17,000km in and thinking about ROI

[sammcneill]

Hi All,

feels like this forum has been pretty quiet over the last 6months or so.

I've been thinking about the ROI on my Supercharger 2 as I've just ticked over 17,000km at the 5.5yr mark (I didn't ride it for nearly 9 months after wrecking my knee and multiple surgeries, and it also competes for riding time with four other bikes I own).
That said, at NZD$10,000 the "cost per km" in a crude calculation is still relatively high at $1.70 - now there has been maintenance, replacement of small parts here and there etc so the real cost is of course higher.

I've been thinking about this due to a comment in another post related to "high" km on a 2nd hand bike (think it was around 32,000km...) - I did a Grok AI query/search around typical lifespan of a Bosch Speedline motor and got the following:

from real-world user reports, forum discussions (e.g., Electric Bike Review, Pedelecs, Reddit), and e-bike service insights:

• Many Bosch motors (across Performance Line family, including Speed variants) commonly last 10,000–30,000 km (about 6,000–18,000+ miles) or more with good care.
• A rough average for typical use often falls in the 15,000–25,000 km range (9,000–15,000 miles), or 5–10 years depending on annual mileage.
• Some users report 20,000–50,000+ km (12,000–30,000+ miles) without major issues, especially if kept dry and not abused (e.g., one service center claims sealed Bosch motors can exceed 80,000 km / 50,000 miles in ideal conditions).

so at 17,000km I'm sort of in the midlde of the typical lifespan, so on average, could reasonably expect a failure at some point....In terms of replacing the motor, Grok suggested:

Is It Economical?​

It often is economical compared to buying a whole new eBike, especially if:

• Your bike is relatively new or mid-life (e.g., 3–7 years old).
• The frame, battery (if still good), wheels, and other components are high-quality and worth keeping.
• You're attached to the bike's geometry, fit, or features.

Typical costs (based on recent real-world reports, mostly USD but similar in NZD after conversion/taxes):

• Motor itself: Around NZ$1,200–2,000 (roughly $800–1,300 USD equivalent) for a Performance Line Speed or similar CX/Speed variant. Some aftermarket or refurbished options on sites like eBay can be lower, but official ones ensure compatibility and warranty.
• Labor/installation: NZ$300–600 (or $200–400 USD), depending on the shop and any programming/diagnostics needed.
• Total: Often NZ$1,500–2,800 all-in for an out-of-warranty replacement.

Which raises interesting questions on ROI in terms of "cost per km" Whilst the rest of the bike is in pretty good condition if I had to replace the motor tomorrow I think I'd still feel a bit aggrieved that I "only" got 17,000km out of it...

has anyone been through a motor replacement out of "normal usage wear and tear" vs a warranty failure? At what point did it fail?

Has anyone else done thinking about what they feel is a good "cost per km" in their mind?

Cheers!
Sam

 

[Gionnirocket]

I wish I had time for this but I'm too busy weighing the raw ingredients of my meals and then my feces to calculate my nutritional ROI.