Known Issues & Problems with Momentum Products + Help, Solutions, & Fixes

[mitchhackleman]

No ebike is perfect, this is a thread dedicated to sharing known issues or problems with electric bikes from Momentum as well as any help and solutions you know of. Sometimes that means a DIY fix and other times it can mean a recall, software update or part replacement by a dealer.

Please be respectful and constructive with feedback, this is not a space for hate speech. In many cases, representatives from the company will see feedback and use it to improve their product. In the end, the goal is to enjoy riding and help each other go further and be safer.

 

[Richard Y]

Purchased a Momentum Vida + E Step Thru April 8, 2020.

My choices were narrowed down between an Electra Townie Go 8i and the Momentum Vida + E

Too early to tell if there are any problems.

Bike rides nice, not sure if the 250 watt motor is enough for me. ( 6'3" 260 lbs )

Also would like to see a thumb throttle on the bike.

Does anyone know if you can install a thumb throttle on the Momenum Vida + E

 

[Richard Y]

After 2 months of riding the Momentum Vida + E here is my opinion

Well built, solid, smooth riding bike.

My previous ebike had a 500 watt motor with throttle.

I do notice the power difference, and do miss the throttle when I want to start off and get up to speed quickly.

The 250 watt motor is smoooth and sufficient .

I like the that this bike has internal rear gear hub. I can shift gears when standing still and without pedaling.

I like the wider size tires 26" x2.35" for a more comfortable ride.

Battery charging port hard to access when battery is in bike. I take battery out of bike to charge, much easier.

Very good cruising bike, very good ebike for the first time ebike buyer.

 

[Buckdubay]

I rode on today as a test ride. I like it a lot but it was the first ebike I was on. I wasn’t crazy about the twist shifter. I worked fine, I just prefer triggers. I wonder what the range on say the second assist level on moderate road? The 375 battery concerns me on range. I am also mot a small guy a 6’ and 215 lbs. I am a life long cyclist. Injuries are pushing me to Ebikes.

 

[Coolbob]

@Buckdubay I too was concerned with 'only' a 375w battery, but the Momentum Transcend E+ won me over with it's minimalist approach and class 3 speed. I ordered one on-line and took delivery of the bike at the Giant dealer three days ago. I'm about 160lbs and I've added a rear rack, handlebar bag and typically carry another 6lbs (bike lock, tool kit, water bottle, etc). I live in a very hilly area (flat sections of road are a rarity) and have taken the bike on several rides, a 2-mile loop around the neighborhood to get acquainted (two big hills), a 7-mile loop to play Pickleball (numerous large hills and long gradual slopes) and a 13-mile loop through town (probably half of the distance on hills). I did the last ride with an average speed of 13mph and tried to find the 28mph cut off point a few times. After these three rides over three days the battery is at about 50%.

 

[BIGWORM]

The 2021 version has a 500w battery now. Just FYI to all.

 

[Coolbob]

I was asked about the Shimano Nexus rear hub on the Momentum bikes and I thought it would be a good idea to share my thoughts on the hub here for others.

I love the Transend, it way just the blend of cruiser/commuter/gravel bike I was looking for. I think I've got about 400 miles on it now and so far not a single problem. I let a friend ride mine around the block and she loved it so much she bought one and then her husband got one. His is the black color and it looks really nice. All three of our bakes were delivered to the closest Giant dealer, assembled and ready for pickup within 4-7 days.

The rear hub requires a different riding technique, instructions are included in a sheet that comes with the bike, but so many folks don't read the instructions.
#1 - Unlike a derailleur system, you need to stop peddling and wait a second for the motor to stop assisting before shifting gears. It's really nice to be able to change gears at a complete stop. If you shift while the hub is under a load it makes the internals slip a bit and causes excessive wear.
#2 - Don't 'multi-shift', you can't crank the shifter from #5 to #1 in one motion and the stomp on the pedals, if you do the internals slip. Shift one (click) gear (click) at (click) a (click) time, then you can start peddling.
#3 - There's only one cable on the bike since the brakes are hydraulic. All cables stretch, especially when they are new. The shifter and hub are indexed and the clicks on the shifter and hub have to be in alignment for the hub to work properly. As the cable stretches a bit, things get out of alignment and the hub gets positioned in-between gears when the shifter is set to a particular gear. There is a very simple procedure for checking and compensation for cable stretch. I found that I needed to make a few minor adjustments for the first 200 miles or so and now the cable seems to have broken in and I haven't needed to make any adjustments in a long time. Here's a video of how to adjust the shifter cable, it's also in the manual.

I hope this helps!

 

[BIGWORM]

Well crap. I went to pick up my 2021 momentum Transend today and it had a very loose battery. The LBS tech could not figure out how to fix it so I didnt take it home. I also picked up a low step momentum Transend for my wife from another shop (had to buy both from separate shops to get 2021's). Hers was perfectly fine. Bummed she gets hers and I dont...lol.

 

[Coolbob]

Well crap. I went to pick up my 2021 momentum Transend today and it had a very loose battery. The LBS tech could not figure out how to fix it so I didnt take it home.

Sorry you didn’t get to take your new bike home. On my bike, the battery needs to be firmly snapped into place, I position it about an inch away and give it a quick squeeze. Think of it as closing a car door, trunk or hood, pushing it into place like you are closing a kitchen drawer won’t do.
I removed the battery latch mechanism to connect a headlight to the bike’s wiring and when I reinstalled the latch I tried to adjust it so the battery would gently click into place, but I don’t think it’s designed to work that way.
I know you wanted to ride today, but aren’t you glad you have a dealership that is making things right and you are not having to email someone and fix it yourself.

 

[BIGWORM]

Sorry you didn’t get to take your new bike home. On my bike, the battery needs to be firmly snapped into place, I position it about an inch away and give it a quick squeeze. Think of it as closing a car door, trunk or hood, pushing it into place like you are closing a kitchen drawer won’t do.
I removed the battery latch mechanism to connect a headlight to the bike’s wiring and when I reinstalled the latch I tried to adjust it so the battery would gently click into place, but I don’t think it’s designed to work that way.
I know you wanted to ride today, but aren’t you glad you have a dealership that is making things right and you are not having to email someone and fix it yourself.

Thank you Bob. The dealer seemed clueless about what to do. They keep adjusting the two bolts INSIDE the battery tube that are pointing towards the RIGHT (if sitting on the bike). I keep asking them if they needed to adjust the TOP two bolts INSIDE the tube under the locks black plastic bits. OR if they needed to adjust the two bolts OUTSIDE of the battery tube (pointing towards the front tires) for the lock.

Can you confirm which two bolts move the lock? The two on the outside of the tube? Or the two inside the tube pointing UP? Because my battery had like 1/8th to 1/4th slack. It would rock left and right as I pedaled it was that loose.

 

[Coolbob]

On my bike the bottom of the battery is seated first and then the top of the battery pushes in and when it’s about an inch from being fully installed there’s a click and the battery is loosely held in place, but not latched. Then I quickly and firmly snap it into place. Once latched there is zero slack and it’s difficult to get a thumbnail between the battery and the frame. Once fully latched, it’s impossible to remove the battery without unlocking it with the key.


I’d visit the shop or ask the technician to try this. Use your bikes key and turn the lock fully to the right to be sure the latch is completely open and in the correct position to accept the battery. Install your bikes battery as I described above, pushing it into place, feeling it partially engage and then firmly snapping it into place.

If the battery is still loose, ask the technician to try another momentum battery, it may be the battery end caps that are off rather than the latch.

Sorry the new bike isn’t cooperating, but I have confidence they will make it right for you.

 

[BIGWORM]

On my bike the bottom of the battery is seated first and then the top of the battery pushes in and when it’s about an inch from being fully installed there’s a click and the battery is loosely held in place, but not latched. Then I quickly and firmly snap it into place. Once latched there is zero slack and it’s difficult to get a thumbnail between the battery and the frame. Once fully latched, it’s impossible to remove the battery without unlocking it with the key.


I’d visit the shop or ask the technician to try this. Use your bikes key and turn the lock fully to the right to be sure the latch is completely open and in the correct position to accept the battery. Install your bikes battery as I described above, pushing it into place, feeling it partially engage and then firmly snapping it into place.

If the battery is still loose, ask the technician to try another momentum battery, it may be the battery end caps that are off rather than the latch.

Sorry the new bike isn’t cooperating, but I have confidence they will make it right for you.

Thanks Bob. They dont seem to know the bike very well at all. The mechanic was only messing around with the two bolts inside the tube on the side. And keep saying they are as tight as they can go. lol. Seems they might not know this bike to well. They tried other batteries. They tried pushing it in slowly and or slamming it shut. No matter what they did, the upper battery area hung out 1/8th to 1/4th an inch and would slap back and forth and or rattle. Plus it looked ugly. But they keep messing with the two screws inside the battery tube on the side.

Im left wondering if the two screws OUTSIDE of the tube are what they need to loosen and retighten once the battery is in place flush? If those two bolds hold he lock into place. And the lock holds the battery in place. Then its my thinking perhaps that what they should be checking?

 

[Coolbob]

Thanks Bob. They dont seem to know the bike very well at all. The mechanic was only messing around with the two bolts inside the tube on the side. And keep saying they are as tight as they can go. lol. Seems they might not know this bike to well. They tried other batteries. They tried pushing it in slowly and or slamming it shut. No matter what they did, the upper battery area hung out 1/8th to 1/4th an inch and would slap back and forth and or rattle. Plus it looked ugly. But they keep messing with the two screws inside the battery tube on the side.

Im left wondering if the two screws OUTSIDE of the tube are what they need to loosen and retighten once the battery is in place flush? If those two bolds hold he lock into place. And the lock holds the battery in place. Then its my thinking perhaps that what they should be checking?

I'm sorry to hear they haven't gotten your bike squared away. I think the two screws on the side of the latch just hold it in place along with the two screws at the top of the latch. The latch mounting tabs have slightly elongated holes, but I'm not sure if the elongated holes are to accommodate for manufacturing tolerances or if they are there for actually latch adjustment.

I know it's frustrating, but there are scores of folks posting on electricbikereview who have paid for bikes that never arrived, arrived damaged, arrived nonfunctional, arrived without a battery, etc. and they are unable to reach the bike company by phone or email and are trying to get credit card charges reversed. Thankfully, you chose a brick and mortar store with an authorized technician you can talk to in person who working to resolve the problem and if they don't resolve it to your satisfaction, you can have them order you another bike, or you can leave the bike with them, get a refund and try another shop. I'd be patient and give them a day or two to work it out. I'd be very patient and polite, but I would make sure the shop owner/manager as well as Giant/Momentum knows you are unable to take delivery of your bike in it's current state and let them know at the very least you expect to have the problem resolved, but they should consider how they can go the extra mile to make up for your inconvenience.

 

[L’une]

I was asked about the Shimano Nexus rear hub on the Momentum bikes and I thought it would be a good idea to share my thoughts on the hub here for others.

I love the Transend, it way just the blend of cruiser/commuter/gravel bike I was looking for. I think I've got about 400 miles on it now and so far not a single problem. I let a friend ride mine around the block and she loved it so much she bought one and then her husband got one. His is the black color and it looks really nice. All three of our bakes were delivered to the closest Giant dealer, assembled and ready for pickup within 4-7 days.

The rear hub requires a different riding technique, instructions are included in a sheet that comes with the bike, but so many folks don't read the instructions.
#1 - Unlike a derailleur system, you need to stop peddling and wait a second for the motor to stop assisting before shifting gears. It's really nice to be able to change gears at a complete stop. If you shift while the hub is under a load it makes the internals slip a bit and causes excessive wear.
#2 - Don't 'multi-shift', you can't crank the shifter from #5 to #1 in one motion and the stomp on the pedals, if you do the internals slip. Shift one (click) gear (click) at (click) a (click) time, then you can start peddling.
#3 - There's only one cable on the bike since the brakes are hydraulic. All cables stretch, especially when they are new. The shifter and hub are indexed and the clicks on the shifter and hub have to be in alignment for the hub to work properly. As the cable stretches a bit, things get out of alignment and the hub gets positioned in-between gears when the shifter is set to a particular gear. There is a very simple procedure for checking and compensation for cable stretch. I found that I needed to make a few minor adjustments for the first 200 miles or so and now the cable seems to have broken in and I haven't needed to make any adjustments in a long time. Here's a video of how to adjust the shifter cable, it's also in the manual.

I hope this helps!

I am a new owner of the momentum vida E model, and I’ve been back several times at the store dealer for some slipping gear ajustement. I’m happy that the slipping problem is now resolved ...but I still experience some difficulties changing gears as I’m riding uphill. It takes too long to change. For example If I decide to go from 6 to 4th gear as I’m reaching the steep end of the hill, I click to 5th first, but it doesn’t kick in and most of the time I’ve reached the top before it reached 5th gear. If I stop peddling for it to change as I’m going up, I’ll end up stopping. It’s very frustrating. The easy answer from my bike mechanic was “just add assistance if it doesn’t change “, but I want to use all my gear options and not just depend on assistance.
What is it that I haven’t understood ?

 

[Coolbob]

If you are using the proper technique and the gears are not shifting, you or your technician need to adjust the shift cable as per the video I posted above on October 12th.

If you are feeling the gears slip when you shift, is't because you are shifting while pedaling and/or the motor is still assisting and that's a no-no with a multi-speed hub.

With derailleur you have to keep the pedals moving, but not applying much tension to the chain. Shifting an internal hub is different from shifting a derailleur.

I’ve had zero issues with the Nexus once I learned the proper technique outlined in the instructions that came with my Momentum. With the Nexus hub, you MUST stop peddling to shift. So stop peddling, wait 1/2-second for the motor assist to stop, click to the next gear and resume peddling. You can change two or three gears at a time, just don't yank the shifter from 1 directly to 4; instead you should shift one gear at a time 1,'click' 2, 'click' 3, 'click' and 4. You can also shift while at a complete stop with the Nexus.

 

[Anthony O]

Thanks Bob. They dont seem to know the bike very well at all. The mechanic was only messing around with the two bolts inside the tube on the side. And keep saying they are as tight as they can go. lol. Seems they might not know this bike to well. They tried other batteries. They tried pushing it in slowly and or slamming it shut. No matter what they did, the upper battery area hung out 1/8th to 1/4th an inch and would slap back and forth and or rattle. Plus it looked ugly. But they keep messing with the two screws inside the battery tube on the side.

Im left wondering if the two screws OUTSIDE of the tube are what they need to loosen and retighten once the battery is in place flush? If those two bolds hold he lock into place. And the lock holds the battery in place. Then its my thinking perhaps that what they should be checking?

I had a similar battery rattling issue issue come up - after reading your comments I tried loosening both the two regular screws inside and the two security screws outside the tube as they all have elongated holes that allow for adjustment. If you use a hook of some sort (I used an allen wrench) to pull the lock / latch block down (towards the motor) while tightening the screws back up you can move the lock / latch block down a few mm, which did the trick for me and stopped the rattling.