R1UP waterproofed wiring/connections on 700?

This subject makes me disappointed. Acroding to ride1up, " The bikes are not water-proof, they are water-resistant." .... While we do not recommend... riding in the rain.... the bikes can handle water exposure."

The aventon level and r1u 700 are the same bike. aventon says their bike battery and controller are "sealed". You can ride in the rain, ride on wet ground and "splash water from any direction" and it's OK.

R1u says the 700 is not recommended to ride in the rain. I asked support if I"m ridding with other ebikers and a rain shower comes over, is that OK. They told me to, "stop the bike and seek shelter right away."

A few r1u 700 owners have reported that they have ridden in the rain and everything was OK.

After bragging about the 700 to all my friends, if we ever go ridding and it rains, they get to keep ridding and I have to seek shelter.

Roger.
 
I believe that is a hard question to answer since riding through a hard prolong rain storm is different from riding through a sprinkle. My experience from riding a motorcycle through rain is eventually water will try to permeate it's way into your riding gear and puddle in the crotch area of the seat no matter if you have rain gear on. The handle bar controls (turn signals, horn, starter) will start to fail from corrosion from continuous wet weather riding.

I have read if your going to ride through a downpour you should cover the display with plastic and wrap the battery in plastic and tape both ends of the plastic to give it an extra layer of protection. The motor is pretty much sealed.

I'm sure Ride1up does not want to pay a warranty claim if a bike is parked outside all day in the rain and so their answer is to err on the side of caution.

 
Bikemam,
That comparison to the aventon is where I was coming from. Here’s my response from R1UP:

“Are the bikes water-proof?
The bikes are not water-proof, they are water-resistant, rated IP-65. While we do not recommend leaving the bikes out in the rain or riding in the rain or other hazardous conditions due to personal safety, the bikes can handle water exposure.

Some wire connections on our bikes have higo connections that are rated IP67. Other plugs used internally on the bike are not this style, however, they are protected inside the bike.”

Thats reassuring. I’ll likely ask an ebike shop to check the seals on connections and reseal if sees anything concerning.

Mike N., yep read the same about covering controller.
 
If you look down the battery compartment, it's open and can see wires. I wrap this when transporting the bike.
 
This subject makes me disappointed. Acroding to ride1up, " The bikes are not water-proof, they are water-resistant." .... While we do not recommend... riding in the rain.... the bikes can handle water exposure."

The aventon level and r1u 700 are the same bike. aventon says their bike battery and controller are "sealed". You can ride in the rain, ride on wet ground and "splash water from any direction" and it's OK.

R1u says the 700 is not recommended to ride in the rain. I asked support if I"m ridding with other ebikers and a rain shower comes over, is that OK. They told me to, "stop the bike and seek shelter right away."

A few r1u 700 owners have reported that they have ridden in the rain and everything was OK.

After bragging about the 700 to all my friends, if we ever go ridding and it rains, they get to keep ridding and I have to seek shelter.

Roger.
I imagine a certain part of that is just legal CYA. My 700 series is shipping next week so I haven't actually laid eyes on it but I've imagined if you wrote it in a decently heavy rain, not something I really plan on doing hopefully, it would probably be all right. I really doubt many companies would like to say it is waterproof, it's kind of like antibacterial stuff that kills 99.99%. I mean if they said it was totally waterproof then technically you could drop it in a pool and it should be all right.
 
Any bike, any manufacturer, show me one that is waterproof! If the Aventon is the same bike and they claim it's waterproof, why are you hesitating? Or perhaps there's a part of you that says that Aventon is exagerating or misrepresenting that claim. Stop worrying and start riding!
 
Any bike, any manufacturer, show me one that is waterproof! If the Aventon is the same bike and they claim it's waterproof, why are you hesitating? Or perhaps there's a part of you that says that Aventon is exagerating or misrepresenting that claim. Stop worrying and start riding!
Agreed. I'm not worried about it. They look pretty much the same to me one reason I picked the 700 is I like the paint finish and color better, well at least online I haven't seen one in real life yet but hopefully soon.
 
I appreciate everyone’s comments.

When you live where I live and get an average of 7 inches of rain in the summer months... with unpredictable, quick downpours of 1-2 inches... if I find myself away from home where I can’t take the bike indoors, that could pose an issue.

It’s clearly something I need to consider before pulling the trigger to purchase an ebike. Again, thanks for your input.
 
I just wonder how weather resistant the connections are. They could easily be made water resistant but the controller itself? It is at the bottom of the compartment With the battery in place as well as the fenders, you could go through small puddles but I would not try crossing a small stream. It's an awesome bike and I have no regrets at all.
 
Any bike, any manufacturer, show me one that is waterproof! If the Aventon is the same bike and they claim it's waterproof, why are you hesitating? Or perhaps there's a part of you that says that Aventon is exagerating or misrepresenting that claim. Stop worrying and start riding!
Rad people ride the radbikes in Seattle-rain (Seattle rain is purple clouds pouring for days) ride through rim high puddles with no problems. I thought all bikes could. R1up was the first time I heard you couldn't .

Chris.
 
Who knows maybe you can. The point was R1UP says it's water resistant not water proof. Doesn't mean it can't be ridden in the rain just that they're smart enough not to call it waterproof
 
My wife rides hers in the rain, including heavy showers a few times. She commutes to work with it. I'm her mechanic, and I've never given it a second thought until seeing this thread. But she's never had a problem due to water. She's had the bike since February.

I did add some little plastic fender flaps to the bottom of each fender to give a little more protection.
 
My wife rides hers in the rain, including heavy showers a few times. She commutes to work with it. I'm her mechanic, and I've never given it a second thought until seeing this thread. But she's never had a problem due to water. She's had the bike since February.

I did add some little plastic fender flaps to the bottom of each fender to give a little more protection.
does she remove the battery when she arrives at work?
The only thing I've noticed when my bike gets drenched is afterwards my rear breaks squeal. I removed the pads and decontaminated them with alcohol and sand paper. This does the job.
 
No, we do not remove the battery. She doesn't even take the battery key with her. If it's raining hard in the morning she drives instead. But when she had ridden home in the rain, we just park the bike in the garage; maybe next time I'll pop out the battery and see how much water got in there.
 
No, we do not remove the battery. She doesn't even take the battery key with her. If it's raining hard in the morning she drives instead. But when she had ridden home in the rain, we just park the bike in the garage; maybe next time I'll pop out the battery and see how much water got in there.
There shouldn't be any water since it's open in the bottom and I imagine with the battery in place, this would protect the inside. Some remove the battery to discourage thieves but I was wondering if doing so, should we cover the compartment. Being under the frame is a plus.
 
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