independent e bike technician
- Thread starter stevieb
- Start date
Good rant
but its simply not correct. If you look at eBikes v normal bikes I think you'll find the eBIkes look pretty good value and the dealers actually make less money / margin on eBikes when compared to normal bikes. Everyone is doing everything we can to get these into the UK as cheap as possible. You don't need to spend 4-5 grand to get a good eBike. If you've spent that a good proportion of it is money you've spent because you could, not because you had to.
You could have spent £1k less and had a bike that's just as good and bought a spare battery and had a nice dinner out.
Do you know if Bosch provides actual repair training? Or is it just diagnosis, software updates and replacement process?
Bosch are't the people your dealer will deal with. Bosch sell motors to Bicycle brands and they train retailers.
They supply service companies and distributors with parts, in this country its Magura, I'm not sure who it is in Finland. However your dealer won't deal with Bosch they will deal with the company who is responsible for Bosch in Finland. They might do servicing, your shop might do servicing, or another specialist might do servicing.
D
Deleted member 4366
Guest
Yes, but that's sort of true if you pay £5k for a bicycle. Look what sort of motorbike you can get for £5k!
Since when does giving my honest thoughts become a rant?...if I was to purchase one of your excuisite bikes ..an they really are mouth wateringly good would you be quick enough to diss me then??... dinners on you.Good rant
You don't need to spend 4-5 grand to get a good eBike. If you've spent that a good proportion of it is money you've spent because you could, not because you had to.
You could have spent £1k less and had a bike that's just as good and bought a spare battery and had a nice dinner out.
I wasn't dissing you, and I was complimenting you on the rant, just hopefully correcting you on some points / opinions that weren't quite accurate.
It came across as a rant, because of the subject and style of your posting. I apologise of course, if you're not happy with it being called a rant, no offense meant.
D
Deleted member 4366
Guest
That's a really good point. I've never got the point of that either, when you can get a Casio tough solar waveceptor watch; which is always accurate to the second, never needs winding up, never needs setting, automatically goes forward and back with summer/winter time, is waterproof to 200 m, lights up in the dark and has all sorts of other functions like alarms, stopwatch and international time; for about £100. I never took mine off in 15 years, not in the bath, shower or when I went swimming and snorkelling in the sea.
I just can't understand why anybody would want anything else, other than those with special functions, like smart and fitness watches. It seems to me that those expensive watches have no special functions and you daren't wear it while you go swimming, neither can you wear them while you're welding or angle-grinding or even working on your car.
Might have something to do with vanity..if I could afford it I,d rather have a 10 grand rolex rather than a 10 bob casio weither it tells the correct time or not is besides the point....I,d look cool in front of my friends...oh yes paul..pass the cavier please...your a down in the dirt mans man d8veh...salt of the earth type...if I had a granny I would trust her with you...
mine is made in china worn every day for 2 years and still going and fully automatic like a real one.
https://forum.replica-watch.info/
the shop i bought my bike from did all they could to resolve the problem so i,m not blaming them in any way.
the point is they have not been trained to do as much as i,m sure they would have liked.
i now understand that the policy on warranty motors is just to swap them if they have a problem.(so as not to create any waterproofing issues)
so if a problem occurs after the warranty expires then i,m sure the shop will help as much as they can, but if they don,t have knowledge of what goes on inside then what can they do?
i would imagine that they would follow the same process as before and send the motor back to have it looked at.
if it was me i do not think i would start taking a customers bike to bits if i had not been trained to do it.
that opens up all sorts of liability issues.
so if they send it back are the manufacturers are they going to take it apart
and repair only what is faulty?
or are they going to follow the same process as before and just replace the whole motor?
unfortunately we can only speculate .
if i were to open up the motor myself and take an educated guess that a printed circuit board (if that is what is inside) was the problem would the manufacturer sell me a new one ?
so has anyone had experience of this?
like most people on this site i am always happy to chat to people who have asked about ebikes.
i can always justify them and have convinced a few folks to buy them.
But this is one issue that i,m uncomfortable with.
If this discussion has done nothing other than to let manufacturers know of concerns then it has been worth while.
the point is they have not been trained to do as much as i,m sure they would have liked.
i now understand that the policy on warranty motors is just to swap them if they have a problem.(so as not to create any waterproofing issues)
so if a problem occurs after the warranty expires then i,m sure the shop will help as much as they can, but if they don,t have knowledge of what goes on inside then what can they do?
i would imagine that they would follow the same process as before and send the motor back to have it looked at.
if it was me i do not think i would start taking a customers bike to bits if i had not been trained to do it.
that opens up all sorts of liability issues.
so if they send it back are the manufacturers are they going to take it apart
and repair only what is faulty?
or are they going to follow the same process as before and just replace the whole motor?
unfortunately we can only speculate .
if i were to open up the motor myself and take an educated guess that a printed circuit board (if that is what is inside) was the problem would the manufacturer sell me a new one ?
so has anyone had experience of this?
like most people on this site i am always happy to chat to people who have asked about ebikes.
i can always justify them and have convinced a few folks to buy them.
But this is one issue that i,m uncomfortable with.
If this discussion has done nothing other than to let manufacturers know of concerns then it has been worth while.
if i were to open up the motor myself and take an educated guess that a printed circuit board (if that is what is inside) was the problem would the manufacturer sell me a new one ?
no you have to buy a hole new motor in exchange for the one you have.
no you have to buy a hole new motor in exchange for the one you have.
Firstly, my local dealer doesn't sell Ebikes but has paid to go on a course with Bosch because it is another "string to his bow". He obviously doesn't want to turn customers away with problems out of warranty.
Secondly, I have been selling and repairing mechanical and electrical instruments for 50 years and if something is within warranty then I don't waste my time diagnosing and fixing I just send it back, unless it is something really silly (like not switching it on - yes).
If it is out of warranty I give the customer an option, he can buy a new one or, I will try to repair it but can't guarantee success. When delving into circuitry you can go around in circles for hours only to find it's a part you can't get because the manufacturer won't supply it. That's their prerogative. In the end what's the worse that can happen, you have to replace the whole unit.
If I owned a bike shop I would work on the same principles.
A technician can't be expected to know everything about everything but should be willing to give everything a go. If man made it, he can usually fix it.
Secondly, I have been selling and repairing mechanical and electrical instruments for 50 years and if something is within warranty then I don't waste my time diagnosing and fixing I just send it back, unless it is something really silly (like not switching it on - yes).
If it is out of warranty I give the customer an option, he can buy a new one or, I will try to repair it but can't guarantee success. When delving into circuitry you can go around in circles for hours only to find it's a part you can't get because the manufacturer won't supply it. That's their prerogative. In the end what's the worse that can happen, you have to replace the whole unit.
If I owned a bike shop I would work on the same principles.
A technician can't be expected to know everything about everything but should be willing to give everything a go. If man made it, he can usually fix it.
I've got the virtually the same watch and I share your opinions on expensive watches.
.
Going back to the OP.
I've trawled through 4 pages of posts on this topic and amongst all the generalisations and suppositions I have found nothing to give me any confidence with my own concern.
I live in Truro, Cornwall, and I have two Bosch drive bikes:
First is a Cube ... out of warranty.. but with a new engine replaced because of a failed bearing three weeks before the warranty expired.
Brilliant service by the retailer, albeit a two week wait and the inconvenience of him being over 200 miles away. (At the time my helpful LBS in Truro, who is a Cube dealer couldn't give me a date when the bike I wanted would be available).
Second is a KTM .. sourced from FLi distribution, again a huge distance away, which will be out of warranty next March.
Helpful LBS is not a KTM dealer but is a trained Bosch dealer.
So...MY QUESTION IS SIMPLE AND SPECIFIC.
If the bearings fail on either bike after next March, by which time both bikes are out of warranty, will I :
1) Have to pay a huge amount to have the motor replaced (exchanged) for the sake of a relatively inexpensive bearing?
2) If not, will my helpful LBS Bosch dealer (not the supplier of either bike) be able to repair and replace the defective bearing at a sensible cost?
3) Am I being unreasonable to expect a sensible straightforward categoric answer to this question with over £4000 (at replacement value) of my hard earned cash tied up in these two bikes?
Love the bikes. Wouldn't hesitate to buy the Bosch system again in a heartbeat - BUT I DO HAVE A MAJOR CONCERN.
Thanks
I've trawled through 4 pages of posts on this topic and amongst all the generalisations and suppositions I have found nothing to give me any confidence with my own concern.
I live in Truro, Cornwall, and I have two Bosch drive bikes:
First is a Cube ... out of warranty.. but with a new engine replaced because of a failed bearing three weeks before the warranty expired.
Brilliant service by the retailer, albeit a two week wait and the inconvenience of him being over 200 miles away. (At the time my helpful LBS in Truro, who is a Cube dealer couldn't give me a date when the bike I wanted would be available).
Second is a KTM .. sourced from FLi distribution, again a huge distance away, which will be out of warranty next March.
Helpful LBS is not a KTM dealer but is a trained Bosch dealer.
So...MY QUESTION IS SIMPLE AND SPECIFIC.
If the bearings fail on either bike after next March, by which time both bikes are out of warranty, will I :
1) Have to pay a huge amount to have the motor replaced (exchanged) for the sake of a relatively inexpensive bearing?
2) If not, will my helpful LBS Bosch dealer (not the supplier of either bike) be able to repair and replace the defective bearing at a sensible cost?
3) Am I being unreasonable to expect a sensible straightforward categoric answer to this question with over £4000 (at replacement value) of my hard earned cash tied up in these two bikes?
Love the bikes. Wouldn't hesitate to buy the Bosch system again in a heartbeat - BUT I DO HAVE A MAJOR CONCERN.
Thanks
Replacing the bearing is a VERY simple job that any competent bike shop should be able to do. I know a good number of eBike riders who do it themselves to save bothering the shop. Its just a bearing.
Is that a simple enough answer?
As has been said above very clearly, the only reason shops don't do it when its within warranty, is because its covered by warranty and opening them up voids the warranty. Once the warranty is out anyway, its an easy job that can be done by anyone.
From what I understand replacing bearing means dismantling motor. A your staff Bosch trained to dismantle motor.
The alternative is to remove motor(straight forward job) and send it to local Bosch agent. Will they change bearings for nominal fee or exchange motor for few hundred $.
The alternative is to remove motor(straight forward job) and send it to local Bosch agent. Will they change bearings for nominal fee or exchange motor for few hundred $.
Related Articles
-
MTF Enterprises announces acquisition of EMU Electric Bikes- Started by: Pedelecs
-
Wisper 806T folding bike wins Which? ‘Best Buy’- Started by: Pedelecs
-
Sustrans calls for protected cycle lanes- Started by: Pedelecs
-
Amazon launch their first UK e-cargo micromobility hub- Started by: Pedelecs
