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With the fourth generation of the Specialized Levo, the Americans and Swiss are taking things up a notch in all areas. A new motor, new frame, new suspension and many exciting details make the Levo 4 unique. BIKE visited the Specialized development centre in Cham, Switzerland, and spoke to Marco Sonderegger about the development.
>> Test Specialised Levo 4 >> e.g. at Liquid Life available
BIKE: The geometry and suspension travel have remained relatively the same. What were the main goals in the specifications when developing the new Specialized Levo 4?
Marco Sonderegger: We didn't want to change anything that was already working perfectly. That's why the new Levo continues to rely on classic cable routing - without integration through the headset. This means easier maintenance and better sealing. Instead, we prefer to rely on a triple steering angle adjustment, which is much more important to us than pure design gimmicks that don't achieve any benefits. The seat angle has been steepened by one degree, otherwise the geometry remains largely unchanged. The kinematics, on the other hand, are completely new. In combination with the new Genie shock, this results in a flat characteristic curve with a high level of bottom-out protection.
The modular battery concept was a key issue for us: the rider can choose whether they want to ride with 840, 600 or 280 Wh. For the new Levo, we specifically developed the handling and dimensions of the battery. In addition, a SWAT bag was to be integrated above the battery in the down tube - for a tube, cartridge, rain jacket and more. Another challenge was the positioning of the motor and battery: despite the shock absorber with reservoir in the frame triangle, there still had to be enough space for a large water bottle or a range extender. Long telescopic stabilisers also had to remain compatible. These offer many advantages
BIKE: What about the motor?
Our aim was to develop a new motor that is not only durable, but also particularly quiet and at the same time impresses with its powerful performance and high efficiency. The motor was designed entirely by us. Both the hardware and the software were developed exclusively for Specialized. We rely on a separate voltage level and a specially tuned gearbox with a reduction ratio of 27:1. To make the background noise as pleasant as possible, the motor rotates comparatively slowly. Instead, a slightly larger electric motor is used, which pays off in terms of outstanding efficiency and consistently high torque across a wide power range.
BIKE: What influence does the higher voltage, which has been increased from 36 to 50.4 volts, have?
You can charge faster and the motor needs less current to generate power. (Power = current x voltage). Full power is already available at 18 amps. At 36 volts, you need almost 25 amps of current for the same power. More current generates more heat, which requires thicker cables. With our 50.4 volts, you are more efficient and generate less heat.
BIKE: All newly released engines advertise even more power. Your new motor also has more power. Hasn't the sweet spot already been reached?
The competition has long been in full swing, and it is not just pure engine performance that is decisive, but above all the right software and the controlled use of power and torque. Power is useless without control, which is why we rely on internally developed software. More power always means higher energy consumption. And at some point, even an 840 Wh battery may only last for half an hour of riding. The actual limit for performance is therefore not set by the motor, but by the battery.
The actual power limit is not set by the motor, but by the battery.
BIKE: What about other electronic aids? Suspension ABS, etc.?
A display has been part of our e-bikes since the first generation. Smart watches and bike computers can be connected and all data can be called up. You can also connect anything with 12 volts to the on-board computer. However, I am a purist when it comes to MTBs. Electronic ABS suspension for a trail bike therefore remains questionable for me. If everything is powered by a battery in the future, things will look different. In my opinion, even more batteries are currently rather dispensable gadgets. If it doesn't offer any real advantages, we'd rather do without it and focus on simplicity.
BIKE: What three things can the new Levo do better than the old one?
The new kinematics offer noticeably better performance - and in combination with the Genie shock, there are real advantages in terms of traction, control and comfort. The modular battery system with interchangeable capacities opens up significantly more options for different areas of use and personal preferences. The motor is not only more powerful, but also pleasantly quiet over its entire service life.
