Bosch Engine Repairs After Warranty??

[Steve A]

I hear both sides here. I think it's nice that a dealer like KTM will try and help with a motor in terms of diagnostics etc.

What has been made clear to me by my dealer is that if its a simple software issue my dealer can help, but pretty much everything else involves a replacement motor either under warranty or out of warranty, buy it yourself from Bosch / dealer.

My understanding is that this is Bosch's current policy. Hence, i treat mine as a sealed unit which i can replace bearings, but nothing else.

I'm sure the dealer wishes they could do more, but lets be honest here even my old Campy super rec eps system, was a (we can't fix, but can fit another approach).

Most things these days are going down the route of is broken, throw it and fit another!. I don't call my gas engineers anymore, he's a fitter. Takes the old part and fits a new one.

Sorry, just my humble opinion.

 

[Steve A]

... As you are aware, the Bosch is a system containing the motor assembly proper, the battery pack, wirings, charger , display panel, wheel sensor. Would you expect the bike shop to dismantle the battery pack and rebuild it. For their own reasons, probably due to a QA perception, they want to keep the motor rebuild within the factory. Not all Bosch cyclists may be as knowledgeable as you , and may need support if the wheel magnet got displaced , or for brakes servicing etc.
Mainland Europe has a superb logistics network and it is highly feasible to get goods accross the continent overnight. Mind you even this fails into comparison with service I received from a California company. I ordered a set of microcontrollers at 2 00 pm irish time and had them on my desk at 4:00 pm the following day. So the reasons to have localised repair centres are diminishing.
There are a number of services the dealer can and does offer. Sourcing and replacing any of the modules display, calibration, motor and wiring.

The analogy with cars is apt. Previously one might have gone to a local guy to get the alternator rewound, now it's a factory rebuilt unit.

When you say Irish time, does this involve copious amounts of Guinness and time flew by, the part actually took 2 weeks to get to you

 

[soundwave]

what gets me is i cant buy a new motor unless i send mine in first, as id rather be able to keep it for spare parts but bosch wont have none of that?

so they want the motor back but how much of it can i get away with sending back to bosch?

can i take all the insides out and just send the case? and just say i lost all the parts pmsl

 

[Steve A]

what gets me is i cant buy a new motor unless i send mine in first, as id rather be able to keep it for spare parts but bosch wont have none of that?

so they want the motor back but how much of it can i get away with sending back to bosch?

can i take all the insides out and just send the case? and just say i lost all the parts pmsl

Agree, annoying policy but hay hoo. I really want one of those old coke bottles and always have to hand it back damn!

 

[Danidl]

When you say Irish time, does this involve copious amounts of Guinness and time flew buy, the part actually took 2 weeks to get to you

... Never ever had a Guinness in my life!. True fair comment however . I was truelly gobsmacked when the goods arrived the next evening. Literally halfway around the world in a day.

 

[Steve A]

Signing out off to Eurodisney in morning taking wife and teenagers OMG

 

[falmouthtony]

I hear both sides here. I think it's nice that a dealer like KTM will try and help with a motor in terms of diagnostics etc.

What has been made clear to me by my dealer is that if its a simple software issue my dealer can help, but pretty much everything else involves a replacement motor either under warranty or out of warranty, buy it yourself from Bosch / dealer.

My understanding is that this is Bosch's current policy. Hence, i treat mine as a sealed unit which i can replace bearings, but nothing else.

I'm sure the dealer wishes they could do more, but lets be honest here even my old Campy super rec eps system, was a (we can't fix, but can fit another approach).

Most things these days are going down the route of is broken, throw it and fit another!. I don't call my gas engineers anymore, he's a fitter. Takes the old part and fits a new one.

Sorry, just my humble opinion.

 

[falmouthtony]

I hear both sides here. I think it's nice that a dealer like KTM will try and help with a motor in terms of diagnostics etc.

What has been made clear to me by my dealer is that if its a simple software issue my dealer can help, but pretty much everything else involves a replacement motor either under warranty or out of warranty, buy it yourself from Bosch / dealer.

My understanding is that this is Bosch's current policy. Hence, i treat mine as a sealed unit which i can replace bearings, but nothing else.

I'm sure the dealer wishes they could do more, but lets be honest here even my old Campy super rec eps system, was a (we can't fix, but can fit another approach).

Most things these days are going down the route of is broken, throw it and fit another!. I don't call my gas engineers anymore, he's a fitter. Takes the old part and fits a new one.

Sorry, just my humble opinion.

Enjoy Disney Steve

I shall live in hope that if my bearings go on either bike any Bosch dealer for any brand of Bosch-engined bike will dismantle the motor for me and replace the bearings at a sensible price.

 

[soundwave]

you just have to make the parts urself

 

[KTM Bike Industries UK]

Sorry to have been the initiator of a KTM vs SW spat

That aside, doesn't this response get right to my point and sum up my concerns?

'if you have a friendly Bosch dealer....'

Surely I shouldn't have to know a friendly Bosch dealer. I believe I should should be able to walk into ANY Bosch dealer, irrespective of which brand of bike they sell, and receive a uniform standard of ability, courtesy and repair pricing structure.

I think I should also have access to an up to date list of these dealers.

It just doesn't seem right that as owner of a quality product fitted to bikes costing sometimes, many thousands of pounds, the consumer should have to be subject to a world of contacts that we can't have access to.

You can speak to any Bosch dealer, and I know lots of them... and most are friendly. There is only one I can think of that would turn you away.

In fact they don't have to be Bosch dealers, any shop that sells KTM, Scott, Trek, Cube, Haibike, Diamond Back, Lapierre etc etc will have either already been trained by Bosch, or will be trying to get trained. I don't think there will be many bikes shops in the UK that don't have Bosch trained workshops within the next 12-18 months. I'm not sure who you're quotting when you say "if you have a friendly Bosch Dealer", but I think it can be assumed that they meant... you're not dealing with the one dealer who isn't friendly... the rest are!

Also I'm not saying you can't have access to the contacts, you do have access to them... via a dealer. What I'm saying is that dealers are there to help you and support you and they have the contacts with the suppliers (ie us / Bosch etc etc.) There is only one Bosch dealer who I can think of who won't help customers who didn't buy their bikes there even if they want to pay for the workshop time. I can't think of any other bike shop in the country who wouldn't want to help you. If you need spares they will supply them, simples

 

[KTM Bike Industries UK]

I hear both sides here. I think it's nice that a dealer like KTM will try and help with a motor in terms of diagnostics etc.

Should just point out, we're not a dealer... we wouldn't be the people you'd contact. We supply the dealers.

 

[soundwave]

If you need spares they will supply them, simples

ok can i have the main pcb from a sclass motor to convert my performance motor

 

[flecc]

My understanding is that this is Bosch's current policy. Hence, i treat mine as a sealed unit which i can replace bearings, but nothing else.

The 2001 Panasonic unit and its 2006 successor were the forerunners of this type of crank unit and their policy was the same, no spares supplied and repair by replacement.

Since then the other makers designs have tended to adopt the same policy.
.

 

[Wicky]

How a razor revolutionised the way we pay for stuff

 

[BigG]

Reading the above posts takes me back to when I used to do all my own car maintenance. In the main d.i.y. car maintenance for car engines has gone with all the electronics on modern vehicles.... A bit like e-bike motors?
Anyway back to the post..... I might be in a minority here but when bought my e-bike, a KTM Macina Cross 10, all I wanted was a well made, reliable bike with a well known, branded, power train. I bought the KTM as it took me back to watching motor bike trials when I was younger (so I knew they made strong well put together machines).... and it had a Bosch motor which as has been suggested most good bicycle shops could help if I had problems with it.
When I bought the bike my thoughts were..... if I moved into an area where there wasn't a KTM dealer it wouldn't be a problem as most parts are readily available branded parts (such as Shimano etc) so no problems there and secondly, as has been said in previous postings most places can deal with Bosch.
My posting mightn't be exactly related to the topic, but please humour a guy in his late 60s, with knackered knees after playing blood sports (rugby!) and is generally falling to pieces.

 

[Wicky]

I've a KTM eRace with the Panasonic hub drive and one day soon I might drop into my local Pansonic Store with it and see what they say

Thankfully 3 years old and still going strong!

 

[Woosh]

Wicky, how many miles have you clocked up if you don't mind?

 

[Wicky]

I think it had IIRC 500-800 miles ex demo miles when I bought it and I've put on another 2000 or so. So far only needed to change brake pads, maintain the chain, pump the tyres up and that's about it.

 

[Woosh]

erm.. does your bike have a defeat device?

 

[Wicky]

erm.. does your bike have a defeat device?

??

Bog standard apart from bolt on accessories - nothing naughty. More than happy with its goat like climbing ability up the mountains of Essex.