50 swaps like the stem, then I think it could work well… especially if you’re not a professional rider trying to dial in the geometry perfectly to fully optimize performance ;)
Reply