The Best Specialized eBike Ever... One MASSIVE Problem! 

Been riding this a lot, 5 months now, and its a bike I HOPE specialized will make. 29er 180mm is so capable!! Aluminium,, 23.5 KG with a burly build, DD MaxxGrip Tyres, 700Wh Battery, Fox 38 - Flip Chip in HIGH, slack, stable, fast!

I've built my own version of Kelevo based off Levo Gen3, with a Fox 38 170mm in the front and 165mm Ohlins in the rear (using the cascade LT link). The best ebike Ive ridden. So much confidence. I really hope they will offer this configuration to the public in the future

Agree on all counts Rob....I bought my 2021 Kenevo with specific mission to mullet and then found a 29 fits in rear. Every comment you make is spot on. Ref Warranty...I've asked Spesh and they actually seem fairly relaxed about it all, amazingly. One of the best, if not the best MTBs I've ridden 'e' or not. Only issue is finding a strong enough 29 rear wheel to take the sheer abuse this bike is capable of. I ride both mullet...if in a steep environment and rocky like BPW and 29/29 for all mountain jaunts. As you say, it's simply awesome. But a version with Brose 2.1 and you have a 4 year warranty too What's not to like ? Oh and flip chip/offset bushing etc ? Nice one fella....this bike beats them all and Spesh seem to be focused on everything else...

Always love your custom builds Rob, your enthusiasm is making me want to get out and ride 🤟

I waited as patiently as I could for Specialized to release a full power Kenevo 29r front and rear. I gave up and purchased the new Pivot Shuttle LT and I love this bike! I have a feeling Specialized is going to release this bike soon.

Love it!! I own a Levo Gen 2 and have never even considered a Kenevo because of the 27.5 wheels, fork and the weight. This could be my next Specialized E-bike.

I'm a die hard viewer of your videos. And also a fellow tall rider (6'5") you should look into DMR stems. The 50mm stem has 10mm rise and 35mm stem a 5mm rise. You dont have to use as many spacers under the stem which also benefits the flex character of the front end. Also DMR makes great quality products 👌 thanks for the great quality content!

I have heavily modified my GEN two levo and it is an absolute beast. And I have levociraptor installed so I can pedal the thing up to 33 miles an hour. New brakes and new coil suspension and a new drivetrain, it is so fun!

Hi Rob I turned my 2021 Kenevo into a mullet I ditched the duel crown on went a set of fox 38s . I actually found the original boxxer select to be way too linear . I had to run 5 volume spacers just to stop to stop bottom out but as a result the fork lost its supple feeling . Next was a fox float X2 and the combination of the fork the rear shock and a 29 is amazing I also ditched the original tyres which were like balloons in favour of a 2.4 from Michelin Dh 22 . This combination completely transformed the bike. It's a DH enduro weapon .

i snagged a kenevo expert because of your video! added factory X2 (65mm) and 38 (180mm) and did as mullet (in HIGH) and it's epic! much better vs. stock and rips past other eMTBs; including my bros in Levos. It truly is the ultimate eMTB! thank you!

That's weird. I went the opposite direction. Put 27.5 plus on my levo SL. Made it way more manageable for me. Keep up the awesome videos

You have one of the nicest well organized bike studios on youtube compared to other channels I follow. Other creators should take notice.

Hey Rob great video! Sounds like my 2022 Scott Ransom… 29/29, 180/180mm, Bosch gen 4… I’m loving it. My Levo is gathering dust in the garage!

I agree, I’ve had the YT Decoy, S-Works Kenevo SL and Regular Kenevo. I’ve built my Kenevo full 29er with a Fox 40 200mm. Been riding it for a year and by far my favorite e-bike I’ve ever ridden. Don’t see anything on the current market that I would replace it with. E-bikes have motors, why not have the most travel you can get

Very interesting. I’m 5’10’ and a S4 on a normal build. Found my Gen 2 29er Levo like a monster truck, but in mullet it was perfect

I mulleted my kenevo last year and love it. Put a fox38 with 170mm and it only very slightly changed the geometry

Would be cool to see you do a build and review with the gen 3 carbon levo with the cascade long shock kit and a 170mm fork!

You can keep your warranty... just gotta keep the fork and 27.5 wheels and put them back on before you take it to the shop to get the warranty...

I have a 2019 kenevo on 3.0 wide wheels. The fat rubber soaks up so much of the impact that it is a dream to ride on rocks and roots at super low pressure. I love it but i don't understand why everyone seems to get irritated by the fact that i ride on fat wheels. Everyone seems to have an opinion as to why fat wheels suck without ever having tested it themselves.

Great idea to challenge manufacturers to follow Voima type of bikes, need more of that! Would love you to review the Haibike Nduro 7, maybe you can get your hands on it. Keep smashing it man.

My Kenevo is an aluminum frame with 27.5 f/r, upgraded with a Fox X2 with180 travel rear, 203mm travel Fox40 on the front with a 0.9" drop crown, S5 size. Amazing bike, really smooth power delivery, it jumps very nice and balanced, and its so much fun! I agree on the chainstay length, I am 6'2" and it feels much more stable and balanced with a longer length chainstay.

I had a commencal meta power SX race and I found the 63 degree head angle to be so slack that it compromises front end grip and makes the bike feel like a bus. It's great if you are riding steep gnarly terrain but that is only like 25% of the trails I ride. I also ride a lot of windy singletrack and all sorts of other trails so for me, a more trail focused bike is better. I got the Mondraker Crafty R which is kinda like a trail bike that has been slightly stretched in reach and made tough like an enduro bike. Its fantastic and does anything and everything really really well. It's the best ebike I have ridden so far and I love it.

Hard to imagine a bike that's more fun than the levo, that kenevo looks epic!

I just upgraded suspension on my levo comp 2022, fox 38 170mm and x2 makes a real difference, x2 is not bottoming out, and 38 is very precise, feels like another level. I like changeable geometry of levos, installed chip in steerer +1 to compensate 170mm increased slack. Now changing rear suspension link to 160mm will be another step. I like mullet in gnarly stuff when you need to go shift back and not to touch real wheel :) I amazing how gnarly the small place can be here in N Yorkshire called Stainburn :)

Nice hack! I have the Kenevo in mullet, 2.6" rear tire and flip chip in high. Love it!

I have the GEN 2 Kenevo Comp, been gradually upgrading parts. Absolutely LOVE IT. I'm now keen to try it in 29 version 👍

Awesome build! You would think Spec would be doing a major overhaul of the Kenevo. Would love to see one based on the SL but full power! Hopefully one day!

Levo gen3 as 29/29 is also an option😊. 2.4x29 Magic Mary works in low position.

Lots of things I like a bout your bike Rob............Fox x2 and Fox 38 definitely the top suspension platform, 29er front and back the best rolling stock except if you like to a floating back end! Long and slack cuts it for most mountain bike riding providing the rear end kinematics provide good drive as well as grip ( something you dont mention on this build). Higher rise bars! Yes totally agree. I dont understand why so many bikes have you bent double over the bars! 50mm for me every time! In essence I want the seat just a bout level with the bar rise when the seat is fully extended. The build you have created is very similar to my Whyte E180RS (2020) albeit I suspect your bike is better balanced front to back with a longer chainstay than the E180 and the E180 is of course 27.5 front and back. Ally frame, no stupid headset cabling or knock blocks. Well done!

I also put a set of 29” 38’s (180mm) on my 2020, its the best bike i have ever owned. I ran it mullet in Morzine this year and back home run it 2.4 full 29” for the extra range. I fell that the extra front grip from the 29 up front helped in france. As i when for the S4 and this is slightly big (180cm height) but i loved the stability it gave the 2.6” 29” gave me good grip at the front without having to shift weight too far forward when cornering when it gets steep. Killer channel Rob.

Riding the 29er Kenevo since late 2021... absolute best bike ever. As Rob says it rips through everything. I also can confirm that the air shock definitely suits the bike better. About the laggyness of the brose motor, yes it is true but i also trains your sense to ride fluently and look ahead. As long as you expect the delay it's not a real problem. Really would be interesting to see how low you can get the weight with a carbon frame... yet im kind of glad that it is aluminium and compared to other bikes the pricing is (or rather was back in 2020) not so over the top.

Just about to purchase the kenevo and it’s good to see you can totally change it about watching this has definitely made my mind up between this and the Levo

Nice one Rob. Love your work and your videos. Everything you changed on the bike and how it rides is so similar to my Scott 910. My Scott is just a bit heavier

I’ve been riding my Kenevo in 29 format for nearly a year now, so much better than 27.5, I went mullet first thinking 29 wouldn’t fit in the rear, but as you say 2.4 is the perfect fit, 2.6 just about fits but a keep this set up for the summer season. My question would be, why should this void the warranty, all you have done is lift the bike!

Rob, it’s like your got in my head and extracted all of my opinions and requirements for an ebike, Spesh need to hire you mate, I wanted a Kenevo when I bought my Reign E+1 6 months ago, and if they sold this config Kenevo with a 630 battery I would have bought one

Congrats for creating such a stunning project bike. Like the colour Co-ordination with the beany

I'm in the process of converting my Orbea Rise from a 140/140 66 degree 29er to a 160/160 64 degree mullet. Can't wait!

You should check up new Kellys Theos. Mullet set-up, 180mil travel a big motor.

Hey Rob, working on converting my 2021 Kenevo now to a 29er w/ Fox 38 because of your video. I am just finishing up on a custom build of a new 2022 Levo Carbon Gen3 custom build and itching to ride it when this heavy rain goes away. I went with the new 2023 RockShox Zeb Ultimate 29, 44 Offset, 180mm fork with the new Buttercups up front and the Cascade Components Levo Long Shock Link Kit in the rear with a Fox Float X2 230x65mm, so I will be at 180/165 travel with rear shock progression increased from 20% to 35%. This Cascade long link does not change the bikes geometry but gives you 165mm rear travel and allows you to install a 29er in the rear so I will have all kinds of options to play with by changing the head tube angle cups as well as rear settings in low or high position. I am currently going to leave it and try it Mullet setup and it’s currently at 63º head tube angle right now with rear in High and the 180mm up front. If I need more clearance from pedal strikes I will change from 160mm to 155mm cranks or change the rear to a 29er, then put the rear in LOW position and change the headset cups to put me back to around my 64º sweet spot I like with higher BB clearance. Great video! Cheers 🤙 Bryon

I have a kenevo sl with a Lyrik fork and it is by a country mile the best all round mtb I’ve ever owned or ridden. Came from gen 1 Sworks levo ( a panzer tank ) through a levo sl ( great but always felt a bit too far forward ) to this current Kenevo sl, so much more confident downhill. If I want a longer ride I take the spare battery, only possible upgrade for me would be the new more powerful motor in the current Kenevo sl 2, but the cost of change over is not worth it to me. If you don’t need the extra power or weight check the sl out.

OH Hell! Mulleted my 2020 right away when I got it. Zeb and CCDB Kitsuma. Love it but, looks like I'm about to full 29 it.

Wow. Can't believe it's so light as an alloy bike!

Hi Rob, I'd love to see you ride the latest Norco range. It seems to already have the things you value such as chain stay length and focusing on centering the rider on the bike. I personally have one and think you should try one as would be interesting to see where you think it sits compared to the other bikes. Personally I think it's amazing.

Had a gen 2 Kenevo expert with a 170mm ZEB set up mullet. That thing was fun, but my Kenevo SL set up mullet is was more nimble. And for me way more fun. 🎯

my custom levo build is full 29, 170mm front and 157mm -ish back. absolutely love it

I think I will now be buying a rear 29" wheel for mine

On my gen 2 levo I made it into the ultimate e bike. Over stroked the rear shock and added the cascade link to make ig 165 rear travel. Then added a 180 front fork! 29 front and rear! Already beat you to it!

27.5 wheels are more agile. You don't need the roller over advantage of the 29 as you have a motor.

Love my 2020 mullet kenevo. I still think it's the best ebike on the market and I've never owned a bike for so long. Them x2 shocks are hand grenades though.

Sick build Rob!

Hope to see test drive of this beast!!!

Sick build Rob! To add to the minimalist look, could you route the Specialized remote cable through the left port so it lines up with your rear brake cable? Enjoy this beast!

Specialized is most likely preparing some big stuff for their ebike line up, people aren’t even ready you’ll see… and it’s obvious they haven’t showed it yet because Bosch just came out with their new smart system, fazua with their new light motor, and the new tiny TQ motor… so they are letting the market look like it’s ahead of them and then they’ll just drop some new very expensive stuff but that will be again ahead. At least that’s what I can think looking at how the market is developing at the moment

Love you doing what feels good Rob. Companies do just go in directions because they 'think' that's what people want. Btw Santa Cruz make size specific chain stay lengths. I still don't even own an emtb but been watching your videos for years 🙂. Actually, little question, when did you last ride an analogue bike?

Funny, as a smaller rider, my issue with Specialized is that all they have today are 29" bikes. For me, at least the back wheel must be a 27.5".

Awesome work Rob. Are we going to see a field test comparison with the Voima? That would be VERY interesting!

Hey Rob, if you could only choose one emtb would this be the one? I have my eye on a few options and have watched almost all of your reviews. Keep up the good work!

you have nailed it I have always wanted that spec, Especially the BB. Much higher of the ground. LLLOVVE IT

Ive done a mullet conversion on my Kenevo now. But ive gone with a 190mm travel Zeb up front and im using a longer 65mm stroke Marzocchi Bomber air shock for 190mm of travel at the rear. To say its a bit of a weapon down a chunky, rough track is an understatement! Lol

Several guys in my group ride this exact setup and love it. But not having warranty on the Specialized is a nonstarter for me. When I owned a Levo I went through 3 engines. My LBS was so use to swapping Levo engines they had 10 in stock at all time and could do it in 24 hours.

Rob the tinkerer strikes again 🙌🙌 Awesome bike!

Thanks, Rob! I think you just created my next bike😎 ha ha

Running this as a mullet and its a savage

Higher bottom bracket actually turns better. Matt Beer wrote an article about it on pink bike

Just snagged a killer deal on a 38 and float x2 to build this exact bike

Nice bike you built Rob!

What a fantastic bike. Especially for a full size person. Very interesting to see the weight at 23.5kg, seems to me there’s no need to exceed 24kgs

Rob, how did you find the bikes manoeuvrability after full 29? I have fox 40 with 29 front and 27.5 back. Really worried if i go full 29 I’ll lose the ability to whip and ride it aggressively. I also find the 27.5 rear to hang up a lot

Great video as ever but I feel you hardly ever address the compromises in riding style for this type of bike. -hardest of all to manual/ wheelie/ bunnyhop. I’m 6’4 and definitely prefer the liveliness of a 27.5 rear and short as possible chainstays. Risk of turning everyone into passengers on their £10k skill compensating bikes… What’s wrong with travelling slower and picking lines better? Also when riding with slower mates/ on older/ shorter travel bikes you are going to be bored.. most people don’t live near big epic mountains and this is overkill for tight rooty woods. The numbers for red bull rampage show half of the riders on 26” rear…

Hi Rob, do you have a list of the best bikes you’ve tested? Top 5?

Looks sick with that head angle 👊

Kenevo mullet is where it is.

I want to build the same, love the DH type ebikes, love the build. The slacker head anlge come from the single crown, the 38 at 180mm is around 10mm taller than the boxxer at 180mm. (axle to crown)

Love it Rob awesome looking bike , surprised it’s an s4 knowing how tall you are , think I would buy one if they made it

Thankyou for saying that chainstay length should be bike specific. I always look for for longer chainstays because I am tall.

Static stance profile looks epic, should be the name for it👌😄 Does the big S listen to that channel?😎

excellent vid rob! That looks like everything i have wanted in an ebike. Can you say some words about the new Haibike Enduro 7? I have been looking everywhere for reviews but have seen none! it looks a very similar set up to the Specialized above, with a nice steep seat angle. Its also at an incredible price, I cant believe there is not more noise about it.

For the pedal delay you mention, try going to a 34t chainring.

I recently bought a Kenevo SL, boy can it batter through stuff - 38’s are ace.

very very nice. don't you just love that Nukeproof stem? i've got one in bronze and it's just so cool looking. 50mm Spank Vibrocore bar, just the ticket for a tall guy.

Love the high BB height. Wish my Orbea Rise had the same.

Looks good. Sounds like an OOTB 2022 Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay.

Kenevo is awesome! Did you try the mullet configuration as well? Any info from Specialized for a new edition of this beast? Great job 👍!

I have a 2022 alloy Levo (S4) and it does fit a 29” wheel in the back. I am running a Cascade LT link so that may make a difference, but I think it’d fit regardless.

Just bought one of these today for $6,500. Now for the upgrades

Hi Rob, just found your channel and congratulations on great content! As someone who´s thinking of taking the plunge and going over to e-bikes, I would like it if you could comment on durability and technical issues with these bikes as well, since this is always hard to know...

I'm going to buy Turbo Levo Comp Carbon. I also want to change the drive to GX ASX.

Big love brother

Sick build Rob! Regarding the Fox X2, how many tokens did you install and how much low and high speed Compression did you add? I have a Kenevo with and X2 shock and find that it blows through travel easily. So I had to add 3 tokens with Compression High=4/Low=9 so it doesn't blow through travel. And I only weigh 155 lbs with gear.

Nice shot of the black 29er from emtbforum 😁

Great video! 👍 If you had only one bike, would you take Voima or Kenevo?

top of the line mate, nice bike.

What kind of terrain is a bike like this for? I can't see it do any kind of technical climbs with the handlebars so high and head angle so slack. The front would just walk. This almost looks like a Harley.... Not hating on this, I am sure it is amazing on downhill sections. This bike would be categorized more as dh than enduro imo

Thanks to you Rob,,, now i have a new desire!!! lol

Great review Rob on a bike you custom tuned from the ground up. Any idea of the $$ you have invested in building it? You really love those long travel bikes....to make up for your height I would guess! If I built one of these I would want a Mullet set up as I am not tall like you...I used to be be 5'11' but at my current 71 years, I've shrunk to 5'9". Thanks for the great review!

Rob I’d be very interested to know what the BB height is at your sag point versus say your Trek Rail & also your BB to bar end height comparison. I personally believe bikes should measured at sag point, just makes more sense.

this bike is awesome! Also the look of it! As a side question, how did you get your fox suspension with the logo in yellow??

Hi rob, great build and very interesting solution, as usual your reviews are the best! One question: I own a turbo kenevo 2020 S2 size. Do you think a combination 27.5" at the rear and 29" at the front might be preferable for me as I'm 170cm tall ?

Save your money and buy a Scott eRansom; 29”wheels, 180mm front and rear plus a Bosch motor. Awesome speed and handling. Way way cheaper than a Levo.

Actually makes sense for an ebike as you also get a really high bb. Edit: Actually 355 is high but could be higher. 360mm and 160mm cranks is personally minimum I'd want.