The Specialized Turbo Levo 3.0 eMTB means more: more power, more range, more reward

Since the introduction of Levo, the Specialized eMTB design philosophy has been all about ‘more’. 

With its eMTB innovation and engineering centre in Cham, Switzerland, the brand navigates its own technology trajectory, independent of trends. And with the latest Turbo Levo, there is more everything: power, range and systems integration. 

These third-generation Turbo Levos are eMTBs designed to conquer topography, regardless of gradient, and give you more riding reward, for every minute you spend out on the trail. 

It doesn’t matter whether you are ascending or descending, the Turbo Levo possesses an appropriate spread of geometry and mid-drive motor settings, to offer any mountain biker the most immersive trail and big mountain riding experience available. 

Exhaustive research and real-world testing convinced Specialized that its 150mm eMTB model is best served by a combination of a 29er front wheel and 27.5” rear, delivering superior traction and agility. 

Potent pedal-assist system

Anchoring this latest Turbo Levo platform is Specialized’s mid-drive motor, which produces 565W of power and 90Nm. It sources energy from a 700Wh battery pack and provides terrifically intuitive pedal-assistance for up to five hours of ride time. 

Specialized has upgraded the drive belt too, making it larger, which improves durability and makes the Levo run even quieter. 

It is no use having 400% rider input motor-assistance, if all that additional power is delivered unpredictably, completely out of synch with your cadence, steering angle and riding gradient. Engineers at Specialized’s eMTB department have made the new Levo’s mid-drive motors brilliantly instinctive to rider inputs, preventing power surges and always assisting you in conquering those steep switchback climbs. 

Mountain biking has become increasingly digitized and with the Mission Control app, you can configure a new Levo to your exact needs. Riders can adjust the motor’s linearity or its level of assistance, in 10% increments, for a truly customized eMTB experience. 

You can get very radical with the Turbo Levo’s geometry

Angles are the crux, with any mountain bike, and the Turbo Levo offers six sizes, accommodating a generous spread of rider physiologies. It also has terrifically adjustable geometry. Riders who have access to the steepest possible technical trails, can slacken a new Turbo Levo down to a true downhill bike head angle, of only 63-degrees. 

For those riders who like to rail berms and steer with authority, through tight off-camber corners, the bottom bracket can be independently lowered by 7mm, using a flip-chip on the Horst pivot. This is particularly clever, as it allows for deep customisation of your eMTB geometry. 

For example, you could run the 65.5-degree standard head angle, which steers faster than an ultra-slack 63-degree set-up, with a 7mm lower bottom bracket, to create a highly responsive eMTB for those fast and flowing forest singletrack sections. 

Using Specialized’s mountain bike specification carbon-fibre for the new Levo frame, allows these eMTBs to ride with unbelievable agility. If you think an eMTB is simple a monster truck to roll down any terrain, the cornering fluidity and responsiveness of the new Levo will be a revelation. 

Battery status awareness is an important part of any eMTB interface and Specialized’s has a great new configurable top tube display, with the Levo’s Master Mind Turbo Control Unit (TCU). Instead of showing battery life in bars, it displays a percentage value, and the LCD contrast is clearly legible, even in harsh sunlight. 

Using your Mission Control app enables a generous degree of customisation with the MasterMind TCU. Riders can vary between four different layouts and three separate data fields, using Mission Control to configure their MasterMind TCU in a manner that displays what they prefer to see. 

The handlebar pedal-assistance mode selector, which allows you to choose between Eco (25%), Trail (50% ) and Turbo (100%) is also ergonomically intuitive. As part of the updated Mission Control app functionality, riders can adjust the mid-drive motor’s power assistance in 10% increments, to discover that ideal pedal-assistance for local trail conditions and gradient. 

Using the Levo’s Smart Control functionality and Mission Control app, you can select a route and have the systems adjust pedal-assistance, to ensure you don’t run out of power. Range anxiety is a real issue for most eMTB riders but with the Mission Control app allowing rider’s Smart Control, you have the user authority to configure a new Levo to always operate within a safe margin of reserve battery power. 

With Fox’s new 160mm 38 fork up front and an X2 shock managing the Levo 150mm of rear wheel travel, you’ll crush any descent. The Levo is truly a mini-downhill bike, with the benefit of go-anywhere pedalling ability and endurance. 

Specialized’s Levo range starts at £4,800, with the new Expert Carbon priced at £8,750, Pro Carbon for £10,750, and the S-Works Carbon retailing for £13,000. 

• Find out more about the Specialized Turbo Levo 3.0 here.