fuj1
New Member
- Region
- United Kingdom
Hi all, new to EBR and not something I’d normally do, but due to the lack of information on de-restricting Specialized Vado’s I wanted to share my experience to help others to improve their riding experience.
Upon purchasing my 2025 Specialized Vado IGH I was aware it would come restricted to 15.5MPH, but was not prepared for just how poor of a riding experience this would be! On my first ride I was shocked at just how quickly (and how slow you’re moving) before the restriction kicks-in it was like I was riding through treacle at 15.5MPH+… a truly horrible experience!
I immediately started searching Forums/FB pages for advice on de-restricting the Vado and specifically the IGH variant to which I found little to no information, which led me to think de-restriction wasn’t possible. I made a few email enquiries with “tuning” companies whom advised “it wasn’t possible” etc. On this basis I was seriously considering returning my bike but then I approached Planet3, who I knew were known for their planetary gear mod for destruction on Specialized eMTB’s and to my surprise they advised “Yes! It is absolutely possible”, they had tested their Planet3-E de-restriction chip with the Vado and linked me to the correct product to order from their site, which clearly showed inventory levels also.
Alex (whom I come to understand is the founder Planet3) promptly responded to my various email enquiries prior to purchase to ensure I was confident the chip would work with my specific Vado model having the Enviolo IGH, he provided detailed fitting guidance and advised he was available for any further support if any issues arose, the communication and knowledge demonstrated was exemplary and led me to purchase a Planet3-E chip.
The order status was communicated clearly, I was able to track the product to my door and it arrived promptly with no additional or hidden fees associated.
The fitting of the chip was very straightforward with the detailed instructions provided, the most difficult bit was the amount of force required to loosen the crank-arm bolt to gain access to the plugs within the motor housing. Once the plastic motor housing cover is removed it was a case of unplugging a couple of connectors and connecting them to the Planet3-E and then plugging the Planet3-E into where the connectors were removed, effectively placing the chip inline into the circuit. All in being very slow and cautious the fitting process took me a maximum of 45 minutes. Worth noting this process is completely reversible for warranty purposes etc. and only detectable by removing the motor housing cover or actually riding the bike.
As you might imagine, I was very keen to test the bike after fitting the chip. WOW, I was genuinely blown-away by the improvement, the bike rides exactly how it should do! To be clear it’s not a rocket, but without the bike cutting off assistance at 15.5MPH I can now comfortably cruise at 18-20MPH without the horrible lack of assistance on this heavy bike! And if the need arises I can comfortably achieve speeds greater than 25MPH.
I noticed that after fitting the Planet3-E chip the factory-fitted Garmin Rear Radar was no longer providing feedback about traffic approaching from behind. I subsequently emailed Alex whom was very open to providing support to resolve this, we are currently working through troubleshooting and resolving for my specific setup.
If you’re not enjoying the lack of assistance above 15.5MPH I highly recommend you consider buying a Planet3-E chip, my Vado is now an absolute pleasure to ride, which is how it should have been in the first place!
Upon purchasing my 2025 Specialized Vado IGH I was aware it would come restricted to 15.5MPH, but was not prepared for just how poor of a riding experience this would be! On my first ride I was shocked at just how quickly (and how slow you’re moving) before the restriction kicks-in it was like I was riding through treacle at 15.5MPH+… a truly horrible experience!
I immediately started searching Forums/FB pages for advice on de-restricting the Vado and specifically the IGH variant to which I found little to no information, which led me to think de-restriction wasn’t possible. I made a few email enquiries with “tuning” companies whom advised “it wasn’t possible” etc. On this basis I was seriously considering returning my bike but then I approached Planet3, who I knew were known for their planetary gear mod for destruction on Specialized eMTB’s and to my surprise they advised “Yes! It is absolutely possible”, they had tested their Planet3-E de-restriction chip with the Vado and linked me to the correct product to order from their site, which clearly showed inventory levels also.
Alex (whom I come to understand is the founder Planet3) promptly responded to my various email enquiries prior to purchase to ensure I was confident the chip would work with my specific Vado model having the Enviolo IGH, he provided detailed fitting guidance and advised he was available for any further support if any issues arose, the communication and knowledge demonstrated was exemplary and led me to purchase a Planet3-E chip.
The order status was communicated clearly, I was able to track the product to my door and it arrived promptly with no additional or hidden fees associated.
The fitting of the chip was very straightforward with the detailed instructions provided, the most difficult bit was the amount of force required to loosen the crank-arm bolt to gain access to the plugs within the motor housing. Once the plastic motor housing cover is removed it was a case of unplugging a couple of connectors and connecting them to the Planet3-E and then plugging the Planet3-E into where the connectors were removed, effectively placing the chip inline into the circuit. All in being very slow and cautious the fitting process took me a maximum of 45 minutes. Worth noting this process is completely reversible for warranty purposes etc. and only detectable by removing the motor housing cover or actually riding the bike.
As you might imagine, I was very keen to test the bike after fitting the chip. WOW, I was genuinely blown-away by the improvement, the bike rides exactly how it should do! To be clear it’s not a rocket, but without the bike cutting off assistance at 15.5MPH I can now comfortably cruise at 18-20MPH without the horrible lack of assistance on this heavy bike! And if the need arises I can comfortably achieve speeds greater than 25MPH.
I noticed that after fitting the Planet3-E chip the factory-fitted Garmin Rear Radar was no longer providing feedback about traffic approaching from behind. I subsequently emailed Alex whom was very open to providing support to resolve this, we are currently working through troubleshooting and resolving for my specific setup.
If you’re not enjoying the lack of assistance above 15.5MPH I highly recommend you consider buying a Planet3-E chip, my Vado is now an absolute pleasure to ride, which is how it should have been in the first place!
Having the e-bike restricted increases the battery range tremendously! However, I join faster group rides too. Without the derestrictor I could not follow faster riders!
.. Thanks for the kind words 
