I have a question that I posed to both Brose and to Specialized.
Having read a thread early in 2020 regarding Brose motor failures that attributed a lot of issues to motor abuse leading to overheating,
I asked at what motor temperature should I stop requesting assistance in order to protect the motor from overheating.
One of the responses in that thread indicated they thought that the aluminum frame bikes seemed to have less problems than the carbon fiber frames, the thought being that the aluminum frame wicked the heat away from the motor far better than the CF frame.
Brose responded, but indicated I should ask Specialized. Specialized has not responded in any way, which I find EXREMELY annoying.
I am only trying to protect my investment. You would think they would be happy to share some information that would would help me do just that. Actually, based on that thread, I changed my mind about which frame to get, and opted for the 2021 Comp.
I track both motor and battery temps on the BLEvo app. And kudos to Paulo for such a great enhancement to the Specialized ebikes.
In fact, after studying up on BLEvo and deciding that was a great toll to have in the toolkit, plus my ancient Rockhopper Comp (circa 1989) still providing good service (well, as good as you could expect from a 31 year old bike), I stopped even considering any other bike.
SO... Can ANYONE provide some guidance as to what temperature I should endeavor to stay under? Again, from the thread, it seems that many folks who went through more than one motor had a similar riding style. Crank up the assist, blast your way around the trails. My personal opinion is that Specialized set too high a temperature before dialing back assistance due to overheating. However, this is not CONFIRMED in any way, just my suspicion. Belt issues and sprag clutch seem to be the primary casualties.
This is not to say there aren't other things that can and do go wrong. Pictures from this thread show the effects of water and mud creeping into the motor with deleterious results. Better seals might be a great investment for Specialized to pursue for overall motor longevity. But I would love to get an idea of the recommended temperature range for maximum longevity.
My riding style is kind of the opposite of cranking away in turbo whenever possible. I ride with minimal assistance. Which means I am always in first gear before I turn on assistance. I have eco set to 15-50% assistance. There is minimal temperature rise with this configuration, with the motor hardly ever getting over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The assistance from the motor hardly ever exceeds my input (in watts) and every ride I contribute more than the motor. I switch to trail when the going gets a little too tough on my ancient legs (70). Trail is set to 65-85%. The motor is definitely working harder, and I see watts from the motor anywhere from 350 to perhaps 600 watts. Turbo is set to 100-100% and is reserved for only the steepest pitches, typically gradients over 30%. For reference, I can usually handle long stretches of up to 10% gradient without assistance, almost invariably shift eco above 15% gradient unless it is just a short stretch and eco handles gradients typically up to 25-30%. On one particular hill (one of very few in a very hilly park) I have yet to be able to ride the ascent. It looks like the gradient might be 38% or so, but the terrain has been thick dust. So what typically happens is I spin the rear wheel at some point, and since I'm only travelling at 1.5 to 2 mph, that means the immediate loss of forward momentum, and I put a foot down. From there I have to push for a few yards before walk mode kicks in, and then the rear wheel is spinning faster than I can walk. Which reminds me, I need to ask Paulo if walk mode could be tied to assistance level, so that in eco it might walk at 2mph, trail at 3mph, and turbo at 4mph (or better yet, make the speed configurable for each assistance level).
The max motor temp I have seen thus far is around 120 degrees F, so I believe I am well below any maximum. But I still want to know what Specialized recommends.
Any assistance to answering this question is GREATLY APPRECIATED.
I absolutely love my Spruce Turbo Levo Comp. Having such a great time, this bike has completely transformed my ability to get around the nearby park. I am no longer hesitant to try different trails, fairly confidant that I will not get stuck and have to push the bike (at least not any great distance). I am running out of new trails to explore. There are many single tracks I haven't ventured out on, and I typically ride alone. That, coupled with my less than sterling bike handling skills, keeps me a bit cautious. I asked some riders that I met out on the trails about a couple of single tracks and was deterred by their enthusiastic response about how great one in particular was, with a couple of four foot drop-offs. Ahhh, yeah, not my cup of tea. But as they say, to each their own.
Thanx everyone for any information, Paul
