Buying a Turbo Vado 4.0

[Knolan]

Hi folks,
I’m looking at a Turbo Vado 4.0 and recently look an older (I think 2.0 for a quick test spin). The bike looks lovely and is a lot of fun.
However I’ve been reading various threads here and I’m worried about reliability. Of course people will always post when they have issues and not when their bike just works so perhaps it’s confirmation bias.

So, how are your Vados doing?!
Thanks.

 

[PaD]

This is my story. Other people have other stories to tell ( some less negative)
I live in Sweden and have a Vado 4. It’s the 25km/h EU class.
There are two Vado 4 on the Irish Specialized website. One is called Vado 4.0 NB, the other one Vado 4.0.
I far as I can see neither the Irish nor the UK site specify any difference.

There are several things I like about the Vado but still I wouldn’t recommend it unless you have really good relationship with your bike shop.
I start with my negative experiences.
1 day after purchase I noticed that the Odo and Trip meter did not always report the same distance. After another couple of days the motor started making a sort of squeeking noise when I stopped pedalling.
So 1 week after purchase I go to the dealer and the mechanic says there is something wrong with the motor. Strange sound and he felt the motor was sometimes pulsating (or surging?). Specialized offered a new motor and I accepted. That was fixed in a week. That’s ok I think.
New motor runs fine without any strange noises. Odo and trip still count km differently in an unregular way.
And I must say that I’m not totally impressed with the torque sensor system. If pedal power is low like when you just pedal lightly in Eco mode to maintain a speed like 20km/h on flat ground the power comes on and off or maybe it’s called surging. I may have too high expectations but....
Regarding the crazy odo.
I sent a detailed report with readings of odo and trip meter over several days to my dealer who said he forwarded it to Specialized. That was 1 week ago and they have not responded since then.
The rear rack I would have preferred with 8 or 11mm round tubing. As it is now it is best for a ”top box” from Rack Time.
I don’t like the position of the front light and the display as they are making it a bit more complicated to attach a handlebar bag. But there are workarounds for that.


Good things about the Vado or what I like.
The powerful yet silent motor. I really like that there is no whining. ( I do the whining)
I like the handling. To me the bike feels stable at speed but I also find it quick and easy to maneuver.
I like the riding position ( and the saddle) It’s ”active” but I’ve noticed I may need a handlebar with a little bit more rise and sweepback. Wrists and neck can hurt on long rides. But that’s personal.

I will be very surprised if Specialized actually get the Mission Control app ready for the Vado. But I would like that surprise

 

[Knolan]

Thanks PaD, I really appreciate your reply. I’ve a good friend who has an extremely good relationship with the local Specialized store, it was on his recommendation that I’m looking at this bike.

Just wondering if the surging you experience could be related to that mentioned here:
https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/specialized-turbo-como-3-0.23093/

I’m also looking at Giant e-bikes as my current bike is a Giant Rapid 3 and it’s served me well. The FastRoad E+ looks very similar to my Rapid but I can’t find any review data online. The Quick E is probably very similar to the Vado but not as clean.

To be clear I’m not looking for a bike that takes too much of a load off. I’m not really bothered by storage or a rack etc. I’ve no problem showering when I get to work and wearing a back pack (I’ve a super comfortable GoRuck GR1). All I want is to be able to cycle to and from work all week without feeling too drained for work and family.

It seems that if I do go with the Vado and experience issues I’ll have to really leverage that store.

 

[FordPrefect]

To add my story here ...

I got the Turbo Vado 4.0 in June and I am totally happy with it. So far I have done like 1500 km of driving. Fortunately I haven't experienced problems similar to @PaD when it comes to the motor.

The bike is well balanced (lacking a better word to describe this). It feels comfortable and stable at any speed, even at 50 km/h downhill. The motor is super silent. You can barely hear it at the lowest level of support. Which is by the way the level you will be driving most of the time. The gear shift works very fast and accurate. And what I like most, it's easy (kind of) to ride the bike without motor support, be it in a flatland area or going above the 25 km/h limit.

The "surging" is something I'm experiencing as well. It doesn't bother me to much though, as you can easily adjust gear and cadence to reach a comfortable travel speed. I totally second the handle bar thing! On my bike I have changed to one with more rise and sweep-back, and it feels so much better to ride.

Probably needless to mention, but every now and then I wish I had a larger battery. As an average I'm doing like 15 km per tick on the display, or a total of 75 to 80 km per charge. My commute to work takes about 65 km, so that does not leave too much spare power. Finally, the -as of today- still missing Mission Control App is embarrassing for Specialized, but again doesn't bother me too much. I would have used it to fine tune the motor support levels.

Bottom line, I would recommend this bike to a friend any time.

 

[PaD]

To add my story here ...

I got the Turbo Vado 4.0 in June and I am totally happy with it. So far I have done like 1500 km of driving. Fortunately I haven't experienced problems similar to @PaD when it comes to the motor.

The bike is well balanced (lacking a better word to describe this). It feels comfortable and stable at any speed, even at 50 km/h downhill. The motor is super silent. You can barely hear it at the lowest level of support. Which is by the way the level you will be driving most of the time. The gear shift works very fast and accurate. And what I like most, it's easy (kind of) to ride the bike without motor support, be it in a flatland area or going above the 25 km/h limit.

The "surging" is something I'm experiencing as well. It doesn't bother me to much though, as you can easily adjust gear and cadence to reach a comfortable travel speed. I totally second the handle bar thing! On my bike I have changed to one with more rise and sweep-back, and it feels so much better to ride.

Probably needless to mention, but every now and then I wish I had a larger battery. As an average I'm doing like 15 km per tick on the display, or a total of 75 to 80 km per charge. My commute to work takes about 65 km, so that does not leave too much spare power. Finally, the -as of today- still missing Mission Control App is embarrassing for Specialized, but again doesn't bother me too much. I would have used it to fine tune the motor support levels.

Bottom line, I would recommend this bike to a friend any time.

It´s great that you haven´t had my problems. The bike is fun to ride.
Riding without motor support I find not so easy. Going above 25km/h is for me ok if it´s downhill or tailwind on a flat.
I have tried with no motor assist and the lowest gear ( rear 42) from standstill and I still can´t believe that the resistance I feel comes from the extra kilos compared to a regular. Wish I could have the US software and reach 20mph before cut off.
It´s a strange ( and almost customer hostile) decisions from Specialized not to offer the 604Wh as an option when you buy the bike.

 

[Turbo Vado Pip]

Do it! I have been extremely impressed with my Turbo Vado 4.0. The only fault bizarrely was some of the rear spokes coming loose which was fixed under warranty. The bike looks amazing. Most people do a double take and don’t initially realise it’s an ebike at all which I love. That is also helped by the super quiet motor which is light years ahead of the whining motors on rivals.
Ok, the downside(s) now... the app! The lack of App is the reason I’ve joined this site today and am going to chat with fellow users about it shortly. It’s extremely annoying that it is still not available. And now Specialized have pulled all mention of it’s existence from the description of the 2019 range. But, if I can block out the fact I’m missing this extra functionality, the Vado 4.0 is a fantastic bit of engineering and you won’t regret buying it.

 

[Knolan]

Thanks,
I’m holding off for a bit because of other reasons.

I’ve been doing my new 18km each way commute on my hybrid and it’s fine for now. Crappy cold and wet Irish winter is going to change that perception quickly however.