Known Issues & Problems with Juiced Bikes Products + Help, Solutions & Fixes

[Reid]

Thanks for the chain info. Btw, what is this horrible grey/silver chain lube they use? It's absolutely filthy. Maybe I'm just a bike noob and it's something really great but I hate it, especially after having to put the chain back on so many times and getting it all over my hand.

Hi there. All bike chains quickly turn their lubricant gray and then black with wear particles of the steel (and nickel plate, etc.) of which they are made. Interestingly, the same rub products will stain black a light colored polishing cloth: tiny, abraded particles of metal, whether you are polishing gold, aluminum or stainless steel, etc. Your bike chain will always be a bit dirty.

 

[Dunbar]

Was it an older cross current (350 watt motor) or a New Cross Current S? Those batteries are integrated into the frame and the dealer had a other batter that fit the CC or CCS battery mount?

I’m pretty sure all of the Cross Current series batteries are interchangeable. Actually, I think all of the Ocean Current and Hyper Fat batteries would fit too. I’ve gone from 7.8-to-10.4-to-17.4aH on my original Cross Current. I’m planning to swap the 17.4aH battery over if I upgrade to the Cross Current S.

 

[madmax666]

Got my Cross Current Air today. Nice bike but only lasted 15 minutes, then battery blacked out. Tried to charge, nothing, dead . . . I have two other ebikes . . . . not seen this before. At same time I noticed the standard 8.8 Ah battery which I have, is no longer available for any of the bikes . . . so anyone know what's up? Did an entire batch go bad?

 

[Andy_in_CA]

Madmax666 someone else on this forum had the exact same problem that your describing. Sounded like a battery issue and a replacement was sent out.... also there have been some battery mount issues on some of the CC Airs but that is just motor cutout here and there....

call and submit a ticket and hopefully you'll get it resolved soon.

 

[john peck]

I've had some issues with my chain falling off the chainring and getting stuck between the teeth and the outer plate. I think I need to increase the tension in my chain but I'm not sure how to do this. Any tips?

I"ve had mine get stuck between the chain guard & chainring, Kinda scary, I was pedaling & nothing was happening. I thought I'd broken my
new CCS but the chain was just slipping between the two. I think this was due to my habit of backing the pedal into take-off position which allows
the slack chain to drop. To fix this I narrowed the gap between the guard about 3mm with a few gentle taps to the guard with a rubber hammer,
being careful to keep it cosmetic & smooth.

 

[john peck]

Got my Cross Current Air today. Nice bike but only lasted 15 minutes, then battery blacked out. Tried to charge, nothing, dead . . . I have two other ebikes . . . . not seen this before. At same time I noticed the standard 8.8 Ah battery which I have, is no longer available for any of the bikes . . . so anyone know what's up? Did an entire batch go bad?

That must be real annoying. Supposedly those battery packs are all tested before they go out. When I first got my CCS , I thought I'd broken something when
I couldn't get power to the display. Installing that pack turns out to be a bit tricky & if you don't get in right you get nothing. However. if yours was working &
then died, the connection to the controller may have been damaged,(worst case senario). If it's just the battery, have it tested. (auto parts store). If it's a
bum battery you can likely talk Tora into an upgrade replacement, though it's my understanding that more 8.8ah are on the way. I don't think he anticipated
as much business as has poured in & has his hands full keeping up. All I can say is be patient & keep hounding Juiced 'til you get satisfaction.

 

[john peck]

Hi! my best advice is to always read the reviews from real users. This is why Amazon provides them on each item. Also you get to know the real pros and cons about the product. Even if its the best option for you as you might prefer something like a Rad or a Stromer. That is why this forum is a great tool ( thanks Ann and EBR team!) that you can use.

Getting an ebike is an important investment, that is why we recommend visiting a local dealer, a regular bikeshop and even the mobile techs as professional assembly and maintenance will make a difference on your day to day. Theres also great youtube training videos and free Park tool training on lots of bikeshops. The more you know the better

So true, If you don't know what you're doing find someone who does, or study the many repair videos online. Carefully think things through before diving in.

 

[Dunbar]

I"ve had mine get stuck between the chain guard & chainring, Kinda scary, I was pedaling & nothing was happening. I thought I'd broken my new CCS but the chain was just slipping between the two.

Many of us had this problem with the original Cross Current. It would happen to me as I shifted the rear derailleur into the highest gears. The solution is to take the outer chain guard off and flip it around 180 degrees. This works by reducing the gap between chainring and outer chain guard. I was having constant problems with the chain getting stuck and have not had it happen since doing this fix. I can’t take credit for it though. Another member suggested this fix.

 

[Keith Kunz]

That's great! I got my bike back with repairs too. I haven't had a chance to test it yet but I plan to make use of it this upcoming week!

Bryan, since we have similar Cross Current S, and same battery pack, i was curious what fix they provided you. did they change the battery mount? was it a successful fix?

 

[Keith Kunz]

Hi Tora,
My bike falls into category 1. and it doesn't seem to lock in, no matter what pressure is applied.
I have sent in the email about this to the support team, but have not gotten a reply.
I have a Cross Current S, with 17A battery. Is there a new mount interface for the battery that we can request? I have been waiting on a fix for the bike for >1 month.
Was hoping to get a response, or a phone call, now that problem is better understood.

Keith



"Most all of the packs that lost power is because the pack is not all the way seated and locked in place. One way to test this is to insert the battery, then try to pull the pack out without turning the key.

1. If the pack comes out without turning the key. It WILL disconnect over bumps.
2. If the pack stays locked in and can’t be pulled out, it is very unlikely the pack will disconnect over bumps. "

 

[Bryan]

Bryan, since we have similar Cross Current S, and same battery pack, i was curious what fix they provided you. did they change the battery mount? was it a successful fix?

Hi Keith,

They said something about needing to adjust the way that the battery makes contact to the bike. Some adjustments needed to be made. I've been in and out of town this week so I'm hoping to do a 20 mile test run tomorrow.

 

[Keith Kunz]

Hi Tora,
My bike falls into category 1. and the 17.4ah battery doesn't seem to lock in, no matter what pressure is applied or how the key is jiggled. I watch the video from Luis about 20 times to make sure I wan't missing anything.

I have sent in the email about this to the support team a couple of days ago, but have not gotten a reply.
I have a Cross Current S, with 17.4Ah battery. Is there a new mount interface for the battery that we can request? I have been waiting on a fix for the bike for >1 month.
Was hoping to get a response, or a phone call, now that problem is better understood.

We notice some users have some difficulty with the battery install and some intermittent power over bumps. We have had a little bit of time to understand the issue. Here is why there are some tight fitting battery packs.

The down tube of the frames are extruded like pasta then cut to the length required. The tubes are then CNC cut out. Basically its a precise drill that cuts out that battery cavity section.

The big packs (17.4 and 21.0 Ah) we make our selves and have more control.

The standard packs 8.8 Ah and 12.8 Ah packs we buy from Reention (http://www.reention.com/product/2) the battery case, the upper and lower interface bits. The interface bits get screwed into upper and lower slots of the cavity that is cut out of the frame.

When you insert the battery, it should snap in and lock. Everything has to be millimeter precise or the pack will:

1. Rattle around and disconnect over bumps.
2. Be too tight and does not set all the way in and disconnect over bumps.

The tricky part from the manufacturing standpoint is that the parts are changing at different rates but they all have to come together with millimeter precision.

So the cavity of the downtube can be adjusted by adjusting the numbers in the CAD file which is used to CNC cut the tube, easy. The plastic parts are basically not changeable by us. they are injection moulded and sent to us, so we just buy it. Hard.

The thing is the company making the case and the battery parts sometimes make tiny changes to the design. We have to each adjust the CNC to the plastic parts. All this creates massive confusion, on a few of the Air bikes the section is a little too tight.

We have checked all the bikes as they come off the line and the battery can go in and lock solidly in place, yes but it is quite tight. Tight is better as the interface parts are plastic and can compress over time. There has been some reports from other assemblers of the pack being so loose they fall out. We have the opposite problem.

Most all of the packs that lost power is because the pack is not all the way seated and locked in place. One way to test this is to insert the battery, then try to pull the pack out without turning the key.

1. If the pack comes out without turning the key. It WILL disconnect over bumps.
2. If the pack stays locked in and can’t be pulled out, it is very unlikely the pack will disconnect over bumps.

The tricky thing on some of the bikes is the pack is so tight that tricks some users from thinking the pack is locked in when actually it is not. It is something like when you slightly close a car door. It seems closed, but its not really all the way closed. You have to use a bit of force to get it to shut completely. We found if you install and remove it a few times it gets much easier to do as the plastic beds in a little.

In the future productions we will have this issue solved, by firstly more carefully understanding the battery and interface bits more carefully before doing the CNC work.

So what if the battery still cannot sit in totally and lock in place even after pushing with more force? Contact our Tech support again and we have several ways to improve it and can get 100% of them to work normally.

 

[Keith Kunz]

Hi Keith,

They said something about needing to adjust the way that the battery makes contact to the bike. Some adjustments needed to be made. I've been in and out of town this week so I'm hoping to do a 20 mile test run tomorrow.

Thanks Bryan! Keep us in the loop on how it goes...

 

[john peck]

Initially I couldn't seem to get the pack to seat.(frustrating). I found that after getting the node at the bottom lodged
in it's cavity, if I swung the pack to the right until it was parallel & in the same plane as the right side of the frame, it would mash
straight down into place, provided it was firmly kept from moving side to side.(if that helps) It shouldn't move once snapped
in. If it does it is not properly seated. For me it was a very snug fit,(1 mm or less tolerance )
I should add, You shouldn't need the key to insert pack, only to remove it.

 

[Bryan]

Thanks Bryan! Keep us in the loop on how it goes...

Hi Keith,

I did two 20 mile tests on Saturday and Sunday and had no issues with the battery or electronics. I felt confident enough to ride to work today and all went off without a hitch. Overall the riding has been very good, minus the quality of San Diego streets of course; that seems to be the limiting factor. I accidentally hit a bump pretty hard on Saturday and my chain came off but I was easily able to put it back on. I did notice that every once in a while the gear shifting is a little delayed but that might be something that I need to adjust.

Otherwise, so far so good! This bike is very fast and takes hills exceptionally well! Even going up Presidio Park from Morena Blvd I can still maintain 15 mph easily and that's a very steep hill.

 

[john peck]

Hi Keith,

I did two 20 mile tests on Saturday and Sunday and had no issues with the battery or electronics. I felt confident enough to ride to work today and all went off without a hitch. Overall the riding has been very good, minus the quality of San Diego streets of course; that seems to be the limiting factor. I accidentally hit a bump pretty hard on Saturday and my chain came off but I was easily able to put it back on. I did notice that every once in a while the gear shifting is a little delayed but that might be something that I need to adjust.

Otherwise, so far so good! This bike is very fast and takes hills exceptionally well! Even going up Presidio Park from Morena Blvd I can still maintain 15 mph easily and that's a very steep hill.

I've noticed a bit of a delay shifting when I put a lot of pressure to the pedal, but if I ease off slightly while shifting it changes very smoothly.

 

[Bob Valenzuela]

Thanks Bryan for sharing. I felt all alone here with this problem. No more. Let me know how you get it resolved. after going through pre-trip checklists they provided (attached), i suspect it is that it is a) the controller or b) connection to controller. These are embedded inside the frame and i have not figured out how to access.

Hello Keith and Bryan and other frustrated CC owners.

I have had mine for a few months and enjoy my crosscurrent bike a lot... until recently when the assist level led lights on my controller display would blink during a ride then the bike would turn itself off. At first it would happen once a ride, but lately it happens every five minutes or so. I tried disconnecting and reconnecting all the connections, including the one inside the downtube (battery to controller connection.) All connections seem to be good.
I don't know if the problem is just a loose connection or a problem with the controller, the controller display, or the torque sensor, or maybe even the battery (10.4 Ah). Haven't heard from Juiced customer support (despite putting in two tickets) that's why I am trying my luck on this forum. My bike is out of warranty but I just want to ride it again, and am willing to buy whatever part. Problem is, I have been waiting more than a month for Juiced to reply. I hope Tora or Luis from Juiced responds to my problem and yours.

 

[Bob Valenzuela]

We notice some users have some difficulty with the battery install and some intermittent power over bumps. We have had a little bit of time to understand the issue. Here is why there are some tight fitting battery packs.

The down tube of the frames are extruded like pasta then cut to the length required. The tubes are then CNC cut out. Basically its a precise drill that cuts out that battery cavity section.



The big packs (17.4 and 21.0 Ah) we make our selves and have more control.

The standard packs 8.8 Ah and 12.8 Ah packs we buy from Reention (http://www.reention.com/product/2) the battery case, the upper and lower interface bits. The interface bits get screwed into upper and lower slots of the cavity that is cut out of the frame.

When you insert the battery, it should snap in and lock. Everything has to be millimeter precise or the pack will:

1. Rattle around and disconnect over bumps.
2. Be too tight and does not set all the way in and disconnect over bumps.

The tricky part from the manufacturing standpoint is that the parts are changing at different rates but they all have to come together with millimeter precision.

So the cavity of the downtube can be adjusted by adjusting the numbers in the CAD file which is used to CNC cut the tube, easy. The plastic parts are basically not changeable by us. they are injection moulded and sent to us, so we just buy it. Hard.

The thing is the company making the case and the battery parts sometimes make tiny changes to the design. We have to each adjust the CNC to the plastic parts. All this creates massive confusion, on a few of the Air bikes the section is a little too tight.

We have checked all the bikes as they come off the line and the battery can go in and lock solidly in place, yes but it is quite tight. Tight is better as the interface parts are plastic and can compress over time. There has been some reports from other assemblers of the pack being so loose they fall out. We have the opposite problem.

Most all of the packs that lost power is because the pack is not all the way seated and locked in place. One way to test this is to insert the battery, then try to pull the pack out without turning the key.

1. If the pack comes out without turning the key. It WILL disconnect over bumps.
2. If the pack stays locked in and can’t be pulled out, it is very unlikely the pack will disconnect over bumps.

The tricky thing on some of the bikes is the pack is so tight that tricks some users from thinking the pack is locked in when actually it is not. It is something like when you slightly close a car door. It seems closed, but its not really all the way closed. You have to use a bit of force to get it to shut completely. We found if you install and remove it a few times it gets much easier to do as the plastic beds in a little.

In the future productions we will have this issue solved, by firstly more carefully understanding the battery and interface bits more carefully before doing the CNC work.

So what if the battery still cannot sit in totally and lock in place even after pushing with more force? Contact our Tech support again and we have several ways to improve it and can get 100% of them to work normally.

Tora,

My Crosscurrent (350w, 10.4 Ah battery) also powers off by itself during a ride. The battery mounts on mine are fine and fit is snug - my problem is that every few minutes or so during a ride the assist level LED lights on my controller display blink a few seconds then the bike either shuts down or reverts back to the last (previous) assist level. I have tried disconnecting and reconnecting all connections but no luck. I suspect a problem with my controller or maybe the torque sensor. Hope you respond to my question... Juiced tech support does not respond to my problems. I am abroad and cannot send my bike to San Diego for service. It is out of warranty anyway.
I love my bike and just want to ride it again. Since my bike has been discontinued, will the new controller and controller display on the crosscurrent S work on mine? Can i buy a kit to convert my bike to Crosscurrent S specs?

 

[youth]

Tora,

My Crosscurrent (350w, 10.4 Ah battery) also powers off by itself during a ride. The battery mounts on mine are fine and fit is snug - my problem is that every few minutes or so during a ride the assist level LED lights on my controller display blink a few seconds then the bike either shuts down or reverts back to the last (previous) assist level. I have tried disconnecting and reconnecting all connections but no luck. I suspect a problem with my controller or maybe the torque sensor.

I've had this issue & for me it was either the controller or the wiring harness. Do you ride in wet weather? Check the connector from the display to the harness for any corrosion. Maybe gently put pressure on the various connections there as you you turn on the bike.

 

[Jax]

Hi Bob V,
I had the same flashing light and power cut problem on my 350 watt CC, it seems from overheating damage. I live in hot Atlanta and was riding full tilt up long hilly stretches. I got a new controller (actually my second) back in January and haven’t had the problem since, despite a summer of riding. It seems they’ve addressed the controller overheat problem by dissipating heat better to the frame and perhaps other changes.

Luis suspected at one point that my bike’s problem might have been the 3 to 1 wire connector (wiring harness that Youth mentioned?) after my first controller didn’t fully fix the problem, but no luck. The second controller has worked like a charm... knock on wood.