Nobody works on ebikes

[canis]

I bought a used ebike a couple of months ago and I'm surprised that nobody in northern Alabama will even touch an electric bike. I don't mind doing basic wrenching stuff but when it comes to electrical work.... forget it. Has anyone else run into this situation?

[Mike_V]

Yes, although you can learn about most components here and remember your basic trouble shooting skills.
Many eBike problems are poor connections, wiring damage or sharp bends , often hidden and sometimes by the insulation, with the small diameter wires.
And you'll read many stories whose authors ignore basic trouble shooting, like continuity, voltage level, switch position or proximity.

Perhaps an 'Auto Electric' shop might provide a source ? I don't know.

[canis]

MikeV everything you've just explained is why I hope that eventually bicycle shops will get the experience and knowledge needed to work on electric bikes. There has to be a lot of money to be made working on a $2000 or $3000 bike. Most of us don't have the equipment or skill needed to tear into one of these bikes so when they go belly up, we're just stuck with an expensive toy.

[ncmired]

Beyond the electrical / electronics skills Mike_V mentioned (which I doubt many bike shops have) there's associated test equipment (generic and vendor specific) as well as locating disparate parts suppliers for a myriad of motor systems with almost no commonality between them.

I'd have hoped Bosch at least, at the prices they're charging support their dealers.

Now throw in the rock bottom junk ebikes, where the shop might get lucky finding a straight-forward connection problem, or worse, have to MacGyver some hack. The shop hours alone probably add up to more than the customer can stand.

My guess would be that many shop tried initially to provide ebike repairs, only to get burned and/or angered customers.

[73Eldo]

Did any of the shops you tried sell e bikes? The ones I have been in in my area all seem to but I didn't ask if they work on them. You would think a shop that sells e bikes would work on at least bikes that have the same brand drive as the ones they sell.

Cooler weather seems to have cut down on the number of people I see out but earlier in the summer I was amazed at how many e bikes I saw out and about so someone has to be servicing them. The people I saw riding them didn't look like the DIY type. Other than some early teens that just looked lazy I would say that most of the people I saw were likely retired. I would guess that most of the people I saw riding them would not even be the type to be able to assemble a bike they bought online so I'm thinking they came from a store unless there kids or grand kids ordered and assembled them for them.

Looking at the variety of bikes and systems that pop up here I could see how it may be difficult to do anything with some bikes and systems but then again there are not that many ways to do it and its often basics like wiring and normal bike type issues that need sorted. If my industry doesn't bounce back by next spring I expect bicycling will be huge again and I am thinking about doing a mobile repair service and won't be afraid to look at E bikes. If the mobile is too much hassle with insurance and licenses then maybe I will look for a shop to work at and let them know that I got a good electronics background along with bicycles and even some E bike experience.

[canis]

Did any of the shops you tried sell e bikes? The ones I have been in in my area all seem to but I didn't ask if they work on them. You would think a shop that sells e bikes would work on at least bikes that have the same brand drive as the ones they sell.

Cooler weather seems to have cut down on the number of people I see out but earlier in the summer I was amazed at how many e bikes I saw out and about so someone has to be servicing them. The people I saw riding them didn't look like the DIY type. Other than some early teens that just looked lazy I would say that most of the people I saw were likely retired. I would guess that most of the people I saw riding them would not even be the type to be able to assemble a bike they bought online so I'm thinking they came from a store unless there kids or grand kids ordered and assembled them for them.

Looking at the variety of bikes and systems that pop up here I could see how it may be difficult to do anything with some bikes and systems but then again there are not that many ways to do it and its often basics like wiring and normal bike type issues that need sorted. If my industry doesn't bounce back by next spring I expect bicycling will be huge again and I am thinking about doing a mobile repair service and won't be afraid to look at E bikes. If the mobile is too much hassle with insurance and licenses then maybe I will look for a shop to work at and let them know that I got a good electronics background along with bicycles and even some E bike experience.

You're right that part of the problem is that there are so many different makes out there that it would be impossible for a shop to get parts. However, I talked to one shop that sells and does service on the brands they sell. When I told them that I was able to get parts myself, they still weren't interested. I understand their position. Since I got my bike a couple of months ago, I've read everything I can get my hands on about working on an electric bike. I'm pretty sure I could replace a monitor or other basic parts like brake pads and such, and when it comes time when my battery gives out, I'm most likely going to have to replace both the battery and the controller since I haven't been able to find anyone who carries the Samsung 48V that came with the bike. You might have hit on an idea where someone who hads the knowledge might approach a local bike shop and offer to work on a part time basis to make some extra cash.

[73Eldo]

Reading here and other places there are for sure damaged and defective parts especially in the electronics department that even if someone had the skills and tools to make repairs you may have issues sourcing components and then there is the economic question..... is there any point in repairing a $100 display or controller? If you have those skills you are way better off repairing $2500 macbooks or other expensive machines.

But just as often as the damage defects there seems to be simple stuff like damaged wires and connectors that only take very basic tools and skills to repair. There also seems to be sensor alignment issues that don't hardly take any tools or skills to fix just the knowledge to be able to look at them and figure out how they should align. You then throw on top of that the usual bike stuff like loose crank arms, pedals, headsets, axles, and adjustments which are often not very good 'out of the box' it seems like there would be a good chance to make some money and satisfied customers.

[kengps]

Biggest problem is with the Chinese made bikes. They all use the Bafang motors, which are really lacking in support. They seem to be throw away motors if something goes wrong. The newest M600 has (supposedly) a controller that has to be keyed to the motor. So if the controller or sensor of some sort goes (it's electronics, just a matter of time) you will need to throw the motor away and replace it. Customers are not going to be happy with a $700 plus bill to replace a motor on their $2500 dollar bike. The bike builders sell cheap, and probably don't have the defect reserves to start replacing motors. They point the finger at Bafang. Same with a bike shop who sells these. Eventually they'll drop the line completely. Now certainly there is a market for someone who can fix bad wires, connectors, etc. But electronic components were (and still are in some things) called "Black Boxes" for a reason. There is no repairing them. Throw it away and put a new one in. So after the problems I have had this summer with my M600 powered bike, I just bought a mainline branded bike where they fix anything wrong. Period. I say buy a bike with a Brose, Bosch, Yamaha, Shimano, etc. They don't sell these motors to anybody that can bolt together some parts, and throw a decal down the downtube while pretending to be a "Manufacturer".

[Bmeuse]

Good evening looking for help we bought a new 1000 watt 48 v ebike . So we want a better controller and colored lcd screen and new throttle. So looking for some help we got everything hook up but no there no power the red and black wires are the same and it's also a 3 phase motor and wheel so looking for a quick troubleshooting help. We work on a few bike and have change controller and lcd as well . But this one were not sure about? And first time using a Bfang rear motor

[canis]

Biggest problem is with the Chinese made bikes. They all use the Bafang motors, which are really lacking in support. They seem to be throw away motors if something goes wrong. The newest M600 has (supposedly) a controller that has to be keyed to the motor. So if the controller or sensor of some sort goes (it's electronics, just a matter of time) you will need to throw the motor away and replace it. Customers are not going to be happy with a $700 plus bill to replace a motor on their $2500 dollar bike. The bike builders sell cheap, and probably don't have the defect reserves to start replacing motors. They point the finger at Bafang. Same with a bike shop who sells these. Eventually they'll drop the line completely. Now certainly there is a market for someone who can fix bad wires, connectors, etc. But electronic components were (and still are in some things) called "Black Boxes" for a reason. There is no repairing them. Throw it away and put a new one in. So after the problems I have had this summer with my M600 powered bike, I just bought a mainline branded bike where they fix anything wrong. Period. I say buy a bike with a Brose, Bosch, Yamaha, Shimano, etc. They don't sell these motors to anybody that can bolt together some parts, and throw a decal down the downtube while pretending to be a "Manufacturer".

Kengps: The bike I bought used on Ebay was a BPM imports (not many people have even heard of them) so yes it's exactly what you describe in terms of Chineese made with a Bafang hub motor. So far I've only had one minor problem with the bike and it was totally my own fault. When I called the company that distributes the bike and was givin the email address, the response I got when I explained my problem was "we're not a bike shop") I can't be the only one out here that had no idea what I was getting into when they bought an electric bike. The problem is I just love the damn thing LOL

[73Eldo]

It seems like Bafang can build good stuff but I suppose it depends on who is asking and how many they are buying at what price. Maybe when Luna or Bolton asks they get stuff from the day shift and pay a little more? When A1 imports asks they want the lowest price possible so they get the 3rd shift when the workers are pushed extra hard?

[kengps]

It seems like Bafang can build good stuff but I suppose it depends on who is asking and how many they are buying at what price. Maybe when Luna or Bolton asks they get stuff from the day shift and pay a little more? When A1 imports asks they want the lowest price possible so they get the 3rd shift when the workers are pushed extra hard?

All motor manufacturers are going to have some bad motors. Difference is that the mainline manufacturers will warranty the motor. The "Bike Manufacturer" has a business relationship with the motor provider. My guess is the "Bike Assemblers" buy the Bafang's cheap without warranty, and leave the customer out to dry.

[canis]

All motor manufacturers are going to have some bad motors. Difference is that the mainline manufacturers will warranty the motor. The "Bike Manufacturer" has a business relationship with the motor provider. My guess is the "Bike Assemblers" buy the Bafang's cheap without warranty, and leave the customer out to dry.

I should say up front that my BPM is and extremely well made bike. I don't get a sense in any way that it was just thrown together. Having said that, I'm aware that a some point it's going to fail in some way and I'll have to decide whether or not to invest some money in it to keep it going or buy something else. If it stops working altogether, it's not going to be practical to try to sell it as just a manual mountain bike.... it's far too heavy. At this point I'm just trying to get ahead of the situation as much as I can and that's why I joined this group. Like someone said, there are only a few different ways these bikes are made and if I can get enough knowledge in the meantime hopefully I'll be able to keep up with the repairs myself and not have to rely on a shop to fix it for me.

[BadBac]

It's really a trade-off. You can pay big at the onset and most likely receive 100% support on issues - assuming you deal with a GOOD bike shop - and that is no small point. If your local bike shop is weak on service in general they are also going to be weak on servicing your e-bike. So if you decide to pay up front, just be certain your local bike shop is both competent and has a good reputation in the community it serves. I generally do my own wrenching but I also support my local bike shop as much as possible. Having said that, I have several donor bikes and I like to tinker, so I'm willing to take the chance of converting my bike(s) with a mid-drive Bafang. By the way, the same applies with your e-motor vendor. If you buy directly from China to save a dollar, don't expect any support. I'm buying from Luna as their prices are reasonable and they supply a level of support that works for me. Your mileage may vary.

[73Eldo]

I have not been here that long or tried to read the entire archive of posts but it doesn't seem like there are tons of issues with the Bafang Luna kits but there does seem to be quite a few from the more direct from China type vendors. Does Luna just inspect there stuff before they sell it? The duds get fixed or sold off to another party that then sells them maybe maybe not disclosing that they maybe have issues?