Some thoughts on buying a new battery for the Turbo

[eagamer80]

Hello guys,

I have been thinking about buying an extra Turbo 691wh battery for my Turbo FLR bike. I have some questions that I'd like to clear out considering the experience of some members here:

- Do you think is worthy? or is better to save the money and spend it on a new bike in the future? (I mean, considering the cost of the battery and the issues that this bike gives, may be is better investing in future/improved models or other brand)
- Compatibility: I remember reading that all Turbo batteries are compatible with any model of the bike. I have 2016 version.
- Can you recommend me places to ask/buy? (especially here in Europe). If you know any good place/web page to buy one, it could be any place in the EU I guess, I can even consider USA if there's a huge difference in the price. If I get any trouble, I think It would be much better to have EU support.

I mean I think I would go directly to the 691wh model instead of aiming for the Turbo X model. With the 691 I would earn some extra features like the Bluetooth connectivity, more range, etc. Unless of course there's a really good discount in the price of the 504wh. BTW, it's funny but now the specialized web page has increased the price, last week was around 600 dollars, now is 9 dollars more expensive than the base price (?) (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)
I guess the price of Lithium is going up globally and they wanted to update it =)

I'd like to hear your personal thoughts on the matter, it may change my mind.

Thanks in advance.

 

[ferrellms]

Hello guys,

I have been thinking about buying an extra Turbo 691wh battery for my Turbo FLR bike. I have some questions that I'd like to clear out considering the experience of some members here:

- Do you think is worthy? or is better to save the money and spend it on a new bike in the future? (I mean, considering the cost of the battery and the issues that this bike gives, may be is better investing in future/improved models or other brand)
- Compatibility: I remember reading that all Turbo batteries are compatible with any model of the bike. I have 2016 version.
- Can you recommend me places to ask/buy? (especially here in Europe). If you know any good place/web page to buy one, it could be any place in the EU I guess, I can even consider USA if there's a huge difference in the price. If I get any trouble, I think It would be much better to have EU support.

I mean I think I would go directly to the 691wh model instead of aiming for the Turbo X model. With the 691 I would earn some extra features like the Bluetooth connectivity, more range, etc. Unless of course there's a really good discount in the price of the 504wh. BTW, it's funny but now the specialized web page has increased the price, last week was around 600 dollars, now is 9 dollars more expensive than the base price (?) (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)
I guess the price of Lithium is going up globally and they wanted to update it =)

I'd like to hear your personal thoughts on the matter, it may change my mind.

Thanks in advance.

Hi, I have used the 3 different sized batteries - Turbo S, Turbo X, and Turbo - in my Turbo X 2016.
2016 Turbo - 468Wh
2016 Turbo X- 562Wh
2016 Turbo S - 691Wh
They all work fine and are indistinguishable in use. The smallest won't work with the Mission Control app, the larger 2 will. The increase in available distance scales directly with the wh ratings. You need to ask yourself how much you are willing to spend for the Mission Control app and the additional range.

 

[Allan47.7339]

The 691Wh battery was the best upgrade I made to my 2014 TurboS. I listed the weights of the 504 vs 691 in a reply on another thread. As far as I know the 691Wh battery was always 900 dollars.

 

[Douglas Ruby]

The 691Wh battery was the best upgrade I made to my 2014 TurboS. I listed the weights of the 504 vs 691 in a reply on another thread. As far as I know the 691Wh battery was always 900 dollars.

I will "+1" this!

 

[eagamer80]

Hello guys, thanks for your insights. I think I will buy this battery some time next year. It would be really nice to have such a capacity, specially for longer rides.
For the moment the best upgrade I got for this bike, is a much cheaper device that would almost work as rear suspension this bike lacks. I am talking about the Cane Creek Thudbuster LT.

I totally recommended it if you value your butt and back =). Official product link. It cost me around 150 dollars in bikester.se
The ride is much more comfortable even with the factory seat. I was thinking in replacing the seat too, but I think that would not be necessary anymore. Here's the video review.

 

[jamesthewright]

I definitely second the seat post suspension. I picked up the BodyFloat which is about 100$ more but same difference.

It does spoil you. When I ride a regular bike now it feels like my brain is bouncing around....
That bigger battery does sound awesome. Ill likely pick one up next year as well once mine starts to loose its umph, currently 2800 miles and going strong. Hopefully I can grab it before they discontinue them since the Vados are a complete new style.

Cheers!

 

[Charlie Rohlfing]

Guys, is anybody else worried about availability of replacement batteries for our bikes going forward? (I'm talking about the "Urban" models, Base, X and S.) I just this week took delivery of a Base model at my LBS and the battery was made in July of 2015, so it's already about 17 months old. I told my bike dealer I wasn't really cool with that ... I'm buying a new bike and I want a new battery, especially as we all know Li-ion batteries tend to "age", whether they are being charge-cycled or not. (My bike shop is calling Specialized, looking into it, haven't heard back as of today.) It's also pretty clear that the Base and X models are probably on their way out, in light of the discount pricing and the new Vado models on the horizon. Conjecture is they may keep making the S model, but nobody knows for sure. So my question is ... 2 years from now when I maybe need a new battery (due to failure or just wear-out) will Specialized be able to provide one? I'd welcome your opinions on this! Thanks

 

[Uniball]

I'm a new Turbo X owner and am concerned about future battery availability. Resale value will be near worthless unless replacement batteries are available. Quickly looked into repacking the Specialized tube but came up empty.

 

[Ann M.]

I wouldn't jump on the fear train just yet. Specialized is a large manufacturer and they have to provide parts for up to 5 years after discontinuing a model. Another option would be to contact a company that does electric bike battery rebuilds like Rechargeable Power Energy, RPE-na.com or rechargeablepowerenergy.com. That's what they've been doing for years.

Other companies that sell a lot of aftermarket batteries, like Luna Cycle may have an alternative external battery which will keep the bike viable and running.

 

[Charlie Rohlfing]

Ah Ann, thank you! I hate riding on the Fear Train! The 5 year thing is true for bicycle companies? I know it's 10 for cars and motorcycle companies.

 

[jamesthewright]

Sorry, I didn't mean to create a scare. I wasn't too worried about it for the same reason's Ann mentioned regarding repacking by a third party.

Maybe by then they can pack in 800+ mwh or if I can get my resonance system working then no major battery needed at all, but I'm just a dreamer!

Cheers!

 

[Ann M.]

Charlie, I can't speak for all of the ebike companies; however, the larger ones that I've worked with over the years have some sort of policy to provide support on retired models. There are so many small independent importers (like a lot that show up on crowd funding sites) that may not have the ability to leap to a really professional level of support for their owner/investors; so there the buyer must use a little common sense. For businesses like Trek, Izip/Currie Tech/Raleigh, Specialized, Stromer and other long time manufacturers, you should feel pretty secure about the long term support.

 

[Uniball]

Thanks for the feedback. I've been riding Specialized for over 30 years but never had to call on their service for parts. I'll assume availability and simply enjoy the Turbo free of concerns.