Thanks for adding me

[David Harbolt]

I currently have an Ancheer mountain bike. It's been pretty reliable for 200 miles, then the planetary and ring gears disintegrated. So now it has no propulsion except manual pedaling. Can't reach the company for parts or technical advice. Tried both phone numbers listed, e-mailed, and sent a letter. No response.

Any advice where I might be able to get a complete rear wheel assembly? Thanks.

 

[ebikemom]

Isn’t Ancheer the brand Costco sells? If you bought it there, will they help you?

 

[ebikemom]

Ah! I have a neighbor who bought one from Costco. Thanks!

 

[David Harbolt]

Isn’t Ancheer the brand Costco sells? If you bought it there, will they help you?

Bought it at Walmart

 

[indianajo]

The amazon search term for rear wheel 26" motor kits is : electric bicycle e-bike 26" rear wheel motor conversion kit
If front motor, substitute that term. If wheel diameter is not that size, substitute the size you have. Same search should work on e-bay.
I don't suggest trying to buy a motor wheel without a controller, they often don't match up. Also the controller is only $35, and the brake switches and throttle often don't match up between individual units. Even long term suppliers like ebikeling.com change vendors from time to time and their new parts won't fit their old controllers.
If any internally rounted wires don't match the new kit wires, run new wires externally. If the battery wiring is internal, you may have to learn to solder on an XT90 connector, crimp on an andersn connector, or crimp on 30 amp .157" diameter bullet connectors from Dorman at the auto supply. The crimp tool fot the bullet connectors is rather standard and dorman sells those too at the auto supply. Pull test crimped on connectors before using.

 

[John from Connecticut]

Bought it at Walmart

How long have you owned the bike and how did you pay for it....Credit Card, Cash, etc ?

 

[David Harbolt]

How long have you owned the bike and how did you pay for it....Credit Card, Cash, etc ?

Paid with my debit card back in November 2017. Walmart online.

 

[CCLisa]

I've learned to always use a credit card for large purchases. At least then you have the protection. I'm currently researching ebikes and will use cc even though I have the cash. Not much though, and so don't want to get ripped off. And I'll probably buy online because the ebikes at my LBS are way too expensive for me!

 

[John from Connecticut]

Paid with my debit card back in November 2017. Walmart online.

A debit card is 'cash' from the merchants perspective. Never ever use a debit card if you have the slightest doubt about a product.
There's no buyer protection, no refund like credit cards.

 

[Amazer98]

Plus many Visa credit cards (and perhaps MasterCards) will automatically double the manufacture’s warranty up to one year.

 

[Pragmatic]

@David Harbolt Darn that's a bummer. A lot of the lower mid-priced e-bikes have minimal warranties if any. The mechanical and electronic complexity of e-Bikes make them more prone to issues (many experience no issues) than simple pedal bikes. The manufacturers or bike stores selling e-Bikes often incur non-inconsequential costs in providing product support, so if you desire warranty support, it's best to add it st time of purchase if offered. and as @Amazer98 mentioned next time use a credit card vice debt card if your card provider extends warranty terms. For those who self build their e-Bike of course you have component mgf warranties (conditionally 24 to 36 months for Bafang) and basically"self insure" for labor.

Your Ancheer mountain bike looks to have a rear hub motor. Many bikes use Bafang sourced mid-drive and hub motors. Check to see what your Bafang (if that's your motor drive source) component coverage either directly from Bafang, or through bike assembler Ancheer.

As @indianajo indicated, if not under warranty, you should be able to find and purchase the parts you need to get your broken Ancheer rolling again.

Good Luck and Safe Riding (when your bike gets fixed)!

 

[Brewerpaul]

Plus many Visa credit cards (and perhaps MasterCards) will automatically double the manufacture’s warranty up to one year.

Yup-- I just found out that my Costco Visa card does this. I called to verify that this would include the electronics of an ebike and was told that it would.
You'd have to supply repair estimates.
Walmart and Amazon, probably others, offer paid warranty extensions for pretty reasonable prices. Has anyone looked into these? What exactly they'd cover etc.

 

[Pragmatic]

@Brewerpaul Thanks for posting this re. Costco Visa coverage extension (effectively an ESC)...

Re.. your question about paid "warranty"/extended service contracts (ESCs)... effectiveness and their level of customer service varies by the company (some good some bad). Consumer Reports has for many decades generally cautioned against the ESCs.

The reason I put quotes around "warranty" is that, legally speaking, only the manufacturer of a product, can offer a true warranty for a product, anything beyond that is technically an ESC.

A true warranty stipulates that the manufacturer (or an authorized agent designated by that manufacturer) will repair or replace defective products using its own service facilities and factory parts. Other2nd 3rd companies cannot call their coverage policy a true warranty, since there is no official affiliation with the manufacturer. 2nd/3rd party offer what is technically called extended service contracts (not warranties/extended warranties).

We never used to buy ESCs on high dollar items based upon the Consumer Reports (and others savvy guidance), however the extreme complexity of today's vehicles, RVs, and some consumer electronics including e-Bikes (especially lower end e-Bikes often sold w/minimal warranty coverage) make consideration of ESCs more compelling but not manditory.

You need to carefully read the terms of coverage, and exclusions (often many) and consider the price and duration of coverage. Not all coverage offerings are a good choice, and it's best to decline/walk on those. Alternately, you can set aside some personal savings to cover future uncovered failures that hopefully never come. Either way it's a crap shoot.

 

[Brewerpaul]

@Brewerpaul Thanks for posting this re. Costco Visa coverage extension (effectively an ESC)...


The reason I put quotes around "warranty" is that, legally speaking, only the manufacturer of a product, can offer a true warranty for a product, anything beyond that is technically an ESC.

Thanks for that clarification. Let me guess; you're a lawyer ;-) I mean that only in jest, you're clarification is very useful and a distinction I'd never thought of. If and when I do use an ESC for an eBike purchase, I'll double check to verify,hopefully in writing, that the whole cost of the bike, or repairs is indeed covered.
A problem with mail order bikes,especially the low end ones, is that local bike shops don't want to work on them. Maybe they'll work on the analog bike parts like brakes,handlebars etc, but they don't want to touch the electrical systems.
I haven't looked yet, but if returning the whole bike is a requirement to take advantage of the ESC, WalMart might be a good online place to purchase since a faulty bike could hopefully be returned to a local store. Again, I'll look into it further if I go that route.

 

[Pragmatic]

Thanks for that clarification. Let me guess; you're a lawyer ;-) I mean that only in jest, you're clarification is very useful and a distinction I'd never thought of. If and when I do use an ESC for an eBike purchase, I'll double check to verify,hopefully in writing, that the whole cost of the bike, or repairs is indeed covered.
A problem with mail order bikes,especially the low end ones, is that local bike shops don't want to work on them. Maybe they'll work on the analog bike parts like brakes,handlebars etc, but they don't want to touch the electrical systems.
I haven't looked yet, but if returning the whole bike is a requirement to take advantage of the ESC, WalMart might be a good online place to purchase since a faulty bike could hopefully be returned to a local store. Again, I'll look into it further if I go that route.

@Brewerpaul - You bring up a good point about Local Bike Shops (LBS) sometimes being reluctant to work on low-end E-Bikes. An item to add to one's shopping/purchase criteria should be an e-Bike that has components, including drive components, sourced from a reputable or widely used manufacturers. Point about buying through a vendor with a better customer service rep is also good.

I can understand the reluctance to service some of the low-end e-Bikes can relate to designs and components that can be a bit sketchy, warranty compensation from less-known manufacturers - slow to non-existant, and the required repair parts difficult to come by or not available at all. Of course that's a legit upgrade/upsale opportunity for the LBS for new, better components if the customer is willing to pay for them.

As an example, Bafang, could be considered more reputable than most due to the volume of units produced and sold world wide, even though they are offshore they do have USA component sales. Luna Cycle on the west coast is/was an e-Bike pioneer and also sells Bafang, Luna is well regarded by many. The Bafang systems are relatively straight forward in design, while not perfect, keeps making design upgrades, and there is identifiable parts and component support. There is also a lot of troubleshooting and repair information on the web, so you could also get parts/make upgrades, or repairs in the event there was no willing LBS, warranty, or ESC coverage. Just a thought...

BTW, I'm not a lawyer but a very experienced consumer. Were I younger, I'd add a law degree to my wall of sheepskins ;-). Ride On!