Do All eBike Motors Have Issues?

[Recycled Cycler]

I don't know why you are limiting yourself to a mid-drive if you are a powerful head down flat back racer. My experience, no display, no software problems. I ride geared front hubs, which are now in US limited to 750 watts. Wimpy for grocery haulers as I ride, but the brands you mentioned are lighweight racers. You probably do not carry a 10 lb toolbox, 3 tubes, a spare tire, 40 oz water as I do. A 7 lb geared hub could pep up your hill climbing ability, or reduce your sensitivity to headwinds. 1 lb for the controller, 11 lb for a 17 AH battery. Yes, the gears do wear out. ~ 5000 miles. Clutches do wear out at about the same distance. My original controller developed a throttle error after 5 years, bad connection on the pcb. The replacement was $60. The motors in a wheel were $700 or less: just throw a worn one away and install another the same day. No hassles at a dealer. I buy my parts on ebay. If the Amazon truck has not chased you off the road, they have a good selection. I buy the controllers which require no display, which tend to be for scooters and rotate backwards until I reverse a couple of wires. Throttle only control, fine with me. No hill, no >13 mph headwind, I do not need electricity anyway.

I'm slow I'm old. Who said I'm a powerful heard down racer? That was me 50 years ago. Not any more. If I was a powerful head down racer why would I buy an electric bike?

 

[kevinmccune]

I've burned the winding on two 350 w bafang geared hubs, trying to climb hills with 40-60 lb groceries. 20 amp controller burns winding, 10 amp controller is too wimpy to climb even 10%. I weigh an enormous 160 lb, bike is 88 lb with spares tools & water. I bought a no name 750 w geared hub 2 years ago: burned the winding the first trip on the 12% grade of 80' rise. 1000 w & 1300 w motors have not burned the winding, but wear out clutches (Mac) or gears (ebikeling). I cannot buy these high wattage geared hubs anymore in the USA. My experience with aliexpress has been total failure. Trying today to modify a Mac motor clutch to work again. Going to pound dimples in the rollers to make them bigger.

you tried "statorade"? should make everything run cooler,I like the idea of the scooter controllers(less is more)

 

[kevinmccune]

Just what is it you are trying to say here anyway?

affordability?( we all ain't got big bucks)

 

[indianajo]

I'm slow I'm old. Who said I'm a powerful heard down racer? That was me 50 years ago. Not any more. If I was a powerful head down racer why would I buy an electric bike?

mahle and fazua are sold on drop handlebar flat back posture bikes. 250 watts are for the minimalist weight crowd. Don't put up with the problems, get a bafang or bosch, 750 watts. Millions sold, mostly happy customers. Many posters report 10000 miles life or more. Bad wind days are much more common now than even 5 years ago.

 

[Slaphappygamer]

you tried "statorade"? should make everything run cooler,I like the idea of the scooter controllers(less is more)

Statorade only works with direct drive motors. Since the magnets are on the outer parameter of the hub, allowing heat to dissipate through the outer hub shell.

For geared hub motors, some use oil. Maybe a synthetic motor oil. Then the issue becomes, keeping the oil inside the geared hub. You’d have to seal ALL potential exits for the oil to seep through. Geared hub motors have their magnets mounted further, inward, from the outer shell.

Centrifugal forces will push the statorade against the outermost shell. A geared in motor has its magnets in an inner shell, away from the outer shell. This and the fact that most geared hub motors have nylon gears makes statorade ineffective.

 

[Recycled Cycler]

mahle and fazua are sold on drop handlebar flat back posture bikes. 250 watts are for the minimalist weight crowd. Don't put up with the problems, get a bafang or bosch, 750 watts. Millions sold, mostly happy customers. Many posters report 10000 miles life or more. Bad wind days are much more common now than even 5 years ago.

Not all road geometry bikes are "flat back posture". Many allow a more upright position. My Indy Fab Crown Jewel allows me to ride more upright. The eBikes I looked at from Trek, BMC, Orbea, Cervelo, and Scott cater to an upright position. Like, the Cervlo is advertised as getting the ride of their Caledonia model but with a motor. And their Caledonia is advertised for modern road riders looking for bikes to handle long-distance and offer maximum fun—the Caledonia delivers performance, comfort, and speed. For me, an old cyclist who used to race back in the day but now wants to ride 35 miles comfortably and keep up with younger (non-racing) riders, the Cervelo and these others are what I want. Road frame but not for racing or a flat back. Fairly upright compared to a racing oriented road bike.

 

[Chazmo]

For me, an old cyclist

This is me, although I was never a racer. What I found, Recycler, is that I could not get comfortable any more on my beloved mountain bikes about 10-15 years ago and consequently I went away from biking. There were many other reasons, including a really bad allergy to poison ivy, but bottom line is that I lost a part of my life enjoyment when I put cycling away. I live in an area that has wonderful access to rail trail and moderate single tracks and… well...

I’m so delighted to be “back” on the bike. My fatty e-bike has revived a lifestyle that I had lost.

As for riding comfort / bike geometry, now we’re talking absolutely key stuff here. It is absolutely true that there are a dizzying array of styles out there that can/will accommodate you. I chose my way back to be a fairly upright “mountain bike-ish” style with my fat-tire bike, but there are plenty of road and gravel bikes that are similar. There are even eMTBs that have sufficiently relaxed geometry that I (think I) could be comfortable with.

Anyway, best of luck.

 

[stompandgo]

All manufacturers make "comfort" drop bar road bikes. I call them "dentist" bikes. They have road geometry, but push the rider more upright than a true racing frame. Their "limit" comes much sooner than a racing frame. I crashed in a criterium once and took a pit bike. I think it was a Specialized Synapse. This was a technical course, and that bike scared the crap out of me. I literally had to throw it into the turns. Part of that must have been the "one lap fit session" in the pit, but there's no way any fit could change the geometry. They look like a race bike, but they aren't. It's no surprise that gravel frames start with the same kind of geometry, but they are more stout in places, and have room for large tires.

 

[Recycled Cycler]

I ended up buying the Cervelo Rouvida road version with the Fazua Ride60 mid-motor. I test rode the Trek with aluminum frame and hub motor, but for me the mid-motor Fazua felt superior. Those were the only 2 I could test ride locally. No one had the Scott, Orbea, or BMC in stock. I would have purchased the gravel version of the Cervelo but that one was also not available locally.

Interestingly, all the shops I talked to locally (except the shop I ended up purchasing from) as well as on-line retailers would have put me on a 54 or M frame. But when I rode the Trek 54 and 56, the 54 was not very comfortable. When I rode the L Cervelo, which a local bike shop had in stock, it was a better fit than a Cervelo 54 at another local shop.

I would have probably purchased the gravel version of the Cervelo but that one was not available locally to test.

And - since this thread started out about motor reliability, I really wanted to buy from a local shop so I'd have more support in case motor issues came up later.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Congratulations! What is the exact model and frame size of the Rouvida you have bought?

 

[Catalyzt]

And photos, too, when you have a moment!

 

[Recycled Cycler]

Cervelo Rouvida road version size = Large. I'm 70 years old about 5'9". Medium was a bit cramped.

I'll try and take a pic next week.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I assume you have rather long legs in your proportions? Long arms, too?
I'm 5'8", short legs, long arms. It is Medium or 54 for me.