Specialized Turbo Levo E-Bike Review

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specialized-turbo-levo-fsr-comp-6-fattie

Images from manufacturer's website

55 mi

RANGE

20 mph

TOP SPEED

5 hrs

CHARGE TIME

50 lbs

WEIGHT

Mid-drive

MOTOR TYPE

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Specialized Turbo Levo FSR Comp 6 Fattie Review: Takeaway

From the Turbo Levo stable of Specialized e-bikes comes the FSR Comp 6Fattie with its newly upgraded motor, battery, and 2.8” fat tires. Together, these make for a blast climbing and crazy fun descending those hills.

Ideal for...

Trail Riding

Cross Country (Competition and Fun)

Exploring Mountain Trails

Overlanding with Friends

Replacing Your Traditional Bike

E-Bike Overview

With its low center of gravity and ultra-short chainstays, the Turbo Levo FSR Comp 6Fattie has the DNA of an amazing trail monster. There are a number of new attributes that make this a fantastic trail e-bike, including the newly upgraded trail-optimized motor and gearbox.

New for this edition is the Specialized Turbo 1.3, 250W mid-drive motor that can hurl out as much as 90 Nm of torque on demand — a full 15% more power than the Turbo 1.2. New technology also eradicates the lag between the pedal pump and the motor responding.

Another element Specialized has fixed is the motor gearbox. This completely disengages when you pass over the limited speed of 20 mph, allowing for friction-free riding. Short of the much less powerful Fazua Evation drive system, this is a big new thing for eMTBs.

Keeping the center of gravity low, Specialized has optimized the position of the in-tube battery, which adds to the agility of this beast. In addition, the low bottom bracket makes the e-bike feel glued to the trail.

Though not as fat as the 4″ plus monsters sold to hunters and outdoorsmen, the 2.8” tires are still very high volume for a specialist trail e-bike. Once more, they can be swapped out for 29er wheels with more normal 2.4” tires for overlanding/XC. You’ll need to buy these separately.

Reasons to Buy

Not quite for competition riding, the Turbo Levo FSR Comp 6Fattie will open the horizons of an intermediate rider. The big, efficient drivetrain and the battery offer lots of power and may keep you entertained over a full day’s trail riding.

For those roughing it on the hills, the battery can be swapped out mid-ride for another (sold separately). The big tires will hold all sorts of substrate well, both floating over and gripping it as required.

Another core feature of this bike is the integrated Trail Display and ANT+/Bluetooth® module with Mission Control App connectivity. This lets you control your entire ride right from your smartphone if you wish.

Things to Consider

Could Specialized have gone tubeless with this e-bike? Many of its competitors are selling tubeless ready machines that are lighter and less of a worry than those with inner tubes. With the Butcher GRID 2Bliss Ready tires, if you get a puncture, you’ll need to repair it at the trailside to continue your ride.

Specs & Components

Brand

Specialized

Motor

Brose/Specialized Rx tuned, Turbo 1.3 250W mid-drive, 90 Nm of torque

Battery

504 Wh in-tube

Display

Specialized LCD

Power Delivery

PAS

Fork

RockShox Revelation

Shock

RockShox Monarch

Transmission

Sram GX 11-speed, 11-42t

Brakes

Sram Guide 4-piston, 200mm F+R rotors

The specs above come from the manufacturer and may vary from what you’ve experienced. Notice something that needs correcting? Let us know.

Ratings

Power

 4/5

Specialized’s Turbo 1.3 was one of its leading trail motors at the time of release in 2018. Race tuned and set up for the primary purpose of DH and e-enduro, this was at the time the very best such motor on the market. We’ve knocked points off now as it has been improved in later models.

Range

 4/5

The 504 Wh battery is good for a day’s fun riding on the trails, but as with the motor, there are better and similar-weight e-bikes on the market with bigger batteries.

If cross-country or overlanding is your thing, there are now longer-range electric bikes on the market for competition XC or fun overlanding.

If you are cycling over bigger terrain and/or are a heavier rider, you’ll get fewer miles than the advertised range. A sensible and more realistic distance may be 30 miles of uphill riding in a day.

Comfort

 4/5

When you’re headed downhill with the adrenaline pumping out of your eyeballs, you don’t really think of sitting too comfortably, do you? This e-bike is no armchair but more a beast for getting you downhill quickly and accurately.

The RockShox dual suspension and 2.8” high-volume tires will help grip the ground better, allowing for accurate riding and minimal slip as you take your preferred line down the trail. There’s also a Body Geometry Henge Comp saddle and Specialized Sip Grips that should keep your bottom and hands at ease. The e-bike is comfortable — but certainly not like a sofa!

Durability

 4.5/5

4.5

The components on this e-bike are all high-quality name brands such as Brose, RockShox, and Sram. With the Specialized frame and engineering, this is a machine that’ll take whatever you throw at it. Do remember to oil the chain and get the bike serviced annually by an expert.

Style

 4/5

Though the last upgrade to the design was five years before this review, it remains current and looks great as an e-bike for fun on the trails. We like the pure black/black and white color scheme and the fat tires that add a sturdy look to it.

Our Research Methodology

We personally research and test every e-bike featured in our reviews and guides to provide accurate, data-driven recommendations. Learn how we review.

About Our Editorial Team

Written by Richard Shrubb

Contributing Author

Richard is a well-established journalist and copywriter with years of experience in the EV and e-bike world. He has worked with international sailing magazines, e-bike publications, and national newspapers.

Edited by Kristy Snyder

Professional Editor

Kristy Snyder is a professional writer and editor living in Pittsburgh with over 10 years of content creation experience. When she's not contributing to eBikes.org, Kristy enjoys reading, practicing yoga, drinking beer, and hitting up rail trails.

Meet Our Editorial Team