More weight, less cash, that’s the story with Specialized’s new entry-level Turbo Levo Alloy.
With an M5 Alloy frame instead of FACT 11M carbon, the price of entry to Specialized’s gen 4 Turbo Levo range drops from £6,799 to £5,199. Obviously there’s a weight penalty – taking the top model up to 26.05kg – but it’ll lighten your wallet by less – £1,600 less than the cheapest carbon option to be precise.
Specialized had to drop the alloy version of the Turbo Levo 4 at some point – turns out it’s much sooner than expected.
Specialized Turbo Levo Alloy need to know
- M5 alloy frame, 150mm travel and MX wheels
- Specialized 3.1 motor with 666W peak power and 101Nm torque
- 840Wh removable battery (aftermarket 600Wh and 280Wh options)
- New Mastermind TCU Apple watch screen integrated into top tube
- Adjustable geometry offers 12 settings
- Five frame sizes (S2-S6)
- Levo Comp alloy (S3) with inner tubes weighs 26.05kg
- Two models – Levo Alloy £5,199 ($5,800 USD / $8,900 AUD) / Levo Comp Alloy £5,999 ($7,300 USD / $10,200 AUD)
It seems like yesterday that Specialized launched the latest iteration of its hugely successful Turbo Levo e-bike. Making the headlines were the two different power outputs of the new Specialized 3.1 motor depending on how much money you spent, but beyond this controversial decison is a stack of development and a host of upgrades that aims to make the gen 4 Turbo Levo one of the best e-bikes on the market. Features like the easily removable battery, internal frame storage, adjustable geometry and slick integrated screen take the Levo to new heights.
Multiple battery options keep it flexible. Stock is the 840Wh unit, but there’s also a 600Wh internal option and useful 280Wh range extender.
Now there are two alloy-framed versions joining the four carbon options, bringing the entry-level price point down from £6,799 to £5,199. The Turbo Levo Alloy and Turbo Levo Comp Alloy both use the same M5 alloy frame, all-new Specialized 3.1 motor (made by Brose) and 840Wh battery, and still boast the same geometry adjustments and features as the high-end carbon bikes. To get the maximum potential 720W power and 111Nm of torque from the motor, you still have to splash out on the £12,500 S-Works version though. A move that seems like commercial suicide when DJI has unlocked 1,000W for all of its owners, and Bosch has announced a free power update for the Performance CX that raises power to 750W and torque to 100Nm.
The alloy frame isn’t as sleek as the carbon version, but it comes with a nice financial saving.
For a blow-by-blow rundown of the new features, geometry, handling, ride, and range, read my first ride review of the Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo gen 4. And be sure to watch our videos on the development of the new Levo and comparison against the DJI-powered disruptor from Amflow.
There’s no scrimping on integration, with the latest colour screen nestled into the alloy top tube.
Back to the new Turbo Levo Alloy, and lets take a look at the specs and prices for these two new models.
Specialized Turbo Levo 4 Comp Alloy comes in three colour options
Specialized Turbo Levo 4 Comp Alloy £5,999
The premium alloy offering is the Comp. This gets a piggy-back Fox shock with Specialized’s dual stage Genie shock technology, SRAM’s burly Maven Bronze brakes and latest mechanical Eagle 90 T-Type drivetrain. Up front is a Fox 38 Rhythm fork (with easily upgradeable damper) boasting 160mm travel, and keeping the bike tough and planted are Roval Traverse DH wheels and Butcher Gravity casing tyres. Weight with tubes is 26.05kg (size S3).
An inline shock is one of the main compromises on the basic Turbo Levo 4 Alloy.
Specialized Turbo Levo 4 Alloy, £5,199
Drop down a level and the Levo 4 Alloy sacrifices the remote Genie shock for a Marzocchi inline unit paired with a Marzocchi Z1 fork. The brakes drop to SRAM’s DB8 Stealth set-up, and there’s SRAM’s entry-level mechanical Eagle 70 T-Type drivetrain. Wheels remain Roval Traverse DH shod with Butcher Gravity tyres.