June 11, 20205 yr Hello there... Thanks for adding me to the community. I've just bought a Trek Allant+ 8 with a Bosch Performance Line CX motor. The bike is lovely, but the motor makes a really loud whine, a bit like a milk float. Particularly bad at my normal cycling cadence of about 90 rpm. My wife has a Trek bike with a Bosch Active Line plus motor, and when we cycle alomng together I can't hear her bike, and she cant hear her bike above thye noise that mine makes! It doesn't matter which mode I am in, from eco to turbo, the noise is pretty much the same. The only time it is quiet is when I switch the motor off (or go above 15mph) Is this noise normal? Does anyone have experience of the performance line CX motor? Many thanks Cheers, John
June 12, 20205 yr That sort of noise would normally indicate that the motor revs are too low, but at the cadence you state.......? As Neal says, take it back, 'snot right.
June 12, 20205 yr I think I would also do what the others have suggested and take it back to have it checked over. How much louder is it than the Active Line motor? The reason I ask is because I have two e-bikes one with the CX motor and one with the Active Line motor and there is a big difference in the sound produced by each motor. Like you my cadence tends to be around the 90 rpm level, and I would say the CX motor produces more the twice the sound than the Active line motor.
June 12, 20205 yr Author Thanks, that's really helpful. I am taking the bike back this morning, but I have a growing suspicion that the noise is normal. I would describe the active line plus motor as a gentle hum, not particularly noticeable. But the CX motor is a sort of 'look out here I come' penetrating whine. I'm hoping my LBS man (good guy) will be familiar enough with the different motors to be able to tell whether it is normal or not. If it is normal, had I known how loud it is, I wouldnt have bought this bike. As it is, I guess I'll just have to get used to it. Either way, by taking it back, at least I should know for sure! One other thing. Your CX bike - does it make a noise when you push it backwards? A bit like the whine but very toned down? Mine does. No noise when pushing it forwards, but definite sound when pushing backwards. Weird.
June 12, 20205 yr Author Thanks also to the other posters, appreciated - yes I am taking the bike back because it sounds wriong to me. But I had a suspicion that the noise might be 'normal', hence my post. These things are subjective of course, which makes it tricky. Good to find a decent ebike forum. I was following a couple of ebike groups on facebook, but all the posts were about kits and de-restriction.
June 12, 20205 yr One other thing. Your CX bike - does it make a noise when you push it backwards? A bit like the whine but very toned down? Mine does. No noise when pushing it forwards, but definite sound when pushing backwards. Weird. I haven't noticed this so I don't think it does. I will check it out later today and let you know if it does make a noise and I just haven't been aware of it.
June 12, 20205 yr Author Hiya Nev... Took it into LBS this morning. I mentioned thebackwards noise & he pointed out that when push forwards, pedals dont move - but when push backwards pedals do move ie drive engaged. Hence slight noise. He is going to ride it himself before doing diagnostics Cheers, John Edited June 12, 20205 yr by Old Fart At Play
June 12, 20205 yr Author Audio2 - I assume it is the 2020. I ordered it in February and it arrived a week ago. It is the 75nm one with 625 powertube battery. It is quite small! Edited June 12, 20205 yr by Old Fart At Play
June 12, 20205 yr Hiya Nev... Took it into LBS this morning. I mentioned thebackwards noise & he pointed out that when push forwards, pedals dont move - but when push backwards pedals do move ie drive engaged. Hence slight noise. Yes that's how I usually oil my chain. I put a bit of oil on the chain and then wheel the bike backwards then put a bit more on and then wheel it back a bit more. It doesn't really make any more noise going backwards than going forwards though at least I cant hear much difference (my hearing not as good as it used to be though). In fact mine makes more noise going forward than backwards due to the sound the free wheels system makes, a sort of ticking sound. Let us know if the bike shop manage to find something wrong, there are always going to be the odd faulty motors out there and perhaps you are one of the unlucky ones that has ended up with one.
June 12, 20205 yr Author artstu -mine looks like this: [ATTACH type=full" alt="36079]36079[/ATTACH] my ortlieb panniers fit perfectly on that rack! Bought it as a tourer - very rarely amongst ebikes it has rigid alloy forks, so I can fit front panniers too
June 12, 20205 yr Author Nev - that's interesting. Also never thought of lubing chain that way, sounds good! Will post when I hear from LBS. It is a shame about the noise, because apart from that, I really love it!
June 12, 20205 yr It seems that there can be variation in the same unit without there being anything identifiably wrong with the motor. See this thread about the older version of the motor in which one of two motors is also identified as sounding like a milk float: https://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/bosch-performance-line-noise.34207/
June 12, 20205 yr artstu -mine looks like this: [ATTACH=full]36079[/ATTACH] my ortlieb panniers fit perfectly on that rack! Bought it as a tourer - very rarely amongst ebikes it has rigid alloy forks, so I can fit front panniers too I can't see the attachment sorry.
June 12, 20205 yr Author Tartiflette - that's interesting, thanks. It will be interesting to see what happens next - nice to know that contacting Bosch direct is an option, though I can't imagine my LBS guy fobbing me off if there is a problem.
June 12, 20205 yr Author Dont know what I did wrong with last image post, I'll try again! Wow, it put the image in twice, sorry folks
June 12, 20205 yr Dont know what I did wrong with last image post, I'll try again! Wow, it put the image in twice, sorry folks [ATTACH type=full" alt="36089]36089[/ATTACH][ATTACH type=full" alt="1591972724104.png]36089[/ATTACH] That's a really nice looking bike. Manufacturers and making e-bikes ever more stealthy looking. In a few more years it maybe impossible to tell if a bike is conventional or an e-bike. Looking at the bike, what made you buy one with a CX motor? I use my CX equipped bike to go off road up mountains, but this bike I think is not intended for that. So I wonder why you didn't buy something like that above with the Active Line motor.
June 12, 20205 yr All the time a crank motor looks like a brick bolted on they will be easy to spot as will the enlarged battery frame tube.
June 13, 20205 yr Author Hiya Nev... The bike chose itself in a way. Fully-loaded cycle touring is my thing, so I've ridden a steel-framed drop-handlebar tourer with front and rear panniers for many years. Over the last coiple of years though. I noticed that I was planning routes that avoided hills - eg tours of Netherlands, Belgium, Burgundy. Last year we got my wife an ebike and she let me have a go - the uphill experience was a revelation. So I wanted to get an ebike too, but in my case I needed one that could take all 4 panniers. That means a rigid non-carbon fork. I know you can mount panniers on forks with suspension, but it isn't great. I started looking, and couldn't believe that almost every ebike I looked at had front suspension! In the end I could only find 2 bikes (back in February) that were suitable for fully laden touring - this bike, and the Koga e-world traveller. I went for this one rather than the Koga because the Koga was a bit too much like my steel tourer; plus my local bike shop is a Trek/bosch dealer and if at all possible I wanted to buy from him. The motor wasn't a significant factor; I certainly didnt expect it to be noisier than my wife's, which I was happy with. The rear rack takes my rear Ortliebs perfectly, and the front forks have bosses for front pannier rack, so this bike should suit my touring needs very well. Now that I have the bike, I understand that it is based on an MTB, but with smooth tyres and no suspension - so I guess it is an oddball. I love it though! Cheers, John
June 16, 20205 yr I just bought a bosch performance. Was advised it is quite a bit quieter than the kathmandu's cx motor. Just sayin.. it might be performing as it should.
June 17, 20205 yr Author I just bought a bosch performance. Was advised it is quite a bit quieter than the kathmandu's cx motor. Just sayin.. it might be performing as it should. Sorry, a bit puzzled by your post! Were you advised that the performance CX was queit? How noisy do you find yours? Ta Cheers, John
June 19, 20205 yr Author Update. Took the bike back to LBS last Friday. He tried it out and, in an inspired move, recorded the noise on his phone (dont know how he managed that while riding!). Diagnostics showed nothing of course. Then he got on to Bosch. At first they were a bit 'it is a more powerful motor, it is bound to be noisier' but then he played the recording. They asked him to send them the recording and a claim. Yesterday he heard from them - they are sending a new motor out. So a big thumbs up to Bosch and my LBS there. The motor should arrive next week, but I dont know when I will get the bike back as he is working flat out at the minute. I'll let you know the outcome. Interesting to observe how much I am missing my ebike, even though I had only had it for a week! Cheers, John
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