Controlling the Specialized Levo
Specialized use two motors across their range, their lightweight 1.1, and their beefy 2.1, which is based on the Brose Drive S Mag. Both motors offer three modes of assistance that are complemented by Specialized’s fantastic Mission Control app.
The Mission Control app sets the benchmark for motor tuneability as well as general useability. Whilst it can record rides and send the data to third party apps, it also connects with third party head units and can display your ride data on those, which is particularly handy for accurate battery levels, as well as other metrics if you’re a data geek.
One metric that Specialized are open about is the importance of the cadence range within which their motor (and all eBike motors really) work best within. Specialized say the magic number is 85rpm, whilst the range of 70-90 is where you should be aiming more broadly.
Whilst the Mission Control app means you can tweak the assistance of your motor to your heart’s content, I’ll run through the three modes on offer as standard.
The first of Specialized’s three modes of support is Eco mode. I’m sure you’ve got the drift by now that Eco is great for conserving battery, riding with ‘acoustic’ bikes, and having an overall more similar ride feel to a regular bike.
Next up is Trail mode, which is my preferred mode. Once again similar to the other two brands, it offers the best blend of power alongside control in real world trail conditions.
Lastly is Turbo mode, which gives the same full throttle power application as the other two brands’ top settings. Specialized’s Turbo is the sportiest of the lot, helped by their motor’s 90Nm of torque (as opposed to 85Nm for both the Bosch and Shimano motors).
Via their Mission Control app, Specialized offer you a range of customisation options, but in terms of fiddling with the motor’s modes, they offer two main adjustments. The first is peak power, which is adjustable in 5 percent increments from 0-100%.
The second main customisation option is Support, which is how much effort you need to put in to access the motor’s whole capacity. Once again there’s adjustment from 0-100% via 5 percent increments. Specialized also have adjustments for acceleration support, which is similar to Shimano’s motor response tuning.
Overall motor and system performance aside, out of the three brands discussed today, Specialized have the most to offer in terms of customisation and using your eMTB in a way that’s most relevant to you. Whilst I’ve found Specialized’s stock setting perfectly acceptable, Mission Control means you can really dial in the best settings for your riding style.