Test Specialized Turbo Levo SL Kids: What happens when you mount a “Light E-MTB” motor on a 24-inch bike? Specialized has tried it out and has created a children's e-bike based on its new, lightweight motor that impresses in every respect. And if you compare the Levo SL Kids with correspondingly motorized models for adults, the price also comes into perspective.
With the Turbo Levo SL Kids, the US provider is introducing a decidedly “adult” E-MTB for children. Specialized also relies on a motor from the “Light E-MTB” segment, namely the in-house SL 1.2 with 50 Newton meters of torque and 320 watt-hour battery. The motor and permanently installed battery together weigh less than four kilos, so the power-to-weight ratio is correct.
Specialized installs the system in a compact frame with a short seat tube and also mounts the engine control display in the top tube. The driving modes are switched through using two small buttons on the left handle, so that the drive is integrated very inconspicuously overall.
Light drive with lots of power for children
The SL 2023, which was only introduced in the summer of 1.2, is more powerful and torquey than its predecessor, which was one of the first drives specifically for light e-MTBs - with 50 Nm and 320 watts of peak power, it doesn't necessarily look like one on paper Rocket. However, especially at high pedaling frequencies (and low rider weight), the motor pushes hard, benefiting from the high input torque.
Pure MTB technology
This makes the Turbo Levo SL Kids a lot of fun to ride - especially off-road, of course, because the Specialized is designed as a thoroughbred mountain bike. The RockShox Reba 26 has an air suspension fork that is specifically tailored to light riders and also offers plenty of suspension travel with 100 mm. As one of the few children's e-MTBs, the Levo is also equipped with an eleven-speed groupset, with the sprocket set having a moderately wide range of 11-42 teeth. Last but not least, the elegant children's bike has a very low weight of 16,3 kilos - considering the performance and features, this is a very good value.
More driving safety thanks to the dropper post, more safety with throttled drive
The compact frame also has a lowerable seat post with 80 mm of travel, which is a big plus in terms of driving safety, especially for children: where the terrain becomes too difficult, they can immediately have their feet on the ground if necessary. The support can also be used to a limited extent for size adjustment; The comparatively low overhang height (603 mm) indicates a long service life, as the bike can be ridden by children from around 125 cm tall. This is where a pleasant feature of the Specialized software comes into its own: maximum support and top speed can be set via the app to suit the child's abilities.
Unfortunately, the price of the Specialized is also “adult”: the all-round successful bike costs a whopping 4.000 euros and will therefore remain a pipe dream for many kids. Compared to e-MTBs for adults that are equipped with the “1.2 SL” motor, the Turbo Levo SL Kids is of course quite inexpensive: in the “Comp” version, the cheapest Turbo Levo SL costs almost twice as much at 7.900 euros…
