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yes, that sounds amazing, exactly the thing to do when you bought into the avinox system. NOT. or just pack the fast charger…
Yeah, the turbo power wars have totally distorted the percieved range of ebikes. Its kinda not gnarly because you're still get a decent amount of support compared to an acoustic bike.
from Hans Rey about ebike development
Link: https://hansrey.com/blog/
An Open Letter to the Bicycle Industry
By Hans Rey
To the leaders, builders, advocates, and riders who shape our industry,
I’m writing because I care deeply about where bicycles—and electric bicycles—are headed. We are at a crossroads. The decisions we make about language, power limits, and definitions will determine whether Class 1 e-bikes remain accepted as bicycles—or get grouped with much more powerful machines that don’t belong in the same category.
It’s time to define our language and it’s time to draw a line in the sand of when e-bikes become too powerful
Words Matter
Today, the term “e-bike” is used to describe everything from a lightweight pedal-assist mountain bike to electric mopeds and full-blown electric motorcycles. That lack of precision creates confusion—and conflict—with land managers, other trail users, parents, and lawmakers.
If we don’t define our terms, others will define them for us.
Ideally, “e-bike” would mean one thing:
A Class 1 pedal-assist bicycle with a maximum assist speed of 20 mph, no throttle, and a motor not exceeding 750 watts of peak power.
Instead, the label has expanded to cover vehicles with throttles, higher speeds, and significantly more power. That blurring of categories puts access at risk.
Clear Categories, Clear Expectations
We need distinct names for distinct machines:
E-bicycle (EMT
: Class 1 pedal-assist only (20 mph max assist, 750W max peak power)
E-moped: Throttle-equipped or faster than 20 mph or exceeding 750W, incl. Class 2&3
E-motorcycle: High-power electric motorcycles well beyond bicycle-level performance
Clear labeling should be mandatory. Every electric vehicle should visibly state its category, assist speed, and peak motor power. This isn’t about enforcement—it’s about clarity and accountability.
The 750-Watt Line Matters
The 750-watt peak limit is not arbitrary. It helps determine whether a vehicle is treated as a bicycle or a motorcycle—and whether it remains welcome on trails and bike paths.
Maximum peak power and nominal (or average/rated) peak power are not the same.
A bike limited to 750 watts peak never exceeds that output. A motor rated at 750 watts nominal can produce much higher bursts of power. That difference is significant.
Class 1 e-bikes gained acceptance because they behave like bicycles: pedal-assist only, no throttle, limited speed, and moderate power. If we allow power creep—higher torque, faster acceleration, motorcycle-like performance—we shouldn’t be surprised when access disapears and regulations increase.
We are already seeing warning signs. In New Jersey, a bill was already signed that will require insurance, registration, motorcycle helmets, and will restrict trail access for electric bikes. In California, lawmakers are working to reinforce the 750W peak limit to improve safety and preserve trail legality. These debates are not theoretical—they are happening now.
A Call to Responsibility
To manufacturers:
Resist the temptation to chase bigger numbers at the expense of long-term access. Short-term sales gains could lead to long-term collapse.
To media and marketers:
Use precise language—even when it’s less convenient. Help draw and defend the line that protects this category.
To riders:
Ride responsibly. Understand what’s at stake. Don’t take trail access for granted.
To advocates and trade groups:
Defend Class 1 clearly and consistently. The industry must self-regulate until the laws are defined.
In order to protect what we have we must stop asking how much power we can get away with—and start asking how much power is too much.
— Hans Rey
Well said.
So what bikes would fall into Rey's E-moped category? Anything with a DJI and the new Levo?
However you feel about e-bikes, it's a bit rich to ask the public to align with your personal opinion on a technology that was and remains full of potential that you helped promote from the onset, while being associated with that technology. Free-market capitalism started this current situation and while it's reasonable to think that some guard rails are required, I don't think they should be enacted to serve a very specific demographic within cycling.
I love my Santa Cruz Bullit ebike, but under California law, specialized is now making mopeds, not ebikes.
I agree with Hans. It's disappoint to see Specialized disregard existing ebike laws and try to compete with DJI for the highest power boomer scooter.
750w is a reasonable limit for ebikes. Let's let ebike be ebikes, not mopeds or emotos.
I never tuned mine! I coulda tuned mine?
I rode the Old Cascade Crest loop on my 27.5 range VLT back in covid…something like 8000ft over 30 miles, iirc…I got overhyped and burned through the first two bars way too fast, ended up with some electrons at the end but that was with pushing up one of the climbs…that bike was a hog but it did have 640Wh. I’d love to ride that on again without running out of battery. That’s exactly where a full power short travel eeb would be so great: some big solo loop in the middle of nowhere…
and shaddup Hans Rey! Your whole life has been built on riding your bike all over shit not made for bikes, you can’t have it both ways. (Except these dudes always do.)
Im about to buy my first e-bike... im really struggling to make the choice between two though. It is boiling down to long vs short travel. Both are about the same weight, have the same motor and battery. One is a full on enduro 170mm travel, the other is a 140mm rear 150mm front. Im kind of leaning towards the longer travel as i have never owned a full out enduro bike before, but how many downsides are there to that extra travel? Like, will blue trails suck now? Will i need to go mach 10 to have fun on trails? Will the extra travel sap a lot of the battery life compared to a shorter travel bike?
these are good questions... I have opinions of my own based on my own preferences and experiences. What your questions tell me, is that you aren't ready to buy an ebike right now, and you need to spend more time demo'ing them and answering those questions for yourself. No offense meant here... but time in the saddle is the only way to truly answer the questions you have. Do not rush into buying an ebike until you can answer these core questions you are asking... you will regret your purchase if you do not slow down and figure this out now.
Delay no further, get one! I’d suggest you get the big dog and seek out bigger trails. Again and again.
If you've narrowed it down to two, there are many more important factors there than travel.
Which bikes ?
And where do you do most of your riding ?
I'm a pretty big fan of more travel on e-bikes since there's no penalty in terms of battery life. I do lots of riding west of calgary, e-bike is a good time around canmore area. You'll be trying silly climbs. Rolling terrain without much vertical, like the edmonton river valley, is pretty lame on an e-bike. But it's pretty lame on an acoustic bike too, hah !
„Delay no further, get one! I’d suggest you get the big dog and seek out bigger trails. Again and again“ - love it 🤣
But from my own experience I am also kind of with him. Yes it can feel sluggish at situations but you could still play with different pressure in your suspension and tires as well as damping etc. Unless your last Bike was a hardtail and you have the slightest of interest in gravity oriented biking, why not get the bike that makes you feel like you have super powers on the climbs and the descents. I don’t think more travel nor the extra couple of grams for the burlier build will sap up anything noticeable.
The Motor has to propel you, the bike + gear. Let‘s say that’s 90kg that 1Kg might be noticeable in handling but not in range. At least that’s what I experienced.
So both are demo bikes, a transition regulator and a mondraker dune R. Both have the exact same motor+battery combo, almost the same weight, i think the mondraker might be a pound or two heavier. Build spec is different but in terms of quality its very close, just different brands.
The transition is 150 rear 160 fork, mondraker is 165 rear 170 front.
Currently, at my experience level, the shorter travel bike would make more sense but I dont think itd be bad to have a bike i could grow into a bit - I do plan on riding enough this season to regularly hit double black diamond trails. The longer travel seems like it makes the most sense in this regard... but i will likely be riding this bike as my main for this season, so i fear the travel might make some of the less intense trails dull.
I did learn recently that the transition can take a longer travel shock and fork, so if i did wanna drop even more cash later on i guess i could spec it w/ longer travel but at a hefty price.
These are Bosch SX motors? Go with the CX.
havent really found any decent prices for full power bikes, best options are things like the turbo levo - none with a bosch motor.
Also not sure i wanna go for a heavy full power e-bike. I mostly just want a bike thatll take me up fire roads so i can get more descent laps in a day, having it ride similarly to a normal bike seems more appealing than a ton of power.
Sorry if I'm overlooking something but, if they are both demo bikes, can you take them out on exactly the types of trails you're asking about?
In particular, can you take them both on some blues to see if you feel like it kills the fun factor, and then take them both down a trail that is challenging but doable for your current skill level to see how much you enjoy the enhanced capabilities of the longer travel bike? If the shop is anywhere near some trails that'll give you your answer in just a few hours, and even if its not near the good trails it would be worth dedicating a day or 2 and doing some driving to help you make your decision.
As others have said, you needn't worry about the extra travel sucking up more battery power. Weight will eat a bit of power, but the extra pound or 2 is trivial for the overall bike and rider system weight. The only thing that might make a difference in range is if the bigger bike has heavy-duty tires with sticky rubber, and the shorter travel bike has light casing tires with fast rebounding rubber, due to the extra rolling resistance of the sticky tires. But tires are easily changeable, and should be chosen based on your needs, so I wouldn't consider the stock tires to be an intrinsic characteristic of the bike.
Regarding your desire to get more decent laps in, I'd also suggest trying your ideal ride scenario of getting in more laps with the motor assist on the fire road climbs. SX motor equipped bikes often have a much smaller battery than full power (which is where a lot of the weight savings come from), so if you're trying to speed up the climbs and/or want to put in additional hours (because you won't be as fatigued) you might find yourself running out of battery juice. I demoed a SX equipped Norco with a 400wh battery, and riding with my buddy on a Shimano motored bike with 600wh, I was out of juice when he was wanting to get another lap in. If you're a strong climber and will be using the bike in Eco mode a lot, or if you are only going to be riding for a couple hours and just want to up your average climbing speed to get an extra couple laps in within that time, then 400wh might be fine for you, but if you're loving the e-bike and it makes you want to ride all day, and you need higher assist levels for the steep climbs, then it might get limiting. Again, that's where doing an actual trial run of the length ride you see yourself doing regularly would be key.
strange that discussion is a non-issue in europe…
Ah they were demo bikes last season haha. I doubt any shop would let me demo right now where I live (snow and ice on the trails).
I did find a turbo levo 3 that I'm now considering. It's not from a local shop though... So I'm not sure how nice not having the LBS warranty experience would be. Considered the levo 4 but the alloy version is almost 60lbs which is crazy!
Also found a trek slash 9+ w/ a similar SL style build, but a 100 more watt hour battery that is removable. That's somewhat interesting as well.
Yeah, the e8000 was easy to tune with the official app and unofficial ones like stunlocker and emax as it was relatively undongled. I think you could even up the torque to 75nm or unlimited speed if I'm not mistaken. But the newest firmware iterations restricted it a bit.
The clutch rattles alot in the sx motors. It is one of the less desirable power systems. They are certainly serviceable and fairly reliable though.
The mondraker, I wouldn't buy anything but their '25+ bikes, as they have the updated rear suspension.
What size are you ?
I have a gen 5 bosch cx and my wife has a bosch sx. The sx motors are plenty powerful enough if you're not riding with a ground of full power people. The SX motors however, are quite loud both with gear/motor whine and with sprag clutch clacking on baby head sized trail undulations.
That being said, if those things do not annoy you, it's a really awesome drive unit. Power delivery is really smooth, they make tons of power if you spin it up with a high cadence, way more then any other mid power bike.
My choice of the bikes you listed would be the cx version of the regulator. I was faced with a similar decision between the bullit, vala and regulator and I ultimately chose the bullit. I ride a lot of big terrain and double black trails on my ebikes, so the bullit was a more obvious choice for me. If I were riding in your area (I've only been there once), I would likely chose the regulator or vala over the bullit. I generally agree that there is no reason to have less travel, but the regulator and vala do corner better then the bullit from my experience. Provided you aren't treating your ebike like a DH bike, and riding blue, single black and an occasional double black... then the slightly shorter wheel base and less travel is a bit more fun. For me, I spend 80% of my time riding my ebikes on double black rated trails, so the choice was easy.
I rented a Levo 3 while on vacation and loved that bike. It felt super balanced and fun to ride on all sorts of trails, which makes sense as it won pretty much every "e-bike of the year" award and "e-bike shootout" the year it launched. Having said that, I had it for around 6 days, and did keep having a little bug where it would shut off on its own. I'd need to unplug and plug back in the battery (which was easy on that bike) then turn it back on, and it would work fine for a while longer. I was having so much fun on the bike I wasn't too concerned about it, BUT, on day 4 I suffered a motor failure, where it would make a sound like the belt or gears were slipping under anything above minimal torque. The rental shop had extra motors on hand, because they said that was a fairly common occurrence, and were able to turn it around overnight, so I was minimally inconvenienced, but those issues would make me think twice before buying one with no warranty support. It's possible they've made some running changes or something that mean later models are more reliable (I had those problems in late 2022), but definitely do some further research if you're considering going that route, as paying out of pocket for a new motor is not an inexpensive proposition.
dang thanks a ton for this info, very helpful! I do believe specialized dealers will honor warranty but i cant imagine itd be quite as solid and easy as the actual shop i purchased it from.
So Hans is trying to sort out something that is continually evolving because he knows something we don’t.
Yeah man, happy to be of help. From what you'd said before, I wasn't sure if the Levo 3 might be used or an ex-demo or something that might have no warranty. If you're getting it from an actual dealer, who just happens to not be near you, then you're right, any other Specialized dealer that is more conveniently located should be able to do warranty service on the bike too. Since that's the case, and if your main concern is just overall reliability and avoiding downtime, it might be worth digging through some of the Levo 3 owners' threads to see if people who are really in the know about those bikes have recognized an improvement in the newer examples of them. I'm not sure if there is one here at Vital but I know there are one or more threads like that on the emtbforums site. If the newer ones are more reliable, I'd certainly consider getting one if it was a smoking closeout deal and had a full warranty. If my experience with an overnight replacement of the motor is at all representative of the norm, then the failure isn't even that bad. I've seen some folks ranting online about waiting weeks or months for the replacement of a Shimano motor (and others too), or 3rd party batteries that fail with no ready replacements, so compared to that, I'll take less reliability but quicker fixes for more total uptime.
It seems to be a really loved bike. As for the reliability, i think as a whole e-bikes have a ways to go in that department. I recall an article about a poll that claimed 1 in 4 ebike riders end up having some sort of electric component issue inside the 2 year warranty window. That being said, for the most part specialized seem to have a really good reputation for solid ebikes.
Another factor that kind of pushes me towards the transition is that i have a stumpjumper 15. so this levo will be extremely similar especially when it comes to the suspension style. I was kinda hoping to get something different. On the plus side, the shocks i have kicking around would fit it - but i couldnt use the coils sadly.
Let's not rewrite history, virtually everyone I know with a gen 3 levo that rides hard needed to replace the motor every 6 months. Bosch have not been hassle free, but it was mostly motor and battery mount issues rather than full motor replacement.
The power and torque battle continues this year with a new one going full 2x the legal limit. He probably knows that.
That might mean only one thing: Bosch Gen 5 gets another power boost.
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