Kenvo strange motor noise under load

[Swissrider]

When my motor of my 2018 Kenevo gets hot, typically during a long ascent, it starts to make an unusual noise. It was like a ticking at first and then grew more continuous and louder. It only happens under load and is the motor, not the transmission (as it does not make the noise when peddling with the motor off). Does anyone know what causes this? Is there a cure or is it a sign of something wrong in the motor which means it might fail. I'm a bit concerned that the guarantee runs out this summer (although I have not used it for all of the two years due to snow in the winter when the bike is put away for three to four months) and that the motor might fail. Also, with lock down, the bike shops are mostly closed in Switzerland and I'm not even allowed to go to France where I bought it. Here is a link to a video on which you can hear the odd noise.

 

[muzzman1]

My 2019 here in this video was making the sound in your video, then it got worse. Then it went away for a couple weeks. Then the belt failed.
I don't know if one has to do with the other.
My 2020 levo is now making the exact sound your bike is making under load only with the motor swtiched on, the same as my 2019. Hopefully my 2020 will not break the belt any time soon as well. It's only a couple weeks old with 400 miles.
By the way, my 2019 broke the belt at 800 miles.

My previous 2019 broke 3 belts in 3000 miles.

Knocking/Clicking noise from the motor - EMTB Forums

 

[Swissrider]

Thanks for this. Did you get a new motor each time or did they just replace the belt?I’ve done nearly 2000k so in a sense doing better then you, although it’s a pain having to have the bike off the road. My LBS asked me to send them the video and they said they will send it to Specialized. They said there is little point in bringing the bike in as it will only make the noise when hot and they are also snowed under with work as lock down eases and everyone wants their bike fixed!

 

[muzzman1]

They LBS has been replacing the motor.
Problem over here in California is, logistics are really slow right now. I've been waiting a month at this point. I'm told it will be done saturday. Thankfully I have a spare bike that is identical. I ride daily.

 

[Swissrider]

Me too. It’s a fine thing when one needs a spare bike to keep riding because of unreliability! Luckily, I have my wife’s Levo if my bike goes out of action. I sent video of noise to nearby bike shop (crossroad cycles in Martigny) who were very helpful and sent it off last night to Specialized. He got a reply this morning saying that they conceded that the motor was very noisy (more to the point, it’s a nasty noise which suggests something not right). Anyway, I have to take the bike to the shop with receipt and so they can take photos, of what I’m not sure. This sounds reasonably promising and hopefully will resutl

 

[Swissrider]

in a replacement motor. I’ll update.