EP801 Rattle

[bandhole]

This is on a 2024 Heckler 9. Is this rattle/clunk in the motor normal? It's really noticeable on rough terrain. There is no lateral movement, just forward and backward. Thanks!

 

[RustyIron]

What happens when you put the chain back on and ride the bike?

 

[steve_sordy]

Nothing like that on my EP8, almost 2800 miles in and three winters. No EP8 rattle either.
But I've never rattled my crank arm after I've removed the chain, so who knows?

 

[Ark]

Nothing like that on my EP8, almost 2800 miles in and three winters. No EP8 rattle either.
But I've never rattled my crank arm after I've removed the chain, so who knows?

It's probably just the motor engaging, but I don't know whats considered excessive.


Compared to my Bosch it seems kinda bad but some clunk across all motors is normal.
When the pedals spin backwords they aren't engaging anything inside the motor, when you move them forward they have to engage with all the cogs etc in the motor and you will feel that if you rock the pedals.
Some play will be normal, with the chain on if you don't notice it and the cranks spinn smoothly without the chain then your probably good.

 

[bandhole]

It's probably just the motor engaging, but I don't know whats considered excessive.


Compared to my Bosch it seems kinda bad but some clunk across all motors is normal.
When the pedals spin backwords they aren't engaging anything inside the motor, when you move them forward they have to engage with all the cogs etc in the motor and you will feel that if you rock the pedals.
Some play will be normal, with the chain on if you don't notice it and the cranks spinn smoothly without the chain then your probably good.

Thanks for confirming. Yeah it just feels like engagement.

 

[romano007]

I have the exact same rattle on my Orbea Urrun 2023(EP 801 rs) with the chain on.Unfortunately it's probably normal.

 

[JimBo]

My 2017 Haibike's Yamaha PW motor has done this since day 1, regardless of chain on/off status. No effect on its performance 3k+ miles in, knock wood.

 

[electricbogaloo]

Nothing like that on my EP8, almost 2800 miles in and three winters. No EP8 rattle either.
But I've never rattled my crank arm after I've removed the chain, so who knows?

Wut? How well do you hear? This rattle is common for EP8/801, e8000 plus the current Bosch-Models albeit on the Ep8/801 its the worst and rather annoying on trails:

 

[steve_sordy]

Wut? How well do you hear? This rattle is common for EP8/801, e8000 plus the current Bosch-Models albeit on the Ep8/801 its the worst and rather annoying on trails:

I'm not saying it isn't there, because if I concentrate, I can hear it. But I prefer not to spend my time listening out for it and it absolutely does not bother me, to the point where I no longer hear it.

I started wearing hearing aids in August last year. I wore them a couple of times on the bike, but I still didn't notice the "rattle". As before, if I listened out I could hear an intermittent rattle, but not otherwise. What I heard instead was the arms of my Oakleys rattling on my behind-the-ear aids.

 

[Mrj35]

its the clutch.

 

[Mrj35]

Thanks for confirming. Yeah it just feels like engagement.

if the rattling bothers you just get a loud hub then you wont focus on it as much. The engagement sound is normal.

 

[bandhole]

its the clutch.

Yeah that's exactly what Santa Cruz said when I messaged them about it. It's the clutch engaging and disengaging. I think the mystery is solved. Thanks!

 

[steve_sordy]

I'm not saying it isn't there, because if I concentrate, I can hear it. But I prefer not to spend my time listening out for it and it absolutely does not bother me, to the point where I no longer hear it.

I started wearing hearing aids in August last year. I wore them a couple of times on the bike, but I still didn't notice the "rattle". As before, if I listened out I could hear an intermittent rattle, but not otherwise. What I heard instead was the arms of my Oakleys rattling on my behind-the-ear aids.

@electricbogaloo I was out at the weekend and I purposely listened out for "the rattle" on bumpy descents, not pedalling. All I could hear was the hub buzzing.

 

[bandhole]

@electricbogaloo I was out at the weekend and I purposely listened out for "the rattle" on bumpy descents, not pedalling. All I could hear was the hub buzzing.

You are very lucky! I went on a street ride this weekend (the trails are all closed here because of mud) and whenever I hit a few stairs or jumped a curb I could Hear it clearly over the hub sound.

 

[bandhole]

I ended up taking my bike back to the shop for them to check it out. Santa Cruz ended up replacing the motor! Took nearly a month for them to do the swap and get my bike back to me though.

There was definitely something wrong with that old clutch because the new motor does not make the same sound.

The new motor isn't silent of course, but it's not a loose rattle like the old one.