Specialized Turbo Levo R
Wheel Size: 29’’
Suspension Travel:
- Frame travel: 130 mm
- Fork travel: 140 mm
Geometry Highlights:
- Sizes offered: S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6
- Headtube angle: 65°
- Reach (size S4): 475 mm
- Chainstay length: 447 mm (long position)
Drive System Highlights:
- Motor: 3.1 / S-Works 3.1
- Torque: 105 Nm / 111 Nm
- Power: 810 W / 850 W
- Battery: 840 Wh
- Display: MasterMind T3 Display
- Remote: MasterMind T3 Remote
Frame Material: Carbon fiber
Price: Complete bikes starting at $9,200 (build details below)
Intro
We’ve been expecting a new lightweight Specialized eMTB, but we definitely weren’t expecting it to be a short-travel full-power eMTB. So, well done, Specialized, for keeping us on our toes.
The new Turbo Levo R pairs their 3.1 full power drive system with a new 130 mm / 140 mm travel frame, in what may be the shortest travel full-power eMTB available — it’s definitely the shortest travel one we’ve been on. Let’s dig in and see what they’ve cooked up.
The Frame
Visually, the Turbo Levo R bears a strong resemblance to the Turbo Levo 4, but don’t be fooled. Specialized has done a lot more than just chopping off 20 mm of rear travel. Gone is the mixed wheel-size arrangement in favor of dedicated 29” wheels; there are some notable geometry changes (more on that below), and it’s claimed to be 530 grams lighter (than the carbon Turbo Levo 4). As it stands now, the Turbo Levo R is only available in carbon, but Specialized has a habit of adding alloy frames down the line, so we’ll have to wait and see there.
The Turbo Levo R retains the Genie rear shock technology from the Levo 4 (and Stumpjumper 15). The new Genie rear shock manages 130 mm of rear suspension travel via a four-bar linkage and yoke arrangement. We go into detail about the Genie rear shock here, but the basic concept is that the Genie shock starts with a large volume positive air chamber, then closes off the outer air sleeve partway through the stroke to make the shock more progressive from that point forward.
Also carried over from the Turbo Levo 4 are the geometry adjustments for chainstay length, head tube angle, and bottom bracket height.
The Turbo Levo R has SWAT downtube storage. There’s a hatch on the non-driveside of the downtube that accesses the SWAT storage area and Wattage Cottage (battery compartment). How much room you have in the SWAT storage depends on the battery size. The smaller 600 Wh battery gives you more SWAT storage space than the larger 840 Wh battery.
Most of the frame details are the same across all the builds, except for the top-tier S-Works frame, which gets a carbon shock extension instead of an aluminum one. Other than that, all the frames get a SRAM UDH, SWAT storage, and interchangeable battery compatibility.
Drive System
Mechanically speaking, the Turbo Levo R gets the same 3.1 drive system as the Turbo Levo 4 we reviewed. We put lots of miles on it, got to know it well, and came away impressed. The brands that make eMTB motors are seemingly in an all-out power war, and when Specialized launched the Levo 4 with 666 watts (720 watts for the S-Works), it was a flex on Bosch’s recently updated Gen 5 CX motor that had only 600 watts. Well, it was almost like Bosch was waiting for the Specialized 3.1 motor’s power numbers, because shortly afterwards, they released firmware that pushed output past it to 750 watts. So, not to be outdone, Specialized released a firmware update that hopscotches the 3.1 motor past the Bosch CX with a claimed 810 watts, and in S-Works trim, it goes up even higher to a whopping 850 watts. So for now, Specialized has the power edge over Bosch, but the 3.1 still falls short of the class-leading Avinox drive system that pips them all with a claimed 1,000 watts of peak power.
One of the more surprising elements of the Turbo Levo R, considering Specialized has clearly prioritized low weight, is the decision to spec the big 840 WH battery. However, like with the Turbo Levo 4, Specialized will offer a 600 Wh battery as an aftermarket accessory, which should be considerably lighter. For reference, Bosch’s 800 Wh battery is two pounds heavier than their 600 Wh battery. We have yet to see the 600 Wh battery materialize for sale on Specialized’s website, and it’s already been a year since the Levo 4 launched. Hopefully, it will be available soon, because even though it’s likely not going to be cheap (the 840 Wh one is $1,600), the weight savings could position the Levo R as one of the lightest full-power eMTBs available, and that’s hard to ignore.
Additionally, Specialized offers a 280 Wh range extender, which, in combination with the stock 840 Wh battery, brings total system capacity up to a massive 1,120 Wh — which, even with the higher power numbers from the firmware update, should still offer tons of range.
Specialized put a lot of effort into refining the power delivery of the 3.1 motor, and it impressed me during my time on the Turbo Levo 4. Claimed improvements to the 3.1 motor include more precise torque sensors, enhanced heat dissipation, larger full-metal gears with a hardened finish, and other internal tweaks said to help minimize vibrations.
All Turbo Levo 4 models have the same MasterMind T3 integrated top tube display. I’m a fan of the MasterMind displays and consider them to be some of the best top tube displays available. They are one of the highest quality looking and feeling integrated top tube displays we’ve used.
The Specialized app has the usual performance data, including distance, power, heart rate, battery usage, etc. Plus, it can track your bike through Apple Find My, and much like the Bosch app, it also has a remote bike-locking function.
Specialized ships the Turbo Levo R with a 4 amp / 200 watt charger, which is pretty much the standard for most brands — but they also offer a beastly 12 amp / 700 watt charger (which comes with S-Works models) that they claim can take the battery from 0 to 80% in under an hour, which is crazy fast. Having used the 12 amp charger, I can say it is hands down the fastest charger I’ve used on any eMTB to date; nothing even comes close.
Fit & Geometry
The new Turbo Levo R is offered in six sizes, from S1 to S6, except for the S-Works model, which isn’t available in size S1. The carbon Turbo Levo 4 isn’t available in size S1 either, so it’s super cool to see Specialized catering to smaller riders with the new Turbo Levo R.
I’m typically a size S4 in Specialized sizing, and that is the size we have in for review. The reach is 5 mm shorter than the Turbo Levo 4, putting it at 475 mm, which is at the bottom of my preferred range of 475 to 485 mm. But since the reach goes up 25 mm to 500 mm for the size 5, I’m not tempted to size up. Along with shortening the reach, the Turbo Levo R gets a half a degree steeper head tube angle (65º), and an 11 mm lower bottom bracket height (339 mm).
Of all the geometry numbers, the 339 mm bottom bracket height ( Low setting) stands out. Specialized has prioritized a low center of gravity for the Turbo Levo R and is leaning into what they call “Rally Geometry,” which they describe as “fast, agile, light, and low.”
Interestingly, and opposite to the Turbo Levo 4, the Turbo Levo R ships in the long chainstay position (447 mm) and the low bottom bracket height position (339 mm). They both ship in the neutral headset position.
The geometry chart below shows the numbers for the chainstays in the long position, the bottom bracket in the low position, and the headset angle in the neutral (middle) position. Specialized doesn’t publish full charts for all the options, but to give a rough idea: subtract 6 mm from the chainstays when switching to the short setting, add 5 mm to the bottom bracket height for the high position, and there’s +/- 1° headtube angle adjustability via the included offset headset.
The Builds
Choosing your Turbo Levo R is relatively easy, given Specialized is only offering three builds: Comp, Expert, and S-Works. And if you’re a size S1, that drops down to two since the S-Works build isn’t available in that size.
All models get a Fox 36 SL up front, Fox Float Genie in the rear, SRAM electronic Transmission shifting, and SRAM Motive brakes.
Looking over the builds, the Turbo Levo R Expert at $10,800 is hands down our pick for best overall value. It is just shy of $5,000 less than the eye-wateringly expensive S-Works build. Aside from having 40 watts less power and no blingy gold Kashima anywhere, it still has the same suspension internals, electronic shifting, and carbon wheels.
On the warranty side, Specialized now offers a lifetime bearing replacement program, but with countless other brands doing so, it’s kind of expected these days.
Lastly, there isn’t an S-Works frame-only option for the Turbo Levo R like there is for the Turbo Levo 4.
The full build details are as follows:
- Motor: Specialized 3.1 (810 watts / 105 Nm)
- Battery: 840 Wh
- Drivetrain: SRAM S1000 Eagle T-Type AXS
- Brakes: SRAM Motive Bronze (200 mm rotors)
- Fork: Fox 36 SL Performance (140 mm)
- Shock: Fox Float Genie
- Wheels: Specialized Alloy 30 mm rims w/ Specialized hub
- Motor: Specialized 3.1 (810 watts / 105 Nm)
- Battery: 840 Wh
- Drivetrain: SRAM GX Eagle T-Type AXS
- Brakes: SRAM Motive Bronze (200 mm rotors)
- Fork: FOX 36 SL Performance Elite (140 mm)
- Shock: Genie – Fox Float Performance Elite
- Wheels: Roval Traverse SL II Carbon rims / Industry 9 1/1 hubs
- Dropper Post: PNW Loam w/travel adjust (S1-S2: 150 mm, S3: 170 mm, S4–S6: 200 mm)
- Motor: Specialized S-Works 3.1 (850 watts / 111 Nm)
- Battery: 840 Wh
- Drivetrain: SRAM XX Eagle T-Type AXS
- Brakes: SRAM Motive Ultimate (200 mm rotors )
- Fork: FOX 36 SL Factory (140 mm)
- Shock: Genie – Fox Float Factory Genie
- Wheels: Roval Traverse SL II Carbon rims / Industry 9 Hydra hubs
- Dropper Post: RockShox Reverb AXS (S2: 125 mm, S3: 150 mm, S4-S6: 200 mm)
Some Questions / Things We’re Curious About
(1) Straight to the point — is there a case for short-travel full-power eMTBs?
(2) Where is the 600 Wh battery? It would seem like the obvious choice for a short-travel eMTB that clearly is trying to be light.
(3) Will the Turbo Levo R feel limited by its short-travel and lightweight builds?
(4) Will the higher power output significantly affect the range?
(5) Will we see alloy versions down the road?
Bottom Line (For Now)
The Turbo Levo R feels like a fairly niche product, and judging by the limited number of builds and no alloy versions, it seems like Specialized is testing the short-travel full-power eMTB waters. On paper, it makes sense; drop a whole bunch of weight and prioritize agile, responsive handling, but how much versatility will it give up is the question. We have one in for review, and aim to answer that question, and while we need a bunch more time on it, I can say that so far it’s a very interesting take on the full-power eMTB category.
Flash Review: Our Initial On-Trail Impressions
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Flash Review: Specialized Turbo Levo R
The Turbo Levo R is the shortest travel full-power eMTB we’ve ridden. Has Specialized zeroed in on something that was missing in the full-power category?
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