eBike reliability

[scottg]

the chances of anyone actually being able to properly look after a motor are slim to none!

That's enough reason on it's own to dismiss any possibility of getting an eBike.

If you can take a Sturmey AM or FM hub to bits, you can take an Bosch motor
to the point where you can service it, just don't spill your tea in it.
If you can avoid snaffling one those two piece indicator rods,
you can handle the electrical connections in a Bosch motor.

[axel_knutt]

the chances of anyone actually being able to properly look after a motor are slim to none!

That's enough reason on it's own to dismiss any possibility of getting an eBike.

If you can take a Sturmey AM or FM hub to bits, you can take an Bosch motor
to the point where you can service it, just don't spill your tea in it.
If you can avoid snaffling one those two piece indicator rods,
you can handle the electrical connections in a Bosch motor.

But can you get the spares and service sheets, and do you have the test gear to find the fault with.

[Saissac]

I. Must admit, I just wouldn't have the guts to dismantle a Bosch motor. I'm bad enough with a bottom bracket!

[Paulatic]

Lack of servicing a Bosch can be costly.

Mapdec. https://youtube.com/watch?v=2As4Lqqh7KQ ... PRw56rzsOO

So that raises the question, when is it appropriate to get the motor serviced?
(Before it goes wrong I guess).

My Bosch motor has done 14000 miles (just short by a few miles edit, and about 5-6 years old). I haven't had it serviced. It isn't giving any trouble yet. Should I let the bike shop have a look at it?

According to https://www.bosch-ebike.com/en/help-cen ... -asf-00318
they say

Only specialist bicycle retailers can set a service interval.

[Vantage]

I've no experience with off the shelf ebikes or bosch etc motors but I've just last week stripped and rebuilt my bafang BBS02 motor.
It needed new bearings having overtightened it. New gaskets were also fitted and the entire motor was nearly stripped right back to it's individual components and regreased. From googling the parts I needed, I noticed that virtually every component within the motor is replaceable. The displays and obviously battery are also replaceable or upgradeable if so wished.

[Carlton green]

I've no experience with off the shelf ebikes or bosch etc motors but I've just last week stripped and rebuilt my bafang BBS02 motor.
It needed new bearings having overtightened it. New gaskets were also fitted and the entire motor was nearly stripped right back to its individual components and regreased. From googling the parts I needed, I noticed that virtually every component within the motor is replaceable. The displays and obviously battery are also replaceable or upgradeable if so wished.

On two counts I’m glad that you’ve posted to this thread.

First IIRC you had felt limited by the minimum chainwheel size available for your motor. By chance I discovered that aftermarket parts allow you to change your chainwheel to something smaller which should give you a small but handy increase in torque.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from ... l&_sacat=0

Second your philosophy of building from parts and not allowing the likes of Bosch to control your actions is a good example of what might be possible for others to copy.

[Vantage]

On two counts I’m glad that you’ve posted to this thread.

First IIRC you had felt limited by the minimum chainwheel size available for your motor. By chance I discovered that aftermarket parts allow you to change your chainwheel to something smaller which should give you a small but handy increase in torque.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from ... l&_sacat=0

Second your philosophy of building from parts and not allowing the likes of Bosch to control your actions is a good example of what might be possible for others to copy.

Ah the chainwheel. I had one of those. Whether it's because the alloy used was a particularly soft grade or the motors power simply wore it out I'm not certain, but the teeth were very worn to within a whisker of their useability in less than about 600 mostly dry miles/6 months.
The supplied steel chainring is showing no real signs of wear after a similar time frame but I think the mileage has dropped quite a bit.
We're still stuck with paying ridiculous prices for dinner plate sized cassettes and their required derailleurs.

[scottg]

But can you get the spares and service sheets, and do you have the test gear to find the fault with.

Depends on your bike shop, where I am, getting the service docs and ordering bits is not
an issue, you are in GB where that sort of thing was banned by Charles II, iirc.

[Carlton green]

Ah the chainwheel. I had one of those. Whether it's because the alloy used was a particularly soft grade or the motors power simply wore it out I'm not certain, but the teeth were very worn to within a whisker of their useability in less than about 600 mostly dry miles/6 months.
The supplied steel chainring is showing no real signs of wear after a similar time frame but I think the mileage has dropped quite a bit.
We're still stuck with paying ridiculous prices for dinner plate sized cassettes and their required derailleurs.

Alloy is a bit variable but adapter plates are also available so you might be able to cobble together something that’s a bit more resilient. Just an idea and maybe you’re handy with drills and files, etc., to make something fit and work.
Edit (to expand the above concept). Perhaps a steel ring could be salvaged from a mountain bike chain-set and be altered to fit the adapter, and maybe an original chainwheel could be reworked to form an adapter for other (alloy or steel) chainwheels available to you.

[Vantage]

Not something I'm capable of or equipped to do. BCD's aren't really the problem with the bafang setup. It's the chainrings dish. The ring is like a dinner plate where the rim is set back from the face so that it effectively cups the motor. Using a standard flat chainring would likely only work on a single speed or internal geared hub. The chain line is royally messed up otherwise.

[simonhill]

Given the biggest cause of house fires in London is e-bikes and e-scooters while charging I wonder if insurance companies may turn their attention to the maintenance of them.

DiY repairs by an unqualified person could possibly affect liability.

[Brucey]

Not something I'm capable of or equipped to do. BCD's aren't really the problem with the bafang setup. It's the chainrings dish. The ring is like a dinner plate where the rim is set back from the face so that it effectively cups the motor. Using a standard flat chainring would likely only work on a single speed or internal geared hub. The chain line is royally messed up otherwise.

I wonder, could it be possible to modify a bafang ring so that it became a carrier for a (possibly slightly larger) flat chainring?

[Vantage]

Not entirely sure what you mean brucey but bafang do ring sizes of 44, 46, 48 and I think...54.
Do you mean stripping the teeth off of a flat ring and welding them to the bafang ring?

[Brucey]

no, I mean taking a (possibly worn) bafang chainring and turning that into a 'spider' for larger/larger BCD flat chainrings. Even if this won't work unless you use a non-standardly large BCD it should be possible to modify chainrings to fit using little more than a set of verniers, a drill and a saw.

[Carlton green]

Not something I'm capable of or equipped to do. BCD's aren't really the problem with the bafang setup. It's the chainrings dish. The ring is like a dinner plate where the rim is set back from the face so that it effectively cups the motor. Using a standard flat chainring would likely only work on a single speed or internal geared hub. The chain line is royally messed up otherwise.

I suspect that you’d be pleasantly surprised at what you might manage.

The (adverse) effect of chainring dish had escaped me and it does limit what’s practical for you. EBay is full of alternative rings but none have the cup that you feel you need for your particular bike and gears.