Ebike Specialized Turbo Kenevo SL: Enduro Fun for Advanced Bikers

It is generally considered inappropriate to go like a bull at a gate. In the case of the Turbo Kenevo SL from Specialized, this strategy has a lot going for it. This electrified enduro bullet impresses in many respects – including the price. The Expert version costs 14,000 euros. Everything we write about this bike in the next few lines has to be measured up to this mark. Why? Because 13,000 euros could be invested in other ways, too. For example, an aid organisation could use it to build a lockable home for a homeless family.

In any case, Specialized really digs in and tries to explain the value of the Kenevo SL extensively. Very extensively. The press material supplied by the company is a PDF document with more than 1,500 words. The pages are peppered with terms like “ultra-responsive handling”, “shock force management” and “over-the-air updates”. After a first glance at the documents, what remains is: This e-mountain bike offers countless options to adjust the riding experience entirely to your own preferences. A flood of data can also be called up while riding. That appeals to the highest professionalism. At the same time, there is a risk of leaving less knowledgeable people a little perplexed. And I include myself in that. At some point, biking still meant just getting on the bike and riding.

Light, lighter, SL

But enough of the preface. For a few years now, Specialized has been serving the enduro community among ebikers with the Turbo Kenevo. Apparently so successful that a weight-reduced version of the bike is now being released. The abbreviation “SL” for “super light” generally refers to the manufacturer’s models with a lower total weight. According to the Americans, there is a difference of about five kilograms between the Kenevo SL and the Kenevo. However, it is not clear from their documents whether the difference refers to the Turbo Kenevo SL Expert or the Turbo Kenevo SL Comp. All in all, we’re talking about about 18, 19 kilograms. For comparison: the Kenevo Comp weighs a little more than 23 kilograms.

The slimness is primarily due to the electric drive. The motor and battery are significantly lighter than the components used on the Kenevo. As a result, the Specialized SL 1.1 and the Specialized SL1 battery have correspondingly less power. The 90 Newton metres of torque compared to the 35 Newton metres and the 700 watt hours compared to the 320 watt hours speak for themselves. Is it even the inferior mountain bike in regard to the smaller motor and the battery with lower capacity? Not at all. In practice, the weight gain of the Kenevo SL pays off. The two components mentioned can be correspondingly more modest.

Further grams of savings go to the account of the frame. The newcomer comes with a monocoque frame made of carbon. Compared to the aluminium frame of the Kenevo, this also offers more stiffness and thus more efficient power transmission. Those who still want a little more range can opt for a range extender. This provides an additional 160 watt hours, but also costs some of the expensive grams.

Plenty of margin to adjust the riding position

In terms of geometry, the Turbo Kenevo SL follows the current trends of ebikes that are suitable for riding through really rough terrain. Thanks to a steep seat angle, you get into a position uphill from which you can shift your centre of gravity far forward.These are good preconditions for keeping the front nicely on the ground even on really steep ramps. When choosing the seat angle, you can test within a range of 75.8 degrees to 76.7 degrees. The exact value depends on the rest of the setup. The bottom bracket height you choose has a big impact. You can go up or down six millimetres using the flip chip. More distance to the ground results in a steeper seat angle, more proximity to the opposite.

How slack the head angle is is also up to you. Possible angles are 62.5, 63.5 or 64.5 degrees. Those who can draw on experience are at an advantage here. For the adjustment you have to remove the suspension fork in order to turn the special head tube shells as desired. This is not something you can do in two minutes. And especially not on the trail.

Together with a low fork offset, the flat head angle gives you more control and stability on the trail. The 29-inch wheels and the relatively long wheelbase are aimed in the same direction. The latter increases the necessary confidence in your bike, especially at higher speeds.

Flexible rear wheel

As far as can be judged from a distance, Specialized has put a lot of effort into the development of the chassis. The rear triangle is fundamentally different from that of the Kenevo. The heart of the Kenevo SL is the kinematics, which the manufacturer calls FSR design. This combines a Horst link mounted in the chainstay with a four-link link. Separate links control the compression of the shock. The result is an active suspension in which the leverage and the axle travel are decoupled from each other. On the road, this becomes noticeable as follows: If you hit an obstacle with the rear wheel, it swings moderately to the rear. This means that you feel less stuck on obstacles because the wheel lift curve initially runs to the rear. Some of the impact energy is absorbed by the suspension instead of being transferred directly to you. In addition, you should suffer considerably less from brake stamps.

In the end, you will have a very direct ride. Most of the driving technique and pedalling power you put into the forward thrust will probably reach you as a total movement in the connection between man and machine. Needless to say, Specialized tries to keep the bike’s centre of gravity as low and central as possible with this design.

Coherent basics

The rest of the Turbo Kenevo SL’s equipment is impressive. Suspension fork and shock with 170 millimetres of travel each from Fox, single speed drivetrain with a 12-speed cassette from the SRAM XX1 Eagle groupset and hydraulic disc brakes with four brake cylinders and massive disc diameters of 220 and 200 millimetres – you can do it like that ?

The Expert model goes down a few notches on the price ladder in some details, leaving around 9,500 euros. If you have completely different ideas about the details, you can live them out in this case. The frame kit is also available separately for 7,000 euros.

Pictures: Specialized Germany GmbH