Rohloff e-14 oil leak

[Jay Kay]

The internet will be amplifying the apparent occurrence of the issue - not good for those experiencing the problem however. Nearly 3 years on mine, no leaks. I do make sure it is never laid on its side however.

 

[JimAndArrow]

The internet will be amplifying the apparent occurrence of the issue - not good for those experiencing the problem however. Nearly 3 years on mine, no leaks. I do make sure it is never laid on its side however.

Same, no leaks in any of my three Rohloffs.

 

[sammcneill]

The internet will be amplifying the apparent occurrence of the issue - not good for those experiencing the problem however. Nearly 3 years on mine, no leaks. I do make sure it is never laid on its side however.

I've been pretty careful with mine and when stored in the garage etc, it's always upright. The only time it's been on it's side is when I've had to camp in the middle of nowhere and nothing to lean it against. Most times I'll lean it against a bush or tree so it's pretty upright.
I'm happy to put mine down to just being unlucky - Rohloff did repair it under warranty (I had to pay freight).

 

[dblhelix]

Im considering an ebike with an e-14. I was getting pretty hyped about it till reading some of these threads .. Most issues here seem to be with R&M or is that just coincidence? Im looking at a different brand. Was there ever any official fix? I wouldnt be able to go weeks without my bike. Im also in Canada so Im expecting the service side of things to be a little worse.

It's not an R&M issue; they've just been selling Rohloff-equipped bikes for quite some time. I don't think any e-brand comes close in terms of sales volume.

I tour a lot, and at this point, I've canvassed scores of Rohloff owners, both on traditional touring bikes and e-bikes. The leaking occurs with the non-e bikes as well. By and large, this is associated with seals needing replacement. This used to be supported as an end-user maintenance operation but no longer. The tools and the seals have been removed from the public catalog.

I'm not necessarily recommending this route, but there's an Austrian seller on eBay who sells a knock-off tool set and seals. That somebody machined quantity tools to sell online informs me that there's demand.

It's not a 'mysterious' oil leak issue. It is not uncommon. Now, if this were a touring forum with old trusty steel steeds, somebody from Rohloff would probably be here explaining that the leaks happen by design, but in a forum for very expensive ebikes kept indoors and emphasizing neat & tidy, all of this is treated as a surprise.