# Turbo Levo Comp vs Santa Cruz Heckler vs Orbea Wild vs RM Power Play Instict



## KRob (Jan 13, 2004)

*Turbo Levo Comp vs Santa Cruz Heckler vs Orbea Wild vs RM Instinct Power Play*

Getting ready to pull the trigger on an ebike. Narrowed it down to these four. Any glaring diffferences that would make you go with one over the other? They're all around $6000 give or take a few hundred except the Specialized which is $5k

2020 Heckler is the CC S build lightly used demo (looks brand new)

2019 Turbo Levo Comp lightly used

2021 Orbea Wild M20 new

2020 Rocky Mountain Power Play Instinct BC demo

I've ridden the first three around the parking lot at the shop. Going to rent the RM for a full day demo Saturday.

Fit is good on all so far however the Heckler feels the most compact due to the shorter wheelbase and 27.5 wheels.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Jack7782 (Jan 1, 2009)

KRob said:


> Getting ready to pull the trigger on an bike. Narrowed it down to these four. Any glaring diffferences that would make you go with one over the other? They're all around $6000 give or take a few hundred except the Specialized which is $5k
> 
> 2020 Heckler is the CC S build lightly used demo (looks brand new)
> 
> ...


What is color and size of that S build Heckler? If you don't end up buying it, I may be interested. 
(that is my answer)


----------



## KRob (Jan 13, 2004)

Jack7782 said:


> What is color and size of that S build Heckler? If you don't end up buying it, I may be interested.
> (that is my answer)


That good of deal, huh? Definitely felt the lightest and most responsive.

Dark Grey/Green

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## sooslow (Dec 14, 2017)

The Turbo Levo has a 4 year warranty on its Brose motor...I sure like mine.


----------



## Jack7782 (Jan 1, 2009)

KRob said:


> That good of deal, huh? Definitely felt the lightest and most responsive.
> 
> Dark Grey/Green
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


KRob - Besides being light and responsive and saving money - you can start riding right away vs unknown delivery date for a new Heckler. What size is that demo?


----------



## tacoma22 (Feb 27, 2020)

The levo’s motor feels great, best power and range(w/700 batt) vs others. Does that levo have the 700wh? And it’s a really great all around bike.

Plus that 4 year warranty for the 2020 is worth it for sure 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## mtbbiker (Apr 8, 2004)

If the Levo has the 700wh battery, that would be my choice and what I ride. 

Mission Control App is so adjustable, to make this bike power feel to exactly what you want. The motor, even though it’s older than the Shimano and Bosch, still puts out more torque at 90nm. 

Want the Levo to be more aggressive: change front fork to 170mm. If that’s not enough, change rear shock out to a 210x55mm stroke for slightly more travel. Want more, change back wheel out to 27.5”. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## KRob (Jan 13, 2004)

Jack7782 said:


> KRob - Besides being light and responsive and saving money - you can start riding right away vs unknown delivery date for a new Heckler. What size is that demo?


All these are available now (if they didn't sell it since Wednesday). Looks nice. Size large.

I like the component spec better than the 2020 Turbo Levo. 
The new Orbea had a good Spec too.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## KRob (Jan 13, 2004)

mtbbiker said:


> If the Levo has the 700wh battery, that would be my choice and what I ride.
> 
> Want the Levo to be more aggressive: change front fork to 170mm. If that's not enough, change rear shock out to a 210x55mm stroke for slightly more travel. Want more, change back wheel out to 27.5".
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


The owner said he was pretty sure it was the 700wh battery (It's his 70s yo father who owns it and it's not where he can check it out). Only the base model came with the 500wh. Is there any way to tell just looking at it? Or to confirm that it is a 2020 model?

I didn't know you could long shock the Stumpy. That's good to know. And you can still use the 29" wheel with the longer shock?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## KRob (Jan 13, 2004)

Got two good rides in on the RM Instinct Powerplay today. We found you can switch between modes on the fly (wasn’t sure you could from the description in one test). We had a great time. EBikes are fun. 33 miles in two rides (with an hour of charging in between). Don’t really have any real trail experience with any other ebike so it’s kinda hard to compare but the Power Play worked well. I liked how it responded more according to your input even in the eco mode. Really only used the Trail mode on some flat up and down faster trails on Gould’s above the corral and on some of the steepest slick rock climbs on Goose. I liked the ebike better on the longer pedally xc ride we did first with some big steep climbs. (Three Falls, Gould’s JEM, Hurricane Rim). Although I wasn’t complaining when it got my tired legs up those repeated short steep punchy climbs on Gooseberry. The extra weight and somewhat uneven power delivery just felt a little clumsy at times on the tighter, slower, more tech riding.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## mtbbiker (Apr 8, 2004)

KRob said:


> The extra weight and somewhat uneven power delivery just felt a little clumsy at times on the tighter, slower, more tech riding.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


The slower movements is were you would notice the weight of ebikes, especially when a hike a bike comes up or loading/unloading the bike. But honestly, the more you get use to the weight, the more you tend to not notice it until having to pick it up. On the trail, since i only riding ebikes for the last year, I don't notice the weight at all on the trails, no matter how tech the trail is.


----------



## tacoma22 (Feb 27, 2020)

KRob said:


> The owner said he was pretty sure it was the 700wh battery (It's his 70s yo father who owns it and it's not where he can check it out). Only the base model came with the 500wh. Is there any way to tell just looking at it? Or to confirm that it is a 2020 model?
> 
> I didn't know you could long shock the Stumpy. That's good to know. And you can still use the 29" wheel with the longer shock?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Color scheme should confirm year and if it's a comp. Google 2020 turbo levo comp and the specialized webpage will pop up for it. It will say out of stock. Also, looks like 20 comps do have the 700wh battery

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Whiterabbitt (May 16, 2020)

If noise is a concern, the brose is the hands down winner, and why I went with the Brose option. If I hadn't cared about noise, there's lots more room to pick through spec or geo.

The sound on the levo SL drives me nuts. And most e-bikes I can hear from 20 yards back as they pass. No such thing as a quiet day in the woods on an e-bike. Brose comes closest. Power pedaling on medium and the noise drops to almost zero.


----------



## KRob (Jan 13, 2004)

tacoma22 said:


> Color scheme should confirm year and if it's a comp. Google 2020 turbo levo comp and the specialized webpage will pop up for it. It will say out of stock. Also, looks like 20 comps do have the 700wh battery
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Yes, the Specialized website made it easy to identify. I went to Menu->Archive->2020 Turbo Levo Comp then also checked 2019 TLC. Then just checked the specs.

The bikes were at the seller's parents house so he wasn't able to go out and check things but he did get his father to snap a photo of the bike. 2019 came with a Revelation fork and 2020 had the Lyrik. Colors were also different.

I passed on this one because it was a 2019 and I wanted the bigger 700wh battery and didn't want the expense of a fork swap.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## KRob (Jan 13, 2004)

Whiterabbitt said:


> If noise is a concern, the brose is the hands down winner, and why I went with the Brose option. If I hadn't cared about noise, there's lots more room to pick through spec or geo.
> 
> The sound on the levo SL drives me nuts. And most e-bikes I can hear from 20 yards back as they pass. No such thing as a quiet day in the woods on an e-bike. Brose comes closest. Power pedaling on medium and the noise drops to almost zero.


Ended up going with a new 2021 Turbo Levo Comp and the quiet motor was one of the things that swayed me.

The RM Power Play was noticeably louder. The New Bosch CX motor in the Orbea was very quiet also...at least in the parking lot.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## KRob (Jan 13, 2004)

Jack7782 said:


> What is color and size of that S build Heckler? If you don't end up buying it, I may be interested.
> (that is my answer)


The Heckler was at The Biker's Edge in Kaysville Utah last Wednesday. Nice bike.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Jack7782 (Jan 1, 2009)

KRob said:


> The Heckler was at The Biker's Edge in Kaysville Utah last Wednesday. Nice bike.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks for the intel. I was looking for it in Nevada bikes shops. Too bad it is a Large, otherwise it would be a done deal. I will have to throw a leg over one before I buy it.


----------



## KRob (Jan 13, 2004)

Jack7782 said:


> Thanks for the intel. I was looking for it in Nevada bikes shops. Too bad it is a Large, otherwise it would be a done deal. I will have to throw a leg over one before I buy it.


FWIW, it was the shortest, most compact large of all the bikes we tried.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## KRob (Jan 13, 2004)

First ride today on the Turbo Levo Comp. DANG. Did a steep 2200' climb that is barely rideable in several sections which normally takes more than an hour on my normal bike in 45 minutes even with a couple redos on some tricky switchbacks. Motor is so smooth and strong and quiet. The sound of the knobs rolling over dirt mostly drowned it out. Used Trail mode pretty much the entire ride and only used one bar of battery life in an hour and a half ride. 

Very impressive bike.


----------



## Jack7782 (Jan 1, 2009)

KRob said:


> First ride today on the Turbo Levo Comp. DANG. Did a steep 2200' climb that normally takes more than an hour on my normal bike in 45 minutes even with a couple redos on some tricky switchbacks. Motor is so smooth and strong and quiet. The sound of the knobs rolling over dirt mostly drowned it out. Used Trail mode pretty much the entire ride and only used one bar of battery life in an hour and a half ride.
> 
> Very impressive bike.


KRob - Congrats on that new bike. I think I remember you from the 5 Spot days, right?


----------



## KRob (Jan 13, 2004)

Jack7782 said:


> KRob - Congrats on that new bike. I think I remember you from the 5 Spot days, right?


Yep. Used to have a Turner 5 Spot and was a frequent poster on the old Turner forum. Now I'm on Knolly the past 10 years...... Hoping this doesn't totally spoil me for regular analog riding.


----------

