I have the turbo levo comp w/700wh battery. This allows me to ride to the trails, ride the trails all day, and all the way back home. Love it.

Have to say this format where both bikes being ridden by riders of similar age and fitness was extremely compelling and helpful when trying to figure out which bike would be good for your riding style. Awesome job. Reviews and comparisons like this gives us more context. Big thumbs up. More like this.

The chemistry of these 2 guys needs to be in EMBN more often.. Its great to haev older guys doeing this, it makes it more relatable

I own a Levo and having tested the SL I summed my thoughts as follows: The Levo is an electric bike trying to be a mountain bike, the SL is a mountain Bike with some battery assistance where you need it. I love my Levo, but the SL is a great machine, much more agile and loves to be flying through the air rather than sitting in the ground. On a 20 mile test last week I only used 1 bar and climbed 2000ft, the SL was light enough I almost thought I was riding my Stumpy. Brilliant review however there’s no way I would walk down that hill let alone ride a bike down it 🤣

@haydenchamberlain168

4 жыл бұрын

how much did you get bak on the rebate?

@Fluterra

4 жыл бұрын

I agree. The Levo is fun, but it’s not a “real” bike - more like a 2 wheeled monster truck. You are burning 1/3 of the calories as on a non-e bike. It’s not enough if you ride for fitness as well as fun.

@flow2tech

2 жыл бұрын

@@Fluterra Simply not true..I burn more calories than on an acoustic..why? Because I can get in 3 to 4 runs to the top of the mountain vs 1 on an acoustic .. I can do the first 2 in eco and as I wear down bump it up to trail mode...Then do one final bag run on turbo when u are completely toasted

@barbamatteo

Жыл бұрын

I have a creo sl and i've tried a levo, your analysis is perfect. I can ride 3000dsl with extender on eco with my creo (Stelvio pass both sides) but levo (like every other bike full power and over 700wh) is a motorbike with pedals, not worst or better but is a totally different target. Just test the two with cardio strap, the light make you train... the fullpower...not at all.. also with eco setted at low assistance. The difference is you and your training.

"Knee before Carbon." What a spot on bit of advice!

I own the Levo SL. Best thing ever. It's an actual mountain bike, and a great one. I prefer it going downhill to my Evil Following. I have demo'd the "regular " Levo twice, and it is just too massive to move around on any technical downhill. The SL's power integration is spot on, and the range is still plenty for extended rides and 1000m climbs. Also worth noting- technical climbing with the SL is fun - like having legs twice as strong as they really are, but you still get to "problem solve"like with an acoustic bike. Bottom line is with the SL I ride much more, and the fraction of the time I'm having fun is greater.

@Mcfc2Rich

2 жыл бұрын

I'm close to buying an SL. feel like it's the right move for me. scared of losing my full fat eBike but with that lightness and me loving jumps at the minute can see the SL being pure perfection. you still loving yours?

You do know there is a walk assist button on them bikes....

I’ve owned a Levo Expert Carbon for the last two years, and when the SL was announced I REALLY wanted to love it. I normally only ride my Levo in Eco and occasionally in Trail, so the lighter weight sounded great. Well, in real life I found the SL even in Turbo mode to be barely enough on steep climbs, and I find the motor to be too loud. So, with Specialize’s spring sale plus rebate going on, and an extra discount on top from my long time bike dealer, I bought a ‘20 Levo S Works for under $8K, and it’s the perfect bike for me.

@Chuckolicious

4 жыл бұрын

I will agree on how loud the SL motor is.

@sethismename7499

4 жыл бұрын

Good choice on the sworks it is sooo sick

@Fluterra

4 жыл бұрын

The problem with the Levo is that it’s barely a workout, and it’s far too heavy to be sporty. It’s a blunt instrument - tons of fun, but not really like real mountain biking.

@sethismename7499

4 жыл бұрын

Fluterra lol you’ve never ridden one obviously

@Fluterra

4 жыл бұрын

@@sethismename7499 What? I own a 2018 Levo SWorks!! Fun bike, but fun in the way a monster truck is fun.

I like the large amount of swearing. Just feels natural

Now you guys know why people that have ebikes in Spain are so fit, we are carrying them on our backs half of the time XD, great video as always, I also hate those super rocky/sandy/muddy descents, they are not fun at all, even when you make it through without crashing, you feel stress, not relief, the rest is awesome, I love rock slides, steep descents, jumps, drops, and so on. But I hate those midsized rocks that just what to wash your front wheel all the time. Regardless of the bike, it comes down to skill and willingness to improve. Felices senderos! (happy trails)

loved the video kept me completely glued. well done!!!

I had a Levo and sold it for an SL. The Levo was a ton of fun, but not much of a workout. It’s a Monster Truck vs. a sports car.

@RC-bx5jo

3 жыл бұрын

can you elaborate? I'd be very interested in your feedback. I want an ebike for two reasons, maybe you can help guide me between those, knowing that I still ride and love my 27.5 Whyte T130 when I want to make the effort: 1/ do very long rides in the alps in places where you can never make it with leg power and 2/ trail toddlers on regular fire road type rides when every other rider doesn't have a trailer full of babies to drag (to make it even)

Loved that vlog on the Levo vs Levo SL, you embn guys get to travel to some glorious sunny locations. Nice long episode too. Noticed Micheals brake levers were back to front, euro style. Still both bikes out of my budget price range but good to look.

Great video and comparison and the trails in Spain look awesome.. Cheers....

Saw dozens of videos of the Levo SL and love the concept of the smaller motor and battery, just to help this tiny little bit when struggeling with long and exhausting climbing sections. Waiting for the 27.5 version though.

Enjoyed that 👍

Awesome video thank you!

Thanks for an excellent personal summary! It helps me in my decision making process. Here is a concern of mine regarding motors on eMtb: - Specialized is having HUGE sales volume, and they are having a "large" number of motor failures. their SL motor has significantly lower power than their turbo (non-SL) motor ... and I think many riders are pushing the motor to it's max limits, and burning the motors out, likely because of repeatedly OVERHEATING the small motor. - The Orbea (brand name) Rise has a SIGNIFICANTLY stronger motor (if I understand correctly it is basically a detuned larger motor), and perhaps it is less likely to overheat. I dunno. Note that **I do not own either bike, but am a Professional Design Engineer** so, that said: - My thoughts are as follows: Bicycle engineers push design limits on their designs, in all areas, due to the NEED for higher performance at a lower weight & lower price. BUT, in 90% of all engineering designs (various engineering disciplines) we build in HUGE MARGINS (called a safety margin even though it rarely has to do with physical safety. Rather Safety margin = Failure margin) to prevent premature failures & a mode of failure we call infant morality. One example is pressure ratings: We would test for zero failures at 4x the rated pressure. This kind of margin is normal in the MOTOR industry. I'm thinking that 15% margin is common in the battery industry (poor heat dissipation being "the" common mode of failure) .. BUT, this is not the thinking of your typical bicycle designer.... they are likely building in a 3% or maybe a 5% "safety margin" Specialized simply needs a larger motor if they are going to tune (program) their motors to put out the kind of energy they are specifying - BUT, who am I?

What an amazing trail! Really helpful review as I have been looking at both bikes. If you haven't already, please consider making a video about how you package your e-bikes for shipment. I used to bring my bikes from Canada to Europe for touring back in the 90's. Planning on reliving some of those tours with an e-bike. Another option might be to rent a bike in Europe. Cheers.

Love the videos guys ! Maybie you could do one on the different models of the trek rail ? Iv got a rail 5 and haven’t hardly seen any videos about them ....

@danielcholewinski1110

3 жыл бұрын

Don't think trek is a sponsor for the channel

Only the expensive top SL has around 17kg. But without range extender. With the range extender the SL Comp Carbon weights around 19,3kg. So there is not a big difference to a Levo. But the Levo is much more stronger, has more range and the motor is much more quiter.

@balazspetho5636

4 жыл бұрын

The main battery on SL was out.

@haribouss

3 жыл бұрын

My sl comp carbon is 18.85 with range extender. Comparable turbo Levo is more 22.7kg. So still 3kg difference. Decibel are the same between Levo and sl, only pitch is a bit different

@suspensioncheck

2 жыл бұрын

@@haribouss close to 4kg difference actually

A bit sad as I seen this video after ordering Levo. Was thinking about SL, but was afraid of the range. Next time I’ll go with SL for sure. THX! Really nice video ❤️

How did he get up there? Well Steve he had a full fat motor in there. We seem to have this sl pushed on us all the time. Yeah it looks nice but you can keep your full skimmed motor. Keep the vids coming 👌🍻

Hi Jonesy great video as usual and the comparison you guys did was quite good showing that both bikes work in simmer was and the biggest factor is the rider basically. Oh and is their anyway Michael can become a presenter please 👏🏻 he’s great and the banter between the pair of you was awesome.

@stevejones7956

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Jon, appreciate it. Michael's good fun right!

At 6:00 you say that the Levo SL in trail mode feels the same as the Levo in ECO mode on the gravel road hill climb. This is great news as I am getting rid of the full fat Levo and buying an SL. I just want a bike to hang in with my more fit "acoustic" friends on the hard bits. All I used was the Levo in ECO mode.

The torque rating of various motors would be more meaningful to me (and others?) if EMBN made comparisons to the torque output of various riders (small/big, young/old, strong&fit/newbie). That data would give many of us a fundamental grasp of what an e-bike offers. Thanks: great work and super-high production values. Kudos to Nick, the videographer.

@ivonakis

4 жыл бұрын

I did the folowind calculation in order to help with visualization: 100kg rider * 9.8(10)m/s*s is 1000 N. Crank arm is 170mm so the torque is the force * 0.17 or 170N/m. This is peak torque at very low rpm (standing up) and only at crancks at 90 degrees. I think the average is halved so 85Nm. This is something most will probably maintain for just few seconds - eBikes can maintain for minutes. Hope this helps.

I enjoyed that, thanks. How on earth did you swop between bikes though? Front brake's euro style on the full fat Levo, UK style on the SL. Woulda been carnage if I were riding!! 😁

Very nice trail you have!

My father taught me not to put my hands in my pocket when I introduce myself or I guess when someone else introduces me. Manner, man.

For the test you did, did you leave the bikes in the current default power settings or did you change the level of assists in each mode ?

If I could afford an ebike I would happily add it to my stable. Not in the cards right now but soon hopefully. Great video fellas.

Great Job guys. There are Color matching handles on the Levo. What are these handles and where can I get them? Thankś and keep going.

i just ordered the levo sl cant wait for it to get here on Friday ^^

Really great vid such good info on both bikes. Can you use the 160WH battery on the Levo

@berkshirebike

4 жыл бұрын

You cannot, they are two different systems, unfortunately. Specialized should come out with a range extender for the Levo.

i love your videos, but when doing comparisons i think you could be clearer on the pros/cons of each in your conclusions

@tamasvarga67

4 жыл бұрын

Plateau Productions NZ It’s a paid promotion... there are no cons.

@RobertSchuster68

4 жыл бұрын

Plateau Productions NZ correct, they can never give a con, because they fear to not get the bikes free for tests again. I call that interest conflict.

The LEVO SL with extender is 19kg not 16kg!!!

@Roaming50

2 жыл бұрын

I believe in this test, the SL did not have its main battery installed. But yes, I agree that is misleading.

With same skill levels the Levo should climb better,it does have 3x the power and I'm sure has more low down torque, which can help getting over those pesky big boulders.The best e-bike is the one you get to ride!

Thank you for the comparison. I wondered how the new SL would compare to the Levo on smooth and technical climbing. I favor the SL since it would be easier to pedal home if I ran out of battery. If it becomes an issue I'll sacrifice the extra weight of carrying an extra range extender to get me home. I'll get a Levo after months of riding the SL proves I need more power. E-bikes are becoming more popular here in Nevada since I am getting passed by more of them. The Specialized has the quietest motor. I think they are Levos passing me.

on the hill climb test you could always reduce the assistance on the normal levo reducing the claimed spin out? just saying.

How did the Canyon stack up?

Great trail. Rode it a few times on my normal mountain bike (170,130 travel), the hill is a fair climb, cleaned that technical bit too :) , would have loved an e bike for it, trail bike was prime for the descents. One of the descents around the corner is one of my favourite descents ever, so good.

Bravo

That video is so good

Brilliant

tanti auguri di buona pasqua 🐣 😘❤️

how about a comparison between the levo sl full suspension vs the levo sl hardtail? right now i am trying to decide on this but not sure because i think the hardtail would be more better .

The Levo w/the 2.1 motor has been plagued with motor belt/motor failures. Anyone know anything about the SL motor's reliability?

SL probably better for the younger/fitter current rider, whereas the Turbo surprises me on a daily basis and suits a fat old fart like what I am :-) However, in both cases being in the right gear helps.

@8664antonio

4 жыл бұрын

the levo sl is neither fish nor bird. a fit rider is 100x faster with an 11kg trail bike than with the weakly breasted SL that weighs 17.5kg. for me the SL is a shot in the arm. i think the new "forestal" closes the gap between push bike and a potent levo, but certainly not an SL!

@Fluterra

4 жыл бұрын

Singletrailrider I’m an avid cyclist and have no idea what you are trying to say. BTW, the SWorks SL weighs just under 17Kg.

@danielcholewinski1110

3 жыл бұрын

11 kg bike is more likely going to be an XC bike with less suspension travel and less robust lighter design so not much of a comparison

@DM-fj8wv

2 жыл бұрын

@@8664antonio 100 X faster. Damn that's very fast. Amazing.

The Levo SL weight is closer to 17kg with tubless plus 1.3kg for the rangeextender that closes The gap to many contenders outside Specialized fanboy Club...

Before you buy these bikes actually weigh one. Most bikes shops have scales and the numbers being quoted are way off, Especially the SL. Very nice review though, no one does it better. I love my Specialized E bikes. I have weighed almost every model.

@tariqbarwani8687

2 жыл бұрын

I weighed my sl at 19kg with tubeless tires

hi hello with your experience in e-MTB, which bike would you think is best between 2023 turbo levo base carbon or 2023 Marin E2. FYI my style of riding is not a factor. I want to know what YOU think. THANK YOU

18:53 I gotchu 👊

Great Vid! Steve Why do you never wear any armour!? 🙈

GMBN & EMBN Must upload 4k videos! its 2020, cmon guys!! huge difference!!! 4K PLEASE Every time I want to hear a good review I come here, but when I want to see a good quality image there are others electric mountain bikes channels out there!

only good till you hear that belt whizzing in that Levo then its back for another motor, how many have you replaced now?

Great video....great place ...... But i have 1 thing you could have done better....because...1kilo here and there is very important here....so im missing the exact weight of the bikes and riders.....

I know that area well and one thing that doesn’t come across in the video is how steep it all is!

I didn’t know I could use a battery extender with my turbo levo?

One helmet is poc tectal the other one please ?

Plus tire territory!

I had my Levo cut power a couple of times and the red light flashed. On inspection of the plug there was blue corrosion around one pin on the male and female sides. I cleaned it s up hopefully that was the issue. I think this is the worst plug design and placement for a ebike .

Very good, entertaining, and scenic. Memo to self: Don't try this!

So which bike would you have? Your conclusion is a bit vague. I mean if its either bike is good, we knew that before watching the video.

ive used both motors and the better buy is the Levo

Never mind the bikes, Saunders is the star of the show 😎😎 catch up soon Mike 👍

My trail bike weights 14kg... how they made ebike just plus 2kg, amaizing. You could drive it without power

@Extremegaz25

4 жыл бұрын

I tested the sl and loved it and rode up a steep hill with the motor off by accident and it was light enough to make it no problem .

power all the way. the thing is, im a rather large guy and thus my bike isnt exactly small either, thus i see no real point to go for agility when that is allready a mood point in bikes my size.

They offer the stumpjumper in 29 or 27.5; so why not the levo sl? That would save even more weight, or at least 29/27.5 wheels.

@seattlevkk

3 жыл бұрын

According to both manual both can be run in 27.5

It is really a big mystery? I find it quite obvious that a more powerful bike is better uphill and a lighter bike is a lot more fun on jumps and doing stuff that requires a lively bike. However both specialized bikes are so stupidly expensive, and without a frame only option combined with stupidly bad component pricing it seems hardly worth it no matter which you choose. Also, in case anyone was in doubt: Specialized payed them for this ride. If you have the cash however, they are really good and you won't go wrong with either of them.

It's pretty sad that there are so few places that these can be ridden in the US. People here treat even the SL like it's a Sur Ron or Stark Varg. They look like a blast to me but I guess it will be years before they are accepted.

First time I've heard it being 16kg

Never seen someone swap the front and rear brake leavers around before

@johnnyreb86

4 жыл бұрын

Motorcycles have the front brake on the right, I grew up riding motorcycles then got into bicycles later. I run all my bicycles “moto” style. I warn my friends before they ride my bike!

@axiomic

4 жыл бұрын

johnnyreb86 all bikes in Australia have front brake on the right...

No push mode????

is your riding buddy here british & american?

A few observations on this video guys. 1. Why don't you guys wear gloves? What Is there to be gained vs lost, no pun intended. 2. I have ridden a few brands of ebikes over the last 3 year's and the one technique I have learned that is consistent when attempting very steep and tech climbs is to drop the seatpost right down and remain seated. Yeh it feels weird with legs all bunched, but use a gear that matches the power mode you are using to achieve a consistent fast but not crazy cadence. E.g trail or turbo (shimano) in the lowest but 1 or 2 gears on the rear. 3. I Havnt ridden an SL but for me the lighter the bike / overall weight reduces the upper body workout descending that a heavier causes. However that extra weight does bring some added stability at times so long as you can keep the speed up. Just my thoughts.

@larrys8150

4 жыл бұрын

I read through 75 comments here to see if anybody else would mention, gloves. If youve ever fallen off a bike riding shale you go to full finger gloves FAST

Ther is a rumor that a lot of brose motors are braking. Any coment on that?

@kevinshipsey7911

4 жыл бұрын

I smash mine 3x a week and have for months. runs like new.

@donjon1733

4 жыл бұрын

@@kevinshipsey7911 Lots of posts/threads across the internet about the 2.1 motor failing. Mine died at 600 mi.

@chickenclips

3 жыл бұрын

If the motor had brakes it would break

@donjon1733

3 жыл бұрын

@@chickenclips I've gone through 3 in 9 months. Even after specialized did a motor mod and software update, my 4th "new" motor is making really bad noises. Hasn't gone down completely, but my LBS said it will.

Bloody Jones !!!

Normal bikes are so cheap now ebikes taking over and more sophisticated as time goes on.

@FWCaptain-kv6sm

3 жыл бұрын

levo motors are a fail avoid

Best way to answer this question is ... Buy a Decoy 😀

@natedempsey3389

4 жыл бұрын

Lee Dove only 70 NM on the decoy😩

@danielsal5442

4 жыл бұрын

Six months warranty on their battery.....

@rafagustav1843

4 жыл бұрын

Decoy's rock, but you have to add 200 for shipping and California state sales tax,ouch,another $500 for Base model!

@lafsblogger

3 жыл бұрын

Daniel Saldenius From YT´s FAQ on their website: “The warranty of the battery is governed by law, it is valid for two years after receipt of your bike.”

Was Michael clipped in going downhill?

@senaytodd

le turbo SL et plus leger que le Levo qui et plus puissant bonne vidéo

No Result???

Levo SL ....O......W

How happens 16kg? I heard that the s-works is 17kg...

If you have a 90 watt bike, why run it in eco?

Tons of problems with the Specialized though... They need a better warranty, before I buy one

@FWCaptain-kv6sm

3 жыл бұрын

junk motors garbage

So the levo has a 500 w battery and is hauling a spare 160 for the sl while the sl has no battery in the down tube and is running off an expensive water bottle? Is this really a fair comparison...?

Getting a bit fed up with all the bias towards specialized! I've ridden the same trails on a rockrider e-st900 hard tail at less than half the price. It seems that if you cant afford a super expensive bike you shouldn't be riding! Embn should do a poll to see what the average guy can afford to spend and maybe take that into consideration when promoting bikes. Or are they happy with it being a rich man's hobby?

@knott4me561

4 жыл бұрын

Massive issue with this Chanel due to there sponsor ...it's basically a canyon specialized show fest

@tamasvarga67

4 жыл бұрын

MrDazzzaB It’s not ‘bias’ it’s a ‘paid promotion’ see the marking on the video. I’m not watching these adverts.

@stuarthatfield6266

4 жыл бұрын

It was an interesting comparison on a light less powered e bike ,other channels available.

@danielcholewinski1110

3 жыл бұрын

These channels have to get money somehow they aren't just gonna do it for free which is fair enough

@DM-fj8wv

2 жыл бұрын

I hate poor people, they should not be allowed on the trails. Even to walk.

Torque puts the power down that's the main reason the SL spun up on losses ground.

This guy is practically bonking on a 10 second pedal assist climb, lmfao

seriously tho, embn is basically the marketing arm of specialised

@cambike

4 жыл бұрын

Gets a bit tiring listening to the reviewer covering each comment with but.... the other bike is not bad bla bla bla Don’t review brands who pay you, or supply you with bikes

@Swaggerlot

4 жыл бұрын

There is a Z in Specialized :-) I did a lot of research on bikes before buying mine and they actually do set a high standard compared to many.

@Chuckolicious

4 жыл бұрын

Hmm. So I looked over the past 20 videos they've posted. How many were about Specialized?

@knott4me561

4 жыл бұрын

Shot themselves in the arm using specialized and canyon as a sponsor as they have a duty to use talk about those brands in every bloody video .does my head in

500w in the levo. Thought that was the expert with 700wh

@leedove7255

4 жыл бұрын

Rented battery ?

@stephaneparadis491

4 жыл бұрын

I think 500w is the electrical motor power and 700wh is the battery capacity

Never try a SL. Sucks uphill, rocks downhill. Hate Love relationships are bad.

Wait for the battery to explode

Can't understand cost of SL? Smaller motor, smaller battery should be cheaper, are the chain, forks & saddle e-bike specific? I understand it to be a Stumpjumper with a small off the shelf mid-mount motor installed. So hardly any R&D into project, are Specialized 'pulling wool over our eyes?'

@Megabear90

4 жыл бұрын

The price is over the top. But the engineering and the motor are hardly off the shelf. Huge R&D for the new (Mahle, German Company) Platform. Still way too expensive. My regular Levo was way overpriced with subpar components for the money. With good components it still is the best you can buy though.

@johnnyboy1586

3 жыл бұрын

@@Megabear90 specialized are over priced!!

Failed to note that Specialized does not recommend using the "Extender Battery first" mode (set via Mission Control app) in conjunction with the main, or solely by itself. Reason provided is that doing so puts a high load on the Extender and will greatly shorten its life. At $450US retail for each extender, this is not a detriment to overlook.

the levo sl is neither fish nor bird. a fit rider is 100x faster with an 11kg trail bike than with the weakly breasted SL that weighs 17.5kg. for me the SL is a shot in the arm. i think the new "forestal" closes the gap between push bike and a potent levo, but certainly not an SL!

No gloves?

As a non Englishman it cracks me up when I hear them say LEEvo