Another Bosch Motor with wrecked bearings

Charliefox

Esteemed Pedelecer
Feb 11, 2015
324
89
80
Culloden Moor Inverness
Not on my bike but on my mates. I feel for him as the motor is 2 months outside the warranty period! I told him it would be cheaper to get it rebuilt with new bearings rather than a new motor. Which is true enough if still not cheap. So 2.2 years use has cost around £100 per year, more than the road tax on my car! But at least he will be able to take off the side covers regularly to check inside for damp and dirt which he couldn't do under warranty. And neither can dealers either, if I understand correctly? Seems a perverse situation which doesn't help anyone.
 

Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
20,912
8,528
61
West Sx RH
If he took off the covers no one would know.....
 

Barrio Barranco

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 24, 2018
281
99
56
On the Bosch they can tell as the torx/allen heads have some sort of rubberised filler in them and if you pick it out to get a tool in they will know because once it has been done you can't replace them apparently??
 

Charliefox

Esteemed Pedelecer
Feb 11, 2015
324
89
80
Culloden Moor Inverness
On the Bosch they can tell as the torx/allen heads have some sort of rubberised filler in them and if you pick it out to get a tool in they will know because once it has been done you can't replace them apparently??
The Yamaha motor heads seem clean so no problem? By next April the warrenty runs out for me. For various reasons I'm not getting much mileage in anyway. Will be interesting to see how much damp and muck got past the crank seals. Already have a good grease ready Mobil SHC 220, non oil based Lithium which I used in a Bafang rear hub after a rebuild. Checked it later, still in place on the nylon gear wheels, clean and not flung about elswhere.
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,851
6,486
the bosch motors do have rubber in the bolts but you can remove them if you push hard enough with a Alan/hex key to remove them.

right side bearing is easy to fix but the left side needs the hole motor taking apart to get to it.
 

Attachments

  • Like
Reactions: Barrio Barranco

Barrio Barranco

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 24, 2018
281
99
56
My warranty is up in 2 months...any issues beyond that will get it to Performanceline for the full monty rebuild...got another 15 month 0% card in the post maybe buy a spare complete motor if I can get one...
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,851
6,486
2nd hand motors go for about 2-350 quid on ebay depending on miles but make sure the motor has the same size wheels as what you have otherwise you will need a bosch dealer to change it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Barrio Barranco

georgehenry

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 7, 2015
1,446
1,264
Surrey
As my own 2015 Yamaha hard tail Haibike will be 6 years old in March next year and I am still using the original battery I am seriously thinking of buying the latest version Haibike 4, for £2,249, as so many parts are easily interchangeable including the 500wH battery and charger that bought alone separately new cost a staggering £1,009.

So using a kind of perverse logic the rest of the bike only costs £1,240, and I would then have two batteries that could be used on either bike and would allow me to go for really long adventure rides when I am retired, possibly as soon as April next year, and have a spar bike to boot.

It is a mad world when the consumable parts of an ebike make buying a whole bike seem to make sense to get hold of them.
 

Gavin

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 11, 2020
316
179
and have a spar bike to boot.
Out of curiosity, do you have a spare car? A spare house?!

Aside from the desire for an extra battery, and assuming your existing Haibike isn't already shagged, why not just wait for it to break then fix it. And save yourself £2249.00 in the process.

You're right, it is a mad world. But it's us consumers that drive the madness....
 

georgehenry

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 7, 2015
1,446
1,264
Surrey
You are of course right, although I do have a small obsession with having back up capability.

I do however also mend stuff and just as importantly use them a lot. All the electric bikes I have bought (3) are in good working order. My first Oxygen is on its third motor, and the Haibike had a new motor fitted under warranty free of charge by the dealership I bought it from right at the end of the two year guarantee.

I was just pointing out that a replacement brand new battery for my Haibike is eye wateringly expensive, in the Haibike 4 example above it accounts for close to 40% of the purchase price.

Also the connectors broke on my Yamaha battery and the dealership could not fix it, so I had to do that myself, but as a consequence the connectors on my battery and charger are not Yamaha ones and if I bought a spar battery I would have to immediate open it up, voiding the warranty, to fit different connectors or buy another charger as well.

https://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/yamaha-battery-charger-problem.31092/#post-434202

The Haibike 4, is their cheapest hard tail, and my own 2015 version in crank drive ebike terms is getting old, now over 12,500 miles on it.

It has also just about bought itself in the cost of petrol I have not had to buy for my car getting to work and back, but the money saving aspect is less important than the fun and exercise.

I do in fact have two almost identical old rear hub Oxygen electric bikes that I use on the road, but the second one I bought second hand for just £100 and was initially to provide spar parts for my old original one, but turned out to be in such remarkably good nick that I now use it to ride to work and back on the road (20 mile round trip) when I am setting off to work in darkness and do not have the time to enjoy my very nice off road route (Shift worker). I am getting close to having 1.500 miles on it now using its original circa 2011 battery.

https://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/the-tale-of-a-£100-second-hand-electric-bike.33079/#post-467114

Yes I have a spar car which I bought for my son and daughter to pass their tests in and when my son recently passed and we insured him to drive it as a newly passed driver, it turned out cheaper to keep the reg doc in my name and also have me as a named driver.

I might have a third sorned old mercedes car on the drive gently rotting. Yes you have a point and I obviously need counselling.

Extra houses over the last 30 years down here in the affluent home counties would have been a very astute investment but landlords are hated so no comment.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Barrio Barranco

Related Articles

Advertisers