Gazelle’s New Class 3 Commuters, Specialized’s $12K Bikepacking eMTB, Washington Separates E-Bikes from E-Motos | TWR Ep 87

Gazelle has updated its Ultimate commuter lineup with two new Class 3 models: the Ultimate C380+ 2.0 and the Ultimate T11+. Both are built around the Bosch Performance Line Sport mid-drive with 85 Nm of torque (bumped to 90 Nm via the Bosch Flow app), a removable 540 Wh battery, and a claimed range of up to 94 miles.

Shared specs across both bikes include 4-piston Shimano hydraulic disc brakes, 28×2.15 Schwalbe The Green Marathon tires, an 80mm SR Suntour MOBIE 34 suspension fork, a 4A charger, an MIK-HD cargo rack, Quadlock or SP Connect phone mount options, and compatibility with Bosch’s PowerMore range extender. Both weigh around 60 lbs without the battery and fit riders from 4’10” to 6’4″ across three frame sizes. Fully internal cable routing and a rear triangle charging port keep the lines clean.

Where the two bikes differ is in drivetrain and price. The C380+ comes in a white step-thru frame with an 11-speed Shimano drivetrain and is priced at $4,499. The T11+ is available in both step-thru and high-step styles in blue and yellow, uses an Enviolo stepless Trekking CVT with a Gates CDX belt drive, and runs $4,999.

Mark Danhof, GM of Gazelle North America, summed up the intent: “With the new Ultimate platform, we wanted to prove that speed performance doesn’t need to come at the expense of comfort and control. While lower-cost alternatives focus on upfront price, we focused on what matters over time: trusted Bosch systems, premium components and long-term durability.”

Our Take:

Gazelle has built a clear case for the rider who wants a well-spec’d, long-term commuter and isn’t shopping on price alone. The Bosch Performance Line Sport, belt drive option, hydraulic disc brakes, and suspension fork are all the right choices for this kind of bike. The 60-lb weight isn’t surprising given the spec level, but it’s worth knowing if you’re dealing with stairs or a tight storage situation. At $4,499 to $4,999, these sit firmly in the premium tier. The T11+ with the Gates belt and Enviolo CVT is the more compelling build for daily use, in our view.

The S-Works Turbo Levo 4X is a top-tier version of Specialized’s full-suspension eMTB, outfitted from the factory for bikepacking. It carries a carbon frame, Specialized’s S-Works 3.1 mid-drive with 850W of peak power and 111 Nm of torque, and an 840 Wh battery rated for 4.4 hours of ride time.

The suspension setup is a Fox 38 fork with 160mm of travel and a GripX2 damper up front, paired with a Fox Float X shock with 150mm of travel and Genie tech in the rear. The drivetrain is SRAM XX Eagle AXS, braking is handled by 4-piston SRAM Maven Ultimate hydraulics, and the charging setup includes a 12A smart charger that reaches 80% in about an hour. It runs a mullet wheel configuration with a 29″ front and 27.5″ rear, and geometry is adjustable.

The bikepacking-specific hardware is a front and rear rack system that can carry up to 48.5 lbs combined. Those racks can also be purchased separately and added to existing Turbo Levo or Levo R bikes as aftermarket parts. The complete bike is priced at $12,000.

Our Take:

This is a very specific bike for a very specific rider. If you’re planning multi-day backcountry rides and you want a full-power eMTB to do it on, there isn’t much else like it at this spec level. The $12,000 price tag is steep by any measure, but the component list justifies it if you’re the target market. The fact that the racks are available as aftermarket parts is a nice touch for Levo owners who want the capability without buying a new bike.

Charlie Cunningham, born August 23, 1948, passed away at 78. His contributions to mountain biking span decades and stretch across some of the most fundamental parts of the sport as it exists today.

Among his work: pioneering aluminum frame construction, developing grease injection bearings that were later sold through Suntour and WTB, co-founding WTB, developing cam rim brakes, and contributing to Specialized’s Ground Control tire. He studied chemistry and engineering in his twenties, won a national mountain biking title in the veteran category at 36, and placed 10th at the 1984 NORBA championship in Colorado. He and his wife were inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in 1988.

In 2015, he suffered brain injuries following a bike crash and spent his final years in a care facility.

Our Take:

Charlie Cunningham’s fingerprints are on a lot of the equipment and ideas that mountain biking was built on. He wasn’t a household name to most casual riders, but the people who knew the history understood what he contributed. We’re grateful for what he gave the sport.

The CPSC issued a recall on June 4th covering 520 Gudook Adult Bike Helmets, model number KY-055. The affected helmets were sold in blue and white, size medium, fitting head circumferences between approximately 21.3 and 22.4 inches. They have red padding, black straps, a black and red buckle, and a black fit-adjusting knob at the back. Only helmets with batch number 202503 and a manufacture date of March 2025 are included. These numbers can be found on a printed label inside the helmet.

The helmets were sold on Amazon from May 2025 through February 2026 for around $23. They are being recalled for failing to meet certification and impact attenuation requirements, which can result in serious injury or death in a crash. No injuries have been reported.

As is standard for this type of recall, owners are advised to cut the straps, photograph the destroyed helmet, and discard it. Contact Gudook Outdoor Sports for a full refund by sending photos to [email protected].

Our Take:

A $23 helmet failing safety standards isn’t exactly a surprise, but it’s a good reminder that price alone isn’t a reason to skip vetting what’s protecting your head. If you bought one of these on Amazon in the last year, check the batch number.

Washington’s Senate Bill 6110 went into effect on June 11th. The law draws a clearer line between e-bikes and higher-powered electric vehicles, and it does so by adjusting the definition of what qualifies as an e-bike in the first place.

Washington’s 3-class system remains intact. Class 1 e-bikes offer pedal assist up to 20 mph, Class 2 bikes have throttles capped at 20 mph, and Class 3 bikes provide pedal assist up to 28 mph. Motor power is limited to 750W, all e-bikes must have operable pedals, and Class 3 bikes are required to have speedometers.

What’s new is what gets excluded. Vehicles that can exceed 20 mph on throttle alone no longer qualify as e-bikes under this law. Also excluded are vehicles “designed, manufactured, or intended by the manufacturer or seller to be easily configured in order not to meet the requirements of an electric-assisted bicycle,” which covers bikes with switches, apps, or settings menus that allow riders to push beyond legal limits.

The law also mandates a work group to study electric motorcycles and recommend future legislation. Its areas of study include how to define and classify them, whether registration and licensing should be required, whether driver education requirements are needed, and what penalties are appropriate for e-bike companies that misrepresent their products.

Our Take:

This is a law we’ve been expecting to see more states adopt. The line between an e-bike and an e-moto has gotten blurry, and Washington has now put its definition in writing. The language about bikes “easily configured” to exceed legal limits is particularly important. A lot of the bikes causing problems on trails and roads aren’t sold as e-motos; they’re sold as e-bikes with a convenient unlocking option. The real question now is enforcement. We’ll be curious to hear from Washington riders about what, if anything, changes on the ground.

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