The infamous Motobecane HAL E-MTB. I bought one…

[wrongwayjefe]

300 mile update:

No battery un-clicks after several rides, so I’m calling it solved.

Range has been good now that the trails have dried up some. A full charge will now last much longer than I care to ride.

Back brake pads are pretty much shot. 1,2 and 3 gears on the cassette won’t hold the chain under full load. I consider this accelerated wear due to the muddy conditions I was riding in when the bike was new.

The play in the linkage hasn’t gotten any worse since replacing the bottom bolt. I did notice that the top bushing rotates while the bottom does not, making the bolt and sleeve act as a plane bearing. Not sure if this is just an issue with my bike but it’s probably a good idea to grease both the top and bottom shock bolts periodically.

I’ve been riding on both the 27.5 and 29 wheels and I like the 27.5 better because they turn easier/quicker. Tried mullet for a few rides, but it didn’t seem better than 29, probably because there isn’t a way to raise the rear back to where it should be. I was getting a lot of pedal strikes with the 175mm cranks and the 27.5s so I ordered Miranda 160mm cranks. I thought they would take some time to get used to, I didn’t miss the longer cranks after a ride or two.

I replaced the deraullier with a gx which seems to shift better. For $100 it seems like a decent upgrade.

The adjuster on the dropper lever works itself out over time to the point where the lever won’t fully disengage and the seat won’t stay up. Turning it back in so there is a little slack in the cable fixes it, more annoying than anything else.

So for about $3700 all in I’m pretty happy with the bike. I think it’s a good value and starting point for those who want something better than the low end trash, but don’t want to go all in on a $5k big name brand.

 

[Gdjones67]

300 mile update:

No battery un-clicks after several rides, so I’m calling it solved.

Range has been good now that the trails have dried up some. A full charge will now last much longer than I care to ride.

Back brake pads are pretty much shot. 1,2 and 3 gears on the cassette won’t hold the chain under full load. I consider this accelerated wear due to the muddy conditions I was riding in when the bike was new.

The play in the linkage hasn’t gotten any worse since replacing the bottom bolt. I did notice that the top bushing rotates while the bottom does not, making the bolt and sleeve act as a plane bearing. Not sure if this is just an issue with my bike but it’s probably a good idea to grease both the top and bottom shock bolts periodically.

I’ve been riding on both the 27.5 and 29 wheels and I like the 27.5 better because they turn easier/quicker. Tried mullet for a few rides, but it didn’t seem better than 29, probably because there isn’t a way to raise the rear back to where it should be. I was getting a lot of pedal strikes with the 175mm cranks and the 27.5s so I ordered Miranda 160mm cranks. I thought they would take some time to get used to, I didn’t miss the longer cranks after a ride or two.

I replaced the deraullier with a gx which seems to shift better. For $100 it seems like a decent upgrade.

The adjuster on the dropper lever works itself out over time to the point where the lever won’t fully disengage and the seat won’t stay up. Turning it back in so there is a little slack in the cable fixes it, more annoying than anything else.

So for about $3700 all in I’m pretty happy with the bike. I think it’s a good value and starting point for those who want something better than the low end trash, but don’t want to go all in on a $5k big name brand.

I have the same bike and had the problem with the battery coming unsecure. I have found out that you can actually move the lower battery mount that is down by the motor. You can loosen the two Allen screws and slide the bracket forward which allows better engagement with the battery contacts and lock up at the top. Its effectively the same as what you did with your little rubber spacers on the but your moving the whole bracket forward as opposed to just the battery.

 

[wrongwayjefe]

500 mile and probably last update…

Creaks have developed and are reminder to check over all of the suspension, crank and headset bolts. What I thought were the forks creaking turned out to be the headset. It was only minimally greased and had some rust. A good cleaning and re-greasing got it back to normal.

Other than that, not much to report. I did try the charge port again on a whim and it’s now working!

The only other thing to mention is that a friend got a Giant Trance X E+ 3 which weighs 40-45 lbs and the “blue beast” is quite noticeably heavier, I’d guess that it’s about 60lbs. Again, it’s not really noticeable when riding, but makes lifting it up over the tailgate with the battery in tricky.

Oh, I did see someone post firmware in a FB group that limits power to 100w x assist level and claims to also tame the initial surge. I’d like to give it a shot, but I think the beest tool is needed for flashing which is $100 I’d rather not spend.

 

[robert9]

Can someone PLEASE help me with some size information on the Motobecane 27+ ELITE Full Suspension eMTB. This is for size 38cm and 42cm. I am in between sizes and because of the suspension obstructions within the seat tube, the seating height range becomes somewhat limited using the included 100mm dropper. Please include your frame size (38 or 42), Seat Height (min and max if you can), Reach, Stand-over, head tube heights and weight. Thank you.

 

[Taylor57]

Can someone PLEASE help me with some size information on the Motobecane 27+ ELITE Full Suspension eMTB. This is for size 38cm and 42cm. I am in between sizes and because of the suspension obstructions within the seat tube, the seating height range becomes somewhat limited using the included 100mm dropper. Please include your frame size (38 or 42), Seat Height (min and max if you can), Reach, Stand-over, and head tube heights. Thank you.
View attachment 166108

Did you try calling the distributor, I'm guessing Bikes Direct?

 

[robert9]

Did you try calling the distributor, I'm guessing Bikes Direct?

Yes, and they don't open the boxes, so getting an accurate answer is difficult. I figured there have been owners on this forum and hoped they could measure it. I also sent an email to Motobecane, but the email was kicked back. I'll post the answers if I get them so others will benefit. Amazed that such an important aspect of the bike is kept secret. Another well kept secret is a bikes weight, especially when it comes to ebikes. I added that to my post.

 

[Catalyzt]

It doth suck most righteously that BD no longer includes this information in their ads-- (and that your bike is no longer listed.)

They used to publish these numbers-- I saved a screen shot of the ad for my bike before it was discontinued. It is the Motobecane in my avatar, also a 27.5, and the frame is not identical to yours, but similar. My bike was a 48-inch size and was 49 pounds out of the box, (Currently 46.5) yours shouldn't be that much heavier-- your motor is probably heavier, I don't have a dropper post, so that adds some weight on your bike. Or it could be lighter b/c it's a smaller size. So here are the numbers for a similar, though not identical, bike, please scroll down to the very bottom of the image for a diagram and measurements. 1,500 trouble-free miles, though yeah-- watch those damn bolts, check EVERY ride, and I got some shock squeaks, quick release sometimes pops open randomly. Love it, handles beautifully even on pavement, glued to the road during fast cornering. Hope that is helpful, at least vaguely.

 

[Taylor57]

Yes, and they don't open the boxes, so getting an accurate answer is difficult. I figured there have been owners on this forum and hoped they could measure it. I also sent an email to Motobecane, but the email was kicked back. I'll post the answers if I get them so others will benefit. Amazed that such an important aspect of the bike is kept secret. Another well kept secret is a bikes weight, especially when it comes to ebikes. I added that to my post.

Yeah, it's a little grey area on the weight. They list 2 other more expensive bikes weights and then say the HAL is somewhere in between. Pretty weak...

 

[Catalyzt]

Yeah, it's a little grey area on the weight. They list 2 other more expensive bikes weights and then say the HAL is somewhere in between. Pretty weak...

Very weak-- and strange, given that these bikes are a bit lighter than expected, not heavier.

Before buying mine, the "Motobecane Ultra eAdventure" (not to be confused with other bikes that have almost exactly the same name) I trolled around for weeks through postings on EMTB project and elsewhere, and saw a few posts where riders noted that they were pleasantly surprised. I wondered if it could possibly be under 50 pounds in such a large size. And it was, just barely.

 

[robert9]

I appreciate the input, but unfortunately NONE of the charts answer these 4 simple questions, and the seller can't either. That is why I came here hoping that someone with the actual bike can take the measurements. Can someone PLEASE help me with some size information on the Motobecane 27+ ELITE Full Suspension eMTB. This is for size 38cm and 42cm. I am in between sizes and because of the suspension obstructions within the seat tube, the seating height range becomes somewhat limited using the included 100mm dropper. Please include your frame size (38 or 42), Seat Height with the included 100mm dropper (min and max if you can), Reach, Stand-over, head tube heights and weight. And please make sure you are using the bike shown below that has the rear shock going back below the seat tube, not in front of it like most of their other bikes. Thank you.

 

[Taylor57]

Save Up to 60% Off eBikes LTD QTYS of these eBoost Mountain bikes 2023 Motobecane HAL eBoost M600 with SRAM / E8000 Electric MidDrive 27.5PLUS Full Suspension Mountain eBikes SRAM Hydraulic Disc Brakes Rockshox LockOut 140mm Forks | Save up to 60% o

This one seems like a fair deal at $2899.00 US-but the weight is a crapshoot...

 

[Catalyzt]

You are unlikely to find anyone here who has this exact bike in one of these sizes. Try eMTB project and some other forums, but you may have to make your best guess based on what folks report about similar bikes.

It is true that my chart is no help for size 38, or for Head Tube Height and Seat Height. It is also true that measuring anything for my 48 would be no help.

However, reach and Standover on the chart my bike are likely to be similar to my bike for 42 inches. I would bet standover is a little less on your bike in a 42 than it is on the chart for my bike.

 

[robert9]

I found a few excellent photos on this forum of the 38cm and 42cm, scaled them in photoshop and derived the dimensions I needed. I am 5'-6", and because of the suspension obstructions, only the 38cm will barely work with the provided 100mm dropper, giving the seat height at about 26.5" minimum (28" maximum), reach at 16" (15" to top of stem), stand-over at 6" from post ~28" (I wrote 12", but it really should be 6"), stand-over at cl of bottom bracket is ~26" and top of headtube to ground is ~36". For what it is worth, I'm not sure if this is all relevant, for I think they discontinued the 27+ Elite.

 

[Dluxlv]

I bought the 29er version in Dec 2022 before the price increase. I'm new to ebikes but I will say I have had non stop issues with this bike every time I take it out, which is now only 5 or 6 times. It has about 65 miles on it and these are the issues I've had:

1) Rear skewer nut pops off while riding, I've replaced the nut 3 times, made sure it's tight but not over-tightened, even tried Loctite. I'm assuming the threads have an issue.
2) On my last ride the battery had 58% when I started up a very easy hill approx. 1.5 miles long, it was at 1% at the top. I had the motor set at level 5 of 6.
3) Battery is taking 4 days to charge, the charger is solid red so I'm guessing it's the battery.
4) I have never used the throttle but it sticks badly, so occasionally it gets pushed down on accident and gets stuck, this causes an Error 5 on the screen, requires a restart. This seems ok now with some spray lube.
5) As others have posted, my rear speed sensor cable was worn through badly from a tire wobble (not the rim, I had it trued), had to re-route it.
6) Also as others mentioned, the charge port didn't work out of the box. Bikesdirect told me I had to remove the internal charging parts and adjust as needed. This did fix the issue after some reconfiguration.

BikesDirect is providing warranty coverage for a new battery, charger, throttle, rear skewer, and a dropper post adjuster cable (mangled when it arrived in the box new). Note they do require you to pay shipping outbound and include a prepaid return label in the box. For my items I paid about $50 total. I don't consider this a great deal since the bike is nearly brand new and I am not an advanced rider, mostly dirt trails around Las Vegas. I do like the bike and find it comfortable to ride, the motor works great when the battery is holding a charge correctly.

 

[Catalyzt]

I bought the 29er version in Dec 2022 before the price increase. I'm new to ebikes but I will say I have had non stop issues with this bike every time I take it out, which is now only 5 or 6 times. It has about 65 miles on it and these are the issues I've had:

1) Rear skewer nut pops off while riding, I've replaced the nut 3 times, made sure it's tight but not over-tightened, even tried Loctite. I'm assuming the threads have an issue.
2) On my last ride the battery had 58% when I started up a very easy hill approx. 1.5 miles long, it was at 1% at the top. I had the motor set at level 5 of 6.
3) Battery is taking 4 days to charge, the charger is solid red so I'm guessing it's the battery.
4) I have never used the throttle but it sticks badly, so occasionally it gets pushed down on accident and gets stuck, this causes an Error 5 on the screen, requires a restart. This seems ok now with some spray lube.
5) As others have posted, my rear speed sensor cable was worn through badly from a tire wobble (not the rim, I had it trued), had to re-route it.
6) Also as others mentioned, the charge port didn't work out of the box. Bikesdirect told me I had to remove the internal charging parts and adjust as needed. This did fix the issue after some reconfiguration.

BikesDirect is providing warranty coverage for a new battery, charger, throttle, rear skewer, and a dropper post adjuster cable (mangled when it arrived in the box new). Note they do require you to pay shipping outbound and include a prepaid return label in the box. For my items I paid about $50 total. I don't consider this a great deal since the bike is nearly brand new and I am not an advanced rider, mostly dirt trails around Las Vegas. I do like the bike and find it comfortable to ride, the motor works great when the battery is holding a charge correctly.

Wow, that's a long list of problems!

You might have to replace the entire axle, hopefully that's possible and not proprietary. (I have WTB rims on my HAL Moto, and I do notice that the rear quick release seems to work lose about every 300 miles or so, but nothing as bad as what you describe) so that's hopefully easily repairable.

The throttle problem is vexing, glad that seems to be working. The routing for my speed sensor cable never had this issue, and I had no tire wobble either with the original Riddlers or with the Maxxis Icons that replaced them-- in any event, seems like you got that sorted.

The battery & charging issue are the most disturbing. (My money is on the battery.) Never had anything like that. Charge time for my 418 battery is about four or five hours, and I figured at one point I could probably get just over 40 miles of range with just over 4,000 feet of vertical-- I did get a little over 38 miles with 4,300 feet of vertical without hitting the reserve. I haven't noticed any dramatic drop-off in range at 1,500 miles, and again, I've had almost no mechanical problems, though I'm learning that it's important to check the bolts very frequently, my bike eats brake pads, and the front shock has been squeaking more-- it seems to need a once-over at the LBS about every 500 miles.

Hope you keep posting back and let us know how the new battery does. I remember vaguely some folks over at emtb project did have some issues with some Shimano batteries, but I can't remember which ones or which systems. Let's hope you just got a lemon and the new one's a champ. Here's to better luck on the trail in 2024!

 

[old guy 666]

I read about them all, the prestigious brands. Rode a bunch too. Was really close to buying a Bulls E-STREAM EVO AM 4 27.5+ (love the Brose motor). But could never quite get the value of the Motobecane HAL 5, from "that" internet company, out of my mind. Spent a year going through this evaluation.

Finally did a mental exercise. I imagined a person placing the Bulls & Motobecane in front of me and saying, "You can have either one of these bikes." "Bulls, baby!" I'm thinking. And then this imaginary person adds, "But if you take the Motobecane I'll also give you $2400." $2.4 can buy a lot of accessories, tools, and other gear that a newbie (or re-entry guy like me) is going to need. Decision made. I took the risk and pulled the trigger on the no-name, internet bike.

Don't get me wrong. I didn't buy the MB just because it cost less. The components are very good, and usually found only on very high quality e-bikes. I like the Shimano E8000 motor for it's size and weight, and it has plenty of power. Plus, for me, the power and gear shifters are tough to beat for the symmetry of function, and the compact display is well positioned, bold and concise and easy to read at a glance--these are primary touch points that make or break the pleasure of the ride, whether you're riding hard or easy. (Would love to see the Brose S with the Shimano shifter and display, but...)

Thought it would take a couple of weeks to be delivered. It arrived in 5 days. No damage, no problems. The only real assembly was to bolt the front disc to hub, bolt the front brake to Pike fork, place the front wheel into the fork, and adjust the handlebar. And the pedals; had to screw those into the cranks.

Frankly, I am impressed with product and very happy with the purchase. I really thought I'd see some evidence of "cheapness", but fit and finish is good. They obviously didn't put any money into cool paint and graphics, but the worst you can say is that it has the Motobecane name on it in a few places. The hardest part was adding the LEV Integra dropper. Yes there is a spare entry into the frame for the internal cable routing (as their page states), getting a cable to pass through the intended route, however, it is very difficult. In the end, I got it done. But I will say that there is value in buying a bike with the dropper installed; it's pain in the ass to DIY, at least for the first time out. I weighed the bike today. 48lbs 8oz; a good 4-6 lbs lighter than I expected based on the weights of higher priced competition.

Bottom line: The MB is a great value for a full suspension, full Shimano XT level, Rockshox-equipped e-mtb, especially for a rider new to e-mtb. It arrived in fine shape and base assembly was simple. If you've been riding and already have all the gear and tools needed to ride and maintain all the components on these type of bikes, then spend the extra for a premium name brand. For me the "internet bike" saved me enough to outfit the rest of my kit.

I read about them all, the prestigious brands. Rode a bunch too. Was really close to buying a Bulls E-STREAM EVO AM 4 27.5+ (love the Brose motor). But could never quite get the value of the Motobecane HAL 5, from "that" internet company, out of my mind. Spent a year going through this evaluation.

Finally did a mental exercise. I imagined a person placing the Bulls & Motobecane in front of me and saying, "You can have either one of these bikes." "Bulls, baby!" I'm thinking. And then this imaginary person adds, "But if you take the Motobecane I'll also give you $2400." $2.4 can buy a lot of accessories, tools, and other gear that a newbie (or re-entry guy like me) is going to need. Decision made. I took the risk and pulled the trigger on the no-name, internet bike.

Don't get me wrong. I didn't buy the MB just because it cost less. The components are very good, and usually found only on very high quality e-bikes. I like the Shimano E8000 motor for it's size and weight, and it has plenty of power. Plus, for me, the power and gear shifters are tough to beat for the symmetry of function, and the compact display is well positioned, bold and concise and easy to read at a glance--these are primary touch points that make or break the pleasure of the ride, whether you're riding hard or easy. (Would love to see the Brose S with the Shimano shifter and display, but...)

Thought it would take a couple of weeks to be delivered. It arrived in 5 days. No damage, no problems. The only real assembly was to bolt the front disc to hub, bolt the front brake to Pike fork, place the front wheel into the fork, and adjust the handlebar. And the pedals; had to screw those into the cranks.

Frankly, I am impressed with product and very happy with the purchase. I really thought I'd see some evidence of "cheapness", but fit and finish is good. They obviously didn't put any money into cool paint and graphics, but the worst you can say is that it has the Motobecane name on it in a few places. The hardest part was adding the LEV Integra dropper. Yes there is a spare entry into the frame for the internal cable routing (as their page states), getting a cable to pass through the intended route, however, it is very difficult. In the end, I got it done. But I will say that there is value in buying a bike with the dropper installed; it's pain in the ass to DIY, at least for the first time out. I weighed the bike today. 48lbs 8oz; a good 4-6 lbs lighter than I expected based on the weights of higher priced competition.

Bottom line: The MB is a great value for a full suspension, full Shimano XT level, Rockshox-equipped e-mtb, especially for a rider new to e-mtb. It arrived in fine shape and base assembly was simple. If you've been riding and already have all the gear and tools needed to ride and maintain all the components on these type of bikes, then spend the extra for a premium name brand. For me the "internet bike" saved me enough to outfit the rest of my kit.

I got a regular motobecane bike 6 years ago as my "retirement" gift for myself. The non-electric MuleKick. 6,000 miles later and it is still in perfect shape. But I was having a hard time keeping up with my wife, so this spring I added the electric assist version too. You are right about them not having flashy paint, both of mine are very Amish looking. But mine has a 50+ mile range and comes in at 35 pounds. I use minimal boost for the hills and headwinds, and my wife no longer gets long breaks waiting for me to catch up. My son spent a couple years as a bike mechanic, looked over what it was built with, and said "buy it!'.

 

[Dluxlv]

Wow, that's a long list of problems!

You might have to replace the entire axle, hopefully that's possible and not proprietary. (I have WTB rims on my HAL Moto, and I do notice that the rear quick release seems to work lose about every 300 miles or so, but nothing as bad as what you describe) so that's hopefully easily repairable.

The throttle problem is vexing, glad that seems to be working. The routing for my speed sensor cable never had this issue, and I had no tire wobble either with the original Riddlers or with the Maxxis Icons that replaced them-- in any event, seems like you got that sorted.

The battery & charging issue are the most disturbing. (My money is on the battery.) Never had anything like that. Charge time for my 418 battery is about four or five hours, and I figured at one point I could probably get just over 40 miles of range with just over 4,000 feet of vertical-- I did get a little over 38 miles with 4,300 feet of vertical without hitting the reserve. I haven't noticed any dramatic drop-off in range at 1,500 miles, and again, I've had almost no mechanical problems, though I'm learning that it's important to check the bolts very frequently, my bike eats brake pads, and the front shock has been squeaking more-- it seems to need a once-over at the LBS about every 500 miles.

Hope you keep posting back and let us know how the new battery does. I remember vaguely some folks over at emtb project did have some issues with some Shimano batteries, but I can't remember which ones or which systems. Let's hope you just got a lemon and the new one's a champ. Here's to better luck on the trail in 2024!

Thanks for the reply, that gives me some hope the bike will last a few years! I did find with the first couple of charges the range was about 30-35 miles on easy rides, power output was great. When it started having issues the battery indicator would show 1%, then turning it off/on and it would be back up to 10-15%, it did this until it completely died, hopefully it's not the controller. Still waiting on the parts replacement but I'll post an update when it get a chance to test it out.

 

[Catalyzt]

Ooh, but a sour note today: I only got 28 miles from approximately a 90% charge (could have been anywhere from 81 to 99%) on the BT-E6010 battery.

What's worse: I had no reserve and no warning. Display was showing about 3 miles in HIGH, 7 in NORM, 9 in ECO.

Again, just under 1,500 miles on the odometer, bike is 2 years and nine months old. We will see how it does from a full charge-- I will charge it to 80%, wait until I need to ride, top it off to 100%, wait 20 minutes before riding, and try a longer ride. It could be that the display and controller are just miscalibrated-- e.g., it was unable to estimate how many miles I had left, or maybe it wasn't really 81-99% charged-- the controller got psyched out because I don't charge it to 100% anymore, like I used to when I was young and foolish (a year and a half ago.)

Weird. Will cross-post in Ask The Community Anything.

 

[Browneye]

100% charge recommended - that’s when cell balancing takes place. 100% discharge is not so great, but bms is set to accommodate it. Just be sure not to leave it in a discharged state. 50-60% is good for storage.

 

[Dluxlv]

I bought the 29er version in Dec 2022 before the price increase. I'm new to ebikes but I will say I have had non stop issues with this bike every time I take it out, which is now only 5 or 6 times. It has about 65 miles on it and these are the issues I've had:

1) Rear skewer nut pops off while riding, I've replaced the nut 3 times, made sure it's tight but not over-tightened, even tried Loctite. I'm assuming the threads have an issue.
2) On my last ride the battery had 58% when I started up a very easy hill approx. 1.5 miles long, it was at 1% at the top. I had the motor set at level 5 of 6.
3) Battery is taking 4 days to charge, the charger is solid red so I'm guessing it's the battery.
4) I have never used the throttle but it sticks badly, so occasionally it gets pushed down on accident and gets stuck, this causes an Error 5 on the screen, requires a restart. This seems ok now with some spray lube.
5) As others have posted, my rear speed sensor cable was worn through badly from a tire wobble (not the rim, I had it trued), had to re-route it.
6) Also as others mentioned, the charge port didn't work out of the box. Bikesdirect told me I had to remove the internal charging parts and adjust as needed. This did fix the issue after some reconfiguration.

BikesDirect is providing warranty coverage for a new battery, charger, throttle, rear skewer, and a dropper post adjuster cable (mangled when it arrived in the box new). Note they do require you to pay shipping outbound and include a prepaid return label in the box. For my items I paid about $50 total. I don't consider this a great deal since the bike is nearly brand new and I am not an advanced rider, mostly dirt trails around Las Vegas. I do like the bike and find it comfortable to ride, the motor works great when the battery is holding a charge correctly.

Well finally got an update from Bikes Direct regarding warranty issues on the HAL 29er. They claim they tested the battery and it's fine, they are shipping it back but sending a new charger. They also claim they checked the axle and it's fine, sending it back. So for $50 in shipping no warranty replacement was completed, all of the original issues remain. It's really too bad a $3000 bike is not useable, can't trust it to be several miles out in the desert. The battery truly could be fine, but this would point to a controller or motor issue that I now have no faith in Bikes Direct ever assisting to replace. It died 8 miles out into the desert last time and it was not a fun ride back on a 60 pound bike.

The outstanding issues are the battery lasting only a couple of miles on hills, and the rear axle nut falls off every ride and I have to order a new one ($8 each on Amazon M12 x 1.5). The axle issue sounds simple like I'm not tightening it enough (as Bikes Direct has stated), but it's 100% fully tight and locked down when I start riding. I have several other bikes with quick release axles and none of them have this issue. I even put Loctite on it the last ride and it fell off, I don't see how that's possible unless the threads are damaged. At this point I feel bad even trying to sell this bike to someone.