Bosch motor failure

[Emo Rider]

Picked bike up yesterday from ILKLEY CYCLES, WEST YORKSHIRE. New motor fitted....many thanks to Ilkley Cycles for carrying out the work - would recommend them. They did a great job and although they were not my supplying dealer they took on the work without any questions.

However.....thumbs down for KTM and BOSCH....a motor that failed with less than 500miles on the clock....

I contacted both BOSCH and KTM and they told me to take up the matter with my dealer....They didn't explain why it had failed , nor have they offered my any type of compensation / upgrades / vouchers/ discounts on equipment which I would have expected....I had issues with my car and was offered free servicing, my TV broke down as was given an upgrade to a better model.....CUSTOMER SATISFACTION / RETENTION ?????

So would I purchase another BOSCH bike ??? - Probably not. There there will be many on this forum who will disagree and will have had many miles of faultless use of their BOSCH equipped bikes but .....to basically fob off an end user customer back to the dealer without any explanation is bad practice....

Don't own a KTM or Bosch powered bike. Never even rode one. I have nothing disparaging to say say about them. Most what I read is that they are a good company to deal with. But I do know Bosch and telling you to go to your dealer is exactly what you should expect to hear. I would expect the companies, that I deal with, to send customers my way. Especially if they bought the bike from me. It would then be up to the dealer to provide the perks and compensations to you. I am sure a conversation with your dealer would bring you some satisfaction. As you said in your post, the car "dealer" offered the free servicing, not the car company.

 

[stumpy150]

sorry should have clarified that a bit further - Landrover ( the manufacturer , no the dealership ) gave us a ''voucher'' / credit note for three free services, anywhere in the country....Panasonic - the manufacturer supplied us with a better tv.....BOSCH = NOTHING

 

[nemesis]

I bought a focus e-mtb last year from austria and within six months the motor failed and i was high and dry because the shipping to send it back was going to cost a fortune.The focus uses the kalkhoff impulse motor and after a phone call to the uk dealer 50c they told me they would replace my motor through the excellent kalkhoff warranty,try getting that service at ANY uk bosch dealer because it is not going to happen.I couldn`t even get a reply from numerous e-mails to bosch dealers about advice how to get rid of a 503 code on the console.

 

[Emo Rider]

sorry should have clarified that a bit further - Landrover ( the manufacturer , no the dealership ) gave us a ''voucher'' / credit note for three free services, anywhere in the country....Panasonic - the manufacturer supplied us with a better tv.....BOSCH = NOTHING

I, in my earlier career, was a trained qualty technician. What l learned was that it is a satistical impossibility not to have a part or assembly fail. No matter how good the processs, people and materials are. Hence the reason for statistical process control. Bosch has a very, very good quality control system like a lot of other successful manufacturers.

You quote Landrover as the dealer that helped you. Sorry, but you can not compare a major automotive entity like that with a small bicycle company. It is great that they gave you the free services. Any dealer that did your work would be paid by Landrover for the work. Ebike dealers do not have the same luxury. Any free services or perks come solely out of their pocket.

I am sure your dealer when asked would be happy to oblige in order to keep a customer happy. Anyone that has any problems with our bikes has it repaired as quickly the supplier system(s) we deal with will allow. They also recieve a complimentary service and clean.

Bicycle technicians, even really good well trained ones, do not make much more than minimum wage. Labour rates in bike shops are a fraction of what Landrover charge. We do,our best to keep our customers happy as well. If the dealer fails, so do we and are out of a job.

You have duff Bosch motor. They have a very good warranty. They are used in a very wide range of brands, not just KTM. Your dealer will deal with your frustration while dealing with the process that is Bosch. It is also out of KTM's hands to help you any quicker. Even if you did bring it to me, the process would be the same. Sorry for being a bit long winded. I hear this kind of complaint quite often as we are thought of as car dealerships and not independant bike shops

 

[KTM Bike Industries UK]

I bought a focus e-mtb last year from austria and within six months the motor failed and i was high and dry because the shipping to send it back was going to cost a fortune.The focus uses the kalkhoff impulse motor and after a phone call to the uk dealer 50c they told me they would replace my motor through the excellent kalkhoff warranty,try getting that service at ANY uk bosch dealer because it is not going to happen.I couldn`t even get a reply from numerous e-mails to bosch dealers about advice how to get rid of a 503 code on the console.

This case has proved that to be incorrect. For some reason this customer doesn't want to take his bike back to the dealer he purchased the bike from. He was however able to take his KTM / Bosch bike back to another KTM / Bosch dealer and they did the warranty work for him.

I think all you have to do is visit the dealer, take doughnuts and be nice, and if there is a genuine reason why you can't use the dealer you bought the bike from and - saying "I bought the bike abroad or from dealer x - because it was loads cheaper!" will not get you support from your local bike dealer.

Should also point out that Bosch have asked this customer to go back to the dealer he bought the bike from.

tv.....BOSCH = NOTHING

So how you can say this.

When you've not even done the first thing they asked. I can't speak for them, but if they dealer who purchased the bike hasn't spoken to Bosch on your behalf, how can you say they've done nothing. You haven't given them a chance have you?

 

[stumpy150]

I emailed Ktm and Bosch, expressing my disatisfaction. BOTH told me to contact my dealer. I took the bike to a BOSCH / KTM official dealer and supplier, who were astonished to have a DU fail on a bike with 488 miles on it.....What difference will it make if they forward my concerns ?
It still the same information.

Are BOSCH / KTM afraid of speaking to an end user ????


As previously stated...my landrover fell to bits - LANDROVER , not the dealer , contacted me directly via their customer services dept and firstly apologised for the inconvenience it caused then they compensated me....

Lots of other manufacturers do the same...

 

[KTM Bike Industries UK]

I emailed Ktm and Bosch, expressing my disatisfaction. BOTH told me to contact my dealer. What difference wil it make if they forward my concerns ?
It still the same information.

Both KTM and Bosch have asked you to go though the correct channels to raise an issue. So that's what you need to do. Once you've spoken to the dealer you'll have an answer, until then you have no idea how Bosch will react.

 

[stumpy150]

Email on its way to both supplier, repairer , KTM and Bosch.

 

[Plasmadaddy]

Out of interest (genuinely) why didn't you get the original dealer to sort out the problem?

Seems to me, from what I understand about eBike warranties, that has to be the first point of call.

I guess if they failed to sort it, forcing you to go elsewhere then you're entitled to some sort of compensation or at least an apology.
If you didn't give them an opportunity (for whatever reason) then your complaint would be invalid.

Of course I could be missing something obvious - wouldn't be the first time!!

 

[Emo Rider]

I emailed Ktm and Bosch, expressing my disatisfaction. BOTH told me to contact my dealer. I took the bike to a BOSCH / KTM official dealer and supplier, who were astonished to have a DU fail on a bike with 488 miles on it.....What difference will it make if they forward my concerns ?
It still the same information.

Are BOSCH / KTM afraid of speaking to an end user ????


As previously stated...my landrover fell to bits - LANDROVER , not the dealer , contacted me directly via their customer services dept and firstly apologised for the inconvenience it caused then they compensated me....

Lots of other manufacturers do the same...

And have you contacted your dealer?

Edit: This post was crossed by line #48

 

[Emo Rider]

I emailed Ktm and Bosch, expressing my disatisfaction. BOTH told me to contact my dealer. I took the bike to a BOSCH / KTM official dealer and supplier, who were astonished to have a DU fail on a bike with 488 miles on it.....What difference will it make if they forward my concerns ?
It still the same information.

Are BOSCH / KTM afraid of speaking to an end user ????


As previously stated...my landrover fell to bits - LANDROVER , not the dealer , contacted me directly via their customer services dept and firstly apologised for the inconvenience it caused then they compensated me....

Lots of other manufacturers do the same...

Again you are still thinking that a bicycle company has the same dealer networking system and resourses as amuti billion dollar automotive entity. Please review my previous post (#44).

 

[KTM Bike Industries UK]

Email on its way to both supplier, repairer , KTM and Bosch.

With the greatest of respect, you are continuing to waste your time and other peoples.

Please just contact the dealer you bought the bike from. THEY will contact Bosch for you, and then something might happen.

 

[EddiePJ]

Stumpy, a straight forward question for you.

How much do you want for the bike?

.

 

[Wander]

The dealer which is undertaking my repair is slightly further away from where I live but considerably nearer than the place I purchased my bikes from ( wife got one too

Did you buy from a UK dealer or was this an import?

 

[stumpy150]

Stumpy, a straight forward question for you.

How much do you want for the bike?

.

Two brass washers and a signed portrait of Des oconnor !!

Seriously - not selling....it's running very well now, and very pleased with the repairs...I have contacted my selling dealer, as advised by FLI in Huddersfield so will keep hold of the bike and just hope my wife's bike, which is just about the same mileage, doesn't end up in the workshop - fingers crossed.....

 

[stumpy150]

Did you buy from a UK dealer or was this an import?

I purchased it from a UK official dealer, repaired at another UK official dealer.

 

[stumpy150]

Out of interest (genuinely) why didn't you get the original dealer to sort out the problem?

Seems to me, from what I understand about eBike warranties, that has to be the first point of call.

I guess if they failed to sort it, forcing you to go elsewhere then you're entitled to some sort of compensation or at least an apology.
If you didn't give them an opportunity (for whatever reason) then your complaint would be invalid.

Of course I could be missing something obvious - wouldn't be the first time!!

My supplying dealer ,North Yorkshire Electric Bikes , is quite a way from my house. He is a great guy and provided a great deal of advice, insight , long test rides, which was a real plus point and ultimately a great price for two bikes we purchased from him but due to the distances to travel back and forth etc and due to work commitments it was easier / quicker to use a dealer nearer home.

 

[soundwave]

no uk dealer can fix the motor or even open it as will void the warranty and is just sent back to bosch for a replacement.


got a washing machine tho and out like a flash to put more crap in it to keep it going round.

and when the warranty does run out bin it and buy another

 

[stumpy150]

no uk dealer can fix the motor or even open it as will void the warranty and is just back to bosch for a replacement.


got a washing machine tho and out like a flash to put more crap in it to keep it going round.

and when the warranty does run out bin it and buy another

Agree - they just took it off the bike and sent it back to Germany - New one supplied by MAGURA, The bosch job sheet , copy given to me by the repairing dealer , highlights this not to open the drive unit or warranty void.

 

[EddiePJ]

Seriously - not selling....it's running very well now, and very pleased with the repairs.

That was the answer that I was hoping for.

I read back through your posts from your profile, and you clearly enjoy the bike, and sometimes you just have to accept things for what they are, and how they have worked out.

The best course of action is just to move on, and concentrate on enjoying the bike.