Levo Gen 2 Ongoing Issues with 2019 Turbo Levo - any advice?

[gmodertom]

Hi all,

I'm just making this post to seek some advice or to see if anyone else has also had issues with their Turbo Levo. I'll start by going through a timeline of what's happened:

4th October 2019 - Bike Purchased

15th February 2020 - The connection began to drop out on the bike. Often it would power on by itself and then power off randomly when riding, sometimes it would turn on again but often it wouldn't making the bike unusable. I put in a warranty claim with my local dealership as advised by the retailer I purchased from. They said it was likely the wiring loom which was a known fault and this was replaced. The bike was then working fine!

9th May 2020 - Bike had some parts replaced that were worn, cassette etc. The bike then worked fine for the summer.

19th December 2020 - The connection issue returned. I took it back to the shop for an inspection/service and to fix the issue. As the wiring loom had been replaced they decided to see if they could fix it without putting in a warranty claim. They managed to do so and believed it may be due to water ingress in the speed controller/power button.

17th February 2021 - The connection issue returned yet again. I have been careful to avoid getting it wet especially around the electronics. I always dry it with a towel and then use a pet/motorbike dryer to blast any excess water out. The shop said to remove the controller and place near a radiator to dry it out and see if that helped. I left the bike inside near a radiator along with the controller for 48hrs and this didn't solve the issue. The shop have since put in another warranty claim (approx 2 weeks ago) I am still awaiting a response.

The issue has also cropped up a few times in-between the dates on the timeline above however in these cases it seemed to fix itself but it does suggest there has always been an issue with the connection.

If the bike has the issue again after the 2nd warranty claim where do I stand? I know that the warranty is 4 years but if my bike is stopping working every few months and I'm having to wait a while to get it fixed each time the extended warranty is not much help. It's also very frustrating when it dies mid ride and I have to get it home without power. One of the reasons I got an electric bike is because I live in a hilly area and wanted the freedom to go further, so when it dies mid ride it can leave me stranded. It's also difficult as I don't have a vehicle I can transport it in so have to get a lift off someone with a van each time it has to go back to the shop.

Has anyone else had this issue? Have I just got unlucky and got a lemon?

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Kind regards

Tom

 

[Zimmerframe]

The battery/motor cable was upgraded and the design changed. The original used to crack open and water would enter. There's a good chance that even though your first cable was replaced, it will have been replaced with the older type cable - so you could just have the same problem again.

The TCU - mounted in the top tube, has also been known to suffer water ingress problems. Sometimes it's just the USB cover (inside, used for shop diagnosis/updates) isn't always seated correctly, so water gets in there. Once it's dry, it's fine again. There are also instances of water working it's way into the TCU through the joint. Some people take it out and tape around it so it's more water proof and put it back in again.

 

[gmodertom]

The battery/motor cable was upgraded and the design changed. The original used to crack open and water would enter. There's a good chance that even though your first cable was replaced, it will have been replaced with the older type cable - so you could just have the same problem again.

The TCU - mounted in the top tube, has also been known to suffer water ingress problems. Sometimes it's just the USB cover (inside, used for shop diagnosis/updates) isn't always seated correctly, so water gets in there. Once it's dry, it's fine again. There are also instances of water working it's way into the TCU through the joint. Some people take it out and tape around it so it's more water proof and put it back in again.

Thanks for the reply. It seems as though I may have had both issues that you mentioned. I seem to remember the shop saying the cable had been revised but as you say perhaps I got an older one fitted at that time. I just have to hope then the cable/TCU both get replaced once the 2nd warranty claim goes through!

 

[Zimmerframe]

There's a good chance they'd change the cable, unless when they look it's already the new one and it's the TCU which is at fault.

Ultimately, I'm sure they'll fix it. If they don't change the TCU, you might want to pop it out and put some tape around it just incase. There are some threads on it but I can't find them at the moment, I'll have a look later.

 

[Mikerb]

Agree with all @Zimmerframe has told you. I would further suggest you rely a little less on your LBS and investigate yourself starting by removing the non drive side crank and motor cover to inspect the battery to motor cable. Check out other threads on here to be able to identify the revised cable and see if that is what you now have. You had it replaced only very shortly after the new cable was released so it is possible it is the older model. If so it is likely to have cracked the motor end plug ( as did your original). If that is the case and it is not too badly damaged, it is easy to repair and seal whilst you request a replacement. If it is OK then as above, the TCU is the next likely culprit. To dry it out takes a few days. The air inside it needs to be warm enough to evaporate the damp and rise out of the TCU. To enable that you need to remove the TCU and with the USB port unplugged and positioned uppermost, place the TCU in an airing cupboard or similar. Resting a bit of tissue over the open USB port will absorb the moisture rising out of it, so check it and renew regularly. Assuming drying it out resolves your problem you can prevent re-occurence by wrapping it in tape being sure to seal the casing join and the cable entry point. You can also put a liquid gasket between the TCU and the frame to prevent water ingress ( grease the frame lightly beforehand so that the gasket only sticks to one surface).

 

[JetSetDemo]

Must be fate that you post this today as it matches my experience wry closely

So my 2019 Levo has almost identical issues to yours. I had the motor cable replaced last January but the intermittent stop start issue has been going on for 18m at least. I had 2 new motors last year also, both the new upgraded version, the belt went in my original motor after 1800 miles, then the new motor failed at 300 miles, torque sensor issue.

so I was out Saturday and it was doing it’s usual trick of not switching on, I always have to plug and unplug and then plug again to get it to start, unfortunately it was way worse than normal and cut out around 40 times before setting down and completed the last hour of a 26m ride with no more issues.

Sunday went To go again and enjoy the sunshine and it point blank refused to switch on. So gave Berksihre cycles a call Monday and arranged to take go down Wednesday and take the rest of the week off work.

So today it turns out it is a faulty TCU, to be honest I think the TCU has been faulty for the last 18m but all fitted free of charge under warranty even though the bike was 2 years old

you are not alone!

now it’s all fixed I’m going to sell it and get a Santa Cruz bullet.

good luck

 

[gmodertom]

Must be fate that you post this today as it matches my experience wry closely

So my 2019 Levo has almost identical issues to yours. I had the motor cable replaced last January but the intermittent stop start issue has been going on for 18m at least. I had 2 new motors last year also, both the new upgraded version, the belt went in my original motor after 1800 miles, then the new motor failed at 300 miles, torque sensor issue.

so I was out Saturday and it was doing it’s usual trick of not switching on, I always have to plug and unplug and then plug again to get it to start, unfortunately it was way worse than normal and cut out around 40 times before setting down and completed the last hour of a 26m ride with no more issues.

Sunday went To go again and enjoy the sunshine and it point blank refused to switch on. So gave Berksihre cycles a call Monday and arranged to take go down Wednesday and take the rest of the week off work.

So today it turns out it is a faulty TCU, to be honest I think the TCU has been faulty for the last 18m but all fitted free of charge under warranty even though the bike was 2 years old

you are not alone!

now it’s all fixed I’m going to sell it and get a Santa Cruz bullet.

good luck

Seems like I'm not alone with the issues!

I took the motor cover off yesterday and it was a bit damp inside so I cleaned and dried this out. Left my bike and the TCU near the radiator overnight again to see if this helped. It still won't power on at all. A red light flashes on the TCU and there is a faint beep but it won't power on.

Hopefully the warranty claim goes though and it all gets fixed. I'm also debating selling the bike and switching for something else. My only fear is if I sell it and it goes faulty for the new owner it could be a lot of hassle? I'm also not likely to get back anywhere near what I paid for it. It's a rather frustrating situation all round! I'm just hoping that come summer when things relax I'll have a working bike that I can take to some trail centres.

 

[JetSetDemo]

You shouldn’t have any issues with a warranty claim. It’s a 4hr round trip for me to get to Berkshire cycles but I would not go anywhere else, while you wait service is superb, I have used the concept stores in Nottingham and Birmingham and the service is not good.

I think prices are holding up well for the second hand market. I think t paid £7200 for mine new and I see plenty of 2019 Carbon experts around the £4750-£5250 selling fast.

I believe the new Levo or Kenevo SL is due to land soon so that may hit prices a little.

good luck with getting it fixed, I just came back from a 26m blast around the local and it never missed a beat, they are fantastic bikes when they work.