Please Give Us Access to E-bike Bosch Updates

[Alaskan]

As I wrote before. The price is about $36 with protocol, they categorize motor update as diagnostic.

Not how it should be. Where in Europe are you? Is this the bike shop that sold you the bike or a different one?

Naming the bike shop that charged you for the update is not out of bounds. Just a statement of facts without name calling would be appropriate.

 

[SPSP2]

I am from Czech and is a local Trek seller, but I bought my ebike in different city.

 

[Alaskan]

I am from Czech and is a local Trek seller, but I bought my ebike in different city.

Okay, this begins to make a little more sense. You are asking a shop that did not sell you the bike to spend time on your bike. If they charge a nominal fee for doing so, it is not so outrageous as it would be if it was the shop that sold the bike to you.

 

[archerlc]

The following was sent to Bosch Customer Service USA. I'd be interested in knowing what your opinion is.

Thanks in advance!

Dear Bosch,​

​

Please give us a consumer version of the e-bike Bosch updates. Give consumers the option to learn how to use the software (firmware) to update our own Bosch motor e-bikes. As a matter of fact, many of us are experienced with computers and other forms of technology, so it should be just another similar device to update.​

​

We know how to update our Macs, our Windows-based computers, our cellphones' operating systems, our phones' apps, and our computers' programs and applications. And there is a sizable consumer population who also know how to troubleshoot problems to resolve a variety of technological issues.​

​

And most importantly, give us direct access to updates at no additional cost to consumers. We all have paid great sums of money for the technology e-bikes rely upon and for the e-bikes we enjoy riding, and that includes the cost of your great technology that you receive upfront when we purchase a Bosch powered e-bike.​

​

I understand that Bosch has no current control over the software update fees bike shops charge consumers. However, maybe it's time (or long overdue) to embrace the business model that Apple, Microsoft, and the thousands of software companies utilize every day.​

​

Allow consumers the option to plugin our e-bikes' computers to update our own bikes without having to pay bike shops an additional $35 to $50 for simple drive unit updates, battery updates, and computer updates. The premium prices we have initially paid should not soak us for additional money to gain access to your updates-- it's a greedy practice that bike shops bank on for the life of Bosch powered e-bikes.​

​

If Bosch changed their business model to what I am suggesting, the company's products would see the popularity of their products skyrocket exponentially.​

It’s not the fee. I’m at my summer place 2.5 hours from my LBS. I won’t be back until September. I want to turn my lights off. They are on constantly and neither one blinks. Trek Allant+8S

 

[Alaskan]

It’s not the fee. I’m at my summer place 2.5 hours from my LBS. I won’t be back until September. I want to turn my lights off. They are on constantly and neither one blinks. Trek Allant+8S

If there is a Trek store close to where you are summering, perhaps they will help you out. It will take no more than 10 minutes to connect your bike to the Bosch system and toggle the box to enable the on/off light control on your display unit. There might be a charge for their time but it should not be very costly, whatever their minimum is and maybe if they are good guys they will do it for free. If there is anything you might need like a spare tube, chain, a jersey, tire pressure gauge, maybe take it to the counter to ring it up and ask if they could enable the on/off function on your bike, letting them know you are at your summer home now and would like to get this change made before you get home. If you are now a customer, even for an accessory, they might be more inclined to help and do so without charge as a goodwill gesture.

 

[Dallant]

It’s not the fee. I’m at my summer place 2.5 hours from my LBS. I won’t be back until September. I want to turn my lights off. They are on constantly and neither one blinks. Trek Allant+8S

IMHO, any Trek store should be happy to do that gratis, especially considering your good will and that you’ll send more business their way while you are there. AND ITS A TREK!

 

[Alaskan]

IMHO, any Trek store should be happy to do that gratis, especially considering your good will and that you’ll send more business their way while you are there. AND ITS A TREK!

If it is, indeed, a Trek store, I agree wholeheartedly. They all are owned by the same entity, Trek Corporation, that made a tidy profit when you purchased the bike.

However there are locally owned bike shops that carry Trek, Specialized, Giant and other brands. I don't think it is reasonable to expect a local shop, under separate ownership, to to devote their employee's time to service a bike purchased from a shop owned by someone else that profited from your purchase.

I do agree it would be not only nice but wise for them to do so. It is so much easier, and less costly to acquire a new customer through courtesy, good will and helpfulness than it is buying pay-per-click ads from Google or Facebook.

To summarize, I agree it would be good business and common decency for a shop to do an update without charge. However, under these circumstances, I don't think it reasonable to expect, or fair to demand, free service.

 

[archerlc]

Thank you, again I don’t care about the fee. There is a shop about 25 minutes away. I’ll call them.

 

[webcurl]

If this *HAD* been bought in 1950 - you most likely would have received a full size schematic when you took delivery and the owner's manual would have contained a "servicing" section in the appendix!

But not these days, unfortunately. I was amazed out how little "self servicing" is possible with my Bosch system...

And then the Japanese would have copied it a few months later, these day's it would be the Chinese copying the schematic and releasing a few months later

 

[webcurl]

A quicker intermediate solution would be for Bosch to mandate that Bosch Certified shops provide free of charge, any system or motor firmware updates and setting basic values and adjustments like increased torque values or ability to switch lights on and off at the control head. Their Bosch certification and access could be rescinded if they charge a customer in violation of this policy.

They should still be free to charge a fee for changing settings needed due for drive train modifications or other work done at the LBS beyond warranty or basic firmware updates. We would not want to see the distribution of Bosch certified shops be reduced due to onerous requirements from Bosch.

This could get messy, opening a can of worms so to speak.
The only way to appease all of this is for Bosch to allow the end-user to update themselves.
And it's the way it should be, coupled with a detailed "changelog" visible to all end-users.

 

[MrLibraryMan]

IMHO, any Trek store should be happy to do that gratis, especially considering your good will and that you’ll send more business their way while you are there. AND ITS A TREK!

Unless you have the three Trek (corporate owned) shops near my home telling you that they will charge $35 to $40 to connect their computer to your bike, your humble opinion unfortunately won’t matter— even the Trek shop that sold you the bike.

 

[MrLibraryMan]

It’s not the fee. I’m at my summer place 2.5 hours from my LBS. I won’t be back until September. I want to turn my lights off. They are on constantly and neither one blinks. Trek Allant+8S

And since they’re connecting your bike’s computer to the Bosch software, you might want to have them update your drive unit and battery.

 

[Dallant]

Unless you have the three Trek (corporate owned) shops near my home telling you that they will charge $35 to $40 to connect their computer to your bike, your humble opinion unfortunately won’t matter— even the Trek shop that sold you the bike.

Where are these three Trek shops? Because I’ve been to three within an hour of my house and another in my kids town that have offered or have actually done it for zip.

 

[MrLibraryMan]

Where are these three Trek shops? Because I’ve been to three within an hour of my house and another in my kids town that have offered or have actually done it for zip.

San Diego area

 

[Nwtravler]

It’s not the fee. I’m at my summer place 2.5 hours from my LBS. I won’t be back until September. I want to turn my lights off. They are on constantly and neither one blinks. Trek Allant+8S

You turn the lights off on you display, you don't need it done by a shop.

 

[Dallant]

You turn the lights off on you display, you don't need it done by a shop.

Actually you do need that on/off option enabled by a shop on some Bosch controllers. I had to have it done on the Purion of my Trek Allant+7.

 

[archerlc]

Actually you do need that on/off option enabled by a shop on some Bosch controllers. I had to have it done on the Purion of my Trek Allant+7.

Correct

 

[webcurl]

You turn the lights off on you display, you don't need it done by a shop.

How to switch off my superdelite HS lights?

Does anyone know how to switch off the bike lights on a superdelite SG Rohloff HS? The light switch on the Kiox doesn't do anything. The dealer told me that the lights are always on as a safety feature. It may be because the bike is a pedelec. Off-road on a bright sunny day it's unnecessary to...

electricbikereview.com