(Refund Refused/More Issues) My Experience - Brand New Stromer. 3 months of ownership, 2 months of repairs.

[ksantangelo23]

Hi all, I wanted to share my experience with my new Stromer ST2 S. I purchased this as my primary commute to/from work, and leisure. I don't own a vehicle, and otherwise rely on public transportation in Chicago.

All experiences with my bike shop, and Stromer directly were positive and they always willing to bend backwards for me. I only mean to bring this up as a point of quality concerns, and Stromer Corporate's lack of proper attention to the North American market.

I live in Chicago, and purchased my ST2 S from Crazy Lennys in Madison, WI on May 13. They are a 300 mile round-trip away but were offering it for thousands less than my local shop, so it was a no-brainer to work with them.

One week after purchase, I was caught in a rain storm and the Omni display showed water under the screen and stopped working a few hours later. I called Lenny's, and it was promptly replaced under warranty. Process took 7 days, during which I was unable to use the bike. They drop-shipped a new Omni and I could replace it - very simple to do.

Another week later, motor begins vibrating during a ride (similar to other postings you can find when you search this issue).

I call my local bike shop Kozys to see if they could do warranty service, but they wanted $75 to diagnoses, plus costs of labor on warranty service. I call Lenny's again.

Due to the nature of the issue, I had to make another trip to Madison and drop off the bike. Repair ultimately took two weeks, causing two round trips after picking it up. Turns out the motor cabling at the rear wheel became exposed, and debris damaged the cabling and shorted out the motor.

July 15: On a ride, I get another motor error: Error 0x2 10288 and 1020a

I contact Lennys again, and they offer to repair the bike again. Frustrated (with the bike, not Lennys) I contact Stromer directly, and request an exchange or refund. Mike at Stromer offers to replace all parts, but after explaining my history and length of ownership, he beings to work toward and exchange. It has now been 3 1/2 weeks, and as of an hour ago, am finally set up an exchange for a new ST2 S this Sunday

When all is said and done, I will have owned the bike for three months, driven to my bike shop for 1200 miles, spent $200 in gas and tolls, maintained insurance on the bike at $80/mo, have been paying $5/day 5 days a week in alternate transportation to and from work, and have only been able to ride it for one of three months.

All in all, these are the repairs performed on this new bike:
- Omni Replaced
- Motor Replaced
- Motor Cable Replaced
- Motor Cable/Motor Replaced again (Im exchanging the bike before this is going to be done)

This has been the worst experience I have had with any purchase, but I do not fault Lennys, or Mike over at Stromer. Like I said when I started, they were always available and willing to help. The bike is fantastic when it works, but the dealer network, and support are abysmal. Maybe I am just unlucky.

Should I have considered the 300 mile distance of Lennys from my home address? Yes, and I did. But I just did not expect to have to make four visits in three months.

Anyone considering a new Stromer bike, please this story, as well as other stories posted on here in mind.

 

[Deleted member 803]

Other than Trek, Specialized, and Giant the eBike industry is the US is hurting. Many vendors are cash poor and understaffed. It becomes a real challenge to receive first class service when those vendor considers North America as a tertiary market. Most folks don't buy eBikes with a concern for the health of the vendor or the industry. As eBikes increase in complexity and usage, the demand for quality support will grow. I'm afraid that both users and IBD's will be left in the lurch more and more often.

I can foresee a time when more and more eBike batteries die (due to end of life) with customers not being able to source another as the vendor has closed down.

 

[Ebiker01]

As an experienced ebiker and tech. Guy i’ve been saying for months how disastrous a Stromer ebike can be , that ues some owners do get lucky and rode them for years w/o issues and the fact the most buyers of this brand are ego driven when purchasing it b/c the fact is they have no clue or the time to learn about the inner workings of ebikes, battery technology or the quality brands that do not have issues.

Want an unbreakable ebike :
- Ohm, Riese&M. BH EASY motion, Aurora , Bulls, Tern, Magnum, Haibike

To Buy headaches :

- Stromers, treks, Specialized and a few others...
A Shop selling this brands should post a big sign :
Warning : this ebikes may have serious mechanical/battery/components issues !!

 

[Afanifitafa]

We love our Stromer ST2s, that is, my husband and I. However we have discovered that the Stromer corporate office in San Diego shipped out a bike they were apparently using—for 374 miles!—as “new.”

You can see my updated post from today in this forum.

 

[bluecat]

When all is said and done, I will have owned the bike for three months, driven to my bike shop for 1200 miles, spent $200 in gas and tolls, maintained insurance on the bike at $80/mo, have been paying $5/day 5 days a week in alternate transportation to and from work, and have only been able to ride it for one of three months.

I always follow the stories here - and compare them with the content of the swiss stromerforum.ch

The ST2s can be seen as mature e-bike. So, the teething troubles should be gone. But the legacy of the historical way of construction is still there. For example the motor cable. It's handling requires a very skilled bike mechanic. Only the slightest damage during the installation can cause strange system errors. We have rare reports about water issues with the display, more often the controller was affected. Nevertheless, the replacement of the display/OMNI unit is no big deal, every Stromer mechanic is able to do it.

The concept of sales and marketing (in Europe) is, the local bike store has the full profit - and is in charge for any warranty work. The store will get refund from the factory for his work. But if you divide the point of sales from the point of repair, the outcome is very different. This of course is the general principle of all mail order / internet business: The motivation for repair is very limited, if the store has only cost and no profit.

At the end of the day, I hope your ST2s is running fine now, it's the most agile and sporty E-Bike on the market (the ST5 is the mos powerful).

 

[TForan]

The ST

At the end of the day, I hope your ST2s is running fine now, it's the most agile and sporty E-Bike on the market (the ST5 is the mos powerful).

The ST5 is more powerful than a Juiced Hyperfat or a Bafang Ultra equipped bike ? I didn't know that.

 

[bluecat]

The ST5 is more powerful than ...

... all other street legal 45 km/h e-bikes!

A mid drive will never ever been able to compare with the ST5. Even when the mid drive has the same power (max power allowed by law) as the ST5, the power is in the motor housing at the bottom bracket - not on the axle.

Here in Switzerland, the 45km/h - density is higher than at any other place. This gives me the opportunity to compare almost every when i commute. Even a athletic rider cannot follow the ST5 on main road uphill. And I'm not the famous US cyclist Lance Armstrong and do not have any EPO doping ;-)

 

[TForan]

... all other street legal 45 km/h e-bikes!

A mid drive will never ever been able to compare with the ST5. Even when the mid drive has the same power (max power allowed by law) as the ST5, the power is in the motor housing at the bottom bracket - not on the axle.

Here in Switzerland, the 45km/h - density is higher than at any other place. This gives me the opportunity to compare almost every when i commute. Even a athletic rider cannot follow the ST5 on main road uphill. And I'm not the famous US cyclist Lance Armstrong and do not have any EPO doping ;-)

Yea, the Hyperfat and Ultra powered bikes are "off road only" , so you really can't compare. I'd sure like to ride a ST5 and a Hyperfat.

 

[Ebiker01]

The M1 Spitzing or any ebike with that TQ motor would be the most powerful of them all besides rhe DIY ones..

 

[TForan]

The M1 Spitzing or any ebike with that TQ motor would be the most powerful of them all besides rhe DIY ones..

Not according to published specs but those can be off.

 

[bluecat]

The M1 Spitzing or any ebike with that TQ motor would be the most powerful of them.

You're kidding!

The TQ mid drive 500W motor has the electronics still in the motor housing. As with all mid drives, there is a tremendous loss of power between the internal motor axle and the rear axle of the bike. This is cause by the motor-internal gearbox and the the transmission system of the bike itself. With other words, even if the 120 NM / 500W are present at a reasonable pedaling frequency - they are not on the driving axle.

In practice, the M1 Spitzing Evolution will be able to follow an ST5 in the flat area, but if the main road climbs for a while, it will suffer from motor overheating - whilst the ST5 rider switches to the (S) mode...

(I expect, the times when you can get official authorisation for a self-build 45 km/h are over)

 

[TForan]

You're kidding!

The TQ mid drive 500W motor has the electronics still in the motor housing. As with all mid drives, there is a tremendous loss of power between the internal motor axle and the rear axle of the bike. This is cause by the motor-internal gearbox and the the transmission system of the bike itself. With other words, even if the 120 NM / 500W are present at a reasonable pedaling frequency - they are not on the driving axle.

In practice, the M1 Spitzing Evolution will be able to follow an ST5 in the flat area, but if the main road climbs for a while, it will suffer from motor overheating - whilst the ST5 rider switches to the (S) mode...

(I expect, the times when you can get official authorisation for a self-build 45 km/h are over)

I thought a mid drive was more effective in hill climbs than a hub drive. No ?

 

[bluecat]

I thought a mid drive was more effective in hill climbs than a hub drive. No ?

If we talk about a 25km/h eMTB: Yes, I fully agree.

But in respect of the 45 km/h commuter bikes, the M1 is just a marketing toy.

 

[TForan]

If we talk about a 25km/h eMTB: Yes, I fully agree.

But in respect of the 45 km/h commuter bikes, the M1 is just a marketing toy.

I have no problem hitting the low 30s with my mid drive. I'm swapping my 44T chainring for a 52T, so mine should be in the high 30s, even though I don't have a desire to go that fast on a bicycle. I just would like to use more than the top two gears.

 

[opimax]

Somebody do a comparison test. My question is will the Stromer be working ? My St 2s can’t move while in the shop for 4 months , more if you include total time not just this last time, any Bike can beat it! Trying to get my 5 gs back! Out of 7 Stromer 0 have worked well, best riding when working but I have given up. Blue, you need to experience repairs in the US , just crappy response from the office in CA now!

Every shop I have dealt with that was Stromer authorized has dropped them but Lenny’s. I bought 1 there but they aren’t local for service

 

[Ebiker01]

You're kidding!

The TQ mid drive 500W motor has the electronics still in the motor housing. As with all mid drives, there is a tremendous loss of power between the internal motor axle and the rear axle of the bike. This is cause by the motor-internal gearbox and the the transmission system of the bike itself. With other words, even if the 120 NM / 500W are present at a reasonable pedaling frequency - they are not on the driving axle.

In practice, the M1 Spitzing Evolution will be able to follow an ST5 in the flat area, but if the main road climbs for a while, it will suffer from motor overheating - whilst the ST5 rider switches to the (S) mode...

(I expect, the times when you can get official authorisation for a self-build 45 km/h are over)

You’re talking w/o knowledge about that TW motor. It can do 45mph on flat. Just do some googling/you tube.

 

[bluecat]

You’re talking w/o knowledge about that TW motor. It can do 45mph on flat. Just do some googling/you tube.

In 2018, the TQ motor was presented in the Haibike Flyon prototype at Eurobike in Friedrichshafen. With its remarkable drum-design, he attracted my attention. So I tried to get more information. Soon, I learned, M1 Sporttechnik will als use the TQ in the 25km/h but also in the 45km/h version. Furthermore, they will use a unlimited version. I know very well, mid drives are designed for 25 km/h, but can easily cheated to run 45 km/h (primitive speed measurement at the rear wheel).

I could not find any information which would indicate, the 45km/h TQ motor in NOT a pimped 25km/h. But from several reports from pre-serial test I know, the TQ is noisy in the 25 version. Furthermore, i seems, the Haibike Flyon did still not arrive at the market. Haibike is a brand of the very large Accell Group. Now, I ask myself, for what reason they postpone the new TQ-powered bike.

 

[Ebiker01]

45mph the R PEDELEC
and 28mph the S pedelec.
And 120 Real NM.


There’s a youtube vid. Where it pulls a freight train , also the ebike goes up a 30% incline...

The Haibikes are severely restricted, limited. Why did they put that fancy motor if it’s limited to 25kmh ?! Only the High torque is helping but limiting doesn’t help the sales..
In the US it has not arrived yet.

 

[Afanifitafa]

From my observations on the West Coast, Stromers seem to be selling well in the Bay Area and in certain affluent areas in L.A.. I don’t know about San Diego, and I’ve seen maybe 3 other Stromers here in Santa Barbara. Not that I’ve been looking all that much...

I hope Stromer doesn’t give up on the US market. It seems to me that the coming decade will bring much greater incentives to live within planetary boundaries, and electric bikes, especially here in this sunny climate, are ideal for local transportation and cost-effective (that is, when they work! )

Any prospective purchaser would be well-advised to consider how far away they are from a competent Stromer repair shop. And maybe consider if they would be willing or able to learn to repair the bike themselves if they live too great a distance away.

I hope ksantagelo23 has nothing but smooth sailing from now on with his replacement Stromer ST2 S, which he should have received today. I’m crossing my fingers and hope he lets us know how things go!

 

[fxr3]

Hi all, I wanted to share my experience with my new Stromer ST2 S. I purchased this as my primary commute to/from work, and leisure. I don't own a vehicle, and otherwise rely on public transportation in Chicago.

All experiences with my bike shop, and Stromer directly were positive and they always willing to bend backwards for me. I only mean to bring this up as a point of quality concerns, and Stromer Corporate's lack of proper attention to the North American market.

I live in Chicago, and purchased my ST2 S from Crazy Lennys in Madison, WI on May 13. They are a 300 mile round-trip away but were offering it for thousands less than my local shop, so it was a no-brainer to work with them.

One week after purchase, I was caught in a rain storm and the Omni display showed water under the screen and stopped working a few hours later. I called Lenny's, and it was promptly replaced under warranty. Process took 7 days, during which I was unable to use the bike. They drop-shipped a new Omni and I could replace it - very simple to do.

Another week later, motor begins vibrating during a ride (similar to other postings you can find when you search this issue).

I call my local bike shop Kozys to see if they could do warranty service, but they wanted $75 to diagnoses, plus costs of labor on warranty service. I call Lenny's again.

Due to the nature of the issue, I had to make another trip to Madison and drop off the bike. Repair ultimately took two weeks, causing two round trips after picking it up. Turns out the motor cabling at the rear wheel became exposed, and debris damaged the cabling and shorted out the motor.

July 15: On a ride, I get another motor error: Error 0x2 10288 and 1020a

I contact Lennys again, and they offer to repair the bike again. Frustrated (with the bike, not Lennys) I contact Stromer directly, and request an exchange or refund. Mike at Stromer offers to replace all parts, but after explaining my history and length of ownership, he beings to work toward and exchange. It has now been 3 1/2 weeks, and as of an hour ago, am finally set up an exchange for a new ST2 S this Sunday

When all is said and done, I will have owned the bike for three months, driven to my bike shop for 1200 miles, spent $200 in gas and tolls, maintained insurance on the bike at $80/mo, have been paying $5/day 5 days a week in alternate transportation to and from work, and have only been able to ride it for one of three months.

All in all, these are the repairs performed on this new bike:
- Omni Replaced
- Motor Replaced
- Motor Cable Replaced
- Motor Cable/Motor Replaced again (Im exchanging the bike before this is going to be done)

This has been the worst experience I have had with any purchase, but I do not fault Lennys, or Mike over at Stromer. Like I said when I started, they were always available and willing to help. The bike is fantastic when it works, but the dealer network, and support are abysmal. Maybe I am just unlucky.

Should I have considered the 300 mile distance of Lennys from my home address? Yes, and I did. But I just did not expect to have to make four visits in three months.

Anyone considering a new Stromer bike, please this story, as well as other stories posted on here in mind.

While considering a Stromer- my experience..........
My posts will prove over the last 5 years I have owned 1 st1 and 3 st2’s.
And a bulls 28mph and emotion 28mph.
All Stromer have provided bulletproof reliability with st2’s easily pedaling up to and maintaining mid twenty’s. The bulls was a struggle to maintain high teens, and the emotion low twenty’s- at best.
Bulls would climb a 4 to 1 slope at a speed similar to what I could push Stromer at.
I have also ridden top shelf specialized bikes along the way- with 20mph struggle.
Stromer feels way more stable and safe at 28mph.
I’m 59 years old, heart failure and bad knees.
I dig ebikes and am very surprised they have not caught on faster here.
I really wish Stromercompany people would post more here when people are bad mouthing their bikes.
USA is the biggest market for everything- it’s wide open- and Stromer is the best IMO.
Seems like their kinda cocky sales guys on videos need to start responding to some of the bad mouthing on this board and take the great bike into the big leagues. Shimano, Yamaha, Harley, etc.... are going to ramp up, Honda, Kim, etc are going to follow and Stromer has just screwed up a opportunity that most people, mfg can only dream of.
Whatever’s. Multiple my $5000 a year x 300 million Americans. Better than minimum wage.