Rail (750Wh) Trek Rail 9.8 xt gen 3 and rib issues

[Aratheba]

I was going to buy a new Trek Rail 9.8 XT gen 3, but then I read about all the issues with the rib battery: rattling noise, power disconnection while riding, battery misaligned, etc
I‘m really thinking about buying something else now, I don’t want to spend such a lot of money just to have random issues with my new bike. I was thinking about buying it to keep it for several years, but it seems that this bike is not a keeper. Can anyone having this model share his/her thoughts please?

Thanks in advance

 

[HeavyJ]

I have done 15-20 aggressive enduro rides on my Trek 9.8 gen 3, no issues with battery, disconnections or rattling. I am also heavier than most riders so I feel my riding has pushed the performance of my bike. No issues with performance, stock suspension has been great. One of the trails I ride most has an uphill single track to top of enduro section, so any issues that this would have quickly shown themselves.
I can't express enough how happy I am with my Trek 9.8 Gen 3, I would 100% recommend to anyone.

 

[Aratheba]

I have done 15-20 aggressive enduro rides on my Trek 9.8 gen 3, no issues with battery, disconnections or rattling. I am also heavier than most riders so I feel my riding has pushed the performance of my bike. No issues with performance, stock suspension has been great. One of the trails I ride most has an uphill single track to top of enduro section, so any issues that this would have quickly shown themselves.
I can't express enough how happy I am with my Trek 9.8 Gen 3, I would 100% recommend to anyone.

Thank you very much for your experience. I'm an heavy rider too (around 100kg) and that's good to read.
But then all the issues I read about, or the videos I saw about rattling sound like this one ?!
How long have you been riding your trek rail? Is it something happening only after several months?
Any other experience with trek rail 9.8 gen 3?
Thanks in advance

 

[JP-NZ]

I was going to buy a new Trek Rail 9.8 XT gen 3, but then I read about all the issues with the rib battery: rattling noise, power disconnection while riding, battery misaligned, etc
I‘m really thinking about buying something else now, I don’t want to spend such a lot of money just to have random issues with my new bike. I was thinking about buying it to keep it for several years, but it seems that this bike is not a keeper. Can anyone having this model share his/her thoughts please?

Thanks in advance

I have the 9.8XT gen 3 since October. I weigh around 105kg, and Ive put the bike through 1200km of off road riding. Not one single issue with battery rattle, disconnection or misalignment. The battery alignment is a setup issue, the battery alignment should be sorted in the shop and if not take it back and get them to sort it (there are service manuals on this all TREK dealers should have it perfected).

Thankfully my LBS has sold many Trek Rails and knew what to do upon assembly and had the bike perfect, in fact I haven't even had a loose bolt yet. Ive descended on over 38,000 Metres of single black and blue downhill so if there was going to be a noise I would have found one by now.

I absolutely love the bike.

 

[Aratheba]

I have the 9.8XT gen 3 since October. I weigh around 105kg, and Ive put the bike through 1200km of off road riding. Not one single issue with battery rattle, disconnection or misalignment. The battery alignment is a setup issue, the battery alignment should be sorted in the shop and if not take it back and get them to sort it (there are service manuals on this all TREK dealers should have it perfected).

Thankfully my LBS has sold many Trek Rails and knew what to do upon assembly and had the bike perfect, in fact I haven't even had a loose bolt yet. Ive descended on over 38,000 Metres of single black and blue downhill so if there was going to be a noise I would have found one by now.

I absolutely love the bike.

Thanks for your reply. Then it seems like the LBS plays a big part in bike success.
Any one else?

 

[Aratheba]

I have done 15-20 aggressive enduro rides on my Trek 9.8 gen 3, no issues with battery, disconnections or rattling. I am also heavier than most riders so I feel my riding has pushed the performance of my bike. No issues with performance, stock suspension has been great. One of the trails I ride most has an uphill single track to top of enduro section, so any issues that this would have quickly shown themselves.
I can't express enough how happy I am with my Trek 9.8 Gen 3, I would 100% recommend to anyone.

I'm just curious: how do you usually charge your bike? Removing the battery and then charging it, or using the directly the bike battery plug?

 

[Aratheba]

I have the 9.8XT gen 3 since October. I weigh around 105kg, and Ive put the bike through 1200km of off road riding. Not one single issue with battery rattle, disconnection or misalignment. The battery alignment is a setup issue, the battery alignment should be sorted in the shop and if not take it back and get them to sort it (there are service manuals on this all TREK dealers should have it perfected).

Thankfully my LBS has sold many Trek Rails and knew what to do upon assembly and had the bike perfect, in fact I haven't even had a loose bolt yet. Ive descended on over 38,000 Metres of single black and blue downhill so if there was going to be a noise I would have found one by now.

I absolutely love the bike.

Can I ask you how do you charge your bike? Do you remove your battery and then charge it or do you use the bike plug?

 

[JP-NZ]

Can I ask you how do you charge your bike? Do you remove your battery and then charge it or do you use the bike plug?

Ive only ever charged via the bike plug. Ive only taken the battery out of the bike twice.

 

[Aratheba]

Ive only ever charged via the bike plug. Ive only taken the battery out of the bike twice.

Thanks for your answer.
I'm wondering whther removing the battery in order to charge it (it's the way I do charge my e-bike) can have some negative impact on battery itself (rattling, disconnections, etc)...

 

[JP-NZ]

Thanks for your answer.
I'm wondering whther removing the battery in order to charge it (it's the way I do charge my e-bike) can have some negative impact on battery itself (rattling, disconnections, etc)...

Yes, possibly. I also have the Bosch foam battery damper installed (I didn't have noise issues but it was only $5 so thought why not). I'm lucky enough to keep my bike inside the house (Insurance says so, plus its warmer) so charging via plug is simple.

 

[Redders473]

I had a trek rail for a over a year and the reason the battery disconnects is due to the plastic wearing away on the bottom of the RIB battery casing due to crap getting in there and rubbing itself. I had to put mastic tape in there to keep it connected. Fyi i weigh 105kg and did a EWSE on it.

Overall great bikes though i do recommend using some form of strap around the battery incase it flys out which can happen.

 

[Aratheba]

I had a trek rail for a over a year and the reason the battery disconnects is due to the plastic wearing away on the bottom of the RIB battery casing due to crap getting in there and rubbing itself. I had to put mastic tape in there to keep it connected. Fyi i weigh 105kg and did a EWSE on it.

Overall great bikes though i do recommend using some form of strap around the battery incase it flys out which can happen.

Battery flying out is not good at all especially for a bike that costs a lot. Do you have rail 9.8 gen 3?

 

[Redders473]

Battery flying out is not good at all especially for a bike that costs a lot. Do you have rail 9.8 gen 3?

Tbf it never happened to mine but i have seen a few do it i had a rail 7 gen 3

 

[Mikerb]

Depending on where you ride and in what conditions ( rough , rocky, jumps, mud, water ....ie UK conditions!!) you may want to consider the wisdom of any bike using a "cutaway" downtube to house a heavy battery that is sat on its main connector pins. Most of these systems allow mud and water or dust ingress and any slight movement of the battery can lead to wear and tear of the main connection...........hence reports of disconnections etc.
There are more secure alternatives..........such as Specialized/Whyte etc that use a battery insert/removal from the bottom of the downtube system.

 

[Bran70]

I’ve a 9.8 Gen 3 GX AXS and have had no issues yet after a few hundred miles except the locking system can be abit hit and miss to get it to lock (key not turning straight away). I’m very conscious of bike noises because my other bike is a 9.8 Fuel Ex with internal routed cables that drive me mental rattling around the carbon tube on rough stuff so that’s probably why I opted for AXS.
Buy it - it’s a great bike.

 

[Aratheba]

Depending on where you ride and in what conditions ( rough , rocky, jumps, mud, water ....ie UK conditions!!) you may want to consider the wisdom of any bike using a "cutaway" downtube to house a heavy battery that is sat on its main connector pins. Most of these systems allow mud and water or dust ingress and any slight movement of the battery can lead to wear and tear of the main connection...........hence reports of disconnections etc.
There are more secure alternatives..........such as Specialized/Whyte etc that use a battery insert/removal from the bottom of the downtube system.

Yes I know, I’m thinking about a moterra neo Carbon 1 too, it has a battery cover that should avoid these issues…

 

[Bigblock]

Ive only ever charged via the bike plug. Ive only taken the battery out of the bike twice.

Hi JP, do you carry your bike on a car carrier at all? I travel with my Rail 7 on a rear carrier quite a bit and always remove the battery as per the Trek recommendation which is good from the weight point of view but noticed the key mechanism is getting a bit problematic as per Bran70's comment above. I havent had any rattles or disconnections but wonder if the repeated removal and replacement will cause problems later on. I keep the batttery compartment clean and spray a little bit of lithium grease over the lock mechanism from time to time so hopefully will be OK.

 

[Yoak]

I have the Gen 3 9.8 XT, done 700km and no battery issues. I remove my battery quite often as well, when I load the bike on my car. I'm on my 3rd Rail, and love them. I had the motor replaced a few times, but that's been quick and easy.

 

[JP-NZ]

Hi JP, do you carry your bike on a car carrier at all? I travel with my Rail 7 on a rear carrier quite a bit and always remove the battery as per the Trek recommendation which is good from the weight point of view but noticed the key mechanism is getting a bit problematic as per Bran70's comment above. I havent had any rattles or disconnections but wonder if the repeated removal and replacement will cause problems later on. I keep the batttery compartment clean and spray a little bit of lithium grease over the lock mechanism from time to time so hopefully will be OK.

Hi bigblock, nope I have a hatchback so it goes in the boot/hatch area with the back seats folded flat (another reason I hate riding on muddy rides). The battery stays in the bike for the trips

 

[Bomble]

If you don’t need to take the battery off often for charging just do the battery lock delete mod.
It will fix all the potential issues and lose about 400g as an added bonus.
There is a big thread on here about it, quite a simple mod.

 

[Bigblock]

Hi bigblock, nope I have a hatchback so it goes in the boot/hatch area

Thanks JP, I often carry two bikes on a platform carrier but you must have a decent sized hatchback as I have a 200 series Land Cruiser and struggle to get my XL Rail 7 in the back of that. It fits OK but is awkward to get in and out due to its size and weight.

 

[JP-NZ]

Thanks JP, I often carry two bikes on a platform carrier but you must have a decent sized hatchback as I have a 200 series Land Cruiser and struggle to get my XL Rail 7 in the back of that. It fits OK but is awkward to get in and out due to its size and weight.

VW Golf GTI, take the front tyre off and it fits in just. 95% of the riding I do is in the hills close to home though so just ride in and out. We also have a chairlift bike park 15 mins ride away.

 

[torabora851]

Hey Aratheba, the clunking sound you hear on the video is not the battery. It's the Bosch motor clunking.

Regarding the battery, the Rail gen 3 750w has an issue with the battery alignment plate. It's too long, so the battery will be loose if you align it as from the manual. But you still can align it tight if you bend it or put a 1.5mm shim. Also, I put some foam inside. In general, you can align the battery and make it fit tight. But overall feeling that the fitment system is poorly designed.

 

[tikitereterry]

I was going to buy a new Trek Rail 9.8 XT gen 3, but then I read about all the issues with the rib battery: rattling noise, power disconnection while riding, battery misaligned, etc
I‘m really thinking about buying something else now, I don’t want to spend such a lot of money just to have random issues with my new bike. I was thinking about buying it to keep it for several years, but it seems that this bike is not a keeper. Can anyone having this model share his/her thoughts please?

Thanks in advance

Fantastic bike... Trek Rail 9.8 2022 I upgraded from a Rail 9 2022 because I loved the bike so much my 9.8 Bike purchased October 2022 multiple issues, rear sensor replaced 3 times, dropper seat cable replaced due to incorrect installation "crushed", BUT there are definite issues with the battery rattle & then disengages with contacts, so that the bike switches off as the computer realizes a problem, mine now cuts off on every ride possibly up to 5 times, I'm awaiting parts out of the states that will supposedly eliminate the problem according to Trek in Australia. Personally Trek have been well aware of this issue for some time these bikes should have been recalled as they currently are NOT fit for purpose "MTBing" I have told Trek if what they are sending does not fix & eliminate my issues I will be expecting a NEW bike 2024 supplied by them "free"

 

[JP-NZ]

BUT there are definite issues with the battery rattle & then disengages with contacts, so that the bike switches off as the computer realizes a problem, mine now cuts off on every ride possibly up to 5 times, I'm awaiting parts out of the states that will supposedly eliminate the problem according to Trek in Australia.

This is 100% a battery / RIB setup issue as has been covered across many posts on this forum. Did you happen to buy your bike from a big box retailer or small LBS? Your dealer should be able to setup the RIB system correctly to eliminate rattles/disconnections and noise.

My 22 gen 3 9.8XT has been faultless, never had a battery issue or noise in 1300km. In fact I haven't ever had an issue apart from missing a small amount of grease on the rear axle assembly.

 

[Jeremybub]

Yes, possibly. I also have the Bosch foam battery damper installed (I didn't have noise issues but it was only $5 so thought why not). I'm lucky enough to keep my bike inside the house (Insurance says so, plus its warmer) so charging via plug is simple.

Can you share an image of the foam battery damper you installed? I just received mine and cant find a photo of one installed.

 

[JP-NZ]

Can you share an image of the foam battery damper you installed? I just received mine and cant find a photo of one installed.

Bosch Powertube Battery Foam Damper

Should fit like this

www.emtbforums.com

Also check the rest of the thread, there are quite a few installed pics

 

[tikitereterry]

This is 100% a battery / RIB setup issue as has been covered across many posts on this forum. Did you happen to buy your bike from a big box retailer or small LBS? Your dealer should be able to setup the RIB system correctly to eliminate rattles/disconnections and noise.

My 22 gen 3 9.8XT has been faultless, never had a battery issue or noise in 1300km. In fact I haven't ever had an issue apart from missing a small amount of grease on the rear axle assembly.

My bike has spent more time in a workshop than on the trails, it has been back twice to have battery realignment done to no avail, cuts out continually every time I hit an undulation on the track, this bike is not fit for purpose a MTB that clearly cant do what a MTB is supposed to do, TREK are aware and have confirmed they have a problem..

 

[JP-NZ]

Then you should be getting your bike store to replace it with a new Rail. That’s unacceptable to have a minor issue not be fixed by your LBS.

 

[irie]

Thanks for your reply. Then it seems like the LBS plays a big part in bike success.
Any one else?

The same with all bikes if they're not properly assembled tbh.