Would ep801 put you off buying a bike ?

[Stretch40]

Good evening when I look at new bikes loads of them come with ep8 they look great and are great price BUT I see all these reviews complaining about less power and the rattle ? . I've got a giant trance now with pwx 2 80nm it's all the power I need so I'm wondering is it the case that just riding in a group chilled on a Sunday it's no disadvantage unless your going flat out on a ews e power stage ? Any thoughts would be appreciated cheers

 

[2WHLFUN]

I’m going on two years with my bike that has an EP8 with no problems and a great experience. My buddy has had two EP8 bikes with no problems also.

 

[Haveland]

I have an ep8 Norco and a Specialized Brose and I previously had a Giant with the Yamaha.

I don't have any issues with the ep8 at all I think it is a great motor and haven't had any issues with it. Think it might be a tad more ebike feeling but not in a really bad way.

 

[Beat]

a buddy of mine has two YT Decoys with the EP8 . I did some rides on them and like how smooth they are. Not quite the grunt of the CX but totally at home in tricky terrain.

 

[Dax]

Yes.

 

[Tony4wd]

imho the minimal rattle is one of those first world issues that gets more attention than it deserves. Power is fine unless you're riding long, steep uphills, then the Bosch CX can be more desirable. If you have health problems the extra CX power may be more desirable too.

The CX has stronger crank shafts and the method of connecting the cranks is more secure. You can regrease the CX crankshaft seals to help keep water out of the motor. The wiring is a little thicker and stronger on the CX.

Overall I prefer the Bosch CX but I wouldn't let the EP8 stop me from buying a bike that was otherwise perfect for my needs.

 

[mikegarf]

I have an Orbea Rise with 2000miles on it. The EP8 has never missed a beat for me and so far I'd definitely buy another EP8 bike. Keeping water especially hoses or jet washes away from your motors is critical no matter what brand motor you choose.

 

[timo2824]

My ep801 doesn't have a rattle, it's completely silent, and it's got 85nm of power which is plenty for me.

Ep801 rattle test

 

[aarfeldt]

EP801 is stronger than EP8 (600w vs 500w) and 801 is more silent.

For me personally EP801 was unusable, because STUnlocker dosent work, and I need it to support 30-32kmh.
So it was great news to me, that eMax can get it to work....and it does.

EP801 also supports automatic electric shifting, if you want to play with new tech.

I have nothing bad to say about EP801....only good stuff, and I would recommend it.

 

[Harry Vandsome]

For the type of riding that I like to do (racing) yes. In fact I'm selling my Thok TK01 with EP8 for that reason.

 

[Rickster]

Save your self from a headache and look elsewhere. Like you said all the complaints tell the story. Good luck

 

[steve_sordy]

Save your self from a headache and look elsewhere. Like you said all the complaints tell the story. Good luck

I can see where you are coming from and I don't hold a particular brief for Shimano motors; I don't like their "non-repair" policy for example. But like many riders, I have had zero problems with Shimano motors. It is a puzzle to me why Speccy buyers continued to buy the bikes in droves, despite being on their 3rd or even 4th motor. I cannot imagine setting out on a long ride over somewhere a long walk from help with a bike that was on its third motor in less than a year.

I wonder which motor has the best reliability record, does anyone know?

 

[Harry Vandsome]

I can see where you are coming from and I don't hold a particular brief for Shimano motors; I don't like their "non-repair" policy for example. But like many riders, I have had zero problems with Shimano motors. It is a puzzle to me why Speccy buyers continued to buy the bikes in droves, despite being on their 3rd or even 4th motor. I cannot imagine setting out on a long ride over somewhere a long walk from help with a bike that was on its third motor in less than a year.

I wonder which motor has the best reliability record, does anyone know?

Yamaha & Bosch

 

[steve_sordy]

Yamaha & Bosch

Good to know. Is that your opinion or do have a source of the data?

 

[Harry Vandsome]

I have no scientific data to back that up.

I work at an LBS and in my experience Bosch and Yama have the least issues - and if there are issues they offer the best service.

 

[Bad Mechanic]

I absolutely wouldn't buy a Shimano powered ebike. They have a no repair policy, so if anything happens outside of warranty you're buying a new one. At least Bosch and Yamaha can be serviced by third parties to an extent.

 

[mmcengineer]

I was looking at a rise but never looked any further once i saw shimano

Now heres the weird part

have di2 on my road bikes and am pretty much a shimano fanboy because all my experiences with sram have been a bit lacklustre

I have read people moaning about shimano motors , i have positive experience with their groupsets , Ive never owned a shimano motored bike and have no data to say they are poor and know there literally thousands out there running every day without issue

The pluss is that i know i can unlock the RS on the rise and have full power in a lightweight package etc etc

But yes that BIAS put me off buying a shimano motored bike completely illogical and the kind of typical behaviour you see from people who never owned a shimano powered bike on a forum

In my defence however ive never had a bosch problem and i can strip and service it in my workshop and unless its electronics related completely overhaul it

Maybe its time to make the jump and figure out how to strip and service one

 

[mmcengineer]

I absolutely wouldn't buy a Shimano powered ebike. They have a no repair policy, so if anything happens outside of warranty you're buying a new one. At least Bosch and Yamaha can be serviced by third parties to an extent.

Errr Dont you just send the old one back and fit the new one like bosch and brose and all the others , none are workshop serviceable officially and most folks start tearing them open once they are out of warranty

 

[Bad Mechanic]

But yes that BIAS put me off buying a shimano motored bike completely illogical and the kind of typical behaviour you see from people who never owned a shimano powered bike on a forum

I owned one and chose to sell it before the motor had issues. With the bottom bracket integrated into the motor, it's not a question of if but when there will be issues, and I can't have a $1,500 sword hanging over my head if the motor dies.

Not having serviceable components if acceptable if they only cost a hundred or two, but it's completely unacceptable when they cost $1,500.

I ended up buying a Rocky Mountain Dyname 4.0 eMTB, in large part because it uses a standard bottom bracket and crankset.

 

[Gavalar]

Good evening when I look at new bikes loads of them come with ep8 they look great and are great price BUT I see all these reviews complaining about less power and the rattle ? . I've got a giant trance now with pwx 2 80nm it's all the power I need so I'm wondering is it the case that just riding in a group chilled on a Sunday it's no disadvantage unless your going flat out on a ews e power stage ? Any thoughts would be appreciated cheers

Some people will tell you that they don't like sprouts, doesn't mean they're not good for you, 18 months on a Yeti e160 with no issues whatsoever, you can follow the crowd or form your own opinions, either way, take a test ride and decide for yourself.

 

[Rickster]

Guys the bottom line for me is, can I readily get parts and take the motor apart if needed for repair? Yes or no ? Unless you're not handy or intimidated by doing so , then get the shimano and let the shops replace the entire unit if and when needed. If you want to play your just going to have to pay.
One of the things I like about a Yamaha branded bike, (not just the motor) is that Yamaha treats the ebikes exactly like a motorcycle where Everything is out in the open for working on your ride when needed. They have proper parts lists and anyone can march into any Yamaha dealer Worldwide and order parts. For myself that's a Huge selling point ! Good luck in whatever you choose, after all it's your coin !

Here's a first class professional example that Every manufacturer Should follow, actually should be legally obliged to follow !!
Thank you Yamaha Cheers

 

[dimitrin]

I have several friends with the Shimano EP8 motor, one of them on his 3rd year of ownership. He is a hard charger on rough janky trail, he doesn't maintain crap on his bike and the motor has been totally rock solid. Zero issues I have seen, they all love their bikes. I also have two friends with the Brose motor in their levos, one of them in his third year with no issues, the other one bought his in 2023 and had the motor replaced due to excessive noises.
I have a Yamaha motor in my '23 giant reign, also so far so good.
One thing I will point out that is a significant difference between the different motors that no one really talks about, and that is the points of engagement. When I ordered my bike I also had the shop build up a proper rear wheel with a Onyx Hub because the trails I ride mostly are very technical and it's nice to have instant engagement as we are ratcheting up and around things. Well I don't have instant engagement because the Yamaha motor itself only has 52 points of engagement. This means even with a instant engagement hub like a onyx I will never have better than 52 points of engagement and I definitely notice that when I'm cranking around technical trail. The EP8 Shimano and Brose motors have instant engagement. My buddy that is on his third year with the Shimano EP8 has a Onyx Hub and I do envy the engagement that he has due to the Shimano motor.

 

[steve_sordy]

A Shimano motor would not put me off because my two motors (e8000 and an EP8) have been faultless over 3100 miles and 2640 miles respectively. I sold the first bike at 3100 miles and I'm still running the second bike. Apart from not using a jet wash or even a hose, I have taken no special care of the electrics. Both bikes travelled unprotected on the back of my car in all weathers at 70-75 mph. (Which must be like a jet wash wheln it's raining).

However, would my next bike have a Shimano motor? Well, despite my faultless experience, and the fact that I really like the natural feel of the Shimano motor, I would look for a bike that had a Bosch motor. I want to send a message to Shimano that I don't like their non-repair policy. I also want to send a message to Bosch that I do like the fact that I can get one of their motors repaired in many places. Very recently, I became aware that there is at least one motor repair company that will service a Shimano motor, but I know nothing about them and how they overcome the issues that have led to other companies not offering a repair service to Shimano motors.

But it is important to recognise that we are buying a bike to ride and not a motor, so if I could not find a Bosch powered bike that I liked, then I would still be OK with getting yet another Shimano powered bike.

PS: If the EP8 motor on my bike failed tomorrow, I would be pissed off of course, but in the absence of a secure repair facility, buying a replacement EP8 would be the quickest and cheapest way of getting back on the road. Once I had swallowed the cost, I would be happy with the outcome.

 

[mmcengineer]

Guys the bottom line for me is, can I readily get parts and take the motor apart if needed for repair? Yes or no ? Unless you're not handy or intimidated by doing so , then get the shimano and let the shops replace the entire unit if and when needed. If you want to play your just going to have to pay.
One of the things I like about a Yamaha branded bike, (not just the motor) is that Yamaha treats the ebikes exactly like a motorcycle where Everything is out in the open for working on your ride when needed. They have proper parts lists and anyone can march into any Yamaha dealer Worldwide and order parts. For myself that's a Huge selling point ! Good luck in whatever you choose, after all it's your coin !

Here's a first class professional example that Every manufacturer Should follow, actually should be legally obliged to follow !!
Thank you Yamaha Cheers

View attachment 132354

Simple answer is no if you cant buy the repair part your effed and thats more the norm nowadays , right to repair laws just get kicked down the road and i cant see how replacing entire units is sustainable or eco friendly though i cant imagine those units cost more than a hundred a piece at the factory

 

[CrunchBytes]

I absolutely wouldn't buy a Shimano powered ebike. They have a no repair policy, so if anything happens outside of warranty you're buying a new one. At least Bosch and Yamaha can be serviced by third parties to an extent.

This… I’ve recently had my EP8 RS (Rise) motor replaced as it went faulty 7 weeks outside of warranty. It wasn’t a sure thing though, and my LBS had to argue my case. I’m pleased with the outcome (replacement FOC, just had to pay LBS to remove old and fit new), but it would make me think twice about buying another Shimano motor as repair is hard. There are independant repair centres that will service and repair Brose and Bosch when outside of warranty, and it’s this serviceability that will help me decide my next bike/motor combo. Shimano need to offer reasonable price repairs, or allow 3rd parties to fully repair them when faulty outside of warranty.

 

[mustclime]

Tried an ep8, hate the rattle, went with Brose. I also don’t care for the ep8’s interface compared to what’s on the Specialized.

 

[CaptKirk]

I can see where you are coming from and I don't hold a particular brief for Shimano motors; I don't like their "non-repair" policy for example. But like many riders, I have had zero problems with Shimano motors. It is a puzzle to me why Speccy buyers continued to buy the bikes in droves, despite being on their 3rd or even 4th motor. I cannot imagine setting out on a long ride over somewhere a long walk from help with a bike that was on its third motor in less than a year.

I wonder which motor has the best reliability record, does anyone know?

I will get some flack from this, but I have been riding the Bafang BBSHD(1000 Watts) for 4+ years and have had "0" problems with any component of that system. Purchased the "Luna X2" 2 years ago with the "Bafang" "M600" motor (750watts), and except for the early failure of the "one way clutch bearing in the pedal shaft which I repaired with minimal effort, has also been a awesome addition to the riding experiance. Personal preference and opinion aside watch the motor loading on uphill climbs, and stay out of the water.

 

[timo2824]

Parts availability is an issue, but some of the higher wear items like bearings or seals can be bought at any bearing supplier. I've repair lots of circuit boards that just had some electrolysis because they got wet. A brass brush and electronic cleaner got my kids stacyc going after he crashed it into a lake. A lot of these motors are trashed for something that could be repaired by a competent technician.

 

[mustclime]

Just an fyi, after watching the e bike enduro racing season, I suspect Shimano is going to release higher power unit this year. They sucked all year on the power stages till the end, then they got fast. I am guessing that was the new drive unit.

 

[Grendel]

I've had 2. The original EP800 and recently added another bike with the EP801. Both have been flawless although I've only had the new one for a few weeks. It varies from bike to bike but my EP800 had very little rattle. My EP801 has none and is remarkably quiet in operation. I would purchase another bike that has this motor with no reservations.