Specialized Turbo Kenevo Review

This second-generation Turbo Kenevo has been completely redesigned for 2020. Taking cues from the Turbo Levo eMTB the sidearm frame design adds stiffness. Less obvious is the redesigned motor mount. This combined with the smaller motor housing shaves a significant amount of weight off the frame compared to the Mk1 Kenevo. Also, like the Levo the battery is now fully enclosed in the downtube.

Both bikes share the same frame which is made from Specialized’s premium M5 aluminium alloy as there is no carbon option yet. The updated geometry gives the Kenevo a dynamic ride feel with the bike being longer and lower in all sizes. This makes it easier to pick lines, so you can hit those steep rough trails with more confidence. The steeper seat tube angle puts you in a better pedalling position too especially when climbing. A rock guard on the lower downtube protects the motor housing and it’s great to see that both Turbo Kenevo models are supplied with a bottle cage.

The Kenevo offers 180mm of suspension travel front and rear. As with all Specialized full suspension bikes you get fully active FSR rear suspension. The rear end looks much like the Turbo Levo and Stumpjumper. But the Suspension kinematics have been tweaked to offer a more rearward axle path. Like the new Enduro, this means that the bike rolls over big hits more efficiently making it easier to go faster over the rough.

Both bikes have coil rear shocks. These give a better feel than most air shocks. Coil shocks deal with heat much better too, so you get consistent performance on those long hard descents. The Turbo Kenevo Comp has a Marzocchi Bomber CR shock with Z1 Bomber fork upfront. The Marzocchi Z1 is a standout performer combining Fox performance with classic MTB style.

The Kenevo Expert has RockShox Suspension with a Boxxer Select RC triple clamp fork. The Boxxer adds a little weight but the performance improvements make it a worthwhile trade-off. The stiffer front-end gives you more control on challenging terrain. This is especially noticeable under hard braking as well as in those hard-charging turns.

Like the Levo, the Turbo Kenevo is fitted with the latest custom-tuned Brose 2.1 motor. This is one of the most powerful and quietest on the market. It's now 15% smaller and 11% lighter than the series 1 motors fitted to the previous models. This boosts your natural pedalling power by up to 410% giving you a massive maximum torque of 90Nm making it easy shuttle up to the trailhead for the nest run. Once you hit top speed the double freewheel design disengages the gearbox for easier pedalling.

Rather than a display screen, the Kenevo uses a subtle button display that sits on the top tube. The Turbo Connect Unit (TCU) shows the remaining battery capacity as well as the current power mode. Changing the power mode is easy, either use the TCU or the neat remote switch that sits neatly on the handlebar. The remote allows you to change modes without taking your hands off the bars and is small enough to work next to the under-bar dropper post lever. As well as the Eco, Trail and Turbo power modes there is also a new Shuttle mode. This gives you full power with minimal effort, so you can spin up to the top of the hill with ease. Motor performance is customizable using the Mission Control smart Phone app.

The Kenevo Expert gets a massive 700Wh battery pack for taking on longer rides or getting in more bike park laps. The Comp model has a smaller, lighter 500Wh battery. This is the same as the biggest battery on the old model and is still plenty for most rides.

Rather than 12-speed Specialized have decided to go with the more robust 11-speed drivetrains. Combined with a single click shifter 11 speed copes better with the increased power that the electric motor delivers. The downside is that you don’t get such a wide range of gears, but with an extra 500 Watts of power on tap you really don’t need that 50t climbing gear. The Kenevo Comp gets SRAM NX while the Expert get slicker shifting GX.

Brakes are important on an e bike, especially when riding steep trails, so it’s great to see that both models have powerful stoppers. The four-piston SRAM Code brakes on both bikes are combined with 200mm rotors front and rear and are about as powerful as any brakes out there. Both bikes get the Specialized Command post dropper with a 160mm drop on every size except the S2. Being a Specialized you also get neat touches like the multi-tool attached to the bottle cage and a chain splitter hidden in the steerer tube.

Unlike the Turbo Levo, Specialized have decided to stick with 27.5” wheels on the Kenevo. As well as offering nimble handling his helps to avoid any unwanted tyre buzz on the steeps, especially if you’re not the tallest of riders. Both bikes get a Roval DH wheelset with 28mm wide rims. The DT Swiss internals ensure reliable running.

The 2.6” Specialized Butcher tyres have downhill tough sidewalls. These aggressive tyres will take all the punishment that you can throw at them and offer plenty of grip in all but the muddiest of conditions.