Specialized Turbo Levo 4
Wheel Size: 29’’ front / 27.5’’ rear
Suspension Travel:
- Frame travel: 150 mm
- Fork travel: 160 mm
Geometry Highlights:
- Sizes offered: S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6
- Headtube angle: 64.5°
- Seat tube angle: 77.0º (effective)
- Reach (size S4): 480 mm
- Chainstay length: 435 mm
Drive System Highlights:
- Motor: 3.1 / S-Works 3.1
- Torque: 101 Nm / 111 Nm
- Power: 666 W / 720 W
- Battery: 840 Wh
- Display: MasterMind T3 Display
- Remote: MasterMind T3 Remote
Frame Material: Carbon fiber and aluminum
Price:
- Complete bikes $5800 – $13499 (build details below)
- S-Works Levo 4 Frameset: $7,499
Blister’s Measured Weight (Turbo Levo 4 Alloy Comp, size S4): 56.8 Ibs / 25.8 kg
Test Locations: Colorado, New Mexico
Reviewer: Simon Stewart (6′, 170 lbs / 183 cm, 77.1 kg)
Test Duration: 4 months
Intro
Specialized has done a lot to push eMTB technology along, and their ability to design the eMTB-related components in-house has led to class-leading integration. So, to put it mildly, we’ve been eagerly anticipating a new version of the Turbo Levo 4 for a while, and now it’s finally time to see what they’ve come up with.
In many ways, 2024 was the year of lightweight, light-assist eMTBs. A ton of new bikes dropped in that category, spurred by a couple of new drive system releases — and we’ve reviewed a whole bunch of them. But things change quickly in the eMTB world, with motor and battery technology evolving extremely rapidly. So far in 2025, it feels like the pendulum is swinging back in favor of full-power eMTBs, and many of the recently released bikes are claiming lower weights than the bikes they replaced (mostly thanks to lighter, higher-density batteries).
Specialized has leaned in the full-power direction by spec’ing a very large battery as standard in the new Levo. But that’s only half the story since they have also designed the system to be interchangeable with an available aftermarket, smaller, lighter battery. We have a Turbo Levo 4 coming, but before it arrives, let’s check out what Specialized has come up with. Interestingly, they’ve opted to spec the Turbo Levo 4 aluminum models with the big battery too, again cementing their approach of offering strong range potential out of the box. We just got a Turbo Levo 4 in for review, so let’s check out the details here and our Flash Review for initial ride impressions.
The Frame
The Turbo Levo 4 keeps the mixed-wheel setup of the Turbo Levo 3 — we found that complemented its personality when we reviewed it, and are optimistic that the same will apply to the new version. The Turbo Levo 4 is available in Specialized’s FACT 11m carbon fiber or M5 aluminum, and the new frame eschews the right-side front triangle brace from the Turbo Levo 3 and visually has more in common with the newer Stumpjumper 15.
In addition to the visual similarities to the Stumpjumper 15, the Turbo Levo 4 also adopts its Genie rear shock technology. The new Genie rear shock still manages 150 mm of rear suspension travel via a four-bar linkage and yoke arrangement (unchanged from the Turbo Levo 3). 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 part way through the stroke to make the shock more progressive from that point forward. The Turbo Levo 4 Alloy (which is the lowest build level) is the only model that does not come with the Genie rear shock; it has a Marzocchi Bomber Inline in its place.
Specialized was a pioneer in downtube storage with SWAT, but it’s still a surprise that they’ve integrated downtube storage into an eMTB. Obviously, having a battery in the downtube is why eMTB downtube storage hasn’t been a thing, historically. The Turbo Levo 4 has a removable hatch on the non-drive side of the downtube that spans most of the downtube. The hatch opens up the majority of the battery compartment, making it easy to switch battery sizes. The hatch also does double duty by accessing the SWAT storage area, which has more or less space depending on your battery choice. The smaller 600 Wh battery gives you more SWAT storage space than the bigger 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, interchangeable battery compatibility, and room for 200 mm dropper posts (size S4).
Drive System
The big news surrounding the Turbo Levo 4 is the new 3.1 drive system. A quick glance at the specs shows that Specialized has prioritized more power and range over low overall weight — but with some options for customization that we’ll touch on in a minute.
With that said, let’s dive right into the main influence on weight in an eMTB — the battery. All Turbo Levo 4s come with an 840 WH battery. 840 Wh is on the larger side, and while Specialized has not disclosed how much the battery weighs, it likely is a big part of why all Turbo Levo 4 models weigh over 52 lbs complete. As mentioned above, Specialized will offer a 600 Wh battery as an aftermarket accessory — I appreciate spec’ing the larger capacity and more expensive battery, leaving the 600 Wh battery as a less costly option likely only considered when looking to save weight. Still, I’m not sure how realistic it will be for riders to have both battery sizes. A more common scenario could be that the battery size decision is made at the dealer when purchasing the bike. I think if Specialized dealers offered a battery swap program, it would be well received.
We haven’t seen pricing for the 600 Wh battery yet, but it’s probably not cheap; similar-size batteries offered by other brands typically cost well over $700. The thing is, though, the smaller 600 Wh battery could very well have a fairly big impact on how the Turbo Levo 4 rides. Specialized claims the 600 Wh battery offers “nimble handling manners for shorter rides.” We’re hoping to get our hands on one while we have the Turbo Levo 4 in for testing so we can report back. Additionally, as mentioned above, Specialized equips the aluminum models with the 840 Wh battery, which, based on the weight of the carbon models, will likely make them quite heavy.
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 1120 Wh — which, according to Specialized, will get you 4.75 hours of ride time (in Eco mode with an 80 Kg rider, and lots of climbing). Estimated range numbers are fairly pointless, given how many variables there are, but 1120 Wh should offer a ton of range.
The new 3.1 motor has a claimed power output of 666 watts and torque output of 101 Nm. Those are class-leading numbers, making the Turbo Levo 4 one of the more powerful eMTBs on the market. The S-Works 3.1 motor puts out even more, with 720 watts of power and 111 Nm of torque. We’re curious if there are internal differences in the motors or if the extra power is software-related.
Specialized’s description of the drive system firmware is long on automotive-derived terminology that isn’t described in much detail (including ”Direct Current Injection” and “advanced Turbo firmware”), but brushing aside the over-the-top marketing speak, Specialized has seemingly put a lot of effort into refining the power delivery of the 3.1 motors. 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. We look forward to seeing how all that plays out on the trail, especially on steep technical climbs where Specialized has claimed the Turbo Levo 4 consistently bests the competition.
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. The New MasterMind T3 looks to improve on the previous generation with a bigger, higher-resolution screen and more available data/metrics.
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.
Finally — and this is pretty news-worthy — Specialized ships the Turbo Levo 4 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 they claim will take the battery from 0 to 80% in under an hour, which is crazy fast.
Fit & Geometry
The new Levo is offered in six sizes, from S1 to S6 (carbon models aren’t offered in the S1 size). Offering a size S1 for a full-power eMTB is kind of a big deal (we think anyway), yet Specialized is quietly adding it to the aluminum Turbo Levo 4 range. According to Specialized, the size S1 accounts for a pretty small portion of total sales, so the team chose to make it in alloy and not carbon since the alloy has higher volume. Additionally, the size S1 aluminum builds also get the huge 840 Wh battery, which, given the obvious packaging constraints for fitting the battery in the downtube of such a small frame, is pretty crazy, and well done to Specialized for squeezing it in there.
I’m typically a size S4 in Specialized sizing, and after looking over the geometry chart for the Turbo Levo 4, that is the size we have on the way for review. The reach has grown 3 mm over the Turbo Levo 3, bringing it up to 480 mm — right in the middle of my preferred range of 475 to 485 mm.
Specialized has kept the geometry numbers for the Levo 4 pretty similar to the outgoing model, which is fine by us, given that we got along very well with the Turbo Levo 3 we reviewed. The new frame retains much of the chainstay length, bottom bracket height, and headtube angle adjustability of the outgoing model. However, the Turbo Levo 3’s chainstay and bottom bracket adjustments were tied to the same flip-chip adjustment in the swingarm. The Turbo Levo 4 now has independent adjustments for the chainstay length and bottom bracket height. The geometry adjustability adds a nice measure of versatility to the Turbo Levo 4 allowing the rider to decide how progressive or conservative they want to set it up. Granted, the +/- 1º of headset angle adjustability only drops it down to 63.5º, which isn’t that slack anymore, evidenced by some widely slack head tube angles we’ve been on recently. But in my opinion, it is still plenty aggressive for a 150/160 mm travel Trail bike.
The Turbo Levo 4 will ship in the short chainstay position (435 mm). While not overly short for a mixed-wheel bike, folks in the upper sizes range who ride a lot of steep terrain will likely be thankful they can lengthen them by 9 mm.
The geometry chart below shows the numbers for the chainstays in the short position, the bottom bracket in the high 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: add 9 mm to the chainstays when switching to the long setting, take 6 mm off the bottom bracket height for the low position, and there’s +/- 1° headtube angle adjustability via the included offset headset.
The Builds
Specialized offers four familiar builds for the carbon Turbo Levo 4: Comp, Expert, Pro, and S-Works; and two builds for the aluminum models: Alloy and Alloy Comp. All carbon models get Fox suspension, SRAM electronic Transmission shifting, and SRAM Maven brakes. Like the Stumpjumper 15, the carbon Levo models don’t have provisions for mechanical shifting, but the aluminum versions do.
The Turbo Levo 4 Alloy Comp model essentially mirrors the Turbo Levo 4 Comp (carbon) for parts spec, with the exception of the SRAM 90 mechanical drivetrain in place of the SRAM S1000 wireless one. Regardless, it’s only $600 less expensive, and I’m honestly having trouble seeing any reason to choose it over the carbon model. SRAM’s recently introduced AXS upgrade kit (for SRAM 70/90 drivetrains) costs $550 on its own, which puts you $50 shy of the carbon Comp, and you still have an aluminum frame.
The Turb Levo 4 Alloy is by far the budget build, and at $5,800, it represents a solid value, especially given that the entire drivesystem (including the larger 840 Wh battery and color Mastermind T3 display) is unchanged from the rest of the Turbo Levo 4 range (excluding the S-works model).
When we reviewed the Turbo Levo 3 Comp, we called out the Expert build as our pick for best overall value, which remains the case with the Turbo Levo 4. Spending $1,500 over the Cop build gets you upgraded Performance Elite suspension (and a beefed-up Fox 38 fork over a Fox 36), SRAM Maven Silver brakes, DT Swiss 370 hubs with Roval alloy rims, and a PNW Loam dropper post.
It’s worth noting again that there are different power outputs between the S-Works 3.1 motor and the standard 3.1 motor. I can’t help but think it is software and not hardware related, and perhaps an S-Works software upgrade will be available in the future.
Other nice features are the same 220 mm / 200 mm SRAM HS2 rotors, Specialized Gripton Gravity T9 compound TLR tires, and MasterMind T3 display on all build levels.
Specialized is still one of the few brands that offer framesets, especially for eMTBs. Yes, we know $7499 for just a frame, shock, and crankset is an eye-watering price, but it’s still cool that you can build an eMTB from a frameset any way you want.
On the warranty side, Specialized now offers the same lifetime bearing replacement program that is available on their non-motorized bikes for the Turbo Levo 4.
The full build details are as follows:
- Drivetrain: SRAM 70 Eagle T-Type Mechanical
- Brakes: SRAM Maven DB8 Stealth (220 mm front rotor / 200 mm rear)
- Fork: Marzochhi Bomber Z1 (160 mm)
- Shock: Marzochhi Bomber Inline
- Wheels: Specialized aluminum rims / Bear Pawls hubs
- Dropper Post: TranzX (S1: 100 mm, S2: 125 mm, S3: 150 mm, S4–S5: 170 mm, S6: 200 mm)
- Drivetrain: SRAM 90 Eagle T-Type Mechanical
- Brakes: SRAM Maven Bronze (220 mm front rotor / 200 mm rear)
- Fork: Fox 36 Rhythm Grip (160 mm)
- Shock: Fox Float X Genie
- Wheels: Specialized aluminum rims / Bear Pawls hubs
- Dropper Post: X-Fusion (S2: 125 mm, S3: 170 mm, S4–S6: 190 mm)
- Drivetrain: SRAM S1000 Eagle T-Type AXS
- Brakes: SRAM Maven
- Bronze (220 mm front rotor / 200 mm rear)
- Fork: Fox 36 Rhythm Grip (160 mm)
- Shock: Fox Float X Genie
- Wheels: Specialized Alloy rims / Bear Pawls hubs
- Dropper Post: X-Fusion (S2: 125 mm, S3: 170 mm, S4–S6: 190 mm)
- Drivetrain: SRAM GX Eagle T-Type AXS
- Brakes: SRAM Maven Silver (220 mm front rotor / 200 mm rear)
- Fork: FOX 38 Performance Elite Grip X2 (160 mm)
- Shock: Genie – Fox Float X2 Performance Elite
- Wheels: Roval Traverse Alloy rims / DT Swiss 370 hubs
- Dropper Post: PNW Loam w/travel adjust (S2: 150 mm, S3: 170 mm, S4–S6: 200 mm)
- Drivetrain: SRAM XO Eagle T-Type AXS
- Brakes: SRAM Maven Silver (220 mm front rotor / 200 mm rear)
- Fork: FOX 38 Factory Grip X2 (160 mm)
- Shock: Genie – Fox Float X2 Factory
- Wheels: Roval Traverse HD Carbon rims / DT Swiss 350 hubs
- Dropper Post: Bike Yoke Revive Max 3.0 (S2: 125 mm, S3: 160 mm, S4: 185 mm, S5-S6: 213 mm)
- Drivetrain: SRAM XX Eagle T-Type AXS
- Brakes: SRAM Maven Ultimate (220 mm front rotor / 200 mm rear)
- Fork: FOX 38 Factory Grip X2 (160 mm)
- Shock: Genie – Fox Float X2 Factory
- Wheels: Roval Traverse HD Carbon rims / DT Swiss 240 hubs
- Dropper Post: Fox Transfer Neo Factory (S2: 150 mm, S3: 175 mm, S4-S6: 200 mm)
- Drivetrain: SRAM XX Eagle Transmission Crankset (ISIS interface)
- Shock: Genie – Fox Float X2 Factory
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Full Review
The class of 150 / 160 mm travel full-power eMTBs is a hot one, and the competition is fierce. Specialized has long been a class leader with the venerable Turbo Levo line, but the latest generation features some interesting design decisions. Join us as we dive in to find out if the Turbo Levo 4 has what it takes to stay at the top of the category.
Fit & Sizing
Simon Stewart (6’, 170 lbs / 183 cm, 77 kg): Although it’s been almost two years since I’ve been on the previous generation Turbo Levo, I remember the S4 size being a really good fit for me. Not a lot has changed geometry-wise for the Turbo Levo 4, and I’m still squarely in the middle of the recommended sizing band for the size S4.
It’s also worth noting that there are six sizes (S1–S6) offered for the aluminum Turbo Levo 4 (carbon models get five sizes, S2–S6), which results in fairly small size gaps between the sizes, and gives folks who often find themselves between sizes more options.
I mentioned in our Flash Review that the Turbo Levo 4 fit was pretty spot on for me, and I didn’t expect to swap any parts to dial in the fit. That has remained true; I’ve kept the Turbo Levo 4 completely stock. I typically prefer a high bar height on eMTBs and the Turbo Levo 4’s 638 mm of stack (size S4) would usually have me swapping in my Burgtech Josh Bryceland Ride High bars with 50 mm of rise, however, Specialized specs the Turbo Levo 4 sizes S3–S6 with their own 50 mm rise handlebar (sizes S1 and S2 get a 30 mm rise bar). I can’t think of any bike I’ve reviewed that has come stock with a bar with that much rise — thank you, Specialized.
The Turbo Levo 4 doesn’t have adjustable fit per se, but it does have adjustable geometry, and making adjustments to the geometry can have implications to the fit. Specialized used to have a nifty “Geometry Finder App” on their website that let you enter different geometry settings and see the effects on all the geometry numbers, but sadly, it seems to be gone now. Specialized doesn’t make it easy to find any information about the adjustable geometry settings on their website, which, if I’m being honest, is one of my least favorite bike brand websites to navigate.
To find any of the adjustable geometry settings numbers, you have to download the Turbo Levo 4 User Manual, and while overall I find the user manual to be excellent, it unfortunately lacks details about the adjustable geometry’s effect on many of the geometry numbers. It’s good to remember that numbers like reach and effective seat tube angle (among others) are typically affected when lowering or raising the bottom bracket height, slackening or steepening the head tube angle, and adjusting chainstay length. When I played around with the adjustable geometry settings (more on that later), I did notice slight differences in the fit.
Out on the trail, I got along well with the fit when climbing in both seated and standing positions, and while descending with the seatpost dropped (thanks to the high handlebar height).
Climbing
The Levo is an impressive climber, but it took a minute for me to unlock its full potential. Initially, when tackling slow technical climbs littered with tricky ledge-up moves, I found the Turbo Levo 4 didn’t manage abrupt rider weight shifts very well. It had a tendency to wallow deeper into the shock travel than I prefer, which affected balance and slow-speed handling in general. It doesn’t help that the Turbo Levo 4 Alloy Comp itself isn’t particularly light, weighing 56.8 Ibs / 25.8 kg. Combine that with the issue I was having with the shock tuning, and I didn’t get along with the Turbo Levo 4’s technical climbing performance terribly well to start with.
Our reviewers who spent time on the Stumpjumper 15, and more specifically, the Genie rear shock, mentioned having to add sleeve volume spacers to the Genie to increase mid-stroke support. The Turbo Levo 4 comes from the factory with one sleeve spacer; it also ships with a Genie shock tuning kit (a nice touch). Adding sleeve spacers was just a matter of removing the shock and pulling the outer sleeve off, installing two more spacers, and buttoning it up. There’s room to install up to four spacers, so I left space for another, but it wasn’t necessary.
The added spacers made a significant difference in improving the Levo’s slow, technical climbing manners. Installing more sleeve spacers has the potential to decrease small bump sensitivity and traction, but if it did, it wasn’t noticeable.
With the rear shock sorted, the next bit of tuning involved the Turbo Levo 4’s 3.1 motor. Initially, I did what I always do when setting up a new eMTB: I went into the app and turned all the available tunable parameters up to the max for the highest power mode. For the 3.1 motor that included: Shuttle, Responsiveness, and Overrun. My take there is to make the highest power mode (Turbo) optimized to unequivocally produce the most assistance, as fast as possible, specifically for climbing comically steep, technical terrain.
When set up that way, the Turbo Levo 4’s power delivery was a bit too abrupt at very slow speeds. It was most noticeable when almost track standing to line up obstacles, where I would stop pedaling momentarily, and then, when getting back on the pedals, the power delivery was too abrupt, which upset my balance. Dialing back the “Responsiveness” setting in the app helped a lot, but I found I like the “Responsiveness” maxed out in other situations, so it wasn’t the best solution. I started using the Dynamic Micro Tune mode, which proved to be the answer. It allows me to keep everything maxed out and quickly dial back the power delivery in 10% increments — more on that in the Drive System and Range section below.
On the adjustable geometry side, I prefer the Turbo Levo 4 in the stock configuration, which is the neutral headset position (64.5º), “Short” chainstay position (435 mm), and “Low” bottom bracket setting (350 mm bottom bracket height). I found that it offers the best balance for climbing and descending performance.
Once I got the Turbo Levo 4 setup to my preferences, its climbing performance got considerably better, and the more time I spent on it, the more we clicked. The new 3.1 motor is a beauty, and rivals the Bosch CX motor for outright power when climbing steep terrain. The geometry in the stock setting helps make the heavy Turbo Levo 4 maneuverable in slow technical situations, while also giving it good traction in loose conditions. The 3.1 motor’s considerable overrun (it continues to provide assist after you stop pedaling) makes lofting the front end up and over obstacles easy and super fun.
On long fireroad climbs, the Turbo Levo 4 is in a class all on its own due to the ability to toggle it into class 3 mode, which raises the top speed from 20 mph to 28 mph. Granted, the climbs need to be more on the gradual side to take advantage of class 3 mode, but when they are, the Turbo Levo 4 easily rides away from full-power eMTBs with drive systems from other brands, such as Bosch and Shimano. No other manufacturers currently offer class 3 capability on eMTBs, and to be clear, making the top speed user-definable is a very polarizing decision from Specialized.
Specialized’s take is that the rider can use class 3 mode on roads to access the trailhead, then before getting on the trail, they are supposed to switch it back to class 1 mode (and if you forget, the Turbo Levo 4’s display periodically pops up a message reminding you that you’re in class 3 mode). Class 1 eMTBs are limited to 20 mph, and are the only class of eMTBs that are permitted on off-road trails where eBikes are legal. It’s all a bit murky, and considering that even class 1 eMTBs on legal trails are often contentious, is it’s easy to see why Specialized’s approach is polarizing.
Descending
The Turbo Levo 4 surprised me with its playfulness when going downhill. Sure, it’s definitely very planted too due to its weight (as most full-power eMTBs are), but it is easier to get off the ground than many lighter eMTBs I’ve reviewed. Which brings me to one of the things the Turbo Levo 4 does effectively: how well it masks its weight and comes across as a lighter bike. Many eMTBs have the tendency to shed the heavy feeling once up to speed, which of course is made much easier by having a motor; still, the Levo does it better than many of them.
Thanks to the copious overrun, long power-assisted manuals are easy to do, which contributes to the Levo 4’s playful feel. Additionally, the 3.1 motor’s responsiveness is huge fun when powering out of corners. That said, the Turbo Levo 4 doesn’t step out in the back end as much as many mixed-wheel size eMTBs have a tendency to do, and it isn’t as drifty as the Santa Cruz Bullit or Yeti LTe.
Before settling on the stock geometry position as my preference, I played around with the Turbo Levo 4 with longer chainstays and a slacker head angle. Putting it in the “Long” chainstay setting, increased the chainstay length 11 mm to 446 mm. Moving the rear wheel back also slackens the head angle by 0.8 degrees. Installing the -1º headset cup in combination with the negative 0.8º from the chainstay adjustment puts the head angle at a very slack 62.8º.
The Turbo Levo 4 was super fun descending steep terrain in those settings, and the geometry encouraged me to go faster in chunky sections, but it didn’t feel particularly well balanced because the front suspension had a difficult time keeping up. The 160 mm Fox 36 Float Rhythm is a bit under-forked when managing the higher speeds and the Turbo Levo 4’s weight in those situations. Stepping up to a Turbo Levo 4 Expert gets you a Fox 38 Performance Elite, which, in my experience, is better suited to charging hard on heavy eMTBs, but it’s a significant price difference. I might be inclined to stick with the Comp build and upgrade the fork instead.
Unsurprisingly, the long, slack Turbo Levo 4 setup was a bit ponderous when riding at a slower pace on more mundane trails.
I had the chance to ride the Turbo Levo 4 on some flow and jump trails on private property, where I experimented with the class 3 mode. I’ve often found that class 1 eMTBs struggle on flow trails where clearing gaps requires higher than 20 mph speeds (where the motor cuts off). In those situations, pushing past the motor cut off for each additional mph takes a herculean effort — it feels like you’re towing a trailer. Toggling class 3 mode and opening it up to higher speeds, that honestly are easily attained on non-powered bikes, lets the Turbo Levo 4 easily hit the transitions and actually have some flow that alludes most other eMTBs in the same situations.
Again, this was on private property, and I’m most definitely not advocating illegally riding the Turbo Levo 4 in Class 3 mode on public trails.
Drive System and Range
Specialized’s new 3.1 drive system looks good on paper, and our first impressions were positive. Now, after a couple of hundred miles, we’ve gotten to know it, and the 3.1 is proving to be a strong contender to Bosch’s excellent Gen 5 CX drive system. Since Shimano’s aging EP801 motor has faded into the background when it comes to OE spec, and we haven’t spent time on DJI’s Avinox drive system, we’re focusing our comparisons on the Bosch CX drive system.
The previous iteration of the Specialized Turbo Levo motor was no slouch, but the eMTB drive system players are in a bit of a power war (not too dissimilar to the electric vehicle power war currently happening over in the automotive world), so Specialized really had no choice but to bring more power to the table.
With 666 watts and 101 Nm of torque, the Turbo Levo 4 was class-leading when it was released; however, Bosch dropped a performance software upgrade for their Gen 5 CX motor shortly afterwards that conveniently surpassed the 3.1’s power output. The software increased the CX motor’s peak power to 750 watts and torque to 100 Nm.
On the trail, the Bosch CX motor feels slightly more powerful, as you would expect with a claimed 84 more watts of power. However, in a relatively unscientific head-to-head climbing drag race against the Yeti LTe (which has the Bosch CX motor), with two riders similar in weight and fitness, the Turbo Levo 4 and LTe were neck and neck and finished in a dead heat. Granted, rider power output is a consideration, and the LTe is lighter, but the takeaway is that the Specialized 3.1 and Bosch CX are closely matched.
As for range, the Turbo Levo 4’s large 840 Wh battery looked poised to deliver impressive range; however, once on the trail, the range has been somewhat disappointing. Compared to the Bosch CX with the 800 Wh battery, ridden on the same route in the highest assist mode, the Turbo Levo 4 consistently finished with less battery percentage remaining despite having a larger battery. That said, it still has good range. I was just expecting a bit more.
Specialized does have a 280 Wh range extender option, and when combined with the Turbo Levo 4’s 840 Wh battery, it gives you 1120 Wh — that’s a lot of watt hours, and even though it seems like the 3.1 motor is less efficient than the Bosch CX motor, it’s still a ton of range.
I talked about custom-tuning the power delivery in the Climbing section, and to expand on that, one niggle I have with the Specialized app is that you can’t adjust each assist mode independently like you can with the Bosch app. As I mentioned, I like tuning the highest assist mode (Turbo) to the max, but I also prefer to have the next lowest mode (Trail) to be less game-on so I can switch down a mode if I need more traction, etc. But since the custom tuning applies to all the assist modes, you get the same effect in the lower assist modes, too.
However, not having that ability also revealed how good the Dynamic Micro Tune function is on the Turbo Levo 4. Toggling into Dynamic Micro Tune mode on the handlebar remote allows the rider to control the “ease” level in 10% increments while the power stays at 100%. “Ease” is how much rider input is needed to get full power; the higher the “ease” percentage, the less rider input is required to get full power. Dynamic Micro Tune is almost like having a manual transmission in a car, where you have control over the power with more than just the accelerator pedal, because shifting gears changes the RPMs, which affects power too. Using Dynamic Micro Tune is pretty intuitive. For example, when riding up a steep, loose trail and losing traction, you can quickly drop the “ease” 20% with two quick clicks on the remote, which instantly softens the power delivery and restores traction. Sort of like how you might upshift in a car to gain traction when climbing a loose dirt road.
Additionally, there is also a Micro Tune mode that simultaneously controls both power and ease in 10% increments. Both are good, but I prefer the Dynamic Micro Tune since it keeps the available power at 100%.
Still on the topic of tuning, you can also customize the amount of overrun, which is how long the motor continues to provide assist after you stop pedaling. I like lots of overrun because it helps you ride really aggressively, so I maxed it out and love it. I think Specialized might be the only brand that lets the rider define how much overrun they have.
The Turbo Levo 4 has by far my favorite charging port / charger plug out of all the eMTBs I’ve reviewed. While this may seem like a small detail, when you consider how often you’re plugging it in to charge, it’s a much bigger deal than it seems. Some ports have finicky latches that require fingers of steel to operate, and then there’s the annoying Bosch plug that forces me to try it in multiple orientations before it goes into the port. The Turbo Levo 4’s magnetic port cover is a joy to use, and the charger plug’s orientation in the port is easy to remember since it’s a rectangle and can only go in one of two ways, and because its cable is attached at a 90º angle, it’s super easy to remember which way that is.
Lastly, the app has a locking function that can disable the motor when not in the proximity of the phone the app is on as a theft deterrent, albeit a small one. But if you’re in the Apple ecosystem, you can pair your Turbo Levo 4 with the Find My app on your iPhone, and if your bike gets stolen, it will let you locate it — now that’s a cool feature.
The Build
Our Turbo Levo 4 Alloy Comp has an overall mostly solid build, and any gripes I have can more than likely be attributed to hitting a certain price point.
The SRAM 90 drivetrain is my first experience with it on an eMTB, and it handles the extra power and torque very well. The shifter is the eMTB-specific iteration that allows only one click, corresponding to a single shift in either direction. SRAM claims that the Single Click shifter helps eliminate premature chain wear. That’s believable considering the significantly higher loads an eMTB must put on a drivetrain; still, I would prefer to be in control of that myself. There are plenty of times when I would like to shift multiple gears quickly, and I’m experienced enough, as many riders are, to let off the power momentarily to do so. That said, a new shifter is not expensive, and I would add it to the upgrade list.
Specialized went with 155 mm cranks on all sizes, and I’m a fan. 160 and 165 mm have been common in the eMTB category, but we’re seeing a trend toward shorter cranks. I see little, if any, drawbacks to shorter cranks, and the added clearance to stay pedalling through rocky, rooty sections of trail is key because it keeps the power on. The only thing I can think of for me is that when swapping between a bike with longer cranks, there is a bit of adjustment time before you feel comfortable, but it’s not long.
Other standout parts include the SRAM Maven Bronze brakes and the Specialized Butcher tires in the Grid Gravity casing and Gripton T9 rubber compound. I like Maven brakes on eMTBs for their strong power, and I found the Butcher tires to have really good traction in the predominantly loose-over-hard conditions I ride in.
I mentioned in the Descending section that I would prefer a burlier fork than the spec’d Fox 36 Rhythm, but I also understand the budget constraints for our Turbo Levo 4 Alloy Comp.
One thing that stands out is how quiet the Turbo Levo 4 is with little to no cable or drive system rattle, apparently not an easy thing to pull off given how many much more expensive eMTBs are quite noisy.
Also worth noting is the SWAT in-frame storage that Specialized managed to somehow implement in an eMTB. It has a lot more room than expected since it shares space in the downtube with the big 840 Wh battery. It was super handy to fill with snacks and an extra layer for fall riding.
Specialized gets props for an incredibly detailed and useful user manual. I’ve found it all too common for brands to provide a generic bicycle user manual with a bare-bones eBike supplement that offers very little useful information. The Turbo Levo 4’s user manual covers everything from custom-tuning the drive system to disassembling and tuning the rear shock. They include a printed copy (it’s a crazy thick manual) with the bike, and it’s also available digitally on their website.
Who’s It For?
Riders looking for a full-power option from a major brand that has a proven track record in eMTB innovation, class-leading integration, competitive power and range, and with the versatility to tailor the geometry to suit personnel preferences should take a good look at the Turbo Levo 4. Throw in an extensive dealer network that makes it easy to deal with any warranty issues, and the Turbo Levo 4 is a smart, and dare I say it — safe bet.
Bottom Line
The Turbo Levo 4 has some pretty big shoes to fill, given the success of the three generations of Turbo Levos that preceded it. Specialized has kept the recipe largely unchanged while focusing on improving some key ingredients. The new 3.1 motor is a step up in every way, delivering more power and torque and more refined power delivery. The large 840 Wh battery offers competitive range, although there’s a fair weight penalty that goes along with that, making the Turbo Levo 4 one of the heavier eMTB’s we’ve reviewed. Having in-house control of the drive system leads to category-leading integration, and overall, the Turbo Levo is a polished package that is a worthy successor.
Deep Dive Comparisons
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Deep Dive: Specialized Turbo Levo 4
We compare the Specialized Turbo Levo 4 to the Santa Cruz Vala, Cannondale Moterra, Cannondale Moterra SL, Norco Sight VLT, and Pivot Shuttle AM.
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Absolutely killer review, very thorough and helpful. Thanks!
Your reviews/depth/knowledge are just on a different level from anything else out there! Good stuff!!