QUICK HITS
• 150mm Horst Link Suspension
• Mixed Wheels (29” F / 27.5” R)
• S-Works 3.1 Drive Unit
• 111Nm, 720W Peak
• 840Wh Battery
WE DIG
WE DON’T
ABOUT THE SPECIALIZED S-WORKS TURBO LEVO 4
What is the Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo designed to be?
The Specialized Levo is their electric trail bike, designed to be very well rounded and adjustable to suit every eBike rider. With a 150mm rear end using their GENIE tech co-developed with Fox, and their own drive unit offering up to 111Nm of Torque, Specialized hopes to keep the Levo at the top of every eBikers wishlist.
What eBike drive system does the Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo use?
For the new Levo 4, Specialized is offering two different drive units depending on the spec – the S-Works 3.1 or Specialized 3.1. These share the same architecture, but the S-Works has 111Nm and 720W Peak, whereas the standard Specialized 3.1 Motor produces 101Nm and 666W. These drive units weigh a portly 3.2kg, gaining 300g over the predecessor, but packing more power and reduced noise.
Both of these drive units are powered by a 840Wh internal and removable battery as standard, which weighs 9.3 lbs (4.2kg). For riders looking for a more agile ride, Specialized also offers an aftermarket 600h battery. For the biggest days, there’s a 280Wh range extender available which mounts into the bottle cage. Specialized says the new Levo can be used with only the range extender for shuttle days, though it will not deliver full power when doing so.
Charging the system is either the standard 4A charger, or the Smart Charger which comes standard with the S-Works. This Smart Charger has a fast-charge 12A setting which can take the battery to 80% in under an hour. Additionally, there’s an ECO mode for trickle charging, Standard mode, and a storage mode.
For the new Levo, Specialized updated the display to feature a screen unit that’s essentially an Apple watch integrated into the top tube. This color display was a solid performer and the whole ecosystem felt futuristic and well integrated. On the handlebar there’s a controller which has a new toggle to tweak the power modes.
With the Specialized App, the rider can connect to the bike to do everything from updates to tuning and customization.
What are the details of the Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo frame?
It feels as if Specialized has sweated each and every detail when it comes to the new Levo frame. From adjustability in the headset and two independent flip chips, to storage inside the frame, the attention to detail and execution is impressive.
There are currently two frames on offer – the standard Levo carbon with an alloy shock extender, or the S-Works with a carbon shock extender. These frames are otherwise identical, save for some fancy paint work.
The new Specialized Levo 4 is built around a mixed-wheel (29” front, 27.5” rear) setup only. The chainstay length, bottom bracket height and head tube angle are all adjustable, but there’s no provision to fit a larger 29” wheel in the rear.
The battery on the new Levo slides out of a window in the side of the frame. When fitted, it’s secured by a 5mm allen key bolt near the head tube. Above the battery, there’s a SWAT storage bag, which is held in place by magnets to prevent noise when riding.
Cables are routed neatly within the frame, through ports in the side of the headtube. A bottle cage or the range extender will fit within the front triangle on all sizes.
How much suspension travel does the Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo have, and with what linkage?
The Specialized Turbo Levo 4 continues to use the Horst Link – or FSR – suspension layout that Specialized bikes are typically found with. It delivers 150mm of rear wheel travel, which is paired with a 160mm fork as standard. Specialized says that riders can fit the frame with up to a 180mm fork if desired.
Unique to Specialized is the GENIE rear shock technology, co-developed with Fox Factory. This is a two-chamber air shock, which offers a unique feeling and tuning abilities. The first 70% of the travel uses both air chambers, delivering a large air volume for a more linear feel. For the final 30%, the outer chamber is closed off, reducing the volume of the shock to increase bottom out support. Each of these chambers can have their air volume tuned independently, letting the rider alter the characteristics of the rear suspension.
What are the stand-out geometry figures on the Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo?
The Specialized Turbo Levo 4 geometry is quite neutral, with no true stand-out figures. The size range goes from S2 to S6, with Reach and Stack scaling but other numbers remaining the same throughout the range. We would have loved to see some scaling chainstay lengths too to retain the balance for the tallest riders. With the three-way geometry adjustability, riders can tweak the handling to their liking. This offers a 9mm chainstay, 6mm bottom bracket height and 1 degree head tube angle adjustment.
What Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo build specs are offered?
Specialized offers the Turbo Levo Carbon in a choice of builds from the $7,999 Comp to the $13,499 S-Works tested. There’s also two alloy-framed builds, with the Turbo Levo 4 Alloy at $5,799 and the Alloy Comp at $7,299.
Our Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo build tipped the scales at 52.6 lbs / 23.9kg for the size S4, with the Schwalbe Magic Mary and Albert Radial Gravity control tires fitted.
View the full build spec tested in the spec list.
THE DIRT
Getting the Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo 4 Set Up | High levels of adjustability can sometimes lead to a difficult setup process, however in its stock guise the Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo 4 was a solid performer. Even so, Drew had the desire to reinstate some of the liveliness that had been lost due to the increased weight compared to the previous Levo. As such, we fitted a second GENIE band to the rear shock to increase early-stroke support. We also found the short rear end setting a ton of fun on playful trails and slower speeds, but left us wanting more as the speeds increased and trails got rougher. We opted to make the switch to the longer position and overall preferred that setting for our crew.
All of the changes that we made with the inbuilt adjustability had a notable effect, rather than being token items that were insignificant. We applaud Specialized’s move to make their bikes so adjustable and allow the rider to adapt the handling to their preferences. It allowed the Levo to change character to suit each of the different rider preferences in our team.
Adjustability aside, setting up the Levo 4 suspension was a painless affair. Regardless of whether we ran one or two GENIE bands, 30% sag felt good, and the simple rebound and compression adjustments were quick and easy to set.
How Did The Specialized S-Works 3.1 eBike System Perform?
Specialized’s updated drive unit is a notable improvement over the previous generation. Power and control have improved, and the noise up and down the hill have reduced. The 300g weight penalty is notable, but we were willing to accept this compromise for the improvements elsewhere.
The power delivered by the S-Works drive unit we tested placed it solidly up at the front of the pack, coming close to rivalling the DJI Avinox system. The control of the power delivery was excellent, letting us utilize the higher power modes in technical climbing scenarios without fear of losing control. The noise produced was a touch louder than the DJI and Bosch drive units, but within a very acceptable level for our crew.
As for range, the 840Wh battery delivered excellent longevity, highlighting reasonable efficiency in addition to the highest capacity on test. This comes with a weight penalty, so we could foresee some riders favoring the 600Wh battery which can be purchased aftermarket. However, we understand why Specialized has equipped their all mountain eMTB with all-day worthy range. The ability to exclusively run the range extender for shuttle days is awesome too, shaving notable weight while retaining a little assistance to take the edge off smaller climbs.
How Did The Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo Climb?
The Specialized Levo has always ranked highly in overall climbing prowess, the new S-Works Levo 4 was no exception. That said, in the shorter chainstay setting, it was difficult to control the front end on steeper climb pitches, especially when obtaining full power out of the drive unit. As such, we moved to the longer rear end setting, which improved the balance and generally improved the climbing prowess on the steeps but had some drawbacks in overly tight and techy trails with ledges. Another notable issue we had on very rocky or techy climbs was the low bottom bracket height and crank arm length on the S-Works model. All other Levos have shorter cranks however the carbon units found on the S-Works don’t come in a 155 or 160mm, which we’d love to see.
The suspension platform struck a good balance of comfort and efficiency, leaving our crew happy to run the shock unlocked throughout testing.
How Was The Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo On The Descents?
The new Specialized Levo was an excellent eMTB on the descents. The rear end punched above its weight, letting us attack some rough and rowdy downhill tracks without flinching. It didn’t quite match the stability and momentum carrying abilities of some of the enduro eBikes in our group test, but well exceeded what you would expect a 150mm travel bike to be capable of. In some of our extended DH run testing, the Levo was able to hang onto the wheels of other 160-180mm bikes until the rider’s fitness became more of an issue due to the shorter travel. This thing is an impressive descender for a 150/160mm ebike! We’d be very interested to see a 160mm or 165mm link adapted to this chassis because it may just be unstoppable!
All of this capability comes without much drawback for trail eBike riding. The new Specialized Levo 4 admittedly lost a little of its agility and fun-factor on the mellowest trails compared with the Levo 3, but the penalty was minimal. The improvements to comfort and composure when pushing rider and bike limits was worth this compromise in our eyes. Even so, as downhill-focused eMTB riders, we would love to see a longer travel version, and are excited to see what the future holds.
Finish And Value On The Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo 4
The overall package Specialized put together for the S-Works Turbo Levo 4 ran exceptionally quietly, giving a very high quality feeling on the trail. Of course, you would hope so for a bike of this price tag, but in covering all of the details they delivered an excellent final product. Perhaps the best overall eBike product we have seen so far?
We would love to see a way for the consumer to choose their battery size at the point of purchase, rather than having to buy the bike with the 840Wh and purchase the 600Wh aftermarket. For riders seeking the most dynamic handling and not demanding the extra range, this would likely make purchasing the Levo a more attractive proposition.
We’d also like to see some size-specific chainstays on a bike at this price point. Of course there is the ability to tune the rear end length between the two notably different settings. However, we could foresee some riders on S5 and S6 seeking a longer rear end to improve the overall balance.
The reduced power output of the standard Turbo 3.1 drive unit on non-S-Works builds is not a dealbreaker in our eyes, still offering very competitive output that’s likely to satisfy the majority of eBikers. That said, if the drive units are indeed identical, and don’t have any special parts or materials to better handle the added output, it does seem a bit unfortunate that Specialized puts a premium on power. Perhaps they’re looking the car industry as an example, where hopped up motors and extra horsepower only come on premium models.
The builds at the lower end of the Carbon specs are likely where we would put our money, considering the return on investment. The Comp Carbon build is still likely to provide solid performance, though longevity of components like the wheels may come into question in the longer term.
The Wolf’s Last Word
The Specialized Turbo Levo 4 was an exceptional all-round all mountain eMTB. It offered extremely well rounded performance, and the S-Works spec ran quietly and felt like the high quality product that its price tag would suggest.
There is a reason that the Levo 3 was one of the most sold eMTBs on the market – it offered the majority of eBikers with the perfect tool to do anything on. The Levo 4 only improves on this, gaining capability and range with minimal drawback to the lighter duty functionality.
Who Is The Ideal Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo Rider?
A wide spectrum of riders are sure to enjoy the Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo 4 thanks to its well-rounded performance. It will please just about any rider aside from those who desire the capability and comfort of a longer-travel enduro eMTB.
Price: $13,499
Website: Specialized.com
About The Pack
During the production of our 2025 eMTB Shootout, we had the Ari Timp Peak 2.0 tested under 8 different riders and compared to the other 11 bikes. The Loam Wolf crew spans heights from 5’10” to 6’2” (177cm to 189cm), and weights from 160lbs to 220lbs. For this year’s test, we also included one of our supporting members, Leonard Johnston from Indiana. His “real world eMTBer” insight was invaluable to us as we evaluated the performance of each of these eBikes.
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