I created a purely mechanical Turbo Levo speed limit increase

[Boogla]

 

[DnimiLevo]

Hi JD. Thanks for your effort to put forward a simple, non invasive solution to using more of the power of the Levo. I just got a 2019 Turbo Levo Expert and have done a few rides that would not have been possible (for me) on a non EMTB. Especially the return home part of the ride which was about 6 miles on the street uphill and not what I want to spend my time doing, though the drudgery of the return turned into real moderated exercise after the 2 hour ride as opposed to the start of a 3 day recovery period! I have ordered the LSS-DT which is arriving Tuesday - it will be interesting to absorb the difference between <20mph and <30mph. Ill post some feedback and maybe a photo or two. Thanks again!

 

[mydogkoal]

I have dt swiss 240 hubs. I don't know what model Dt swiss the Expert and S works have. Do I order the dt swiss model?

 

[jd_3d]

I have dt swiss 240 hubs. I don't know what model Dt swiss the Expert and S works have. Do I order the dt swiss model?

Hi @mydogkoal, I think the Expert model uses the DT Swiss 360 rear hub. if I were to guess, I'd say they probably have the same axle diameter (so you'd want the LSS DT), but to be sure can you measure the axle diameter of your rear hub (where it protrudes out from the brake rotor)?

 

[mydogkoal]

Hi @mydogkoal, I think the Expert model uses the DT Swiss 360 rear hub. if I were to guess, I'd say they probably have the same axle diameter (so you'd want the LSS DT), but to be sure can you measure the axle diameter of your rear hub (where it protrudes out from the brake rotor)?

I just measured the protuding part and the stock 2019 carbon comp hubs are 1" dia and the dt swiss 240 are 3/4". I will go ahead and order the dt swiss. Thanks for your help!

 

[mydogkoal]

I ordered the dt model but I noticed there is a dt version 2 model for the same price. Can I change my order to version 2?

 

[jd_3d]

I ordered the dt model but I noticed there is a dt version 2 model for the same price. Can I change my order to version 2?

Hi @mydogkoal, I don't have any control over orders, but you can email the people at Shapeways and see if it is possible to change your order. Their contact info is here:

Shapeways: Contact Us

I don't have any feedback on the 2.0 version yet, which is why I haven't really mentioned it on this thread yet (only sent out the link to a few people). So the main LSS DT version is still the more 'tested' version, but if you like to be on the cutting edge you can opt for the 2.0 version.

 

[Loving Levo]

I am another happy customer...thanks jd_3d for a clean, elegant solution and for being so responsive here.

I have a 2019 Levo and have been using the LSS for about 2 weeks and 300 miles. It was simple to install. It seems to make absolutely no difference for the majority of my riding on trails (as desired), but sure is nice for when I'm on a road getting to a trail.

The roads around here are either narrow, shoulderless 25mph (in which case I am no longer holding up traffic) or little-to-no shoulder 45mph (in which case the time spent on the narrow shoulder is now less, as is the speed differential). I know Specialized ostensibly put the speed limit on for "safety", but frankly I feel a lot safer after this change.

 

[jd_3d]

I am another happy customer...thanks jd_3d for a clean, elegant solution and for being so responsive here.

I have a 2019 Levo and have been using the LSS for about 2 weeks and 300 miles. It was simple to install. It seems to make absolutely no difference for the majority of my riding on trails (as desired), but sure is nice for when I'm on a road getting to a trail.

The roads around here are either narrow, shoulderless 25mph (in which case I am no longer holding up traffic) or little-to-no shoulder 45mph (in which case the time spent on the narrow shoulder is now less, as is the speed differential). I know Specialized ostensibly put the speed limit on for "safety", but frankly I feel a lot safer after this change.

Thanks @Loving Levo for the great feedback! I know exactly what you mean about safety and riding on 45mph roads. I really try to avoid those types of roads, but I have found myself on some 45mph highways with small shoulders and in those cases I put the Levo in full Turbo and ride as fast as I can (~28-30mph). Having the cars pass you with only a ~15-20mph speed differential feels a lot safer than 25-30mph differential.

 

[kemp990]

Hi, JD.
I received my order today and found that one Ring Gear and sun gear are thicker than what I ordered.

Following is what ordered

///qte///

Hi jinyoung,
Items we made in the future are now on their way to you!
This shipment includes the following items:
Order #2946230

• 3 x LSS DT Version 2.0 - Planetary Gear Set in Black Natural Versatile Plastic
• 1 x LSS Planetary Gear Set in Black Natural Versatile Plastic

Shipping Address:
jinyoung park
300 Cornell DR. A8, Hanjin
Wilmington, DE 19801
United States

///unqte///

and after close check up with vernier caliper, it looks like they sent me 2 ring gears for alloy comp model.
other parts all ok.
Please see attached picture.

you can see two thin ring gear and two thicker ring gears.

Please let me know what to do with this situation.

Best Regards
Kemp Jinyoung Park

 

[jd_3d]

Hi, JD.
I received my order today and found that one Ring Gear and sun gear are thicker than what I ordered.

Following is what ordered

///qte///

Hi jinyoung,
Items we made in the future are now on their way to you!
This shipment includes the following items:
Order #2946230

• 3 x LSS DT Version 2.0 - Planetary Gear Set in Black Natural Versatile Plastic
• 1 x LSS Planetary Gear Set in Black Natural Versatile Plastic

Shipping Address:
jinyoung park
300 Cornell DR. A8, Hanjin
Wilmington, DE 19801
United States

///unqte///

and after close check up with vernier caliper, it looks like they sent me 2 ring gears for alloy comp model.
other parts all ok.
Please see attached picture.

you can see two thin ring gear and two thicker ring gears.

Please let me know what to do with this situation.

Best Regards
Kemp Jinyoung Park

Hi @kemp990, I will reply to the PM you also sent regarding this on how to contact Shapeways to get the correct parts. Thanks.

 

[kemp990]

JD thanks for your reply.

Sent them exactly same msg. But so far getting no reply yet. Will update you if I hear any from them.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Mhugdoc]

In Scotland that would last about 2 minutes. Neat idea but not really any good on a mountain bike. One little stone or gritty water even and goodnight vienna .

Once it breaks as well then NO power at all so a long hard slog on a Kenevo sans power.

That’s why you put a spare magnet on your bike or tool kit. Simply slap it on the rotor near where it gets sensed by the sensor and that will get you back. I’ve ridden in muddy conditions and the LSS stays clean anyway. No worries.

 

[StevenC]

***SOLD*** LSS for sale (UK) - I bought the original LSS to see if it would fit my Turbo Levo HT 2019, but unfortunately it's too tight a fit between the frame and rotor on the hardtail. I have bitten the bullet on warranty risk and gone with the Blevo route instead of spending more trying to work with the LSS. So PM me if in the UK and interested (PayPal payment posting to a UK "Confirmed" address). Magnet already fitted too! Cost me over £75 once VAT and conversion from Euros added in plus credit card non-sterling fees, excluding the magnet and glue cost. £75 including 1st class postage (and allowing for my PayPal fees). ***SOLD***

 

[FlatSix]

Got it yesterday and installed it today.
Works perfectly but I’m afraid that there will drain water and dirt inside the system since there is a small gap between the cap and the ring...

I also altered the wheel size in Garmin to 3100mm and now the indicated speed seems to be fairly correct.
Does anybody know the exact factor of speed decrease, so you could calculate the exact wheelsize.

 

[Sameroquay]

Thanks for the quick reply @Sameroquay. Yes, the magnet you are using is the correct kind. Would you be able to try it without the cover on as well to see if it works?

Regarding your last picture and question, I don't understand what you are asking. One thing to note is that the placement of the magnet does not affect the speed registered by the sensor. The sensor only cares about how often it is triggered during each rotation, and calculates speed based on wheel circumference.

If you could clarify what you are asking that would help, thanks!

Hello, I bought the LSS model for the TL 2018, and when I installed it I found that the lid does not close well and the magnet is exposed, is this normal? What will happen to the mud? I put some pictures for you to see.

I wait your answer.
Thank you.

 

[jd_3d]

Hello, I bought the LSS model for the TL 2018, and when I installed it I found that the lid does not close well and the magnet is exposed, is this normal? What will happen to the mud? I put some pictures for you to see.

I wait your answer.
Thank you.

View attachment 14370

View attachment 14371

View attachment 14372

View attachment 14373

Hi @Sameroquay! Thank you for not giving up on the LSS for your 2018 TL. I think you are the first person to purchase the new beta design I made specifically for the 2017/2018. Have you taken it on a ride and does it work ok? My biggest worry is whether it would trigger the sensor since it looked like the older model used a bigger magnet. But I did try to get the position of the magnet as perfect as possible. The clearance with the frame is also ok?

Regarding the lid / cover, it looks like Shapeways sent you the wrong cover! I'm guessing they mixed it up with someone else's order, so now someone is going to receive the cover that was intended for you This will be the second time they mixed up people's orders. Can you contact them using the link below and ask them to send you the correct cover?

Shapeways: Contact Us

Please let me know if you have any trouble with their support.

 

[jd_3d]

Got it yesterday and installed it today.
Works perfectly but I’m afraid that there will drain water and dirt inside the system since there is a small gap between the cap and the ring...

I also altered the wheel size in Garmin to 3100mm and now the indicated speed seems to be fairly correct.
Does anybody know the exact factor of speed decrease, so you could calculate the exact wheelsize.

Hi @FlatSix, glad its working great for you. I wouldn't worry about the water/dirt, I've yet to hear of a single failure due to dirt/water, etc. It's in basically the best spot to avoid dirt/mud, etc (all the mud gets flung away from the tires). Regarding the speed decrease, I just ran the exact calculation and the gear ratio is 1:0.658, meaning for every rotation of the wheel, the magnet will rotate 0.658 times. Or the inverse is 1:1.52, meaning every magnet rotation is 1.52 rotations of the wheel. Hope that helps you set your Garmin to the exact settings based on your tire size.

 

[Drondon]

Hello Does anyone know the link for shapeways
Order form for a 2019 levo comp
Thanks

 

[jd_3d]

Hello Does anyone know the link for shapeways
Order form for a 2019 levo comp
Thanks

Hi @Drondon, I have all the info in my signature down below (see the other links too for install info), but here's the direct link for 2019 Levo Comp:

LSS Planetary Gear Set by JD_3D on Shapeways

 

[Drondon]

Thanks for the info!?

 

[DnimiLevo]

Hi JD. As a follow up, I installed the LSS-DT on my 2019 Turbo Levo Expert and all as described in this thread without a hitch. A couple of notes for you and others:
1. Initially had to take the bike to the LBS to get the firmware re-flashed to get above the normal 17MPH.
The service guy said that the settings were correct but that most of the bikes had to go thru at least 1 re-flash to get the bike to do closer to 20MPH (but not quite to 20MPH).
2. After installing the LSS-DT I was able to get to 28-30MPH.
All speed measurements were using the GPS settings in BLEvo
But clearly the motor kept normal output well beyond what it did prior to LSS-DT installation.
3. Which brings me to the only issue I have had which is that BLEvo now losses connection with the bike after I go over say 20MPH and then slow down.
I have to restart the bike and then it reconnects. This did not happen prior to the LSS-DT.

I am not sure what to attribute this to or if anyone else has experienced this issue, any ideas JD or @PaoloBLEvo ?

I will continue to test as I have two sets of wheels (one with the LSS-DT (DT Swiss 240 hubs - no problem) and one with the original sensor on the original wheels). My issue with BLEvo notwithstanding, this is an amazing product and recommend to anyone wanting to increase the speed at which the motor shuts off on a Levo in a very straightforward way. Hats off to JD as simple is not easy - great job!

 

[Sameroquay]

Hi @Sameroquay! Thank you for not giving up on the LSS for your 2018 TL. I think you are the first person to purchase the new beta design I made specifically for the 2017/2018. Have you taken it on a ride and does it work ok? My biggest worry is whether it would trigger the sensor since it looked like the older model used a bigger magnet. But I did try to get the position of the magnet as perfect as possible. The clearance with the frame is also ok?

Regarding the lid / cover, it looks like Shapeways sent you the wrong cover! I'm guessing they mixed it up with someone else's order, so now someone is going to receive the cover that was intended for you This will be the second time they mixed up people's orders. Can you contact them using the link below and ask them to send you the correct cover?

Shapeways: Contact Us

Please let me know if you have any trouble with their support.

Hello, thanks for the answer. I've tried it and it works very well, the TL doubles its speed. If sometimes when I turn on the battery it seems that it does not synchronize well and does not assist, then I have to make a Reset and it works again.

Regarding the frame, I see it very fair, it seems that something is touching, but it is not like the LSS of 2019, it can be said that it is fine, although I would like to try it with the cover that corresponds to me, not that small.

I will ask for a change to Shapeways, now I am not too worried about dirt or mud, since I have mounted some road wheels on my TL, and at the moment the first sensations are good.

I send you some photos.

A greeting.

 

[Mcharza]

Wow! Those tyres

 

[jd_3d]

Those tires are awesome, and great pictures too! That harbor looks beautiful.

 

[Sameroquay]

Those tires are awesome, and great pictures too! That harbor looks beautiful.

Thank you very much, the truth is that yes, I live in a very nice place, with beautiful beaches and mountains to make routes with the Turbo Levo ..

I invite you to see some pictures of my town, it's in Sitges, Barcelona (Catalonia)

Enjoy..!

 

[Hannes_3000]

@jd_3d
Do you think it might be possible to do a version for DT Swiss hubs with Centerlock adapter?
I'm using the EX1501 rear wheel (DT Swiss 240s hub / 19mm axle / stock rotor).
I'm attaching some pics of the rotor with centerlock adapter to give an idea what it looks like. If you need some measurements please let me know.
For me the LSS solution would be really cool for various reasons. As you might notice on the pics I just sticked the magnet onto the rotor as there's no other possibility to fix it with centerlock adapters. Although this worked just fine for more the last 600 kilometers it's of course not the perfect solution.
Just le me know what you think please
Cheers
Andy

 

[jd_3d]

@jd_3d
Do you think it might be possible to do a version for DT Swiss hubs with Centerlock adapter?
I'm using the EX1501 rear wheel (DT Swiss 240s hub / 19mm axle / stock rotor).
I'm attaching some pics of the rotor with centerlock adapter to give an idea what it looks like. If you need some measurements please let me know.
For me the LSS solution would be really cool for various reasons. As you might notice on the pics I just sticked the magnet onto the rotor as there's no other possibility to fix it with centerlock adapters. Although this worked just fine for more the last 600 kilometers it's of course not the perfect solution.
Just le me know what you think please
Cheers
Andy

View attachment 14527

View attachment 14528

View attachment 14529

Hi @Hannes_3000, I've thought about this previously and the main issue is having enough space for the LSS to fit in there due to the center lock ring taking up additional space. I think it would be possible, but would probably require a complete re-design to make the LSS bigger so that it goes around the lock ring. If it goes in front of the lock ring I don't think there would be enough space for it to fit without hitting the frame. Do you have a pair of digital calipers you could take measurements with? Let me send you a PM and we can discuss in more detail.

 

[Sameroquay]

Hi @Sameroquay! Thank you for not giving up on the LSS for your 2018 TL. I think you are the first person to purchase the new beta design I made specifically for the 2017/2018. Have you taken it on a ride and does it work ok? My biggest worry is whether it would trigger the sensor since it looked like the older model used a bigger magnet. But I did try to get the position of the magnet as perfect as possible. The clearance with the frame is also ok?

Regarding the lid / cover, it looks like Shapeways sent you the wrong cover! I'm guessing they mixed it up with someone else's order, so now someone is going to receive the cover that was intended for you This will be the second time they mixed up people's orders. Can you contact them using the link below and ask them to send you the correct cover?

Shapeways: Contact Us

Please let me know if you have any trouble with their support.

Hello, the answer from Sapeways :

"Hi Samuel,

Thank you for your patience. After speaking with our production team, the model was printed as designed so a reprint will result in a similar situation.

Since we're only the manufacturer of models that designers upload, we don't run end-user tests on any models printed and can't guarantee it will work as designed.

My best recommendation would be to reach out to the designer directly.

I hope you understand and please let me know if you have any other questions."

... do not I understand? .. How can I get a lid that closes properly? .. What will happen when I enter mud?

I await your news.
Thank you.

 

[jd_3d]

Hello, the answer from Sapeways :

"Hi Samuel,

Thank you for your patience. After speaking with our production team, the model was printed as designed so a reprint will result in a similar situation.

Since we're only the manufacturer of models that designers upload, we don't run end-user tests on any models printed and can't guarantee it will work as designed.

My best recommendation would be to reach out to the designer directly.

I hope you understand and please let me know if you have any other questions."

... do not I understand? .. How can I get a lid that closes properly? .. What will happen when I enter mud?

I await your news.
Thank you.

Hi @Sameroquay. It really was Shapeway's fault as they printed the wrong part, but let me contact them and see if I can help get it resolved. If I can't get them to help then I will create a separate product of just the cover and send it out to your free of charge. Let me PM you for your order info so I can contact them with additional information.