I created a purely mechanical Turbo Levo speed limit increase

jd_3d

Well-known member
Patreon
Jul 12, 2018
279
342
California
Hey @VeloMikey. Wow, 3,500 miles, that's some serious mileage! Currently I only have the sun gear as part of a set with the cover plate and its available here:
(note: If you only need the sun gear, you can choose white color to drop the price by $8, since you won't see the inner sun gear anyway).

Let me know if that works for you.

My Sun gear has worn out after 3500 miles! I have been using the Aluminum Planetary gear. It has gotten extremely noisy and the power cuts out. The bike is back to normal with it removed. Can I purchase a new Sun Gear V2.0? Thanks
 

Rosemount

E*POWAH Elite
May 23, 2020
822
1,747
Qld Australia
Hi @jd_3d

I have a buddy with a 2017 Levo .
He has bought the LSS through shape ways . He is having problems with intermittent power when he uses the LSS .

Is the LSS compatible with the 2017 Levo ? What spec does the magnet need to be ?
 

Rosemount

E*POWAH Elite
May 23, 2020
822
1,747
Qld Australia
Neodymium magnet. If it’s not that one then it won’t work properly...

He has a neodymium magnet as far as I know . Do they have a strength rating ?
I am wondering if his magnet is not strong enough , or the speed sensor on his 2017 Levo is further away from the magnet than later models ?
 

jd_3d

Well-known member
Patreon
Jul 12, 2018
279
342
California
He has a neodymium magnet as far as I know . Do they have a strength rating ?
I am wondering if his magnet is not strong enough , or the speed sensor on his 2017 Levo is further away from the magnet than later models ?

Hi @Rosemount, yes its important a high quality neodymium magnet is used (N42 strength or higher). Some cheap magnets on Amazon are often marked as Neodymium but actually aren't, or are of low strength. However, for the 2017 and 2018 Levo's, they have a different magnet / sensor location that is further away from the hub. I made special versions of the LSS for those models so the planet gear lines up with the sensor. Do you know if your friend bought the correct version of the LSS?

These would be the ones specifically for the 2017/2018s:
 

Rosemount

E*POWAH Elite
May 23, 2020
822
1,747
Qld Australia
Thanks for the quick response JD .

Sent him the info re 2017 / 2018 model from the shape ways site .
I suspect he has 2019 type after seeing pic of his magnet / rotor with the LSS he bought sitting on top and the magnet is not lining up with the . LSS he has .
 

Vitamindimo

Member
Feb 20, 2020
4
0
Oregon
@[B]jd_3d[/B], I have a 2020 Levo Expert that had the firmware updated recently. I purchased a BadAssBox that unfortunately didn't work, and the BAB folks thought it was because the new firmware could now sense the hack and cut power to the motor. I'm liking the idea of the LSSDT, have you heard of any issues with the new Levo firmware?
 

Bigtuna00

Active member
Nov 27, 2019
556
337
CA
The main issue with any solution the reduces the magnet rotation is the effect on walk mode. It can basically make walk mode useless depending on the reduction. The bike doesn't sense the magnet often enough, so it either kills the power to throws an error code.

The Badass Box and Planet3 decrease the rotation by more than the LSS (using different methods of course), so the effect on walk mode is worse. I ran the Planet3 with 2 magnets in order to achieve the same reduction as the LSS (150%).

(I switched to the Planet3 after switching to Centerlock hubs; used the LSS for 1000 miles without issue, great product)
 

teutonic

New Member
Jan 18, 2021
2
0
Cary, NC
Hi @Dr_BoB_rD, I'm still trying to make sense of all the new 2021 Levo models. It seems some of them now come with Shimano centerlock hubs/brakes (i.e., the Levo comp is listed as having centerlock hubs) which wouldn't be compatible with the LSS. However, on some of the other models they still like SRAM components like the 2020 models.

Which version of the 2021 Levo do you have and can you confirm the hubs and rear rotor you have? That could help me to determine if one of the LSS versions would fit.

Hi jd_3d,

I have a 2021 Turbo Levo Comp. Any chance that any of the LSS versions might fit?
The hub is a Shimano FH-MT510-B and the rear disc brake is a Shimano BR-M7120.
See pictures attached.

Thanks for your help. I really like the design and idea behind the LSS. Hope I can make it work.

2021-levo-comp-hub.jpg


2021-levo-comp-brake.jpg
 

jd_3d

Well-known member
Patreon
Jul 12, 2018
279
342
California
Hi @teutonic,

Does your rear rotor use centerlock? If so that is the main difficulty in getting the LSS to fit. The space that's normally reserved for the LSS is taken up by the centerlock nut. If you were able to switch to 6-bolt rotors I bet we could get the LSS to fit. You can PM me if you are interested in trying this approach.

-JD

Hi jd_3d,

I have a 2021 Turbo Levo Comp. Any chance that any of the LSS versions might fit?
The hub is a Shimano FH-MT510-B and the rear disc brake is a Shimano BR-M7120.
See pictures attached.

Thanks for your help. I really like the design and idea behind the LSS. Hope I can make it work.
 

teutonic

New Member
Jan 18, 2021
2
0
Cary, NC
Hi @teutonic,

Does your rear rotor use centerlock? If so that is the main difficulty in getting the LSS to fit. The space that's normally reserved for the LSS is taken up by the centerlock nut. If you were able to switch to 6-bolt rotors I bet we could get the LSS to fit. You can PM me if you are interested in trying this approach.

-JD
Yep, it's the stock center lock rotor. I don't really want to change the brake rotor at this point. I'll just go with the planet3 kit for now.
 

Bigtuna00

Active member
Nov 27, 2019
556
337
CA
Yep, it's the stock center lock rotor. I don't really want to change the brake rotor at this point. I'll just go with the planet3 kit for now.

Note you can run 2 magnets on the Planet3 to get the same 150% reduction as the LSS. Just make sure to ask Alex for a second magnet.
 

#lazy

E*POWAH BOSS
Oct 1, 2019
1,404
1,529
Surrey
Note you can run 2 magnets on the Planet3 to get the same 150% reduction as the LSS. Just make sure to ask Alex for a second magnet.
I’ve just received 2 magnets for my planet3 . After the ota update I was getting era code flashing speed censor issues so removed the device with 1 magnet and put it back to standard . A week later the motor died ( of boredom ) , it was probably on it’s way out anyway as had lasted 14months . Alex at plnt3 said a few customers had speed censor issues but had gone away after switching on/off but mine didn’t so will try the 2magnet option and see !
 

TrackRat

Member
May 26, 2020
64
34
SchnellerGT981
Well I finally opened up my box from Shapeways. Having read the full body of this thread I also just realized that the stock rotor is required. Well that sucks given my 220mm Magura setup. Anyone have a more universal solution?
 

Bigtuna00

Active member
Nov 27, 2019
556
337
CA
Well I finally opened up my box from Shapeways. Having read the full body of this thread I also just realized that the stock rotor is required. Well that sucks given my 220mm Magura setup. Anyone have a more universal solution?
There are several different rotor clips on Shapeways, including a universal one.
 

#lazy

E*POWAH BOSS
Oct 1, 2019
1,404
1,529
Surrey
Forgot to update ;
I was having issues with motor and censors then it went pop , new motor I put in 2 magnets so had one and a half x speed limit = 24mph which is just perfect for me and I hope won’t stress the new motor ! One other good point is the walk mode is a tad faster too !
 

Nasty Nick

Well-known member
Dec 4, 2018
244
176
Ventura, CA US
I've got one of these that I took off a bike I sold. If anybody's interested I'll sell it to you for $50. I paid $105 Plus the magnet from shapeways. It's the LSS DT Version 2.0 - Planetary Gear Set in Black Natural Versatile Plastic.
 

Nasty Nick

Well-known member
Dec 4, 2018
244
176
Ventura, CA US
By the way I used it on a base model decoy. It worked perfectly and was a total joy to use. I also always use the graphite powder, so hopefully there's low /no wear and tear.
 

VeloMikey

Member
Apr 21, 2019
18
9
So Cal
I have over 7000 miles and two years on mine. I wore out a couple of the plastic planetary gears (gear with magnet) and switched to the aluminum gear which wore the sun gear (attached to the axle). The ring gear (big gear attached to the rotor) and cover are bullet proof and never show signs of wear.
 

moorning

New Member
Dec 24, 2022
1
0
Monza
Salve, vorrei stampare con la mia stampante 3d il rotore di sblocco velocità della mia turbo levo FSR e HT special del 2018, potreste per favore consegnare il file STL per la stampa e consigliarmi quali materiali utilizzare? il pla con il carbonio va bene? Grazie
 

die

New Member
Jan 10, 2023
9
0
rovereto, italia
Maybe updating the United States firmware above the european can bring you faster due to the different speed limit from 25 Kmh to 20 Mph
 

StefanBatros

Member
May 24, 2023
10
8
Romania
Will this fit a 2023 Specialized Kenevo expert?
Dt Swiss hub + 220mm rotors. Thanks!


Edit: went ahead and ordered one... I guess I'll find out soon enough
 
Last edited:

#lazy

E*POWAH BOSS
Oct 1, 2019
1,404
1,529
Surrey
Will this fit a 2023 Specialized Kenevo expert?
Dt Swiss hub + 220mm rotors. Thanks!


Edit: went ahead and ordered one... I guess I'll find out soon enough
Yeah will fit if you stated the right hubs . The new models are better as no need to have a gap between the outer case and the disc , just push on til it rests on the brake disc . Great product that is faultless 👌
Edit I’m assuming you got the planet3 model ?
 
Last edited:

Plummet

Flash Git
Mar 16, 2023
1,152
1,632
New Zealand
------------------------------------
EDIT 2/21/2019 - Hey it's me JD from the future (2 months after this first post). I wanted to add a little info here on how you can obtain your own set of gears that is 3d printed by Shapeways so I created a quick Wordpress site with some info:

Guide to the LSS

In there is information about the latest design, links to purchasing, and installation instructions (or if you just want direct links, here is the LSS and LSSDT). Anyway, I still encourage you to read this entire thread as it provides a ton of information on the development, prototype feedback and reviews of the kit. Enjoy.
-----------------------------------

I've only had my 2019 Turbo Levo a few weeks but already felt the need for speed. I do a decent amount of road riding with my bike (at $7k, it's my do-it-all bike) and felt the 20 mph speed limit was a little too limiting. However, I don't want to mess with firmware changes that could brick my bike or cause warranty issues. I also had a number of requirements:

1) Must be 100% mechanical (no software changes)
2) Must be easily reversible (less than 5 min)
3) Must not have any re-wiring of the bike/sensors
4) Keep speed limit at around 28 mph.

In California Class 3 electric bikes w/ 28 mph speed limiters are legal on the roads, so If I made such a device I would be reasonably within the law when riding on the road. When riding on trails I do not need more than 20mph.

My wife thought I was crazy as I sat staring at my bike for like 30 minutes at a time lost in concentration for thinking about the best way to do it. Fortunately I'm good with CAD and have several 3d printers so once the inspiration for a planetary gear set came to mind, I was off designing...

A few days later (and several failed iterations) I had prototype 3 installed on the bike (ignore the ugly blue color, it will be stealth black eventually):

View attachment 8975

Little did I know at this point it would take 13 more prototypes before I got it working to my satisfaction. Since this post is getting sort of long I'll stop here and call it Part I. If you guys are interested I can do more posts and continue the detailed information on the design/troubleshooting and final outcome (spoiler: it's awesome).

Obligatory info:
Please read about the electric bike laws in your country: Electric bicycle laws - Wikipedia
That is a stunt so cunning you could pin a tail on it and call it a weasle.
 

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