Levo Gen 2 Warranty extension & Firmware Update for all 2019/20 Levo/Kenevo with 2.1 motors

[Canmore TLCC 29]

Some questions (and answers) that our retailers already asked -

Why are you focusing on the Specialized 2.1 motor?
Some time ago it came to our attention that we were experiencing a small but unacceptable number of early-life failures with our 2.1 motor systems. Symptoms typically have been a lack/failure of support/drive to the crank whilst the motor continues to spin at high speed.


Why are you offering a 4-year motor warranty to owners of a 2019/20 Turbo Levo and 2020 Kenevo?
A number of affected riders have expressed to us that they are concerned for the longevity of their purchase, we want to speak directly to this concern by offering peace of mind and demonstrating confidence in our products. We’ve made running improvements to 2.1 motors fitted to the latest MY21 bikes and we want to offer the same peace of mind to all existing owners.


Which bikes are covered and how will the 4-year warranty work?
All 2.1 motors fitted to model year 2019/20 Levo & model year 2020 Kenevo bikes immediately carry a 4-year warranty from the date of purchase. No certificate or new warranty document is required, our authorised retailers will base any motor warranty claim on bike serial number.


Is this warranty transferrable if a rider sells the bike?
Absolutely – the rider must pass on their proof of purchase as this is a pre-requisite of all warranty support.


What have you been doing about this and why has it taken so long to identify?
We have worked relentlessly with our motor partner to drive improvements in our 2.1 motors. Although the symptom is typically a failed belt or freewheel, the root-causes are complex - the reality is that continuous improvements have been made to both hardware and firmware in order to improve overall reliability. And we’ll continue to work together with all technology partners to drive meaningful improvements to performance and reliability. Innovation at Specialized will never stop.


What hardware improvements have been made to the 2.1 motor?
Since 2018 when the 2.1 motor was launched, a number of hardware and firmware updates have been made - including steps to reduce operational noise, fitting a stronger belt, updates to the freewheel (sprag clutch) assembly and numerous optimizations to address strength and overall reliability.


When did these hardware improvements go into production?
There has been continuous improvement since the 2.1 motor was launched in 2018 – we’re focused on any field failures to our products and will continue to drive improvements into the future. The most recent hardware changes affecting reliability have been made to motors fitted to MY21 Levo / Kenevo.


What firmware improvements have been made to the 2.1 motor?
Recently we identified an issue with 2.1 motor firmware that has contributed to reduced belt-life. Based on specific riding styles & terrains, some riders have experienced ultra-short periods where torque was significantly higher than component tolerance levels – accelerating belt failure. To address this we’ve released optimized motor firmware that removes these “spikes” without affecting bike performance.


Has the new firmware reduced motor power or changed the riding experience?
Motor power and bike performance is the same as before, torque spikes were too short to be noticed by the rider. The only change riders will notice is to the walk-assist function which has been reduced in power to comply with recent legislation.


When will you release this firmware?
The new firmware was released to all retailers on 28th July. Riders can arrange with retailers to have this firmware installed at their convenience - please do book in advance and bear with retailers during this season of unprecedented demand for bike service.


Why have some riders experienced multiple failure rates?
Whilst the vast majority of riders have experienced no issues at all, some riders have had more than one replacement motor. Our recent focus areas have been riding style, terrain, climate etc to better understand why field failures have occurred, however we know how frustrating this is for our riders and we’re committed to delivering products that meet their expectations.


Will you replace motors proactively?
No - we won’t replace any motor that is working correctly. The vast majority of riders have had no issues and we believe our latest firmware update will bring meaningful reliability improvements.

OK, so I did the firmware update this morning. I did a quick check in the parking lot and found that the walk feature has changed markedly. Now when I push the walk button nothing really seemed to happen until I started walking, and then it kicked in. I had it in the lowest gear ratio, and noticed the pedals sweeping away as the motor caught up to my walking speed. Riding around in the parking lot indicated all modes work fine. I am hoping this firmware up date is soon forgotten, and my Turbo Levo serves me well for many years without needing a new motor. ??

 

[NIBW]

It looks like @Specialized Rider Care doesnt respond here any more. Has anyone had any luck with contacting them through the contact form on their website?

 

[Matti]

It looks like @Specialized Rider Care doesnt respond here any more. Has anyone had any luck with contacting them through the contact form on their website?

Yeah, I have. Took a few days for them to respond.

 

[NIBW]

Just spoke with the LBS, they got the motor in last week but now the service manager left the shop and they can’t tell me when they might fix. Almost a month in the shop and not clear what I’m waiting on and less clarity of when it’ll be done. This is normally a very reputable shop.
Timeline has been.
Aug 19-25 just to run diagnostic and tell me motor is bad
Aug 26 - Sept 4 warranty claim and shipment of motor
Sept 5 - ? Wait for shop manager to return to work unknown
Ugh...

Finally heard from the LBS and picked up the bike. Motor is 200727. No noticeable difference in ride or power on test ride. Will hit some trails tomorrow to really check it. LBS on the phone said it took An hour 45mins to put in the new motor. When I picked it up the receipt claimed 9 hours of work - which I’m assuming they’ll pass on to Specialized. Let’s hope I don’t have to go through this again anytime soon.

 

[cleoent]

Finally heard from the LBS and picked up the bike. Motor is 200727. No noticeable difference in ride or power on test ride. Will hit some trails tomorrow to really check it. LBS on the phone said it took An hour 45mins to put in the new motor. When I picked it up the receipt claimed 9 hours of work - which I’m assuming they’ll pass on to Specialized. Let’s hope I don’t have to go through this again anytime soon.

Lol, sounds like your lbs has employed a medical biller for their warranty claims.

 

[MrSimmo]

Finally heard from the LBS and picked up the bike. Motor is 200727. No noticeable difference in ride or power on test ride. Will hit some trails tomorrow to really check it. LBS on the phone said it took An hour 45mins to put in the new motor. When I picked it up the receipt claimed 9 hours of work - which I’m assuming they’ll pass on to Specialized. Let’s hope I don’t have to go through this again anytime soon.

That is a genius piece of fraud on their side ?

 

[FlowDough]

I have a 2020 Levo purchased in May 2020...

The Walk assist has been rubbish from new.

When pressed it does nothing at first, most of the time! Then kicks in intermittently at varying levels of torque.

On all the Demo Bikes I tried (2019 Levo and Kenevo) the Walk assist was great yet on my bike it's crap.

That's a good way to describe the walk assist, it's very vague, inconsistent, and mostly weak. The best way to deal with it is to pretend that you don't have a walk assist while using the Walk assist and try to push the bike completely on your own. Then you are pleasantly surprised when it kicks in.

It's a bummer for people like me who like to do off-trail exploring and trail scouting in sometimes steep terrain. But it's still much better than nothing at all cause I couldn't push my 50 pound Kenevo uphill much on my own at all. I still think the warranty extension makes up for it though.

 

[DetailsMonster]

Finally got my bike back after 3 months and a week. So far so good but the Walk Mode is useless (as mentioned before). Pressing Walk button only spins the cranks at about the rate of a seconds hand on a clock. WTF?

 

[Grannyjones]

My Motor is still the original that came with 2020 Levo Comp - It's done 2624KM - manufactured August 2019 - I've been told anything with a date previous to February 2020 is a "Time bomb" and will definetely fail at some point. There has been no issues yet but it was slightly louder than normal on a recent ride - Is this the first sign of when the problems are on their way ?

 

[TheBikePilot]

My Motor is still the original that came with 2020 Levo Comp - It's done 2624KM - manufactured August 2019 - I've been told anything with a date previous to February 2020 is a "Time bomb" and will definetely fail at some point. There has been no issues yet but it was slightly louder than normal on a recent ride - Is this the first sign of when the problems are on their way ?

Not sure if your in the UK but it’s been a bit warmer last week or so than before and it makes a bit more noise then.

 

[MrSimmo]

My Motor is still the original that came with 2020 Levo Comp - It's done 2624KM - manufactured August 2019 - I've been told anything with a date previous to February 2020 is a "Time bomb" and will definetely fail at some point. There has been no issues yet but it was slightly louder than normal on a recent ride - Is this the first sign of when the problems are on their way ?

Not sure if your in the UK but it’s been a bit warmer last week or so than before and it makes a bit more noise then.

Agreed, my 2020 Levo (April 2019 motor) did the same the other week; it made more noise on a couple of rides but since then has returned to being quiet. Think they all do that.

 

[Toight_Tiger]

Firstly, I was a bit nervous about all of the motor issues until this notification and warranty extension was issued by Specialized, so well done putting 2020 Levo owners minds at rest.

Next comes the motor firmware update which some may have felt was tied in with the warranty extension (myself included). Expected effect of update - to increase the longevity of the motor.

The update was done last week by the local Concept Store (free of charge). I rode my bike today for the first time since the update, in turbo mode for a “power hour” before work. Very unimpressed. Yes the power delivery has been smoothed off and is a little less abrupt. However, the power/torque seems to be limited and felt like about 80% of what it it was before the update. The walk assist is now almost non existent and almost useless. Anyone having similar issues ?

Any idea if we can reverse the update to the previous and wait for Spesh to come up with a more acceptable firmware update ?

Thanks all.

 

[Paul willis]

Mine has gone in today belt screeched and cannot wheel bike backwards belt and clutch ,so they say love mine though nothing out there as good looking 2019 carbon turbo

 

[NULevo]

Mine has gone in today belt screeched and cannot wheel bike backwards belt and clutch ,so they say love mine though nothing out there as good looking 2019 carbon turbo

Where did you take it? mine was in yesterday (not for motor) and lbs said exactly the same thing to me!

 

[DetailsMonster]

Firstly, I was a bit nervous about all of the motor issues until this notification and warranty extension was issued by Specialized, so well done putting 2020 Levo owners minds at rest.

Next comes the motor firmware update which some may have felt was tied in with the warranty extension (myself included). Expected effect of update - to increase the longevity of the motor.

The update was done last week by the local Concept Store (free of charge). I rode my bike today for the first time since the update, in turbo mode for a “power hour” before work. Very unimpressed. Yes the power delivery has been smoothed off and is a little less abrupt. However, the power/torque seems to be limited and felt like about 80% of what it it was before the update. The walk assist is now almost non existent and almost useless. Anyone having similar issues ?

Any idea if we can reverse the update to the previous and wait for Spesh to come up with a more acceptable firmware update ?

Thanks all.

Same for me but I can live with the torque loss if it means the motor will last. And Yes, walk mode is now useless. Hope they fix that at some point.

 

[Specialized Rider Care]

I rode my bike today for the first time since the update, in turbo mode for a “power hour” before work. Very unimpressed. Yes the power delivery has been smoothed off and is a little less abrupt. However, the power/torque seems to be limited and felt like about 80% of what it it was before the update.

Hi @Toight_Tiger - sorry to hear you haven't got the same feeling of power delivery since the update. There is no difference to the torque curves of the previous vs new motor firmware update, however running the firmware update will reset you to factory default tuning. To get the bike back the way you had it before is easy - just open Mission Control and either manually tune it the way you like it or recall a preset that you've previously saved. For example - other riders have had the same initial response as you and then realized they were set to 0% acceleration response after the update and had been on 100% before. Can you post back here to confirm that re-tuning worked?

 

[Specialized Rider Care]

The walk assist is now almost non existent and almost useless. Anyone having similar issues?

We hear you and have commented a few times about the walk assist, it was adjusted to comply with legislation (because you're not peddling when the motor supports you there are clear rules about how fast it can go etc) but adjustments have been too conservative. We're working on this with our motor partner and will keep riders updated on a separate thread WALK mode 50% less assist after firmware update. - EMTB Forums

 

[Manxbiker]

We hear you and have commented a few times about the walk assist, it was adjusted to comply with legislation (because you're not peddling when the motor supports you there are clear rules about how fast it can go etc) but adjustments have been too conservative. We're working on this with our motor partner and will keep riders updated on a separate thread WALK mode 50% less assist after firmware update. - EMTB Forums

Oh great, so we will have to pay more money for another firmware update to rectify this?

 

[eagerly]

Hi @Toight_Tiger - sorry to hear you haven't got the same feeling of power delivery since the update. There is no difference to the torque curves of the previous vs new motor firmware update, however running the firmware update will reset you to factory default tuning. To get the bike back the way you had it before is easy - just open Mission Control and either manually tune it the way you like it or recall a preset that you've previously saved. For example - other riders have had the same initial response as you and then realized they were set to 0% acceleration response after the update and had been on 100% before. Can you post back here to confirm that re-tuning worked?

Thanks a lot for your reply, very appreciated. I though after several weeks with new motor and new firmware, have more than a sensation that the power and torque was someway decreased compared to previous firmware experience. The sensors are my legs I use to ride with other levos 2018 and when I engage turbo, it looks like the bike needs more from me than it was before, in same conditions. In other words, it assists less...are you 100% sure that there is no change in turbo power and torque supply?

 

[TheBikePilot]

Thanks a lot for your reply, very appreciated. I though after several weeks with new motor and new firmware, have more than a sensation that the power and torque was someway decreased compared to previous firmware experience. The sensors are my legs I use to ride with other levos 2018 and when I engage turbo, it looks like the bike needs more from me than it was before, in same conditions. In other words, it assists less...are you 100% sure that there is no change in turbo power and torque supply?

Have you checked your Mission Control settings? After the firmware update, I believe they may have defaulted back to base settings or not as before.

Best settings I have found Eco 30/100 Trail 60/100 Turbo 100/100

 

[eagerly]

Have you checked your Mission Control settings? After the firmware update, I believe they may have defaulted back to base settings or not as before.

Best settings I have found Eco 30/100 Trail 60/100 Turbo 100/100

yes i checked them...

 

[jsharpe]

yes i checked them...

I had a similar sensation/impression but when I checked the mission control settings they still showed my expected values. On a whim I tried changing them to something different and doing a very short ride then changed them back and I swear the bike is back to the power it was originally. Could be a placebo effect, but either way I'm happy.

BTW some testing with blevo shows indicated that I can indeed max out around 760w from the motor so the "old firmware" issue isn't present.

 

[eagerly]

I had a similar sensation/impression but when I checked the mission control settings they still showed my expected values. On a whim I tried changing them to something different and doing a very short ride then changed them back and I swear the bike is back to the power it was originally. Could be a placebo effect, but either way I'm happy.

BTW some testing with blevo shows indicated that I can indeed max out around 760w from the motor so the "old firmware" issue isn't present.

I will check again the MC settings, anyway Blevo shows the output electrical power and not the motor power...I have feelings for the moment, but if @Specialized Rider Care assures nothing changed, I stay assured...

 

[lmartins]

I’m sorry to report that my motor, using the new firmware installed before any symptoms, just died. A few clacking noises, followed by the winning the the blue and red leds. Turned off you can still feel something as you push the bike, and it won’t go backwards at all.
Bike has 2.000km on it, spent a couple hours running mostly in eco (around 80% of the time), before this happened.

 

[Fiord]

@Jsmithjr732 / @Fiord / @Reap3r - thanks for the question here. Need to dig a little deeper so please give me a few days. I may PM you for some bike serial numbers, hold fire for now.

We have been waiting very patiently for a reply for 6 weeks now.
Purchased a 2021 turbo levo with a 2019 motor.
When can we expect a reply from you ?
@Reap3r @Jsmithjr732

 

[Grannyjones]

What symptoms do you get when the belt is on its way out ?

Mines making what I can describe as a higher-pitched secondary rotatory noise (in addition to the usual motor whine) only noticable from time to time. Wondering if this is it ?

 

[lmartins]

For me it has started with subtle clicks, easily confused with something stuck in the drivetrain, followed by loud clacks, power loss, and finally the high pitch whining noise and no power output. Right after this, red a blue lens, and when turned off if you push the bike backwards, you feel quite a bit o resistance.

 

[Bilmo]

Engine broken this weekend on my Turbo Levo bought in May 2020 (belt failure). 660 miles on the odometer

 

[DreamensioN]

Engine broken this weekend on my Turbo Levo bought in May 2020 (belt failure). 660 miles on the odometer

What's the build date of your motor? 2019?

 

[mtbbiker]

My 2021 Levo motor started making a super loud whirling type noise when ever the motor was on. In OFF position, no whirling noise while pedaling. LBS diag it as an internal concern from the motor and has placed an order for a new motor.

I think it’s a late 2019 motor, which seems strange for a 2021 bike. Or am I reading it wrong?