IIs it the seemingly incessant rain in Britain? Bad design? Or perhaps the way they are ridden or cleaned? Why do so many electric bike owners complain that their motors need to be replaced so often?
Some mountain bike owners with a fourth-generation Bosch electric motor describe having four or five – yes five – replacement motors installed during the two-year warranty period. Owners of other brands say theirs lasted only 800 to 1,000 miles.
The problem appears to particularly affect mountain bikers in all weather conditions, especially in Wales and Britain’s other wettest areas, as they are not properly sealed against water ingress.
This week, one of Britain’s leading independent ebike motor specialists, the eBike Motor Center based in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, told Guardian Money that around 250 motors – of all types – were being sent in every month from owners desperate to a cost-effective solution to problems such as defective bearings, defective torque sensors and water damage to printed circuit boards.
With manufacturers charging up to £700 for an out-of-warranty replacement motor, it’s no wonder some affected say they’ll go back to a conventional bike.
Keen ebike rider Andy Fenwick, who lives in Wiltshire, contacted Guardian Money to ask if we were aware of so many bikes having defective motors.
The 71-year-old’s £5,000 Cube bike with a fourth-generation Bosch electric motor stopped working out of warranty.
Although it was revived by a software update and did not require replacement, he says that after searching the various cycling forums he was surprised at the number of engines that needed replacing. He says the problem is compounded by the fact that these units are not repairable – parts are not available from Bosch. Some owners say Bosch has told them not to drive it in wet conditions, which is clearly absurd.
“Electric bikes are great for the rider and should be good for the environment, but it seems to me that many bikes are not fit for purpose,” he says.
“I have seen several reports of riders having between three and five replacements over the course of two years. They seem to get error codes after minor shocks or if they are too close to a magnetic source.
“Riders’ bikes stop working after they simply put their bike against a lamp post or ride over a lamp post [magnetic] traffic light sensor grid in the road.
“The big problem is water. The latest units don’t seem to be able to withstand the British weather. Every time one fails, they have to replace the entire unit and the old one ends up in the landfill. How can that be a good thing? We need better right to repair legislation in this area.”
Fenwick has written to Bosch to ask it to improve the design and make parts available so the engines can be repaired, but says it has received no response.
Bosch says: “We attach the highest value to reliability and quality, and drive units are designed for years of use. Yet problems can occur with any technical product. We work closely with dealers and customers to achieve a fast, customer-oriented solution.”
He says some first generation engines had experienced problems due to water, but later models had been improved with improved seals and bearings. “The latest devices are protected against dust and splash water, according to protection class IP54, and most error codes caused by magnetic interference disappear on restart.
“In the event of a major defect, the engine will be collected for further analysis and Bosch will decide on a case-by-case basis whether it can be subjected to an overhaul process. The customer receives back a drive unit in fully functional condition after an end-of-line test,” he says.
If a bike breaks out of warranty (usually two years on the bike) and the owner doesn’t get help from the manufacturer, they face a battle with the shop or have to hunt for a cheaper repair.
The Consumer Rights Act gives buyers some compensation against the retailer for up to six years after purchase, although that can be difficult to obtain as some stores will claim that the owner has misused the bike.
The quicker and cheaper option may be to send the motor to the eBike Motor Centre, which charges between £250 and £370 for a full overhaul on most motors, and considerably less for minor repairs such as replacing bearings , sensors, printed circuit boards and other parts. other internals not made available by Bosch. Customers seem satisfied with the service.
In the meantime, the advice to ebikers seems to be to keep your bike as dry as possible – often easier said than done – and to be very careful when washing, and certainly not with a power wash. And if you have the Bosch 4 motor, stay away from magnets.