Vado Derestriction

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!
 
I’m confused. My Vado 5 IGH is a Class 3 e-bike which means I have assistance up to 28 mph from the factory. Are you not located in the US?
 
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!
Are you sure this isnt a warranty issue because I would be very surprised if Specialized couldnt detect from motor logs that you were running a 'speedbox'.

Im having the same issue with my Levo, on the red trails I might as well turn the motor off, Im just riding 3-5 mph past the restriction speed and Im pedalling into treacle constantly.
I think for most trail centres you would be better off with a normal bike and trail lift.
As you say even 18mph would do, my friend with a speedbox on the dame bike is having a 100% different ride experience, even an Eco level of assistance would help.
 
Are you sure this isnt a warranty issue because I would be very surprised if Specialized couldnt detect from motor logs that you were running a 'speedbox'.

Im having the same issue with my Levo, on the red trails I might as well turn the motor off, Im just riding 3-5 mph past the restriction speed and Im pedalling into treacle constantly.
I think for most trail centres you would be better off with a normal bike and trail lift.
As you say even 18mph would do, my friend with a speedbox on the dame bike is having a 100% different ride experience, even an Eco level of assistance would help.
Unfortunately not a defect, this is to meet regulations/legislation in the UK. It completely ruins the bike!…but not any more!
 
I agree, the UK restrictions of 15.5 mph are absolutely ridiculous. On my old non-electric bike, I'd frequently reach speeds of 25 or more and have average speeds of over 15 mph.

On my Vado SL, my normal cruising speed is about 17 to 20 mph and I routinely hit 25 to 27 mph on every ride, which is fast enough for me.
Anything past 28 mph would start to get dangerous, at least for me. I ride exclusively on dirt / limestone trails which are very twisty.
If electric bikes had a 15.5 mph restriction here, I would never have gotten one.
 
Just to add another perspective, for all the reasons the OP gives I did the same to my Vado (in the UK).
I installed a Peartune MSO 4.0 For Brose Specialized and my radar works perfectly.
 
Just to add another perspective, for all the reasons the OP gives I did the same to my Vado (in the UK).
I installed a Peartune MSO 4.0 For Brose Specialized and my radar works perfectly.
I would only go with Peartune.

I have the MSO 3.0 for SL 1.1 installed on my 25 km/h 2021 Vado SL (Poland). There is a version to derestrict On Demand, and also a version that is Always On (for SL e-bikes without the Walk Mode button, for instance, the Creo 1). My version derestricts the e-bike on pushing the Walk Mode button once.

Having said the above, let me say I do not always derestrict my Vado SL. For instance, I often organize small group rides under the motto: "No snails*, no horses**, max 25 km/h" :) 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!

MSO 3.0 is not a bug free chip. It often produces "Motor Error" messages when on. I can live with that.
-------------------
*) Snail = A weak traditional cyclist, max speed 18 km/h, average up to 15 km/h
**) Horse = a performing cyclist, average speed at least 30 km/h on asphalt.
 
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Really sux that your bike is so crippled from the factory. So lame.

Anyway, glad there’s a way forward for you.
 
The whole Europe rides with this speed restriction but there are 10x more e-bikes in Europe than in North America :) Why? :)
Clearly not the whole of Europe, Stefan since we’re talking about upping performance right here. I don’t know why you guys would put up with 15MPH limits. That’s absurd to me.
 
Clearly not the whole of Europe, Stefan since we’re talking about upping performance right here. I don’t know why you guys would put up with 15MPH limits. That’s absurd to me.
Not. It makes e-bikes equal to pedal bikes by law. Meaning, you can ride an e-bike in most of national parks or forests in Europe; while most of national parks of the U.S. have e-bikes banned.
 
Its very likely to spread to America and the incoming total control of our purchases and internet will begin the clampdown of hacking devices.
The technology exists, even Strava users could expect a knock on the door by the bike confiscation squad if they decided to do it.
I used to sound like a conspiracy nut, not so much everyday.
Speed cameras for ebikes on bike trails?
Dont bet against it 😂
 
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!

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!
Warranty will be void by fitting this device as its detectable by Specialized, also the bike would now be considered illegal and open to confiscation by the authorities if used on the public highway.
 
Are you sure this isnt a warranty issue because I would be very surprised if Specialized couldnt detect from motor logs that you were running a 'speedbox'.

Im having the same issue with my Levo, on the red trails I might as well turn the motor off, Im just riding 3-5 mph past the restriction speed and Im pedalling into treacle constantly.
I think for most trail centres you would be better off with a normal bike and trail lift.
As you say even 18mph would do, my friend with a speedbox on the dame bike is having a 100% different ride experience, even an Eco level of assistance would help.

Another PLANET3 party going on here without my knowledge 🤣.. Thanks for the kind words @fuj1! As far as @Chargeride's question related to the warranty goes - PLANET3-E in no way affects the warranty of your bike's motor (unless we'd like to go for the very obvious scenario where you take your bike in for a warranty motor-swap and you leave it in there to stare the mechanic right in the face as he removes the motor cover). Unlike Levociraptor, it doesn't change the parameter of the wheel circumference which is something logged by the motor controller and it remains visible on the diagnostics even after a TCU reset. It just interrupts the data flow between the speed sensor, motor and the display and sends modified messages of speed once you approach the speed limit - just like many of the other chips out there, but there are some advantages to having it updatable via BT and continuously developed and improved.

@Amoto65 Making bold claims and spreading misinformation on the internet is nothing new in this day and age, however - if you're not able to substantiate a claim with actual proof, you should probably stay away from posting in the first place as it adds no value to the conversation. Unless this is exactly your goal as an internet troll, in which case - excellent job!
 
Another PLANET3 party going on here without my knowledge 🤣.. Thanks for the kind words @fuj1! As far as @Chargeride's question related to the warranty goes - PLANET3-E in no way affects the warranty of your bike's motor (unless we'd like to go for the very obvious scenario where you take your bike in for a warranty motor-swap and you leave it in there to stare the mechanic right in the face as he removes the motor cover). Unlike Levociraptor, it doesn't change the parameter of the wheel circumference which is something logged by the motor controller and it remains visible on the diagnostics even after a TCU reset. It just interrupts the data flow between the speed sensor, motor and the display and sends modified messages of speed once you approach the speed limit - just like many of the other chips out there, but there are some advantages to having it updatable via BT and continuously developed and improved.

@Amoto65 Making bold claims and spreading misinformation on the internet is nothing new in this day and age, however - if you're not able to substantiate a claim with actual proof, you should probably stay away from posting in the first place as it adds no value to the conversation. Unless this is exactly your goal as an internet troll, in which case - excellent job!
What actual proof do you need, police in the UK are crushing illegal e- bikes look in the papers or on the news if you don't believe as for the Specialized claim my best friend has a Specialized dealership and they can tell when they plug in to the tcu. As for accusing me of being a troll grow up! And as for staying away from the internet that would probably be better applied to yourself seeing as you are selling a product that is facilitating the illegal use of E- bikes in the UK.
 
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