2024 eMTB LITE GROUP REVIEW

SPECIALIZED KENEVO SL 2 EXPERT REVIEW

Words by Staff  |  Photos by Dusten Ryen

It’s been quite a long time since we’ve reviewed a Specialized Kenevo SL. Since Specialized updated the Kenevo SL 2 to utilize their Turbo SL 1.2 drive unit last year, we’ve been wanting to throw a leg over one. Like the Levo SL we had in last year’s SL eMTB Shootout, the updated Kenevo SL 2 features the 1.2 drive unit, which has increased power and claims of reduced noise compared to the original. Retaining the same frame – which is essentially a modified Specialized Enduro – the Kenevo SL 2 was a machine we were excited to push hard all over Oregon this summer.

We’d like to offer a huge thank you to our sponsors: Outdoor Research, Schwalbe Tires, Ride Concepts and the Running Y Resort. Without their gracious support, these types of content series would not be possible. Give them a thanks down below!

ABOUT THE SPECIALIZED KENEVO SL 2 EXPERT

Specialized’s Kenevo SL 2 remains largely unchanged since the original Kenevo SL, aside from spec updates and the new Turbo SL 1.2 system which increased power and reduced noise. With a pair of 29” wheels and 170mm travel on both ends, we were excited to see how this bike would stack up against the other big hitters.

DRIVE UNIT AND ELECTRONICS | Specialized’s Turbo SL 1.2 system launched with their Levo SL in 2023, featuring updates to the construction and firmware to produce an increased 50Nm Torque and 320W Peak Power from the 1.95kg (4.3lbs) system. Specialized gives this new drive unit their Rx Trail Tune, delivering a more natural feeling assistance, notable at higher cadences.

The Specialized Turbo SL 1.2 system is powered by an internal 320Wh battery that weighs 3.97lbs (1.8kg), and is not removable without dropping the motor. Boosting battery capacity by 160Wh is the 2.2lb (1kg) Range Extender, which sits within the bottle cage when in use. The Turbo SL 1.2 system charges in around 2.5 hours from empty, with the Range Extender taking around 3 hours 20.

Specialized’s MasterMind TCU is an integrated top tube display which displays battery life, mode selected and details like speed and distance. On the bar you have a sleek remote to control the system, letting you change mode, use Walk mode, and a MicroTune feature allows you to customize power delivery in 10% increments on-the-fly.

Specialized’s App allows users to connect to their SL 1.2 system to do everything from motor tuning, to display customization and over-the-air updates.

FRAME AND FEATURES | The Specialized Kenevo SL 2 is available only in their Fact 11M full carbon fiber frame, which carries through the range from the entry-level Comp to the top-spec S-Works. It’s built around 29” wheels only. This frame packs all of the high-quality features and finish that you’d expect from a Specialized frame, including highly adjustable geometry.

Cable routing is fully internal and guided to prevent rattle. There’s plentiful room within the front triangle for a large bottle or the Range Extender which is what we usually had in there. Frame protection includes a plastic downtube and motor guard; chain stay and seat stay chain slap protectors, and an integrated rear fender to prevent mud infiltration to the rear suspension linkage. The headset features replaceable cups to alter the angle by ±1° from neutral, and the Horst pivot features a 2-position flip chip which modifies rear center length and BB height.

SUSPENSION | Specialized carries the 6-bar suspension design from their Enduro over to the Kenevo SL, providing 170mm rear travel and matched with a 170mm fork up front. Specialized opted to use this system to obtain more rearward suspension travel, delivering improved square-edge hit performance. The kinematics are tuned to provide plentiful pedaling support and enough progression to handle hard hits.

GEOMETRY | Specialized’s “S” sizing system offers four sizes from S2 to S5 for riders from 5’2” (158cm) to 6’4” (193cm). There’s no S1 size for shorter riders here.

Geometry is decidedly aggressive, with a stock 63.5° Head Angle that can be pushed a degree in either direction. The remainder of the numbers are quite typical, aside from fairly low Stack heights which demand a high-rise bar to promote confidence in steep terrain.

BUILD SPECS | Specialized offers the Kenevo SL 2 in a range of builds from the $8,000 Comp to the top-spec $14,000 S-Works. We tested the $10,000 Kenevo SL 2 Expert, which is one of the builds in the mid-range that we’d likely opt to purchase if we could afford it.

The suspension duties are handled by a RockShox Zeb Select fork with Charger RC damper and 170mm travel, and a RockShox Vivid Select+ rear shock. Also from SRAM is a Maven Bronze brakeset with 220mm front and 200mm rear rotors; and GX Eagle T-Type AXS drivetrain.

Specialized provides their Alloy Trail Stem and a 6061 Alloy handlebar with 30mm rise. Also Specialized is the Bridge Comp saddle, which sits atop a PNW Loam dropper post. And finally, there’s a Roval Traverse HD Alloy wheelset with DT Swiss 370 hubs that’s wrapped in a Specialized Butcher GRID GRAVITY tire combo as standard.

As with all of the bikes in our 2024 SL eMTB Shootout, these stock tires were replaced with a pair of Schwalbe Albert Radial Trail Ultra Softs, giving consistent and dependable performance across the test fleet.

With these Schwalbe control tires, our S4 Specialized Turbo Kenevo SL 2 Expert weighed in at 45.3lbs (20.5kg).

TESTING THE SPECIALIZED KENEVO SL 2

SETUP | Getting the Kenevo SL 2 up and running was a straightforward affair, with a software update required out of the box. Dialing in the suspension and cockpit preferences were easy for the most part, with the stack height being the most frequently discussed adjustment, but we’ll touch on that later.

ELECTRONICS & INTEGRATION | Specialized does a good job when it comes to integration, sleekness and essentials. Their bar controller is minimalistic, works easily and the slim top tube display gives us enough information to keep us happy.

CLIMBING | Climbing the Kenevo SL is a bit of a mixed bag, depending on what type of climbing you’re doing. Delivering just 50Nm of torque, the Kenevo’s only other climbing partner is the TQ HPR 50-equipped Trek Slash+ in this shootout. The rest of the bikes in our lightweight eMTB group test all pack more power, and riders aboard the Kenevo could feel it. If you’re not concerned with being the fastest one up the mountain and you’re more interested in just having some assistance in your long travel enduro rig, then it’s certainly enough to take the sting out, but you’ll struggle to keep up with other systems with more grunt.

The range of the Kenevo SL also left a bit to be desired, mostly because of the small battery size. We almost exclusively rode this bike with the Range Extender battery installed in the bottle cage. For its small battery it is relatively efficient, but there’s no denying that 320Wh is a small battery capacity.

Climbing the Kenevo SL is pleasurable as the suspension platform is extremely comfortable and does a great job of absorbing obstacles and bumps without unsettling the rider. One last climbing note from our testers was that the Kenevo SL’s kryptonite is steep hill climbs. We struggled to keep the front tire on the ground when the pitch went north of 22-23 degrees, and when combined with the weaker drive unit, it made for a tough time.

DESCENDING | Going downhill is where the Kenevo SL is built to shine, without a doubt. Our testers all found great joy when it was their turn to drop in aboard the Kenevo SL. While the long wheelbase had some drawbacks on tighter trail sections, the stability, confidence and composure this big and burly rig possessed could easily be worth the tradeoff for many riders.

One of the biggest standouts for our test crew is the six-bar suspension platform’s ability to eat the chunk. Some of our test trails included flatter, nasty rock gardens full of embedded lava rock. While many of the bikes struggled to not only maintain momentum, but also keep our riders from feeling fatigued, the Kenevo SL managed to do both while also egging us on to go faster.

Another impressive trait of the Kenevo SL is its cornering ability. Even with the long wheelbase, we were able to get the rear wheel exactly where we wanted, and snap the bike into corners nicely. We really liked cornering this bike.

FINISH AND VALUE | We’d say the value on the bike is fair and the parts spec’d on this build will likely hold up and perform well for lots of miles. Overall finish and package rates pretty high for our crew. We like the Specialized package overall and think it’s a nicely put together bike, nice paint, hardware and bits to keep it tight under many abusive miles.

COMPARISON AND RANKING?

Our test crew really liked this bike overall. In fact, one of our testers owns one as his personal bike. The Specialized Kenevo SL 2 is one of the best descending lightweight eBikes on the market. Downhill-focused riders will love the bump-eating capabilities of this rig and enjoy how fast it will let you charge. The only other competitor when it comes to DH performance in this shootout is the Trek Slash+.

On the climbing front, the Kenevo SL falls behind most other bikes, as it’s underpowered and under-batteried. It also struggles with front wheel traction while trying to climb back up the steepest trails.

The Wolf’s Last Word

If you’re not in a rush to get to the top, and you don’t need mega-range out of your downhill-focused SL eMTB, then the Kenevo SL is certainly a contender in our opinion. While we’d love to see a more powerful drive unit and a slightly larger internal battery, there is no denying that the Kenevo SL is one of the best descending lightweight eBikes on the market.

Price: $10,000
Weight: 45.3 lbs (as tested)
Website: Specialized.com

Thanks again to our amazing sponsors who made this group test possible.

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