NED: New eBike Day – short travel, full power, modular battery options. The new Levo R unveiled.
We hope to be getting one in soon so we can Rally in the Valley…
Levo R quick overview
- Full-power Turbo 3.1 system (up to 850 W / 111 Nm)
- 140/130mm chassis with “Rally-tuned” geometry
- Fox Float GENIE shock
- Fox 36 SL fork
- Adjustable geometry
- Dedicated 29-inch wheels and a “tailored, lightweight spec”
- Claimed build weights from 18.6 kg
- Modular battery options (840Wh, 600Wh & 280Wh range extender)
- LEVO R COMP £6,799
- LEVO R EXPERT £8,499
- LEVO R S-WORKS £12,499
Specialized: “Levo R isn’t just another version of Levo. It’s a new category that will bring new riders into the sport that built on the same SuperNatural power platform, engineered for a different kind of rider and a different way of riding.
“Where Levo 4 is our full-power Electric Trail benchmark, Levo R creates a new category – Electric Rally – for riders who favor a downcountry-style ride. It’s lighter, sharper, and more instinctive, without giving up the muscle and range riders expect from Levo.”
“For riders who love speed, flow, and efficiency—or who don’t ride aggressive terrain but still want full-power support—this is the best full-power e-MTB they’ve ever ridden […] Riders coming from XC, Trail, or analog bikes. Riders who want full power without big-bike feel. Riders who prioritize agility, precision, and distance over rowdy terrain.”
Bit of a weird idea this one.
I like it, looks like a nice halfway house between the Gen 4 and the SL.
I would have been very interested had I not just bought an Orbea Rise.
Arse, that is very nearly what I want (*full power, lightweight xc bike), it’s not quite light enough (but very, very close, is battery removable and non headset cabling ?). 5 or so years on my existing levo with only 1 power cable replaced is making me brand loyal ( apart from liftability my levo does everything I want and can be mainly rebuilt and you can easily get bits for it) , irritatingly just bought a cube 144/sx/400 – 16.2 kg , but in a couple of years time when it’s massively discounted …….
The description sounds like my Rise 👍
Is the battery removable?
WTF. Have they not heard of MX wheel sizes? Pointless bike and ugly too.
Looks great.
Which build and size weighs 18.6kg?
No, it doesn’t.
Stops reading.
From Kestevens video the large S-Works weighs in at 21.5kg. There’s an optional aftermarket battery that reduces the weight by 1kg so perhaps 18.6kg is a small with only the range extender battery fitted.
Specalized must know it appeals to someone, but it’s not me.
Specialized claiming 21.16kg for the £12.5k S-Works in size S3, to 22.34kg for the £6.8k Comp. Guessing that’ll be without pedals. For ‘only’ 140/130 travel I’d want lighter than that, even with full power and big battery.
Clearly I’m not the target market as I’m happy on a RWW (Real World Weigh: inc pedals, mudguard, bottle cage etc) 20.6kg for my XXL 170/150 travel Heckler SL with a chunky build. Very clearly not comparable given my much weaker motor and smaller battery, but even still I’d have hoped a shorter-travel bike would be lighter even with bigger battery.
looks ideal for anywhere not that gnar – which is the majority of this country!. with a 600 battery it will be lighter again. i like the idea of an hour session with just the range extender – would be dead light and fun to ride!
lots of eebers (like me!) dont need a long travel bike. I just need something strong enough to take a few hucks to flat and a replaceable battery for lunchtime swaps on my odd trip to wales. I have a 150mm eeb bike at the moment and for most trails locally its way too much. ithe travel is only really useful on my trips away.
I dont understand why you would want a long travel eeb monster unless you lived in the alps nowhere near a chairlift.
the problem i have is most short travel eebs are not rated for jumps or are class3 frames which i`ll probably just snap.
Er…
I saw that pic and thought, hey, I’ve got one of those, with Cannondale writ down the tube!
So, they’re heavier than the Rise, which arguably did create this category, and is now available in all sorts of variants in terms of travel, frame material and battery size. Which is fine, weight isn’t all with ebikes, and weight distribution is arguably more important than total weight in term of how it’ll ride. But the headline 18.6kg is going to make people think… oo… like a Rise but lighter… and then do some digging… and then go elsewhere. Interesting marketing approach.
See I don’t understand this. Travel costs nothing.
On an analogue bike you’d compromise depending on what you ride as you’d have to ride it uphill or on flatter terrain. But a motor can reduce the need to compromise so you can run more. And there are no downsides to having a bit more travel. Need to reboot thinking on travel on ebikes tbh. Don’t need to mirror the usual categories of trail bikes etc
orbea rise has a fixed battery – which isnt ideal. My current eeb has a fixed battery and its a pain in the arse sometimes when going away for trips with hotels etc.
Also a normal rise is about 20kg so similar ish weight if you consider like for like batteries. A bigger battery will always be heavier.
I’ve never understood the obsession with over-genre-ising bikes by suspension travel. I mean why is 150mm travel “way too much" but 130mm is just right? Its 20mm difference. With a well damped shock and fork you can dial out a lot of the movement. The build of the bike makes far more difference to how it feels, especially tyres.
150 mm makes some of teh local trails to me fairly boring. something more sprighly (or something with no suspension) is WAAY more fun to ride. i can add damping to the shock and forks but its not the same.
I feel i`m fairly unique rider class though! haha. if i could get a fun light and strong HT ebike that rode like a normal HT i would. but with teh battery weight it just doesnt work. i miss riding HTs but pushing steep uphills sucks.
Travel does cost something though, weight and warranties. People like to ride bikes far outside their intended use cases then complain when their 130mm bike snaps on the big lines at dyfi. So now we all get to ride overbuilt tanks.
It’s Rally cos deres a broombroom car next to it on the website
What a load of b@ll@cks
So its not quite as heavy as their full fat bikes or as light as there light bike. ie its the same as any other emtb in the middle.
And christ I am so out of date, I ride my bike. What is a downcountry-style ride ?
Looking at weight its 22kg. for half decent spec. So again just like any other modern ebike. In looks similar to my Rise LT except quite a bit more power for roughly 1kg more in weight.
I like how the Levo SL rides, would be interested to know how this rides in comparison…. id imagine more like my Rise LT
enduro-style head angles and chainstays etc can make a bike boring on tamer terrain. As does big suspension travel although that is faily easy to stiffen up to suit the application, even if it means you will never get full travel. Yes I guess adding a bit of extra speed with e-assisted pedalling can negate some of those felt downsides – but all of it?
This forum will often have people posting that “a hardtail is fine for any trail in england" or “my gravel bike is a do-it-all machine". Not comments I agree with but I can understand the sentiment that so-called under-biking is an enjoyable experience when the aim is a fun interaction rather than stopwatch beating.
It’s all slightly odd. For perspective, my accidental 2017 Levo has the same travel – 140mm front and rear – and supposedly weighs around 22-23kg depending on the spec. I’m sure the Levo R is a nicer ride and has way more power, but it’s all a bit ‘back to the future’.
My Moterra has 160mm travel and I can upcountry, downcountry, uphill, downhill, in my ladies chamber on it. It’s also lighter than the Levo R. Not sure how Rally it is though.
Christ, I thought I had a non-job, then I realise that it’s someone’s job is to come up with stuff like this and it makes me feel better
Ignoring all the marketing fluff (no worse than the usual spiel from Specialized, or any other big brand), I just watched Dario’s video on Pinkbike and it does seem like a very fun bike.
Haven’t watched Guy’s video yet.