New to this group and new to e-bikes.

[Clear View Dave]

So I bought my first E-bike a Specialized Vado 5.0 recently and it took two weeks to come in as they had to order it for me. All the you tube reviews I saw were great, and I have really enjoyed the performance of the bike. However, in less than two months the motor has apparently had something go wrong with it and is making a horrible screeching sound if I try to ride it. I have it at my lbs and am being told that specialized is telling them it may be 3 months before they can get them a new motor. I find that to be unacceptable considering what I paid and how old the bike is. I am grateful they have extended the motor warranty from 2 years to 4 years, but I am disappointed with the current predicament seeing as how I bought the bike to ride because I am using it to commute daily rather than drive due to a medical issue.
I searched in the threads and found others have had motor issues with the turbo Vado 5.0 motors. Maybe I can buy another one to keep ride while this one is in the shop and visa versa?

 

[Explorer-1]

If you are using it to commute, yes i would buy a second bike. Flats, battery issues, mechanical issues, electrical issue, etc.; having a second bike makes these much easier to deal with.

Spend a lot less on the second, Juiced, Rad, Ride1Up, other, or buy another nice one, but look for one with a very reliable track record. Ignore what the LBS says in this regard.

 

[Clear View Dave]

Duly noted, I am in the process of trying to find out if the bike shop can offer me a solution before I suggest things of this nature to them. I may ask about purchasing a cheaper one that they keep parts in stock for at their cost perhaps. Or trying another brand from another lbs.
Thanks for the advice.

 

[indianajo]

Motors in stock? Not likely.
Needing this kind of availability, one needs to keep his major parts in personal stock. and the mahle mid drive on the specialized, might require special knowledge or tools to replace. Even if you had one.
I put a replacement hub drive wheel/controller/throttle in the garage for my bike last fall before the tarriff went up. When my $221 ebikeling hub drive failed this summer after 2 1/2 years, I was off the bike 1 day while I converted to the $500 mac12. I did the installation myself in an afternoon, no waiting for a shop. Involved drilling some holes in brackets to mount the different controller and different position of the torque arm. And being a geared hub drive, after the geartrain failed on the old one, I was able to ride it home under pedal power after failure. the only signs it was destroyed were a ripping sound when trying to ride uphill, and afterwards inability to push the bike backwards. It rolled forwards fine the 20 miles home.
One inexpensive source of geared hub drive bikes (not class 3) is magnum. similar bikes without dealer service are from m2s. A dealer will just slow down the repair, and you have to own or rent a truck to carry the bike there. Upside to a diy conversion, if something is wrong you just throw away the wheel/controller/throttle or battery & start over. downside, the wiring looks messy, and has been extremely reliable.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

and the mahle mid drive on the specialized, might require special knowledge or tools to replace.

It is a Brose.

@Clear View Dave, if you can afford it, buy another but a good e-bike of different brand and type. Don't buy cheap because you'll feel buyer's remorse when your Vado 5.0 has been repaired. Like trail riding in addition to your commutes? Try, for example, a Giant Fathom E+ (possibly the version with the smallest digit in the model name and with the "Pro"). It is a hardtail MTB so it doesn't cost you a fortune, the Yamaha/SyncDrive motors are reliable, and it is a well specced e-bike. You can ride wherever a normal bike can ride as it is Class 1.

When you recover your Vado (and it is a fantastic e-bike when it works), you'd have a completely different e-bike as a spare to be used for recreation, and wherever the road-oriented Vado cannot simply ride because of rough terrain.

Like the idea?

Besides, I sympathise with you. I own the Vado 5.0 that works and I also own a Giant Trance E+ 2 Pro for my off-road pleasure rides.

My both e-bikes (Vado and Trance E+) on a mountain road ride together with my brother.

 

[Clear View Dave]

It is a Brose.

@Clear View Dave, if you can afford it, buy another but a good e-bike of different brand and type. Don't buy cheap because you'll feel buyer's remorse when your Vado 5.0 has been repaired. Like trail riding in addition to your commutes? Try, for example, a Giant Fathom E+ (possibly the version with the smallest digit in the model name and with the "Pro"). It is a hardtail MTB so it doesn't cost you a fortune, the Yamaha/SyncDrive motors are reliable, and it is a well specced e-bike. You can ride wherever a normal bike can ride as it is Class 1.

When you recover your Vado (and it is a fantastic e-bike when it works), you'd have a completely different e-bike as a spare to be used for recreation, and wherever the road-oriented Vado cannot simply ride because of rough terrain.

Like the idea?

Besides, I sympathise with you. I own the Vado 5.0 that works and I also own a Giant Trance E+ 2 Pro for my off-road pleasure rides.

View attachment 61999
My both e-bikes (Vado and Trance E+) on a mountain road ride together with my brother.

It is a Brose.

@Clear View Dave, if you can afford it, buy another but a good e-bike of different brand and type. Don't buy cheap because you'll feel buyer's remorse when your Vado 5.0 has been repaired. Like trail riding in addition to your commutes? Try, for example, a Giant Fathom E+ (possibly the version with the smallest digit in the model name and with the "Pro"). It is a hardtail MTB so it doesn't cost you a fortune, the Yamaha/SyncDrive motors are reliable, and it is a well specced e-bike. You can ride wherever a normal bike can ride as it is Class 1.

When you recover your Vado (and it is a fantastic e-bike when it works), you'd have a completely different e-bike as a spare to be used for recreation, and wherever the road-oriented Vado cannot simply ride because of rough terrain.

Like the idea?

Besides, I sympathise with you. I own the Vado 5.0 that works and I also own a Giant Trance E+ 2 Pro for my off-road pleasure rides.

View attachment 61999
My both e-bikes (Vado and Trance E+) on a mountain road ride together with my brother.

Thanks for the response, I do like the idea actually. I know I'm going to need some level of ability to work on it and fix things, but I'm not sure that I want to be switching out the motor if it is covered under warranty anyway. I think I prefer an alternative to ride while waiting and a different type sounds like a good idea. Maybe an MTB as you mentioned.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

It's so much fun... Greetings from my after-work ride!