STEPS 8000 motor noise

[lightning]

So, the bike is brand new, done under 200 miles.
The normal motor noise is still there, but when spinning the cranks at higher RPM such as climbing a technical trail, there's a screaming noise that varies under power that sounds like gears, or maybe a resonance.

It's not there at lower cadence, such as when riding on the road, and it's loud enough for my friend to mention it.

ls it worth me taking the motor apart, is there anything l may be able to do with it, such as apply grease.

lt seems motor issues are common. My friend has a 2020 Cube and his second motor has started throwing up error codes.
That bike has done around 700 miles. My other friend had a Bosch motor failure at 200 miles.

 

[1oldfart]

Good luck. I am curious to read what is wrong.

 

[flash]

E8000 is loud(ish) when you pedal. My E8000 motors both get louder the higher the cadence. Partly the motor and partly the resonance through the frame. They also got slightly louder over the first six months of use. As long as it didn't affect the performance I left it alone and it's something I got used to. You could drop the motor and apply some thin foam between the motor and frame to reduce (not eliminate) the noise on the e8000.

Likely all you'll do pulling it apart is void the warranty. If you think it's a fault then take it back for service. Otherwise I'd leave it alone.

Gordon

 

[lightning]

lf l can't dismantle the motor without voiding the warranty l will leave it alone.

ls there a warranty seal of some sort (so they'll know if l have had it apart)

The motor is working fine, apart front the intermittent screaming noise, so l will just have to wait and see what happens with it.

 

[stiv674]

I certainly wouldn't be taking it apart at only two months old, it's possibly a normal noise that you're not yet used to...

Mine can vary from ride to ride, also seems to get noisier when it gets hot, after a long steep climb etc, sometimes it seems really quiet. Mine has done 2800 miles.

If it's not affecting the performance then I'd leave it and just see how it goes, it's under warranty after all.

 

[lightning]

OK will do.

lt does seem happen when it's been in use for a while as you said.

The E8000 is an old design l guess in the MTB world, although it certainly does the job.

l imagine the new Shimano EP8 motor addresses some of these noise issues with the older motor.

 

[Tonybro]

We have both E8000 (my e160 limited) and EP8 (wife's e160 700) and her motor is way quieter than mine, in fact you can hardly hear it and she generally rides in trail and has put 200 miles on it. My E8000 whines and whirrs away but is probably less stressed than hers but has done nearly 600 miles.

No issues so I'm leaving it. My LBS (where we bought them) are Shimano Service Agents so when it is in for a service, I'll get them to check it out...

 

[flash]

OK will do.

lt does seem happen when it's been in use for a while as you said.

The E8000 is an old design l guess in the MTB world, although it certainly does the job.

l imagine the new Shimano EP8 motor addresses some of these noise issues with the older motor.

The E8000 is noisy when pedaling. The EP8 is noisy when coasting. Pick your poison. Neither bother me particularly after I got used to them a bit. It's just part of the ride. A noise that supposed to be there is easy for the brain to filter out after a bit.

Gordon

 

[lightning]

Mine's almost silent when riding trails or on the road.
lt's when you are grinding up steep or technical climbs in low gear at a higher cadence that the motor whines and (after it's warm) makes the screaming noise

But it's performing fine, as it seems l can't dismantle it, plus l've only had the bike three weeks and there's a two year warranty l will just see how it goes.

l would be confident taking it apart if l thought there was something l could do with it, such as oiling or greasing the internal parts.

 

[flash]

Mine's almost silent when riding trails or on the road.
lt's when you are grinding up steep or technical climbs in low gear at a higher cadence that the motor whines and (after it's warm) makes the screaming noise

But it's performing fine, as it seems l can't dismantle it, plus l've only had the bike three weeks and there's a two year warranty l will just see how it goes.

l would be confident taking it apart if l thought there was something l could do with it, such as oiling or greasing the internal parts.

Sounds like pretty normal behavior.

Gordon

 

[lightning]

Well l guess l should be thankful it's the motor screaming and not my legs, which was the case before l got the ebike

 

[flash]

If you're worried, take it to a Shimano dealer. They'll know if it's normal or not almost immediately.

Gordon

 

[lightning]

l went out on the bike tonight, did 15 miles of mixed on/off road and it seemed alright.

 

[johnf0246]

We have both E8000 (my e160 limited) and EP8 (wife's e160 700) and her motor is way quieter than mine, in fact you can hardly hear it and she generally rides in trail and has put 200 miles on it. My E8000 whines and whirrs away but is probably less stressed than hers but has done nearly 600 miles.

No issues so I'm leaving it. My LBS (where we bought them) are Shimano Service Agents so when it is in for a service, I'll get them to check it out...

Tonybro:

You say your LBS is a Shimano Service Agent. Does that mean they can dismantle the motor and replace bearings and electrical issues like a faulty torque sensor when the motor is in or out of warranty?

 

[lightning]

My E8000 is now on 1650 miles and seems to have quietened down, it just whines at high cadence, no screaming noise any more, it's almost silent when turning the pedals slower.

lt's the battery that's an issue now, down to 82% capacity after 42 charge cycles.

 

[Tonybro]

Tonybro:

You say your LBS is a Shimano Service Agent. Does that mean they can dismantle the motor and replace bearings and electrical issues like a faulty torque sensor when the motor is in or out of warranty?

I can ask. I think the problem will be Shimano not providing parts for servicing, or if they do, the ubiquitous shortage of them and long lead times. I think the 'Shimano Service Centre' is more about diagnostics on motors, firmware resolutions and other drivetrain component set up and maintenance.

 

[Chris ledger]

My e8000 did whine bit but i didnt find it any noisier than a gen 4 bosch bike. 2500 miles though fault free cannot fault it i too found the battery was on the decline was down to 85% when i sold it.

 

[johnf0246]

My e8000 did whine bit but i didnt find it any noisier than a gen 4 bosch bike. 2500 miles though fault free cannot fault it i too found the battery was on the decline was down to 85% when i sold it.

My e8000 did whine bit but i didnt find it any noisier than a gen 4 bosch bike. 2500 miles though fault free cannot fault it i too found the battery was on the decline was down to 85% when i sold it.

Chris:

How did you determine what % capacity your battery had left?

 

[lightning]

You need the Stunlocker app which gives you a battery health reading.
The app is free and gives you more scope for adjusting settings than the Shimano app.

lt's only chargeable if you want the premium version, which allows you to alter the wheel circumference and country of origin. (for example setting it to USA gives you motor assist up to 20mph)

 

[Chris ledger]

Chris:

How did you determine what % capacity your battery had left?

Hi as the guy below said stunlocker is a great app you can adjust all your settings and read the battery charge and how many cycles the battery has done for 89p.
I recommend buying the full versiin think it was 30 quid to unlock the 20mph upgrade rides so much nicer.