The Takeaway: Killer motor, great frame, awesome all-around performance—the new Levo is the king of the e-mountain bikes.

  • E-trail bike with 150mm rear and 160mm front travel
  • 700Wh battery for up to 5.5 hours of riding time
  • 27.5-inch rear wheel and 29er up front
  • New control unit with digital display and enhanced features
  • Two models priced at $13,000 and $15,000

Price: $13,000 (Levo Pro Carbon as tested)
Weight: 49.7 lb. (S3)

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Specialized does its e-bikes differently than most. Not only does it design its own frames—something it obviously knows how to do very well—it’s also one of only a few brands that develops its own motors and software. That makes this brand’s e-bikes more unique than most, which tend to be powered by one of two motors (Shimano or Bosch). Specialized’s e-bikes even feel and ride different and have features unique to the brand—an approach that benefits the new generation Levo.


—Gen. Three Levo Tech Highlights—

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Mixed Wheel Sizes

The 27.5-inch rear wheel cuts 14mm off the chainstays; the front is a 29er.

Matt Phillips
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Adjustable Geometry

The new Levo has six possible geometry settings.

Matt Phillips
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Faster Rolling

A faster-rolling rear tire with T7 compound increases range about 10 percent.

Matt Phillips
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Blast Proof

A door and improved double seals on the charge port keep water out.

Matt Phillips
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Tidy Display

The new Levo gets a tidy display, called the MasterMind Turbo Control Unit, in the top tube.

Matt Phillips

Specialized Levo—Ride Impressions

Overall, I think Specialized bikes offer the most polished e-MTB experience you can find. It’s not just one thing that puts them at the top of my list, it’s a lot of things—stuff like the super clean cockpit with a low profile and well-designed mode switch, unique features like Smart Control, a very quiet and low-vibration motor, and superbly tuned assist. Add the brand’s frame engineering and suspension expertise, and you have a fearsome combination of assets. And when I need it, that big 90Nm of torque sure is nice to have.

That matters because when you get out on the trail, you can feel it and live it—all of it. And it makes for a better overall experience. Yeah, some brands might be cooler, other bikes are definitely better values, but when it comes to putting a smile on your face and having the best ride possible, every ride, I don’t think any bike matches the new Levo’s ability to do that.

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The Levo’s performance is top-notch in all areas.
Matt Phillips

With new (longer) geometry, a bigger battery, and heavier-duty suspension, the new Levo is a big and heavy 49.7-pound (22.5kg) bike. And while it is not exactly flickable like a 29-pound trail bike, it is surprisingly light feeling and much easier to manage on the trail than I expected.

It whips through turns with a light (for an e-bike) touch and pivots around switchbacks like a shorter bike: At least some credit for all this should go to the smaller rear wheel and shorter rear end.

It can’t dance and juke like a lighter unpowered bike, of course, but, again, piloting the Levo isn’t a wrestling match or an egregious upper-body workout. The handling is intuitive and pleasantly precise. Some of my late-winter/early-spring rides were inevitably slippery with snow and mud on top of their usual technical challenge—on the ups and downs—and the Levo responded well to subtle adjustments and the application of body English. I never felt like it was getting away from me; I always felt comfortably in control.

It’s dead-nuts stable, too (no surprise), and barrels downhill like an unstoppable boulder run amok. If you think modern trail bikes can plow through terrain well, wait ’til you try one with an additional 20 pounds of mass behind it and awesome suspension—this bike is hard to knock offline. It’s balanced in the air, too, so feel free to send it—I find the extra mass of an e-bike makes jumps that are otherwise at the limits of my ability easier.

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FSR suspension, of course.
Matt Phillips

It has a dialed motor, too. That big 90Nm of torque sure is nice to have when needed, but what’s more impressive is how natural the Levo’s motor feels. All the motors are getting better, but I still find the Specialized motor the most enjoyable to ride with because it’s the most harmonious. Compared to the other motors, there’s the least disconnect between how my power feels and how its power feels; less separation between where my power ends and where its power begins. The surges, jerks, delays, and obviously artificial nature are less prevalent with this Levo motor. I mean, I know I’m riding a bike that artificially enhances my power, but on this bike, riding a trail feels like…riding a trail and not like playing a video game.

The new Levo is a big, full-power, electric-assist trail bike done really well. Yeah, the price is high, but the motor, the handling, the features, and the performance—the generation three Levo has it all.

Specialized Levo—Updated and Adjustable Geometry

Say it with me: The new Levo is longer and slacker. But there’s a lot more to it than that. Specialized also adopted the “S sizing” system it rolled into its latest mountain bikes.

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Bottom-bracket height and some angle adjustment in the chainstay-pivot chips.
Matt Phillips

This system uses reach rather than standover as its basis. This allows most riders the flexibility to go up to a bigger size for more stability or down to a smaller size for a more agile feel. The smallest size, S1, uses a shorter 150mm-travel fork for more standover (about 25mm lower than the S2) and fits riders down to 4-foot-11 (1.5m). On the flip side, Specialized says the largest S6 fits riders up to 6-foot-8 (2.03m).

Like the new Specialized Stumpjumper Evo, the new Levo has two geometry adjustment tools. Chips in the chainstay link adjust the bottom bracket height ± seven millimeters (and alter seat and head tube angles a bit), while headset cups offer three head-tube angle settings.

If you’ve done the math, that means six possible geometry settings. Using the S3 size as an example, the head-tube angle range is 63.5 to 65.5 degrees, and the seat-tube angle range is 76 to 77 degrees. The BB drop ranges from minus 35mm to minus 25mm, yielding approximate BB heights of 342mm to 352mm. Wheelbase lengths start at 1,217mm and top out at 1,240mm.

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This is the Levo’s geometry as it is shipped. There are five other possible settings.
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Geometry adjustment is a cool feature for tuners and tweakers, but the Levo’s adjustments are more involved than a simple flip-chip in the shock mount, so you’re not likely to make the changes on the trail.

Specialized Levo—Mixed Wheel Sizes

The new Levo is a mixed-wheel size bike with a 27.5 rear wheel and a 29 on the front. The smaller rear wheel keeps the chainstays shorter than they would be if it cleared a 29er. Chainstays are 447 or 441mm (low/high BB position). The gen 2 Levo with 29er rear wheel has 455mm stays, so it is a significant difference. Specialized claims the new Levo fits up to a 2.6-inch rear tire.

Specialized Levo—Made to Pedal

You only get a boost from an e-MTB’s motor when you pedal, so Specialized made sure the Levo has plenty of ground clearance. The nominal BB height sits a bit higher than the Stumpy Evo’s, and the bike ships within the high-BB position. On top of that, you’ll find shorty 160mm cranks on the bike.

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Short 160mm cranks keep you spinning over rocks and roots.
Matt Phillips

I run 170mm cranks on all my unpowered bikes, so the 10mm shorter cranks were immediately noticeable. After a few miles, I stopped feeling the shorter crank length, but no benefits—I was able to keep turning over the cranks even as I watched rocks and roots that I usually clip pass underneath me.

Specialized Levo—Suspension Updates

Like all new suspension bikes (that I know of), the new Levo has a progressive (about 22 percent progression) leverage rate. Since it comes with an air shock, riders can further tune the progression with air volume spacers.

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The Levo’s leverage curve
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Specialized says it started with the Stumpy Evo’s kinematics but modified it for a heavier powered bike’s demands. “We definitely take into consideration the added weight of e-bikes and in some cases add some spring progression or low-speed damping, but these differences have become very slight,” Specialized’s suspension research and development manager, Chance Ferro, told me.

Like the brand’s other recent full-suspension bikes, the Levo has an initially rearward axle path, according to Specialized. The company, like some other brands, touts this as an advantage because it gives the rear wheel the ability to track in the direction of bumps—back and up—for less speed-robbing hang. This axle path is doubly important on the new Levo as it runs the smaller 27.5 rear wheel, which doesn’t roll over bumps as well as a 29er wheel.

The axle path begins to change direction about 65mm into the travel and begins the forward path it takes to bottom out. This reduces pedal feedback as well as helps the suspension flow with less resistance.

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Magnified rear-axle path
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Specialized doesn’t mess around with suspension bits, choosing enduro-/DH-rated stuff. It runs a Fox Float X2 shock on the rear and a sturdy 160mm (150mm on the smallest size) Fox Float 38 on the front.

Specialized Levo–Motor Improvements

Specialized didn’t shrink or lighten the Levo’s motor—it’s still one of the most powerful, with up to 90Nm of torque and 565 watts of assists—but it did make a few notable improvements. Most significant is a stiffer, more robust belt which, hopefully, will address a troubling issue some riders reported with their previous generation motor.

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A new door and improved sealing prevent water from getting into the charge port.
Matt Phillips

Another improvement is enhanced sealing around the charge port. It’s now behind a locking door, with “redundant seals,” on the plug. This makes the bike pressure-wash friendly (though, as always, be careful when pressure washing your bike).

Specialized Levo—Firmware Upgrades

Another significant enhancement to this newest Levo is its ability to take over-the-air updates. That means no more scheduling a service appointment to update your Levo’s firmware.

The generation three Levo’s motor gets new 2.2 firmware based on the Levo SL motor’s firmware. It makes the system more efficient and reduces drivetrain wear. Specialized representatives stated that this firmware update is free for owners of gen. 2 Levos. They also teased an update coming at the end of the summer that will bring enhanced security features to the Levo.

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The new TCU has a customizable display.
Matt Phillips

Specialized Levo—MasterMind Control Unit

Specialized keeps the clean and minimal controls its e-bikes are known for but adds a small color display, with a Gorilla Glass screen, in the top tube. Called the MasterMind Turbo Control Unit (TCU), it offers far more (and more detailed) information than the previous Levo’s LED lights. The new display can be customized via the Specialized Mission Control app and will display multiple pages with up to three data fields per page filled with 30 available metrics. Some of those metrics, like Live Consumption, are intended to coach the rider into using available battery life more efficiently.

There’s a lot more functionality baked into the new MasterMind as well. It now sports a barometric altimeter and can connect to ANT+ and Bluetooth heart rate monitors and Garmin Rearview Radar units. However, the MasterMind doesn’t record data like a Garmin unit, but you can record and upload your rides through the Mission Control app on your smartphone.

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Smart Control lets you tune the support for the upcoming ride.
Matt Phillips

As before, there are three stock assist modes: eco, trail, and turbo: all modes can be fine-tuned in the app. There’s also a new MicroTune mode which lets you select, on the fly, a fixed assist from 10 to 100 percent in 10 percent increments. Specialized says this offers “easy equalization of effort to riding partners” and increases range by limiting the motor’s output power to only what is needed.

Also carried over is Specialized’s excellent Smart Control setting that lets you, in the app, dial in the desired time, distance, or heart rate target (and desired battery life remaining), and the motor will automatically adjust its support to meet those targets.

Specialized Levo—Battery and Range

The new Levo gets a big 700Wh battery which, Specialized claims, offers up to 5.5 hours of ride time, 43 miles of range, or 2,500 meters of elevation gain. Of course, that’s the best-case scenario and in Eco mode. But it’s a honkin’ big battery, and it should get you plenty of time on the bike between charges.


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Specialized’s range estimates
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For example, I did a 20-mile (32.2km) ride with more than 1,700 feet (518m) of climbing using trail mode—with a bit of turbo for the liaisons between singletrack—and finished with 42 percent battery remaining (and because it matters for battery consumption, I’m, ugh, 180 pounds (81.6kg) kitted to ride.

Specialized claims the battery is good for more than 1,000 charge cycles with little degradation. There is no external range extender option for the new Levo—Specialized figures that big battery should be enough for most riders.

One tidbit on the range: It’s affected by tire compound, and softer, grippier tires cut into range. That’s why the Levo has a Specialized T9-compound front tire and a harder T7 rear tire. A Specialized rep estimated that running a T9 rear tire would reduce range by about 10 percent.

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Both new Levo models get the Fox Factory 38 fork.
Matt Phillips

Specialized Levo—Models

The new Levo rolls out in two carbon models: the $15,000 S-Works and the Pro for $13,000. Both bikes use the same frame, motor, battery, MasterMind TCU/display, Fox Factory Float X2 shock and Factory Float 38 fork, Specialized carbon handlebar, and Praxis carbon cranks.

The big difference between the bikes: The S-Works gets SRAM’s XX1 Eagle AXS shifter and rear derailleur, a RockShox Reverb AXS dropper, Magura MT7 brakes with Specialized-sponsored Loic Bruni’s signature lever, and lighter Roval Traverse SL carbon wheels.

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The S-Works Levo
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The Pro—my review bike—gets SRAM X01 Eagle mechanical shifting, a Fox Factory Transfer dropper, SRAM Code RSC brakes, and Roval Traverse carbon wheels.

E-bikes with high-end parts won’t be cheap, but even so, these new Levos are pricey. For comparison, the new 150mm Canyon Spectral:ON CF 9 with Shimano’s excellent EP8 motor, Shimano XTR drivetrain and brakes, Fox Factory shock, fork, and dropper, carbon rims, and carbon bar/stem comes in at $9,000 ($6,000 or $4,000 less than the Levo models). The Canyon, however, has a smaller 630Wh battery, an aluminum (not carbon) rear end, a motor that puts out less torque (85Nm), and lighter-duty suspension components.

A Trek Rail 9.9 AXS with 150/160mm of travel, a Bosch Performance Line CX motor, a SRAM AXS drivetrain, a RockShox AXS dropper, carbon rims, and RockShox Ultimate suspension (Zeb fork, Super Deluxe shock) comes in at $13,000. Like the Canyon, however, the Trek’s motor has less torque (85Nm max) and a smaller 625Wh battery.

Headshot of Matt Phillips
Matt Phillips
Senior Test Editor, Bicycling

A gear editor for his entire career, Matt’s journey to becoming a leading cycling tech journalist started in 1995, and he’s been at it ever since; likely riding more cycling equipment than anyone on the planet along the way. Previous to his time with Bicycling, Matt worked in bike shops as a service manager, mechanic, and sales person. Based in Durango, Colorado, he enjoys riding and testing any and all kinds of bikes, so you’re just as likely to see him on a road bike dressed in Lycra at a Tuesday night worlds ride as you are to find him dressed in a full face helmet and pads riding a bike park on an enduro bike. He doesn’t race often, but he’s game for anything; having entered road races, criteriums, trials competitions, dual slalom, downhill races, enduros, stage races, short track, time trials, and gran fondos. Next up on his to-do list: a multi day bikepacking trip, and an e-bike race.