Turbo Kenevo
Origin
The Turbo Kenevo was Specialized's freeride-oriented eMTB, slotting above the Levo with longer travel (180 mm front, 170 mm rear), 27.5" wheels, and a slacker head angle designed for steep alpine descents and bike park laps. Launched in 2018 alongside the second-generation Levo, the Kenevo shared the same Brose-based 2.x motor platform but was tuned around heavier riders, harder landings, and rougher terrain. The aluminum-only frame, beefier suspension link, and downhill-spec components made it a niche but loyal-following machine in Europe, where steep mountain riding rewarded its big-hit confidence. Specialized quietly wound down the full-power Kenevo line in 2024, redirecting the freeride-eMTB customer to either the new Levo Gen 4 (which closed much of the travel and geometry gap) or to the lighter Kenevo SL 2 with the SL 1.2 motor. New stock disappeared from EU dealers through 2025.
Specifications
- Frame
- Kenevo SL 2 (active): FACT 11m carbon (Comp/Expert) or FACT 12m carbon (S-Works frameset), 29" wheels, frame platform shared with the acoustic Specialized Enduro, adjustable HA flip-chip + ±7mm BB. Full-power Kenevo (2018–2024, discontinued): M5 Premium Aluminum only, 27.5" wheels, no carbon option ever offered.
- Weight
- kg
- Drivetrain
- SRAM GX Eagle AXS Transmission, 1×12 wireless electronic, 10–52T cassette, Praxis Cadet e-bike crank 165mm / 32T (Kenevo SL 2 Comp & Expert).
- Brakes
- Kenevo SL 2 Expert: SRAM Maven Silver hydraulic disc, 4-piston, 200/200mm rotors. Comp: SRAM Maven Bronze, 200/200mm. Full-power Kenevo: SRAM Code RSC/Silver, 220/200mm.
- Wheels
- Kenevo SL 2: Roval Traverse Alloy 30mm rims, DT Swiss 350 hubs (Expert), 29" front and rear, 110×15 / 148×12 Boost. Full-power Kenevo: 27.5" Roval Traverse Alloy.
The verdict
- SL 1.2 motor (Kenevo SL 2) is exceptionally quiet and natural-feeling — reviewers say it 'doesn't feel like an e-bike most of the time' (BikeRadar, Loam Wolf, Bikerumor).
- ~20.4 kg (Expert) is a genuine differentiator — one of the lightest 170mm e-enduro bikes, ~4.6 kg lighter than the full-power Kenevo it replaced.
- Adjustable geometry: 3-position HA flip-chip (62.5/63.5/64.5°) plus ±7mm BB height gives real tuning latitude for different trail networks.
- FACT 11m/12m carbon frame shares the acoustic Specialized Enduro platform — well-resolved suspension kinematics and high frame quality.
- MasterMind TCU with bar-mounted MicroTune (10% power increments) is intuitive and well-integrated with the Specialized App.
- 320Wh battery limits range to ~70 km mixed terrain / 1–2 hours of aggressive riding — the Range Extender is a ~€350 separate purchase, not bundled.
- Stock front tire (Butcher GRID TRAIL T9) understeers on hard-pack and dry/loose conditions — reviewers widely recommend upgrading to a grippier compound (T9R Soft / Assegai MaxxGrip).
- Price-to-spec ratio is weak at full MSRP — only competitive at the current ~25% sale pricing (Expert €5,999 vs €7,999 original).
- No factory mullet option (29" only) — some riders prefer a 27.5" rear for short-chainstay agility.
- Full-power Kenevo (discontinued) was heavy (25 kg) with a dual-crown fork that only paid off on the steepest 5–10% of trails; on mid-difficulty terrain its travel and weight were liabilities (E-MOUNTAINBIKE).
Versions & builds
Every official build side by side — differences highlighted.
| Spec | === TURBO KENEVO SL 2 (lightweight, active 2026) === | Turbo Kenevo SL 2 Comp (€5,199 sale / €6,499 MSRP — FACT 11m carbon, RockShox ZEB Select 170mm, SRAM GX AXS Transmission, SL 1.2 motor 320Wh, ~21 kg) | Turbo Kenevo SL 2 Expert (€5,999 sale / €7,999 MSRP — FACT 11m carbon, RockShox ZEB Select+, SRAM Maven Silver, SL 1.2 motor 320Wh, 20.4 kg) | S-Works Turbo Kenevo SL 2 Frameset (€4,499 sale / €5,999 MSRP — FACT 12m S-Works carbon, frameset only for custom builds) | === TURBO KENEVO FULL-POWER (discontinued after 2024) === | Turbo Kenevo Comp 2024 (~€5,500 — M5 aluminum, RockShox BoXXer Select 180mm, SRAM GX AXS, Specialized 2.2 motor 700Wh, 25 kg) | Turbo Kenevo Expert 2024 (~€7,500 — M5 aluminum, RockShox BoXXer Select 180mm, SRAM GX AXS, Specialized 2.2 motor 700Wh, 25 kg) | Turbo Kenevo SL 2 Comp 2026 | Turbo Kenevo SL 2 Expert 2026 | S-Works Turbo Kenevo SL 2 Frameset | Turbo Kenevo Comp 2024 | Turbo Kenevo Expert 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frame | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | FACT 11m carbon | FACT 11m carbon | FACT 12m carbon (S-Works grade) | M5 Premium Aluminum | M5 Premium Aluminum |
| Drivetrain | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SRAM GX Eagle AXS Transmission 1x12 wireless electronic | SRAM GX Eagle AXS Transmission 1x12 wireless electronic | — | SRAM GX Eagle AXS 1x12 wireless electronic | SRAM GX Eagle AXS 1x12 wireless electronic |
| Brakes | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SRAM Maven Bronze hydraulic disc 4-piston, 200/200mm rotors | SRAM Maven Silver hydraulic disc 4-piston, 200/200mm rotors | — | SRAM Code Silver hydraulic disc 4-piston, 220/200mm rotors | SRAM Code RSC hydraulic disc 4-piston, 220/200mm rotors |
| MSRP | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | €5,199 | €5,999 | €4,499 | €5,500 | €7,500 |
| Purpose | Value | Performance | Flagship | Value | Performance |
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