I purchased a new Specialized Levo Comp in 2021 . No issues with the motor or battery. I have had to replace the rear derailleur cassette and chain a couple times .That's it . I love it . I am 72 years old . It allows me to go farther faster and more often
Me too! Comp -21. So fantastic bike! Passed 8000 km the other week. I have however got a destroyed trip when the rear derailleur broke on our first day and I did not have any replacement. But never because of the ”ebike system”. Not saying it couldn’t happen though…
This kind of stuff can happen. A lot of people get cracked frames on either kind of bike after one or two rides. That's why the warranty everything. You won't have a ton of issues once you get it settled. Enjoy... Wait till you do a big day out on one.
I have a 2021 Turbo Levo comp alloy. I had the same power cable short out after 22mons, 5500miles - fortunately under warranty and fixed within 2days. It’s now has over 7500 miles, over 145 charge cycles (still has 100% battery health) and other than 4 chains, 5 rear brake pad sets, rear brake rotor and a couple rear tires nothing else has broken or worn out. It’s an amazingly capable bike that still blows my mind in how well it climbs.
I've had my Orbea Rise e-MTB since new (2021) and it has been flawless, never had to bring it back to the shop where I bought it for anything other than some minor adjustments after a month or so of riding. I ride with a bunch of other e-MTBers , many also have the Orbea Rise, and no issues either. The only person that experienced any issues was with her 2023 Pivot Shuttle with the Fasua motor. She had to bring it back to the shop and they replaced the motor. That's the only person I know that had any issues.
I like that on days like today where Ive had a seizure every night 3 nights in a row, Im sore af can barely walk to the trash bin I can still ride a bike. Without the help of a motor not so much, I would be spending 5 days on the couch or bed recovering physically instead I can still get milk or bread at the store and go for a ride to destress and stretch. Never had an issue with mine, hopefully yours is fixed for good
I had a Levo SL for almost 4 years. It was very reliable. Bottom Bracket started to squeak a bit, so; they replaced the motor as they are integral. This was the only real negative I experienced. It was my only bike for the first 3 years. Went back to an analog bike after my knee healed. I will definitely get another E-MTB in a few years.
Long time ebike owner. Word of advice, run Shimano Linkglide. Otherwise prepare to spend a fortune on drivetrain parts. Keep a close eye on your chain stretch. Replace early and often.
A word of encouragement... I've been riding a Turbo Levo Pro since Oct '21. It's been a blast!! Been down to Santos, near my folks' place in Ocala, been up to Kingdom Trails in VT, most recently the Pisgah area, including Kanuga, along with countless weekly local group rides, up here in MD. I've experienced electronics related mishaps only twice in ~1700 miles of riding. Both were solved trail-side by unplugging and plugging back in the main battery (I'm going to chalk those fixes up to good luck). Road Upper & Lower heart break on my SB165... man I WISH I had could have taken the Levo on that one! You're in for a ton of smiles and miles with that Levo, enjoy!! Observations: A) Keep your RPMs up in the 80s... The Levo can pump out close to 600 watts of power, my drivetrains have only lasted about 800 miles, a pop before wearing out from the high power (great time to jump into AXS). B) The Float X2 on my Levo tended to develop a leak. Not sure if it was a function of the offset rear suspension setup. C) Ridewrap the frame. I wish I had done that! D) You might find that a full-fat eMTB like the Levo is often over-kill for group rides where the majority of folks are riding acoustic bikes. Unless the other riders are SUPER-FIT. E) My next eMTB will be a Heckler SL, due to really not needing so much assist for 95% of the group rides I've been on since '21.
I bought my first e-bike this past June. The power cut off 4 times during my first trail ride with the bike. I brought it to a shop. It was at the shop for a little over a month. The problem was the main cable from the motor to the battery, seems like something similar to your situation. The bike is working fine so far. Thankfully everything was covered by the warranty.
I have a Santa Cruz Heckler and i love it. I've been riding and racing traditional bikes for 25 years, but can't stop riding my ebike. Ive had it since December and have had zero issues with it.
2023 turbo levo comp alloy, after many hundreds of miles not one problem. Only issue is that if I had waited a month or so I could have paid about $1,500 less for it because Specialized realized that they "made too many". Oh well, enjoy your new bike, sounds like you have a great bike shop to take care of any issues.
Hey Clint, I purchased my first Haibike brand new March of 2020. It was a mid range bike retailing at $3600. Absolutely friggen loved it so much I sold it about 6 months later to get a higher end Haibike. Ended up getting a used 2019 Haibike XDuro NDuro 9.0 which retailed new at $5900 and bought it used with 600 miles on it for $3300. More travel, better components, etc. etc. The only issue I ever had was after arriving at my destination and unloaded the bike took off and something drastically had gone awry. Pedalling the power from the motor was sketchy, flickering off and on. Something major must have....who knows what? Loaded it back up, no ride for the 45 minute drive to the spot and the next day called the shop. Simple, simple, simple, luckily. Turns out must have bumped the magnet on the spoke out of position causing intermittent reading. Simply realigned it and never had a problem since. Mentioning this in case it ever happens to you. So, never, knock on wood, have had any issues with the Haibikes. Only other thing is I ran the original battery completely dry on the 2019 bike and ever since it won't charge back up to 100%. Apparently this is a no-no. After a few months it will only charge to about 65%. Kept my eyes open on Ebay and one evening someone had just listed a brand new replacement $1000 battery for half at $500 or best offer. I didn't even bother with offering less just bought it immediately. Now I have two batteries for that extra long ride. Purchased a special backpack that has a compartment to hold an extra battery. But I'm thinking its not the battery's fault but rather the guy I bought it from (Ebay) had two identical Haibikes and I'm thinking he may have switched out the batteries giving me the older, higher mileage battery. Just speculating. The battery only had about 2,000 miles on it when it started having charging problems. A buddy of mine has a Specialized Knevo with 6,000 miles on the original battery. Wow! Love my Ebike. All the best!
Nickel-Cadmium is the only battery technology that can (and should) be fully dischaged all the way down to 0% safely and without any adverse effects. All other rechargeable battery chemistries will suffer loss of capacity or even damage if dischaged below a certain level. Li-Ion can even become a fire hazard if dischaged too far.
I have a Gas Gas e bike and it has been awesome no issues yet. Also so many people say when battery is dead or other issues a downside of the E-bike. You do know that they can be still ridden like a regular bike just heavier.That shouldn’t be a problem with all the E-bike hater’s as they are all in such good shape haha
I ride an eBike because at 73 my Heart Disease requires longer duration (just 1--2 hours daily) low- level exercise, something I cannot abide on a machine. As a side benefit it allows me to ride at a faster pace reminding me of my fmy more sprightly rides in 1984 when I purchased one of the first StumpJumper bikes that was available. My current mid-engine turn-key eBike has performed flawlessly since 2016 and is very reliable. Nonetheless...I would love to replace my Haibike Fullnine with some of the newer technology. I think you will find your eBike will eat up the terrain flawlessly for years to come. Thanks for the video.
My Kenevo motor broke after 300ft (100 meters) 😂 Afrer the new motor, it's been great! Back brake is resonating slightly, and I might get a thicker caliber, but that is not a big problem. 10 days and 300 km (188 miles) done so far... I love the Kenevo
I have the same Specialized Turbo Levo Carbon, owned it for a year and over 1500 miles. It's been great and haven't had any problems. I used to build my own custom mountain bikes, but after turning 50yr old, it was time. The main reason was for the incline on mountains and very happy I bought it. Enjoy!
I bought a Levo and haven't had any issues. Raced a local series, which was a real learning experience due to the extra 25lbs. It does suck when going faster than 20 and pedaling feels like jello. I picked the Levo for the customization and options. Upgraded to T-type and it's even better. Oh and the new Silca chain waxing system! So little maintenance. Just keep the batteries charged and it's all good. It's highly recommended to make use of the 80% charge limit to extend the life of your battery.
Yeah, agree completely. The e-bike takes alot of yourself sufficiency away and puts you at the mercy of the bike. Most people may have no issues, but that uncertainty makes it a no-go for me.
I wish eBikes had been better in 2002 when I obtained my eBiike yet find in more recent years the better quality mid-motor ebIkes are amazing. I cannot wait to get one as nice as is Clints. See you on the trails, whatever you choose to ride.
It takes some of yourself sufficiency away and and that part sucks. On the other hand you can still pedal even with a dead motor and you have a warranty on a new bike so that takes a chunk of the risk out. That uncertainty how much higher is it than a non Ebike is the question?
10 years of e-biking my bike has never failed no matter how much of abuse it. It always just works. That’s a really silly reason not to want an E bike this guy just had bad luck.
Hi Clint, I have the carbon comp 3rd gen specialized turbo levo & have been riding it for over 2 yrs ! & No problems!! I Clean my drive chain after every ride ! & then re lube with a great muck off product that is made especially for E- bike, it's a spray( not a lube )having lubricant 's within the spray ! Obviously be light handed & always direct the spray away from the brake disc as not to contaminate ! (Something we all know ) I have used this product for over 2 yrs & it has been fantastic & one great plus !! Is that it's all weather so you don't have to go from dry to wet depending on conditions!!! & Other good tips ; go with a downhill casing for your tyres ; much more reliable & not prone to punctures & are made for the intended bike use ! & Finally on your TCU when you adjust your increments from 10% right up to 100% assistance so when you reverse this back down to 10% you can go beyond 10% to 0 % assistance & it still gives you assistance!!! Distance ;- I regularly get on long rides over 80 km & have enough in the tank to go over 100 km. All in all I love my turbo levo comp, it's amazing !! I have it serviced regularly & as I look after my drive train & cassette I am still on my Original cassette & Chain ; & I live in the borders of West & North Yorkshire ( 5 miles from the Yorkshire dales national park ). Hope that's useful for you going forward.
Spend a couple to a few days at Ride Kanuga on an ebike and your descending skills will improve. You can do so many laps in such a short timespan (battery permitting). I can ride up in a few minutes drop in and do it again.
I just moved to Greenville. E-bike laps at Kanuga are awesome. My skills improve every week I am there. And the climb doesn’t wear you out for the descent
Great review, definitely a good perspective on e bike vs mtn bike. I think for alot of us the simplicity of a bike is what makes it enjoyable, no motors or unreliable technology which we are inundated with in the rest of our lives
Same reason I didn't go electronic shifting, I went out of my way for mechanical. I actually can repair electronics, but not on the side of the road, and I don't have a team car following me around.
Hey Clint, I'm over a year and a half now riding my '22 Giant Trance X Adv. +0 5 days a week with zero problems other than the normal E bike drive train replacements. I get 500 miles out of a MTD E-12 chain and replace the cassette every other chain. I can recommend occasionally taking the battery out and cleaning the bike side contacts. I do mine every other month even though they look spotless. Happy E-Bike trails!
The wife bought an E-Caliber last fall. Loves the bike. It was a super deal as it was old stock. The battery or charger quit working after a couple weeks. The shop hooked up the system to the laptop top and it said "not charged. But we had charged it after each ride. The solution was a new battery and charger which was shipped out pretty fast. The thought from Fazua was that the battery sat uncharged too long. Then the creaks started but although I own many bike tools I was not able to pull the bb apart. Again the shop dealt with it quickly. It’s good that we can ride together now though. She has medical issues preventing her from going really hard. Post concussion syndrome. The negative for me is my inability to do slightly more than routine maintenance. I can build wheels, bleed brakes and overhaul suspension but electric stuff baffles me. I can see the day when a light lower power ebike might be something I want.
I still prefer conventional vs. an e-bike. I also take stairs vs elevators and escalators when possible. I run vs walking. I will look at an e-bike only when and if I am physically unable to ride a regular bike. Just do you.
I had a Turbo Levo in 2018 and my motor packed up after 5 years, I’ve now got the Vado 5.0 and Orbes Gain both packed up in the same week!!! Vado needed a new cable and Orbea the battery died after less than 3 years and £700 for a new battery 🤦♂️ they are great but you never no when they are not going to work
I have been thinking of an e-gravel bike, mainly because with age it gets tougher to complete the longer rides, that pedal assist would be appreciated.
Simple corner to fast slid out now a fractured shoulder blade . Fray mucles.. still off bike for 2 weeks now.. Derailleur at 100miles 203 mm rear disc n bleed job
If your e-bike has a breakdown you can still pedal it as a normal bicycle. In stead of buying an off the shelf e-bike you can consider a conversion kit to turn you bicycle into an e-bike. This is a great option as there are lots of aftermarket parts and help on forums to solve issues and repair your bike yourself. The parts are also cheap and available for many years so you won't be stuck with an e-bike for which you can no longer buy spares. You can also convert back to a normal bicycle at any time. I recommend Tongsheng TSDZ2 or Bafand BBS02 for good low cost options, but there are several manufacturers offering high quality e-bike conversion kits these days
It’s just not good enough, spending thousands and wiring harness issue, that ruins a trip. I bought my e-bike in November 2023 and already on its 3rd motor, the first motor went after mostly winter UK conditions 500miles, the second more lasted longer, went after 1400 miles of dry conditions, apart from one ride where I had to go through some shallow puddles, then the motor died. I honestly don’t think the tech is robust enough for anything where moisture can ingress the motor through the rubber grommet where the wiring enters the motor or where the crank arms connect. I’ve read hours of e-bike owner forums and watched a ton of TH-cam vids which indicates a lack of robustness of ebike technology. If you live in a dry climate and ride on smooth trails I think the bike motor will stand. Proper gnar and a bit of rain and puddles? Forget it unless you’re prepared for warranty returns and big bills when out of warranty.
Clint, Sorry for your issues. This may or may not be something with yours, especially if set in boxes for a long time. The connection contacts can be an issue, specifically the battery connections. I carry contact cleaner and di electric grease with me. I had an issue when I got new larger batteries. Bike wouldn't turn on. Swapped battery to friend bike and no problem. Then Swapped back and problem solved. Have randomly had an issue with bike not turning on. Sprayed with contact cleaner and good to go. The connections can be sensitive for some reason. Have had a couple friends with similar issues and the contact cleaner fixed theirs as well. I swap batteries almost every time we ride because we like the long fast rides. I have multiple bikes and plenty of spare batteries as well. BE PREPARED. Typical week is 3 rides totalling well over 100 miles and up to 15,000 ft elevation. At 65 years old. Made mountain biking doable and fun. If you get half as much fun as I have it will be a success. I ride YT decoys and has been great.
I purchased a 2022 Leftover Cannondale Moterra Neo 1 earlier this summer. Paid half the price of new and it came with a 1 year warranty. Thankfully for me all has been perfect (knocks on wood!) and I haven’t had any issues whatsoever. It has a Bosch motor and 300 display, and I love both. Very intuitive and like you said, the speed is amazing! I look forward to hills now, the gnarlier the better! I hope you get back on that Specialized and get to really enjoy it.
Trek Fuel EXe - no issues, but there are some gotchas I’m aware of - if not riding for a few months and putting it into storage - store with the battery at 60% - that will prolong the battery life (otherwise battery endurance will shorten)
Good info. Any other info on maintaining quality of battery if riding it regularly? Like I’ll ride it to maybe 30% then charge it completely, is that okay?
I can confirm that issue. I have several batteries for my Yamaha powered eBike and the latest one was purchased new on eBay. It arrived charged to 85%and I confirmed with the seller he was charging it occassionaly which is a common misperception. I did get the battery a used price so I am treating it as a really nice used battery. Luckily the battery has rebounded a bit after five full cycles of use yet it will never reach full capacity. My other Yamaha batteries are 6-8 years old and still going strong.
@@LEGENDofBEANY Never store a lithium-ion battery of any kind 100% fully charged. For that matter you should never fully charge a li-ion battery unless planning to use it right away (like within a few hours or less). Fully charging li-ion puts it under a kind of stress that will reduce it's capacity if kept in that state. The closer you can keep a li-ion battery to 50% (and away from heat), the longer it will last.
@@LEGENDofBEANY Yes. If you can just charge the battery to 80% and still successfully complete your ride that would be even better. Also avoid draining the battery down below 20%. The idea is to avoid the extremes at either end of a charge cycle. Too low, and too high, both put a strain on any li-ion battery which is basically additional wear and tear on the battery that can be avoided. That's not to say you can't fully charge it up to 100% and run it down below 20% once in a blue moon if the situation requires it, but don't make it a regular thing. Think about it like this: If you own a muscle car and do a burnout once in a great while, you probably won't see any noticable damage or adverse effects to the car. But if every single time you get beind the wheel you are doing burnouts then you can expect the tire life to be significantly reduced at the very least, if not lots of additional stress and wear & tear placed on the engine, transmission, & driveline, which could lead to premature problems. Also avoid exposing a li-ion battery to heat as much as possible. For example don't leave your ebike parked in direct sunlight on a hot summer day, or loaded into the back of a fully enclosed van parked on a hot summer day. Excessive and prolonged exposure to heat will kill a li-ion battery faster than anything (it causes it to age more rapidly). And NEVER charge a warm or hot li-ion battery!!! Always let it cool to ambient temp first! Cheers
This video is timed perfectly! Last weekend, my nephew came in from Chicago to ride Southern Indiana with me. First ride on the bike… Literally assembled it at the Campground from the box and charged it. 2023 Orbea Rise carbon. Wouldn’t turn on. Fussed with it for four or five hours, called some shops and everything. Bad wiring harness. Probably came disconnected from the battery inside of the downtube. At this exact moment, it’s currently in the shop and I’m hoping to have it out in a few days. Hesitated on the whole e-bike thing and then my suspicions immediately were confirmed that when they’re great, they’re great. But when they break, it sucks. At this point, I have a $6-7000 bike sitting in the shop with no clear date on when I will be able to ride it. Here’s to hoping. For now, still on my acoustic bike.
Sorry to hear about your bad luck. I’ve had experience with a few different ebikes over the years including a Norco Range VLT, 2020 (shimano motor), a 2023 specialized kenevo (Brose motor), and Scott Lumen (TQ motor). No big issues or failures with any of those. I’ve had the odd error code on the lumen but goes away after a restart. The Range is still going strong 4 years later, a friend has it now.
I've had a Turbo Levo Comp about 18 months ago now and no issues at all. Glad you got yours up and running again Clint! I agree that you should always have a regular bike too just because it's a tool and it's great for certain things and not as good as a regular bike for others .i.e. if I only have time for a short ride the regular mountain bike is the better tool as I can a better workout in a shorter period of time.
I have a few e-bikes now. Mine are treks. They all perform well. We bought the first ones as an alternative to towing a car behind our motor home. That still serves us well. I also have an eMBT so I can go on trails. Never had any issues with any of them. Well except regular bike stuff, adjust this and that, replace this for a better one and so on. At my age I need the extra help and enjoy riding them. I still have a regular bike but don’t use it near as often. Good luck, hopefully your issues are solved. I do think it’s a good idea to buy them from places that can service them. Some of my friends have no name bikes and it can be hard to source even common parts like brake pads.
I take care of my car. I take care of my motorcycles. I take care of my house. I take care of my ebike. No biggie. Yes, there is more to go wrong but there is more to go right, like longer rides with less body stress, more laps and increased years of riding (I am 71, I figure the ebike will get me into my '80s). I still ride my mtb but less often than the ebike. 30 miles of trail riding on the ebike and I am tired. 20 miles on the mtb and I am toast. For a couple of days. I live in western Montana. Every ride has a serious climb involved. Clint mentioned people ride ebikes because they are faster. I find the opposite is true. My ebike motor tops out at 20 mph. I am faster on average on the flat when on my mtb. Downhill I am much faster on the mtb. Uphill the emtb wins. I think on a roller coaster open trail the emtb would be faster.
2.5 years on Levo SL and have only had one we'll say electrical problem with the walk mode not working in Turbo. Shop tried to fix it but did not. I will say however that I burned out a rear hub in a little over a year that was warrantied other than the labor to build another wheel, and I have gone through 2 chains and a cluster. Keep your eyes on your chains.
I've got over 3k miles on my Levo and only a few times I've gotten some dirt around the battery plug to the motor. As good as that double seal is, it's good preventive maintenance to blow any dirt or dust or especially moisture out now and then. Otherwise I have never had any maintenance issues with the e-bike beyond my regular mountain bikes over the past two years. The other tip I'd offer is to avoid water crossings or riding in the rain. I plan to own mine for many years to come and moisture can eventually lead to corrosion.
2021 turbo levo , 20000k and no issues that I haven't had on a non e-bike .you get through parts due to the power but proper maintenance keeps it under control. I keep every spare I can at home so I don't need to order or wait when things break. Tyres, complete drive train, brake pads ,rear hub, rear derailer, none of which are that expensive when you buy them online ahead of time.
Clint, thank you for the many year of content. I’m a fan! I only ride my Levo in Ellijay and Bull. 1500 miles and 51 charge cycles. No issues so far. I have spend a lot of money on chains and cassettes which ended in me installing XT Linkglide Cues. 11 speed. It wears like iron! 11 speed suits the Levo. Best upgrade. Mine has a 38 at 170 and an x2 with cascade link. Cushcore, downhill casings, and 160 crank arms. Highly recommend all. The App. That’s where it’s at. If you’re like me you will end up tuning the app for 35-40% and 20% ease. You will put in effort and it will fell like your best day pedaling. Imagine 3 laps of Bull - Bare Hare. Ever run Pinhoti 1 opposite direction? It slaps!
I have a gen 3 LEVO comp and the motor was bad right out of the box, it was replaced quickly and has been great for the past year and a half… Recently the motor has been overrunning, mostly in TURBO and Im assuming I’ll have to replace the motor before the 2 year warranty runs up?… This is my third Specialized E bike and each one has had the motor replaced once and I’m hoping my current bike will be trouble free for a long time, It’s the most confident inspiring BIKE I’ve ever ridden and I built up a Specialized EVO alloy MTB to compliment my E, The adjustable geometry is priceless and should be available on every bike as far as I’m concerned.
I've put about 2k miles on mine and the only real problems I've had are having to change the tires because of the treads getting worn, or a tube because of a flat from going over staples that were on the side of the road for some reason. My brake pads are getting worn down now, too. The tire and tube I was able to change myself. I don't know if I can do the brake pads. But, other than that in 2k miles it's been a really positive experience so far. Definitely enjoying it
You can just sense the floodgates are about to open at DuPont and [parts of] Pisgah with eBikes if the USFS ban is lifted... They've become such zoos on weekends over the last 20 years. That feeling of escapism is never coming back.
That is just an awful experience for the first time. I ride a 2022 Rocky Mountain Altitude powerplay. I have never had any issues. I love this BEAST of a bike. Hopefully, your experience changes with time
Hey Clint, I own a 2022 Turbo Levo Alloy comp and it has been amazing. No wiring harness problems (knock wood) but I did figure out after the first time it didn't power up it was because I didn't re-connect the harness from battery to motor properly. So now I know to always turn it on after charging to be sure the connection is correct. The other small issue is I had the door to the power port replaced because I broke the original one off, accidently. Outside of regular maintenance this has been fun, trouble free bike.
Love my Cube eBike. No issues at all. Well, the bike is made in Germany with the Bosch motor and electronics made in Germany. I think you just had a very random issue, especially for such a high end bike. However, I met 3 guys who bought their Norco ebikes with Shimano motors, and within just a few months all 3 had their bikes in the shop for motor repairs. Bosch have been manufacturing engines, mechanical and electronic components for decades. Shimano and the others are all new to this. So I wonder if that is a factor when it comes to reliability issues.
I have have had 5 e-bikes in the past 6 years the first 2 years specialized nothing but problems then I got an sl no problems what so ever But now I own 2 cubes with Bosch in the past 2 years I have only been in for maintenance 2 times they are just getting better and more reliable. Cheers
Worry about my Levo SL v2 having issues, but it has been 100% reliable over a year, never a issue, trust it like a analog bike at this point, big plus with Specialized is how good the dealer network is. E-bike definitely makes San felsaco Fast and fun :). Wish you could take one in Pisgah, I ride mine at Fire Mountain in Cherokee and its perfect!
Thanks for sharing. I've got a Rungu Rugged and it has been a game changer for getting around in steep Appalachian wilderness. It is not an e Mt. Bike but sure gets around these tough hills. Still learning and experimenting and posting videos. Minimal maintenance required.
The reality is that some people are going to have trouble with there ebike even with good quality brands. The numbers are low with good bikes but, if you take a sample of 100 bikes there is going to be some with a problem weather it's a small one or a big one. In the future I think it will be easier to get parts and service them for your self should you choose to. Some of this is already happening.
I have an ebike that had electrical problems just like yours. Because the bike was less than a year old the dealer replaced the wiring harness with no questions or hesitation. This did take a couple of days but like you I have a couple of other bikes in my garage that I ride all the time on road and gravel so no problem.
I bought a Transition Repeater e-mbt about two summers ago for the them days when I'm out and about and have no one to shuttle with. I was in the middle of my ride, and in the middle of nowhere, man's land deep in the woods all alone, and my bike started to beep and the motor shut off on me. I got it to finally turn back on, but the next it was done. Wouldn't turn back on because of a torque sensor failure. That happened with 340 miles on the motor. Well, thank God it was still under warranty, so shimano shipped me a brand new ep8 motor, and within two days, the bike shop had it installed and me back on the trail. I have over 900 miles on that motor now, and it's still running fine. I also ride a Santa Cruz Megatower when I'm shuttling around the PNW wilderness with my mates. When I'm on mountain bike vacation road trips, I take them both with me.
I have had a 2020 Levo SL for over 3 years now and apart from a precautionary replacement of the motor sprag bearing (at 10,000km) I haven’t had a single Ebike related issue. It has over 13,000km on it now and still going strong. I certainly agree with you about buying your Ebike from a local reputable dealer as there’s things that you can’t fix yourself along with software updates that only the dealer can do. I still have my short travel Stumpjumper as my regular bike and love that bike too, it’s just for a different kind of ride compared to what I do on my Levo SL.
I have a Trek Allant 8+ (Wife), Trek Fuel ExE (Daughter), Scott Strike - me. Allant had a speed sensor disconnected once. No real problems, but any sort of upgrade like a different controller, a light or extended battery requires a certified shop because the motors need to phone home for features to be activated. Very much not self doable.
My current bike, 2023 Giant Trance Advanced Pro 29 2 has been to the shop 3 times for a creaking noise. The first time they serviced the bottom bracket, still creaked. The second time Im not sure what they did, regreased the pedals and put washers on them, charged me $20 dollars for that. The 3rd time I found the source of the creaking and it was the hub, they replaced the bearings and has been good ever since. Funny I told them the first time it could be the hub but they went ahead and stripped down the bottom bracket anyways and put washers on the type of pedals they dont need them and charged me $20. Also forgot but my new Fox factory fork came with a bad rebound knob out of the box that I had to send to Fox.
I learned the hard way with specialized--3 motors and then when the third one showed signs of failure i lost all confidence. I have a pivot shuttle LT and trek rail with shimano and bosch motors , both are faultless
My first e-bike was a 2019 Kenevo. Blue toothed a hack to derestrict it for free. It worked flawlessly for nearly three years, and sold if good bucks. Now I’ve got 3rd gen Levo for two years and IT has been perfect. But had to purchase a pig tail to derestrict it.
Sorry that happened! I have my Ebike and no issues yet. Only had it about 9 months. I'm in Florida. It is so much fun to ride, I have to force myself to take the pedal bike out once in a while. I'm pretty sure I will have a problem eventually. For now it has been way better than I expected it to be.
My eMTB has been pretty rock solid since the beginning. I did a mechanical shifting to Shimano Di2 conversion which requires you to go to a shop because the motor is locked down from the factory to either mechanical shifting, or electronic, and a home user cannot access that setting. Annoying as I'm someone who does all my own maintenance but I guess I get Shimano doesn't want regular joes like me messing with their motor config. In contrast, my buddy got an eMTB (Canyon Spectral:ON, just like mine) and its been less than ideal for him. Your story reminds me a lot of his experience. His bike is under a year old and constantly just shuts off during rides. The local bike shop isn't being all that helpful in doing the warranty work, and Shimano requires you to interface with them through a local Shimano service dealer. This isn't something he can troubleshoot on his own directly with Shimano, even if he forks out $250 for the ridiculously expensive Shimano diagnostic USB device. So he's got a $5000 bike that he hasn't been able to ride for a good chunk of the summer riding season because it's got issues that only a shop can fix. The shop has 1 person able to work on Shimano motors, and every time they try a potential fix he has to pick it up -> ride the bike -> experiences the same issue -> bring the bike back -> wait until they can get to looking at it again -> repeat.
Got an ebike this year. No problems with it so far. Still enjoying my regular bikes and ebike. The ebike does make the uphills on the trail way more enjoyable though as you can ride them like it's on the flat.
Dirt or moisture on the mating surface of the power plug will cause the bike to not turn on. I also recommend upgrading your drivetrain to the Transmission.
All kidding aside, eventually something will go wrong with the motor. But in my opinion, the advantages weigh out the disadvantages. And I do have analogs that I ride 70% of the time.
Yes, an electric bike breaks down much more often than an analog bike. And its maintenance is also an order of magnitude more expensive. I have a Shimano EP8 engine, in two years I gave it for repair 3 times and now it is also in repair. The last two weeks I rode an electric bike with a broken engine (I have a removable battery and without it it is a regular enduro bike weighing 17.5 kg) and I liked to press the pedals again like on a regular bike. My opinion is divided 50/50 at the moment, I do not want to give up the electric bike, but there are enough negative aspects regarding its reliability.
I have a specialized creo carbon comp for over a year now and have had no issues. I've done gravel, some single track and lots of road riding with it. I do have a second set of wheels i use for gravel.
I own a 2021 Turbo Kenevo, 1500ish miles currently. I love this bike and frankly have no desire to ever ride a regular bike again. Being able to ride further at a higher speed is more fun, still sweating up a storm, just having more fun doing it. I don't need any excuse to own one, simply more enjoyable.
relatable content for me on this one. purchased 2 Fezzari Wire Peak (1 comp build, 1 elite build with some factory upgrades). had an issue on the 3rd ride with the comp, riding Chuck Lennon and lost all power after about 40 minutes of riding. the pedal back in the July heat was a bit of a work out. Fezzari got the issued fixed up no problems since. the continues speed difference along with lack of aerobic fatigue is awesome. normally i'm one and done at Graham Swamp especially during the summer but did 3 1/2 with no stops only left because of lack of daylight. also enjoy charging throughout the entire ride wherever it may be. i have wondered about maintenance as well as the possibility of a lot more drivetrain parts but I'll have to see how it goes over time. one unexpected perk is my entry level xc bike at 28lbs feels like a feather.
Rode a few before I bought and ended up with the good ol giant trance and can’t believe the fun factor. Also have not had any issues. But found out you have to bring it inside to charge in the winter. Charges better in warmer temperatures.
Not a lemon at all. Just had bad parts. I am unsure how much testing a new bike gets before boxing. Probably very little. It is good to hear of a bike shop that puts the customer first. I have not had that good of luck with new Cane Creek parts through Cambria. I am buying local whenever possible in the future.
I had a city type ebike, I never had any problems with it, but that's one of the main reasons I ended up selling it. As I wasn't riding it that much I was always afraid that it would stop working or the battery would degrade.
I can't speak of Specialized bike ownership. I have two Bosch powered e-bikes and both have never had any problems at all with the motor or harness. The most common e-bike issues will be cassette and chain replacements. That can be somewhat reduced with proper chain maintenance performed more often than traditional bikes. The other issue is that the battery will not last for ever. However, after 5000 miles, my battery has had very modest loss of any riding distance per charge. For me the amount of fun, far out weighs the extra cost of maintenance.
My turbo levo is a year old and ive put 5000km on it. It spazzed out once for 30 seconds when it couldnt sense the magnet (covered in clay) otherwise faultless. But dont leave the bike shop without a spoke key and torque wrench also the fox minor/major service intervals come round real quick because you’ll be riding so much more
My comp carbon has been totally reliable for the last four years and love it, yours was just a glitch, will be fine going forward. You will find slightly accelerated wear of chain ring , cassette and chains ooh and brake pads😂
I got Canyon Torque ON 7 mullet last year and I love it, I’ve taken it on epic Colorado rides 34ish miles on the Palisades Plunge, Monarch Crest to name a few and I’m heading back to Kanuga this year to ride the e-bike there for the first time. I would have been totally bummed if it broke down first thing but I hate to say it that’s life. I brought my e-bike to a bike shop this year and they did the pro tune, trued the wheels, suspension, brakes and this wasn’t a e-bike shop but I haven’t had any problems, knock on wood. If your shop fixed it that’s awesome, try to shake the bummer off and ride!
I don't want an ebike, never thought you'd get one, but i get it. I don't like how they look, how heavy they are, and that there is a chance of something going wrong. I was on the fence about getting the new transmission for my new race bike. When I saw how heavy it was, i decided to go with mechanical XX1 Eagle. I've never had big issues with mechanism drivetrains. I have had three of my friends have issues when their AXS and transmission. Maybe cause they didn't familiarize themselves with em, but they did have issues which made our rides so briefly or one friend actually had to abort the ride. Next time you're up here try hitting me up. I'd love to ride some Dupont with ya or maybe something you haven't ridden.
I have owned a E bike since 2018 and never been broke down. However this is why I always recommend to buy them from a local bike shop. I have had my levo apart to swap brakes and it's tight in there. Your " might" of had a wire pinched in the top of the motor are when assembled. Did you record any metrics while riding aggressive ? HR.output, etc.
I purchased a Trek e caliber and it has been excellent! The only issue I have has is the main rear suspension pivot bolt backed out . However it didn’t fall out . My Trek shop replaced it with a new one .
I have a pivot gravel ebike and love it. As an ebike i choose it because the fazua50 battery and motor was removable. Replacing it with a downcover makes it anologue with no resistance. I technically have the 2 bikes in one. Sadly fazua60 does not have a removable motor. The engine is also in mtb but i get that its probably not in many local stores.
Anything with electronics can/will have issues. Poor QC. I've bought a 85k motorhome that was in the shop for half the warranty period. My first Emtb had a loose wire connection from the display and Bosch had to replace. The display on my Trek fuel exe has issues at the start also.
I've had a YT Decoy with Shimano EP8 for over a year and have never had an electronic issue in 2,000 miles. That is not the case for my two year old Rockshox Flight Attendant system... first year required three full replacements but has since been fine.
I have had a Levo SL Comp Carbon for nearly 4 years. It is a great first E-MTB. Carry a spare flat battery for the TCU and learn how to replace it from your shop. They last about 2 years. If it fails, the bike will not start. I replaced the following on the bike to increase its performance on the trail: Lyrik fork, Roxshox super deluxe shock, DT carbon wheels, XT brakes with 203mm rotors front and rear, SRAM AXS GX transmission. One of the SRAM brakes failed on a steep descent here in the Swiss Alps, so I got rid of it. I found the NX transmission to be junk: heavy, and the chain rusted quickly after just washing it. I replaced my Levo SL with the new Orbea Rise 2 months ago because it is much better to the steep riding I do here in Switzerland, but I still love the Levo SL. By the way, I find the gen 1 Levo SL to be much better than the newer Gen 2: the Gen 2's more powerful motor eats too much juice fron the battery, reducing the range.
@@ClintGibbs I have the first version without the data screen. I wasn't aware that the later versions are fed by the bike battery. Never heard that before. You don't need the data screen on the TCU, anyway. I turned the display off in the app. My Garmins give me all the information you need. The Spec. TCU broadcast ANT+. I have fields for percentage of bike battery left and mode (eco, trail and boost listed as 1,2, and 3) on the main page of my 840. I do not like to have to look down at the top tube when I ride....need to concentrate on the trail. My experience is that the TCU is one of the weaker links of the bike. My wife and I each have Levo SL's and Creos. We have had to replace the TCU about 2-3 times over the 4 years we have been using bikes with the SL 1.1 motor. In the ebike world, that is not bad at all. But: I ride almost every single day of the year and at least 1000 vertical meters every day if I can. I even ride in our Swiss winters, which means that the bikes get a lot of wear and tear.I tried a new Heckler SL out for a week when my dealer lent one. I discovered that owners were replacing the motor every few montha. Found out that the Fazua Ride 60 is not waterproof, only water resistant. My dealer told me that he always keeps 3 spare motors on the shelf for customers. Great bike other that the motor but bad news for me. Whenever I am interested in a new bike, I join the FB owners group for that bike first. You can get a lot of information and help that the dealers either do not know or won't tell you. By the way, I have been enjoying your videos for years. You are clearly who you are in the videos, don't try to be someone you are not. You helped me years ago with the flip chip on the Levo SL. I used for video for the Stumpjumper to be able to switch mine on the Levo SL. Thanks for doing these videos.
I have got a Giant Revolt e+ gravel bike. Some times after a coffee stop.The bike does not turn on.Il have to unplug the battery.After plugin back in it starts up again.I cycled a lot, but then i got major hart churgery and thats when i was so happy that there are ebikes to assist me uphill.
Was talking to a fellow MTBr on the single track. He was a fireman. He said e-bikers end up going further out and get stuck for mostly dead batteries and need rescue. E bikes are too heavy to pedal back home. No thanks on the e bike for me.
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I purchased a new Specialized Levo Comp in 2021 . No issues with the motor or battery. I have had to replace the rear derailleur cassette and chain a couple times .That's it . I love it . I am 72 years old . It allows me to go farther faster and more often
Me too! Comp -21. So fantastic bike! Passed 8000 km the other week. I have however got a destroyed trip when the rear derailleur broke on our first day and I did not have any replacement. But never because of the ”ebike system”. Not saying it couldn’t happen though…
This kind of stuff can happen. A lot of people get cracked frames on either kind of bike after one or two rides. That's why the warranty everything. You won't have a ton of issues once you get it settled. Enjoy... Wait till you do a big day out on one.
I have a 2021 Turbo Levo comp alloy. I had the same power cable short out after 22mons, 5500miles - fortunately under warranty and fixed within 2days. It’s now has over 7500 miles, over 145 charge cycles (still has 100% battery health) and other than 4 chains, 5 rear brake pad sets, rear brake rotor and a couple rear tires nothing else has broken or worn out. It’s an amazingly capable bike that still blows my mind in how well it climbs.
I've had my Orbea Rise e-MTB since new (2021) and it has been flawless, never had to bring it back to the shop where I bought it for anything other than some minor adjustments after a month or so of riding. I ride with a bunch of other e-MTBers , many also have the Orbea Rise, and no issues either. The only person that experienced any issues was with her 2023 Pivot Shuttle with the Fasua motor. She had to bring it back to the shop and they replaced the motor. That's the only person I know that had any issues.
I like that on days like today where Ive had a seizure every night 3 nights in a row, Im sore af can barely walk to the trash bin I can still ride a bike. Without the help of a motor not so much, I would be spending 5 days on the couch or bed recovering physically instead I can still get milk or bread at the store and go for a ride to destress and stretch. Never had an issue with mine, hopefully yours is fixed for good
I had a Levo SL for almost 4 years. It was very reliable. Bottom Bracket started to squeak a bit, so; they replaced the motor as they are integral. This was the only real negative I experienced. It was my only bike for the first 3 years. Went back to an analog bike after my knee healed. I will definitely get another E-MTB in a few years.
Long time ebike owner. Word of advice, run Shimano Linkglide. Otherwise prepare to spend a fortune on drivetrain parts. Keep a close eye on your chain stretch. Replace early and often.
This is the way
A word of encouragement... I've been riding a Turbo Levo Pro since Oct '21. It's been a blast!! Been down to Santos, near my folks' place in Ocala, been up to Kingdom Trails in VT, most recently the Pisgah area, including Kanuga, along with countless weekly local group rides, up here in MD. I've experienced electronics related mishaps only twice in ~1700 miles of riding. Both were solved trail-side by unplugging and plugging back in the main battery (I'm going to chalk those fixes up to good luck). Road Upper & Lower heart break on my SB165... man I WISH I had could have taken the Levo on that one! You're in for a ton of smiles and miles with that Levo, enjoy!! Observations: A) Keep your RPMs up in the 80s... The Levo can pump out close to 600 watts of power, my drivetrains have only lasted about 800 miles, a pop before wearing out from the high power (great time to jump into AXS). B) The Float X2 on my Levo tended to develop a leak. Not sure if it was a function of the offset rear suspension setup. C) Ridewrap the frame. I wish I had done that! D) You might find that a full-fat eMTB like the Levo is often over-kill for group rides where the majority of folks are riding acoustic bikes. Unless the other riders are SUPER-FIT. E) My next eMTB will be a Heckler SL, due to really not needing so much assist for 95% of the group rides I've been on since '21.
I bought my first e-bike this past June. The power cut off 4 times during my first trail ride with the bike. I brought it to a shop. It was at the shop for a little over a month. The problem was the main cable from the motor to the battery, seems like something similar to your situation. The bike is working fine so far. Thankfully everything was covered by the warranty.
I have a Santa Cruz Heckler and i love it. I've been riding and racing traditional bikes for 25 years, but can't stop riding my ebike. Ive had it since December and have had zero issues with it.
2023 turbo levo comp alloy, after many hundreds of miles not one problem. Only issue is that if I had waited a month or so I could have paid about $1,500 less for it because Specialized realized that they "made too many". Oh well, enjoy your new bike, sounds like you have a great bike shop to take care of any issues.
Hey Clint,
I purchased my first Haibike brand new March of 2020. It was a mid range bike retailing at $3600. Absolutely friggen loved it so much I sold it about 6 months later to get a higher end Haibike. Ended up getting a used 2019 Haibike XDuro NDuro 9.0 which retailed new at $5900 and bought it used with 600 miles on it for $3300. More travel, better components, etc. etc.
The only issue I ever had was after arriving at my destination and unloaded the bike took off and something drastically had gone awry. Pedalling the power from the motor was sketchy, flickering off and on. Something major must have....who knows what?
Loaded it back up, no ride for the 45 minute drive to the spot and the next day called the shop. Simple, simple, simple, luckily.
Turns out must have bumped the magnet on the spoke out of position causing intermittent reading. Simply realigned it and never had a problem since.
Mentioning this in case it ever happens to you.
So, never, knock on wood, have had any issues with the Haibikes. Only other thing is I ran the original battery completely dry on the 2019 bike and ever since it won't charge back up to 100%. Apparently this is a no-no. After a few months it will only charge to about 65%. Kept my eyes open on Ebay and one evening someone had just listed a brand new replacement $1000 battery for half at $500 or best offer. I didn't even bother with offering less just bought it immediately. Now I have two batteries for that extra long ride. Purchased a special backpack that has a compartment to hold an extra battery.
But I'm thinking its not the battery's fault but rather the guy I bought it from (Ebay) had two identical Haibikes and I'm thinking he may have switched out the batteries giving me the older, higher mileage battery. Just speculating. The battery only had about 2,000 miles on it when it started having charging problems.
A buddy of mine has a Specialized Knevo with 6,000 miles on the original battery. Wow!
Love my Ebike.
All the best!
Nickel-Cadmium is the only battery technology that can (and should) be fully dischaged all the way down to 0% safely and without any adverse effects. All other rechargeable battery chemistries will suffer loss of capacity or even damage if dischaged below a certain level. Li-Ion can even become a fire hazard if dischaged too far.
I have a Gas Gas e bike and it has been awesome no issues yet. Also so many people say when battery is dead or other issues a downside of the E-bike. You do know that they can be still ridden like a regular bike just heavier.That shouldn’t be a problem with all the E-bike hater’s as they are all in such good shape haha
I ride an eBike because at 73 my Heart Disease requires longer duration (just 1--2 hours daily) low- level exercise, something I cannot abide on a machine. As a side benefit it allows me to ride at a faster pace reminding me of my fmy more sprightly rides in 1984 when I purchased one of the first StumpJumper bikes that was available. My current mid-engine turn-key eBike has performed flawlessly since 2016 and is very reliable. Nonetheless...I would love to replace my Haibike Fullnine with some of the newer technology. I think you will find your eBike will eat up the terrain flawlessly for years to come. Thanks for the video.
My Kenevo motor broke after 300ft (100 meters) 😂 Afrer the new motor, it's been great! Back brake is resonating slightly, and I might get a thicker caliber, but that is not a big problem. 10 days and 300 km (188 miles) done so far... I love the Kenevo
Kenevo is an awesome bike 👍
I have the same Specialized Turbo Levo Carbon, owned it for a year and over 1500 miles. It's been great and haven't had any problems. I used to build my own custom mountain bikes, but after turning 50yr old, it was time. The main reason was for the incline on mountains and very happy I bought it. Enjoy!
I bought a Levo and haven't had any issues. Raced a local series, which was a real learning experience due to the extra 25lbs. It does suck when going faster than 20 and pedaling feels like jello. I picked the Levo for the customization and options.
Upgraded to T-type and it's even better. Oh and the new Silca chain waxing system! So little maintenance.
Just keep the batteries charged and it's all good. It's highly recommended to make use of the 80% charge limit to extend the life of your battery.
Yeah, agree completely. The e-bike takes alot of yourself sufficiency away and puts you at the mercy of the bike. Most people may have no issues, but that uncertainty makes it a no-go for me.
I wish eBikes had been better in 2002 when I obtained my eBiike yet find in more recent years the better quality mid-motor ebIkes are amazing. I cannot wait to get one as nice as is Clints. See you on the trails, whatever you choose to ride.
It takes some of yourself sufficiency away and and that part sucks. On the other hand you can still pedal even with a dead motor and you have a warranty on a new bike so that takes a chunk of the risk out. That uncertainty how much higher is it than a non Ebike is the question?
10 years of e-biking my bike has never failed no matter how much of abuse it. It always just works. That’s a really silly reason not to want an E bike this guy just had bad luck.
Was it 22 Levi’s that had a LOT more warranty issues than the new ones? Get a reliable e-bike and you just don’t get these kinds of issues.
Just got my e-bike and loving it. It’s a Cannondale Moterro Neo 4
Hi Clint, I have the carbon comp 3rd gen specialized turbo levo & have been riding it for over 2 yrs ! & No problems!! I Clean my drive chain after every ride ! & then re lube with a great muck off product that is made especially for E- bike, it's a spray( not a lube )having lubricant 's within the spray ! Obviously be light handed & always direct the spray away from the brake disc as not to contaminate ! (Something we all know ) I have used this product for over 2 yrs & it has been fantastic & one great plus !! Is that it's all weather so you don't have to go from dry to wet depending on conditions!!! & Other good tips ; go with a downhill casing for your tyres ; much more reliable & not prone to punctures & are made for the intended bike use ! & Finally on your TCU when you adjust your increments from 10% right up to 100% assistance so when you reverse this back down to 10% you can go beyond 10% to 0 % assistance & it still gives you assistance!!!
Distance ;- I regularly get on long rides over 80 km & have enough in the tank to go over 100 km. All in all I love my turbo levo comp, it's amazing !! I have it serviced regularly & as I look after my drive train & cassette I am still on my Original cassette & Chain ; & I live in the borders of West & North Yorkshire ( 5 miles from the Yorkshire dales national park ). Hope that's useful for you going forward.
Spend a couple to a few days at Ride Kanuga on an ebike and your descending skills will improve. You can do so many laps in such a short timespan (battery permitting). I can ride up in a few minutes drop in and do it again.
Headed there next week!
I just moved to Greenville. E-bike laps at Kanuga are awesome. My skills improve every week I am there. And the climb doesn’t wear you out for the descent
Hi , are e-bikes allowed on Kanuga ? We are heading there on October
@@williamramos-munoz542 Yes. And encouraged. Long climb without one.
@@thighsofjustice thanks, any others parks that allow e-bikes around Kanuga area, I have no problem driving around. Tia
Taking something as simple as a bike and over complicating it with electricity until it becomes entirely useless ... is so what we do.
Great review, definitely a good perspective on e bike vs mtn bike. I think for alot of us the simplicity of a bike is what makes it enjoyable, no motors or unreliable technology which we are inundated with in the rest of our lives
Same reason I didn't go electronic shifting, I went out of my way for mechanical. I actually can repair electronics, but not on the side of the road, and I don't have a team car following me around.
Hey Clint, I'm over a year and a half now riding my '22 Giant Trance X Adv. +0 5 days a week with zero problems other than the normal E bike drive train replacements. I get 500 miles out of a MTD E-12 chain and replace the cassette every other chain. I can recommend occasionally taking the battery out and cleaning the bike side contacts. I do mine every other month even though they look spotless. Happy E-Bike trails!
The wife bought an E-Caliber last fall. Loves the bike. It was a super deal as it was old stock. The battery or charger quit working after a couple weeks. The shop hooked up the system to the laptop top and it said "not charged. But we had charged it after each ride. The solution was a new battery and charger which was shipped out pretty fast. The thought from Fazua was that the battery sat uncharged too long. Then the creaks started but although I own many bike tools I was not able to pull the bb apart. Again the shop dealt with it quickly. It’s good that we can ride together now though. She has medical issues preventing her from going really hard. Post concussion syndrome. The negative for me is my inability to do slightly more than routine maintenance. I can build wheels, bleed brakes and overhaul suspension but electric stuff baffles me. I can see the day when a light lower power ebike might be something I want.
I still prefer conventional vs. an e-bike. I also take stairs vs elevators and escalators when possible. I run vs walking.
I will look at an e-bike only when and if I am physically unable to ride a regular bike. Just do you.
I had a Turbo Levo in 2018 and my motor packed up after 5 years, I’ve now got the Vado 5.0 and Orbes Gain both packed up in the same week!!! Vado needed a new cable and Orbea the battery died after less than 3 years and £700 for a new battery 🤦♂️ they are great but you never no when they are not going to work
I have been thinking of an e-gravel bike, mainly because with age it gets tougher to complete the longer rides, that pedal assist would be appreciated.
Simple corner to fast slid out now a fractured shoulder blade . Fray mucles.. still off bike for 2 weeks now..
Derailleur at 100miles
203 mm rear disc n bleed job
If your e-bike has a breakdown you can still pedal it as a normal bicycle. In stead of buying an off the shelf e-bike you can consider a conversion kit to turn you bicycle into an e-bike. This is a great option as there are lots of aftermarket parts and help on forums to solve issues and repair your bike yourself. The parts are also cheap and available for many years so you won't be stuck with an e-bike for which you can no longer buy spares. You can also convert back to a normal bicycle at any time. I recommend Tongsheng TSDZ2 or Bafand BBS02 for good low cost options, but there are several manufacturers offering high quality e-bike conversion kits these days
It’s just not good enough, spending thousands and wiring harness issue, that ruins a trip. I bought my e-bike in November 2023 and already on its 3rd motor, the first motor went after mostly winter UK conditions 500miles, the second more lasted longer, went after 1400 miles of dry conditions, apart from one ride where I had to go through some shallow puddles, then the motor died. I honestly don’t think the tech is robust enough for anything where moisture can ingress the motor through the rubber grommet where the wiring enters the motor or where the crank arms connect. I’ve read hours of e-bike owner forums and watched a ton of TH-cam vids which indicates a lack of robustness of ebike technology. If you live in a dry climate and ride on smooth trails I think the bike motor will stand. Proper gnar and a bit of rain and puddles? Forget it unless you’re prepared for warranty returns and big bills when out of warranty.
Clint, Sorry for your issues. This may or may not be something with yours, especially if set in boxes for a long time. The connection contacts can be an issue, specifically the battery connections. I carry contact cleaner and di electric grease with me. I had an issue when I got new larger batteries. Bike wouldn't turn on. Swapped battery to friend bike and no problem. Then Swapped back and problem solved. Have randomly had an issue with bike not turning on. Sprayed with contact cleaner and good to go. The connections can be sensitive for some reason. Have had a couple friends with similar issues and the contact cleaner fixed theirs as well. I swap batteries almost every time we ride because we like the long fast rides. I have multiple bikes and plenty of spare batteries as well. BE PREPARED. Typical week is 3 rides totalling well over 100 miles and up to 15,000 ft elevation. At 65 years old. Made mountain biking doable and fun.
If you get half as much fun as I have it will be a success. I ride YT decoys and has been great.
I purchased a 2022 Leftover Cannondale Moterra Neo 1 earlier this summer. Paid half the price of new and it came with a 1 year warranty. Thankfully for me all has been perfect (knocks on wood!) and I haven’t had any issues whatsoever. It has a Bosch motor and 300 display, and I love both. Very intuitive and like you said, the speed is amazing! I look forward to hills now, the gnarlier the better! I hope you get back on that Specialized and get to really enjoy it.
Maybe the your local shop can carry you up all the hills too
Trek Fuel EXe - no issues, but there are some gotchas I’m aware of - if not riding for a few months and putting it into storage - store with the battery at 60% - that will prolong the battery life (otherwise battery endurance will shorten)
Good info. Any other info on maintaining quality of battery if riding it regularly? Like I’ll ride it to maybe 30% then charge it completely, is that okay?
I can confirm that issue. I have several batteries for my Yamaha powered eBike and the latest one was purchased new on eBay. It arrived charged to 85%and I confirmed with the seller he was charging it occassionaly which is a common misperception. I did get the battery a used price so I am treating it as a really nice used battery. Luckily the battery has rebounded a bit after five full cycles of use yet it will never reach full capacity. My other Yamaha batteries are 6-8 years old and still going strong.
@@LEGENDofBEANY Never store a lithium-ion battery of any kind 100% fully charged. For that matter you should never fully charge a li-ion battery unless planning to use it right away (like within a few hours or less). Fully charging li-ion puts it under a kind of stress that will reduce it's capacity if kept in that state. The closer you can keep a li-ion battery to 50% (and away from heat), the longer it will last.
@@theadventurebiker thank you. So with my e-bike, try to time it where it’s 100% complete of charge and I quickly take it out.
@@LEGENDofBEANY Yes. If you can just charge the battery to 80% and still successfully complete your ride that would be even better. Also avoid draining the battery down below 20%. The idea is to avoid the extremes at either end of a charge cycle. Too low, and too high, both put a strain on any li-ion battery which is basically additional wear and tear on the battery that can be avoided. That's not to say you can't fully charge it up to 100% and run it down below 20% once in a blue moon if the situation requires it, but don't make it a regular thing. Think about it like this: If you own a muscle car and do a burnout once in a great while, you probably won't see any noticable damage or adverse effects to the car. But if every single time you get beind the wheel you are doing burnouts then you can expect the tire life to be significantly reduced at the very least, if not lots of additional stress and wear & tear placed on the engine, transmission, & driveline, which could lead to premature problems. Also avoid exposing a li-ion battery to heat as much as possible. For example don't leave your ebike parked in direct sunlight on a hot summer day, or loaded into the back of a fully enclosed van parked on a hot summer day. Excessive and prolonged exposure to heat will kill a li-ion battery faster than anything (it causes it to age more rapidly). And NEVER charge a warm or hot li-ion battery!!! Always let it cool to ambient temp first!
Cheers
This video is timed perfectly! Last weekend, my nephew came in from Chicago to ride Southern Indiana with me.
First ride on the bike… Literally assembled it at the Campground from the box and charged it. 2023 Orbea Rise carbon.
Wouldn’t turn on. Fussed with it for four or five hours, called some shops and everything. Bad wiring harness.
Probably came disconnected from the battery inside of the downtube. At this exact moment, it’s currently in the shop and I’m hoping to have it out in a few days.
Hesitated on the whole e-bike thing and then my suspicions immediately were confirmed that when they’re great, they’re great. But when they break, it sucks.
At this point, I have a $6-7000 bike sitting in the shop with no clear date on when I will be able to ride it. Here’s to hoping. For now, still on my acoustic bike.
Orbea.
Sorry to hear about your bad luck. I’ve had experience with a few different ebikes over the years including a Norco Range VLT, 2020 (shimano motor), a 2023 specialized kenevo (Brose motor), and Scott Lumen (TQ motor). No big issues or failures with any of those. I’ve had the odd error code on the lumen but goes away after a restart. The Range is still going strong 4 years later, a friend has it now.
Not being able to ride my bike because it won't start up like my laptop would drive me crazy! Will you have to call IT and get a ticket in the future?
My Haibike Nduro 9.0 has been fantastic over these last 4 years & never ever a problem & riding 3 to 4 times a week
I've had a Turbo Levo Comp about 18 months ago now and no issues at all. Glad you got yours up and running again Clint! I agree that you should always have a regular bike too just because it's a tool and it's great for certain things and not as good as a regular bike for others .i.e. if I only have time for a short ride the regular mountain bike is the better tool as I can a better workout in a shorter period of time.
Just got a Trek Fuel Ex-e, 100 miles no problems so far.
I have a few e-bikes now. Mine are treks. They all perform well. We bought the first ones as an alternative to towing a car behind our motor home. That still serves us well. I also have an eMBT so I can go on trails. Never had any issues with any of them. Well except regular bike stuff, adjust this and that, replace this for a better one and so on. At my age I need the extra help and enjoy riding them. I still have a regular bike but don’t use it near as often. Good luck, hopefully your issues are solved. I do think it’s a good idea to buy them from places that can service them. Some of my friends have no name bikes and it can be hard to source even common parts like brake pads.
I take care of my car. I take care of my motorcycles. I take care of my house. I take care of my ebike. No biggie. Yes, there is more to go wrong but there is more to go right, like longer rides with less body stress, more laps and increased years of riding (I am 71, I figure the ebike will get me into my '80s). I still ride my mtb but less often than the ebike. 30 miles of trail riding on the ebike and I am tired. 20 miles on the mtb and I am toast. For a couple of days. I live in western Montana. Every ride has a serious climb involved. Clint mentioned people ride ebikes because they are faster. I find the opposite is true. My ebike motor tops out at 20 mph. I am faster on average on the flat when on my mtb. Downhill I am much faster on the mtb. Uphill the emtb wins. I think on a roller coaster open trail the emtb would be faster.
2.5 years on Levo SL and have only had one we'll say electrical problem with the walk mode not working in Turbo. Shop tried to fix it but did not. I will say however that I burned out a rear hub in a little over a year that was warrantied other than the labor to build another wheel, and I have gone through 2 chains and a cluster. Keep your eyes on your chains.
I've got over 3k miles on my Levo and only a few times I've gotten some dirt around the battery plug to the motor. As good as that double seal is, it's good preventive maintenance to blow any dirt or dust or especially moisture out now and then. Otherwise I have never had any maintenance issues with the e-bike beyond my regular mountain bikes over the past two years. The other tip I'd offer is to avoid water crossings or riding in the rain. I plan to own mine for many years to come and moisture can eventually lead to corrosion.
2021 turbo levo , 20000k and no issues that I haven't had on a non e-bike .you get through parts due to the power but proper maintenance keeps it under control. I keep every spare I can at home so I don't need to order or wait when things break. Tyres, complete drive train, brake pads ,rear hub, rear derailer, none of which are that expensive when you buy them online ahead of time.
Clint, thank you for the many year of content. I’m a fan!
I only ride my Levo in Ellijay and Bull. 1500 miles and 51 charge cycles. No issues so far. I have spend a lot of money on chains and cassettes which ended in me installing XT Linkglide Cues. 11 speed. It wears like iron! 11 speed suits the Levo. Best upgrade. Mine has a 38 at 170 and an x2 with cascade link. Cushcore, downhill casings, and 160 crank arms. Highly recommend all.
The App. That’s where it’s at. If you’re like me you will end up tuning the app for 35-40% and 20% ease. You will put in effort and it will fell like your best day pedaling. Imagine 3 laps of Bull - Bare Hare. Ever run Pinhoti 1 opposite direction? It slaps!
Nice. Really looking forward to riding it up there.
I have a gen 3 LEVO comp and the motor was bad right out of the box, it was replaced quickly and has been great for the past year and a half…
Recently the motor has been overrunning, mostly in TURBO and Im assuming I’ll have to replace the motor before the 2 year warranty runs up?…
This is my third Specialized E bike and each one has had the motor replaced once and I’m hoping my current bike will be trouble free for a long time, It’s the most confident inspiring BIKE I’ve ever ridden and I built up a Specialized EVO alloy MTB to compliment my E, The adjustable geometry is priceless and should be available on every bike as far as I’m concerned.
Simpler the better for me. I’m the guy who sometimes forgets to charge his nightlights,so should probably avoid…
I've put about 2k miles on mine and the only real problems I've had are having to change the tires because of the treads getting worn, or a tube because of a flat from going over staples that were on the side of the road for some reason. My brake pads are getting worn down now, too. The tire and tube I was able to change myself. I don't know if I can do the brake pads. But, other than that in 2k miles it's been a really positive experience so far. Definitely enjoying it
You can just sense the floodgates are about to open at DuPont and [parts of] Pisgah with eBikes if the USFS ban is lifted... They've become such zoos on weekends over the last 20 years. That feeling of escapism is never coming back.
That is just an awful experience for the first time. I ride a 2022 Rocky Mountain Altitude powerplay. I have never had any issues. I love this BEAST of a bike. Hopefully, your experience changes with time
Hey Clint, I own a 2022 Turbo Levo Alloy comp and it has been amazing. No wiring harness problems (knock wood) but I did figure out after the first time it didn't power up it was because I didn't re-connect the harness from battery to motor properly. So now I know to always turn it on after charging to be sure the connection is correct. The other small issue is I had the door to the power port replaced because I broke the original one off, accidently. Outside of regular maintenance this has been fun, trouble free bike.
Love my Cube eBike. No issues at all. Well, the bike is made in Germany with the Bosch motor and electronics made in Germany. I think you just had a very random issue, especially for such a high end bike. However, I met 3 guys who bought their Norco ebikes with Shimano motors, and within just a few months all 3 had their bikes in the shop for motor repairs. Bosch have been manufacturing engines, mechanical and electronic components for decades. Shimano and the others are all new to this. So I wonder if that is a factor when it comes to reliability issues.
I have have had 5 e-bikes in the past 6 years the first 2 years specialized nothing but problems then I got an sl no problems what so ever
But now I own 2 cubes with Bosch in the past 2 years I have only been in for maintenance 2 times they are just getting better and more reliable. Cheers
Worry about my Levo SL v2 having issues, but it has been 100% reliable over a year, never a issue, trust it like a analog bike at this point, big plus with Specialized is how good the dealer network is. E-bike definitely makes San felsaco Fast and fun :). Wish you could take one in Pisgah, I ride mine at Fire Mountain in Cherokee and its perfect!
Thanks for sharing. I've got a Rungu Rugged and it has been a game changer for getting around in steep Appalachian wilderness. It is not an e Mt. Bike but sure gets around these tough hills. Still learning and experimenting and posting videos. Minimal maintenance required.
The reality is that some people are going to have trouble with there ebike even with good quality brands. The numbers are low with good bikes but, if you take a sample of 100 bikes there is going to be some with a problem weather it's a small one or a big one. In the future I think it will be easier to get parts and service them for your self should you choose to. Some of this is already happening.
Had my Mondraker Crafty RR for 18 months now (first ebike) and had no problems at all. Loving it.
I have an ebike that had electrical problems just like yours. Because the bike was less than a year old the dealer replaced the wiring harness with no questions or hesitation. This did take a couple of days but like you I have a couple of other bikes in my garage that I ride all the time on road and gravel so no problem.
I bought a Transition Repeater e-mbt about two summers ago for the them days when I'm out and about and have no one to shuttle with. I was in the middle of my ride, and in the middle of nowhere, man's land deep in the woods all alone, and my bike started to beep and the motor shut off on me. I got it to finally turn back on, but the next it was done. Wouldn't turn back on because of a torque sensor failure. That happened with 340 miles on the motor. Well, thank God it was still under warranty, so shimano shipped me a brand new ep8 motor, and within two days, the bike shop had it installed and me back on the trail. I have over 900 miles on that motor now, and it's still running fine. I also ride a Santa Cruz Megatower when I'm shuttling around the PNW wilderness with my mates. When I'm on mountain bike vacation road trips, I take them both with me.
I have had a 2020 Levo SL for over 3 years now and apart from a precautionary replacement of the motor sprag bearing (at 10,000km) I haven’t had a single Ebike related issue. It has over 13,000km on it now and still going strong. I certainly agree with you about buying your Ebike from a local reputable dealer as there’s things that you can’t fix yourself along with software updates that only the dealer can do. I still have my short travel Stumpjumper as my regular bike and love that bike too, it’s just for a different kind of ride compared to what I do on my Levo SL.
I have a Trek Allant 8+ (Wife), Trek Fuel ExE (Daughter), Scott Strike - me. Allant had a speed sensor disconnected once.
No real problems, but any sort of upgrade like a different controller, a light or extended battery requires a certified shop because the motors need to phone home for features to be activated. Very much not self doable.
My current bike, 2023 Giant Trance Advanced Pro 29 2 has been to the shop 3 times for a creaking noise. The first time they serviced the bottom bracket, still creaked. The second time Im not sure what they did, regreased the pedals and put washers on them, charged me $20 dollars for that. The 3rd time I found the source of the creaking and it was the hub, they replaced the bearings and has been good ever since. Funny I told them the first time it could be the hub but they went ahead and stripped down the bottom bracket anyways and put washers on the type of pedals they dont need them and charged me $20. Also forgot but my new Fox factory fork came with a bad rebound knob out of the box that I had to send to Fox.
Sounds like you need to find a new shop.
I learned the hard way with specialized--3 motors and then when the third one showed signs of failure i lost all confidence. I have a pivot shuttle LT and trek rail with shimano and bosch motors , both are faultless
My first e-bike was a 2019 Kenevo. Blue toothed a hack to derestrict it for free. It worked flawlessly for nearly three years, and sold if good bucks. Now I’ve got 3rd gen Levo for two years and IT has been perfect. But had to purchase a pig tail to derestrict it.
I have had one for a couple years and no problems at all.
Nope... Gonna have to be about 65 before I get one of those.. :)
Sorry that happened! I have my Ebike and no issues yet. Only had it about 9 months. I'm in Florida. It is so much fun to ride, I have to force myself to take the pedal bike out once in a while. I'm pretty sure I will have a problem eventually. For now it has been way better than I expected it to be.
My eMTB has been pretty rock solid since the beginning. I did a mechanical shifting to Shimano Di2 conversion which requires you to go to a shop because the motor is locked down from the factory to either mechanical shifting, or electronic, and a home user cannot access that setting. Annoying as I'm someone who does all my own maintenance but I guess I get Shimano doesn't want regular joes like me messing with their motor config.
In contrast, my buddy got an eMTB (Canyon Spectral:ON, just like mine) and its been less than ideal for him. Your story reminds me a lot of his experience. His bike is under a year old and constantly just shuts off during rides. The local bike shop isn't being all that helpful in doing the warranty work, and Shimano requires you to interface with them through a local Shimano service dealer. This isn't something he can troubleshoot on his own directly with Shimano, even if he forks out $250 for the ridiculously expensive Shimano diagnostic USB device.
So he's got a $5000 bike that he hasn't been able to ride for a good chunk of the summer riding season because it's got issues that only a shop can fix. The shop has 1 person able to work on Shimano motors, and every time they try a potential fix he has to pick it up -> ride the bike -> experiences the same issue -> bring the bike back -> wait until they can get to looking at it again -> repeat.
Got an ebike this year. No problems with it so far. Still enjoying my regular bikes and ebike. The ebike does make the uphills on the trail way more enjoyable though as you can ride them like it's on the flat.
Both of my ebikes have been trouble free over 3000 Miles in 2 years, only the normal drive train wear and replacement
Been riding a 21 Specialized Turbo Vado SL for 3 years with no issues , it's been great
Dirt or moisture on the mating surface of the power plug will cause the bike to not turn on. I also recommend upgrading your drivetrain to the Transmission.
All kidding aside, eventually something will go wrong with the motor. But in my opinion, the advantages weigh out the disadvantages. And I do have analogs that I ride 70% of the time.
I bought a used 2021 (3k miles) beat up Norco Sight VLT C1, and I've put 1k miles on it, no problems at all. You MAY get spoiled riding an ebike!!
Yes, an electric bike breaks down much more often than an analog bike. And its maintenance is also an order of magnitude more expensive. I have a Shimano EP8 engine, in two years I gave it for repair 3 times and now it is also in repair. The last two weeks I rode an electric bike with a broken engine (I have a removable battery and without it it is a regular enduro bike weighing 17.5 kg) and I liked to press the pedals again like on a regular bike. My opinion is divided 50/50 at the moment, I do not want to give up the electric bike, but there are enough negative aspects regarding its reliability.
I have a specialized creo carbon comp for over a year now and have had no issues. I've done gravel, some single track and lots of road riding with it. I do have a second set of wheels i use for gravel.
I own a 2021 Turbo Kenevo, 1500ish miles currently. I love this bike and frankly have no desire to ever ride a regular bike again. Being able to ride further at a higher speed is more fun, still sweating up a storm, just having more fun doing it. I don't need any excuse to own one, simply more enjoyable.
relatable content for me on this one. purchased 2 Fezzari Wire Peak (1 comp build, 1 elite build with some factory upgrades). had an issue on the 3rd ride with the comp, riding Chuck Lennon and lost all power after about 40 minutes of riding. the pedal back in the July heat was a bit of a work out. Fezzari got the issued fixed up no problems since. the continues speed difference along with lack of aerobic fatigue is awesome. normally i'm one and done at Graham Swamp especially during the summer but did 3 1/2 with no stops only left because of lack of daylight. also enjoy charging throughout the entire ride wherever it may be. i have wondered about maintenance as well as the possibility of a lot more drivetrain parts but I'll have to see how it goes over time. one unexpected perk is my entry level xc bike at 28lbs feels like a feather.
Rode a few before I bought and ended up with the good ol giant trance and can’t believe the fun factor. Also have not had any issues. But found out you have to bring it inside to charge in the winter. Charges better in warmer temperatures.
I've had my 22 since 22 and zero issues. You, unfortunately, got a 🍋. Not the end of the world. Sounds like the shop did you solid.
Not a lemon at all. Just had bad parts. I am unsure how much testing a new bike gets before boxing. Probably very little. It is good to hear of a bike shop that puts the customer first. I have not had that good of luck with new Cane Creek parts through Cambria. I am buying local whenever possible in the future.
I had a city type ebike, I never had any problems with it, but that's one of the main reasons I ended up selling it. As I wasn't riding it that much I was always afraid that it would stop working or the battery would degrade.
I can't speak of Specialized bike ownership. I have two Bosch powered e-bikes and both have never had any problems at all with the motor or harness. The most common e-bike issues will be cassette and chain replacements. That can be somewhat reduced with proper chain maintenance performed more often than traditional bikes. The other issue is that the battery will not last for ever. However, after 5000 miles, my battery has had very modest loss of any riding distance per charge.
For me the amount of fun, far out weighs the extra cost of maintenance.
My turbo levo is a year old and ive put 5000km on it. It spazzed out once for 30 seconds when it couldnt sense the magnet (covered in clay) otherwise faultless. But dont leave the bike shop without a spoke key and torque wrench also the fox minor/major service intervals come round real quick because you’ll be riding so much more
My comp carbon has been totally reliable for the last four years and love it, yours was just a glitch, will be fine going forward.
You will find slightly accelerated wear of chain ring , cassette and chains ooh and brake pads😂
I got Canyon Torque ON 7 mullet last year and I love it, I’ve taken it on epic Colorado rides 34ish miles on the Palisades Plunge, Monarch Crest to name a few and I’m heading back to Kanuga this year to ride the e-bike there for the first time. I would have been totally bummed if it broke down first thing but I hate to say it that’s life. I brought my e-bike to a bike shop this year and they did the pro tune, trued the wheels, suspension, brakes and this wasn’t a e-bike shop but I haven’t had any problems, knock on wood. If your shop fixed it that’s awesome, try to shake the bummer off and ride!
I’ve had no issues. When I ride my e bike at local trails I don’t feel like I get the same amount of stress relief though. Not sure why.
Two analog bikes and an ebike no regrets, having a blast in my mid fifties even hitting bigger jumps.
I don't want an ebike, never thought you'd get one, but i get it. I don't like how they look, how heavy they are, and that there is a chance of something going wrong. I was on the fence about getting the new transmission for my new race bike. When I saw how heavy it was, i decided to go with mechanical XX1 Eagle. I've never had big issues with mechanism drivetrains. I have had three of my friends have issues when their AXS and transmission. Maybe cause they didn't familiarize themselves with em, but they did have issues which made our rides so briefly or one friend actually had to abort the ride. Next time you're up here try hitting me up. I'd love to ride some Dupont with ya or maybe something you haven't ridden.
I have owned a E bike since 2018 and never been broke down. However this is why I always recommend to buy them from a local bike shop. I have had my levo apart to swap brakes and it's tight in there. Your " might" of had a wire pinched in the top of the motor are when assembled.
Did you record any metrics while riding aggressive ? HR.output, etc.
2022 Turbo Levo. No issues at all. Bike is stupid fun. Also still love my me-powered bike.
I purchased a Trek e caliber and it has been excellent! The only issue I have has is the main rear suspension pivot bolt backed out . However it didn’t fall out . My Trek shop replaced it with a new one .
I have a pivot gravel ebike and love it. As an ebike i choose it because the fazua50 battery and motor was removable. Replacing it with a downcover makes it anologue with no resistance. I technically have the 2 bikes in one. Sadly fazua60 does not have a removable motor. The engine is also in mtb but i get that its probably not in many local stores.
Anything with electronics can/will have issues. Poor QC. I've bought a 85k motorhome that was in the shop for half the warranty period. My first Emtb had a loose wire connection from the display and Bosch had to replace. The display on my Trek fuel exe has issues at the start also.
I've had a YT Decoy with Shimano EP8 for over a year and have never had an electronic issue in 2,000 miles. That is not the case for my two year old Rockshox Flight Attendant system... first year required three full replacements but has since been fine.
I have had a Levo SL Comp Carbon for nearly 4 years. It is a great first E-MTB. Carry a spare flat battery for the TCU and learn how to replace it from your shop. They last about 2 years. If it fails, the bike will not start. I replaced the following on the bike to increase its performance on the trail: Lyrik fork, Roxshox super deluxe shock, DT carbon wheels, XT brakes with 203mm rotors front and rear, SRAM AXS GX transmission. One of the SRAM brakes failed on a steep descent here in the Swiss Alps, so I got rid of it. I found the NX transmission to be junk: heavy, and the chain rusted quickly after just washing it. I replaced my Levo SL with the new Orbea Rise 2 months ago because it is much better to the steep riding I do here in Switzerland, but I still love the Levo SL. By the way, I find the gen 1 Levo SL to be much better than the newer Gen 2: the Gen 2's more powerful motor eats too much juice fron the battery, reducing the range.
Does your TCU have a screen? It’s my understanding of the new ones with the screen use the bike battery.
@@ClintGibbs I have the first version without the data screen. I wasn't aware that the later versions are fed by the bike battery. Never heard that before. You don't need the data screen on the TCU, anyway. I turned the display off in the app. My Garmins give me all the information you need. The Spec. TCU broadcast ANT+. I have fields for percentage of bike battery left and mode (eco, trail and boost listed as 1,2, and 3) on the main page of my 840. I do not like to have to look down at the top tube when I ride....need to concentrate on the trail. My experience is that the TCU is one of the weaker links of the bike. My wife and I each have Levo SL's and Creos. We have had to replace the TCU about 2-3 times over the 4 years we have been using bikes with the SL 1.1 motor. In the ebike world, that is not bad at all. But: I ride almost every single day of the year and at least 1000 vertical meters every day if I can. I even ride in our Swiss winters, which means that the bikes get a lot of wear and tear.I tried a new Heckler SL out for a week when my dealer lent one. I discovered that owners were replacing the motor every few montha. Found out that the Fazua Ride 60 is not waterproof, only water resistant. My dealer told me that he always keeps 3 spare motors on the shelf for customers. Great bike other that the motor but bad news for me. Whenever I am interested in a new bike, I join the FB owners group for that bike first. You can get a lot of information and help that the dealers either do not know or won't tell you. By the way, I have been enjoying your videos for years. You are clearly who you are in the videos, don't try to be someone you are not. You helped me years ago with the flip chip on the Levo SL. I used for video for the Stumpjumper to be able to switch mine on the Levo SL. Thanks for doing these videos.
How's this ?Do a test after a month on your ebike ,See if you are any quicker on your normal bike through a specific downhill trail !!
I have got a Giant Revolt e+ gravel bike.
Some times after a coffee stop.The bike does not turn on.Il have to unplug the battery.After plugin back in it starts up again.I cycled a lot, but then i got major hart churgery and thats when i was so happy that there are ebikes to assist me uphill.
Was talking to a fellow MTBr on the single track. He was a fireman. He said e-bikers end up going further out and get stuck for mostly dead batteries and need rescue. E bikes are too heavy to pedal back home.
No thanks on the e bike for me.