THE ENDURO GOES ELECTRIC

5 things you need to know about Specialized’s Kenevo SL

Specialized have squeezed a svelte motor and battery system into their new bighit-capable e-bike, giving it a silhouette that almost identically mirrors its nonpowered Enduro stablemate. The power pack has a 320Wh capacity, while the smooth drive unit supplies 35Nm of torque. Want a little more juice? There’s a Range Extender available that sits in the bottle cage. With this attached, Spesh claim you’ll get nearly seven hours of assisted ride time – not bad considering the 20kg-ish weight of the S-Works version we have to test. There’s 170mm of rear wheel travel on tap, courtesy of a six-bar suspension linkage. It’s a six-bar because Specialized use a regular four-bar linkage with an extra two to drive the shock, isolating it further from friction-inducing side loads.

The Kenevo SL has six geometry settings to choose from, courtesy of an angled headset and a flip-chip in the chainstays – ideal for those who like to fettle based on the track. If you prefer to set and forget, there’s an online calculator that’ll help you find a good set-up for your riding.

A new Mastermind controller sits on top of the top tube, giving visual data on both battery and power levels. With over-the-air updates available, the team at Morgan Hill will be able to automatically send firmware upgrades to the bike as they’re developed, such as security software due later this summer.

There’ll be two full builds – the Expert at £8,750 and S-Works at £12,500 – as well as an S-Works frame-only option at £6,500.