2017 Haibike Urban Plus issues & Replacement Part Specifications

[michaelwoodcock]

Hey guys, I'm having a few issues with the bike and they're not really relevant to some other bikes in the Haibike lineup due to motor & other differences

Recently, I had the rear cassette come loose! This caused massive shiftin problems. I didn't have the special tool to fix this, so I went to my LBS, and they added a cassette spacer and adjusted everything but the chain skips in the highest gear under power. They didn't know how to turn it on during the test ride and it woudn't skip under pedal power alone.

After very careful observation I noted that the chain is either stretched or damaged. At certain spots it will hit the teeth on the gear, and jump. So I think I need a new chain. I don't have access to any specifications and I am very curious what was the length of the original chain, and who has had luck with aftermarket chains for e bikes?

Also other issues I have: Right crank arm got bent in a minor fall, I'm trying Shimano Steps Crank Arms as a replacement.
Rear wheen spokes coming loose, check these regularly!
Motor bolts came loose enough (still appeared tight) that the crank arms would actually move the motor in the frame. I had to take off the motor cover and tighten the nuts on the other side to get it tight enough.

 

[michaelwoodcock]

ok just removed chain and counted link by link it's a 120 link chain if I counted correctly

 

[eoghan]

Sounds like the normal wear and tear you get with any bike and especially with ebikes due to the stronger forces involved. I have replaced my rear cassette twice (maybe 3 times) two derailleurs and I've probably gone through 4 chains and I just replaced the front cog. Thats after 5.5K miles riding most days and I live up a very steep hill, and I always use turbo. The chain replacements I have gotten are much longer then needed, links have to be removed and are based on the number of gears in the cassette.

 

[michaelwoodcock]

yeah that makes sense. I'm having gear shift issues, I've ordered the Shimano E bike specific chain in 136 links and I'll have to break that down to size. I should note that I adjusted the shift sensor, previously it was way to sensitive and would cut power over bumps when the rear derailer moved, and now it's not sensitive enough which is probably jolting the whole drive train a little causing extra wear. It's really bad if I shift multiple gears. If I shift one at a time it's usually very crisp, and actually enjoyable. I'm going to adjust it to between where it is now and where it was. Hopefully it'll be an acceptable compromise.

 

[nublar]

To prolong the life of your chain and derailer, avoid shifting under load and keep it lubed and tuned. I habitually stop pedaling to shift now. And I sometimes shift up to two gears the the derailer catches up.

 

[michaelwoodcock]

you can replace the crank arms with Shimano Steps units to save some weight (in my case I bent a stock crank arm)

 

[wannabikemore]

I don't have an "issue" per se but want to know how to take good care of my Haibike UP while commuting in a cold climate. I don't have copious prior bike maintenance experience--just lubing the chain and inflating and replacing tires. On my Haibike, which I've ridden since June, I did minor initial assembly and have had to readjust and retighten the handlebars. I should probably be doing more.

What is the most important regular maintenance, especially ebike-specific maintenance? How can I prolong the bike's life?

Here's what I'm doing:

1. I try to pedal at a high cadence and don't shift gears much. I normally ride at level 3. I realize riding at a lower level would be better, but I need to get to work in a reasonable time without sweat.
2. My commute is 16 mi RT and takes ~25 min each way. It is now regularly below freezing when I ride. Is this bad for the battery? I normally charge my bike at work, and I wonder (but still have to confirm) that the battery reading jumps around as the battery cools and warms. My bike is stored in a heated garage and in my office when not outside. I doubt I will be riding <20 F.
3. I keep the tires inflated at their upper limit.
4. I bought one of those timers that plugs into the wall and cuts the power after some duration I specify. I did this to keep the max charge <90%. I think the timer is broken, or else I've really not gotten a sense of how long it takes to charge, because it regularly jumps to 99%. I generally recharge when it's <45%, which unfortunately is only about one RT.

I'm a little worried the battery is fading too fast. Recently it cut me off when I had something like 25% left, and when I had barely completed one RT commute. (It's possible I started that commute with only 85% charge or something.)

Also, these things should have heated grips. I am seriously tempted to jerry-rig something.

Last one: Once I tried to ride this thing home when my phone had completely lost its charge. Despite being plugged into the COBI mount with full battery, it wouldn't charge at all, and I had to pedal home totally unassisted. Is that how it's supposed to work? I had thought I'd be able to operate the bike in a pinch w/o a working phone, but obviously never bothered to research.