Bike dead - what steps should I go through to see if I can clear it up myself?

[Tetsugaku]

Hi folks - 2018 Turbo Levo owner here - I use the bike for a daily commute so I rack up about 200K per week on it.

I jumped on this morning and managed to ride to the bottom of a big hill before realising the motor wasn't up and running, then had to push it back up and get in the car. At least I got some exercise!

Battery - fully charged
Battery connection - seems clean ( cleaned it with WD40 contact cleaner about 5 days ago) and properly secured
Mission control app - reports battery health but not, seemingly, motor stats.

I've got a service booked on 17th June so I know they will be able to look at it then, but I don't want to drive for the next 3 weeks.

Previous issues:
- the motor was replaced about 4 months ago
- Motor has cut out a few times on short commutes, reseating the connector sorted it out - hence the cleaning a few days ago
- No crashes or bangs

Any ideas?

Huge thanks for any help

 

[bbred]

Hi folks - 2018 Turbo Levo owner here - I use the bike for a daily commute so I rack up about 200K per week on it.

I jumped on this morning and managed to ride to the bottom of a big hill before realising the motor wasn't up and running, then had to push it back up and get in the car. At least I got some exercise!

Battery - fully charged
Battery connection - seems clean ( cleaned it with WD40 contact cleaner about 5 days ago) and properly secured
Mission control app - reports battery health but not, seemingly, motor stats.

I've got a service booked on 17th June so I know they will be able to look at it then, but I don't want to drive for the next 3 weeks.

Previous issues:
- the motor was replaced about 4 months ago
- Motor has cut out a few times on short commutes, reseating the connector sorted it out - hence the cleaning a few days ago
- No crashes or bangs

Any ideas?

Huge thanks for any help

I would focus on the battery connector/lead. Check for debri as it can stick and not be seen easily. Use a strong light to see on the battery side and connector as they are both magnetic they attract material that can blend in

 

[magnil]

Had a motor change a couple of months ago and earlier this week it died completly. Removed left crank and cover. One of the connectors was loose, put it to place again and then it worked perfect.

 

[TheBikePilot]

Remove the crank on the non-drive side and have a look in there at connections. It pops off with an 8mm Allen key. Quite a heave and will feel like your cross threading it but it works...Worth a try..

 

[Lithium]

If MC doesn't show motor stats then as @bbred says check the power cable. Check for a good connection both ends but particularly the battery end as he says. Compressed air the contacts and gently check the sprung pins in the plug in case they got caught/grit in them. Make sure the battery guide fins are straight and fit to the connector correctly and that the plug seats well in the battery. Check the plug at the motor end is in fully, if you pull it out only do it once you've brushed and blown any mud out of the area completely. If you see corrosion (usually blue/green) then get the cable replaced.

Also there's a P-Clip holding this cable to the bike, if this plastic clip is overtightened it can crush the thinner data cables - loosen it and wiggle the cable a little then try to turn the bike on. If this fixes it you should probably get the cable replaced too and don't tighten the clip up too much when you replace it. Good luck!

 

[R120]

How many miles have you now put on that? Must be 10k?

 

[Rotwilder]

I’ve just had a new Brose motor fitted due to an out of warranty motor which cut out going downhill and wouldn’t reset. In the workshop it showed all perfect(the old motor), but when I tried it and reached 16 mph it cut out and stayed off. The dealer at Justebikes said it needed a new motor-£895 fitted. This is guaranteed for 2 years now, so not all bad. I have the old motor with around 500 miles use. I’m sure it’s repairable possibly with new sensors? My original motor did 3500 before squealing and burning out after a gruelling off-road ride in Devon. This one was replaced 4 months before the warranty ran out....

 

[Tetsugaku]

Pfff.

So ironically I broke it. When I cleaned the contacts, the thing i used to do it was too big and bent the spring / mesh in the cable coming from bike to battery. God knows why they chose that method on a mountain bike but I assume greater engineering minds than me can justify it.

New battery cable. Which is 70 quid I think.

Anyone know the cheapest source for parts?

 

[Tetsugaku]

How many miles have you now put on that? Must be 10k?

Probably 200 trips at 50k each so yeah about that

1 new motor
1 new rear tyre
4 chains
3 cassettes
1 front cog thingy whatsit

And now one battery cable

 

[Tetsugaku]

I know it's not strictly relevant to my initial topic but I have to say I'm shockingly disappointed in the amount of parts that need replacing. If I bought a new car it wouldn't need half of it replacing within 10,000K. or 100,000 for that matter.

 

[Tetsugaku]

And another update - I massaged the shop I got the bike from, Tredz and they rang Specialized whilst I was on the chat and got a new cable sent out to me for free, which saves me £75

Kudos to Tredz
No dos to Specialzed for this piss poor design.