BATTERIES

Internal battery
Range Extender Battery – ships with Zee Cage and retention band; required connection cable needs to be ordered separately

Type Overview


Criterion
Internal battery
(320 Wh)
Range Extender Battery
(160 Wh)
Type IdentifierSBC-B15 (battery label)

SL1-320 (marketing name)


SBC-B16 (battery label)

SL1-160 (marketing name)

Weightapprox 1.95 kgapprox 1.0 kg
Design Capacity320 Wh160 Wh
Nominal Voltage48 V
Charge Time(s)2:35 h
(see “Charging” for details)

3:20 h
(see “Charging” for details)
Protection RatingIP 67IPX6
Wireless Connectivityn.a. (wireless connectivity included in bike display)
Replaceable Hardwarenone
Warranty Terms≥ 75% of capacity after 300 charge cycles or 2 years
Washing AdviceNo high pressure washing in general.
Close charge port before washing.
Remove from bike before washing. Clean with damp cloth. Ensure connector socket is clean and dry before connecting RE cable.

Internal Battery (SL1-320)

Hardware Details

  • Lithium-Ion cells in custom casing, BMS controlled
  • Cell Type: (26 type 18650 cells, 2p 13s)
  • Capacity: 320 wh (label reads: 6.9 Ah x 48 V)
  • Weight / Dimensions
    • approx. 1.8 kg
    • 400 x 50 x 75 mm
  • 2 fixation bolts (from outside down tube)
  • Pull-hook in casing to remove battery from downtube
  • Protection Rating: IP 67
  • Connector: twist & lock connector

Integration

Fully integrated into downtube, secured by two screws from outside (see bike schematics for details).

Removal

After removing motor (with about 15 min relatively quick; optionally, cranks can stay on, but chainring needs to be removed to access all motor bolts in frame)

Label: shows handling advice, temperature ranges for charge/discharge/storage, etc. (since battery cannot be removed easily by rider, label is shown in bike manual)

Warranty: after 300 full charge cycles at least 75 % health or 2 years

Important: Please contact your RC team for Assisted Purchase offers for all issues related outside warranty

Range Extender Battery (SL1-160)

RE Battery

  • Optional to extend range/ride time
  • Sits in bottle cage on seat tube
    • Recommended: Specialized Zee Cage (supplied with aftermarket RE battery)
    • Additionally secured with retention strap (supplied with aftermarket RE)
    • Important: RE cable needs to be ordered separately (RE battery only comes with Zee Cage and retention strap)
  • Capacity: 160 wh (label reads: 3.35 Ah x 46.8 V)
  • Dimensions: 200m high, 75 mm in diameter
  • Weight: 1.0 kg (excl. cable)
  • Cell Type: 13 type 18650 cells
  • Easy to attach/remove
  • IPX6 protection rating
  • Discharge sequence can be determined in MC App (see details below)
  • Parallel discharging recommended (see further below)
  • Needs to be plugged and locked to ports at any time when on bike (safety feature)
  • Mounting / cage position
    • Mountain SL bikes: always sits in cage on down tube
    • Road and Active SL bikes: sits in cage on seat tube, if it features bottle cage mounts

Range Extender Cable

  • Connects RE to system
  • Lockable connector at frame port, double seals
  • Friction-based connector at RE, double seals
  • Cable length depends on bike model (see table)
  • IP67 protection rating for connector
  • UV resistant cable
  • Reliable and safe pin design: The two power pins (48V/GND) are longer/thicker so that they connect before the data pins engage. This means current only flows when power pins are securely in place

Care & Handling Advice

Riding and Transportation

  • Do not ride with a disconnected RE cable – transport RE cable as gear when RE is not in use but needs to sit in bottle cage
  • Do not leave RE cable disconnected and dangling at frame when moving bike around
  • Never leave the RE cable unplugged and spin the bike backwards – a backwards-moving crank arm will likely jam the RE connector between crank and frame, causing damage to the connector or even the frame
  • For transportation on car rack, store the RE and cable inside

Bike Washing

  • Ideally, remove the RE from bike with cable and clean both with a soft, damp cloth
  • When removed from bike, close the charge/RE port
  • If on bike, make sure the RE is connected at both ends and do not pressure wash
  • When reconnecting, make sure all ports are clean and dry

Cleaning of RE cable socket

  • If the RE cable stayed connected during washing, there should be no water/dirt in the connector socket
  • If water got into the open top connector: gently tap RE against palm of hand with port facing down and blow out water by mouth or with low pressure air gun, if available

Range Extender Battery on a Levo SL Gen1

Range Extender Battery on a Creo SL Gen1 / Vado SL Gen1
Range Extender Cable with length measuring indicator

Range Extender Battery Cable Lengths

There are a few different Range Extender Cable lengths, depending on the bike family and model year. The matching cable has to be ordered separately.
To see an overview with part numbers and installation notes, please reference to article “Range Extender Battery: Cable Lengths” in the Turbo Studio Knowledge Base: Range Extender Battery: Cable Lengths

Range Extender Battery: State of Charge and Safety Messages

The 3 LED bars on top of the RE are capable of showing:

  1. The state of charge (while charging and when pressing the S-button on top of the RE)
  2. Safety messages, either when the RE button is pressed or when a charger is connected

Charge Cycles, Health & Warranty

Charge Cycles

Both Mission Control and Turbo Studio display the amount of charge cycles. The Battery Management System counts the number of full charge cycles. One charge cycle is added when, for example, 320 Wh have been recharged into a 320 Wh battery. If only 160 Wh are charged into a 320 Wh battery, 1/2 charge cycle is counted. Battery ageing over an estimated lifetime is taken into account for counting the cycles.

Health

Both Mission Control and Turbo Studio display the battery health as a percentage of 100%, whereas the app uses rounded values and Turbo Studio displays health in actual 1% steps.

Turbo Studio gives insight into battery health and charge cycles
Mission Control shows battery data and rounded health numbers

Warranty

Specialized guarantees that the battery will hold at least 75% capacity after 300 charge cycles, or alternatively, after two years. It is not uncommon for battery health to drop a few percent within 20 cycles, but to hold that for a year or more. See your Turbo manual for more battery details.

Notes & Tips

  • Familiarize yourself with the battery chapter in the manual, and the symbols on the battery itself
  • Be aware that batteries age over time and through usage (reduced range)
  • Always power off the bike before (dis-) connecting any battery or charging it
  • Batteries have undercharge and overcharge protection, so that they can be charged/discharged as needed
  • Avoid exposing your batteries to extreme temperatures, e.g. do not let them/the bike sit in direct sunlight for long, or in a car that heats up
  • In the cold season, keep your Turbo batteries at room temperature before riding in cold conditions – if the battery is not removable, keep your bike inside till you ride
  • When not using batteries for a long period of time, store them with about 60% state of charge. Store them/the bike in a dry place at moderate temperatures. Recharge to 60% every three months