The Best Full-Power eMTB Money Can Buy? Specialized Turbo Levo 4 Review

Specialized’s Turbo Levo models have been at the forefront of the eMTB market since their inception 10 years ago. With class-leading system integration backed by impressive on-trail performance, the brand has undoubtedly helped push the boundaries of innovation in this rapidly developing market. 

Specialized officially launched the latest version of the Turbo Levo back in April. Now in its fourth generation, the Turbo Levo 4 builds off the innovation and performance of its predecessors and takes it to new heights. With a new, more powerful motor, a bigger battery, updated controls/display, excellent app integration, and a highly adjustable geometry, the Turbo Levo 4 aims to be the best full-power electric mountain bike on the market.

I received my Specialized Turbo Levo 4 test bike almost a month before it launched back in mid-April. With a significant hand injury and the fact that every other media outlet was covering the Levo 4 announcement, I decided to hold off on a short-term review and really get to know this bike over a much longer period of time.

I’ve been testing the top-of-the-line S-Works Turbo Levo 4 ($14,000) for the past 4 months on a wide variety of trails in and around Reno, Nev., the greater Lake Tahoe area, and the northern Sierra.

In short: I’ve tested lots of electric mountain bikes, including every generation of the Turbo Levo, and the latest version is the best full-power model I’ve ever ridden. The new Specialized 3.1 motor is impressively powerful yet well-refined and easily tunable to suit your needs. The 840Wh battery feeds that powerful motor and provides an impressive range, and the system integration is as good as it gets. The bike itself is also dialed, with its easily adjustable geometry, a high level of versatility, and confidence-inspiring downhill performance.

The electric bike market has exploded in recent years, and these days, there’s no shortage of eMTBs to choose from. Nearly every major bike brand has one or several models of eMTBs, often with full power and lightweight options. And, the rate of technological advancement is truly impressive, with motor and battery technology developing so rapidly that it can be hard to keep up. 

Specialized has been and continues to be one of the brands pushing the envelope when it comes to electric mountain bike technology and design. When the original Turbo Levo came out a decade ago, not only was it a solid bike, but the integration of the electric bike components also blew away the clunkier designs of the competition at the time.

As the market continues to mature, however, the big S has seen some very healthy competition from other brands. Most recently, the motor power wars have been heating up, with brands like Avinox, Bosch, and Specialized pushing the limits of torque and peak power.

Turbo Levo 4: What’s the Same?

This bike is mostly redesigned, but it shares its name, suspension travel, adjustable geometry, and mixed wheel sizes with its predecessor. So, like the Levo 3, the Levo 4 has 150mm of rear wheel travel that’s paired with a 160mm fork, and it has heaps of geometry adjustments to really dial it in to your exact preferences.

Swappable headset cups allow for head tube angle changes in 1-degree increments between 63.5 and 65.5 degrees. Riders can also choose between high and low bottom bracket heights and long or short chainstays.

It comes in five frame sizes, which Specialized refers to as “S” sizes. Rather than categorical sizes like S, M, and L, the brand wants you to choose your size based on other geometric measurements and handling preferences. With S2 through S6, it is intended to fit riders between 5’2″ and 6’8″.

Turbo Levo 4: What’s New?

The Levo 4 frame has a new silhouette, borrowing the looks of the light power Turbo Levo SL and the non-electric Stumpjumper 15. The bulky downtube and motor, however, certainly don’t hide the fact that this is an e-bike.

The majority of the Levo 4 models also come with new Fox Genie shocks. Specialized says the patent-pending Genie technology provides the performance of a coil spring with the adjustability of an air shock.

The new Specialized 3.1 Motor is arguably the most important part of the Levo 4. This new motor system comes in two versions, with the S-Works 3.1 motor I tested and the slightly less powerful standard 3.1. The S-Works motor only comes on the top-of-the-line S-Works model, and it boasts specs that make it one of the most powerful systems on the market. With up to 111 Nm of torque and up to 720 W of peak power, this motor is anything but underpowered. 

The standard 3.1 motor comes on every other Levo 4 model in both carbon and alloy. So, it’s far more likely that most consumers will end up using it. It’s only slightly toned down, with 101 Nm of torque and 666 W of peak power on tap. That’s still plenty, believe me. The motor has three primary assist modes: Eco, Trail, and Turbo, along with Auto (a self-adjusting mode), Micro Tune, and Dynamic Micro Tune.

Along with the full power motor, Specialized included a full power supply with all models getting a large, 840Wh battery. That fits neatly into the downtube of the frame, plus they’ve added in-frame SWAT storage by the head tube — a novelty on eMTBs.

That battery can be swapped out for a smaller/lighter 600Wh option if you prefer, or you can add the range extender (+280 Wh) for really big rides. Specialized also offers a 700W Super Charger — in addition to the standard 200W version — for fast charging.

The low-profile handlebar-mounted controls are intuitive and have good ergonomics. The new MasterMind display is a significant step up from previous displays. It’s cleanly integrated into the top tube of the frame, very easy to read, and can be customized through the app.

Speaking of the app, it is very easy to use. It’s incredibly easy to tune the pedal assist modes, adjust display settings, enable security features, track rides, and more.

S-Works Turbo Levo 4 Build

With a $14,000 price tag, the S-Works build is as tricked out — and expensive — as they come. This includes a Fox Factory 38 fork, Fox Factory Float X-Genie shock, and the Fox Transfer Neo wireless dropper post.

The latest SRAM Maven Ultimate brakes offer heaps of stopping power for this heavyweight bike. The top-tier SRAM XX AXS Transmission drivetrain is wired to the bike’s battery, so you never need to charge your wireless derailleur’s battery. 

It rolls on Specialized’s (Roval’s) nearly indestructible Traverse HD carbon wheels with a 29-inch front and 27.5-inch rear “mullet” setup. Specialized wisely chose its own grippy and aggressive Butcher tires front and rear with the tough Grid Gravity casing.

The cockpit is also dialed with an Industry 9 stem, Race Face Era Carbon handlebar, Deity Lockjaw grips, and a 3D-printed Specialized Power Pro Mirror saddle. And let’s not forget one of my favorite things on Specialized bikes: the pop-up SWAT tool hidden in the steerer tube. 

My size S4 (comparable to a large) S-Works test bike weighed in right at 52 pounds. That’s not light by any means, but I think it’s pretty respectable given the super powerful motor and 840Wh battery size.

Build Options

The Turbo Levo 4 initially only sold in carbon, with several models sharing the same FACT 11m carbon fiber frame. The four carbon-framed models start at $8,500 for the Levo 4 Comp and top out at an eye-watering $14,000 for the S-Works version described above.

It’s worth mentioning again that the S-Works version is the only one to come with the most powerful S-Works 3.1 motor. All of the other models, both carbon and alloy, come with the standard 3.1 motor.

Shortly after launching the carbon-framed models of the Turbo Levo 4, Specialized announced two additional, more affordable alloy-framed models. The alloy-framed models feature the same geometry adjustments and in-frame storage as the carbon versions.

The alloy frame helps keep the price a bit lower, with the base model Levo 4 Alloy going for $5,799 and the Levo Comp Alloy at $7,299. All of the models in the lineup have solid build kits at their respective price points. 

Turbo Levo 4: What I Liked

I found plenty to like about the Turbo Levo 4. This versatile bike is very well-rounded and exceeded my performance expectations both up and down the trail. The new motor is impressively powerful but super smooth, quiet, and very easy to tune, and the 840Wh battery basically eliminates range anxiety.

The Ride

Specialized has continually been refining its trail bike geometry, and the Levo 4 hits the nail on the head. The stock settings are absolutely dialed for all-around trail riding, with an ample reach and modern angles that are perfectly up to date.

The wealth of geometry adjustments is also fantastic. Not only are they easy to make, but they also make significant changes to the bike’s character and allow for lots of customization.

I was quite comfortable in the stock settings, but I raised the bottom bracket height for more pedal clearance using the shock yoke flip chip. It was a quick adjustment that optimized the bike for my needs.

With a killer geometry, the fanciest suspension, and all of the nicest components, the ride quality was absolutely sublime. The 150mm of rear wheel travel with the Genie shock was incredibly plush, and the 160mm fork matched that with its smoothness.

The weight of this bike, and most e-bikes, for that matter, helped give it a super-damp and stable feel at speed and exceptional traction when cornering. It really came alive as speeds increased, but it didn’t feel boring or bland at lower speeds or in tighter terrain. The smaller rear wheel and short chainstays maintained more liveliness and maneuverability than expected for a bike of its weight. 

It felt incredibly composed and confident everywhere I rode it. The Turbo Levo 4 was very easy to get along with, and it felt just as good cruising flow trails and tabletop jump lines as it did riding steep old mining trails. It was also plenty comfortable and maneuverable on the climbs.

The powerful motor plays a big role here, obviously, but the geometry was also dialed. For a 52-pound bike, it carried its weight well and was easy to handle both when blasting up steep fire roads and negotiating tighter trails. I also rode quite a few miles with the motor completely off. The lack of drag from the motor system impressed me.

The Motor System

The new S-Works 3.1 motor was and is incredibly powerful, but the performance of this system involves the other associated components, too. I’ll start by saying how impressed I was by the noise level of the motor. This thing was really quiet in all modes, but even when putting down big torque in Turbo.

It was also very smooth with its power delivery, with excellent sensors providing a very natural feel and tunability to dial in the motor response to my needs. 

Of course, the available power was truly next level and made it very easy to climb impossibly steep grades when blasting in Turbo mode. I didn’t think the previous motor was underpowered, and I still don’t, but this takes it to another level. I actually found the new motor to be more powerful than I wanted.

Preferences vary, but I ride bikes for the challenge and the workout, even if it has a motor. Thankfully, making changes to the assist modes was very quick and easy through the Specialized app. I was able to tone down all of the assist modes to the exact levels that I wanted and tailor the ride experience to my preferences.

Those who want the most on-the-fly control of the power output will likely gravitate toward the Micro Tune setting. This gives users the ability to fine-tune power in 10% increments with a tap of the remote, offering greater adjustability than three preset modes. This also includes Dynamic Micro Tune, which works mostly the same, but adds a Turbo power boost if/when you pedal really hard.

There are lots of other features and settings that users can change in the Specialized app. The well-designed app is very easy to navigate and understand, giving the rider lots of control over the system and how it works.

Massive Range

Believe it or not, range anxiety is a real thing, and it can make your e-bike rides more stressful than you want them to be. Because the motor is more powerful, it has the potential to drain the battery more quickly. So, if you’re not skimping on power, then why skimp on battery? That’s why I was stoked to see a large battery on the Levo 4. 

The 840Wh battery is about as big as they come, and I was able to climb around 6,000 vertical feet on numerous test rides without issue. Those rides were mostly using my own custom Trail mode and some pedaling effort, so your results may vary, of course. Regardless, that 840Wh battery essentially eliminated any range anxiety, and the range extender took that even further. 

The 280Wh range extender bumped my total battery capacity up to a whopping 1,120 Wh. On my biggest test ride, I logged 8,000 vertical feet of steep and challenging climbing with the extra juice from the range extender — and I finished with 12% left. The range extender adds a bit of weight, but it fits discreetly in the bottle cage with a twist locking mount that was very secure whenever I used it.

Specialized Turbo Levo 4: What I Didn’t Like

I liked nearly everything about the Specialized Turbo Levo 4, but I still found a few minor things to complain about. A couple of these items are personal preference, and they might not really concern most riders.

First, I’m all for powerful brakes, but the Maven Ultimate brakes, especially with the 220mm rotor in the front, were too powerful for me. Other riders might love having all that stopping power, but I found that it actually decreased my control, as just a tiny tap was causing my front wheel to break traction in certain conditions. This issue could probably be remedied by downsizing both rotors, but that’s an added expense.

With a low bottom bracket and short cranks being all the rage these days, I understand the reasoning behind the 160mm crank length. That said, with my 35-inch inseam, they felt comically short, especially when switching between bikes with longer cranks. I got used to it, but I still didn’t love it. That said, I guess I like catastrophic pedal strikes even less.  

With its more powerful motor, Specialized added a somewhat controversial Class 3 mode, which can unlock a pedal-assisted speed limit of 28 mph. It is mostly for riding on the road to the trailhead faster — I get the idea behind it. But given the already contentious nature of class 1 (20 mph max) e-bikes on many trails, I could see this being potentially problematic.

While most riders are responsible, I’m sure there are plenty of others who will break the rules if/when given the option. It seems to me like Specialized is opening a can of worms with this one.

The price of the S-Works version I tested is also pretty hard to overlook. At $14,000, it obviously won’t be for everyone, but I highly doubt those with the means to afford it will be disappointed. For the rest of us, I’d argue that the Expert carbon build is probably the best value, though at $10,000, it’s still pretty dang expensive.

Specialized Turbo Levo 4: Who’s It For?

For riders seeking the full-power electric mountain bike experience, I’d argue the Turbo Levo 4 is about as good as it gets. The fourth generation of the Levo is the result of a decade of refinement and honing of the drive system, integration, and on-trail performance. This bike truly has it all: all the power, all the battery, all the adjustability, and, most importantly, it is simply an all-around performer on the trail. 

The competition is definitely heating up, but Specialized continues to stay on top of the game. The new 3.1 motor is super powerful, smooth, quiet, and customizable. The 840Wh battery has you covered for long, demanding rides. The controls, display, and app are very well-integrated for a seamless user interface. Add all that to one of the most versatile, capable, and adaptable platforms there is, and this bike can just about do it all.

With the S-Works version I tested selling for $14,000, price is clearly the biggest barrier to entry. Fortunately, there are six Specialized Turbo Levo 4 models to choose from, starting as low as $5,800. Mountain biking is not an inexpensive sport, and electronics aren’t making it any cheaper. But if you’ve got the money to spend, I think you’ll be hard pressed to find a more well-rounded full-power eMTB.