Specialized Turbo Vado SL: An Incredible E-Bike (User Club)

[stompandgo]

No, none of this is normal, acceptable, or "the way it is". A good shop won't mess around with brakes, they will keep it until it's 100% right. It's a liability issue.

The soft front brake is most likely a bleed issue. Assuming the rotor is true, the unequal wear is most likely a dirty or stuck caliper piston. I'd return to the dealer and request an overhaul, front and rear, and a complete brake fluid flush, front and rear. This should include the following:

Disassembly and inspection. Look for leaks, partial hose insertion, bad olives or barbs.
Caliper rebuilds. Disassemble, clean and inspect. New pistons where needed, new seals everywhere. Check the hose threads for engagement.
Replace hoses if needed.
Flush and bleed.

If the front is still soft, the lever cylinder needs to be rebuilt, if possible, or replaced. They should have checked the rear caliper piston engagement after the rebuild so the uneven wear won't return. If it does, the caliper needs to be replaced.

It seems like they were pecking at these problems to save you money. Sometimes a shop has to eat service costs to get it right if it can't be warrantied. That's how it works in this business.

They may choose a different approach, i.e. complete brake replacement, if Specialized approves it. 5 trips to the shop is 4 too many.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

No, none of this is normal, acceptable, or "the way it is". A good shop won't mess around with brakes, they will keep it until it's 100% right. It's a liability issue.

The soft front brake is most likely a bleed issue. Assuming the rotor is true, the unequal wear is most likely a dirty or stuck caliper piston. I'd return to the dealer and request an overhaul, front and rear, and a complete brake fluid flush, front and rear. This should include the following:

Disassembly and inspection. Look for leaks, partial hose insertion, bad olives or barbs.
Caliper rebuilds. Disassemble, clean and inspect. New pistons where needed, new seals everywhere. Check the hose threads for engagement.
Replace hoses if needed.
Flush and bleed.

If the front is still soft, the lever cylinder needs to be rebuilt, if possible, or replaced. They should have checked the rear caliper piston engagement after the rebuild so the uneven wear won't return. If it does, the caliper needs to be replaced.

It seems like they were pecking at these problems to save you money. Sometimes a shop has to eat service costs to get it right if it can't be warrantied. That's how it works in this business.

They may choose a different approach, i.e. complete brake replacement, if Specialized approves it. 5 trips to the shop is 4 too many.

Many thanks! This will be a HUGE help when I talk to the mechanic later this morning.

Yes, I think they were pecking at the brake problems till now.

But I think they'll escalate appropriately this time. This is my favorite local shop and authorized Specialized dealer, with a great service reputation. And I have my friend Gary on the inside, who said he'd push the mechanic for a warranty overhaul at the very least.

Thanks again!

 

[stompandgo]

No problem. Let me know what they end up doing. Hopefully that doesn't include "WTF is that guy talking about".

 

[BioWheel]

So the brakes are leaking fluid and that's happened twice. Wow. I've been lucky.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

So the brakes are leaking fluid and that's happened twice. Wow. I've been lucky.

No, no evidence of fluid leaks in this saga.

 

[BioWheel]

No, no evidence of fluid leaks in this saga.

So what caused the saggy brakes? I mean - if it's got fluid and you press the handle where does the energy go? And you said it's with new pads. I don't get it. Feel bad for you and Specy in a way, since they don't make the component but reflects bad on them to have 5 problems on the same system.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

The brakes on my Vado SL are the most reliable of what I've ever got.

 

[2wheelsgood]

I remain super impressed with my Shimano XT brake upgrade.

One finger operation, lovely feel, they were better than I expected and give me a warm fuzzy feeling every time I need to use them

 

[BakedPringles]

Are they really that much better than the Tektros? I didn't upgrade mine and I'm really happy with them. I like them better than the Shimano brakes on my Trek.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

So what caused the saggy brakes? I mean - if it's got fluid and you press the handle where does the energy go?

I don't understand it, either. But I believe my mechanic when he says no leaks were detected on previous visits. He's generally pretty thorough.

And you said it's with new pads.

Not exactly. The pads were worn in every case, and the rears unevenly, but no pads were ever worn beyond service limits.

Feel bad for you and Specy in a way, since they don't make the component but reflects bad on them to have 5 problems on the same system.

My mechanic, who routinely works on high-end road bikes costing 2-3 times an SL, says Specialized cut some costs on the SL 1's brakes. "Not the best" in his words.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

I remain super impressed with my Shimano XT brake upgrade.

One finger operation, lovely feel, they were better than I expected and give me a warm fuzzy feeling every time I need to use them

More about that upgrade, please! Total cost parts and labor?

Based on my mechanic's less than glowing assessment of the SL 1's stock brakes, that could well be my long-term solution.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

More about that upgrade, please! Total cost parts and labor?

Based on my mechanic's less than glowing assessment of the SL 1's stock brakes, that could well be my long-term solution.

On the steep hills here having 180mm rotors (with similar Tektro) on an ebike (Cairn Brave)that is around 10ths heavier than my Vado SL was a revelation. It's the gradual, controlled modulation on 15-25% down hill roads. So even though the bike is heavier and weighed down, braking is much easier on the hands.

2Wheels - which model XTs did you get? and what size rotors? Might look up eBay for those. Tons of XT around thanks to our mtb friends.

 

[Nubnub]

I don't understand it, either. But I believe my mechanic when he says no leaks were detected on previous visits. He's generally pretty thorough.


Not exactly. The pads were worn in every case, and the rears unevenly, but no pads were ever worn beyond service limits.


My mechanic, who routinely works on high-end road bikes costing 2-3 times an SL, says Specialized cut some costs on the SL 1's brakes. "Not the best" in his words.

It does sound like you have a bleed issue with the brakes. But since the mechanic says no obvious leaks and you trust him, why have the brakes gone soft in only 15 months even after 2 services? And it apparently needs another. Air in the brake lines is usually what has caused my brake levers to go soft. If your bike is always upright, the chances of any existing air migrating within the line is mitigated. But if you fall, work on the upside down bike, store in sideways in the car to transport - each instance has a chance that air in the lines migrates to where you don't want it. Not saying these are the causes for your soft brake issue, but if you can think of anything you've consistently done that might have caused air bubbles to migrate (even a propely bled system can have some air in it). Did the brakes feel soft when you first got it?And have the 2 services improved the feel? For how long?

For the record, I had a 2020 SL and the brakes were fine, never had to bleed these, only pad changes and caliper adjusts were needed in the 3 or so years I had it.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Thanks, very useful info! I know next to nothing about hydraulic brakes.

It does sound like you have a bleed issue with the brakes. But since the mechanic says no obvious leaks and you trust him, why have the brakes gone soft in only 15 months even after 2 services? And it apparently needs another.

Yes, the front brake had to be bled both times it went soft before.

Air in the brake lines is usually what has caused my brake levers to go soft. If your bike is always upright, the chances of any existing air migrating within the line is mitigated. But if you fall, work on the upside down bike, store in sideways in the car to transport - each instance has a chance that air in the lines migrates to where you don't want it. Not saying these are the causes for your soft brake issue, but if you can think of anything you've consistently done that might have caused air bubbles to migrate (even a propely bled system can have some air in it).

Interesting. I did fall once (with a very soft landing for both bike and rider), but don't recall the relative timing. Otherwise, the bike's been upright the whole time.

Just remembered that one soft front episode followed a hard emergency stop from ~15 mph to avoid an oblivious pedestrian who stepped right in front of me.

Did the brakes feel soft when you first got it?And have the 2 services improved the feel? For how long?

Yes, brakes felt fine on delivery (way better than my other ebike). And yes, restored to that baseline by bleeding both times. Each fix lasted for maybe 4-5 months.

For the record, I had a 2020 SL and the brakes were fine, never had to bleed these, only pad changes and caliper adjusts were needed in the 3 or so years I had it.

Kinda what I expected from my 2022 SL.

 

[stompandgo]

Once a brake is bled properly, it should never have to be bled again, unless something allowed air into the system. That's why checking seals, barbs, olives, hoses, and threaded connections are important during diagnosis.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Please keep us updated on the Fidlock's usability. I am looking at this system.

Follow-up: Fidlock's been flawless for 3 months now. Very secure, like the way the bottle looks (see above) and how it dispenses liquids. Would buy again.

And the whole reason I tried it has worked out perfectly: The low-profile mount lets my Thule rack's lateral restraint arm clamp the downtube in the ideal spot.

 

[BEC111]

Thanks, very useful info! I know next to nothing about hydraulic brakes.


Yes, the front brake had to be bled both times it went soft before.


Interesting. I did fall once (with a very soft landing for both bike and rider), but don't recall the relative timing. Otherwise, the bike's been upright the whole time.

Just remembered that one soft front episode followed a hard emergency stop from ~15 mph to avoid an oblivious pedestrian who stepped right in front of me.


Yes, brakes felt fine on delivery (way better than my other ebike). And yes, restored to that baseline by bleeding both times. Each fix lasted for maybe 4-5 months.


Kinda what I expected from my 2022 SL.

I’ve recently had similar issues with the brakes on my Sl1-4, on the rear for me. It started when I got caught in a thunderstorm‘s heavy downpour. It was so wet the brakes didn’t grab very well, screaming their annoyance all the way home. About 15 miles. When I dried everything and went to ride the next day, I found that the pads were heavily glazed. I used some very fine sandpaper and alcohol wipes to remove the glaze and clean the rotors. That helped, but then I found the brake levers were soft.

I adjusted the lever position, but that didn’t help So I invested in a hydraulic brake bleed kit and followed the maintenance procedure I found on YouTube to let any air escape. Not a full bleed. There were bubbles so there was air in the system and that fixed the problem.

Now, a few months later, the brake is feeling soft again. It’s possible there’s a leak somewhere in the system. It will be number one on my bike shop’s winter service visit.

 

[2wheelsgood]

More about that upgrade, please! Total cost parts and labor?

Based on my mechanic's less than glowing assessment of the SL 1's stock brakes, that could well be my long-term solution.

Not cheap!

But I am glad I did it.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Not cheap!

But I am glad I did it.

View attachment 203245

Sorry, can't see the total. My mechanic estimated $600-700 parts and labor for similar components. Then he talked me out of it on both performance and maintenance cost grounds.

 

[BioWheel]

Not cheap!

But I am glad I did it.

View attachment 203245

40% off bleeds? Someone is getting a deal. Strange thing to have sale on. And I guess you could say, they gave you a brake on the labor. If that reads right.