October 18, 20187 yr Hi All I'm sure this will have come up before so apologies if I sound like a stuck record. I have two ebikes one two years older than the other, both Bosch cx performance line motors with 500w batteries. I can't help but notice the newer bike is much more torquey and the battery, depressingly, lasts significantly longer than the one that has been used heavily now for two years (100 miles a week). My question is: Is this just a sign of the older bike losing it's oomph or would it benefit significantly from a software upgrade. Did I mention both bikes have a speed chip?! The big question is really this one: Will the speed chip be picked up by the software that is used to upgrade the bike? If so, what then? Do I need to remove the speed chip and if I do will it still be picked up that I had one installed? Any insights into what I can expect would be really appreciated.
October 18, 20187 yr If the batteries are interchangeable, have you tried swapping them to see if it's that that's causing the power difference?
October 18, 20187 yr Author Not yet but I'll give it a try. I get the feeling the software update allegedly has increased the torque and battery life of the unit. I'm just hesitant that the speed chip will cause the sirens to go off once the mechanic plugs in the laptop!
October 18, 20187 yr Wait for sager advice before swapping batteries. I don't know if the speed chip will affect anything, but words of wisdom from more knowledgeable folk on here would be welcome.
October 18, 20187 yr remove any dongle b4 you take it to a dealer for a update or they can just refuse to even touch it. batts will give less range over time esp with a dongle why the new batt feels more powerful as had the same when i got my new 500w batt.
October 18, 20187 yr Author Aha - so its the battery no the software that makes the new bike feel like a different beast? In that case I may just keep the old bike as is, less fiddling around in the garden losing bolts in the long grass
October 18, 20187 yr Author Has anyone noticed much of a difference in the Bosch updates generally? Is it so subtle that it isn't work the £20 charge for doing so?
October 18, 20187 yr i have never had my bike updated since new in 2014 no dealer can adjust the power settings so unless there is a new mode like emtb mode ect then not much point tbh.
October 18, 20187 yr Author I can't see why swapping the battery would cause an issue - perhaps worth a try just to see if its the battery and not the software that is making the difference?
October 18, 20187 yr i have a 400w and 500w batt no problems swapping between them but i can feel a difference with the newer batt i have. id say i have lost about 25% range on my old batt over 4 years.
October 18, 20187 yr Author Aha - so it's definitely the battery that is loosing it's power output as well as it's watt hours? If only there was a way to put some life back into the old dog!
October 18, 20187 yr https://bga-reworking.co.uk/ jimmy can recell the bosch batts and you can pick the cells you want and how there connected together. nickle,good copper,better silver,best
October 18, 20187 yr Dongling the bike will make the battery work harder then it was designed for so it's life will suffer. The faster speed will demand more power from the battery.
October 19, 20187 yr Author So in case anyone is interested swapping the batteries did indeed make a difference, more immediate power/torque and predictably more range. I'm now feeling a little shortchanged by Bosch as the 2 year old battery is obviously significantly depleted through weekly use. It hasn't done the guaranteed 1000 cycles so in theory should still be able to pump out the watts. Clearly that's no longer the case. I have always looked after it and took it indoors after a cycle. Interested to hear what everyone else thinks
October 19, 20187 yr Author https://bga-reworking.co.uk/ jimmy can recell the bosch batts and you can pick the cells you want and how there connected together. nickle,good copper,better silver,best This is looks really promising but I'm confused as to what I need to do/order/ask for. Lots of different batteries here. How many do I need? Do I fit them myself or send the battery case any to get them fitted by a professional? I'm hoping it's the latter!
October 19, 20187 yr Author Dongling the bike will make the battery work harder then it was designed for so it's life will suffer. The faster speed will demand more power from the battery. Makes perfect sense now you mention it!
October 19, 20187 yr Jimmy arranges pick up and delivery of your battery, speak to him let him know which generation of Bosch battery you have and he will upgrade it with better cells and more wh for about half the price of a new battery. He will most likely tell which cell though don't worry as he only uses to top cells.
October 19, 20187 yr Author Wow- that is properly amazing! I never knew this service existed although on reflection why the heck not?! Is Jimmy to be found on this forum or do I contact through the website directly? Thanks again guys - I feel enlightened!
October 19, 20187 yr Use this web address link https://ebikebatteries.co.uk/contacts/ Jimmy has three legit tech companies we know of that operate from the same North London modern premises, each in a slightly different tech sector though all are interlinked/crossover with each other. If you phone him make sure you have boiled the kettle and made a cuppa before hand a fantastic bloke, our #1 recommend for battery recell. Just use the search pane for Jimmy or BGA Rework, over two dozen search pages appear on this forum alone. One of the best days out I had was visiting him in person along with my brother.
October 19, 20187 yr Author Haha! Thanks Neal, I'll clear the room and brace myself for an education!
October 19, 20187 yr Haha! Thanks Neal, I'll clear the room and brace myself for an education! You won't be disappointed.
October 19, 20187 yr I'm now feeling a little shortchanged by Bosch as the 2 year old battery is obviously significantly depleted through weekly use. It hasn't done the guaranteed 1000 cycles so in theory should still be able to pump out the watts. Clearly that's no longer the case. I have always looked after it and took it indoors after a cycle. Interested to hear what everyone else thinks The Bosch guarantee is 500 charge cycles, not 1000. You yourself said it had had been 'heavily used'. Batteries are unfortunately consumable items, and the more you use them, the more capacity they will lose, and that happens right from the start.
October 19, 20187 yr Battery cycle life can probably be halved when using a dongle as the speed has to come from somewhere even if fooling the speedo, it doesn't appear out of thin air.
October 19, 20187 yr Author True - I'm going to have to face up to the fact there is no such thing as free power! Yet...
October 19, 20187 yr when you recell the bosch batt its best to keep power to the bms board so it does not loose its settings because if it does then it will brick the hole pack and not turn on. jimmy is the only person in this country that can do this atm and also offer different ways to connect the cells nickle/copper ect but its not a problem as he has a 20 grand spot wielder.
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.