Weight difference between 840wh & 600wh battery?

 

It is 2.33 lbs or 1.06 kilos

 

Interesting configuration since the bike can operate with extender battery only. Power output of the motor (torque) is limited.

 

I find the class 3 option being user configurable to be problematic. Not because I think it'll make a bit of difference on-trail, but as a talking point for those trying to restrict access....."how are we supposed to enforce that?!?!?". Should have left well enough alone with class 1 only on a bike that's designed to be ridden on trails.....maybe even go the other way, voiding warranties on any bike that's been derestricted or modified.

The motor looks interesting, and complicated. The added power? It climbs 2 mph faster than the old bike when maxed out. Pretty insignificant. Personally I'd rather see them promote durability (if it is more durable), talk about what kind of testing they've done on it, what they've done to improve resistance to water ingress (if anything), serviceability, etc.

The battery options are great. I especially like the big (280wh) range extender, and being able to run on that alone. Probably a great option for days at lift serviced parks, bringing the bike down into an analog weight range. Also like the fast charger.

Does it set a new bar? Not for me. Incremental improvements at best, and certainly not anything I need to run out and buy to replace my five year old bike.


.

 

So running just the range extender on the s works model will be limited to 55nm? And on the other models 50nm?

 

It will be limited by current draw so it will be the same for s-works and all others.

The company line is "Torque is not limited, only max power." But in my testing, Torque is definitely limited. Feels like a Fazua motor

 

While I don't know for sure, I suspect that not only is it heavier, it's heavier up front, which can make for some butt pucker moments when jumping it. Also not clear what the max tire size is in the rear.

 

Bike is definitely well balanced. The new battery is quite a bit shorter than the old 700wh.

Max rear tire size is 2.6.

 

Unpopular opinion but an e-bike that can go 28 mph is a motorcycle. I have seen people flying UP downhill trails they'd never be able to ride at that speed (or at all). I am all for e-bikes, I have a buddy in his 70s and it helps him with the climbs, but he isn't smashing turbo and soft pedaling up either. I just think there should be a sensor that limits speeds of climbs to 12 mph. Too many close calls.

 

Exactly...people will be running that in Class 3 and still be whining about the Sur-Ron's.

 

Pros: it’s an e-bike.
cons: it doesn’t have 36ers yet.

 

I was super impressed with the time spent adding timestamps, and then I started to pick up on the word choice, and it sounds like the text was probably written by AI, based on the contents of the video. If so, I like this idea a lot. Easy to digest while at work. I'll definitely give the video a watch later today.

I like the idea of running just a range extender, but at ~6lbs lighter I wonder if you need to adjust some suspension settings to ensure a consistent feel between the two configurations.

 

Which one should I buy to get the best workout? Hoping to hit 5w/kg this season and leaning toward the S-Works version as the best training tool

 

Best workout would be biggest battery plus the extender, but don't charge any of them.

Bonus points for a 10lb dumbbell in your backpack.

 

28 mph isn't a big deal on the road. I hit that quite regularly on flat land (Florida bike paths) on my single-speed MTB. I had 32-14 gearing (29x2.3 tires and 170mm crank) and commuted by bike every day, though.

 

28mph is faster than a recreational road cyclist. And it's a super irresponsible speed for MTB trails.

I'm disappointed with Spesh for this one. Going to make trails less safe and give people more reasons to keep out MTBs. At least it's going to cost like $20k post-tarriff...

 

Yea, traffic safety is attained by decreasing the speed differential between vehicles and increasing the space between vehicles.

Riders at bike parks generally don't blast by slower riders in tight areas, at least not in a rude manner. Not sure how much patience an e-biker's going to have with someone slower on a less technical section. There's definitely some concern with erosion from passing by going around (off the trail).

 

I like the idea of having the extra speed while using this as a car replacement. The safety aspect of being able to travel much closer to car speeds is definitely not lost on me. The swappable batteries and internal storage is a nice touch, too.

I wonder if Specialized tested a Class 3 system on MTB trails and found that they weren't pedaling much at 20+ mph. So the extra speed on the pavement was beneficial, but once you got to the dirt trails your speed was regulated more by the twists and turns and rocks and roots of the trail. But with everyone's trails varying so widely, we'll have to wait and see how this all pans out.

 

Yep, much ado about nothing. I don’t hit 20mph on flats or climbs on my EMTB due to trail features, but downhill is a different matter. (Our best trails for ripping dh are one way traffic👍) And that has nothing to do with the motor, I occasionally have went faster than 20 mph on my fatbikes too!
The only place I might see it being an issue is on paved multi-use bike paths where there are walkers and joggers, in my opinion they should actually post a 15mph speed limit on those paths. I’ve been swooped by “Dave Stohlers” on the paved trails exactly when I’ve been moving over to pass pedestrians
Now if I was to ever be so foolish as to operate a bicycle out in traffic where cars are driven by phone enthusiasts I sure wouldn’t want to be limited to just 28 mph, you have to run with the traffic speed for safety!

 

AI generated text? That's lazy (and turns me away from reading it)

 

Don't read it. Just watch the video. Actually, just skim it and it'll help you decide if the video is worth watching. Linked timestamps would have been cool but I can't get it to work.

 

I like the auto mode, SWAT storage, easily removable battery, and the ability to bump to class 3 but 160/150 travel is a buzzkill. 51# is another buzzkill. I like that it's available as a frameset though. Finally, manufacturers are making available frame-only options.

 

I was curious to see the response here. Reading the pink bike comments about this bike, I wasn't sure what would end the world sooner, a class 3 option or trump.

In all seriousness, Specialized will sell tons of these bikes. I guess I don't understand if you're going over 50lb anyway with powerful motors and big batteries, why not add more suspension travel? I think "poppy and playful" went out the window. Just make it capable.

 

They will likely release the Kenevo with 170/180mm of travel on this motor platform. So they didn't want this Levo to encroach. Kenevo SL was a risk they took and it was a big failure in terms of revenue.

Also, the product guru, Buck has been hinting at a possible rad version of this Levo, likely with more rear travel. I would guess Levo Evo... yeah.

 

The ability to hack current bikes to go that fast and class 3 bikes obviously already exist. That’s not the issue. Anyone that thinks this is no big deal has never dealt with groups determined to get rid of electric mountain bikes and even mountain bikes altogether. This crap was close to ending and now there’s additional ammo that will be repeatedly called out.

Facts are irrelevant to those people. They only use fear and hysteria. It is a lot harder to convince rational people to worry about obscure brands or that people will hack their bikes than it will be about this. Specialized has given them the perfect talking points and when ads like the below are out then it causes the rational people to second guess. Now we just need some unqualified person to ram somebody in Class 3 mode or get seriously injured and we’ll be back at square one.

I get the reality which is why I’ve always supported e-MTBs even though I almost never ride one. I keep reading people saying it is no big deal because of the realities of what a user can do. Yeah, I know. That has literally nothing to do with my objections at all. Heck, if this fight was over I wouldn’t even have given a second thought as I can certainly see the utility in transit situations. That’s simply not the problem. I hope I’m wrong but the second I saw the ad below I thought, “Oh no. I know exactly how this will be used.”

 

The ability to hack current bikes to go that fast and class 3 bikes obviously already exist. That’s not the issue. Anyone that thinks this is no big deal has never dealt with groups determined to get rid of electric mountain bikes and even mountain bikes altogether. This crap was close to ending and now there’s additional ammo that will be repeatedly called out.

Facts are irrelevant to those people. They only use fear and hysteria. It is a lot harder to convince rational people to worry about obscure brands or that people will hack their bikes than it will be about this. Specialized has given them the perfect talking points and when ads like the below are out then it causes the rational people to second guess. Now we just need some unqualified person to ram somebody in Class 3 mode or get seriously injured and we’ll be back at square one.

I get the reality which is why I’ve always supported e-MTBs even though I almost never ride one. I keep reading people saying it is no big deal because of the realities of what a user can do. Yeah, I know. That has literally nothing to do with my objections at all. Heck, if this fight was over I wouldn’t even have given a second thought as I can certainly see the utility in transit situations. That’s simply not the problem. I hope I’m wrong but the second I saw the ad below I thought, “Oh no. I know exactly how this will be used.”

View attachment 2139916

I understand your concern. However, if the anti-ebike crowd is not rational like you described, why be concerned with what they think? Of course they will be up in arms about this, but let's be honest, they are up in arms about most things anyway.

Trails aren't going to get closed because of this and at the end of the day, ebike usage is going to keep growing.

 

Here I rode it with the lighter configuration with 280wh only. The power is cut in half from 720 watts to 360. Weight is about 45.5 lbs with DH tires and 220 rotors

 

Watched this morning. Excellent angle I hadn't considered. This bike is 3 bikes in one. Totally comparable to an SL while using the water bottle battery alone.


.

 

but but it has that "preggy" look

 

I think it's called the beluga bulge.

 

840 watt hours really? I guess it's for 5 hour plus rides which most people don't do. That extra weight and ugly downtube are very disappointing.

 

I rode it yesterday from home on a 30-mile mixed terrain on a gorgeous mountain route. Usually takes 6 hours on mountain bike. I did it fast on a Levo Gen3 and it took 2:35.

On the Gen4, I put on 1120wh for a quick lunch ride and I did the loop in 1:40. Incredible ride and effort and it's cool to have options like this. 10% battery left.

 

daaaaamn, how's the overall feel and handling on a ride like that compared to a lighter E?

 

I'll experiment more but it's about the same as my Kenevo SL S-works.

 

Hey Francis, did they manage to keep the magic of the weight disappearing once you start riding the bike (like the Gen 3)?

I get that now we're in a motor/power arms race now because of DJI, and the new Levo has some cool features, but I think that my current 565 watts of peak power is more than enough.

Now FF emtb's are going to need monster batteries to keep up with motor power. That downtube is more off-putting than the Gen 3 bulging motor, but that's just me.

Curious to see if they sell considering the global economy being cratered (and the crazy pricing).
Glad that I jumped on the Gen 3 when it was $3000+ discounted.

 

ey manage to keep the magic of the weight disappearing once you start riding the bike (like the Gen 3)?

I get that now we're in a motor/power arms race now because of DJI, and the new Levo has some cool features, but I think that my current 565 watts of peak power is more than enough.

Now FF emtb's are going to need monster batteries to keep up with motor power. That downtube is more off-putting than the Gen 3 bulging motor, but that's just me.

Curious to see if they sell considering the global economy being cratered (and the crazy pricing).
Glad that I jumped on the Gen 3 when it was $3000+ discounted.

So far, I don't really feel the weight. On climbing, this feels lighter and more agile than my Kenevo or Levo SL because this motor is so quick and intuitive. Stopping, these Maven brakes with 220 rotor will stop a train. Cornering is very good as I put a radial Schwalbe Shredda up front. Jumping, maybe I feel it a little bit. The suspension I'm riding is set up very supple at the moment. Will play with that with more compression damping.

Definitely feels lighter than a Gen3, at speed.

 

Not a fan of the Class 3 option. Already have a ton of ebikers around here who've modded them to go over the C1 speed limit, myself not included. This is highly irresponsible of Specialized IMHO.

 

You forgot to say, how irresponsible of Shimano for releasing their class 3 motor over a year ago in the USA.....If you don't like the Class 3 option don't buy one!!

 

Went for a ride on my ebike today. Encountered a group of 20 or so teens on SurRons, motorcycle tracks on MTB trails, un-plated dirt bikes ripping dirt roads at high speeds, Jeep tour drivers being dicks. Our little 1hp bikes are the least of anyone's worries.


.

 

I had understood that the Class 3 setting also cut assistance. Did I misunderstand? If it does cut power while allowing speed, riders flying up the mountain might be less of a concern.

 

they said same power / higher speed. So while it's now a class 3 you don't get any more power just the same assist up to 28mph,

 

You forgot to say, how irresponsible of Shimano for releasing their class 3 motor over a year ago in the USA.....If you don't like the Class 3 option don't but one!!

Cool story, bro. You'd have a valid point, IF there were other C1 ebikes on the market that, with the click of a button, become C3 ebikes. But there isn't any, so your point is moot.

I was thinking, any bike that could go 28 that wasn't hacked by the owner, and didn't have a selector switch was the problem......So its only Specialized that's causing the class 3 problems?