Which bike ahhh? :)

[Bikesman]

Hi there, I am new to this site and would really appreciate some advice as I am going round in circles. I am looking for a decent quality eBike I would like to commute but want a good mountain bike that I could enjoy cross country/ some relatively rough trails. I have tried out Haibike xduro amt pro lovely bike lovely new Bosch system fit me well but out of my price range I tried the scott e-aspect 710 and this was way to tall and firm I also tried bh emotion neo 29er which I loved perfect size and loved the umphhh of the system . I really like the torque from bh emotion neo range however I did want the bis he system as I would like the de restriction dongle for those off road climbs? I have seen there is a new ktm macina force out that I am considering but am worried it would be similar size and ride of the scott e-aspect also like the look of haibike xduro hard seven so but this uses Yamaha which accepts a dongle but I have herd is inferior to Bosch so also like hard seven rc which uses Bosch but nearly £1k more expensive I really am confused I just need a good all mountain which I can lift the seat high to commute and drop the seat real low so it doesn't get in the way when I'm trailing/jumping etc. I am 5'7" weigh about 12stone would like to spend under £2k but could push up to £2600 for the right bike. Sorry to boor you all to death but any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Martin@e-bikeshop]

Hi Bikesman,

Just to clarify the 'xDuro' HardSeven uses the Bosch system. Its the 'sDuro' Hardseven that uses the Yamaha system.

Why not look at the hardseven here?

It fits within your budget, we are able to 'dongle' it and it also available in a range of sizes to suit.

I will be doing a full side by side Bosch v Yamaha comparison shortly as I have ridden both so would like to save myself over an hour a day on the phone.

The Yamaha and Bosch each have their own benefits.

Better still you could pay us a visit and ride them side by side and make your own decision?

Regards
Martin

 

[derf]

Hi there, I am new to this site and would really appreciate some advice as I am going round in circles. I am looking for a decent quality eBike I would like to commute but want a good mountain bike that I could enjoy cross country/ some relatively rough trails. I have tried out Haibike xduro amt pro lovely bike lovely new Bosch system fit me well but out of my price range I tried the scott e-aspect 710 and this was way to tall and firm I also tried bh emotion neo 29er which I loved perfect size and loved the umphhh of the system . I really like the torque from bh emotion neo range however I did want the bis he system as I would like the de restriction dongle for those off road climbs? I have seen there is a new ktm macina force out that I am considering but am worried it would be similar size and ride of the scott e-aspect also like the look of haibike xduro hard seven so but this uses Yamaha which accepts a dongle but I have herd is inferior to Bosch so also like hard seven rc which uses Bosch but nearly £1k more expensive I really am confused I just need a good all mountain which I can lift the seat high to commute and drop the seat real low so it doesn't get in the way when I'm trailing/jumping etc. I am 5'7" weigh about 12stone would like to spend under £2k but could push up to £2600 for the right bike. Sorry to boor you all to death but any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks

having bought a few pedelecs and having had to tweak them, I would if I had to do it all over bite the (expensive) bullet and buy a kalkhoff endeavour - it's just in your budget and the thing about kalkhoff (other than very high quality) is that they're also very good bicycles in themselves - when I use my OH'S I use the electrics less and less, its so good to ride in itself..

 

[Deleted member 4366]

You're very lucky. Oxygen have just brought out their new MTB that does everything that you want. It has a powerful, high-torque motor. It's pretty easy to derestrict it. It has 27.5" wheels, hydraulic brakes, decent gears and other stuff. I've heard that they're selling very quickly, so don't dally too long.

http://www.oxygenbicycles.com/e-bikes/e-mate-mtb-13ah

There's also Kudos bikes, that are a bit cheaper, though less range.

https://www.kudoscycles.com/product_info.php?cPath=1&products_id=328

 

[mfj197]

I really like the torque from bh emotion neo range however I did want the bis he system as I would like the de restriction dongle for those off road climbs?

Of note is that derestricting a bike wouldn't affect the climbing performance. It only alters the cutoff speed, or removes the cutoff restriction altogether.

Michael

Edit: Unless you're climbing at more than 15.5mph that is!

 

[Bikesman]

Thanks everyone for your speedy useful advice,

Martin, look forward to hearing your diffrences between the Bosch and Yamaha would as i said i have road the bosch was very good but limited to much for me i like torque also does the dongle affect the manufactures warranty at all? I am in the midlands so if i was to purchase bike off you would be difficult to get bike back to you logistic wise however you do offer great deals and look very comprehensive!

Cheers

 

[Bikesman]

Hi Derf, thanks for your reply i have herd of the the kalkhoff endeavour all good things however this bike leans towards touring and cross to much for me i need something more ruged to handel harsher terrain.

Thanks anyway

 

[Deleted member 4366]

If you can get to Redbridge (Romford) on Sunday afternoon, there will be an Oxygen MTB there to try.

 

[Bikesman]

D8veh thanks for your advice the oxygen looks like the kind of thing im looking at do you know how or who de-restricts also do you recon the quality is there?

 

[Deleted member 4366]

It's a very good bike. It won the World Championships in Bristol. You can derestrict it through secret settings in the LCD, which I can give you. It takes about 20 seconds to set the speed limit to anything you want, though the motor only gives power up to about 27 mph. Oxygen have a fairly wide dealer network, but I don't think many have the MTB in stock. Best to get one direct from South Yorkshire Electric Bike Centre. They're the importer. Surprisingly, I can't see it listed on their website. It's about £1700. I can't think of anything that can match it for the price.

http://www.syebc.co.uk/

 

[EddiePJ]

Speaking from my own personal experience, I wouldn't touch BH with a barge pole.

The Oxygen looks nice Dave, but for me the cable routing is very cluttered looking. The Haibike scores well with that one.

Take a better look at the whole KTM range, and if Full suspension isn't a priority, this KTM represents superb value for money. http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/is-this-the-best-value-new-bike-release-soon.18677/

As has already been said, you also won't need a dongle for off road climbs.

 

[Bikesman]

Hi Eddie why do you not like BH stuff? Also i would definitely need the dongle for some trails i have in mind would be one of the only reason I go for a Bosch system.

 

[Bikesman]

Also can anyone tell me if the dongle puts the bike out of warranty i have heard different things from different people??

 

[EddiePJ]

of use

Hi Eddie why do you not like BH stuff? Also i would definitely need the dongle for some trails i have in mind would be one of the only reason I go for a Bosch system.

• Forks corroded within months, and BH failed to replace them under warranty. I'm still out of pocket over that one.
• Various electrical issues, some of which BH have blamed me for. With the exception of one wire, I blame BH for poor assembly of the product to begin with. Especially as error codes were flashing up from day one and within 1.5miles of use.
• I'm now on my third motor.
• Battery and now charger have been replaced. The new battery is only giving between 8-12miles of range in ECO mode. Had I not contacted Spains MD directly, I feel that I'd still be waiting for the battery to arrive.
• Paintwork has peeled.
• Frame lugs spin.
• BH UK are refusing to answer one simple question in relation to regen. They have now been asked three times to answer this question, once on here, once by email, and once by my supplying dealer. I'm not going to give up on this one, and will taking a different course of action to get it answered.
• In my year of ownership, I've probably only had seven months of use from the bike. Luckily I haven't had the spoke issues that some on here have had, especially as it appears to be an issue for some that has never been resolved.

To be fair to BH Spain, they did offer to take the bike back to Spain and rebuild it, but more fool me, I let BH UK 'try' to fix it. I'm certainly left feeling that without Spain's intervention, nothing at all would have been resolved.
Have BH UK offered to meet the costs of my front forks, no. Have they offered to pay for my countless trips to the supplying dealer, no. Have they apologized for my hassle, no. Have they offered to swap the new battery for an upgraded one, no. Have they offered to extend the warranty to compensate for the months without use, no. Have they offered a replacement bike, no. Customer satisfaction is certainly not at the top of BH UK's list of priorities, and am I a happy customer, NO!

Riding a bike and wondering when it'll break down on you next, and whether you will even get home on it after each ride, is no fun.
I'd say that I have been more than unlucky, and I'd leave it up to others to decide if I have been, or whether it is simply a reflection of the quality of the product. As for BH as a company to deal with.... If you buy one and have issues, good luck trying to get it sorted. They don't even have demo/courtesy bikes that you could use whilst the months pass by.
If I wouldn't be so out of pocket with the bike, I'd quite happily put it in a crusher and wave it goodbye. My conscience would certainly never let me sell it on to anyone, so sadly I'm stuck with it and all that I can do is to voice my negative opinion of 'The BH Experience'!!

A little light reading for you. http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/how-many-people-are-using-there-e-bike-off-road.15780/page-12#post-226174

With that out of the way and with me now chilled and breathing again, what makes you think that you need a dongle?

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Concerning the question about regen, I also tried very hard to get an answer. Finally I got this, which is, of course, a load of ball cocks because it's impossible with a geared motor unless you roll it backwards down a hill:

"Dave

I answered your email on 7/1 as follows:


Dave

My understanding is that regeneration gives you about 5% extra battery life.
Not significant either really. But still better than the 0.1% you mention.
We do not claim more.

If you want to get into technical discussion the technical department at BH in Spain may be able to help.


Ian

Ian Mitchell-Innes

MAXTRACK
New Rock, Kempley Road, Dymock, Gloucestershire GL18 2BB England (U.K)
Tel: 01531-890955 (International (44)-1531-890955) Fax: 01531-890950 (International (44)-1531-890950)
MAXTRACK - European Action Sports Distributors: - www.maxtrack.com - Info@Maxtrack.com "

 

[EddiePJ]

Thanks for that Dave. I actually had an open admission from someone from Maxtrack to say that there is no regen. This was admitted in a face to face conversation that I had when they were selling off their stock of ex demo bikes.

I'll leave it there for now to save derailing the thread even further.

 

[Bikesman]

EddieP J

I was so tempted to just forget about haibike and go for a bh 29er today as I love the ride so much and the good reviews on-line however after reading your comment I don't think so anymore you are very unlucky probably just had a problem bike but wouldn't like to take a chance I always had the impression BH were a top Spanish company in the bike manufacturing world. I am going to have to re-consider haibike with a Bosch or possibly Yamaha motor. I want the dongle as I don't like the lag feeling watch you hit 15.5mph I feel like I would like the assistance to carry on to. Higher speed when on cross country etc.... I still haven't found out if it affects the warranty though if someone could tell me.

 

[Wander]

I genuinely don't feel the 'lag' on my Haibike when riding it without the dongle.

What I find happens is that the bike assists you to getting to 15 mph then you easily pedal above that & have to look down at the display before you realise that the motor isn't assisting any more.

Don't get me wrong I do have a dongle & at times wouldn't be without it however I often ride the bike without it plugged in when I'm trying to exercise more.

Back to build quality I spent some considerable time at the NEC show last year. I knew little about electric bikes then however I was astounded at the huge variations in quality. I now ride a Haibike!

 

[Bikesman]

I genuinely don't feel the 'lag' on my Haibike when riding it without the dongle.

What I find happens is that the bike assists you to getting to 15 mph then you easily pedal above that & have to look down at the display before you realise that the motor isn't assisting any more.

Don't get me wrong I do have a dongle & at times wouldn't be without it however I often ride the bike without it plugged in when I'm trying to exercise more.

Back to build quality I spent some considerable time at the NEC show last year. I knew little about electric bikes then however I was astounded at the huge variations in quality. I now ride a Haibike!

I do think you can't get much better then haibike I would love a full sus but out of my price bracket. Where did you purchase your bike also where did you you purchase the dongle and any clues on how it affects your warrenty?

 

[Wander]

Where did you purchase your bike also where did you you purchase the dongle and any clues on how it affects your warrenty?

Both came from Martin (post 2 above), Genuinely believe that there's no one more knowledgeable than him in the UK when it comes to Haibikes. He handles any warranty issues so I've never even worried about it being an issue. Probably a good idea to give him a ring.