Removing speed regulator on specialized turbo S?

[traxx14]

I'm new to ebike riding, but have spent a couple hours trying to research this topic (maybe my google searching skills are just not as good as I thought). I've also skimmed all of the threads linked here.

I'm considering getting a specialized turbo S, but find it annoying that the motor cuts off at 28mph. I did a demo ride on the bike and found there were quite a few times when I would have liked to go a bit faster (getting all the way to 28mph requires a moderate amount of pedaling force, but then getting above 28 is almost impossible because the motor cuts out). I'm new to ebikes - is there a standard way to change/hack the limiter? I was thinking if there is a procedure to tell the controller it has smaller tires than it actually has that might be an option (or maybe that's a terrible idea?)

Thanks!

 

[Drunkskunk]

The cut off is in the software, so unless you can hack it, there isn't much hope. You probably aren't missing much. The cut off is there for legal reasons at 28mph (45kph), but that kind of design isn't capable of much more speed than that anyway with the stock electronics and battery. Completely unrestricted, that type motor should run out of speed at somewhere around 28-29mph.

 

[traxx14]

What if I owned a Specialized Turbo, but wanted to put smaller tires on it? Would that require buying a new controller or having it sent to the factory or something?

 

[traxx14]

I've decided to give up and just keep driving a car to work and when I have to go on busy roads (which is most of the rides from where I live). I've concluded that it takes quite a bit of time/research/effort to confidently unlock the Specialized Turbo. If it's of any use for future people who are searching for something similar, this comment is from a thread on reddit:

The more proprietary the bike, the more protected the speed limit. People have been trying to unlock Bionx for years. There are two companies that do it, one is an auto chip tuning company that costs $150 (tied to a single serial #) or $800 for a dealer device that unlocks unlimited systems. Recently there Bigxionflasher at $100 for chip dongle, a bit of computer knowledge and no serial # limits...I've been a Bionx dealer for years and most people are cool with the 20mph speed limit, but with the new D series motor, it's obvious the system is crippled per liability and mish mash e-bike regulations and could go much faster...Limiting factors are heat dissipation and cheap chinese electronics (poor quality MOSFETs) that can burn up with too much current, but those can be upgraded by folks skilled in hacking e-bikes. Longevity issues also factor in, things like motor bearings, geared motor internals (plastic gears), hub bearings, etc...

 

[Cephalotus]

BionX has been "hacked" for some years, look at http://www.open-ebike.com (in German)

You can modify everything via software, not just top speed.

Most BionX motors will not run significantly faster than 28mph on a full charged 13s BionX battery, because the battery voltage and motor winding are the hardware limit. I see no reason to go faster than 28mph, the air resisatnce will grow exponentially, the battery will depleted very quickly and the motor will "overheat"...

If you do not like the behaviour neer the speed limit (on/off feeling) you can change the BionX cut off ramp with the modified software for a much more smooth experience.