SPECIALIZED 2.1/ BROSE S-MAG

Specialized has teamed up with Brose to give the lightweight S-mag motor a slick user interface and clever calibration. It’s standard issue on all Turbo Levos and Kenevos.

MOTOR

The magnesium casing of the Brose S-mag keeps the weight down to 2.98kg, even though it’s the bulkiest of the three motors here. It’s also super-stealthy thanks to its belt-drive internals, although the volume does increase as you draw more power. Reliability issues reared their ugly head this year on Turbo Levos and Kenevos fitted with this motor, but Specialized has responded with updated firmware that reduces specific power surge glitches and has added a reinforced belt to all MY21 units and this has brought large improvements to the reliability. There’s also a four-year warranty to fall back on if anything does go wrong – although no rescue service if it fails miles from home.

BATTERY

The 700Wh battery is designed by Specialized and boasts the biggest capacity on test. It’s specific to the frame, weighs 3.8kg and is secured by an Allen bolt rather than a key. Specialized also offers a 500Wh battery that fits in the same space, but weighs 750g less.

CONTROL UNIT

Specialized has developed a full range of options for its e-bikes, from ultra minimal to full-data studio. Standard fit is the Turbo Connect Unit (or power button to you and me) on the top tube, which also doubles as a power mode selector and battery indicator. As such, you can choose to run this on its own, and even pair it with the excellent Mission Control app if you want to tune the motor or check out the range. Connected to this is a small remote switch on the bars that’s small and easy to use. Available separately is a Turbo Connect display, more

like a bike computer, that can show loads of info including your power output.

RANGE

With the usual caveat about variables, we’ve clocked up rides with over 1,500m of climbing on Turbo Levos with 700Wh batteries, using a combination of Trail and Eco modes.

RESPONSE

Specialized has done a lot of tuning work with the Brose motor and it has paid off.

The response is quick when starting off on a slope, and the power feels seriously strong but never unmanageable. From the rider’s perspective it feels like the most powerful motor of the three, but you also get to tune the settings depending on whether you want to prioritise all-out grunt, or battery management. Our only complaint is that the overrun is slightly inconsistent compared to the Bosch, so you have to be more careful timing your pedal strokes on technical climbs.