AVOID RIZE BIKES AT ALL COST.

[tarhodes]

Rize is the most thoroughly disreputable company I have ever encountered. I purchased the Rize Rx for $3600. It worked well until it was just out of the warranty
period. Then severe noise began coming from the Ultra 1000 watt Bafang mid drive motor. Being a machinist and fairly mechanically inclined, I took it apart to identify
the problem. Some videos were helpful in this respect. Rize was of no help because they do not stock parts for these motors. After getting the gears needed from China,
the motor itself would run, but the controller would not communicate with the bike. Since the reduction gears, grease , and controller are all housed in the same
cavity of the motor case, the electronics became contaminated. This is a serious flaw in this model of Bafang motor which afflicts the Rize RX and all other makes
with the same motor. Rize claimed this was a lack of maintenance on my part although there was no mention that these motors needed to be completely disassembled
to grease them in their sales presentation or the information that came with the bike. Rize offered to replace and install a new controller for $450 but without any
warranty. (Not that a warranty from them would have any value). Thus the Rize RX became scrap. When I tried to negotiate a reasonable deal on a hub drive model to compensate for the loss, they rejected anything less than full price.

 

[Tars Tarkas]

So, it was out of warranty?

TT

 

[tarhodes]

Yes, technically it was past the warranty date. However, when you pay $3600 for a product, you would expect it to be designed to more
rigorous standards than to just make it past the warranty date. After looking at the post by “shaky hands pictures” about going
through three of these Bafang mid drives in 7500km, I realized that my case was not unique. That is why I decided the Rize Rx
was scrap. It is pretty stupid to keep pouring money into what was originally a very poor investment.

 

[Tars Tarkas]

What would be bad is if they refused to honor the warranty during its final month. You'd blow up if they did that. Why should the warranty end-date be soft in your favor but not theirs?

TT

 

[CanNik]

Rize is the most thoroughly disreputable company I have ever encountered. I purchased the Rize Rx for $3600. It worked well until it was just out of the warranty
period. Then severe noise began coming from the Ultra 1000 watt Bafang mid drive motor. Being a machinist and fairly mechanically inclined, I took it apart to identify
the problem. Some videos were helpful in this respect. Rize was of no help because they do not stock parts for these motors. After getting the gears needed from China,
the motor itself would run, but the controller would not communicate with the bike. Since the reduction gears, grease , and controller are all housed in the same
cavity of the motor case, the electronics became contaminated. This is a serious flaw in this model of Bafang motor which afflicts the Rize RX and all other makes
with the same motor. Rize claimed this was a lack of maintenance on my part although there was no mention that these motors needed to be completely disassembled
to grease them in their sales presentation or the information that came with the bike. Rize offered to replace and install a new controller for $450 but without any
warranty. (Not that a warranty from them would have any value). Thus the Rize RX became scrap. When I tried to negotiate a reasonable deal on a hub drive model to compensate for the loss, they rejected anything less than full price.

I am amazed that ANYONE buys a bike BEFORE googling (as I did) "rise bikes review", after your post, bad reviews, who would shop anywhere before googling reviews amazes me.

 

[harryS]

Did you consider a new motor? The Canbus one costs more. I wouldn't know which one applies.

Bafang Ultra Motor M620 /G510 kit 1000W 48V 52V -Greenbikekit.com BBS, ebike batteries, Bafang M620, Bafang M600, Bafang M500, Bafang M510, KT controller with display-GreenBikeKit.com

Bafang Ultra Motor M620 /G510 kit 1000W 48V 52V. If you are looking for high power motor for your ebike, the Bafang Ultra motor is suitable for you.

www.greenbikekit.com

Bafang M620/G510 Bare Ultra Motor - CANBUS

Experience exceptional value with the Bafang M620 Ultra Motor, meticulously factory-refurbished to ensure top-notch performance. Equipped with durable all-metal gears, this motor promises longevity and reliability. Each unit undergoes rigorous bench testing by Bafang USA and at BIKTRIX before...

www.biktrix.com

 

[tarhodes]

I am amazed that ANYONE buys a bike BEFORE googling (as I did) "rise bikes review", after your post, bad reviews, who would shop anywhere before googling reviews amazes me.

 

[tarhodes]

Although there is now a proliferation of negative feed back about Rize Bikes it certainly did not jump out at me when I checked over two
years ago.

 

[tarhodes]

Did you consider a new motor? The Canbus one costs more. I wouldn't know which one applies.

Bafang Ultra Motor M620 /G510 kit 1000W 48V 52V -Greenbikekit.com BBS, ebike batteries, Bafang M620, Bafang M600, Bafang M500, Bafang M510, KT controller with display-GreenBikeKit.com

Bafang Ultra Motor M620 /G510 kit 1000W 48V 52V. If you are looking for high power motor for your ebike, the Bafang Ultra motor is suitable for you.

www.greenbikekit.com

Bafang M620/G510 Bare Ultra Motor - CANBUS

Experience exceptional value with the Bafang M620 Ultra Motor, meticulously factory-refurbished to ensure top-notch performance. Equipped with durable all-metal gears, this motor promises longevity and reliability. Each unit undergoes rigorous bench testing by Bafang USA and at BIKTRIX before...

www.biktrix.com

I am very very reluctant to invest in another motor that would probably result in the same story as the first one. the other issue that
curbs my enthusiasm for this option is the Rize battery. Although I did not record the total cycles before it began to severely deteriorate,
I am sure it is less than 100. Rize advertises 800 cycles and a a riding range I never came close to. All this on a bike that I never wore
out the first set of tires or the chain suggests a serious lack of integrity. I am reminded of a quote I once read. “when the horse dies, dismount"

 

[tarhodes]

In short, Rize’s customer service policy, the design of the 1000 watt Bafang Ultra motor, and Rize's product design regarding the electrical
connection of the motor are all in the “dead horse category. This motor is not designed to be serviced without specialized test
equipment and Rize blames any failure on lack of maintenance or poor work practices. Be wary of taking advice from the guy that produced the
video about drilling whole in the motor casing and installing a grease fitting to keep the gears greased. Since the grease gets pumped into a common cavity
in the motor housing that contains the gears and electronic controller, there is no way to monitor how much grease is in the area or keep it from destroying the
electrics. This design is destined to fail after very little use. Those who write glowing reviews about the RizeRX are simply proud owners who have yet
to experience how poor this product is. Although it was fun for a short while, my ultimate cost per kilometre or riding this Rize RX was greater than
driving a Ford F350 diesel pick up.

 

[Gionnirocket]

The Ultra is widely used by many bike companies and it's a very dependable motor. Your experience is not typical.
I agree on the lack of supplied information on how to maintain it... But that's par for the course for almost all direct to consumer purchases. But there is a ton of information available, and much on this site alone.
I also agree that the grease fitting suggestion is just plain stupid.

 

[Tom@WashDC]

Rize is the most thoroughly disreputable company I have ever encountered.

Ok, first, let me get this part out of the way. I sympahize with you. You were probably very excited to get the bike delivered. In your excitement you did not ask enough qaulifying questions, nor do enough research on the bike, its components, and the type of bike dealer you were patronizing. While I undestand your dissapointment, and sympathize with you, your lack of due diligence is mostly to blame. Compounded by your DIY skills.

"Rize is the most thoroughly disreputable company I have ever encountered."
It sounds like they honored thier contract and warranty with you. That is all they need do. You cannot expect an online bike company, with no service centers, or listed service centers, to spend money outside of the warranty period. That is not a reasonable position. Your local LBS might do that for you if you have a relationship with them, but an online wholesaler that does not offer a dealer network or affilated service centers?

Being a machinist and fairly mechanically inclined, I took it apart to identify the problem.
The Bafang M620 Motor manual states very clearly, under the Maintenance Section,
• Maintenance must be carried out by authorized personnel with the correct equipment.
• Do not disassemble the motor.

I understand that Rize did not supply you with the Bafang Manual, but that is what you get when you bypass your local LBS/Service Center, and purchase a Chinese ebike, from a warehouse/shipping operation that does not have an established service network. I took the same risk as you did, so I understand, but I knew I had to do a lot of research. I Purchased two bikes with the Bafang Ultra, a Bafang BBSHD kit, and two rear hub bikes. The one thing about Bafang products that I understood was that while they are the largest maufacturer of ebike/mobility motors in the world, and they have no service presence in the in the U.S., but thier parts are ubiquitous and inexpensive. There are numberous tutorials on how to fix and maintain Bafang Motors.

"but the controller would not communicate with the bike"
Insufficent information here. What gears did you replace? Not sure which gears you replaced but some gears require that you recalibrate the motor and controller with a special tool. Again, the Bafang manual says, do not open the motor. According to Bafang, you break it, you buy it.

"the electronics became contaminated"
Not saying you are wrong, but how did you arrive at that conclusion with certainty. What diagnostic tool did you use?

"Being a machinist and fairly mechanically inclined, I took it apart to identify"
Being a machinest, I would think that after a 30 second web search you would have found the Bafang M620 Manual and read the caution about dissambling the motor. You should have sent the motor to an authorized service center for repairs. Everything moving forward form that point was on you, but Rize should not have recommended any other course of action except sending the motor back to Rize, or an LBS. Did they offer that as an alternative to you doing the work yourself? Why did you choose not to send the motor to Rize?

"Since the reduction gears, grease , and controller are all housed in the same cavity of the motor case, the electronics became contaminated. This is a serious flaw"

Yeah, no.
I have two Bafang Ultras that have been slathered with Cornhead grease, overfilled if you will (my photos published in these forums). Not a problem. Maybe if you were using an non-factory recommended, highly viscous fluid. Maybe. But not with the factory recommended grease. I have not seen documented complaints of the controller circuit boards being shorted out from normal grease maintenance on the Bafang M620. Did you grease the motor? What kind of grease did you use? How much, and how was it applied?

Tarhodes, I'm sorry for your experience, and understand your frustration, but I think all is not lost. You have new gears, a motor that works, and that may need to be reprogrammed depending on what gears you replaced. A motor controller can be had for for $115.00, a calibration kit (if needed) for $50. I think you your motor is completely salvageable for less than $170 If you do the work.

 

[Gionnirocket]

Ok, first, let me get this part out of the way. I sympahize with you. You were probably very excited to get the bike delivered. In your excitement you did not ask enough qaulifying questions, nor do enough research on the bike, its components, and the type of bike dealer you were patronizing. While I undestand your dissapointment, and sympathize with you, your lack of due diligence is mostly to blame. Compounded by your DIY skills.

"Rize is the most thoroughly disreputable company I have ever encountered."
It sounds like they honored thier contract and warranty with you. That is all they need do. You cannot expect an online bike company, with no service centers, or listed service centers, to spend money outside of the warranty period. That is not a reasonable position. Your local LBS might do that for you if you have a relationship with them, but an online wholesaler that does not offer a dealer network or affilated service centers?

Being a machinist and fairly mechanically inclined, I took it apart to identify the problem.
The Bafang M620 Motor manual states very clearly, under the Maintenance Section,
• Maintenance must be carried out by authorized personnel with the correct equipment.
• Do not disassemble the motor.

I understand that Rize did not supply you with the Bafang Manual, but that is what you get when you bypass your local LBS/Service Center, and purchase a Chinese ebike, from a warehouse/shipping operation that does not have an established service network. I took the same risk as you did, so I understand, but I knew I had to do a lot of research. I Purchased two bikes with the Bafang Ultra, a Bafang BBSHD kit, and two rear hub bikes. The one thing about Bafang products that I understood was that while they are the largest maufacturer of ebike/mobility motors in the world, and they have no service presence in the in the U.S., but thier parts are ubiquitous and inexpensive. There are numberous tutorials on how to fix and maintain Bafang Motors.

"but the controller would not communicate with the bike"
Insufficent information here. What gears did you replace? Not sure which gears you replaced but some gears require that you recalibrate the motor and controller with a special tool. Again, the Bafang manual says, do not open the motor. According to Bafang, you break it, you buy it.

"the electronics became contaminated"
Not saying you are wrong, but how did you arrive at that conclusion with certainty. What diagnostic tool did you use?

"Being a machinist and fairly mechanically inclined, I took it apart to identify"
Being a machinest, I would think that after a 30 second web search you would have found the Bafang M620 Manual and read the caution about dissambling the motor. You should have sent the motor to an authorized service center for repairs. Everything moving forward form that point was on you, but Rize should not have recommended any other course of action except sending the motor back to Rize, or an LBS. Did they offer that as an alternative to you doing the work yourself? Why did you choose ot to send the motor to Rize?

"Since the reduction gears, grease , and controller are all housed in the same cavity of the motor case, the electronics became contaminated. This is a serious flaw"

Yeah, no.
I have two Bafang Ultras that have been slathered with Cornhead grease, overfilled if you will (my photos published in these forums). Not a problem. Maybe if you were using an non-factory recommended, highly viscous fluid. Maybe. But not with the factory recommended grease. I have not seen documented complaints of the controller circuit boards being shorted out from normal grease maintenance on the Bafang M620. Did you grease the motor? What kind of grease did you use? How much, and how was it applied?

Tarhodes, I'm sorry for your experience, and understand your frustration, but I think all is not lost. You have new gears, a motor that works, and that may need to be reprogrammed depending on what gears you replaced. A motor controller can be had for for $115.00, a calibration kit (if needed) for $50. I think you your motor is completely salvageable for less than $170 If you do the work.

Very diplomatic... must be a DC thing.
I prefer blunt ball busting... a New York tháng

 

[Tom@WashDC]

Very diplomatic... must be a DC thing.
I prefer blunt ball busting... a New York tháng

Yeah, I noticed that, but that's what makes you so fun!

 

[tarhodes]

Gionni rocket and Tom @Wash. You guys must be part of the damage control team at Rize Bikes and Bafang Motors. Your tactic of blaming
problems on poor maintenance and disregarding the motor manual is complete Bull s*it. But do not worry, I’m not the sensitive type. As you
say, the M620 Bafang motor manual says “do not open the motor case for self service” , but does not mention any preventative
maintenance. What they are implying in the manual is to ride the bike until the gear reduction is nothing more than metal filings, then send it in to them so
they can fleece you $1200 for a new one. My only mistake in this whole process was buying from Rize in the first place. My only purpose in this thread
is to convey to others what I have found out about the design of these products and prevent others from making the same mistake. Ironically, what Gionnirocket and
Tom @ Wash do not realize is that by slamming constructive criticism, they are creating more readership of the thread.

 

[Rome]

Wow! okay don't cook Rize just cook Ice or Uncle Ben's rice.
I opened my Bafang Ultra at 3700 miles to clean and put new grease and mess up the controller by using a rubber mallet to make it fit. I knock off a capacitor or whatever it was, paid $1700 for a plug and play motor and send the damaged one to a local dealer to calibrate damaged motor with its new controller, so now I have to M620 motors one 48v and 52v.
Don't be cry baby just roll with it. I take it you're not really passionate about Ebikes.
It's almost 3 years 6k + miles and counting on 2 motors. Don't forget normal wear and tear, tires, brake pads, wheels needs truing etc.
But overall it is still more cheap than maintenance on let's say F250 4x4 if you included fuel costs today. Even my Tacoma cost more to operate per year if I drove every day compared to my Emtb.

 

[Tom@WashDC]

...by slamming constructive criticism, they are creating more readership of the thread.

tahodes, I do hope that thousands of people read his thread and see a cautionary tale, and learn from your mistake(s). That is what this board is all about.

Gionnirocket and I never blamed you for "poor maintenance". You did make several unsubstantiated claims in your post, and we posted some questions to you, which you have not answered. If what you say is true, I presume your bike is not "scrap", and it is very possible to fix for less than $170. I know I could fix it.

For the readers of this thread, let me offer this advice:

Unless you are willing to be your own repair person, become very frustrated at times, scramble for hard to find parts on the internet, learn by trial and error, spend time and money, and waste money and time wrenching your e-bike,

BUY YOUR E-BIKE FROM A LOCAL DEALER WITH A PARTS AND SERVICE DEPT!

 

[Tom@WashDC]

f*ck up the controller by using a rubber mallet to make it fit. I knock off a capacitor or whatever it was, paid $1700 for a plug and play motor

I love that Mallet story Rome, always makes me chuckle.

 

[Gionnirocket]

I love that Mallet story Rome, always makes me chuckle.

@Rome fixes everything with a mallet & bubble bath!

 

[Tom@WashDC]

f*ck up the controller by using a rubber mallet to make it fit.

Rome, feel free to use the new Avatar I created for you