Shocked...amazed... disillusioned

[Jimex]

As with all motors, combustion or electrical which involves moving parts that are in contact with each other, they will require maintenance. Bearings wear out, a fact of life. Other parts fail due to poor design, being used beyond their design limits or manufacturing issues.

If you buy an ebike accept you will at some point have replace electrical/mechanical parts. Looking forward to mine turning up next month. I'm not going worry about future maintenance, life's too short. ?

 

[Steve940]

3 years ago I decided to wait for technology to improve before taking the plunge,you'll not be surprised to hear that when you look on these types of forums it seems they have not changed at all..I should of just bought one then..if your worried about motors going pop then you'll never buy one..I've been here,worrying for years and done nothing but waste time..go buy the bike you want and ride it..

 

[stiv674]

Chain slap ?

Unfortunately not, my freehub destroyed itself!

 

[Gary]

you also sound a little elitist when mentioning decathlon or halfords

WTF?
First you accuse folk here of showing off about what bike they own when no one has even mentioned their bike, next you accuse us of showing off about what phones we have when no one has even mentioned owning any phone at all, next you accuse us of showing off how much money we have when no one has mentioned that either and now you're calling me elitist for suggesting you buy a cheaper more basic bike after you've ranted about your shock, amazement and disillusionment at the quality, reliability and expense of higher end Emtbs.
No one here is shaming you. You do seem to have a huge chip on your shoulder about a LOT of things though.

and don’t add another bitterness into your life.

I fear your good advice comes far too late for his lost soul

 

[Mikerb]

Here are a few points which may alleviate the OPs angst. Firstly emtbs are premium ebikes designed for serious mountain biking. If you not going to do what they are designed for there are far cheaper hub motor ebike alternatives. Second, forums are the last place you should look to assess reliability of a product. They are however very useful to identify and avoid potential problem areas and deal with any problems that do occur. Thirdly, if indeed you do intend to do proper mtb any bike will take a lot of punishment and need good maintenance. On the other hand if you pay the premium for an emtb but only use a fraction of its capability it will need less maintenance....you just accept you have paid a premium price.

 

[DrStupid]

The bikes are really not that bad. Far better off having one than not.

Negative bias has a profound effect on psychi.

Visit some shops. Talk to people. Then trust your gut.

 

[Beekeeper]

I guess there is always a compromise to be made between performance / weight/ reliability / longevity. Formula 1 cars are built for purpose yet their engines/ gearboxes don’t last many races. Make a car longer lasting with thicker / stronger materials and it would come last every race.

 

[taxidriver50005]

WTF?
First you accuse folk here of showing off about what bike they own when no one has even mentioned their bike, next you accuse us of showing off about what phones we have when no one has even mentioned owning any phone at all, next you accuse us of showing off how much money we have when no one has mentioned that either and now you're calling me elitist for suggesting you buy a cheaper more basic bike after you've ranted about your shock, amazement and disillusionment at the quality, reliability and expense of higher end Emtbs.
No one here is shaming you. You do seem to have a huge chip on your shoulder about a LOT of things though.


I fear your good advice comes far too late for his lost soul

Pretty sure I haven't accused anybody of showing off obout there bike, I said I don't need the bragging rights, phone and money were mentioned but if you read the comment I said it's LIKE A APPLE Forum.
As for the elitist comment


There are hardly any good Yamaha motor bikes compared to Brose
infact I can only think of ONE capable enduro Emtb that even uses the Yamaha and
would you be perfectly happy with a sub £1000 hub motor ebike from Decathlon or Halfords for the next ten years

Well that sounds a little elitist to me.



Anyhow in spite of your best efforts to put me off I'm still probably.. Maybe getting a couple of them.

Would love to meet you down the pub when this virus thing is all over, I could light a match and watch to see what type of firework you were.

 

[taxidriver50005]

I guess there is always a compromise to be made between performance / weight/ reliability / longevity. Formula 1 cars are built for purpose yet their engines/ gearboxes don’t last many races. Make a car longer lasting with thicker / stronger materials and it would come last every race.

Understand all the above I was just confused on the when warranty is up buy another attitude, I have been looking into repair work outside of warranty and it doesn't look to daunting to attempt myself if it came to it( and by the looks of it it will).

 

[Steve940]

Understand all the above I was just confused on the when warranty is up buy another attitude, I have been looking into repair work outside of warranty and it doesn't look to daunting to attempt myself if it came to it( and by the looks of it it will).

Some manufacturers give a fresh 2years warranty on the motor when a successful claim is made,so most dont mind them going tits up,excuse the language.. not 100% on who does and doesn't but pretty sure brose and bosch DO...somebody will give you facts rather than my guess work...takes a lot of the worry away

 

[Slowroller]

Buy one, ride it for two years, sell it at a loss, buy another. Figure out the cost per mile/smile, and it’ll be cheaper than many other recreational activities. The unfortunate reality is that emtbs are less mechanical devices and more tech devices that become obsolete in a short period of time. At some point in the future there will probably be aftermarket infrastructure to keep creaky old ebikes alive, but not really now or in the short term.

 

[Mikerb]

For me talking about cost as opposed to value completely misses the mark when it comes to emtbs. For me....and you will see similar comments from many others....my move from analogue mtb to a Specialized Levo Comp has been life changing. I basically cannot leave it alone and it has inspired me to do everything from adventure rides to forest downhills trail centres and bike parks. At nearly 70 I can ride out with my 40 year old fit and strong son doing all the stupid stunts we used to together when he was a teenager. I bought my wife Cube Access EX emtb and we do 16 to 20 mile xc type rides together and she is now growing in confidence on trail centre blue rated trails. EMTBs are more than bikes with a motor.....they are game changers. Ps....just to counter the apparent but false forum narrative I have had a Levo for just over a year....so has my mate...both ridden throughout the winter. My wife has a Cube Access. None of the bikes has had any fault a reasonably able home mechanic cannot fix at little cost......and none associated with the motors batteries or electrical components.

 

[Scott5297]

For what it's worth I have had my Cube reaction hybrid race for just over 2 years.

I have done about 3,000 miles on it without any problems.

It's used for a bit of commuting and generally not very challenging off-road stuff.

I have replaced the chain, cassette and chainring a couple of times. New brake disc rotors the other day. And numerous brake pads.

My battery is a bit weaker than when I first got the bike

Maybe the motor will let me down but there seems to be people who can repair them when out of warranty.

Hopefully this might reassure the OP.

The key issue is probably the use the bike is put to. There are clearly some exceptionally talented riders on this forum who stretch bikes to the limits and beyond. Most riders will inflict less stress on their bikes.

 

[Gary]

Would love to meet you down the pub

You sound far too tight to even go to the pub but if you did, the amount you moan I think we'd be all glad of the 2m social distancing rules

 

[Kaelidoz]

Keep it civil...

​

I see a lot of miscommunication, hints of assumptions, a touch of drama... That's not a good recipe.


For what it's worth I'm a social worker without a massive income and I'm pretty happy with the reliability of my entry level emtb since April 2017. I mean I replaced everything multiple times except the motor-frame-battery but I use cheap components that I trash around a lot. The bike still get me to work on time almost everyday between crashes.

I don't think this forum is elitist. You'll find a majority of high end components for sure but you will also find a bunch of cheaper bikes.
There are threads going on about the Decathlon Stilus down to the e-st 520, entry level Cube, Haibike. Some users only DIY. The only things we aren't fan of is stupidly low BB height due to a motor hanging in a weird place or hub drive ebike. It's a mountain bike forum after all.

I don't think that anybody is fine with the water ingress problem. But it's not on all motors/emtb. And the ones who suffer from this usually have a good replacement program under warranty. Some people can deal with it, some don't and try another bike.

 

[taxidriver50005]

Pretty sure I haven't accused anybody of showing off obout there bike, I said I don't need the bragging rights, phone and money were mentioned but if you read the comment I said it's LIKE A APPLE Forum.
As for the elitist comment


There are hardly any good Yamaha motor bikes compared to Brose
infact I can only think of ONE capable enduro Emtb that even uses the Yamaha and
would you be perfectly happy with a sub £1000 hub motor ebike from Decathlon or Halfords for the next ten years

Well that sounds a little elitist to me.



Anyhow in spite of your best efforts to put me off I'm still probably.. Maybe getting a couple of them.

Would love to meet you down the pub when this virus thing is all over, I could light a match and watch to see what type of firework you were.

You sound far too tight to even go to the pub but if you did, the amount you moan I think we'd be all glad of the 2m social distancing rules

I'm actually charming

 

[TheBikePilot]

There's no bulletproof motor/battery. All have their issues.

Get a bike from a local shop you trust and go rip it mate. There's not a bad bike out there.

You hear Spesh issues a lot simply due to the number of bikes they sell.

You pay a premium for Specialized but their warranty is second to none. My mate has bought him and his missus a Bosch based system and both have had error 504's. Easily fixed, but a trip to the dealer. Shimano if and when they go is months. Spesh same day from Berkshire Cycles. This is a new sport and we are to some degree guinea pigs. If you aren't willing to accept the possibility of a problem, I would say don't buy one.

They aren't used cars from a shoddy dealer, but they are emerging tech tested in mud, shite, rain and a multitude of user abilities in both maintenance and skill. Go get the one you want and enjoy it dude. You won't regret it. No-one on here can give you the reassurance you are probably looking for. None are failure free, same as anything mechanical. Good, trusted, local dealer and you can rest your mind a bit ?

 

[steve_sordy]

.....................
as for Gary, just block him then you didn’t have to listen. Big fish in a small pond syndrome.

Gary can speak for himself, but probably won't bother. I am not one of Gary's mates, never met him in fact. But Gary is a valuable resource to this Forum and I for one would advise not blocking him. I agree that his manner can be a bit brusque, but he is who he is. We are all different, thankfully.

 

[taxidriver50005]

No plans on blocking Gary, I'm not afraid of a little banter here an there and we are all intitled to our own opinion, I'm sure in the right environment he's a joy to be with ??????

 

[skyfree]

I think mountain bikes in general are incredibly unreliable. Broken chains, spokes, wheel hubs, dropper posts, brake components, etc. Flat tires. Stripped cassettes. Need I go on? Add a motor and you are just adding more problems.

It's fun though, and nothing else really matters than that.

 

[Steve940]

I think mountain bikes in general are incredibly unreliable. Broken chains, spokes, wheel hubs, dropper posts, brake components, etc. Flat tires. Stripped cassettes. Need I go on? Add a motor and you are just adding more problems.

It's fun though, and nothing else really matters than that.

I've been stupidly lucky then,in the last 10-15 years I've had not a single failure,with the exception of creeking headset that was sorted at service..I'm so far from hardcore as some call it,that could play some if not all part of it lol

 

[Mikerb]

I think mountain bikes in general are incredibly unreliable. Broken chains, spokes, wheel hubs, dropper posts, brake components, etc. Flat tires. Stripped cassettes. Need I go on? Add a motor and you are just adding more problems.

It's fun though, and nothing else really matters than that.

.....not if they are properly maintained and appropriately ridden according to their intended use.

 

[MrBrownstone]

For the beatings that mtb’s take, I think they’re very reliable. Emtb (with Shimano steps) are no exception. Don’t hose em down and or needlessly pull them apart to do things that don’t need doing and they’ll go a lot of time and miles without any trouble.

 

[R120]

In my two and a half years of EMTB ownership I have had one issue with the motor, other components on the other hand, as with normal MTB's, still take a hammering and get broken and replaced.

I would say to anyone getting into MTB, E or Not, its an expensive hobby, parts fail, people crash and break their bikes and themselves, and the kit they are wearing, and thats before we even start looking at when you get hooked into loving it, how much cash you will drop on parts that you really dont need but justify on the basis they look sick.

 

[Zero]

What do you get when combine:

American Designer
German Engineer
Chinese Factory

A expensive overly complicated and totally unreliable mess of a product which when it works is great fun.

Welcome to ebikes.

 

[TheBikePilot]

What do you get when a designer and engineer get unfettered licence to build something actually fit for purpose?

A. Something that is too expensive to build in a competitive price-driven market to be viable.

Solution: Employ an MBA educated cost consultant ( ??? ) to value engineer (euphamism for make cheap) the product to ensure you can generate maximum margin. Then add just enough fat into your margin to pay for the percentage of inevitable failures to see out the warranty period. Pray to god you got the balance right. That is why your Spesh Levo might not offer the same spec for buck, that ticket price includes the fat for a healthy number of warranty claims.

Where's the mystery in that? it applies to virtually everything you buy.

The car industry is suffering from cars being made too reliable in the last ten years, and is now, intentionally building life limited tech into it's cars that may not be economically servicable beyond warranty (proliferation of intelligence and advanced LCD displays)
They don't make money out of the long term reliability and re-sale, only the original sale and warranty period (to the guy that can afford it)

Just get the bike and enjoy it.
If you can't afford it, you can't afford it, move on.
Some folk get a great big chip on their shoulder when they can't afford something, and decide it is elitist.
I have the same issue with executive jets and apartments in Monaco. Just depends where your line in the sand is.
(actually I don't, I applaud their entrepreneurism in having the where with all to move their assets offshore)

I just make do with a relatively cheap emtb and when it breaks and I can't afford to fix it, I will revert to pedalling (something else)

There isn't enough to round and we might all be pedalling sooner than we think.

I think, bang for buck, emtb's are absolutely fantastic...... done more trouble free miles on it this year, than miles on my Porsche ?

Yup my Porka cost me £7.5k to ‘service’ and I just got it back the same as I gave it to them.

Just now it may not have broken out of warranty..!! Hence I got rid..!!

 

[lightning]

Well, the O/P is still active on this forum so l assume he got his ebikes.
l wonder how they have been for him?

l bought a Kona in March with the E8000, it was a NOS 2020

l have to say it's the most fun l have ever had on a bike. l've already done 1,300 miles of mixed on/off road (and it's been ridden hard off road at times) just got back from
a 20 mile loop.

Aside from the E8000 motor being noisy, l've had no issues with it at all. l don't wash it more than necessary and try to keep the hosepipe away from the motor, but l've been caught out in torrential rain more than once (l live in the U.K.)

There's no play in the cranks, l've had no error codes, the battery is still performing well, and l've only gone through two chains. The cassette wouldn't take a third chain so l put the second back on and will leave it until it's all worn out before replacing everything and starting again.

 

[Healy]

A bikes not an investment like a house. Failures are luck of the draw IMO. It’s like a car, they all have decent warranty. Ebikes are the best invention going. They are expensive but no point having the money in the bank when your nearly dead and being full of regret

 

[Forever Wild]

Well I'm new to these forums and embt in general,
I have been looking into getting 2 bikes for me and the wife nothink to serious me 54 wife 52 but wanted something that would allow in to learn and no be to restrictive in the future, I generally keep things a long time and try to buy something that will last.
I settled on a full suspension mid drive bike as the best option.
I am SHOCKED at how unreliable these seem to be judging by the forums on motors on here.
I'm AMAZED at how well you all seam to take it that buying a ebike that may break down the day you buy it is normal.
I'm DISILLUSIONED at the thought that this was going to be a good idea.
I can't believe that bearing failure is happening on nearly new motors due to water ingress,surly this is a simple engineering fix.
Battery failure simply shouldn't happen, my prius battery is warranted for 15 years unlimited mileage and if it were to fail costs a little more than the cost of a Bosch power tube.
I would love to see a pole on all the motors reliability, failures, expected mileage, what happens when these are out of warranty will they be worthless, at the moment there is a high demand and most people will not have looked into running costs for the future, once the word is out on these and warrenty has expired resale prices will tumble.
I can't believe the manufacturers can not make these reliable, we are all quick to slag off Chinese build quality but are bafang any worse than Bosch Shimano ECT. At least they are cheap to start off with...you could almost buy a complete bafang engined bike cheaper than a replacement battery for the big brands.

My 3 ebikes have been flawless the last three years. No issues whatsoever. There. Did that help you ?

 

[lightning]

l checked the O/P's postings and he bought two Decathlon Ebikes, he's done over 1,000 miles on the bikes with his wife and had no problems at all with them.