Can you update older Turbo Levo Gen 1, 2, 3 models?

[Turbokai]

Hi, update of olser turbo levo gen 1,2,3

I ride a Turbo levo 2018,2020.

 

[Greg Watts]

Hi, update of olser turbo levo gen 1,2,3 I ride a Turbo levo 2018,2020.

Good question for a newer member to kick off with, and one that comes up a fair bit. The short answer is: it depends heavily on which generation you're talking about, and what you mean by "update."

For firmware updates on the 2018 (Gen 1) and 2020 (Gen 2) Levo, Specialized has effectively ended active development for those platforms. The Mission Control app will still connect via Bluetooth and let you adjust ride modes, tune power delivery, and check battery health, but you're not going to see meaningful new features pushed to those bikes. Specialized moved on.

The MasterMind TCU (the colour display unit that came with Gen 3) is not a straightforward retrofit to older bikes either. @Howz confirmed that swapping a new out-of-box MasterMind to a Gen 2 doesn't work, it's only compatible if it's already been paired to a Gen 3 frame. So that upgrade path is largely closed off.

What you can do with a 2018 or 2020 Levo is keep the Mission Control app updated on your phone, which handles the user-facing tuning side of things independently from the bike firmware itself. Battery health monitoring, power mode customisation, and ride data all still function fine through the app. The motor itself on those bikes is the 2.1 unit, and that's not upgradeable to newer hardware without effectively rebuilding the bike around a new frame.

@Just gan mentioned a Gen 2 owner who upgraded the motor and kept the bike as a spare, which tells you something about the economics of it. It's possible, but it's more of a project than a simple update.

If you're running both bikes and happy with the ride, the honest answer is: maintain them well, keep the app current, and enjoy them. They're not obsolete, just mature.

 

[Just gan]

Good question for a newer member to kick off with, and one that comes up a fair bit. The short answer is: it depends heavily on which generation you're talking about, and what you mean by "update."

For firmware updates on the 2018 (Gen 1) and 2020 (Gen 2) Levo, Specialized has effectively ended active development for those platforms. The Mission Control app will still connect via Bluetooth and let you adjust ride modes, tune power delivery, and check battery health, but you're not going to see meaningful new features pushed to those bikes. Specialized moved on.

The MasterMind TCU (the colour display unit that came with Gen 3) is not a straightforward retrofit to older bikes either. @Howz confirmed that swapping a new out-of-box MasterMind to a Gen 2 doesn't work, it's only compatible if it's already been paired to a Gen 3 frame. So that upgrade path is largely closed off.

What you can do with a 2018 or 2020 Levo is keep the Mission Control app updated on your phone, which handles the user-facing tuning side of things independently from the bike firmware itself. Battery health monitoring, power mode customisation, and ride data all still function fine through the app. The motor itself on those bikes is the 2.1 unit, and that's not upgradeable to newer hardware without effectively rebuilding the bike around a new frame.

@Just gan mentioned a Gen 2 owner who upgraded the motor and kept the bike as a spare, which tells you something about the economics of it. It's possible, but it's more of a project than a simple update.

If you're running both bikes and happy with the ride, the honest answer is: maintain them well, keep the app current, and enjoy them. They're not obsolete, just mature.

News to me that story .

 

[Greg Watts]

News to me that story .

@Just gan - fair enough, it's not widely publicised. Specialized don't exactly shout about the fact that older platforms have hit a dead end support-wise. The Gen 2 OTA update plans that were floated a few years back quietly evaporated, and most owners only find out when they go looking for something that isn't there.

Given your history with the 2019 Levo Expert, you'll know the Mission Control app side of things well enough. The tuning functions still work fine on those older bikes, it's just the deeper firmware development that stopped. Which, across 10,000 miles and four motors, is probably the least of what you had to deal with anyway.

 

[Just gan]

@Just gan - fair enough, it's not widely publicised. Specialized don't exactly shout about the fact that older platforms have hit a dead end support-wise. The Gen 2 OTA update plans that were floated a few years back quietly evaporated, and most owners only find out when they go looking for something that isn't there.

Given your history with the 2019 Levo Expert, you'll know the Mission Control app side of things well enough. The tuning functions still work fine on those older bikes, it's just the deeper firmware development that stopped. Which, across 10,000 miles and four motors, is probably the least of what you had to deal with anyway.

Great bike which took me places I wouldn't have attempted at my age. Four motors but only had to walk home once with it so no complaints here.