Bike Review

Words Georgia Petrie
Images Cameron Mackenzie
RRP $19,999
Distributor Trek NZ

It’s fair to say we’ve seen a whole heap of changes within the eMTB landscape over the past few years. The last 18 months in particular have brought about the cementing of the SL (Super Light) category, and an absolute smorgasbord of full-powered options. Gone are the days of an eMTB resembling somewhat of a retro downhill bike with a motor strapped to the bottom. The wide range of battery sizes, motor options and travel means that the whole e-experience can now be more tailored than ever before.

With so much choice on the market, there’s something to be said for Goldilocks’ age-old personal tagline of “just right”. This is exactly what comes to mind when it comes to the increasingly popular SL eMTB category. Increasingly, we’re seeing more and more bikes in this class being specced with bigger batteries paired with lightweight, low-power SL motors, resulting in bigger battery range whilst maintaining a ‘not-too-heavy’ ride experience— in other words “the best of both worlds”.

The Slash+ is essentially an electrified version of Trek’s ever-popular acoustic Slash, with the high-pivot, eye-catching chassis boasting a grunty 170mm of front and rear travel, with a fork that can be up-travelled up to a whopping 190mm. No mistake made—this is a burly bike that’s right at home on the roughest of double- black trails—and, as I came to learn: the rougher and more technical the trail, the more the Slash+ thrives, all without compromising on climbing ability. By incorporating a hearty 580wH battery paired with TQ’s HPR50 motor, the Slash+ strikes a balance, enabling you to “do more”; whether it’s an extra after-work lap, a backcountry ride – or even the difference between going for a post- work spin and staying home, especially as we say goodbye to post-work daylight hours once again!

eBike Features

Although sporting the same 50Nm, 300-watt peak powered TQ-HPR50 motor as its shorter-travel Fuel EXe counterpart, a key point of difference—the defining factor of the Slash+’s place in the eMTB lineup—is it’s chunkier 580Wh battery. This stacks up well against other mid- weight contenders, punching above its weight relative to the likes of other longer-travel ~160mm options, such as Transition’s freshly released Regulator and Mondraker’s Dune, which both sport 400Wh batteries, and paired with Bosch’s grunty 55Nm, 600W peak powered SX motor. With so much choice and such subtle differences between motor and bike manufacturers, whether you’re a weekend warrior tackling technical blues or a park rat aiming to tackle every double black option in one day (and still pedal home afterward), the SL eMTB space really has expanded to cater for a wide range of rider types.

Alongside its big battery, a core outlier of the Slash+, relative to many of its SL competitors, is not only a removeable battery but the ability to swap between TQ’s 360 or 580Wh batteries, or swap in a fresh battery mid-ride. There’s also the option to purchase TQ’s 160Wh range extender, which fits snugly into the bottle cage, weighing 950g. The TQ-HPR50 is discreetly tucked away and pleasantly quiet even under load on full power mode, making the Slash+ one of the stealthiest long-travel eMTB’s I’ve ridden. The motor has three power modes and a ‘walk’ mode, rounded out with TQ’s integrated top- tube display, and two-button handlebar remote. Though the max power assist level and pedal response for each mode can be easily fine-tuned via the Trek Central and TQ apps (though I’d prefer to have one central channel for adjustment), I found the display a little unintuitive at times, and both this and the two apps almost a little tacky and clunky relative to counterparts such as Specialized’s Mission Control App, and Bosch’s eBike Flow app, both of which have undergone significant iterations and deliver a more refined and intuitive user experience. I also found the ‘walk’ button somewhat unwieldy to access and slow to kick-in, which isn’t uncommon across the wide range of eMTB brands I’ve tried and, whilst not a dealbreaker, can be rather frustrating.

Geometry and Frame Details

Make no mistake, the Slash+ is burly bike. With 170mm of front and rear travel, paired with a 63.4° head angle and 1233mm wheelbase, the Slash+ is made for steep, rough terrain—it’s fair to say that anything less is wasted upon this bike. At 77.5° the seat angle is surprisingly steep for a bike of such travel, making for a comfortable all-day climber that’s planted on steep ascents, with a particularly upright seating position making light work of long stints in the saddle – and making you second guess that you’re basically riding a mini downhill bike uphill.

This concoction of generous geometry has created a bike that descends exceptionally well with minimal compromise on climbing ability—the point of instability more or less doesn’t exist on the Slash+, with the bike instead asking for more if tackling anything below a double black technical or jump trail. Paired with a reach of 479mm, the Slash+ does feel generous relative to other SL offerings, with plenty of room to move around on the bike, whilst the 29” front and 27.5” mullet wheel size setup creates a sense of nimbleness oftentimes lost in eMTB experiences. Overall, the bike was exceptionally well-rounded, and one of the most versatile bikes I’d ridden in a long time. For how capably it descends, it almost seems wrong to climb with such comfort!

When it comes to nitty gritty frame details, the Slash+ has a plethora of thoughtful details. The integrated chainstay protector isn’t here to faff around—this thing is chunky and robust, and it means business when it comes to limiting chain slap, which is often a dinky afterthought on so many stock eMTB’s. On the Slash+, however, it’s a welcome addition—especially given the rough terrain that the bike is best suited to. The rear fender is also a nice touch—so often I’ve ruined frames with small-yet-mighty stones that work their way in between the rear wheel and chainstay, and this does a nice job of helping minimise this as well as keep mud at bay. There’s also a custom, Trek-specific chain guide which mounts directly to the motor housing—given my experience with zero chain drops, I’d say this is a well-executed addition. I found the charging port location a little odd to work with, having been so used to side-mounted ports, and often found myself having to really yank the charging cable hard to remove it once charged, which sometimes resulted in inadvertently smacking it on the underside of the top tube—oops. Having said that, this location makes sense when considering the bottle mounted TQ range extender, which fits snugly in this space when attached.

Ride Performance

For a bike with a 170mm fork up front, the Slash+ is an exceptionally comfortable climber, sitting high in the travel with a balanced centre of gravity. Not once did I find myself fighting to keep the front wheel on the ground, which is impressive considering the bike’s relatively slack head angle. It navigated tight switchbacks with surprising ease despite a long wheelbase—there was many an occasion where I was glad to have a mullet configuration, as it gave an otherwise cumbersome bike the ability to navigate tight, technical ascents. Traction isn’t an issue—in fact, this was one of the most planted bikes I’d climbed on, with a rear wheel that’s never fighting for grip. The Rockshox Vivid Air shock behaved itself well with minimal ‘bob’. Whilst the Rockshox AXS Reverb is a welcome addition on any eMTB—anybody who’s had to complete any mechanical dropper post maintenance on an eMTB will attest to how much of a headache it is—the standover on this bike is low at 77.6mm for our 17.5” sized test bike and, when paired with a 170mm dropper post, it leaves a little more seatpost exposed than desired, especially for longer limbed riders like myself!

As I’ve found with other TQ-HPR50 equipped bikes I’ve had the opportunity to ride, the power delivery is akin to a “pat on the back”—someone giving you a little push of encouragement climbing up the hill. Let’s be real, at 20.8kg, whilst the bike does fall into the SL eMTB category, the Slash+ is on the chunky side relative to the power that the motor can produce. There were numerous times where I found myself wanting more from the motor—I was surprised at the cadence level required to maintain optimal power delivery, particularly on road climbs. On a number of occasions I felt a twinge of surprise when the motor appeared to hit the point of peak power delivery—“is that it?!”, I asked myself, as I kept getting dropped by my fellow SL eMTB riding crew.

This is a great segway into battery chat; I’ve been fortunate enough to have a tasting platter of SL eMTB’s so far, and when the Slash+ showed up in my garage, I had range curiosity! My conclusion was one of uncertainty—whilst it initially seemed great to have the reassurance of a bigger battery, what I often found was that the weight of the bike required me to run the motor on a higher-than- usual mode, and I often found myself drawing battery at such a rate that it cancelled out the supposed gains of increased Wh. My experience with this motor also matched that of the Fuel EXe, in so far as the way the power is delivered seemed to draw battery at a greater rate than other SL counterparts, such as Shimano’s EP8 RS and Specialized’s SL 1.2 motor—this was even more apparent on the Slash+ with the additional bike weight the motor had to carry.

However, I was still able to tackle a solid 2.5hr long loop with 15% remaining and at no point was I unable to make it up any of Christchurch’s steepest Victoria Park fire roads—just don’t expect to be setting any Strava e-QOM’s! It should also be noted that the TQ motor continues to maintain its reputation of being without a doubt the quietest motor I’ve experienced, providing power almost silently. While it doesn’t bother me, I’m well aware that motor noise is a sensitive issue for some eMTB buyers, making this great news for those who prefer not to hear their bike humming as they ride.

The 9.9 AXS T-Type build is specced with, you guessed it, SRAM’s X0 AXS drivetrain. This performed reliably and with crisp efficiency throughout the duration of my testing, though I did notice that the drivetrain quickly became noisy unless spotlessly cleaned after almost every ride. Whilst Christchurch will provide you with an overwhelmingly dry riding experience and taking a rain jacket “just in case” is uncommon, this does equate to A LOT of dust, which for this bike means constant maintenance to ensure the drivetrain remains smooth under pedal load, and drag-free. I think we easily doubled our chain lube consumption for the duration of testing to try and avoid any ear-twitchingly uncomfortable grinding drivetrain noise. The other interesting characteristic of this particular X0 AXS drivetrain is that it’s powered by the primary battery—the plus side to this is that you don’t need to worry about swapping or monitoring batteries (let’s face it—we’ve all been “that guy” at the trail asking around for spares…) as long as the bike is charged. The flip side to this is that if you happen to find yourself in a sticky situation, or running the battery down to it’s last drop of juice, you’ll lose the ability to shift gears because once that primary battery dies, that’s your drivetrain power source gone.

Descending on the Slash+ is a dream—this has to be one of my favorite eMTB’s I’ve taken down the rocky steeps of Christchurch, and I’ve been fortunate enough to throw a few into the dustbowl! The 170mm RockShox ZEB ultimate was an absolute delight—it took minimal time to setup and performed excellently in the chunkiest of rock gardens, and was incredibly stout without feeling too stiff. This made for a comfortable descending experience that excelled on rough terrain; the more technical the trail, the more the bike ate up whatever was underneath it. The mullet setup gave the bike a touch of nimbleness that balanced out its long wheelbase and slack head angle, creating a far more agile ride than I’d ever have imagined for a 20kg, 170mmm eMTB. Whilst the bike is certainly planted and hugs the ground—and therefore tracks exceptionally well—it was still surprisingly easy to jump and move around underneath me. I was also wow’ed with the performance of the RockShox Vivid Ultimate air shock. I’ve tried a range of different shocks in SL eMTB’s and am usually committed to the coil shock cause on my long travel bikes; however, the suppleness of the Vivid and its small bump sensitivity was so confidence-instilling that it’s got me thinking I may re-explore an air shock on my next bike build. Like the Zeb, the Vivid was a once-and-done setup for me, and it provided supple comfort over big holes without the sinking “Lay-Z-Boy” feeling you can sometimes get from bigger air shocks—it sat high in travel, even through the burliest terrain. The short chainstays are also a welcome addition.

This bike eats double black trails for breakfast, and technical blues are a great complementary snack. Make no mistake—this is a BIG bike, and if not pushed hard enough or ridden on terrain that doesn’t suit it—think flow blue trails—it may tend to feel cumbersome and even stiff at times, particularly due to the suspension being on the less active side. For this reason, it’s definitely best suited to a rider who likes to push a trail bike to its limits. For the terrain I often ride, this platform was ideal; for my first foray into the high-pivot world, I was left wanting more as it created an incredibly stable ride that seemed to make the usual bone-rattling, small bumpy sections feel like I was floating on a magic carpet. When combined with the added weight of a motor and big battery, the bike feels incredibly balanced and, as is so often the case on SL eMTBs, I felt more stable—and, as a result, much quicker—on wide-open, fast, chunky descents than on my acoustic bike. People often think an eMTB is reserved for heavy, cumbersome ride feels, but I believe that with the right platform and weight balance, the ride experience is arguably more comfortable. Trek have done an exceptional job designing a platform that’s so stable and confidence-inspiring yet still maintains some degree of nimbleness and maneuverability.

When it comes to contact points, I must admit I was a little skeptical when I noticed the SRAM Maven Silver brakes—a sore point with many stock eMTB builds is underpowered brakes, and constantly battling to control speed is taxing and creates an unnecessarily arduous ride experience, even if they’re great descenders otherwise. I was pleased to discover that this wasn’t a concern with the 4-piston Maven Silvers—when paired with hearty 200mm rotors, I didn’t once feel like the brakes were under-gunned and didn’t suffer from the sore hands I’ve so often had with other SL eMTB’s in the past. This was complemented by the levers being on the larger size with plenty of adjustability—a particularly important factor for smaller hands—and gradual modulation that allowed for increased control, which is well-suited for the steeper terrain that the Slash+ excels on. I was also pleased to report nothing but silence from these brakes, even in dry, dusty summer conditions—a welcome change from SRAM brakes of years gone by!

As was the case with the Fuel EXe, the Bontrager contact points left a little to be desired—the grips were thick, uncomfortable and incredibly slippery when wet, which I unfortunately discovered was compounded by the fact they take a long time to absorb once wet, due to their ribbed nature. Another change I’d be making immediately is the stock Bontrager SE5 Team Issue TLR tyre. Whilst a grunty 2.5” tyre such as this is a logical choice for a bike of this travel and, in theory, should be well suited to the terrain, the compound lacked grip and was a little more skatey on Victoria Park’s loose clay than was comfortable. A few “oh s***!!” moments were had as grip limits were hit a little earlier than preferred. I’m also fine compromising weight and rolling resistance to optimize grip, but this was a little on the slow side with next to no grip gains, and something I’d swap out pretty quickly for a softer compound option. I’m also pleased to say that throughout the Slash+’s tenure in our garage, not a single chain was dropped, and I didn’t experience any significant chain slap, even on the roughest of rock gardens and rooty sections.

Summary

The Slash+ is a heavy-hitting descender that delivers excellent ride performance when pointed down the most burly, technical trails in your backyard. With a bigger range than its younger brother, the Fuel EXe—but without the “chonk” of its bigger brother, the Rail—the Slash+ is Trek’s quietly capable middle child. Equipped with a quiet, subtle motor that’s so stealthily integrated that even the most eagle-eyed eMTB riders will need to look twice to see it, the Slash+ represents a well-rounded eMTB that has your back no matter what it’s pointed down. While you’re not going to lead any eMTB climbing segments on Strava, you will be making gains in your ability to ride more and squeeze in “one last lap”—even when the post-work clock is up against you. I have to agree with Goldilocks, there’s something to be said for things being “just right”, and the Slash+ might just epitomize that saying perfectly.

Words Lester Perry
Images Cameron Mackenzie
RRP $19,900
Distributor Specialized NZ

Specialized’s eBike boffins have been at it again – this time with a revision of their marque Levo model. A 150/160mm travel trail bike, the Gen 4 builds on the Levo heritage and considers consumer feedback from riders who’ve previously Levo’d. They’ve ended up with a completely revised bike; almost every aspect has been refined, upgraded or tweaked. It’s evident that all the changes from Gen 3 have been considered and have a purpose; it’s not just change for the sake of it.

The design language is carried over from other recently released Specialized models; the Stumpjumper 15 and the Levo SL2 line. Levo Gen 4 has similar lines to the SL2, albeit with a beefier downtube and motor area, allowing for its larger, more powerful motor and larger battery. Most geometry numbers across the two bikes are within a gnat’s hair of each other. Thanks to this, I found the handling of the Gen 4 Levo very similar to the SL2 and, where characteristics differed, it was due to the extra weight of this full-powered bike. Geometry is comfortable and a great middle ground for all scenarios for a bike of this travel and intended trail use. The reach on an S4 size is 480mm, the head angle sits at 64.5 degrees, the seat tube at an acceptably steep 67 degrees, and 435mm chainstays in the stock short setting. As with the Levo SL line, there’s an adjustable head angle so, with a quick headset cup swap (only requiring an Allen key), the bike can gain or lose a degree of head angle—and flipping the hardware on the lower shock eye drops the bottom bracket -6mm from the stock high position of 350mm high. The rear end can grow by 9mm just by adjusting the chainstay flip chip, adding stability to the ride.

To keep the rear end short and put the lower suspension pivot in the optimal position, there’s no option (or clearance) to run a 29-inch rear wheel, so the bike is offered only in a mixed wheel (27.5/29”) format.

The new 3.1 motor breaks new ground for the Big S. Gone is the vulnerable, noisy internal belt, replaced by metal gears with a HardDrive coating offering increased durability and adding to the motor’s noticeably quieter running than the previous Levo. It sure is quiet – and even after it’s warm, after an hour of hard use, there’s no whining or increase in noise, just a gentle purr. Impressive.

Although it’s now 20% smaller overall, the motor hits 666W peak power across the range, with the baller S-Works edition punching up to 720W thanks to a different motor tune. Torque gets an increase, too, now 101nm with the S-Works getting 111nm. At higher cadences, where the previous Levo’s – and many other current motors – power delivery dropped off slightly, the Gen 4 maintains the peak power through a much higher cadence range.

A small but noticeable change in the width of the motor brings the Q-factor inwards 10mm; it is not massive, but it keeps the Q-factor closer to that of a standard pedal bike. For those who do a fair amount of pedalling and jump between the eBike and other rigs, it brings a more natural-feeling pedal stroke and, in some cases, should ease dodgy knees.

Battery capacity is boosted to 840Wh versus 700Wh on the previous generation Levo. A new internal battery cell layout allows for a shorter overall battery at a similar weight to the previous. A major but not noticeable change is the increase to a 48v system from 36v; apparently, this further increases the efficiency of the battery and electrics, allowing it to be more compact and extend the ride time.

The battery is now accessible from the non-drive side of the down tube; with a few rotations on a five millimetre Allen bolt, the battery door comes off. A gentle tug on a pull loop, and the battery simply slides out the side of the bike. Thanks to the shorter battery, there’s now a cavity up toward the headtube, allowing a SWAT bag to be tucked in place, held there by a magnet. There’s room to stash a tube, CO2, and Allen key in the watertight bag, which is handy.

A 600w/h battery is also available aftermarket, giving those who ride shorter times on the regular a lighter weight option. A 280w battery expander can be slid into the bottle cage in addition to the onboard 840w/h battery, offering a gargantuan 1120w/h for those who want to go on larger missions. Specialized claims an 80kg rider in Eco mode, climbing “significant elevation” could get 5.3 hours out of the system. I’d be happy to ride more aggressively, take it easy on Turbo assist, and get three rip-roaring hours out of the 1120w/h setup.

The new Mastermind controller has significant changes and upgrades from the previous version. The thumb shifter is wired to the screen tucked into the top tube, but both have had some welcome tweaks. The screen is much larger and now square, allowing for data that’s far more visible at a glance than the previous. The controller now has a power button at the top, a ‘toggle’ type lever in the middle, and a Walk Mode button beneath this. Pushing the toggle up or down scrolls the bike through its stock power modes, while pressing the toggle changes the data displayed. For those who want a bit of variation from the stock assistance levels, a long press ‘up’ on the toggle unlocks some fine-tuning options: Micro Tune and Dynamic Micro Tune. Micro Tune essentially lets you select the rider power amplify level in 10% increments, with equal bike input. Dynamic Micro tune is like Micro Tune, but enables you to choose assistance level for efficiency and battery saving while cruising, but automatically jumps back to 100% assistance when you kick up the power on the pedals, giving full assist for surprise pinch climbs or when you need some extra oomph while sprinting into a gap jump. These extra adjustments made possible by the new controller mean you can fine-tune the bike without requiring the phone app while riding—or even a phone at all if that’s your jam.

If you want even more tuning, the Specialized app has a couple of minor, but helpful, additions for the Gen 4 Levo. Overrun is a standard feature on many high-end eBike systems; the drive running on for a short period after you stop pedalling—this helps keep the bike moving forward, particularly when climbing technical trails where it’s necessary to stop pedalling over a trail feature so as not to clip a pedal or smash a crank, it also helps while climbing through high speed swooping turns, continuing to drive even when you need to stop pedalling for fear of bottoming a crank out while leaning into the turn. The ability to adjust how long the Overrun period is via the app (through Min, Default and Max) gives some interesting options for those trying to maintain maximum speed on rough, technical trails. It would be ideal for racing once you adapt your riding. I think it would take a bit more time to figure out what level is best and how to get the most out of the feature, so I was happy with the Default (middle) setting.

Cadence Coach is an interesting new feature that can be enabled in the app. When turned on, a rider can view their pedalling RPM on the Mastermind screen. As cadence changes, a circle around the RPM number changes colour and arrows appear, suggesting you should speed up or slow down your cadence to stay in the optimal zone. It’s an interesting feature for those with a history in cycling but likely a real eye-opener for those newer to the sport who are still figuring out ideal cadences. Provided a rider sits in the optimal cadence range, their battery will last longer, and power will be applied more efficiently. They’ll have to shift to the correct gear to keep their cadence ‘in the green’, minimising chain wear and saving the highest (smallest) cogs on what is a very expensive cassette.

The Specialized developed Genie Fox Float X2 takes care of rear suspension duties. The shock features standard metric 210mm x 55mm sizing, allowing for whatever aftermarket shock you would like to run, including a coil. I’m unsure why a change would be necessary, as I’m well impressed with the Genie’s performance on this bike and put time in on it during my SL2 review. It’s simple to set up and tune and has a coil- like feel. Suppleness early in the stroke helps maintain traction across all surfaces, but with enough support to still pop off and pump trail features. The bike I rode had the shock set up in its stock format but, like the SL2, I’d probably add a couple of bands into the main air spring to give a bit more support earlier in the stroke. Fox also takes care of the fork; a tried and proven Fox 38 Factory adorns the front of the bike – the perfect partner for the Genie shock, and stout enough to handle the weight of bike and rider.

Overall, the component choice is ideal for the bike, and I struggle to pick any holes. The SRAM XO Transmission drivetrain is the perfect choice for an eMTB. As stated previously, the Maven brakes are hard to beat. Dropper post duties are performed admirably by a Bike Yoke 170mm post. Handlebars are a wide Specialized option; they’re a 35mm clamp and, although the shape is comfy, I did find them harsh. Given more time with the bike, I would have swapped in a 31.8 stem and bar for comparison.

I have reservations about carbon wheels on eMTBs but, visually, these look like they’re probably up to the task. They’re plenty wide, and their 4mm thick beads should help ward off pinch flats and cracked rims. Being wrapped in the Gravity casing tyres should help, too. I guess time will tell.

Words Lester Perry
Images Jamie Fox
RRP $11,500
Distributor Specialized NZ

The Specialized Turbo Levo SL debuted in 2020. With its discreetly integrated battery and motor system, it looked more “normal” than the competition’s eBikes at the time. The Levo SL set the standard for eMTB aesthetics and was a lighter, more agile alternative to the standard Turbo Levo, Specialized’s full-powered bike that launched five years earlier.

Now in its second generation, we’ve seen an evolution in suspension, updated geometry and improved motor efficiency. I’ve spent roughly two months with this bike, changing its many adjustments and razzing it around my local—and some not-so-local—trails.

Chassis
The SL2 Comp Alloy is the gateway into the SL lineup. With its alloy frame, it’s what I’d call the heavyweight of the SL range; the frame comes in at a kilo heavier than the carbon equivalent, so although there’s not a vast difference between the two, a kilo is a kilo. Considering the motor and battery are identical to those of its higher-end carbon brothers, the Comp Alloy would be an excellent platform for future upgrades; decreasing its weight (although not by a drastic amount) and adding to the overall ride experience with better components.

With a 160mm front suspension fork and 150mm travel in the rear, the Levo SL2 strikes a healthy balance of brawn and butterfly. There’s enough travel and the geometry is designed to not hold you back on the nastiest of descents, yet the bike is light and nimble enough to pick your way through tech, rapidly change direction, and even bunny hop or manual through sections with surprising ease.

This bike could be viewed as a couple of different bikes, able to be configured in a number of ways thanks to the breadth of adjustment available: the head angle is adjustable between 63 degrees (slack), 64 (stock), and 65 (steep). Adjusting this is almost as easy as replacing a headset bearing; remove the stem, headset top cap, compression ring and bearing, and lift out the upper headset cup. No tools are required. Drop in the supplied ‘adjustment’ headset cup; depending on its orientation, you’ll either get down to 63 degrees or up to 65.5 degrees. Refit the headset components—and job done. There’s no need to touch the lower headset cup at all.

The bike has a mullet wheel configuration, a 29-inch wheel up front, and a 25.7-inch out the back. Thanks to a flip chip on the Horst pivot (near the dropouts) that lengthens the chainstays by 10mm, the rear wheel can be swapped out for a 29-inch if you want more roll-over capability without nuking the machine’s handling. The bottom bracket is adjustable to a minor degree by flipping its off-centre lower shock mounting hardware and raising the bottom bracket by 5mm from stock. It’s a scant amount but will offer a smidge more clearance for the pedals and motor housing over technical terrain, although I haven’t found this to be needed in the stock ‘low’ setting. It’s worth noting that each adjustment made will affect all geometry numbers. Specialized have a chart in the manual explaining what the numbers look like with different adjustment configurations.

I toyed with the head angle a little, riding with it in the stock 64 degrees to begin with, then in the steeper 65 degree setting. The stock 64 degree setting was a good middle ground for most trails, although it felt a fraction slacker than ideal on flat or mellow trails. So, I fitted the adjuster cup, setting it to 65 degrees. The one-degree steeper head angle increased the manoeuvrability on anything mellow and tight, but it wasn’t as stable on choppy descents. I never felt the need to slacken the bike to 63 degrees, but if I were headed somewhere to ride steeper, faster trails, say Queenstown or Nelson, the slacker setting would be ideal. The stock 64 degrees seems to be the perfect middle ground for general riding.

Given all the adjustment options, this bike can adapt to optimally align with your riding style and the trails you ride.

Genie Shock
This latest iteration of the Levo SL features the Specialized developed, Fox-manufactured, Genie shock. This unit launched to fame on the latest Specialized Stumpjumper, claiming a coil-like feel and a tuneable mid- and end-stroke.

By making the main air spring larger, they’ve enabled the shock to maintain small bump sensitivity and relatively linear progressivity through the first 70% of its stroke. With 30% of the stroke remaining, the shock closes off most of the total air volume, essentially creating a smaller volume air spring active for the end of the stroke, causing a much steeper ramp-up and drastically increasing bottom-out resistance. On a bog standard air shock, in most cases (depending on the bike design), you sacrifice small to medium bump compliance and sensitivity to achieve decent bottom-out resistance, and vice versa. Bottom-outs increase once you soften the shock in a quest for buttery small bump and mid-stroke sensitivity. The Genie manages to deliver small bump sensitivity while maintaining super end- stroke ramp-up, and bottom-out resistance.

After my first ride on the Genie, I was amazed at how linear the shock felt, and it certainly delivered on the coil-like claims with a buttery smoothness. Although it performed well, I wanted a bit more support to push against while pumping and jumping, and felt it was moving through more travel than was necessary, causing it to wallow at times. Mid-stroke tuneability is in the shape of plastic volume bands fitted in the air can, much like many other shocks. They’re simple to fit and equally easy to remove. Let all the air out of the shock, pick off the snap ring that holds the air can on, slide it back, snap the two halves of a volume spacer together over the shock body, slide the air can back into place, refit the snap ring, air it up and hit the trails—all you need is a small pick—or in my case, a tiny screwdriver from my son’s tool kit that worked as one—a shock pump and five minutes.

Once I slid the air can off, there were no bands to be found, which explained the overly linear feel. I fitted three bands of a possible four, aired back up to 33% sag, and confirmed my choice with some front-yard testing. It wasn’t until I hit the trail that the extra support really brought the bike to life, increasing how playful and lively the bike was on the track.

The end-stroke is also tuneable by adding circular chips to the shock’s interior air chamber. It’s a slightly more involved procedure, but it can still be done without removing the shock from the bike. The end-stroke ramp up and bottom-out resistance was fine for me in its stock setup, so I didn’t change anything here.

Once dialled in, the shock performed like the literal magic carpet Specialized intended. Thanks to the Genie’s effectively softer-than- normal spring rate early in the stroke, the small bump sensitivity was impressive, and there’s an amazing amount of traction on offer, it’s really noticeable how well the rear wheel tracks across bumps while pushing through a rough section or corner, compared to many other bikes.

Spec highlights
Fork: Fox Float 36 Rhythm | grip damper 160mm travel. The fork is stout enough to handle the heft of the bike, and did an adequate job, but could benefit from better damping and adjustment. A worthy upgrade, or step up through the SL range to get these benefits. Brakes: SRAM Maven bronze | 200/200mm rotors. Mavens get the big tick from me, the power and consistency are amazing and they add a level of confidence to an eBike that I don’t think can be gained by any other single component. Drivetrain: SRAM GX eagle shifter, chain and cassette, coupled with a SRAM X01 derailleur. Does the job admirably. Once it eventually wears out, I’d replace this with a SRAM T-type system as it’s far superior on an eBike.

Crankset: SRAM S1000, 165mm length. Short cranks are the best on eBikes, and 165mm is a great choice.

Wheels: In-house Specialized alloy rimmed set. They do the trick but, considering that the bike had hardly any use when it turned up but the rear wheel already had a small flat spot in it, I’d say that much like many OEM specced alloy wheels, these rims are on the softer side.

Tyres: Front—Specialized Butcher | grid trail casing | gripton t9. Rear—Specialized eliminator | grid gravity casing | gripton t9/t7. No complaints here. Reality is that, with the extra weight of an eBike, most tyres perform pretty well. Good to see a heavier Gravity casing specced on the rear, although with their softer compounds, the square edges are worn from the knobs quite quickly.

Cockpit: We get some plain Jane—but effective—alloy parts here. The handlebar has 20mm rise and a comfortable shape—no real complaints, but an easy place to upgrade.

Seatpost: X-fusion manic 170mm. This post fits the price point well, there’s no noticeable play in the post and it’s nice and smooth, but the return is a bit slower than ideal.

Motor unit
At the heart of the Levo SL2 is the new SL 1.2 motor, Specialized’s latest—and a noticeable improvement on the previous SL 1.1 generation. It offers a quieter, more natural-feeling ride, delivering 50Nm of torque, up from 35Nm previously, with 320 watts of power. Although there’s enough power and torque to get you through most scenarios, the light weight comes with the feeling that the motor is not doing all the work, you’ve got to play your part too.

The SL2 has a 320Wh battery, and a 160Wh extender is available. The SL series bikes are lightweight in all aspects of the driveline, compared to the standard non-SL Turbo Levo models, which are powered by the Specialized 2.2 motor pushing 90Nm, with a 700Wh battery. The range extender can also be used on the full-powered bikes.

The burning question everyone has regarding eMTBs is; “how long does the battery last?” The answer inevitably is always; “it depends”. There are so many variables at play that it’s hard to compare even the same bike between riders, let alone different riders on different bikes. I’ll put a stake in the ground, though, and you can make some assumptions from there. Fully kitted, I’m pretty well bang on 80kgs, and my local trails are either up or down; there’s a minimal amount of flat ground, so I’m either climbing or descending.

The climbs are pretty steep, and there’s sporadic pedalling down most of the descents. On a ride where I used Turbo most of the time while climbing the gravel road climbs (some very steep) and Trail mode everywhere else, I can get 1:45 to two hours out of the battery. The variance in time is solely down to how hard I’m riding; a solid, fast pace, and I’m looking in the vicinity of 1:45, but a little less effort on the climbs and I can get to two hours. On the same ride, if I backed the assistance down and asked a bit more of my legs, 2.5 hours or three at a stretch, may be attainable. For rides made up predominantly of flat sections, if I stuck to Eco mode, I think I could hit the 3.5 hours Specialized claim is achievable. The truth is, though, I don’t want to ride like that, so I budget my rides at 1:45 hours ride time and go from there. Once the battery is down to 10% charge, the bike will slide into Eco mode to help you limp home.

The power delivery is very natural; there are no surprises or sudden accelerations, and the motor simply does what it should and multiplies your power with a smooth ‘acoustic bike’ feel. There is a slight lag when initially putting effort into it, and this took a little time to adjust to, but I soon adapted to it. The SL1.2 motor rewards a cadence of around 75-90rpm for those looking to get the most out of each pedal stroke, so if you’re one to rely on the torque of a motor to get up a pinch, rather than shifting to a lower gear—this bike’s not for you.

Mission Control App
I didn’t faff with the app too much; I just synced up my phone with the bike, pushed some assistance settings to ‘max’ and got stuck in. I wanted to ride this like a standard bike and not get bogged down with tweaking, tuning and apps. It’s nice to have the ability to fine-tune assistance levels simply, and if a user wanted to maximise battery efficiency, one could nerd out with the settings. Software updates for the bike are done via a connected app, no need for cables.

MasterMind TCU
An upgrade over the SL gen 1 is the use of the MasterMind TCU (Turbo Control Unit). The screen is seamlessly integrated into the top tube and comfortably readable at a glance. Modes and screens on the TCU are controlled via the simple-to-use handlebar remote. It’s a nice touch to be able to micro-adjust through assistance levels in 10% increments if you want to get specific assistance while out on the trail, rather than relying on the pre-programmed three settings.

The ride
The Levo SL2 is the first lightweight, low-powered eBike I’ve ridden. So, my observations are compared to full-powered eMTBs and regular old pedal bikes.

Taking the SL2 for its first ride, my immediate thought was; ‘damn, this actually handles like a normal bike!’ My main gripe with full power bikes in the past has been that they don’t suit my riding style, they’re fun in their own way, but their weight means they’re more like a cruise liner than a jet boat… and it’s a jet boat I want! Precise, nimble, manoeuvrable, responsive, confident and playful are the current acoustic bike marketing buzzwords, I guess. Unfortunately, most of these boxes can’t be ticked on a full- power, full-weight eBike – as mentioned, their characteristics align closer with the cruise liner.

Descending on the SL2 takes the best from an acoustic experience and couples it with the best from an eMTB. The SL2’s higher weight than a normal bike combined with its capable suspension gives insane stability and predictability while descending but, being lighter than a full-powered eBike, combined with its balanced geometry, means it’s drastically nimbler and more precise down a hill than its overweight brethren. The ability to change lines and unweight through sections really sets this lightweight bike apart.

The more I rode the SL2, the more I was amazed at how well it corners. I didn’t need to change any components or make any adjustments at all to make it perform; I just got on and rode. Even in its stock setup, it handles turns exceptionally. Balanced geometry is a piece of the turn- shredding puzzle, and so too is the lower centre of gravity of an eMTB, but the traction on offer sure makes a difference, too; part of this will be thanks to the weight of the bike (over an acoustic one), but the suspension is up to the task. The SL2 is a leap above any other eBike I’ve thrown a leg over in the cornering department, and it is better than some trail bikes I’ve reviewed.

Jumping on the SL2 is great, and surprisingly so. The weight is nice and balanced, and it is predictable taking off everything from lumps and bumps to larger, steeper lips.

The bike cruises along flat trails where there’s no need for high power similar to a full-fat one, just more nimbly and playfully, not weighed down by additional motor or battery heft.

Compared to high-powered eMTBs, the SL2 didn’t give me superpowers to tackle super steep climbs—you know, the ones where you can barely keep the front wheel on the ground, even with your weight right over the front. Instead, the SL2 meant I could make it further up super steep pitches than I would on a trail bike, before I ran out of steam but, unlike a full-powered bike, I definitely felt like I needed to use my own strength, rather than just chopping into Boost mode and have the bike ‘pull’ me up the hill.

Without the power, torque or battery capacity of a full-fat eMTB, the SL2 still takes some effort to ride, and I found I can still get a similar workout to a regular bike while riding it, just covering more ground and not blowing myself up to maintain higher speeds. Riding a full-powered eBike I find I’m still getting a decent cardio workout, and it’s quite normal to be sitting up at high heart rates for long periods, but most of the time (unless I’m sitting in Eco mode), it feels like there’s not much leg strength necessary. The SL2 hits a sweet spot and, thanks to coupling it to my Garmin, I could see my own power input and proof that I was pushing similar watts to a normal bike, just going faster for them.

The SL2 let me ride how I like to ride. It’s light enough to be playful, but hefty enough to offer the composure and stability only extra weight can give while descending. Until this bike, I wouldn’t have considered owning an eBike as my only mountain bike but, after a couple of months aboard the Levo SL2, I may have found the bike that would make me switch sides.

Words Liam Friary
Images Cameron Mackenzie
RRP$15,499
Distributor Trek New Zealand

The lines are somewhat blurred between an XC long-travel bike and a lightweight trail bike but, regardless of categorisation, the bike is designed to be super-adjustable with a redesigned frame and a 4-position Mino Link. There’s also a ton more you can customise, like wheel size, geometry, and suspension travel, making it super appealing for everyday trail riding, or even XC racing duties.

Trek has opted for refinement rather than revision – a trend the industry is increasingly embracing. Generally, bikes are in a good place regarding geometry numbers, so there’s no need to reinvent the wheel – at least for now. While the new Top Fuel looks similar to the previous generation, it has gone on a slight diet with about a 100g savings in the carbon frame, and employing slimmed-down tubes across the entire frame. The new 4-position flip chip, used for adjusting the bike’s geometry or the amount of shock progression, is located at the lower shock mount. This flip chip offers High/Low geometry settings that modify the angles by 0.5° and change the BB height by 6mm. Additionally, you can move the suspension leverage rate forward and backward with the flip chip. The forward position offers 14% progression, while the rear position offers 19%, providing more ramp-up at the end of stroke. I rode mainly with the rear, more progressive position and found it better suited to my riding style and the terrain where testing was done.

I appreciate the ability to change out the rear and front travel if desired. The rear shock is built around a 185x50mm shock, but you can increase the stroke to 55mm and boost travel to 130mm. The frame is rated for a 120-140mm travel fork, which allows for different setup options, such as an XC whippet with 120/120mm travel or a rowdier trail bike with 140/130mm travel. I’m inclined to build the latter so, hopefully, I’ll have more on that sometime soon. If you wanted to have a mullet setup with a 27.5” rear wheel, that’s also possible with this new platform.

Returning to small refinements, the new Top Fuel is slightly more progressive than the previous generation and has a tad more anti-squat. Rear travel is kept at 120mm and comes with a 130mm travel fork up front. 29” wheels are standard on all frames except the small, which is built around 27.5” wheels. The internal storage has also been updated with larger openings and better weatherproof sealing, and cables have been kept out of the way to minimise snagging. Trek has won the applause of shop mechanics by keeping cables out of the headset and eliminating the Knock Block headset. A tried-and-true threaded BB is used, as well as bolt-on downtube armour and a rubber chainstay protector.

While there are slight changes to geometry, the 65.5° head angle remains consistent across all sizes. The effective seat tube angle ranges from 75.2-76.9°; Trek lists this angle based on a specific saddle height for each size. Another update is the size-specific rear centre lengths, which vary from 435mm (smaller frames) to 445mm (X-Large frames).

I had the pleasure of riding the new Top Fuel in Durango, Colorado, USA. Having more than a week based in Durango meant I could get very familiar with the bike, logging over fifteen hours of ride time. There’s plenty of pedalling needed in Durango, and often you’re either riding long climbs, flats and descents that have pedal sections. I thought this bike was well suited to the terrain. The first thing that struck me was the pedalling efficiency and overall zippiness of the bike. I rode twice a day locally and had two high-country long ride missions as well. On all occasions, from road to gravel to trail, I didn’t feel the need to hit the lockout lever, as it pedalled great with it wide open. The bike feels swift and light and climbs exceptionally well.

The Top Fuel’s adaptability is the new four- position Mino Link at the lower shock mount. Effectively, this set of flip chips allows riders to choose between permutations of high and low geometry, and more linear or more progressive suspension curves. Initially, for the first few days of riding around the mountain bike parks of Durango, I had the Top Fuel’s flip chip in its default ‘low, less progressive’ setting. As we headed for longer high-country rides, a simple flip of the chip meant I could steepen the head tube angle by .4° and raise the BB by 6mm. I found this setting was ideal for ramping-up. It offered adequate dampening and felt comfortable even after several hours in the saddle. The more progressive setting reigned supreme across rowdier terrain on the longer descents in Colorado’s high- country. The bike moves very swiftly, especially over long rides. I’m a big fan of the flip chip!

While the RockShox Pike fork nods to more trail-oriented riding, there’s something about the overall frame that makes it more compliant than the white paper stats indicate. This compliance was evident when we ventured into the backcountry, which made for lengthy and rowdy descents. These rides were often long – around three hours or more – so having a compliant frame was welcomed. These rowdy sections are when the bike feels burlier than presumed. Again, on descents, the Top Fuel chassis is bloody solid; with the bike’s light weight, this is a little surprising. But, when you throw that together with the progressive rear kinematics, it’s confidence inspiring. Bear in mind, when things get really real – rough and steep and you need to pick your line – apply a bit more effort to stay cantered and weight both axles. That said, the newly designed compliance of the frame and separate linkages means smoother, grippy moments when it matters most.

On the shorter, punchier rides in and around Durango’s extensive trail network, the bike was super smooth and sprightly. Heck, simply making your way to the trailhead, the Top Fuel is just as sharp – sprinting forward eagerly as soon as you put the slightest pressure on the pedals. Uphill, it’s just as powerful and lively. From more XC-oriented loops to bike park-style jumps and berms to rock slabs, with sketchy rocky descents, the rear end stays active, even under brake load. I think the key component is the four-bar suspension platform over a single- pivot flex-stay, which offers superior grip both uphill and downhill. There’s suitable snappiness, and the bike generates speed very well.

Standing is fine but, for seated climbing, the Top Fuel is a beast. It soaks up big roots and rocks without losing traction or bouncing you offline. On rockier technical climbs I would normally not make it, but it would clear them. Although it’s not technically an XC race focussed rig, the Top Fuel is a super capable climber. And, with it being so well balanced, you can pick your way through more technical sections without having to carry a lot of momentum in. Cornering aboard this rig is bloody fun too. Leaning into flatter corners and railing berms is awesome. The balanced ride pays off here – keeping an ideal amount of weight on both wheels which keeps it easy to judge traction.

The Bontrager Line Pro 30 OCLV Mountain Carbon wheels do a great job. They’re sprightly and engage swiftly. These wheels are laced with Bontrager Gunnison up front and Bontrager Montrose out back – these tyres keep in fitting with the bike’s lightweight theme. I found them super supple and quite zippy but, on gnarlier rockier sections, I had to choose my line. Whilst they didn’t give me any grief on rockier descents, choosing the best line was imperative, as I was a tad worried about snagging them. I can understand the thinking behind choosing to spec these tyres, but if the bike remained with me, I’d prefer something a little beefier – even with the weight penalty. In saying that, they did hook up well – and impressed me on faster rolling sections. I suppose it really depends on your application for this trail bike, as it’s up for wide interpretation.

Keeping with the parts and component’s theme – the RSL MTB Handlebar and Stem comes equipped on the Top Fuel. On trail, I found the RSL handlebar/stem combo to be quite comfortable. It wasn’t overly stiff nor super compliant; it sat in the middle somewhere, which was kind of great as meant I could focus on the ride. I quite liked the RSL bar’s good feel, with enough damping to keep your hands from taking too much abuse. It provided reasonable comfort and was plenty stiff when accelerating out-of-the-saddle. The sweep and rise were dialled for me, as I usually run a slightly forward roll on my bar, but it won’t suit everyone. Although I do love the super tidy aesthetics and feel of the Bontrager RSL integrated bar and stem, I do think perhaps a more traditional bar/stem combo would possibly suit more riders. As the rest of the bike has quite a lot of adjustability, it would be good to have the same within the cockpit. Such as swap a shorter stem for gravity focused days and a longer one for long ride days or racing.

SRAM’s XO Transmission does a flawless job of shifting. I did break the chain, however, and luckily we had another chain-link with us in the backcountry. But that can happen at any time, to any groupset. I have XO Transmission on my personal bike and it’s super robust, shifts flawlessly and you never have to faff with it! I think if you’re spending your hard-earned cash on a new bike, then having Transmission is definitely worth your consideration. SRAM Level Silver four- piston brakes, with 180mm HS2 rotors front and rear are on stopping duties. I did find these brakes fairly good for some of the riding, mainly around the mountain bike parks of Durango with shorter descents. However, on longer descents in the backcountry they weren’t powerful enough. Keep in mind, that was mainly on super long runs with chunder sections throughout. I have been riding SRAM Maven’s on my personal bike, so am a bit partial to a heavy hitting brake. Again, if the bike was mine, I would upgrade to a bigger front rotor and possibly swap these brakes to SRAM Codes.

This bike is bloody fun! Hands down one of the best bikes I’ve ridden this year. It’s sprightly but super capable. The balanced ride inspires a ton of confidence. It pedals everywhere super efficiently – dances uphill, generates speed across flats and shreds going down. Its more bike than you think and makes a strong case for having a shorter travel bike! Of course, there’s a few nit bits that could be addressed as I’ve mentioned but, overall, the new Top Fuel is all class. I’m very keen to build this bike as a burlier 140/130mm trail bike, so hopefully we can make that happen soon.