First Ride | Specialized Turbo Levo FSR Expert 6Fattie 2016
Some things take a little longer to materialize. And while the E-MTB trend was already in full flow in Europe, Specialized dealers have long been waiting impatiently for a model from the Californians. But now the time is nigh, and last week the US giant presented the world with no fewer than four models.
Update (November 2015)
In the meantime we had the chance to conduct an extensive test of the bike. Head over to the
E-Mountainbike Review of the Specialized Turbo Levo FSR Expert 6Fattie 2016.
From the off-set it was clear that Specialized were never going to present anything bog-standard, and that their range would certainly live up to its name of Specialized. So, just what are they? This is where you’ll find out. And this is what you’ll take from this: In the future, we aren’t going to rave about hardware and traditional features like torque and watts.
The highlight of the new E-MTB collection is the Specialized Turbo Levo FSR Expert 6Fattie, which we tested in Leogang. At first glance you can’t fail to notice the loving attention-to-detail on the bike and spot that Specialized have taken their own unique approach with neither a bar-mounted display, nor a typical e-bike aesthetic. “The Specialized Levo is designed for performance. We didn’t want a speedometer, and constant flicking between the various pedal-assist modes. We want riders to switch on their E-MTB and just ride,” explains head developer Jan Talavasek.
The hardware: the bike & its technical details
Skimming the stats and the spec of the Levo, it all looks very promising and hints at its sport-focused edge.
The Geometry
The Software: Specialized Mission Control App
With their own Mission Control App, Specialized want to raise E-MTBs and E-bikes to the next level. Instead of bulky displays that only show basic info and control several basic functions, this app has been designed to form an intelligent system.
The app also works to diagnose and report errors. It will be available for iOS and Android.
Important details
The bikes will be available worldwide, with Specialized dealerships taking care of servicing, motors and the batteries, as well as guarantees. The dealers are currently receiving special training. To avoid long repair turnarounds, individual parts will normally be swapped immediately. Final prices haven’t been made official yet. For the Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo FSR 6Fattie, the provisional price is around 9,000 €.
The ride
As the app is currently in the prototype phase, we’re only going to report on the handling of the Levo and not on the app itself.
At 178cm tall, the medium-sized frame of the Levo FSR Expert 6Fattie has a central but rather squat riding position. The wide cockpit with the 750mm wide bars and 60mm stem feel great, although we think the front could have been a little higher.
The motor on the downtube makes its entrance with a beep: the 10 yellowy-greeny LEDs light up, representing 100% battery life remaining. So we’re off! I switch the plus button to put the motor into the middle pedal-assist mode, opting for Trail. The standard settings mean that the Turbo mode delivers 100% support, the Trail mode gives 60% and the Eco mode delivers 30%. As there’s no display, you have to press the plus or minus buttons a few times to suss out which mode you’re riding in. From the extreme, one or two button presses will get you in the desired mode. If you prefer to switch off the pedal-assist completely, you just switch off the motor with the power button.
If you’re already familiar with Bosch or Yamaha mid-drive motors, you’ll notice a significant difference as soon as you start pedaling. The big ‘wow’ effect that you might be used to, is now much more subtle as the motor is more sensitive and delivers a far more natural performance.
For riding, this means more stability and fewer surprises. Instead of a buoyant push forward, the sensors register the power the rider is exerting and deliver considered support. On long climbs and technical terrain, the noticeably quiet motor is a show of strength as no matter what your cadence is, the support remains balanced and equal. In low gears the noise and vibrations do increase noticeably.
Thanks to the low front and the balanced geometry, the bike manages super steep sections easily without any sign of twitchiness. The voluminous 6Fattie tyres (1.1 bar for a rider weighing 75kg) give a mass of grip on dry ground. Once it gets wet and muddy though, the low-profile Specialized 6Fattie Ground Control lose grip rapidly and are soon out of their depth.
The compact Levo is more than at home on descents too. Weighing 20kg, the specifically tuned 140mm suspension mean that bike clings to the trails. The low centre of gravity and the short chainstay ensure that the Levo is a playful handler. Wheelies? Yep, for sure. Keeping it agile, the Levo seems destined to play with the terrain it encounters and loves to jump. Without a doubt, this Specialized model boasts impressed descending capability and easily ranks amongst the best that the market has to offer. On steep ground we’d prefer a higher front for a touch more stability. The rather low front position meant our upper arms got a bit of a workout over the course of the day – so don’t let anyone tell you that E-MTBs aren’t tiring…
The good thing about the motor is that it is barely noticeable on tight bends and corners. For those unused to E-MTBs, then the extra weight is a factor that could mean tight bends appear more difficult to manage.
The plus-size tyres ensure a huge amount of grip and a stable ride. We’d have liked a little more control across the mud – and the series bikes are set to have the Purgatory Control tyres with deeper knobs, rather than the Ground Control tyres that we trialed and this will ensure more control and more precise handling. The suspension proved potent, even though the voluminous tyres meant there was no strict definition of which range of travel you were in.
The distance life of the battery is similar to its current competitors. Depending on the rider’s weight and the chosen pedal-assist mode, Alpine rides of 30km and 1,000 metres of altitude won’t be a problem. Markedly different to other models, the Smart Control function on the Mission Control app takes away the responsibility from you and you’re free to ride without worrying about the battery life you’ll have to get yourself home with. Unfortunately it wasn’t fully finalized so we were unable to trial it.
Conclusion
Specialized have made a strong entrance into the rapidly expanding world of E-MTBs with the Levo. With their own innovative approach to E-MTBs, we’re fascinated by the Mission Control app with Smart Control and their decision relating to battery integration and the (lack of) display – these show a giant leap forward towards the future, bringing fresh wind onto the market. The Levo boasts new and impressive technologies, clever solutions, brilliant riding and a top class bike in general that’s begging to be ridden. The future looks even brighter now with the launch of the Levo, and all sights are on what will come next. But, everything has a time and place – and good things are worth waiting for.
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