Now the Americans are refining their Levo fleet with carbon fibre. The carbon fibre chassis should not only be significantly stiffer than the aluminium version, but also save a lot of weight: According to Specialized, the main frame of the Levo Carbon is 40 per cent stiffer on the test bench and half a kilo lighter at the same time. The expensive S-Works models are said to have shed a whopping 650 grams thanks to the additional carbon rear triangle. For more precise handling and better handling in the mud, Specialized has fitted 2.8 inch instead of 3.0 inch wide tyres to the Levos. To compensate for the resulting bottom bracket drop, suspension forks with 150 millimetres of travel are fitted in the head tube. The drive has also been given a hardware and software update. The Brose motor delivers 15 per cent more power, its efficiency has been increased and it should not overheat so quickly on long, steep climbs. www.emtb-magazin.de, webcode #36637
DRIVING REPORT
Thanks to the harmonious geometry, which was already convincing on the aluminium Levo, you feel comfortable on the carbon all-mountain right from the start. Ten minutes under full load uphill cannot lure the new motor out of its reserve. The assistance kicks in smoothly and predictably, and despite more power it remains extremely quiet. All in all, we chased the Levo Carbon for a day over a wide variety of bike park descents. The front is not too low, but you still get a lot of pressure on the front wheel. Overall, you feel extremely secure in the saddle of the tested Comp Carbon version. This quickly tempts you to leave the Guide brakes with their 200 mm discs open. Thanks to the weight of the motor and the sporty Rockshox suspension, the E-MTB sits firmly on the trail. Even on winding, steep nature trails, you can hit your lines with a steady hand. The Öhlins suspension in the S-Works model, on the other hand, is more on the sensitive and comfortable side. We also liked the 2.8 inch wide Specialized tyres with the new Gripton compound. They generate a lot of grip and allow more direct handling than 3.0 tyres.
Stefan Loibl, EBIKE test editor
