Would you buy a 2018 used Levo?

[Taiga]

Hello from Canada. I'm a recent owner of a 2018 brand new turbo levo comp and very enthousiast about it.
At age 65 with bad knees history and general injuries I had to make a choice wheter or not to quit mtb. After renting
a couple of these emtb machine, the choice became obvious. What isn't obvious is the fact that now my wife can't keep up with me. She had very hard time keeping up when we were both on regular mtb so you can imagine now.
So we decide to get a second hand Levo. We found a used 2018 woman's levo short travel with a added dropper post. The bike has 900 km on it but it is difficult to say how it was ridden. I also just found out that the guaranty is not tranferable and see that a few people have had problems with the 1.3 brose motor. Beginning to think that it's risky buing used with no guaranty.
What do you thihk?

 

[Gary]

I wouldn't buy any ebike with no warranty.

 

[Doomanic]

I wouldn't buy any ebike with no warranty.

This.

 

[volts]

I wouldn't buy any ebike with no warranty.

I would if the price was right.
The price just needs to reflect that there is no warranty, and if the bike feels and seems alright then no problem. Getting a used e-bike is no different that getting a used anything else. With a Levo, find out what a replacement engine would cost (and maybe battery) and try to figure out how likely it is that you will need to get one, then see what the bike cost and there you go. You may just have saved a bunch of cash if you don't need to replace anything.

 

[Gary]

Having been through one motor in 3 months. Until motor spares are readily available that price would have to be so low it'd 99% be a nicked bike.

Getting a used e-bike is no different that getting a used anything else.

I disagree. it's massively different to buying a second hand non-Ebike

I don't really care what other S/H irrelevant things you're comparing it to

 

[volts]

Having been through one motor in 3 months. Until motor spares are readily available that price would have to be so low it'd 99% be a nicked bike.

I disagree. it's massively different to buying a second hand non-Ebike

I don't really care what other S/H irrelevant things you're comparing it to

It's not. It's the same as buying a normal secondhand bike except you need to factor in the engine and battery. I don't really care what S/H irrelevant thing you bring up to make it seems very different.

 

[Gary]

It's the same as buying a normal secondhand bike except you need to factor in the engine and battery.

Yes. Exactly
A £900 motor with ZERO available spares and if you're less mechanically minded NOWHERE to have it repaired.
and a £600 battery I'd have no idea how it's been looked after

 

[Timbo]

I did. Check the battery and motor health using the Mission control app. Factor in the cost of a new battery and a new motor, and if the price is right you cant really go wrong.
Loving mine, less than a year old, and looks almost new, batttery and motor showing 100%, although it has done 3600km

 

[Doomanic]

Having been through one motor in 3 months. Until motor spares are readily available that price would have to be so low it'd 99% be a nicked bike.

I disagree. it's massively different to buying a second hand non-Ebike

I don't really care what other S/H irrelevant things you're comparing it to

It's not. It's the same as buying a normal secondhand bike except you need to factor in the engine and battery. I don't really care what S/H irrelevant thing you bring up to make it seems very different.

And once you factor those items into the price the seller would have to be desperate or the bike is likely stolen.

 

[Timbo]

Mine came from a shop, met the owner as he was collecting his new SWorks.
Upgraditis

 

[Norange]

Wasn't there a post on here about spesh transferring warranty?

 

[Gary]

Oh... You're factoring in the price of ONE motor?
good luck with that.

I don't ever want a levo but I've already had one replacement Shimano motor after less than 3 months use. A mate who rides similarly to me went through 3 Levo motors and 2 batteries in one summer. Each Warrantied quickly and efficiently (for free). The levo was his 3rd most ridden bike behind his trail and DH bikes so not even ridden that much.

Sorry. But I just don't think Emtb motors are all that durable I'd ever buy a S/H unwarrantied one.
The OP asked for opinions. This is mine. Based on my experience and a friends and taking into account how we ride.

I personally wouldn't touch a S/H Emtb, especially one I nkow has poor durability with a known 2200miles on it. and think it's a fairly justified decision. YMMV

EDIT - Second hand WITH a warranty, fair enough. go for it.

 

[volts]

And once you factor those items into the price the seller would have to be desperate or the bike is likely stolen.

If I was to buy a used ebike it would probably either be from someone I know pretty well to get the warranty sorted or if it was cheap enough with me being reasonably sure it wasn't stolen. At one point hollandbikeshop has motors for sale and if I recall correctly they were about 800 EUR. If they become available again I would surely factor in the risk of having to get a new engine and get the bike if it was a good deal. It's not really rocket science and there isn't anything special about it. It's just like buying any other used goods.

 

[Timbo]

According to the Specialzed dealer that posts on here, dealers will soon be receiving repair kits for the motors, and another poster here is having the bearings made, as more bikes go out of warranty the repair options will be there.
What will you do with yours when it is two years old?

 

[volts]

Oh... You're factoring in the price of ONE motor?
good luck with that.

I don't ever want a levo but I've already had one replacement Shimano motor after less than 3 months use. A mate who rides similarly to me went through 3 Levo motors and 2 batteries in one summer. Each Warrantied quickly and efficiently (for free). The levo was his 3rd most ridden bike behind his trail and DH bikes so not even ridden that much.

Sorry. But I just don't think Emtb motors are all that durable I'd ever buy a S/H unwarrantied one.
The OP asked for opinions. This is mine. Based on my experience and a friends and taking into account how we ride.

I personally wouldn't touch a S/H Emtb, especially one I nkow has poor durability with a known 2200miles on it. and think it's a fairly justified decision. YMMV

EDIT - Second hand WITH a warranty, fair enough. go for it.

If you buy a new motor you have warranty for that motor, just like anything else you buy. I am unsure if they will void it however if one installed it without being an authorized dealer or some BS like that, it's probably worth finding out before making a decision. Also on hollandbikes they seem to be selling motor parts. I think with some tinkering many things can be repaired with some knowledge and some trial and error. I am not so scared about the prospect of having to replace a few parts here and there. I actually expect it after some time.
Regarding what you write, it's totally fine you don't have to excuse leaving your opinion. Just like I don't need to excuse having different opinion than you.

 

[Gary]

If you buy a new motor you have warranty for that motor, just like anything else you buy. I am unsure if they will void it however if one installed it without being an authorized dealer or some BS like that

Good point. Thanks.
in time I expect spares and service centres to be more common. but just now I honestly don't think S/H is a great option

 

[volts]

Good point. Thanks.
in time I expect spares and service centres to be more common. but just now I honestly don't think S/H is a great option

I believe you are correct on the point that there is a stock issue with most e-parts all over europe (in regards to Shimano at least, haven't looked at other manufacturers), so I get what you are saying about getting second hand at the moment, but in time I think it will be exactly like getting anything else. So, well good point about that.

 

[Taiga]

Before I wrote this post I called my lbs and another one to have them confirm that Spevialized Would not transfer its warranty to a second owner. My lbs just called me back to tell me they were wrong as they have contact Specialized Canada and that the warranty was indeed tranferable to a second hand owner, even a third or more as long that you have the original receipt. Same applies to USA. Don't know for the rest of the world. I find it weird the lbs ignore that.

 

[Kiwi in Wales]

Before I wrote this post I called my lbs and another one to have them confirm that Spevialized Would not transfer its warranty to a second owner. My lbs just called me back to tell me they were wrong as they have contact Specialized Canada and that the warranty was indeed tranferable to a second hand owner, even a third or more as long that you have the original receipt. Same applies to USA. Don't know for the rest of the world. I find it weird the lbs ignore that.

You are correct regarding the Global warranty for Specialized bikes being transferable to the second or third or whatever owner with the original receipt. However, that is only for new bikes purchased from the 1st of July this year. Please see the screen shot below.
If the bike is over 2 years old when you buy it second hand then the only thing valid on the warranty is the frame, Roval wheels and structural defects on their Specialized branded forks.
Specialized also offer a motor buy back scheme for out of warranty motors at a reduced price, I am not sure if they do the same for the battery. Maybe @Specialized Rider Care can clarify what they offer for out of warranty bikes?

 

[Gofurtherfaster]

My Bosch has a hair under 4,000 miles on it, I've crashed maybe 50 times in 3 years and it runs perfectly.

#nowarranty

 

[Doomanic]

My first Bosch motor failed at around 350 miles. Not sure what crashes have to do with it?
#thankfuckihadawarranty

 

[Gofurtherfaster]

I'll even go as far as to say I've never had an electrical item ever fail to the point where a warranty would have helped, I must be one super super lucky guy where I get the ones that pass all the tests and not the ones that get snuck into that pile but were really seconds.

Imagine having 2 motors fail in a matter of months? That is beyond a joke a not fair at all, even with warranty they should be paying out compensation for not having a bike for the periods of downtime etc, what if its your commuter?

Although I am one for getting a bargain in the 2nd hand markets v brand new + warranty I wouldn't want anyones experience of any ebike to be shoddy like that, they are such fun and its a nightmare when I am not able to ride it for any reason.

 

[Doomanic]

There’s a guy on Pedelecs who managed to do 3 motors in under 500 miles. The third lasted 97. In the summer.

 

[volts]

I for one am not really one to make important choices based on anecdotes from the internet. I have no doubt you are telling the truth about failures, but the fact is there may be 5 or 500 or 5000 or 50000 people for every failure story here who does not write here, and very likely because they haven't had problems. We don't know that number. On web foras there is always some guys uncle who had a terrible experience. Motor failures could very likely be a real problem! But until I have something more substantiel than anecdotal evidence I'd rather use my own common sense and try to factor in availability of parts, cost etc in the price, and if it ends up not being a good enough deal I'll simple not buy it.

 

[R120]

One thing i will say, is that i was speaking to a Levo owner who was trying to shift their 18 as they had a 19 on order (not a member of the forum) and he said it was almost impossible to regain anything like the value of the bike because of people concerns about motor etc.

Flipside of this is their should be some bargains about

 

[Gordon]

How it was serviced is more important than how it was ridden imho. My 2018 TLevo developed a strange free-rotation resistance when turning the pedals backward, which did not affect normal riding in any way. Maybe too many pedal strikes? My lbs sent the motor to Specialized Iberia, and they sent back a new one with another year's warranty. No explanation, just that the motor had an 'anomaly'. The listed price was €1050. The new motor has noticeably more belt whine than the old one, but the new software gives it noticeably more power as well. I assume you're not a really demanding rider since you aren't considering the new 2019 model, so in your shoes I'd buy a used 900km woman's Levo in good condition with confidence if the price is right - about 30-40% less than the new price.

 

[Mart S]

I did. Check the battery and motor health using the Mission control app. Factor in the cost of a new battery and a new motor, and if the price is right you cant really go wrong.
Loving mine, less than a year old, and looks almost new, batttery and motor showing 100%, although it has done 3600km

100% battery health,how do you achieve that?

 

[Timbo]

100% battery health,how do you achieve that?

No idea lol

 

[Squirrel Squeezer]

Yes.
I’d look it over and have the selling show you the battery condition their Mission Control app.
Also, you need to get a copy of the receipt from the owner from where and when they bought the Levo.
There is a 2 year warranty for 2nd owners valid from the date it was originally purchased.
I just sold my Levo yesterday
Good luck

 

[Taiga]

Finally we bought the bike. A 50 old + lady was the owner. She only used it on beginner's trail and was a bit afraid of the power of the bike. She did't know that she could change the modes setting and always used it factory 20 - 50 - 100. Rarely on 100. She also offered us that if something went wrong with the bike that she will take it to her lbs for the warrenty. The bike was bought by her april 2018. She also had put a dropper post.
We saved about 35% on the original price.
Happy us...