Specialized reliability?

[SquireRides]

When I got the bike back from the dealer after the first ride I went to turn it off and it turned back on. I wonder if this is to give you a heads up something isn’t right? It still does this when I turn it off. It takes 2 tries for it to turn off.

Didn't I see something about this being incorrect motor firmware. The motor ships from Brose with the wrong version for Specialized, and the dealer has to set it before delivery...

 

[comtn]

It shows the firmware is 7.1.1 My wife’s bike that I bought 2 weeks ago shows 6.1. Anyone know the current firmware number?

 

[Murch]

If you have a Levo 2019 it should be 6.1.0

 

[bushkila]

@comtn
Motor Software 7.1.1 ist the up to date BROSE Software, all S-Mag Motors got shipped with these.!!
Motor Software 6.1.0 it is the up to date Trail Tune Software from Specialized for your Motor !
You have to go to your Shop,..your Dealer has to delete the 7.1.1 Brose Software and afterwards install the Specialized Trail Tune 6.1.0 via the TCU, something they/he should have done before handing over the Bike to the customer/you....
Greets

 

[comtn]

@comtn
Motor Software 7.1.1 ist the up to date BROSE Software, all S-Mag Motors got shipped with these.!!
Motor Software 6.1.0 it is the up to date Trail Tune Software from Specialized for your Motor !
You have to go to your Shop,..your Dealer has to delete the 7.1.1 Brose Software and afterwards install the Specialized Trail Tune 6.1.0 via the TCU, something they/he should have done before handing over the Bike to the customer/you....
Greets

Ok thanks! Hopefully this solves the battery pack failure message I am getting also.

 

[bushkila]

Yep it will solve your prob, thats because your Battery uses already a Specialized Software, while your Motor got the Brose Software,...thats why you get the Error Message.

 

[blacktiger]

I thought you couldn't attach to carbon frames. Won't the weight damage the frame ?

I have no idea about carbon frames because I don't have one.

 

[salko]

I came across this pool on FB emtb page with 8k+ members. I wasn't aware that Specialized has such a big market share on emtb's, this kinda explains why there seems to be so many threads about problems with Specialized emtbs/brose motors.

 

[wepn]

I came across this pool on FB emtb page with 8k+ members. I wasn't aware that Specialized has such a big market share on emtb's, this kinda explains why there seems to be so many threads about problems with Specialized emtbs/brose motors.

View attachment 33052

Another metric - the number of manufacturer specific posts here:

1. Specialized 48K Messages
2. YT Industries 5.5K Messages
3. Giant 4.9K Messages
4. Vitus 4.2K Messages
5. Focus 4K Messages
6. Cube 2.7K Messages
7. Trek 2.4K Messages
8. Merida 2.1K Messages
9. Commencal 2K Messages
10. Canyon 1.7K Messages
11. Haibike 1.1K Messages
12. Scott 228 Messages
13. KTM 178 Messages

Other Manufacturers
3.2K Messages

 

[beutelfuchs]

It will be interesting to see my current motor is 200109 so yours is even newer. I am hoping mine wasn't too early in Jan. That sucks about the bad battery, hopefully it's a quick turn around on a replacement.

Mine is build 3d before yours. I will follow you see see when you post that it broke

 

[WillN]

Maybe ive been living under a rock, ive not heard of Brose issues till I came here, ironically to see if any had Flyon issues. I had a Bosch cx with no issues and 2k plus miles in all weathers, a riding friend has had 2 Bosch cx, one no issues for similar miles and still going strong with another friend who bought it off him, his 2nd bosch the motor was replaced with under 100 miles.

3 friends bought levos in 2017, no issues at all and both me and my main riding buddy from above got 2020 Levos in Jan, both probably 500 - 750 miles with no issue, *so far.

Seems to be many complaints at Brose and Spesh on here, perhaps rightly so with some of the unfortunate guys above experience, but anyone have any real time data to failure rate as a % to numbers sold, to me that would be far more telling than peddling the whole brose is cr*p and unfit for purpose stuff, you could easily find out with a freedom of information request if you were so inclined, probably from spesh or brose.

If there's a Corporate FOIA (Freedom of Information Act)?? News to me. (But that's definitely what I want for Christmas!)
We all know the procedure: "Gee, this is the first time one of our customers has ever had this problem." "This is rare." Then "What were you doing when this happened? How do you ride? You must be very competitive. Did it have a hard impact?" Then it's, "These things are designed to the highest industry standards, but nothing lasts forever."
We once had the Model 54 Maytag washing machine. This is the machine, made in the 1950s that created the whole 'Maytag Repairman, loneliest man in town' thing. Reliable? When my girlfriend bought it, it was 20 years old, about 20 years later we sold it to someone else. The entire time we owned it the seal on a thrust bearing was shot and it leaked oil on the floor. Still ran. I bought the kit but never got around to fixing it. The timer broke. I replaced it. $50 (after thirty years). This was when I learned about the oil leak and bought the kit ($15). The guy who sold me the kit said it could leak like that forever and still run. I'll bet somewhere that 65 year old washer is still working, every model made between 20 and 30 years after it are not working. It's not because the secrets of the Maytag Model 54 have been lost to time, it's that one of the next washing machines, or EMTBs, you will sell will be to a former customer - unless the machine they've got is still working fine.
So no one wants to make them too good.
I think if there was a Corporate FOIA we'd find out that all these problems in all our stuff that we've been blamed and had to pay for were known all along. The conditions that cause the failure are known, the permanent fix is understood but possibly impractical, too expensive, or intentionally ignored. I don't think any company would make something like an EMTB to intentionally fail within a year or two. I haven't seen a lists of people complaining about too many tire punctures, or paint that scratches. Most of us are honest practical people. When a problem begins to get attention it's likely because it's outside of what we think is reasonable.
What I haven't seen in these lists is anyone saying, "Man, I slammed it hard. Every time." What I'm reading is some people rode a lot of kilometers, some people did a lot of steep climbing (that's the one that concerns me). Also, that noises began to happen at the start (but fixed under warranty - good, but quality control?) , or that noises started up after not that many months later. And the most worrisome information? That replacement motors are $1300, and there's no user servicing. Also no one says, they had the belt replaced and everything is good.
The broader problem is that this undermines the sport and business of EMTBs. It's taken me two years to finally say, 'yeah, okay $8k for a bike- I'll do it.' But do I want to spend 4k a year on a bike that lasts it's two year warranty? So the question now seems to be, what are the most reliable EMTBs?

 

[kawamaha]

I own a 2018 levo and I am still happy with it. nevertheless time will come when i want a new bike. So I've seen the 2019 noise problem and the first months of almost troublefree 2020's.
Now it seems as there is one bike a day that quits running (following this and a german forum). of course no statement of speci if there is a change on the 2021 levos because they have no problem ???

Now, out of warranty, I hope it will make it through the next months and then change the belt in winter. Will I keep it until a reliable levo comes out? thats the question ?

 

[DS.]

My motor has give up today started slipping 2200 miles had a feeling for the past two months that something was wrong with it

 

[SwissChess]

I love my Kenevo 2020 when it works, but spending too much time at this forum!
- 1 year old
- 6000 Km
- 2 rear shock replacement
- 3 motors
- 2 TUC
- 3 time not starting after charging (wet conditions)
- LBS tells me not to go out when it's raining?

It seems Kenevo' Levo's / Brose aer not there where they should be!
So I hope I can soon give up my parking slot at the LBS and go out again.

 

[High Rock Ruti]

I own a 2018 levo and I am still happy with it. nevertheless time will come when i want a new bike. So I've seen the 2019 noise problem and the first months of almost troublefree 2020's.
Now it seems as there is one bike a day that quits running (following this and a german forum). of course no statement of speci if there is a change on the 2021 levos because they have no problem ???

Now, out of warranty, I hope it will make it through the next months and then change the belt in winter. Will I keep it until a reliable levo comes out? thats the question ?

High Rock Ruti

The 2018 is out of warranty, what about 2 year extension on 2018 Bikes total warranty now 4 years?

Warm Regards

Ruti