WASHINGTON (BRAIN) — Specialized Bicycle Components is recalling about 2,500 first-generation Turbo Levo and Kenevo electric mountain bike battery packs. Water can penetrate the seal around the LED control pad on the bicycle's lithium-ion battery pack and cause the battery to short circuit, posing fire and burn hazards.
Consumers can contact Specialized at 800-772-4423 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. MT Monday through Friday, email ridercare@specialized.com, or go online at www.specialized.com and click on "Safety Notices" or contact an authorized Specialized retailer for more information.
The recall involves Specialized first-generation 2016-2018 model year Turbo Levo FSR, 2018-2021 model year Turbo Levo HT, and 2018-2019 model year Turbo Kenevo FSR electric mountain bikes with Specialized M1 battery packs that came as original equipment on the bikes, or Specialized M1 battery packs that were sold as aftermarket equipment for use with the bikes.
Turbo Levo, Turbo Levo HT, or Turbo Kenevo FSR are printed on the bicycle's top tube. The following Manufacturer Part Numbers (P/N) and Made Dates are printed on a label on the recalled batteries. The battery pack must be removed from the bicycle using a 6mm hex key in order to read the label. Visit www.specialized.com/safety-notices for more information on how to remove the battery pack and determine if it is included in this recall.
Manufacture P/N Made Date
B9JE2045F K7 L7 A8 B8 C8 D8 E8 F8 G8 H8 I8 J8 K8 L8 A9 B9 C9
B9JE2056F K7 L7 A8 B8 C8 D8 E8 F8 G8 H8 I8 J8 K8 L8 A9 B9 C9
B9JE2065F K7 L7 A8 B8 C8 D8 E8 F8 G8 H8 I8 J8 K8 L8 A9 B9 C9
B9JE2076F K7 L7 A8 B8 C8 D8 E8 F8 G8 H8 I8 J8 K8 L8 A9 B9 C9
B9JE2098F K7 L7 A8 B8 C8 D8 E8 F8 G8 H8 I8 J8 K8 L8 A9 B9 C9
Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled electric mountain bikes and contact Specialized Bicycle for a free repair. Specialized is contacting purchasers directly about the recall. Consumers should not charge the recalled battery pack or expose it to wet conditions until it has been repaired by an authorized Specialized retailer. Dealers are re-gluing the control pad on the battery to seal it better.
No injuries have been reported,
The bikes with the relevant batteries were sold by authorized Specialized retailers nationwide and online from November 2017 through May 2021 for between $3,400 and $10,000. Specialized M1 Battery Packs were also distributed individually under warranty claims or sold by authorized Specialized retailers and online at www.specialized.com from November 2017 through March 2019 for about $900.
The batteries were made in Taiwan.
According to Specialized:
For the small number (estimated less than 15%) of battery packs, if conductive water (e.g., salt or chlorinated) penetrates the seal around the Control Pad, e.g., through repeated pressure-washing, and reaches a specific very small area of the battery pack’s protection circuit board, it can in very rare cases trigger a short-circuit that would bypass the multiple layers of protection built into the battery pack. In sufficiently charged battery packs, this can potentially lead to a thermal runaway event, posing fire and burn hazards.
