I think we can all agree that while Specialized’s Turbo Levo SL wasn’t the first lightweight e-mountain bike, it’s definitely the one that kickstarted the whole SL e-bike trend. And it’s a journey that’s not been without growing pains. When the original Levo SL launched in early 2020, the focus really was on weight, at the expense of everything else. But once riders figured out how hard they could ride the Levo SL, stronger wheels, beefier forks, tougher tyres and bigger brakes rapidly made their way onto the stock builds, so the weight slowly crept up.

The Specialized Turbo Levo SL Expert C actually deserves the ‘SL’ tag.

Frame and geometry

Four years on, and the Levo SL Gen 2 is still one of the lightest e-bikes in class. And at 18.48kg, with our Continental Kryptotal control tyres fitted, it’s also the lightest bike in our 2024 SL E-bike of the Year test. And by quite a handsome margin. Yes, the small 320Wh battery helps keep the weight low, but even if I was to add the optional 160Wh range extender, and boost the total battery capacity to 480Wh, the Levo SL would still be the lightest bike in test, and have the second biggest battery capacity to boot.

The 2024 Specialized Turbo Levo SL ships with MX wheels, but can be converted to full 29in without altering the geo.

That headline weight is even more impressive when you factor in all of the geometry adjustments. A drop-in headset bearing top cup lets you change the head angle by +/-1º, while flip-chips in the chainstay pivots adjust for wheel size and BB height. Where the Gen 2 bikes all ship with MX wheels as standard. And if that wasn’t enough tweaking for one bike, the offset bushing in the shock eyelet offers 5mm extra BB height and head angle adjustment. So geometry geeks are going to love the Turbo Levo SL.

SWAT tool stashed in the steerer tube as standard makes trail-side adjustments a breeze.

What’s more impressive still, is that while the Gen 2 Levo SL is light, it doesn’t feel flimsy, like the new Orbea Rise LT that’s also in this test. Yes, it’s a seriously expensive bike, especially at the original £9k asking price, but the frame also comes in six sizes, S1 to S6, so you can really tailor the fit of the bike to your body proportions and riding style. Also the SWAT CC tool stashed inside the fork steerer and side-loading water bottle both come fitted as standard. In fact, all that’s missing is the £340 range extender.

The Gen 2 Levo SL has better geometry and sizing, sans side-arm reinforcement.

Oh, I almost forgot about the key frame updates from Gen 1 to Gen 2. In short, the geometry and sizing have been brought up-to-date, and Specialized has dropped the side-arm frame design. And as I mentioned earlier, the bike now comes stock with MX wheels.

The low bottle cage placement means the Levo SL is ripe for a range extender.

Specialized Turbo Levo SL Expert C Need to know

• At 18.48kg it’s the lightest SL e-bike in test
• Frame travel: 150mm, fork travel: 160mm
• Specialized SL 1.2 motor – 50Nm torque, 320w peak power
• Stock 320Wh internal battery, optional 160Wh range extender
• Adjustable head angle, BB height and chainstay length
• MX wheels as standard, but 29in compatible
• SRAM GX AXS T-type transmission
• SWAT tool included
• Range: 844m vertical
• Available in six frame sizes: S1 to S6

Motor and battery

And it’s not just the carbon frame layout that’s changed on the Gen 2 Levo SL. The new SL 1.2 motor now delivers 50Nm of torque, up from 35Nm, and it’s accompanied by 320 watts peak power. Those are still pretty low numbers in the modern era of SL e-bike tech though, when the Cannondale Moterra SL and Whyte E-Lyte 150 are both pumping out 600 watts of assistance.  Also ,with the stock settings, the SL 1.2 motor can feel surgy and erratic, which gives you the illusion of power, but if you want the power to come on more smoothly, you can adjust it in the Specialized app.

The compact Specialized SL 1.2 motor and 48v charging port.

On paper, the output of the Levo SL 1.2 motor is virtually identical to the TQ-HPR50 unit on the Trek Fuel EXe 9.7. Out on the trail however, the Specialized motor feels more powerful, especially when the trail pitches up. Both motors however, pale into insignificance when compared to the Orbea Rise LT with the Shimano EP801 motor boasting 85Nm and 600 watts of peak power.

Light but reassuringly solid, the Levo SL is easy to chuck around.

What’s really interesting though, is that while the Levo SL only has a 320Wh battery, it still out-performed the Trek with its bigger 360Wh battery in our range test. Granted it was only by 33m of ascending, but it highlights just how efficient the Specialized system is, or maybe how inefficient the compact TQ system is. If you want to see how all eight bikes in our SL got on in the field, then check out our dedicated SL Range Test video.

Scroll through the power modes or display screens with the handlebar controller.

As I mentioned earlier, if you want to boost how far the Levo SL will take you, the 160Wh range extender slots straight into the bottle cage that comes on the bike. The current price of the range extender is around £340. And with the Specialized app, you can set it up to drain the range extender first then ditch it, or have both batteries drain in tandem. You can also get a splitter cable that enables you to charge both batteries at the same time.

Specialized’s customisable display is streets ahead of its rivals.

I think it’s fair to say that until DJI came along with its Amflow e-bike, Specialized has led the way on e-bike system integration. As such, the colour Mastermind TCU top tube display on the second Gen Levo SL is streets ahead of anything else in this test. Yes, it could be bigger, just so the older folks who can actually afford these bikes don’t need their glasses to read the metrics! It’s also cool that the display is customisable, so you can have up to 16 different screens and all of the information that you’re most interested in at the touch of a button. The Gen 2 Levo SL also benefits from Specialized’s Micro Tune, so in addition to the preset power modes, you can tune the assistance level in 10 percent increments from the handlebar remote to really dial-in the level of support.

Suspension

The most obvious update on the Gen 2 Levo SL frame is that it doesn’t have the distinctive sidearm design. But Specialized didn’t just remove it, it also rejigged the suspension. Rear travel is still 150mm, but the bike now has more support in the mid-stroke. A change that Specialized has since implemented on the new Stumpjumper 15 platform that was released earlier this year.

No Genie shock on our 2024 model, but there’s still plenty of adjustment.

Our test bike was the 2024 model, but for 2025 the Levo SL Expert Carbon (that still costs £9k) now comes with Specialized’s Genie shock tech as standard. Which has some really clever internals that give a fully adjustable dual-stage air spring. If you want to know more about the Genie shock tech, then check out our video on the new Stumpjumper 15.

The 2024 Specialized gets the older, and arguably better, Grip 2-damped Fox 36 fork.

But let’s stay in 2024 for now. The Levo SL Expert gets Fox Performance Elite suspension, so you have all the adjustability of the top-end Fox Factory kit, like on the Orbea, albeit without the bling Kashima coating. With a 160mm Fox 36 fork leading the change, Specialized has hit the sweet spot in terms of travel on the Levo SL, and the suspension feels really well balanced front and rear. It also does a good job of isolating the rider for high frequency hits, without it ever feeling like I was detached from what’s going on at the contact patches of the tyres. Yes, hard chargers will probably have to run the suspension firmer front and rear, but the Elite-level suspension lets you do just that.

Components

With Deity grips and a comfy Specialized Bridge Comp saddle, the touch points on the Levo SL are totally sorted. Yes, there’s a little bit of rotational play and rattle from the OneUp dropper post, but it functioned perfectly throughout the test and I really liked having 180mm of drop to get the saddle exactly where I wanted it in every situation.

All of the touch points on the Specialized Levo SL are sorted, right down to the Bridge Comp saddle.

I also liked the profile and height of the 30mm alloy riser bar. And while some riders will want an 800mm bar as standard, I’m 100% happy with the 780mm width, as it saves me having to bust out the saw.

SRAM’s Code Stealth brakes aren’t perfect, but they are still the best in this test.

It’s super cool how the hose from the Stealth SRAM Code brakes runs close to the handlebar, but it was the consistent braking performance that impressed me most. The Codes don’t feel as grabby as the new SRAM Maven brakes, and while I’d still like a lighter initial lever pull, there’s simply no faulting the power and consistency of the SRAM Code Silver Stealth brakes.

I’d swap the SRAM MatchMaker clamp for the separate Infinity AXS shifter pod mount.

Sure, I’d like the separate SRAM Infinity clamp for the AXS shifter pod, rather than the MatchMaker setup where the pod is attached to the brake lever clamp, but that’s an easy swap.

We swapped the stock Specialized tyres for our Continental Kryptotal control tyres.

Specialized fits its own brand tyres to all of its bikes, and while the Butcher/Eliminator combo on the Levo SL is okay in dry-to-mixed conditions, it’s far from ideal when it’s wet or even cold. Also what’s with the 2.3in width casings? Does Specialized not realise it’s 2024? Now, I’m not saying it should bring back the 6Fattie, but I’d like slightly wider tyres to enhance grip further.

Performance

Specialized has really nailed the build on the Levo SL Expert Carbon. I’ve got all of the adjustability I need from the Fox Performance Elite suspension, and combined with the geometry adjustments and size offerings, I was able to get the bike set up just so. Which sounds great, and it is. Because this bike rides really well. But if your riding buddies are on anything other than a TQ-equipped Trek Fuel EXe, you’re going to be huffing and puffing at the back of the pack on all of the climbs – unless you’re much fitter than the people you ride with.

Climbing

If you’re coming from an analogue bike, then the additional 320 watts peak power of the Gen 2 Levo SL is going to make you feel superhuman on the climbs. If, however, you’re used to 600 watts of assistance, the Levo SL is going to feel like you’re climbing in 120fps slow motion. Which will give you plenty of time to notice the high-pitched whine of the motor, and study all of the metrics on that fancy Mastermind TCU top tube display.

Compared to a analogue bike, the Levo SL powers up climbs.

In the shorter 432mm MX chainstay setting, I really needed to shift my weight forward on the Specialized to keep on top of the front end. On steeper techy climbs, I also noticed the distinct lack of overrun from the motor, and how the rear suspension squats under power too. So I did need to concentrate much in the same way I would on an analogue bike. And just like on the Norco Fluid VLT C2, running slightly less sag on the rear offered me a better position for climbing and more support for cornering.

Swapping the wheel size flip chips also increases the chainstay length.

Also if you’re really into climbing, you could always stick the chainstay flip chips in the 29er setting to get the longer rear end, then raise the BB height with the shock eyelet flip-chip to get the pedal clearance back again. Because one thing the Turbo Levo SL isn’t short on, is options.

Descending

Drop-in on a descent and the first thing that struck me about the Specialized is that it is a really quiet bike when coasting. No cable rattle, no chain noise and no motor rattle. Just the sound of the tyres on dirt. At 18.48kg, does the Levo SL feel more like an analogue bike than the other heavier SL bikes in test? No, not at all. It just feels better than any 150mm travel analogue bike I’ve tested. But then the same is true of most SL e-bikes!

The 27.5in rear wheel makes it really easy to get off the back of the bike.

What Specialized has really nailed though, is the overall feel of the bike. It’s not so stiff as to be jarring, nor is it too flexy, so it never feels imprecise or vague the way Orbea Rise LT can. Given its impressive weight, or maybe I should say lack of it, the Levo SL still manages to feel reassuringly solid. As such, the frame feel and suspension work really well together, and I could run the suspension firmer than I originally thought for more support, yet it was still really effective at ironing out the bumps. Would it be even better with the Genie shock? Possibly, but would you be willing to spend £1,500 more to get it? I wouldn’t, even though it’s a great shock.

Light, fast and capable, the Levo SL delivers on the descents.

Okay, so if you’re still with me, it should be crystal clear that steep technical climbing and big mountain riding aren’t the Levo SL’s strongest suits, even if it’s a really good bike for cruising up fire roads and dropping in on fast or technical descents. And if that’s your preferred riding style, you can open up the 64.7º head angle by one full degree, to improve the Levo SL’s downhill potential further. Just don’t expect to get too many laps in with that 320Wh battery.

The Specialized Turbo Levo SL Expert C need more power and a range extender as standard.