Not your typical Boost battery install for 23' Levo Comp Carbon.

[greeno]

Just picked up a 23' Levo and took it for a few rides and range was fine but typically take longer rides in the wintertime so I wanted to add another battery for piece of mind.

Looked around and saw a company that makes a battery (252w) but the install required the user to notch a hole in the motor cover for the battery connect pigtail to connect to the battery from the main harness.

So I removed the motor and checked out the inside area where I thought I could mount a flush style plug ( similar to the SL series bikes).

I could not find a flush mount xt60 receptacle with a flip cover in a "Male configuration" so I had to go with a female version and having a female plug on the battery side I just made up a male/male adapter to connect up between them, worked out ok.

I could always remove the female plug on the battery side and resolder in a male plug but for now I will go with this.

So the layout was pretty straightforward and had a fairly flat exterior surface to mount the receptacle and had adequate clearance inside as not to interfere with anything.
I mounted the receptacle with a short 6" pigtail to easily connect/disconnect whenever I need to remove the motor for maintenance or whatever.

The "new" modified harness that came with the battery had a longer pigtail so I had to shorten this of course as it wasn't exiting the motor case as originally designed. So I cut and reinstalled a new xt60 plug on the now shortened cable.

Lastly everything worked out great have gotten a couple longer rides in using the extra battery and it does seem to add additional range to the overall ride.
Battery comes with an on/off switch and a separate charging port which charges up fine and it even comes with it's own seperate charger and a few other items.

 

[Allan47.7339]

How did you analyze the cutout in the frame?

 

[greeno]

? Not sure what you mean by “analyze the cutout”
I just located a flat exterior surface and looked inside the frame for any obstructions.
Made a plastic template and traced it on the frame, drilled a couple of pilot holes to double check my layout and then used my Drexel tool to finish the cutout.
Dryfit the receptacle to make sure it fit good, soldered on 6” of wire with a XT plug and popped it in the hole.
drilled out the two mounting screw holes and tapped them in the frame.
Then installed.

 

[Nubnub]

I wonder how long 3rd party batteries will stay under the radar. I had not heard of this add on for the Levo, but there is another mfg offerering range extenders for SL 1.1 models: https://www.volabike.com/en/special...Uvyuww#/35-logo_color-green/39-capacity-480wh

Note that it says version for SL 1.2 models "coming soon". I know some people who bought the Creo 2 needed to have the firmware for their older range extenders updated in order to function properly with the Creo 2. Since the Volabike competes directly with Specialized's own range extender, will Spec eventually take notice and have the ability to lock out non-Specialized external batteries. All in the name of safety/reliabilty ofc. Even if Spec could update firmware to disable a 3rd party battery, if someone does get the 3rd party battery working with their bike they can always choose not to do any further bike firmware updates.

 

[greeno]

Apples to oranges comparison.
Different motors.
SL series use a different motor and smaller battery for their setup. That’s the main reason for the boost being availible for those.
I even called and spoke to a tech at Specialized and asked him where I could source the boost battery receptacle that they use on the SL bikes and he told me that that plug would not work with the Levo as the Levo is 36v and the SL bikes are 48v.

Really? So it won’t work for a lesser voltage give me a break.

Now now did I void the warrenty, probably, but not to worried as I build up my own bikes and do all my own maintenance. So if a situation comes up hopefully I will be able to fix it myself.

 

[Allan47.7339]

Hopefully that cutout doesn't start to propagate a crack in the corners. I would inspect the cutout regularly depending how much and how hard you ride. People should also have reasonable expectations from manufacturers. They are not going to give you proprietary data to modify their system in an unknown way or other than what they have paid to have tested.

 

[McCorby]

Really? So it won’t work for a lesser voltage give me a break.

Typically, lower voltage systems will draw more current versus a system using a higher voltage battery. That’s one of the advantages of higher voltage systems……lower current draw. So did you verify the 48V connector is rated for the higher current produced by the 36V battery?

 

[greeno]

As far as a stress point where I did my cutout is concerned I think I’m fine as the SL series bikes have their proprietary Rosenberg plug mounted directly on the opposite side of the upper shell and that cutout is 2x the size as what I did.
There is even a hole at the rear of the bottom shell that has a plastic insert/cover mounted there for what I don’t know.
So it looks to me that an extra hole is of no concern.

I absolutely understand that Specialized wouldn’t want every yahoo cutting up of modifting their product I just thought I would ask anyway cause I was going to do it regardless of what they said. But the answer he gave didn’t really hold water in my opinion.
Just wanted to keep stuff standardized and simple.


Used to be an electrical contractor/ hv splicer before I retired so I got the know how.


The xt60 plugs I used are rated for 30a continuous and 500v so running 42v/7a max through them is a non issue.

But thanks guys for the comments never hurts to consider another view on something.

 

[mschwett]

very cool. very clean work.

the cutout does scare me, I’m sure these frames are overbuilt but holes in carbon are often reinforced, the raw edges are sealed with the resin, the layup may be different to accommodate the hole and deal with the stress concentrations. hopefully it‘ll be fine, it’s not like it’s a fork, but keep an eye on it and keep us posted!

 

[greeno]

As far as extra holes in the frame I was told by a local frame builder buddy that when they do there layups the reinforcing areas are at the main sites, head tube, seat tube, motor mount points etc. and that they do their smaller cuts, (cable routing openings, H2O cage mounts), they just cut them out or drill them as it’s not critical as they are not high load stress areas.
I did ask him about my install and he said no problem especially since it’s essentially being ”filled” and not just an open hole.
We’ll see time will tell.

For what it’s worth the water bottle screw holes, toptube cable routing holes and the rear small hole with the plastic plug none of the edges are sealed they are just cut.

 

[Allan47.7339]

The plug is not a structural part so that would not generally be considered a "filled" hole but at least you already have a place to get it repaired if necessary. Extrapolating from small round holes to that cutout is quite a leap of faith. It may be good enough for what you plan to do with the bike but if you are going to be really testing out the suspension system who knows?

 

[greeno]

You do realize that the cable guide holes, TCU display, and whatever that small plug in the rear are all physically larger in cut-out size right?
To each his own I guess.

Sounds like you would be more comfortable in having the battery cable exit the plastic motor housing with is what the boost battery manufacturer recommends to do.

Like I stated before check out the SL series bikes and look at their additional battery receptacle and you will see it is larger and approx. the same location only on opposite side.

 

[Allan47.7339]

It's like cutting holes in an I-beam. Holes in the web are OK but holes in the flanges are not. The holes on the SL are on the flats (web). They may have put a doubler in around the TCU (don't know).

From the Specialized Owners Manual Supplement.

The Creo/Vado SL models are ASTM Condition 2 - Bikes designed for riding Condition 1, plus smooth gravel roads and improved trails with moderate grades where the tires do not lose ground
contact.

The Levo FSR is a ASTM Condition 4 - Bikes designed for riding Conditions 1, 2, and 3, plus rough technical areas, moderately sized obstacles, and small jumps.

The ASTM testing standards are behind a paywall but I have found excerpts with a little more detail in the past on the DT Swiss in the past.

The cutout may be fine for the riding you intend to do. If someone else uses your guide, they may not have have the same experience as you if they plan to use the bike as designed and tested.

 

[mschwett]

It's like cutting holes in an I-beam. Holes in the web are OK but holes in the flanges are not. The holes on the SL are on the flats (web). They may have put a doubler in around the TCU (don't know).

From the Specialized Owners Manual Supplement.

The Creo/Vado SL models are ASTM Condition 2 - Bikes designed for riding Condition 1, plus smooth gravel roads and improved trails with moderate grades where the tires do not lose ground
contact.

The Levo FSR is a ASTM Condition 4 - Bikes designed for riding Conditions 1, 2, and 3, plus rough technical areas, moderately sized obstacles, and small jumps.

The ASTM testing standards are behind a paywall but I have found excerpts with a little more detail in the past on the DT Swiss in the past.

The cutout may be fine for the riding you intend to do. If someone else uses your guide, they may not have have the same experience as you if they plan to use the bike as designed and tested.

to be more precise, some holes in some locations of the web are ok. but you generally can't make a big hole in the web of a wide flange beam close to the column connection, and whether it's a moment connection or pinned connection also makes a very big difference. i do tend to agree with @greeno that these frames are not engineered right up to the bleeding edge where every hole has to be carefully considered and reinforced. i certainly wouldn't make any hole, even a tiny one, in my 585 gram aethos frame. the couple times i took my TCU out of my creo, i was surprised that there wasn't any reinforcement around the TCU hole, but clearly the top of the top tube isn't a high stress area! where an opening is on a different bike with a different frame and different reinforcement isn't really too relevant.

anyway, i still think it's a really clean install. i hope it doesn't assplode, i'm guessing it won't, and am looking forward to some updates as it is ridden. i've definitely wanted to make a little hole here or there in a carbon frame, but have always been way to chicken to do so.