Turbo Levo Comp Alloy Review (2023)

Specialized Turbo Levo Comp Alloy review

Table of Contents

Specialized has a brilliant reputation in the e-MTB industry for creating excellent rides. The e-MTBs pumped out by the brand are usually versatile, robust and include market-leading technology. As a result, Specialized’s new releases have developed a reputation for turning heads, with people now expecting that they’ll be at the forefront of developments within the industry.


But we know there’s nothing worse than parting with your hard-earned cash only to discover the new bike you’ve bought is a mess, especially if you were putting your faith into a company’s reputation alone. So, that’s why we do the reviews for you, putting in the miles so that you can purchase your e-MTBs with absolute, unshakeable confidence.


Specialized’s Turbo Levo Comp Carbon is one of the best out there on the market, but how does the series’ alloy sibling fare in comparison? In our Turbo Levo Comp Alloy review, we’ll strip the bike down, fling it around the trails, and judge whether it’s worth paying the extra premium for the carbon version, or whether the cheaper alloy will do the job.


Join us, then, as we get stuck into the Specialized Turbo Levo Alloy….

Our Verdict

4/5

Another winner from the crew at Specialized.

 

The Turbo Levo Comp Alloy has some excellent features – it’s powerful, has incredible handling and great adjustable geometry features. It also has a really chunky battery, which gives you a solid range out on the trails. Price wise, you really can’t complain, it offers aspects which you’d expect from an e-MTB costing $2,000 more.

 

However, there are compromises – the bike’s tyres, suspension and brakes could be better – but that price would creep up if they were.

 

Overall, we think it’s most definitely a winner.

Peaks:👍

Troughs:👎

Specialized Levo Alloy

Specialized Turbo Levo Comp Alloy

Price:$7,500

Weight/Frame

The bike has an alloy frame, and comes in at a respectable 24.12kg. That’s actually 1kg more than its carbon sibling, however this is to be expected with its heavier alloy composition.

 

Despite the different frame materials, both bikes offer six geometry settings, which is a great asset for the Turbo Levo Comp Alloy. It means you can tailor the bike to your needs or to the type of riding you will be doing that day, with a head tube angle that can be adjusted between 63 and 63.5 degrees and a bottom bracket which can be heightened by 7mm.

 

It’s a major positive for the Levo Alloy, enabling riders to create a custom set-up. The bike also has a generous cockpit, which gives you very good manoeuvrability and cornering control, while also planting you firmly on the bike and providing decent traction.

 

You feel very stable up there as you bomb down the trails and throw it through some twisty sections. The alloy frame also creates a robustness, meaning the bike can really take a beating and soak up pressure.

ℹ️ You can feel that extra weight in the gnarliest downhill sections and it takes quite a bit of body power to keep the bike in control. This is worth noting if you're a little light in the arm strength department.

Battery

M3-700 battery

The Specialized Turbo Levo Comp Alloy comes with a chunky 700Wh battery, which is neatly integrated into the downtube.

 

It’s the same battery as the carbon version, the M3-700, which gives you a really solid range out there on the trails – we found that, on a flattish route, it gave us just short of 80km on our test rides. On a seriously chunky climbing day you won’t be able to eke out quite as much, but if you’re clever with your use of the bike’s electrical assistance, you’ll still manage some serious numbers.

 

Specialized’s claim is that you’ll be able to get up to 5 hours of riding out of that battery and we think that’s fairly true to form. The battery is also secured by a robust casing, so you have peace of mind that it can take most things you throw at it out there on the trails.

Motor

The Specialized Turbo Levo Alloy comes with the company’s 565Wh Turbo Full Power System, 2.2 Motor, which kicks out a monster 90Nm of torque. It’s a beast out on the trails and you can tackle the most challenging climbs with ease.

 

That extra weight keeps you planted and provides a lot of traction, but the monster power output gives you enough kick to not feel laggy in any way.

 

Instead, you bomb up the climbs in a breeze and, with three electrical assistance modes to choose from, you can tailor your power output to the needs of the trail, without burning through it all. The motor does kick out a little bit of noise, but that’s a minor fault in an otherwise spot-on motor.

565 watts of power

Motor Display

motor display

The Turbo Levo Comp Alloy doesn’t have the nifty inbuilt display that the carbon version has. It’s unquestionably a downside, and means you haven’t got the accurate “battery percentage left” that you have with other motor displays. It comes with 10 “battery left” light bars, instead.

 

However, all isn’t lost; you can link the bike up to Specialized’s Mission Control App, which turns your smartphone into an onboard computer. If you go down the smartphone route, then you can get exact details of the battery percentage you have left and mapping tools, among many other features.

Suspension

FOX DPS performance series rear shocks

The Turbo Levo Comp Alloy comes with 160mm travel at the front and 150mm travel at the rear. It’s set up with FOX DPS Performance Series rear shocks and Fox Rhythm 36 front forks.

 

The fork setup is exactly the same as the carbon version, which can take a beating out there on the trails, and take on some serious descents. It’s also got a nice, playful feel, so you can weave through those complex twisty sections, too.

 

It’s worth paying attention to Specialized’s setup guide for the suspension; if you’re a heavier rider, then you may find yourself bottoming out on some big drops if you haven’t got your setup properly dialled in.

 

The suspension pairing, combined with the bike’s geometry, creates a great partner out there on the trails.

Wheels/Tyres

turbo levo comp carbon tyres

The Turbo Levo Comp Alloy comes with the same mullet setup as the carbon version, with a mixed wheel setup. It has a 27.5in wheel at the rear end and a 29in wheel at the front.

 

The mixed wheel size has many advantages, with the larger front wheel planting you on the trail and creating fantastic traction, which helps you feel strong on the ascents and helps you get up and over obstacles with ease.

 

Meanwhile, the back wheel keeps that fun edge, allowing you to carve around tricky sections and maximise manoeuvrability. There are a few issues with the tyres, though. The Turbo Levo Comp Alloy is fitted with Butcher GRID TRAIL at the front and Eliminator GRID TRAIL at the rear.

 

We found these weren’t the most forgiving out on the trails and if you reduced the tyre pressure to feel a little more comfortable, then you’d end up getting quite a few punctures. Not ideal…

Brakes

The Turbo Levo Comp Alloy comes with SRAM Code R, 4-piston caliper hydraulic disc brakes at both the front and the rear. It’s the same setup as the carbon version of the bike, but we think Specialized could offer more in this area.

 

There are better options on the market, and with so many strong features on the bike – particularly the powerful motor and manoeuvrability – you would want the brake set up to complement that. You get a decent amount of stopping power with the SRAM Code Rs, but there could be more.

brakes

Drivetrain

speed derailleur
speed cassette

The Turbo Levo Comp Alloy comes with SRAM’s GX Eagle 12-speed derailleur and the SRAM XG-1275, 12-speed cassette.

Price: $7,500

We think this is a very reasonable price for such an accomplished e-MTB. You have an incredibly powerful motor, fantastic manoeuvrability, chunky battery and sleek design, which can take on most things you throw at it. It also comes in more than $1,700 cheaper than the carbon version, which is a decent price gap, particularly when you consider how many components are the same.

Specialized Turbo Levo Comp Alloy Facts & Figures

Size Configurations

GEOMETRY
S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6
Crank Length 160mm 160mm 160mm 160mm 160mm 160mm
Handlebar Width 780mm 780mm 780mm 780mm 780mm 780mm
Stem Length 40mm 40mm 50mm 50mm 50mm 50mm
Saddle Width 155mm 155mm 143mm 143mm 143mm 143mm
Seatpost Length 100mm 125mm 150mm 170mm 170mm 190mm
Stack 605mm 617mm 626mm 635mm 644mm 653mm
Reach 412mm 432mm 452mm 477mm 502mm 532mm
Headtube Length 105mm 105mm 115mm 125mm 135mm 145mm
Headtube Angle 64.5° 64.5° 64.5° 64.5° 64.5° 64.5°
BB Height 352mm 350mm 350mm 350mm 350mm 350mm
BB Drop 25mm 27mm 27mm 27mm 27mm 27mm
Trail 130mm 130mm 130mm 130mm 130mm 130mm
Fork Length (full) 557mm 567mm 567mm 567mm 567mm 567mm
Fork Rake/Offset 44mm 44mm 44mm 44mm 44mm 44mm
Front Center 738mm 760mm 784mm 814mm 843mm 878mm
Chainstay Length 442mm 442mm 442mm 442mm 442mm 442mm
Wheelbase 1179mm 1200mm 1225mm 1255mm 1284mm 1318mm
Bike Standover Height 752mm 776mm 783mm 787mm 788mm 790mm
Seat Tube Length 380mm 390mm 405mm 425mm 445mm 465mm
Seat Tube Angle 78° 77.2° 76.7° 76.2° 76.2° 76.2°
Max Seatpost Insertion 210mm 220mm 240mm 255mm 275mm 295mm
Min Seatpost Insertion 80mm 80mm 80mm 80mm 80mm 80mm

Full Specs

COCKPIT
Stem Alloy Trail Stem, 35mm bar bore
Handlebars Alloy, 35mm diameter, 780mm width, 8-degree backsweep, 6-degree upsweep
Tape Specialized Trail Grips
Saddle Bridge Comp, Hollow Cr-mo rails, 155/143mm
SeatPost X-Fusion Manic, infinite adjustable, two-bolt head, bottom mount cable routing, remote SLR LE lever, 34.9, S1: 100mm, S2: 125mm, S3: 150mm, S4/S5: 175mm, S6: 190mm
DRIVETRAIN
Rear Derailleur SRAM GX Eagle, 12-speed
Shift Levers SRAM GX, trigger, 12-speed
Cassette Sram XG-1275, 12-speed, 10-52t
Chain SRAM NX Eagle, 12-speed
Crankset Praxis forged M30, custom offset, 160mm
Chainrings SRAM X-Sync Eagle, 104 BCD, 32T, steel
WHEELS
Rims Specialized 29, hookless alloy, 30mm inner width, tubeless ready
Front Hub Alloy, sealed cartridge bearings, 15x110mm thru-axle, 28h
Spokes DT Swiss Industry
Inner Tubes Standard, Presta Valve
Rear Hub Alloy, sealed cartridge bearings, 148mmx12mm thru-axle, 28h
Front Tire Butcher, GRID TRAIL casing, GRIPTON® T9 compound, 2Bliss Ready, 29×2.6″
Rear Tire Eliminator, GRID TRAIL casing, GRIPTON® T7 compound, 2Bliss Ready, 27.5×2.6″
FRAMESET
Seat Binder Alloy, 38.6mm
Frame Specialized M5 premium alloy, headset adjust, BB height adjust, S-Sizing, internal cable routing, 150mm travel, 148mm spacing
Fork Fox Rhythm 36, S1: 150mm travel, S2-S6: 160mm travel
E-BIKE
Motor Specialized Turbo Full Power System 2.2 Motor
UI/Remote Specialized TCU, 10-LED State of charge, 3-LED Ride Mode display, ANT+/Bluetooth®, w/Handlebar remote
Charger Custom charger, 42V4A w/ Rosenberger plug, 100-240V
Battery Specialized M3-700, Integrated battery, 700Wh
Wiring Harness Custom Specialized wiring harness
SUSPENSION
Rear Shock S1: FOX DPS Performance Series, 3-position lever, rebound adjust, 52.5x210mm, S2-S6: FOX FLOAT X Performance, LSR, 2-position lever, 55x210mm
BRAKES
Front Brake SRAM Code R, 4-piston caliper, hydraulic disc, S1-S3: 200mm, S4-S6: 220mm
Rear Brake SRAM Code R, 4-piston caliper, hydraulic disc, 200mm

* Specifications are subject to change without notice

How Does it Compare?

The Turbo Levo Comp Alloy certainly stands out in the field, but there are other bikes which give it a run for its money. Another serious contender is the Giant Reign E+2, which comes in $1,000 cheaper than the Turbo Levo Comp Alloy.

Turbo Levo Comp Alloy vs Reign E+ 2

But what does it have to offer?

 

The Giant weighs less than the Turbo Levo Comp Alloy, but has a less powerful motor (by 5Nm of torque). A big plus for the Giant is the chunkier battery – 800Wh over the Turbo Levo Comp Alloy’s 700Wh battery – as well as the fact that it has 100mm more of travel at both the front and the back.

 

We think it’s a really good option and is actually slightly better than the Turbo Levo Comp Alloy in many areas. But what else is out there?

Turbo Levo Comp Alloy vs Ransom eRide 920

The Scott Ransom eRide 920 is another comparable ride out there, coming in around $1,000 cheaper than Specialized’s offering.

 

It weighs more than the Levo Comp Alloy (by 0.5kg), has a smaller battery (by 75Wh), has a smaller motor (by 5Nm), but has greater travel at both the front and the rear.

 

The Scott doesn’t have the same natural ride feel as the Turbo Levo Comp Alloy and certainly doesn’t have the manoeuvrability. We think the Turbo Levo Comp Alloy is a better bet in this matchup.

Final Thoughts

We’re big fans of the Turbo Levo Comp Alloy. There are few bikes at this kind of price which deliver so much. It’s a fun, powerful and versatile e-MTB, and one that serves as a reliable companion out on the trails.

 

The Levo Comp Alloy has features which you’d expect from a seriously expensive and top range e-MTB, yet you’re paying a fraction of the price.

 

And listen, we know it doesn’t have a carbon frame, and with that comes extra weight, but if you are willing to put in some strength work, then you’ll be rewarded with a tremendous e-MTB, which punches well above its weight.

 

It may not be perfect; there are issues with the tyres, and the suspension and brakes could both be better, but then, for those improvements you might end up paying quite a bit more. Overall, it’s a decent package and at that price, we think it’s a winner.

 

Now get out and give it a try yourself!

If you enjoyed this review then make sure to check out our review of Specialized’s Turbo Levo Comp Carbon.

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