Specialized Turbo Levo 4 vs. Turbo Levo 3 in the bc comparison review: Is the upgrade worth it?

With the Turbo Levo 4, the US cult brand Specialized brings the eagerly awaited successor to its aging E-MTB flagship. Our colleague Berno knows the “old” Levo of the third generation inside out and has found out for you the biggest and most important differences, advantages, and disadvantages in the Specialized Turbo Levo 4 test. We'll tell you who should consider switching to the new Levo.

First off, Berno: What are your responsibilities at bc and why did you get to test the new Levo?

Good question! I guess I was just lucky. No, seriously: I've been riding a Specialized Turbo Levo 3 Alloy LTD for 1.5 years, mostly on classic short/steep mid-mountain forest and root trails in the Teuto/Wiehen mountains or in the Eifel, where it can also get rocky. With this E-MTB as a motorized complement to my Forbidden Druid, I was always very happy.

As a high-performance mullet bike with a powerful E-MTB drive and enough range for longer rides, the first Turbo Levo at its premiere in 2015, by today's standards maybe the first modern E-MTB, was far ahead of its time. Thus, the “Levo” remained a top dog and benchmark in the high-priced E-MTB segment for years.
My Levo is from the third model generation introduced in 2022 and still a very competitive E-MTB, but especially in the area of e-bike drives and batteries, the development is advancing in leaps and bounds. Here also lie – spoiler alert! – the biggest differences to the just introduced Levo 4!

I've been with bike-components since January 2024, working in online marketing. More specifically, I lead the Customer Engagement team. Together with my colleagues, we design the communication and interaction to ensure our customers have a good and meaningful customer experience in the bc-shop.

...and that brings us to the topic: We are currently witnessing an exciting development. The still relatively new light-assist motors from brands like TQ or Fazua are being replaced by more powerful successors – the trend is towards around 60 Nm – while performance drives like the Bosch CX and here the unit from Specialized have also broken through the 100-Newton-meter barrier. What do you think about this?

When I ride an E-MTB, I like it to pack a punch. I prefer a clear difference between full-power and bio-bike modes. Sure, an E-MTB of this calibre isn't as nimble and agile as a significantly lighter trail bike, but once it gets rough going downhill, I actually appreciate the stability of the heavier E-MTB.

Since I indulge in the luxury of owning an unmotorized trail bike and can switch anytime, I don’t need the special all-round qualities of a Light-E-MTB and can enjoy steep technical climbs and the extended range of the full-power system on my E-MTB rides – or add one more trail on my time-limited after-work ride! I like the different riding techniques required by a bio-trail bike and a full-power E-Bike. It's a great change-up, and you learn a lot about braking, cornering, and maintaining speed. Not only is the motor assistance uphill nice, but these differences in the way of riding also bring me joy.

Specifications

Regarding the Specs: The test bike model is a Specialized Turbo Levo 4 Expert. What are its key specs?

Right. The bike is equipped with a Fox Float X Performance Elite shock and a Fox 38 Performance Elite fork, featuring 160 mm of travel at the front and 150 mm at the rear. It’s equipped with an electronically controlled SRAM T-Type drivetrain, and it rolls on Roval Traverse aluminium wheels with a Specialized Butcher 29×2.3 in the front and a Butcher 27.5×2.3 in the back. The SRAM Maven Silver brakes, with a 220 mm rotor in front and a 200 mm disc at the rear, ensure braking power that’s more than sufficient, and the cockpit is outfitted with a proprietary aluminum handlebar and a mini tool located in the fork steerer.

All configurations come with an 840 Wh battery, which still leaves space in the down tube storage for something the size of a spare tube or snacks. A smaller 600-Wh battery and a 280 Wh range extender for the bottle cage are available as options.

Specialized states that the new Levo can even be ridden without a battery, just with the range extender

I couldn’t try this out myself, but I find it a fascinating feature for short, snappy rides or a visit to the bike park, where you might only need motor power for the occasional uphill. Wherever close to 3 kg of weight saving seems more important.

… which brings us to the weight of the new Levo: How heavy is the Levo 4? How heavy is your Levo 3?

Ah, the age-old question about weight! We weighed both bikes, and the test bike, a Turbo Levo 4 Expert in frame size S5, came in at 24.9 kg. My own Levo 3, also in size S5, tips the scales at 25.3 kg, though that’s with an aluminium frame, Öhlins suspension – and a fair chunk of dirt!

New Specialized 3.1 drive unit

Right. The new Specialized 3.1 drive unit: How does it ride?

I totally dig the new unit and, to be honest, the mere 10% increase from 90 to 101 Nm of torque feels like more: The Specialized 3.1 is the first e-bike drive system developed in-house by the Americans, but it continues to be produced by Brose: The 2.2 with its infamously famous belt drive is finally history.

So, while the new system operates quieter than its predecessor, it has significantly more pep and responds much more directly to the “throttle” than I was used to. At the same time, the drive feels refined and always under control.

Shifting felt unfamiliar at first: Because the Specialized 3.1 has a longer run-on in its factory setting than the old Specialized 2.2, my usual shifting pauses, in which I briefly ease off the pedal, didn't work as well. While this could be adjusted in the software, I chalk it up to a learning curve, since the SRAM Transmission shifting on the Turbo Levo 4 explicitly handles shifting under load without any issues.

It was wild to find I demolished my personal best on my home trail on the very first test lap with the Levo 4. During my after-work rides, the higher average speed is noticeable – and that I could squeeze in one more trail into the hour between the office and family time!

The future of E-MTBs: More power or less weight?

Now we have an E-MTB with about the same weight but with a good 10% increase in power and range. Would you have preferred a bike with the same performance data but 10% less weight?

I think E-MTB motors already have plenty of power for my needs, and lack of range has never been my problem either. I find the new Specialized engine well-balanced and fun, but to be honest, it only makes a groundbreaking difference at a few parts of the trail compared to the Specialized 2.2.

Looking ahead, I think it would make a lot of sense not to further bump up torque or power, but reduce the weight of E-MTBs through e.g. advancements in battery technology. For someone like me, weighing around 90 kg, half a kilo on the bike isn't as significant as for lighter riders or women, where a 25 kg E-MTB can quickly weigh half as much as the rider. This is where Light E-MTBs make a really neat deal. About 50 or 60 Nm of torque with something like a 400 Wh battery gives roughly the same power-to-weight ratio for a 50 kg person as the 101 Nm and 840 Wh of a Specialized Turbo Levo 4 does for me. Such circumstances could make the under 20 kg light Specialized Turbo Levo SL with its 50 Nm of torque and 320 Wh battery a great choice.

So, you're advocating for no full-power E-MTBs for women?

Oh, not at all! Of course, everyone should ride whatever bike brings them joy! But, free from any ideology, I see the main target group for full power E-MTBs like the Specialized Turbo Levo mainly in heavier riders like myself, who want to shred some trails in their limited leisure time and consequently a limited training schedule.

I find myself almost exclusively using the E-MTB in daily life, allowing me to clock in more laps after work or on weekends before it gets dark or the family calls.

Conclusion – Specialized Turbo Levo 4

What’s your verdict on the Specialized Turbo Levo 4 Expert and the most important question: Who should consider upgrading?

The new, fourth-gen Levo is a worthy and at least equal successor, bringing the US brand’s full-power E-MTB up to the latest technical standards. I like the all-round capable Levo concept with its outstanding climbing capabilities and extensive customizability even in the new model, and the Levo 4 Expert’s range of features leaves nothing to be desired for me. With extensive geometry adjustment, five available frame sizes in four equipment options plus an S-Works Frame Kit, there are no limits even for racing fans, optimizers, and those who want to build a custom Levo.

In addition to the already known, lifelong Specialized guarantee on the frame and Roval wheels, there’s now also a corresponding guarantee for the rear suspension bearings of the Levo 4: Should they ever fail, you just order new ones – free of charge!

At just under €10,000 (manufacturer’s MSRP) for the Expert model, I'm a bit disappointed about details like the used aluminium wheels and the cheap aluminium handlebars on this high-end beast, though.

Who should buy a Turbo Levo 4?

Anyone who fits the new Levo into their budget will find in it a modern, mature, and very versatile E-MTB that delivers tons of fun both uphill and downhill, with many comfort features and options for further customization, once again setting the standard. But my reason for not rushing out to buy a Levo 4 is actually my beloved Turbo Levo 3!