No batteries available for my 4 day old Canyon Spectral:On CF8 - considering returning it

[Uncomfortably_Numb]

It's 4 days since I unboxed it and assembled it. I've done 37 tarmac miles so far however based upon the reply from Canyon support, I'm considering returning it for a refund.

When asking about how I can purchase a spare battery, the reply was " Regrettably we no longer sell batteries for the Spectral:ON and they are not available to purchase from us. " - WTF?!? There are some other issues but this is a huge concern for me, am I justified in my thinking? The warranty period is only 2 years and I don't believe batteries are covered.

I really wanted a Trek Rail or Slash but the CF8 was an amazing deal but based upon this news, I could end up with an expensive pile of useless junk in a couple of years

 

[Embt]

Do u think ull be doing 15k miles in 6 yrs? If not I wouldn't worry about it but sounds like ur not enjoying it.
If it looks brand new maybe the lbs will take it back.
I love my bike and if I didn't it be junk for 6 yrs.

Clean it up and clean the wheels and say it doesn't fit u.

 

[Embt]

Ah never mind the odometer will say 37 miles good luck maybe still could say doesn't fit or don't like it if it looks brand new

 

[Uncomfortably_Numb]

Do u think ull be doing 15k miles in 6 yrs? If not I wouldn't worry about it but sounds like ur not enjoying it.
If it looks brand new maybe the lbs will take it back.
I love my bike and if I didn't it be junk for 6 yrs.

Clean it up and clean the wheels and say it doesn't fit u.

I don't understand your point.
The bike is 4 days old.
Canyon are mail order only, direct from Germany. Batteries and motors are the most expensive and most likely component to fail.
Shimano motors can be repaired or replaced.
The batteries for the Canyon Spectral:ON are (were) made by Canyon but even though they are still selling the Spectal's online, you can't buy batteries for them!

So what do I do when (not if, when) the battery fails or is exhausted? Believe me, I have extensive experience of battery technology and it will fail or be unusable way before the rest of the bike will be.

 

[Uncomfortably_Numb]

Do u think ull be doing 15k miles in 6 yrs? If not I wouldn't worry about it but sounds like ur not enjoying it.
If it looks brand new maybe the lbs will take it back.
I love my bike and if I didn't it be junk for 6 yrs.

Clean it up and clean the wheels and say it doesn't fit u.

I am very much enjoying it and I've not even got out on the trails yet, tarmac shake down miles only. It's really good spec for the money.
I always keep belongings a long time and respect them and look after them so I would expect to still be using this in 6 -10 years time but if I can't get proprietary spares in the first week of ownership, that's a BIG issue.

 

[Husky430]

I don't understand your point.
The bike is 4 days old.
Canyon are mail order only, direct from Germany. Batteries and motors are the most expensive and most likely component to fail.
Shimano motors can be repaired or replaced.
The batteries for the Canyon Spectral:ON are (were) made by Canyon but even though they are still selling the Spectal's online, you can't buy batteries for them!

So what do I do when (not if, when) the battery fails or is exhausted? Believe me, I have extensive experience of battery technology and it will fail or be unusable way before the rest of the bike will be.

Shitmano motors CAN'T be repaired and they don't sell ANY spare parts for them either, but I think you'll find that most if not all of the major brands cover their motors AND batteries for 2 years if you buy them new and are the original owner.
I think that the motor is the weak link in most bikes and you might just be over thinking it a bit at the moment. The Canyon is a top bike so just ride it and enjoy it, I'm pretty sure that you will get years of fun and service out of it, I hope so anyway.

 

[Uncomfortably_Numb]

Shitmano motors CAN'T be repaired and they don't sell ANY spare parts for them either, but I think you'll find that most if not all of the major brands cover their motors AND batteries for 2 years if you buy them new and are the original owner.
I think that the motor is the weak link in most bikes and you might just be over thinking it a bit at the moment. The Canyon is a top bike so just ride it and enjoy it, I'm pretty sure that you will get years of fun and service out of it, I hope so anyway.

Shitmano, lol. Yes they can be repaired, officially by Shimano themselves (if a cost-effective repair, mostly not though) and un-officially there are individuals who are repairing them, not as a business but as a project - the point being is that in a few years, most likely there will be repair options.

My point is that with the motor, I have options, with the battery I have no options and without a battery, it will be a useless piece of junk.

 

[Plummet]

If that's a huge concern then ask for a refund. Maybe they will say yes, maybe they will say no.
It's likely a question you should have asked prior to purchasing rather than after putting miles on the bike.
If the bike is working with no faults its a hard pitch to want to return it. Afterall its doing its job.


Also you got a "huge deal". Huge deals aren't inconvenience free. Its probably a old model run out special.
You shouldn't be too surprised if there is a little inconvenience for such a low price. That is the price you pay for a deal. You get something that is not quite your exact spec you would like but you saved a shit ton of money.

I just built up a new mtb and went down the boutique frame custom build route. I could have bought a complete Giant Reign on special for just the price of the frame that i purchased.... But no! that was not what i wanted so i paid double for the exact spec that i wanted...... Am i happy yes! but my bank account is depleted.

 

[Uncomfortably_Numb]

If that's a huge concern then ask for a refund. Maybe they will say yes, maybe they will say no.
It's likely a question you should have asked prior to purchasing rather than after putting miles on the bike.
If the bike is working with no faults its a hard pitch to want to return it. Afterall its doing its job.

When I was ordering, the batteries were available. If they weren't or I suspected there was a supply problem I would've questioned it at the time. There was nothing to suggest there would be a supply problem in the future and indeed, why would I suspect that might be an issue for a brand new £4.5k ticket item?
Car manufacturers are mandated to hold stocks of parts for 10 years, perhaps a poor comparison but given the cost of these bikes, I think it's a fair one.
I'm not prepared to gamble the usable life of this bike on an inherently unstable technology. If there were alternatives, I would be ok with that but in this case there isn't. No battery = no bike.

 

[Plummet]

When I was ordering, the batteries were available. If they weren't or I suspected there was a supply problem I would've questioned it at the time. There was nothing to suggest there would be a supply problem in the future and indeed, why would I suspect that might be an issue for a brand new £4.5k ticket item?
Car manufacturers are mandated to hold stocks of parts for 10 years, perhaps a poor comparison but given the cost of these bikes, I think it's a fair one.
I'm not prepared to gamble the usable life of this bike on an inherently unstable technology. If there were alternatives, I would be ok with that but in this case there isn't. No battery = no bike.

In which case go for a refund. Depending on their refund policy you may or may not get one.

If they refuse then your option is to ride the bike like you stole it until such time that you wish to replace it. Or sell it now brand new and cut your losses as a lesson learned. You'll probably loose 25% on the resale of a brand new second hand bike. Noting that if the battery does fail in the warrantee period and they cannot replace it, then they will be required to replace frame. So at worst you have warranteeable riding while the warrantee exists.

I'll re-iterate again, buying discounted online purchases comes at a risk of more inconvenience than a local bricks an mortar shop. You have to weigh up the risk against the cost savings achieved. If you get a chunk of cost savings then it might be worth the risk. If not, then buy local where you are likely to get better back up service and support.

I'll be honest i'm always a little amused with people that by online with huge discounts then get really annoyed when they are not supported as well as a local bricks an motar shop. You took the generous discount.... now you see the ramifications of that discount and online purchase. Sometimes you win, sometimes you don't. Its a roll of the dice.

I purchased a Pole Voima last year. It took a month to turn up, but the battery didnt make it to nz, so that took another 3 weeks to turn up, then the motor wasnt configured for wheel magnet speed sensor, so the motor didnt run. I had to take the bike into the local shop and pay them to diagnose and fix it for me.... Then 12 months later Pole go brankrupt and there is now zero support and i have a very expensive collectors item that if any pole part breaks I either make another one or hang the bike up on the wall...... Am i dark and angry? No. I took the risk, got a brilliant bike but some of that risk has been realized in the form of zero pole support.....

It is what it is. I accept the nature of online sales and the inherent issues. Call it a lesson learned an move on.

 

[robbydobs]

That is terrible from Canyon. What if you want an extra battery for uplift days or long days out?

Isn't the same battery used in the Torque ON as well?

I'd push for a refund.

 

[RustyIron]

Are you sure about the obsolescence of the batteries? I just went to Canyon's web page, put one of each size battery into my shopping cart, and then started the checkout process.

 

[irie]

It's 4 days since I unboxed it and assembled it. I've done 37 tarmac miles so far however based upon the reply from Canyon support, I'm considering returning it for a refund.

When asking about how I can purchase a spare battery, the reply was " Regrettably we no longer sell batteries for the Spectral:ON and they are not available to purchase from us. " - WTF?!? There are some other issues but this is a huge concern for me, am I justified in my thinking? The warranty period is only 2 years and I don't believe batteries are covered.

I really wanted a Trek Rail or Slash but the CF8 was an amazing deal but based upon this news, I could end up with an expensive pile of useless junk in a couple of years

As I said in another Canyon thread: "If it were me I'd take advice from a solicitor."

 

[Embt]

Are you sure about the obsolescence of the batteries? I just went to Canyon's web page, put one of each size battery into my shopping cart, and then started the checkout process.

Sold out in Europe

 

[Embt]

Im very interested in this weird thing lol. I contacted canyon and they said it should be fixed in a few months and sell it next month

 

[johnnystorm]

I reckon that there's a reasonable difference between accepting "less support" from the supplier of an online purchase versus "no more spares/support" if that's what seems to be in this case.
Either way, kinda glad I have a vanilla Levo Gen 2.

 

[Uncomfortably_Numb]

I reckon that there's a reasonable difference between accepting "less support" from the supplier of an online purchase versus "no more spares/support" if that's what seems to be in this case.
Either way, kinda glad I have a vanilla Levo Gen 2.

Exactly that, the two are light years apart.

 

[Uncomfortably_Numb]

In which case go for a refund. Depending on their refund policy you may or may not get one.

If they refuse then your option is to ride the bike like you stole it until such time that you wish to replace it. Or sell it now brand new and cut your losses as a lesson learned. You'll probably loose 25% on the resale of a brand new second hand bike. Noting that if the battery does fail in the warrantee period and they cannot replace it, then they will be required to replace frame. So at worst you have warranteeable riding while the warrantee exists.

I'll re-iterate again, buying discounted online purchases comes at a risk of more inconvenience than a local bricks an mortar shop. You have to weigh up the risk against the cost savings achieved. If you get a chunk of cost savings then it might be worth the risk. If not, then buy local where you are likely to get better back up service and support.

I'll be honest i'm always a little amused with people that by online with huge discounts then get really annoyed when they are not supported as well as a local bricks an motar shop. You took the generous discount.... now you see the ramifications of that discount and online purchase. Sometimes you win, sometimes you don't. Its a roll of the dice.

I purchased a Pole Voima last year. It took a month to turn up, but the battery didnt make it to nz, so that took another 3 weeks to turn up, then the motor wasnt configured for wheel magnet speed sensor, so the motor didnt run. I had to take the bike into the local shop and pay them to diagnose and fix it for me.... Then 12 months later Pole go brankrupt and there is now zero support and i have a very expensive collectors item that if any pole part breaks I either make another one or hang the bike up on the wall...... Am i dark and angry? No. I took the risk, got a brilliant bike but some of that risk has been realized in the form of zero pole support.....

It is what it is. I accept the nature of online sales and the inherent issues. Call it a lesson learned an move on.

I appreciate what you're saying. However, I am not a cheapskate, nor am I an impulse buyer.
In this case, it is one of the major respected (of old) manufacturers who made the decision to distance sell only. Both the model below and the models above were, and are, not discounted and they use exactly the same batteries so customers purchasing those models at full RRP will have exactly the same issue.

The issue is not support, the issue is availability of critical and key spare parts, namely the battery pack.

Canyon actually have a good support system, they will authorise a nominated LBS to perform warranty repair work and then re-imburse the customer, this seems to work well and both parties are happy.

 

[Uncomfortably_Numb]

I've just spent over an hour on the phone to the Canyon UK National Sales Manager and I'm happy to say that all of my fears and concerns have been allayed.
All of my questions regarding battery supply and demand were answered with complete transparency and honesty along with much mitigating information regarding the eBike battery situation in general.
There has been a lot of misinformation, incorrect information and subsequent presumptions, these have all been dispelled.
I am happy to say that I am keeping the bike and will purchase a spare battery when they become available again.

Also, there are other avenues as even the latest batteries for the EP801 are under the Shimano Steps programme so technically you should be able to special order them from Madison, the main UK Shimano importer who deal directly with Trendpower who makes and distributes the batteries.

Canyon are committed to supporting their products for at least 10 years and he was keen to stress that each case is treated individually and on it's own merits, there is no 'one rule for all' when dealing with warranties, complaints or issues.

I will produce a full report tomorrow or over the weekend but any of you who were doubting Canyon, don't! Just do it, just buy it, the deals on the CF8 are unbeatable at the moment.

 

[Mik3F]

If the battery is covered by the 2 year warranty and it should be, then it is on Canyon to replace under warranty if needed

If they don't have any then they are still bound by the terms of the warranty and will have to sort out a different way

At least thats my take on it

 

[irie]

I've just spent over an hour on the phone to the Canyon UK National Sales Manager and I'm happy to say that all of my fears and concerns have been allayed.
All of my questions regarding battery supply and demand were answered with complete transparency and honesty along with much mitigating information regarding the eBike battery situation in general.

Verbal assurances over the phone are basically worthless unless and until you have them in writing. Just saying.

 

[steve_sordy]

Verbal assurances over the phone are basically worthless unless and until you have them in writing. Just saying.

Yep! Email back the summary of what was said, referring to the telecon with the named individual, along with date and time. Then it's in writing, even if they don't reply to confirm it. Some companies, if not most, keep telephone records for quite a while.

 

[Pickle1970]

I'd send it back and stick to a normal bike, you sound like high maintenance

Just enjoy it and ride the damn thing

 

[Downhillr]

When I was ordering, the batteries were available. If they weren't or I suspected there was a supply problem I would've questioned it at the time. There was nothing to suggest there would be a supply problem in the future and indeed, why would I suspect that might be an issue for a brand new £4.5k ticket item?
Car manufacturers are mandated to hold stocks of parts for 10 years, perhaps a poor comparison but given the cost of these bikes, I think it's a fair one.
I'm not prepared to gamble the usable life of this bike on an inherently unstable technology. If there were alternatives, I would be ok with that but in this case there isn't. No battery = no bike.

I happen to agree with you, however, I have an additional question & I’d be curious about the answer:
Assuming there is a legally binding (written) warranty period and should an owner’s battery fail in that period, what is Canyon going to do to warranty since they claim they no longer have batteries? ….
kinda makes their comment illogical/illegal.

 

[Dave G]

I happen to agree with you, however, I have an additional question & I’d be curious about the answer:
Assuming there is a legally binding (written) warranty period and should an owner’s battery fail in that period, what is Canyon going to do to warranty since they claim they no longer have batteries? ….
kinda makes their comment illogical/illegal.

Check the Sale of Goods Act, and Consumer Rights Act as a starter for 10. Look up your nearest Citizens Advice centre and get advice from them. Although the comments above have a point to some extent, check out your rights through the legal route, and do this properly.

 

[Embt]

I have checked the canyon website and they have removed th cf8 battery wtf!

 

[Jeromep]

I am really curious as to their motivation behind this, and do all the competitors sell spares.

Does Canyon sell other spare batteries and just not this one? Is there a supply chain shortage and they can’t sell “batteries only” hence limiting their sale of complete bikes? Is there an aftermarket supplier?

 

[The undecided]

Hi just my tuppence worth as a newbie on the forum.
That’s bad news about your spare battery being unavailable and should be a warning to others considering buying this brand.
As regards to sending your bike back as wrong size/whatever-good luck there. I’m just after purchasing a new £8000k emtb from a UK company and don’t like it after riding it.I didn’t get a test ride due to the company being over 600 miles away.
Because I “used” it (under 10 miles)I’ve NO chance of a refund but was offered an exchange but I’ll lose thousands in depreciation as ill need to downgrade to something cheaper as I simply can’t afford to spend more money topping up the shortfall for another bike.
Previously I could have got away with sending it back “unused” but as you know that’s not possible due to the odometer readings.
VERY VERY expensive lesson learned for me.

 

[Embt]

Hi just my tuppence worth as a newbie on the forum.
That’s bad news about your spare battery being unavailable and should be a warning to others considering buying this brand.
As regards to sending your bike back as wrong size/whatever-good luck there. I’m just after purchasing a new £8000k emtb from a UK company and don’t like it after riding it.I didn’t get a test ride due to the company being over 600 miles away.
Because I “used” it (under 10 miles)I’ve NO chance of a refund but was offered an exchange but I’ll lose thousands in depreciation as ill need to downgrade to something cheaper as I simply can’t afford to spend more money topping up the shortfall for another bike.
Previously I could have got away with sending it back “unused” but as you know that’s not possible due to the odometer readings.
VERY VERY expensive lesson learned for me.

Ye online bike sellers in my experience r excellent when selling and when they sell it. The bike mechanic didn't put my bike together right no washers on my brakes and chain to long.


The owner de activates his email and sales do not reply.
But this is very minor compared to a car.

I didn't know anything about bikes so I was confused.

And after looking up prices for a bike service and getting a computer response from an lbs saying wait ur turn were very busy 3 months wait.

I decided to service my bike myself and simple to service a bike.

I'd still be buy from an online shop again.
But this bike will last a long time I love it.
I've changed and serviced thy brakes changed the rear derailleur and cassette and chain and adjusted gears done 2k miles on it.
Only time Id take my bike in to a lbs is for a brake bleed or something major
U spent £8000k on a bike where. Do u get the money thats like £8 billion lol

I do kinda agree with they can't take it back cuz they'll lose money but I don't see how exchanging it is different to refunding.

Why don't u like ur emtb bike?

 

[The undecided]

Sorry for my typo error-bike was £8k originally but reduced to £6k in their sale but still a LOT of money.
This was a retirement present to myself funded along with selling off four other non electric mountain bikes so no lottery win purchase lol.
It’s a lighter weight model with SX motor.
I don’t REALLY dislike what I bought,
I actually wanted a more powerful motor/bigger battery emtb but I suffer from arthritis and found them very heavy to manage in and out my car.As it turns out those expensive lighter weight e-bikes aren’t that much lighter in reality so don’t be fooled by all the hype on the internet.
I suppose we can’t have everything now until technology improves.
I’m too old to wait for that moment hence a knee jerk purchase to keep me riding now before the prices go up even further either that before I end up six feet under first.