Abus Cafe Lock Advice for Vado

[TS25]

I wasn't able to find a bike shop nor an Abus lock dealer that could order keyed alike locks.

I just stumbled over this

Abus Keyed Alike Locks | Propel Electric Bikes |

We built this web tool to make Keyed Alike Lock ordering easier. In order to process your keyed alike lock order enter the key number of your lock, this will be 6 digits for a Plus Lock or 7 for an XPlus lock (including the leading X). If you'd like to order new locks without a specified key...

propelbikes.com

and hey, you could even ride there in Long Beach CA

 

[Phyz]

Experts, will the 5750L fit the Vado without needing to be Dremeled or otherwise beaten into submission?

 

[Sierratim]

Experts, will the 5750L fit the Vado without needing to be Dremeled or otherwise beaten into submission?

No expert here, but owners of pre-2020 Vados seem to have different spacing for their lock mounts that are OK. Our 2020s, not so much.

 

[TS25]

..., will the 5750L fit the Vado without needing to be Dremeled or otherwise beaten into submission?

It was a straight fit without dremel and using the original Vado screws when I mounted the Abus 5750L to my Vado.
The 5750L is a little bit too wide so I used the upper hole of the Abus mounting holes on one side and the middle hole on the other side for screwing.
The 5750L is said to produce less rattling noise than cheaper Abus cafe locks and I can confirm.

I do not think it's a MY-issue. Check the bosses of your Vado if they point straight in line or not. There seems to be production inaccurancy with the Vado bosses. If one or both bosses point outwards it's difficult to start screwing in/down.

 

[Sierratim]

It was a straight fit without dremel and using the original Vado screws when I mounted the Abus 5750L to my Vado.
The 5750L is a little bit too wide so I used the upper hole of the Abus mounting holes on one side and the middle hole on the other side for screwing.
The 5750L is said to produce less rattling noise than cheaper Abus cafe locks and I can confirm.

I do not think it's a MY-issue. Check the bosses of your Vado if they point straight in line or not. There seems to be production inaccurancy with the Vado bosses. If one or both bosses point outwards it's difficult to start screwing in/down.

Other posts, such as @Hanz, have reported a good fit for the Abus 4960 frame lock on their earlier model Vados; https://electricbikereview.com/foru...o-the-specialized-turbo-factory-mounts.30438/ . This lock was a good fit for fender and tire width on our 2020 Vados, but the mounting screws did not line up. Others have made adapter plates to resolve this. I modified our locks. Abus also sells a mounting kit that would fix this.

It seems that the 5750L lock is a bit too wide for your 2018 Vado 4. Mounting it askew apparently gets the mounting slots to match the Vado screws. Seems like neither lock model actually fits correctly.

I haven't had experience with the 5750L lock as to noise, but I can say that neither of our 4960 locks make any noise that we notice, even riding on gravel. Perhaps posts reporting noise have used one or more of the alternate fastening methods, such as 'zip ties', that don't seem as secure as the screws.

 

[mdl2020]

It was a straight fit without dremel and using the original Vado screws when I mounted the Abus 5750L to my Vado.
The 5750L is a little bit too wide so I used the upper hole of the Abus mounting holes on one side and the middle hole on the other side for screwing.
The 5750L is said to produce less rattling noise than cheaper Abus cafe locks and I can confirm.

I do not think it's a MY-issue. Check the bosses of your Vado if they point straight in line or not. There seems to be production inaccurancy with the Vado bosses. If one or both bosses point outwards it's difficult to start screwing in/down.

As far as the bosses on my 2020 Vado 4.0 it seemed like the derailleur side mount was flaired out slightly and the screw on that side seemed to have a slight cross thread on it.

 

[Sierratim]

As far as the bosses on my 2020 Vado 4.0 it seemed like the derailleur side mount was flaired out slightly and the screw on that side seemed to have a slight cross thread on it.

Are you referring to the derailleur hanger bolt?

 

[TS25]

Other posts, such as @Hanz, have reported a good fit for the Abus 4960 frame lock on their earlier model Vados; https://electricbikereview.com/foru...o-the-specialized-turbo-factory-mounts.30438/ .

I must have missed @Hanz answer to @Nxkharra questioning him

Which frame lock mounts to the Specialized Turbo factory mounts?

Any mount a frame lock to the factory mounts on a Turbo bicycle? I tried the ABUS 4960 but the mounting hardware was too narrow. Wondering if the XL sized ones will work.

electricbikereview.com

whether he had to modify the Abus 4960 or not.

I haven't had experience with the 5750L lock as to noise, but I can say that neither of our 4960 locks make any noise that we notice, even riding on gravel. Perhaps posts reporting noise have used one or more of the alternate fastening methods, such as 'zip ties', that don't seem as secure as the screws.

Could be a reason for the user reports I referred to.
I remember shaking a cheaper model in the Abus cafe lock line once myself and putting it back right away due to loud rattling. Can't remember the model though and if the 4960 is rattle-free all the better.

 

[TS25]

Mounting it [the 5750L] askew apparently gets the mounting slots to match the Vado screws.

And looks like this

 

[mdl2020]

Are you referring to the derailleur hanger bolt?

No, the right side boss used to mount the ABUS 4960 in my case was not parallel to the left side boss/not normal to the lock mounting surface, the left did appear to be normal visually.

 

[Mando Dave]

I did not have to modify my 4960 to for my Vado 4.0 ltd

 

[Nxkharra]

I did not have to modify my 4960 to for my Vado 4.0 ltd


View attachment 82959

Do you hear the rattling of the lock when riding?
Looks great. I couldn’t install mine without modification and returned it.
I will try again.

 

[Mando Dave]

No rattles. Nice and and snug. It took a bit to get it in the right place, but no problems at all.

 

[ronr]

I just stumbled over this

Abus Keyed Alike Locks | Propel Electric Bikes |

We built this web tool to make Keyed Alike Lock ordering easier. In order to process your keyed alike lock order enter the key number of your lock, this will be 6 digits for a Plus Lock or 7 for an XPlus lock (including the leading X). If you'd like to order new locks without a specified key...

propelbikes.com

and hey, you could even ride there in Long Beach CA

I dealt with the folks at Propel to get a cafe lock keyed to match a pair of folding locks I bought off Amazon. They were very pleasant and easy to work with. I highly recommend them.

 

[Mr. Max]

If you can overcome the hurdle and figure out how to install it, this is without a doubt my favorite bike lock that I've ever had. I love using the lock with the matching Abus chain. It's a very convenient and efficient system. Like I wrote almost a year ago in this thread, after reading Sierratim's instructions, it was very easy to grind out a little bit of the lock to match the Vado holes. The Abus lock was just a tiny bit off. It's also possible that Specialized or Abus fixed it in the past year, so the lock matches better. Either way, best of luck to you all!

 

[Nxkharra]

I dealt with the folks at Propel to get a cafe lock keyed to match a pair of folding locks I bought off Amazon. They were very pleasant and easy to work with. I highly recommend them.

Good to know as this has been an impossible task so far. Others have tried with no luck.

 

[Nxkharra]

I did not have to modify my 4960 to for my Vado 4.0 ltd


View attachment 82959

Will give this one more try. First one didn’t work well early last year. Holes didn’t line up.

 

[Sierratim]

Will give this one more try. First one didn’t work well early last year. Holes didn’t line up.

I think the issues with the lock match up with the frame inserts is a function of model year. Our early production 2020 Vados both had fit issues requiring some mods to the lock.

 

[Nxkharra]

I think the issues with the lock match up with the frame inserts is a function of model year. Our early production 2020 Vados both had fit issues requiring some mods to the lock.

Agree. Mine is 2020 Vado 5 (as you know) I thought the adjustment/correction was made to lock (as opposed to bike).
if any grinding needed the I will opt out and return the lock (although Sierratim tells me is easy). I am not good doing these types of stuff. I have Abus Bordo heavy duty and Ottolock Hexaband lock combination providing sufficient locking option.

 

[Nxkharra]

I decided to give OTTOLOCK a try because I wanted a light and secure lock I could bring with me on long bike trips. It is very small and lightweight and works great too. It's a simple 3 digit combo code that is easy to program and the mechanism works smoothly for locking/unlocking.

I have been using it for a while. Lost my previous one so I bought Ottolock Hex. It suppose to be stronger. I like it. Light and easy.
I combine it with Abus heavy duty lock if the stay is longer.
the only issue I have heard but haven’t encountered is the combination might not work. I don’t know what it means. Just heard.