The new Specialized Turbo Levo SL 2023 is supposed to be more powerful, more capable and even more fun than its predecessor. The latest iteration of the SL dynasty rolls into the new season with a more powerful motor, more travel and, above all, with one clear intention: snatching the “ultimate trail bike” title away from its analogue counterpart. The bar’s set high!

Back in February 2020, the Californian bike colossus caused a sensation with the launch of their very first light eMTB, the first-generation Turbo Levo SL. Although Specialized weren’t the first manufacturer to introduce such a concept, the Turbo Levo SL was the first bike that managed to break through the wall of indifference in the mountain biking world and finally put light eMTBs on the map, ushering in a whole new generation of e-mountainbikes. After a short period of inactivity – caused amongst other things by an angry bat – more and more light motor systems were introduced onto the market, with several manufacturers jumping on the light eMTB wagon and releasing a number of different concepts. While most brands are still busy addressing a number of teething problems with their first generation of light eMTBs – you can read everything about it in our latest ENDURO light eMTB group test – Specialized are several steps ahead, and just unveiled the second generation of the Levo SL.

Specialized had one goal when developing the new 2023 Turbo Levo SL: delivering a fun, lively ride, while at the same time guaranteeing capability and versatility. First off, only a handful of eMTBers are actually racing, and if they do, they won’t do it astride a light eMTB. As a logical consequence, there was no point in designing the Levo SL for maximum speed. Instead, the new Levo SL wants to be the ultimate trail bike, and was developed around Specialized’s trail all-rounder, the analogue Stumpjumper EVO, which holds that title – at least until now! We put the Levo SL through the wringer in the Portuguese riding paradise of Sintra to see how it performs on the trail.

Following in the footsteps of Specialized’s analogue trail bruiser the Stumpjumper, the new Levo SL generates 160/150 mm of travel (f/r) and relies on the same variable geometry concept. However, the Levo SL comes standard with a mixed wheel setup, combining a 29″ front wheel and a 27.5″ wheel at the rear. The overhauled 50 Nm Turbo SL 1.2 motor system, which was developed by Specialized in close cooperation with MAHLE, generates more torque and a higher max power than the previous version, and is also meant to be quieter. Like its predecessor, the motor draws its power from a permanently integrated 320 Wh battery, which can be expanded with an optional 160 Wh range extender that fits in the bottle cage.

While they were at it, Specialized’s engineers also revised the suspension kinematics, making the new Levo SL more progressive than its predecessor. This should improve both the bike’s climbing qualities and the suspension’s mid-stroke support, without altering its excellent small bump compliance. The new Levo SL is the first bike in Specialized’s portfolio to get this update, but we’re sure that more models will soon undergo the same treatment. The spec of the new Levo SL has become more progressive too, which promises a very potent character. Despite the robust components, the € 14,000 S-Works variant manages to break under the 18 kg weight barrier.