New Specialized Turbo Levo SL
New Specialized Turbo Levo SL
Specialized are one of the few manufacturers on the market making their own electric bike systems. Pretty much everyone else uses the same Bosch or Shimano motors, batteries and display units. Designing their own motors, batteries and software allows Specialized to do things a little differently and their latest innovation is the Turbo Levo SL.
Most electric mountain bikes are big and heavy. The numbers that people talk about on them are the torque, battery power and range. The big motors and big batteries needed to keep the numbers up. With Turbo Levo SL Specialized are going the opposite way. Creating what they are calling ‘an entirely new class of lightweight electric mountain bikes’. The Turbo Levo SL is designed to look, ride and feel like a standard Specialized Stumpjumper. But comes with a 240w Specialized SL 1.1 electric motor which can double your pedalling power. The hidden 320Wh internal battery delivers up to 3.5 hours of ride time. With an optional 160Wh Range Extender (for £299). Adding another 1.5 hours of ride time, for a total of 5 hours on the trail. Which should be plenty to get you around most UK trail centres.
The motor on the Turbo Levo SL mountain bike is the same basic unit as the one Specialized are using on their Turbo Creo SL electric road bike. It is designed to be light and give you enough power to be useful. Without making the bike look, or feel, bulky. On the Turbo Levo SL the complete bike weighs in at 17.35 kg. For the top of the line S-Works model. With a non-electric carbon Stumpjumper weighing a bit over 14kg this is not a huge weight penalty.
As Specialized themselves say, if you want tons of power or range then the standard (non-SL) Turbo Levo is the bike for you. If you want a bike that rides more like a non-electric model and are not doing all-day epics. Then a Turbo Levo SL is the bike to have.
Mission Control
As Specialized have designed their own electric bike systems. They have also been working on their Mission Control App to help you manage your bike. Mission Control does all kinds of clever things. When registering your bike and can alert you to potential issues and give you trouble-shooting steps. Like a modern car it can also be plugged into a computer at you local Cycles UK store for diagnostics and updates.
Mission Control works with a built-in ANT+ power meter so you can personalize your Turbo Levo SL. Customizing your power delivery with Infinite Tune and controlling the range with Smart Control. You can then share riding data with a Turbo Connect Display or third-party ANT+ display devices. The latest version of Mission Control includes Heart Rate Control. Allowing you to connect a heart rate monitor to the Mission Control app. Set your target heart rate, and Mission Control will do the rest. Constantly adjusting power to help maintain your desired heart rate for the most effective workouts.
The Specialized Turbo Levo SL Range
To launch the Turbo Levo SL Specialized are doing a limited run of 250 Founders Edition S-Works bikes at £12,500. For everyone else there is the Turbo Levo SL Comp Carbon (pictured above) at £5999 which uses the same frame, motor and battery as the £12,500 bike, plus a Turbo Levo SL Expert with nicer fork, shock and gears at £7999. There is also an aluminium frame Turbo Levo SL Comp version at £4999 (pictures below) which again uses the same motor and battery.
