Levo Gen 2 Levo 21' motor problem

DtEW

Active member
Dec 8, 2020
206
190
Bay Area, California
Levo noise!

any thoughts what's the probleme here?
it's not always present, random noise during ride even with small presssure on pedals and low torque.

It sounds like the belt is slipping. You probably want to take it in.

This is concerning/disappointing for a '21 Levo, which should've gotten the new belt. Can you share with the community the production date of your motor?
 

sportiva

Member
Aug 2, 2020
20
3
Croatia
Screenshot_20210603-092612.jpg
 

Zimmerframe

MUPPET
Subscriber
Jun 12, 2019
14,028
20,815
Brittany, France
22nd July 2020 - so around the time we guess the change over happened - late July/Early August. But we don't know exactly. So could be old belt and could be new belt.

Cadence looks ok, so you're not cooking it :)

Also sounds a bit like a miss-aligned chain guide - but louder.

@Bearing Man You're the sound king ! :)
 

sportiva

Member
Aug 2, 2020
20
3
Croatia
Bike was 30 days at lbs, testing it and trying to figure out what is going on. First motor produced same simptoms and sound. After they changed it, new one started producing this sound after 50km. All other mechanical parts are ok and everything is as it should be. We are out of ideas....what are the chanses that both motors are wrong!?
 

jsharpe

Active member
May 15, 2019
181
185
USA
I had what sounded like the same noise and was certain it was coming from the motor, which had been replaced with the newer spec last fall. It turned out to be the cassette hub needed cleaned and greased. Smooth and silent after that.
 

sportiva

Member
Aug 2, 2020
20
3
Croatia
They checked all mechanical parts, took it apart, cleaned it and regreased it....and same thing after 2 rides...
 

Bearing Man

Ebike Motor Centre
Patreon
Sep 29, 2018
975
2,331
UK
22nd July 2020 - so around the time we guess the change over happened - late July/Early August. But we don't know exactly. So could be old belt and could be new belt.

Cadence looks ok, so you're not cooking it :)

Also sounds a bit like a miss-aligned chain guide - but louder.

@Bearing Man You're the sound king ! :)
It does not sound like the motor, it just doesn't sound internal. It also does not sound like the speed anything is running within the motor. It sounds like chain or chainring. Have you changed a chain or chainring recently? Is the chainring tight to the spider? If all good, remove and check the rear cassette freewheel. Check for cracks, damage or dryness. Any noise can transmit down the chain and seem like it's coming from the motor.
You said after your last motor it was good for 50 miles? What changed? Was the crankarms lubricated when re-fitted, did you have a chain or sprocket changed at the same time etc.
You also said that you checked all mechanical parts and it came back after 2 rides? This would prove it's not internal from the motor. It would also point again to chain not fitting front chainring properly? Correct chain fitted? Do you have a chain wear gauge?

Sorry, I don't need answers to any of these questions, it's just the stuff I would be looking for if someone bought a bike into my shop sounding like that (y)
 

sportiva

Member
Aug 2, 2020
20
3
Croatia
Yes spider is changed with new one, chain is ok 60% of life in it, everything stock around drivetrain. And yes mechanic put a lot of grease when assembling spider, chainring and nut that holds the spider. Really odd situation, guys at lbs were in contact with specialized experts and forward them all service updates but at the end we all couldn't resolve the problem.
 

Bearing Man

Ebike Motor Centre
Patreon
Sep 29, 2018
975
2,331
UK
Spider was changed, what about chainring? The only reason I keep on about this is that I have just had a Levo here doing the exact same thing and although it had a new chain and I could see no issue with the chainring at all, the chain just did not fit the chainring and as soon as you applied a bit of pedal pressure the same noise would start up.
 

sportiva

Member
Aug 2, 2020
20
3
Croatia
Chainring and chain are together from day 1 :)
Heard about potential chain suck by a bit worn out chainring.....but at the end, I'm really dissapointed with levo...bike was 30 days in total during 3 months at lbs. Turning on by itself, few rimes I had error messages and of course this problem with motor or something else.
 

Mikerb

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 16, 2019
6,565
5,055
Weymouth
If I am reading this right you are using the original chain cassette and chain ring..........but have changed the spider.............why? What can go wrong with a spider?? Why was it changed?
I'm with @Bearing Man, this sounds like some sort of mismatch or something loose at the chain ring or a wildly wrong chainline. The noise sounds like the chain either hitting the chainguide or not running smooth on the chain ring.

Which model Levo is it. If it is 12 speed Shimano it will have the microspline freehub which is known to make noises when it fails...which seems quite often......and is apparently non serviceable so nothing the shop will have with it if it is faulty.
 
Last edited:

DtEW

Active member
Dec 8, 2020
206
190
Bay Area, California
Which model Levo is it. If it is 12 speed Shimano it will have the microspline freehub which is known to make noises when it fails...which seems quite often......and is apparently non serviceable so nothing the shop will have with it if it is faulty.

FYI, the microspline freewheel mechanism that comes on the '21 Levo Comp is steel and uses conventional pawls, not the infamously failure-prone Sylence/modified-Sylence quick-engagement freewheel mechanism. Credit to Speshy for that.
 

Mikerb

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 16, 2019
6,565
5,055
Weymouth
FYI, the microspline freewheel mechanism that comes on the '21 Levo Comp is steel and uses conventional pawls, not the infamously failure-prone Sylence/modified-Sylence quick-engagement freewheel mechanism. Credit to Speshy for that.
Ah OK.........thats good. Cant really see anything in the rear hub/freehub that would cause that sort of noise then so much more likely up at the chain ring end.
 

jsharpe

Active member
May 15, 2019
181
185
USA
Ah OK.........thats good. Cant really see anything in the rear hub/freehub that would cause that sort of noise then so much more likely up at the chain ring end.
Just to clarify my earlier post. My similar creak was coming from the interface between the cassette and freehub. However, I've converted to XD so probably not your issue. It was probably mostly due to it not being fully tight but cleaning and lubing didn't hurt either. We were able to isolate the area by manipulating the cassette by hand. i.e. not with the chain by pedaling.
 

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