Specialized launches latest Levo premium electric mountain bikes with eye-watering price
– Mar. 23rd 2021 12:00 pm ET
When it comes to electric mountain bikes, Specialized is right up there with the best of them. Now, the company is pushing the limits of design and performance even further with the new Specialized Levo electric mountain bike unveiled today.
The new Specialized Levo comes with several updates to make riding the trails that much more fun and accessible.
As the company describes it:
“The new Levo is the distillation, application and amplification of everything we know about mountain biking; a potent blend of chassis, suspension, geometry and motor assist that adds up to an incredible trail riding experience. It is the liveliest, most nimble, full-power eMTB ever.”
That “full-power” is delivered from a mid-motor packing a peak power rating of 565W, though with a nominal rating of 250W to keep it legal just about anywhere. Torque is rated at 90Nm, making it one of the highest torque electric mountain bikes on the market, though not the highest.
The new Levo design features generous reach combined with short chainstays for a nimble ride.
The fork offset has been reduced and the head tube angle slackened for an improved ride. In fact, the head tube angle can be customized by the rider from three options ranging from 63-65.5 degrees, offering the ability for riders to fine-tune their geometry for specific riding styles.
The bottom bracket height is also adjustable up and down by 7 mm.
In another nod to nimbleness, the bike features a mullet design with a 27.5″ rear wheel and a larger 29″ front wheel. We’ve seen more of this design lately in electric mountain bikes, and it helps capture the advantages of both larger and smaller diameter wheel sizes.
The larger front wheel offers a superior attack angle and better traction, while the smaller rear wheel offers better acceleration and more aggressive handling and reduces the bike’s overall weight.
Six different full-carbon frame sizes are available to provide the best range of options for riders. The wide range of frame sizes also allows riders to size down for agility or up for stability.
All of the frames offer 150mm of travel in the rear suspension and 160mm of travel in the front, except for the smallest of the six frames that offers 150mm of front suspension travel.
The Specialized team is particularly proud of the suspension design, which was borrowed from the award-winning non-electric Specialized Stumpjumper EVO:
“Our trail obsessed team of engineers stay awake at night thinking of how to make suspension work better. For the Levo they developed specific suspension valving in consideration of the added power and speed that can be generated. They tailored every aspect of the suspension – kinematics, leverage curves, damping and spring rates – to work together in harmony, delivering a highly controlled, responsive and precise ride that handles bump forces like a bike with much more travel.”
Specialized uses its latest Turbo Full Power System mid-drive motor on the new Levo. The updated design of the custom-tuned motor features an updated belt reduction to ensure long-term reliable power delivery as well as redundant seals, combined with a new hatch for extra waterproofing for extremely wet riding.
The motor is paired with a large 700 Wh battery that Specialized claims will offer up to 5 hours of riding. In terms we’re used to thinking, the fine print explains that range in both distance (km) and elevation climb (meters) based on the three different assist levels, seen below.
Specialized also features Smart Control, which allows riders to input their desired ride distance or duration and then automatically controls the assist level to ensure there is enough battery remaining to complete the ride.
The new Levo is initially debuting with two models, the Levo Pro Carbon with an MSRP of US$13,000 and the Levo S-Works Carbon with an MSRP of US$15,000.
If those options are a bit pricy, you’ll be happy to know that additional models are expected to debut this summer.
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Micah Toll
Micah Toll is a personal electric vehicle enthusiast, battery nerd and author of the Amazon #1 bestselling books DIY Lithium Batteries, DIY Solar Power and the Ultimate DIY Ebike Guide.
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