Is a bike with a known Bosch motor problem worth buying?

A

aml

New Member
Region
USA
I've come across a Yuba Spicy Curry cargo bike that I think I could get a very good deal on. My only concern is that they claim the crankshaft locks up when going up hill. I haven't checked into the details, but I'm thinking that the Bosch CX motor is locking up once it gets under a high load.
I obviously won't ride it until I fix it to be safe, and I'm thinking I'm willing to put some sweat equity into the project.
But I can see a situation where tinkering without a lot of real experience might eat away at money I'm thinking I'm saving with this deal.

Any strong suggestions on why I should or shouldn't try to buy and repair this bike?
 
thats weird never heard of that. but if the motor is having issues you would have to pay to have it rebuilt or buy a new motor. so around 900.00
 
Well I guess you figure $1k if you have to pay a Bosch dealer to swap drive units, and maybe another $900 if you need a new battery too. So it depends how good a deal they are cutting you and your risk tolerance.

You can send it to the place in TN for a rebuild but that's not super cheap either.
 
BlackHand said:
Well I guess you figure $1k if you have to pay a Bosch dealer to swap drive units, and maybe another $900 if you need a new battery too. So it depends how good a deal they are cutting you and your risk tolerance.

You can send it to the place in TN for a rebuild but that's not super cheap either.
Click to expand...
well he can run the battery though diagnostics for the info so that should not be an issue before hand.
 
What generation of Bosch motor is known for that? I've been following Bosch comments for 6 years when I bought mine, and have not read about that issue. To answer your question, I wouldn't pay over $500 for it, reason being expensive parts.
 
Last edited:
aml said:
I've come across a Yuba Spicy Curry cargo bike that I think I could get a very good deal on. My only concern is that they claim the crankshaft locks up when going up hill. I haven't checked into the details, but I'm thinking that the Bosch CX motor is locking up once it gets under a high load.
I obviously won't ride it until I fix it to be safe, and I'm thinking I'm willing to put some sweat equity into the project.
But I can see a situation where tinkering without a lot of real experience might eat away at money I'm thinking I'm saving with this deal.

Any strong suggestions on why I should or shouldn't try to buy and repair this bike?
Click to expand...
Unless you make some sort of special arrangements with a dealer ahead of time, I doubt you'll be able to buy any parts for a Bosch motor. Those are proprietary/available at dealers only. Dealers, being what they are, are very likely going to discourage you when it comes to working on that motor....

Eating money may be an understatement......
 
AHicks said:
Unless you make some sort of special arrangements with a dealer ahead of time, I doubt you'll be able to buy any parts for a Bosch motor. Those are proprietary/available at dealers only. Dealers, being what they are, are very likely going to discourage you when it comes to working on that motor....

Eating money may be an understatement......
Click to expand...
These guys have bearings, seals, etc. They also do overhauls.

BOSCH Parts Identifier | eBike Motor Repair

LOOKING FOR GEN2 or GEN4? BOSCH Active / Performance Line / CX (Gen 2) BOSCH Performance Line CX (Gen 4) RELATED PRODUCTS BOSG2LRTSNICE, BOSDAMPF, BOSMG, PL ...
ebikemotorrepair.com ebikemotorrepair.com
 
If there is a manufacturer that discourages and attempts to block any form of DIY repair more than Bosch I'd be surprised.
 
New replacement motors come with 2yr warranty same for batteries. New Curry with gen4 motor is $5200. New gen2 motor $1000 fitted? Allow $750 for new battery if needed down the track. Few $100 on tires, drivetrain and brake to bring them up to new level. Need to be buying bike for about $2k depending on drivetrain, brake and tire wear and mileage on battery, assume 20% per 10000km.
With new motor, battery and drivetrain need to be about $4k as you still have 2nd hand bike with older gen motor.
Gen2 CX motor while noisier than new Gen4 still makes short work of hills and can be dongled to get ride of 20mph cutoff, best done when out of warranty.
 
Ok, so the ad is now off craigslist, so I guess through inaction I made the decision to pass on it. With a followup email I found out that the front wheel of the bike was run over. (I don't know how it could have just hit the wheel without the fork, etc.) If it was just the motor at $1200 I could have put a fair amount of money into it, but "it got run over: I replaced everything but the motor and stopped there" just left me unsure for long enough that the decision was made for me.
 
m@Robertson said:
If there is a manufacturer that discourages and attempts to block any form of DIY repair more than Bosch I'd be surprised.
Click to expand...
That is only correct regarding bikes still under warranty. This comment is not even relevant to the OP's circumstances or his question.

Some people are like a stuck record on the Bosch self repair question. Show me a maker of any product that offers a solid warranty and encourages the owner to take a DIY approach and then submit for warranty after really messing things up.
 
Alaskan said:
That is only correct regarding bikes still under warranty. This comment is not even relevant to the OP's circumstances or his question.

Some people are like a stuck record on the Bosch self repair question. Show me a maker of any product that offers a solid warranty and encourages the owner to take a DIY approach and then submit for warranty after really messing things up.
Click to expand...
RAD and a few other brand bikes?
 
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