Specialized Turbo Vado/Como/Tero/Tero X User Club

[Palmthree]

The max Assist is 2.8x (!!!) and the max power is 430 W. If you ride it in 50/50% assistance, you are assisted 1.4x and the motor power is limited to 215 W.

I don't get this ; I often see something like "Power ratio : 3,6" or even "4" ?
So, the "Eco mode" is about 1x assistance.

Turbo, which is not the right mode to use everyday.

Why ?

If you ride it in 50/50% assistance, you are assisted 1.4x and the motor power is limited to 215 W

How do you know that exactly ?

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

I don't get this ; I often see something like "Power ratio : 3,6" or even "4" ?
So, the "Eco mode" is about 1x assistance.

In the mid-drive ebike operating system Specialized calls "Turbo", rider power (Pr) measured by the bike is the main determinant of the mechanical motor power (Pm) delivered to the crank. The exact relationship between Pm and Pr depends on (a) 2 independent parameters selected when you pick an assist mode like ECO or SPORT, and (b) 2 more independent parameters specific to your motor.

Full explanation and interactive graphical model here:

Visualizing and exploring the power-sensing PAS in Specialized mid-drives — an interactive graphical model

For our more math-minded Specialized mid-drive riders, here's an interactive graphical model of your bike's tunable power-sensing pedal assist system -- hereafter, just "PAS". The model doesn't cover complex PAS responses to transient events like starting out or approaching PAS cut-off speed...

forums.electricbikereview.com

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I don't get this ; I often see something like "Power ratio : 3,6" or even "4" ?

You have read the marketing material In reality, Specialized has published exact data about all full power motors here:
Specialized Full Power Motors

For instance, the 2.0E motor provides max assistance of 280% and max motor power of 430 W while the most expensive 2.2 motor gives a 410% max assistance at max power of 560 W.
You pay big money for the stronger motor, and the stronger motor is less economical as it draws more power from the battery.
It is similar if you bought one VW car with 80 HP and another with 150 (just an example). Of course, you pay more for the stronger car and use more petrol.

So, the "Eco mode" is about 1x assistance.

It depends what motor and what Assist % you can set in the Specialized App under the Tune. For instance 35% ECO for Como 3.0 motor would be 0.35 *2.8 = 0.98 or about 1x assist. Correct.

Why ?

Use of Turbo depletes the battery very fast. That leads to frequent recharges, and each recharge is a step towards death in the battery lifetime. Given the UK's assistance speed limit of 15.5 mph, you would need Turbo on very steep climbs only, as Turbo used on the flat means almost immediate hitting 15.5 mph and maintaining that speed near to the cut-off. A bad way to use the e-bike, as the system cannot decide if you want to ride assisted below 15.5 mph or exceed that speed, and ride on leg power only with the motor not working. Setting ECO or SPORT keeps you below 15.5 mph with a solid motor assistance.

How do you know that exactly ?

As Jeremy tried to explain, there are two parameters that can be set in the Specialized App under Tune:

• Assist, for example 50% (0.50) is to be multiplied by max motor Assist (2.8x in case of the 2.0E motor). It gives the assistance of 0.5 * 2.8 = 1.4x. If your legs provide 100 W, the motor will help you with 140 W of assistance.
• Max Motor Power limit. If this second number is 50% (0.5) and the peak 2.0E motor power is 430 W, then the motor power is capped at 0.5 * 430 = 215 W. Whatever you do with your legs on the pedals, the motor won't provide more that 215 W. This parameter is meant to help saving battery power or making the ride more economical.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Specialized mid-drive riders should be aware that the official and unofficial terminology surrounding their ebike's operating system has evolved over the years. Hard to know sometimes which of the 4 parameters controlling the motor power calculation someone might be referring to.

The terminology I used in the post linked above was taken from the latest official documentation at the time. To my knowledge, that terminology still holds.

Final note: Specialized uses "Turbo" in 2 different ways in an ebike context— (1) as the name of its mid-drive operating system, and also (2) as the name for the highest assist mode. May have been a source of confusion earlier in this thread

 

[Palmthree]

You have read the marketing material

But I can see this on my screen ?
Anyway, I've never heard of a 2,8x assistance for my bike. It's really clearer this way...
So, I can simulate a Como SL pretty easily, I have just to tune a little bit.

In the mid-drive ebike operating system Specialized calls "Turbo", rider power (Pr) measured by the bike is the main determinant of the mechanical motor power (Pm) delivered to the crank. The exact relationship between Pm and Pr depends on (a) 2 independent parameters selected when you pick an assist mode like ECO or SPORT, and (b) 2 more independent parameters specific to your motor.

Very fun toy ! That pretty much sums up how I feel on the bike!

Use of Turbo depletes the battery very fast.

I don't like the "Turbo" very much. It does not feel very natural and i'm feeling the motor "start and stop" (also, the pedals seem to shake a little bit...)
I'm using it as you say : when it's really too hard.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

But I can see this on my screen ?

No, you cannot. You need to Tune your Como using the Specialized App, and do a little calculation for each Assist Level: ECO, SPORT, TURBO. Besides, I always leave TURBO at 100/100% for emergency. Last Saturday I rode my big Vado in a gravel race in a very hilly area. I basically used TURBO for each climb and was not pedalling on descents.

Anyway, I've never heard of a 2,8x assistance for my bike. It's really clearer this way...

The marketing information is really misleading. It is at least good Specialized has published facts in its Support website. Besides, the motor torque information is misleading there as well (it is the marketing data). The true data are Assist and Peak Motor Power published there.

So, I can simulate a Como SL pretty easily, I have just to tune a little bit.

Yes you can. Max Assist of 1.8x and Max Motor Power of 240 W. As I really need a lot of assistance, my SL settings are:

• ECO: 60/60%
• SPORT: 80/80%
• TURBO: 100/100%

I don't like the "Turbo" very much. It does not feel very natural and i'm feeling the motor "start and stop" (also, the pedals seem to shake a little bit...)
I'm using it as you say : when it's really too hard.

You are right. TURBO is for steep climbs only. I actually needed the full 3.2x Assist and 520 W motor peak power as well as mountain gearing on my Vado in the race, as the ascent grades could easily exceed 14% there! Just fancy, the speed on the ascents was as low as 10 km/h (6 mph).

 

[Chargeride]

The cutoff can be annoying and even dangerous if you dont keep your attention to your speed.
The effortless power gives you an distorted feedback of your ability.
A few times I have accelerated to overtake very slow moving cars, only to hit the wall of the cutout in an exposed position my mind thought I would only be in for a split second.