Cannondale habit neo 2 creaking

[Nvigr8]

Hello all. I've got a Carbondale habit neo 2 with a creaking issue in the motor area. Wanted to know if about others with this ebike have similar issues. It's got a bosch performance line cx bolted in. Happens when I put force to the crank, but not all the time, intermittently. I've ruled out the crank arms so far. No play in the bb. The mounting bolts holding the motor are all tight, some I can't even loosen. Don't think

 

[Wozza]

Interesting.....Ive had the same issue.....but must say it’s not all the time....only when exterting force from standstill....have you managed to troubleshoot?

 

[Nvigr8]

Interesting.....Ive had the same issue.....but must say it’s not all the time....only when exterting force from standstill....have you managed to troubleshoot?

Not with absolute certainty. I "think"it's the motor mounting areas that are doing it. Twice now I've dropped the motor. The first time when I reinstalled, I put some helicopter tape on the mounting surfaces. The clearances are so tight though that I ended up scraping some off putting the motor back in place. This helped the creaking some and only for a short while. The second time was a few days ago And I used grease on the mounts instead. I've only ridden once since But it did seem to help alot more. I wear earbuds so I wasnt really listening to the bike so much. I'm going out today or tomorrow so I'll pay more attention. You have the same bike?

 

[Wozza]

Not with absolute certainty. I "think"it's the motor mounting areas that are doing it. Twice now I've dropped the motor. The first time when I reinstalled, I put some helicopter tape on the mounting surfaces. The clearances are so tight though that I ended up scraping some off putting the motor back in place. This helped the creaking some and only for a short while. The second time was a few days ago And I used grease on the mounts instead. I've only ridden once since But it did seem to help alot more. I wear earbuds so I wasnt really listening to the bike so much. I'm going out today or tomorrow so I'll pay more attention. You have the same bike?

Hi Yes exactly the same bike......I’m also going onto the trails tomorrow....was out today...heard nothing......but will try replicate.......

 

[Nvigr8]

Hi Yes exactly the same bike......I’m also going onto the trails tomorrow....was out today...heard nothing......but will try replicate.......

For me it is mostly under hard pedaling but sometimes on big hits too. Makes me wonder if the noise is related to the suspension or seatpost...

 

[Davemtb]

Same issue with Cannondale Moterra after 4000km, firm pressure on the left pedal gave loud creak. Bike shop pulled the motor out, greased the mounting bolts and it was fixed.

 

[Nvigr8]

Same issue with Cannondale Moterra after 4000km, firm pressure on the left pedal gave loud creak. Bike shop pulled the motor out, greased the mounting bolts and it was fixed.

Did they grease the threads on the bolts or the interface between the motor and frame? I've tried the latter and it only helped for a little while.

 

[Nvigr8]

Hi Yes exactly the same bike......I’m also going onto the trails tomorrow....was out today...heard nothing......but will try replicate.......

Any new developments with yours?

 

[Davemtb]

Did they grease the threads on the bolts or the interface between the motor and frame? I've tried the latter and it only helped for a little while.

Sorry I don’t know. I do 170km/week, so I’ll see how it goes.

 

[Philpug]

I was getting some creaking in my HN2. Turns out it was the pedals, I had soem value models on, when I Upgraded them noise went away.

 

[Davemtb]

Sorry I don’t know. I do 170km/week, so I’ll see how it goes.

Creaking back again, way way louder than before. All the motor mount bolts are super tight. Back to the bike shop we go, lucky it’s still under warranty.

 

[Nvigr8]

Thanks for the update.

I'm pretty sure now that its the motor/frame interface on mine. When I'm off the bike, step on one of the pedals and put most of my weight on, it creaks and pops VERY loudly. Do the same to the other side and the same thing. Bolts are very tight too.

I'm going to drop the motor again and do the same test - sideways deflection of the frame - and verify. Then I'm going to put the motor back in with some grease and a layer of helicopter tape between the frame and motor. Maybe the combo will do it.

Do please continue to keep us updated. In my case there isn't a shop in town that carries Cannondale. The nearest one is about an hour away. When I was last there I inquired about this issue and they were not at all helpful. They contacted the dealer and were told they hadn't run across this problem before.

 

[Davemtb]

Thanks for the update.

I'm pretty sure now that its the motor/frame interface on mine. When I'm off the bike, step on one of the pedals and put most of my weight on, it creaks and pops VERY loudly. Do the same to the other side and the same thing. Bolts are very tight too.

I'm going to drop the motor again and do the same test - sideways deflection of the frame - and verify. Then I'm going to put the motor back in with some grease and a layer of helicopter tape between the frame and motor. Maybe the combo will do it.

Do please continue to keep us updated. In my case there isn't a shop in town that carries Cannondale. The nearest one is about an hour away. When I was last there I inquired about this issue and they were not at all helpful. They contacted the dealer and were told they hadn't run across this problem before.

Shall do.
This thread might show root of the problem - a worn foam washer between motor housing and bracket leading to metal on metal rubbing:

Creaking bolt on Bosch Performance CX

I've narrowed down the creak to the rear bolt. Tightened it and it cures the creak for about 100miles but then the creak returns. I've taken the motor out and I've noticed the foam between the bolt and the motor case is perished. Should I aim to replace that, or remove it completely? If...

www.emtbforums.com

I’ll make sure I find out exactly what they do this time and interrogate whether they have checked for any worn foam washer parts. Pretty sad when we have to revert to forums for answers because the bike shop doesn’t know what they are doing!

 

[Nvigr8]

Thanks for the new info.

You know, I thought about those brackets last time I dropped the motor. However I couldn't get the bolts to budge even a little to check the interface. Figured they were ok. I'll try to find time to drop the motor this week to take a look at these mysterious foam washers.

 

[Nvigr8]

Looked closer at those pics he posted and I initially misunderstood what I was seeing. Looks like hes got these foam washers between the motor brackets and the frame, not between the motor bracket and motor. On my Habit Neo, there are no washers between the brackets and frame, just metal on carbon. No room for any either... However, those brackets may still be the issue.

 

[Davemtb]

UPDATE: My bike is back, with a brand new motor.... woo hoo! The creaking has something to do with the mounting plate/bracket attached to the motor and associated bolts, not the motor mounting bolts that go into the frame. The mechanic said there is another bike in the shop with the same issue. I suspect a design weakness that Bosch are aware of hence they switched the motor out so quickly, no questions asked. Might be a few ticking time bombs out there, sadly you might experience this after your 2 year warranty is over. I do at least 6000km per year so any motor weaknesses will show hopefully before warranty is over. Now I have a new motor, the warranty is resent. The warranties for motors should be mileage based!

How many km's has the motor done?
How old is the bike?

Cheers

 

[Nvigr8]

I finally figured out where the noise is coming from on my bike! I systematically ruled out possible points of movement until I had the culprit. In my case, no, it isn't the motor bracket bolts or the frame mounting bolts as I initially thought. In fact I completely removed the motor and it still creaked. In my case it's the lower swingarm pivot. Unfortunately the bolts are really weird and don't just unscrew... still trying to figure them out. If you all are still having the creaks, check the swingarm pivot. If anyone manages to get them loose, please let me know.

 

[Nvigr8]

UPDATE: My bike is back, with a brand new motor.... woo hoo! The creaking has something to do with the mounting plate/bracket attached to the motor and associated bolts, not the motor mounting bolts that go into the frame. The mechanic said there is another bike in the shop with the same issue. I suspect a design weakness that Bosch are aware of hence they switched the motor out so quickly, no questions asked. Might be a few ticking time bombs out there, sadly you might experience this after your 2 year warranty is over. I do at least 6000km per year so any motor weaknesses will show hopefully before warranty is over. Now I have a new motor, the warranty is resent. The warranties for motors should be mileage based!

How many km's has the motor done?
How old is the bike?

Cheers

Thanks for the update! Glad you got the new motor, that's awesome! Got mine used so I don't think I'll be that lucky. I think I've got about 600 miles on mine. It's a 2020 model.

 

[Wozza]

I finally figured out where the noise is coming from on my bike! I systematically ruled out possible points of movement until I had the culprit. In my case, no, it isn't the motor bracket bolts or the frame mounting bolts as I initially thought. In fact I completely removed the motor and it still creaked. In my case it's the lower swingarm pivot. Unfortunately the bolts are really weird and don't just unscrew... still trying to figure them out. If you all are still having the creaks, check the swingarm pivot. If anyone manages to get them loose, please let me know.

Sorry been off the forum for awhile……glad you found the issue…….my creaking started showing signs last week again…..I’m going to take the bike in to the importer and ask them to check…..I’ll keep you guys posted…..