My local shop told me my “out of warranty" e-bike was a total loss. I fixed it for $85
Posted by This-You-2737@reddit | ebikes | View on Reddit | 191 comments
I am currently riding a massive high of spite and satisfaction. Last month, my mid drive commuter bike just stopped. Error code on the screen, no motor engagement, total brick. I took it to the shop where I bought it, and after they diagnosed it, they told me the controller was fried and the motor internal gears were stripped. Their quote? $900 for a full motor replacement because "we don't service individual internals." I was about to list it for parts on Craigslist when I decided to crack the motor casing open myself. It turns out the stripped gears were actually just one worn out nylon sun gear, and the controller was a standard unit I could probably find elsewhere.
I spent a few days on Alibaba digging through listings for electric bike spare parts. I found a specialized component manufacturer that sells everything from replacement Bafang nylon gears to waterproof wiring harnesses and MOSFETs for controllers. I messaged the supplier with my motor’s serial number, and they confirmed the exact gear and controller I needed. The parts arrived ten days later. I spent a Saturday morning with a soldering iron, some marine grade grease, and a YouTube tutorial. Total cost? $45 for the controller, $12 for the gear, and about $28 for shipping.
The bike is now running smoother and quieter than the day I bought it. It feels like I’ve discovered a glitch in the system. Why are we being told these machines are disposable or unserviceable when the parts are clearly available if you’re willing to look for them?. If you’re sitting on a broken bike, don't give up on it yet. Has anyone else gone the DIY route to save their ride, or are we all just at the mercy of the "replace, don't repair" culture?
wax-revenge@reddit
Please do share the seller! The throttle LCD on my eBike has water damage and it's a nightmare trying to find a replacement that works with the control unit. Maybe they can help
Weekly_Midnight_127@reddit
Mind sending me a link where you found the sun gear ?
Plumpishh_@reddit
What’s the seller from alibaba?
Latter-Ad-1523@reddit
Excellent, I'm quick to point out lazy techs at bike shops and automotive repair places, but you probably just performed a task that most bike techs wouldn't even do for them selvs
DogsGoingAround@reddit
It would have cost the shop $900 dollars to do what you did. Capitalism demands you throw shit away. There’s no reward for your LBS to fix your bike the way you did. It might be great for you and the Earth but it won’t pay the bills. I didn’t choose capitalism and your LBS didn’t either, but we’re all forced to operate our businesses under it. The oligarchs are having an easy time right now but for small business it absolutely fucking sucks. I know the oligarchs are having an easy time because the small business I work for primarily sells to them and we are going like gangbusters. It’s all stupid shit but at least me and my people are employed. We are busy but we still have to make tough and wasteful choices to eek out a profit.
_KeepOnTrucking_@reddit
"I found a specialized component manufacturer"
interested, got a link?
DillTicklePickle@reddit
Just Google it, they are not hard to find parts for
New2Tech@reddit
wild how people are mad at you 💀
DillTicklePickle@reddit
I know man, crazy. There Chinese motors with many sites available to source from. People are just stupid and lazy now. They can't even type in a prompt to chat gpt
RodediahK@reddit
not specialized the brand but specialized in e-bike parts, like green bike kits or california ebike
F_Steve_Huffman@reddit
u/This-You-2737
arnar62@reddit
For real though what’s the link lol
paodin@reddit
I would like to know too please
beachbum818@reddit
It's not worth the shops time. Alibaba or Temu isnt a reliable supplier. If that gear fails in a week or a month or 6 months you're going to be pissed at the shop. It's really not worth the time or headache for them. They cant guarantee anything will hold up once they crack it open. Same reason Bosch, Shimano, TQ, Brose all require the motor to be sent to them. They usually replace it with a new one. They dont want anyone opening it up and possibly getting it to work for a bit only to have it fail again.
Michael-Brady-99@reddit
It’s up the consumer to decide on “worth it.” Like an old car, a mechanic can give an opinion and tell the customer it may not last much longer or something else could go but it’s up the customer. Generally if you give all the information and clearly state in writing what the work is and isn’t, you’ll be okay.
Due-Inspector3084@reddit
Temu does not equal Alibaba. Most things you buy in the US or EU was likely sourced through Aliababa. It is a damn reliable supplier (marketplace). Entire corporations live off buying quality (or cheap and low quality) stuff from Alibaba just to resell with their own logo.
beachbum818@reddit
Not trek, specialized, Cannondale, giant, yeti, sram, shimano, qbp, bti, etc.
Commentariot@reddit
" I took it to the shop where I bought it"
thatsmyburrito@reddit
Would you seriously expect anyone at a bike shop to be able to do soldering work on electronics? It’s like buying a garmin at a bike shop and expecting them to repair the internals if it breaks.
beachbum818@reddit
And? Doesn't mean the shop can get internal parts for the motor... hence alibaba
Dustin4vn@reddit
“out of warranty”
euph_22@reddit
Or worse, they open up the motor to replace a part. 2 months later it bursts into flames or they crash and OP's insurance decides it must have been because of the shop's rebuild and goes after them.
Baybricker@reddit
I suspect that as ebikes continue to gain popularity, there will be more shops who are able and willing to offer these type of repairs on specific motors. But for now, it’s simply not worth it for most shops that essentially don’t have (and don’t need to have) the now-how to reliably fix an issue like this.
The main problem is there is a big risk with under quoting $$ for a job like this. Say they quoted you $300 for the repair, but once they get into it, they realize it’s actually going to take 4 hours to fix rather than 2, and the parts needed are more expensive than anticipated. That could lead to the bike being “totaled” and then the shop just has to eat the cost of the time they’ve already spent on the job.
I worked as a mechanic at an ebike shop for a couple years in ~2012-2014. The owner was an electrical engineer and we serviced all makes, all models, even some non-bike stuff like electric atvs and such. We ended up running into a lot of issues we simply could not repair at the end of the day for a reasonable $$ amount.
The replace rather than repair model — by the way — is what pretty much any auto shop employs. Fixing internals in a hub motor would essentially be the equivalent of tearing apart and repairing a broken alternator rather than just throwing in a new unit. Would put most shops out of business.
Murky-Smoke@reddit
Here's the thing, though. So many "new" auto parts are rebuilds. That's why there's a core charge refunded on your part when a mechanic fixes it.
Your broken part gets sent in and either repaired for the next guy, or used as a donor part to fix another broken core, and so on.
This is cheaper for the customer, and offers better margins for any tech willing to catalogue what resources they have in their piles of e-waste. The mechanic doesn't waste time rebuilding it themself, but the vertical integration of certified rebuilt components has existed for as long as I can remember.
It a massive void in the industry no one has bothered to pounce on in a significant way.
So many escooter and ebike shops have massive graveyards of stuff they simply toss, when they could be increasing their margins and passing on meaningful savings to customers, which means customer loyalty and repeat business.
Michael-Brady-99@reddit
We just need people willing to grind it out and be willing to work hard to figure these things out. A mechanic is not “master” level on day one, but put enough time and practice in and you will get there. Year enough mid-drive and hub motors apart and I think you’d have it down pretty fast.
Michael-Brady-99@reddit
You use alternator as an example which happens to be a pretty simple rebuild in most cases and something that use to be a business. I’ve watched an alternator get torn down and rebuilt in 15 minutes.
It’s is a mess of various different components in the Ebike world but there are a lot more standard parts now and or generic replacements. E-bikes are not some new fangled thing anymore.
subarujump@reddit
I fix all sorts of electric toys as a hobby, and you're right: it takes very little to "total" these things. I picked up a broken Razor dirt bike the other day, and thank goodness it was free because it would take about $200 in parts to fix everything wrong with it.
I've opened up controllers and repaired them before, but at the end of the day it's way easier to just plug a new one in.
DickweedMcGee@reddit
Because to pay someone to do what you did would cost more than $900 in time/labor/liability. And there was about a 30% chance they’d run into some unforeseen problem putting this beyond $$ recovery at which point, and here’s the big bump, a lot of bike owners would just walk away. Stiff the bike repair shop for their troubles and leave them with a bunch of junk to dispose of.
The only way it would work is if you would pay in advance for all work and acknowledge they might not be able to fix your bike and I doubt you’d be willing to do that….
Michael-Brady-99@reddit
That’s over stated. A mechanic should be able to do the work in a couple of hours and “liability” is not a charge. Any mechanic working kn out of warranty items at best can warranty their actual work but not the whole of the product. Nothing would ever be repaired if fixing one aspect or item made you liable for the rest of the machines reliability and safety.
Rogue_Wraith@reddit
That much effort is literally not worth the time of a shop.
It was only worth your time because it's your bike and you could fit it into your slack time.
Even the US Government swaps assemblies rather than trying to repair soecific parts - it's just not worth the effort.
(Of course, they also send stuff back to be refurbed, but that's somewhat separate.)
They also didn't tell you it was a total loss - they're not an insurance company. They told you what it would cost you to do it their way and you didn't want to pay that.
Which is totally valid, but it's not like you're telling us they were helping you toss it in the dumpster.
Ok-Ganache1023@reddit
This is the real story. In the USA it’s reasonable for a bike shop to charge $100 an hour. Days of research sourcing parts, out of warranty soldering, that’s a lot of hours!
What the shop was saying wasn’t unreasonable and i wouldn’t fault them for it.
But good on you for DIY, it’s both a good solution to the problem and a really fun for sure!
Aldhibah@reddit
A bike shop should not need days of research and sourcing parts. The reason you take it to an "expert" is they already have vendors and the knowledge to quickly diagnose the problem. It's a bafang motor, getting parts should not be a problem.
Johns-schlong@reddit
Eh. There are so many ebikes using so many different non standardized components/parts/assemblies that unless that's what they specialize in it's probably honestly not worth their time. It might be worth their time to replace a motor and/or controller, but you'll spend more in labor doing a repair vs materials and labor for a replacement.
LastNightOsiris@reddit
But he brought it to the same shop that sold him the original bike. I get what you’re saying for a random bike they’ve never seen, but it’s a little odd that they wouldn’t know the parts for their own bike.
socacyclist@reddit
The biggest problem is , Bosch , Brose , Yamaha , Shimano , do not sell of even list schematics or individual parts. There is zero support for rebuilding mid drive motors from official sources. ( I work in a shop and am a dealer for these - our hands are beyond tied to modular replacement. )
Michael-Brady-99@reddit
They make it hard to sell new products. We don’t live in a fix and repair economy. They want to sell whole assemblies not parts.
All the arguments of time, sourcing, effort is how all repairs use to be from cars to houses to bikes. People want to charge $150/hr and do as little work possible to earn that. So many people bust their a$$ to make $150 for an hour day of work.
Johns-schlong@reddit
Do they offer factory repair programs?
Frankly I think it's totally understandable that a company like Bosch wouldn't to be held liable (Or just deal with the headache of a nuisance lawsuit) if someone "repaired" their product and ended up getting hurt somehow. I think a replacement with a core charge is totally fair.
Best_Firefighter7533@reddit
Bikes aren't even very complicated. Bunch of lazy dunces
Rogue_Wraith@reddit
They weren't willing to completely disassemble the electronic components to try to figure out specific gears and transistors.
They were perfectly willing to swap out the motor itself.
SlenderLlama@reddit
My only criticism is that it seems the shop is biting off more than they can chew by keeping inventory on bikes with minimal repairability. That’s why a lot of shops only sell a handful of e-bikes that they’ve vetted.
PipeLong5050@reddit
You're not wrong- I charge 150 for ebikes, but that price doesn't account for the countless hundreds of hours that I spend outside of the shop researching latest parts and trends, compatibility, testing promising parts from different places to see if they will suit purposes, ordering tons of shit that doesn't pan out and winds up being garbage etc. If I charge for 2 hours, it's probably more like 4 or 5 hours worth of time that someone is getting from it. I would actually say that pretty often my work ends up being a charity case because I do way more than what I usually bill for, even if the hourly rate seems high at first glance. I do it to weed out problem clients
Brother_Ebanga@reddit
Tell us you’re a bike shop owner without telling us you’re a bike shop owner…🙄🤣🥴
dick_ddastardly@reddit
Came here to say the same.
Great job OP for fixing it yourself but understand the overhead of running a shop. They simply don't have time and can't take on the liability of replacing a single gear only to have another one fail down the road. Then the problem become theirs. Replacing the entire unit and giving you another manufacturers warranty covers them in case it fails again.
aero_sock@reddit
half the aliexpress sells all kinds of bafang parts. they even have stuff like reinforced steel gears to replace the stock nylon ones to handle more power. they just want money and spend as little effort as possible, not caring a bit about the customer's pocket... everyone has their own definition of reasonableness, but for me this is definitely unreasonable... i also know another shop here who quoted 400usd to "fix" a bbs02 motor(aka replace completely), guess what the issue was? burnt out controller, also readily available and can be replaced in 15 minutes...
Pixiepup@reddit
That's exactly it. My papa has been going to the same electronics and household appliance repair shop since the 70s and his last 3 or 4 visits the guy running it has told him "I could give you a quote to repair it, but most people just look up a new model and tell me they can buy that for cheaper." He still does some vintage repair work, but mostly sells second hand now.
Michael-Brady-99@reddit
I thought the whole point of buying an Ebike from a local shop that’s a dealer for that brand is to have support and parts availability? Kind of blows the argument of buy local out of the water if you aren’t getting support down the road.
Personally I do my own work on whatever I can and pay someone as a last resort. I’ve fixed countless items that would be throw away or too expensive to have fixed.
UrbanEconomist@reddit
You got the “I don’t want to do this” price from the shop. Happens a lot (plumbers, carpenters, roofers, etc.). You did what many handy homeowners do and you learned to fix it yourself for cheaper. Now you have a better bike, better skills, and also exclusive liability if it fails spectacularly.
SnowDrifter_@reddit
I can only speak from the context of an automotive mechanic here
But it could also be the liability price
Like... For most people, when their alternator goes out, it's usually just the brushes. Yeah, we could replace the brushes for a couple bucks. But then that doesn't touch the rest of it - bearings, diodes, one way clutch (on vehicles that have that). Last thing we want is a customer to come back upset because we fixed one thing, but another part was about to let go and finally gave up the ghost 6 weeks after we did our repair. So it's generally in our favor to do the whole unit so it's in a known good state.
And that assumes we can get component parts (not always the case) and that they're trustworthy from a quality perspective (also not always the case).
Some places do component level repair, some don't. Just depends on the training, how the shop is set up, customer expectations, liability, risk tolerance of getting in there. Like replacing a phone battery - are you sure that adhesive is on there perfect and water proof? Are you really sure? You willing to bet on it? That kinda thing.
Not saying it wasn't a go-away-price. But just trying to lend some context from a commercial side that, for one reason or another, we don't always have the freedoms that a DIYer or component-level shop has
Cheers
UrbanEconomist@reddit
This is a great point. I appreciate the insight and nuance.
Gold_Area5109@reddit
It's more than the "I don't want to do this" price.
Swapping entire assemblies is faster and cheaper for the shop, and it generates more profit for the manufacturer.
Generally you see less of this type of repair in areas with more competition, but hobbies get shafted as you can't just go 5 minutes down the road and find another bike shop.
BicyclesOnMain@reddit
A new motor is a guaranteed fix. Taking things apart and buying parts from who knows where in hopes it works is not a good business model.
BigQuick5150@reddit
Bullshit. Its profits driven
BicyclesOnMain@reddit
Bicycle shops aren't libraries- they aren't required to serve everyone who comes through the doors.
B.S. or not the whole point of a business is profit driven. A business operating without profit doesn't exist.
If you think rebuilding motors is a good idea, start a business doing that! Nobody will stop you. I'll send business your way!
frank_be@reddit
not really: they could have charged you 85 for the parts + shipping + 25% margin , 2 hours of work (probably 3 including test-drive) 4 hours of research and made a decent profit. And not be able to provide you any guarantees or warranties.
"profit driven" != "volume driven"
frank_be@reddit
The new motor also comes with warranty (or at least support to the bins shop), and your average bike mechanic might not be able to do soldering work (different set of skills).
Also: you’re not counting the hours you spent on Alibaba looking for the parts, comms with the vendor, …
Did you fix it for 10% of the cost? Yes if your time is free and won’t be mad if it breaks after 4 weeks.
Did you do great, have a better bike and are a happy biker? 100%!
Did the bike shop try to rip you off? No, not really. (Esp if it is a smaller shop that mostly sells and repairs bikes)
Worldly_Ad3055@reddit
A little off topic concerning rip offs my daughter brought in her Mercedes for an o2 sensor code she was informed by the stealership to fix would be $8500. I went in and was told that the connector under the hood for the sensor was broken I asked can’t you just replace the connector? They said we don’t sell just the connectors that the whole wire harness had to be replaced along with all new o2 sensors cam shaft sensors and magnets I went to my local junk yard clipped off a connector with lead I soldered it on car is now back to being perfect went back to Mercedes and told them what I did and reamed them out for trying to rip off a young girl their answer that’s just how we do it I asked in good conscience could you not have recommended doing what I did instead of charging $8500? No answer I told them bad karma will follow you which I hope it does a lesson a little knowledge goes a long way
Fit_Climate8061@reddit
And they definitely wouldn't have paid $8500 for their own car or family member's car to be repaired when they knew it was just a connector that they could easily repair theirself.
Tonkatte@reddit
I’ve got a similar story. F150 had a weird transmission problem. Dealership had it for a week and finally told me it needed a new transmission, to the tune of $10k.
I asked a friend. He told me it was just a sensor. $100 later good as new.
There are techs who have actual troubleshooting skills, and those who just know how to replace assemblies. The good ones are hard to find.
Negative-Wishbone634@reddit
Had a siding contractor quote me $100,000 for vinyl!
ses1989@reddit
Imagine someone who has no concept of money saying "when can you start?". Lmao
thirtynation@reddit
Unfortunately, this happens all the time in my line of work related to development in a ski town.
You price out a proposal for 600 billion dollars to just get the person to go away, then it turns out to be some Texan with fuck you money and they end up signing it.
Oh. Fuck.
Lol.
Paxlul@reddit
Now I’m rich, but I’m crying
Extension-Version813@reddit
Sounds like major payday.
If I don’t want to do something, I’m either going to just outright refuse or give a number that I would be willing to do it for. If you give an offer, that’s an offer.
Swamp_Hawk_420@reddit
I work in HVAC and every year or two someone says yes to an FU price and ruins our week lol
Negative-Wishbone634@reddit
Right
thishasntbeeneasy@reddit
I'll do it for 90k
CassiopeiaNQ1@reddit
Omg
1800generalkenobi@reddit
The dehumidifier in our basement that came with the house started to do funky things, the number changing on it's own and the like. I took it apart and discovered if I unplugged the controller board from everything else it would stay on the last settings and I had about 20 seconds before it started freaking out after I plugged it back in. So I put it to where I wanted it and unhooked it. It's been running for like 10 years now haha.
thomaspewter6719@reddit
If it’s in a basement and you’re checking on it regularly, you’re probably fine but that’s the one tradeoff with a hack like that.
Particular-Doubt-566@reddit
But if it's in the attic and your checking on it semiregularly everyone dies?
FLABCAKE@reddit
Yeah I got an $11k quote to replace water supply lines in my house. Fully accessible crawl space. I did it myself for $2500 including new hot water heater that wasn’t part of the plumber’s quote.
Negative-Wishbone634@reddit
Why did you need to replace it if the water was already hot ;) sorry family in the plumbing biz and always catch myself saying hot water heater.
Gourdon_Gekko@reddit
in fairness, the device does indeed heat hot water.
Gourdon_Gekko@reddit
45 for the controller, $12 for the gear, and about $28 for shipping....exclusive liability if it fails spectacularly....priceless
Overseerer-Vault-101@reddit
I used to call it the PITA tax when doing removals. If they paid it then at least the job was paying well.
HeyBeers@reddit
Exactly. I once got a $10k quote for a furnace problem. A google Search and a $30 controller later, it is still working great six years later.
Anothercoot@reddit
I read on a bike forum where some guy waa talking to the big box home improvement store and the kid told him he didn't think it was possible to do something so when he actually did it and it worked he wrote how satisying it was to prove to himself that he did it despite someone who hardly knew what they were talking about told them otherwise.
maximumpynk@reddit
Regardless of the replies about the store. You got your bike working and can do it again if need be. That's a 100% win. 🔥
calkop@reddit
You spent “a few days on Alibaba” to find parts for a non serviceable motor. You don’t want to pay a shop rate of probably $120/hour for that research and no shop is going to service a non serviceable motor.
montysep@reddit
Did you replace the entire controller or just the mosfets?
Lots of people are asking. Can you please provide the name of the Alibaba seller that you sourced your parts from.
Salty-Contact-6420@reddit
I'm with you. I'm fully of spite and anger about the state of professionals nowadays. They often are dumber than you....or are scummy. Try to fuck you over one way or another. Maybe the right word isn't trying to fuck you over...but they ain't trying hard to fix anything. Cut corners. Or lie like they did to you. It's like this with anything and everything from taking your car to a mechanic to hiring contractors to work on your house. I have no faith left in the goodness of people and people's general intelligence. Only way to survive nowadays is to know a lil about everything. I fuckin hate people
cleadus_fetus@reddit
Could you DM this listing?
anonanon1313@reddit
This is the golden age for DIY. Between YouTube and our Chinese suppliers almost anything is fixable. I just put a new USB port on my Samsung tablet...
Fantastins@reddit
Quest 2 wouldn't boot, went right to recovery mode every time. $15 for a new mic and volume switch and it's like brand new.
SadisticPawz@reddit
Which tablet?
GrassFirst7090@reddit
Ai slop. All y’all commenting are dumb asf
natelove_@reddit
Friends, if your battery has lasted for more than a year, it's better to replace it with a new one rather than try to repair it.
Sataypufft@reddit
How many hours did you spend hunting online for that part?
mickeyaaaa@reddit
"I spent a few days on Alibaba...," Yeah a few days of my time is around $1500. that's the problem with ebike repairs - its not profitable unless you can build batteries safely AND quickly, or if you're just changing flats all day long. but most jobs people bring me cluster fuck with several issues and diagnosis time is one thing without documentation, but trying to find parts is the biggest time suck of all.
AbuQamari@reddit
I have broken axles on my motor hub but it seems too daunting to replace them. I wish it was easier, but sometimes they get stripped too.
DaikonAutomatic3067@reddit
Nicely done, my brother. I despise our disposable society and raise my glass to your determination and ingenuity. Cheers
m3t4b0m4n@reddit
"I spent a view days on alibaba"
Vs
"Cost online 45 Dollars"
SharpDiamond67@reddit
I learned to DIY most of my stuff now because of this
TellyBolt@reddit
I have owned a few Ebikes now. I was a bike mechanic as a student and did some racing. I worked in electronics as an adult, so I understand how Ebikes work mechanically and electrically. I also fix and rebuilt battery packs. Before I purchase any of my Ebikes or suggest Ebikes for friends, I look at the components to ensure they are readily available so I don't get caught spending hours and $ trying to source and await delivery.
A friend decided to buy a Costco ebike instead of my suggestion. It was cheap and lasted a year. The battery pack had a really cheap BMS and low grade cells. Cells discharged unevenly and the BMS would shut it down. It also wouldn't balance the cell groups, so it was trash. Replacement was more expensive than the bike, so it was also garbage. Components were too cheap to salvage.
Oh well...seemed like such a deal at the time.
Someiguyee@reddit
Taking your above experience into account - if I'm a first-time buyer with a budget of ~2000.00, what make/model would you recommend as a starting point?
I'm trying to get back into urban farming but the plot is like 20 + miles one-way and I need to save as much milage on the old Mazda as I can to get my wife back and forth to her doctor's appointments.
Thanks, man - any help you could give would be more than appreciated from this noob.
jhktwisted@reddit
Classic shop move acutally............outrageous quote instead of doing actual repairs. You crushed this DIY fix perfectly, saved a ton of money and gained new skills!!:)))) It’s ridiculous how they act these bikes are unrepairable when spare parts are easy to find if you look hard enough. Huge well done:)))
YouTypeCharacter@reddit
To ff he eeww to
Additional-Maize3980@reddit
Couldn't agree more 👍
Schtweetz@reddit
This is why I built an ebike with a Toseven mid-drive kit. Having assembled it, now I know how all the components work together. After about 1000km, the controller module failed. Just messaged the Chinese motor factory, they sent a new controller, and it was back in action with a screwdriver, a hex key, and $40.
Extension-Version813@reddit
I mean, if they did it, you probably would’ve still paid a few hundred dollars for labor. And they probably would have used namebrand parts just for liability reasons.
one-Green477@reddit
Robert
one-Green477@reddit
Yeah I ordered a mountain e-bike from Walmart for 750 dollars and I even paid 59 dollars for the protection plan in case my bike breaks down and needs to be fixed and three days after I had it the bike stopped running and Walmart wouldn’t give me a refund or a replacement for my bike and they sent me a new wire ess harness to put on my self and I couldn’t get the harness plugged into to the harness because the wires inside the rubber boots was all bending over in the rubber boots so it would not plug in and I took my bike to Walmart two different Walmart and told them and showed them what’s going on with it and they still told me that wasn’t no refund on my 750 e-bike but they told they would refund my 59 dollar protection plan on a Walmart gift card and I’m screwed out of my 750 dollars and I’m on disability and I can peddle the bike very far the reason I bought the bike because that’s the only transportation I had to get me around with the motor
one-Green477@reddit
This is my e-bike that doesn’t run at the horn don’t work and the head lights don’t come on and don’t have back brakes
one-Green477@reddit
gurthmonger@reddit
Being mechanically inclined and having the willingness to spend the time and effort to do some manual labor and not be afraid to possibly get a little dirty, has saved me so much money. I'll go to pick a part with some tools and get the part for my car and fix it myself. If something breaks at home then I'm reading up on it online, going to homedepot and fixing it myself. I refuse to allow myself to be financially graped by some company or mechanic for hundreds or even thousands of dollars for their " service". Because they have knowledge in a certain industry. I've seen too many people get charge crazy prices to do something that cost a fraction of that because the homeowner wasn't mechanically inclined or they were old or whatever. Charged $20,000 to have a few pipes replaced and the hot water heater fixed- my girlfriends parents... The thing that blows me away every time I see it is when I'm driving and I see a car with a flat tire and the girl and her boyfriend are both sitting outside the car waiting for a tow company to come and change the tire for them..lmfao! Like seriously? I wonder what's going through the girls head as she is sitting waiting to pay a tow truck driver to change her tire because her boyfriend has no idea how to. Lol. What kinda man can't change a tire? My dad never showed me anything and I still learned stuff like that on my own.
mrbigglsworth79@reddit
It's because ebikes are sold as electronics, and any electronic device is seen as being irreparable because that's what we have been told by those with who made them so we buy more, instead of the truth that anyone who can solder, ground themselves properly, look up the correct gauge of wiring, and read a parts diagram can repair most electronics themselves.
You should also probably know how watts, amps, volts, and ohms relate mathematically.
Additional_Delay_793@reddit
This is why I have converted my regular bikes to Mid Drive-Bikes. I built them myself so I also understand how to repair them. I also get a lighter bike with more range than all but the most expensive E-Bikes. This saves me a lot of money and gives me lots of satisfaction.
Ginger510@reddit
If the shop you bought it from was an official supplier/rep for the brand, they may not want to/be allowed to do unsanctioned repairs or have access to the child parts you bought. Imagine them pulling it all down and saying the same thing when your bike is in bits.
Well done on fixing it and glad you got an outcome but wanted to explain what things are like from the other side.
ritchie70@reddit
Yes, you fixed it for $85.
Well, for $85 and days of research.
Let's say it's a total of 8 hours of research. What does the local bike shop bill for an hour of labor? Maybe around $100?
Oh look, suddenly it's $885 and they still haven't billed for the hour to do the work which makes it $985.
AKA $85 more than they charged you.
whot3v3r@reddit
He went to the shop that sold him the bike, they should have an easy access to all the parts.
But they didn't except for the main components because they or the manuacturer don't care about repairability, and that's the real problem here.
ritchie70@reddit
Most things these days are serviced by replacing large components.
wpg_Coyote@reddit
8hrs of research for a novice. The problem is that the shop doesn’t want anything to do with e-bikes and don’t have someone on staff with that knowledge already. Which honestly is straight garbage. Any ebike you buy from a shop (especially an authorized dealer) should be able to be serviced at that shop. Even if they charged $100/hr plus parts, there is a price point to service these units where ppl will pay it. These are opportunities missed. They’d pickup more than half of those invoices at the $300-350 mark bc most people can’t be bothered to diagnose, wait for parts and fix it themselves.
FantasticSalt9@reddit
Honestly, from everything I’ve heard, Bafang’s warranty support is basically non-existent. Like, total ghost town vibes. 🚩 That’s exactly why you never see their systems on higher-end builds—premium brands just don’t want the drama. I feel like the real villain here is the shop, though. They sold you a bike that they can’t even properly service? That’s a huge yikes. If they were actually legit and cared about their customers, they should’ve offered you a motor replacement at a price that didn't feel like a total scam. Such a bummer they did you dirty like that
xJadusable@reddit
Problem is he went to the shop he got the bike at. If the shop is going to refuse work on bikes THEY SELL, why are they selling them?
afraidofflying@reddit
Bike shops don't do everything in house. You think a normal shop is going to weld, heat treat, and repaint a frame? Even if they sold it? Bikes are assemblies and bike shops really can't service any individual component.
Laserdollarz@reddit
If I'm stoned at home googling, it's not billable hours.
Johns-schlong@reddit
If I was a bike mechanic I wouldn't spend my free time doing research for someone's project.
tbandtg@reddit
they sold him the bike.
Johns-schlong@reddit
And they told him the price to replace the components.
Laserdollarz@reddit
If I was fixing my own bike, I wouldn't apply professional bike mechanic rates to myself, period. Don't overlook the value of knowledge that OP gained through this.
Shiney_Metal_Ass@reddit
Do you work for free? I'd be happy to drop my bike off at a mechanic's home for him to service for free. I'll even bring the joints.
Laserdollarz@reddit
Sure but I'm keeping the bike
band-of-horses@reddit
The shop is also not going to warranty work they do cracking the motor open and replacing a gear with an AliExpress replacement part, unlike a new OEM motor that does come with a warranty
Ol_Man_J@reddit
Hey they also didn't have to learn how to solder! So for e to fix it, I'd have to go buy the tools too, and also I can't solder for shit so I'd have to learn that.
robotcoke@reddit
Who was the seller on Alibaba?
New2Tech@reddit
Waiting for the follow up post where you go back to the shop and ask them to explain again 😂
Comfortable-Fly5797@reddit
Bike mechanics don't need to know how to take apart and service an ebike motor. They know how to work on bike components, it's a specialized field and they have more than enough work as it is. It would be like taking your ebike to a motorcycle mechanic and expecting them to do the work. Yes, they could probably figure it out but it isn't worth their time. Plus the liability if they mess something up.
And they wouldn't have sourced the parts from alibaba.
youandican@reddit
then why should anyone got to their LBS and buy their eBike from them if they don't need to know how to fix the damn thing. They shouldn't be in the business of selling eBike if they don't know how to fix the shit they are selling.. full stop
Comfortable-Fly5797@reddit
They can fix it. By replacing the motor.
Bike shop labor is usually over $100 an hour and most bike shops have backlog of work. Why would they spend the time training their employees to repair a motor to maybe save a few customers a little bit of money and have the chance of that fix not working? Replacing the motor is much more likely to work, faster and simpler.
Let's say the bike shop agreed to fix the motor. That would include several hours to open the motor, diagnose the problem, find the parts, order them, install the parts, test the bike and hope the repairs work. Plus the cost of the parts (which would not be from Alibaba) and storing the bike for several weeks while they waited for parts. What do you think that would cost? My guess is $700 minimum. How many people do you think would opt for a $700 repair that might work over a $900 repair that is guaranteed to work? Plus that $900 repair comes with a brand new motor that probably has a warranty.
Commentariot@reddit
It is a specialized field for shops that sell ebikes - like the one he went to - where he bought the bike..
Comfortable-Fly5797@reddit
Maybe ebike specific shops, but OP only said it was the shop they bought it from. Plenty of bike shops sell ebikes but don't specialize in them.
It isn't worth training employees to work on ebikes motors when shop time is over $100/hour and there is a wait list of regular bike maintenance to do. And there was no guarantee OP's fix would've worked. If a shop did the work, researched the parts, ordered them, did the replacement and it didn't work OP would've been out several hundred dollars. Replacing the entire motor is much less risky.
Mental_Enthusiasm_71@reddit
So good!!! Bravo!
MildlyAgitatedBovine@reddit
Link the tutorial
markloch@reddit
You're going to be hard pressed to find a bike shop that repairs motors. It's like expecting an auto mechanic to repair an alternator, or an a/c compressor. They're just going to buy a new one (quite likely one that has been rebuilt).
That said, $900 for a Bafang motor and a controller seems a bit steep, even with labor.
Jeff61059@reddit
The guys at the shop don't have the time to do the research you did. Think about the time it took you then multiply that by a shop labor rate of $100/hr. Would you have been willing to pay for that?
ImNotToby@reddit
I'd start your own grassroots repair company.
TheFlightlessDragon@reddit
I purposely bought a bike with all “off the shelf” components, nothing proprietary, because whenever anything fails I fully intend to repair it myself.
SilverFishK@reddit
What bike did you get? I'm just curious, not in the market for one
TheFlightlessDragon@reddit
A company called Blaze out in Myrtle Beach… they don’t make the bikes, they come from china of course, but they assemble and test ride them for a good number of miles before shipping them to the customer.
I had a scooter from them that wasn’t very good (range sucked) but the bike is great, I guess I’m 50/50.
The thing I liked is the bike not having proprietary parts, something that is common practice for bigger companies hence why I bought from a smaller seller.
neomoritate@reddit
To be fair, it doesn't sound like your LBS told you your bike is disposable, nor un-serviceable, they told you that they don't provide the service you needed.
No_Figure_9073@reddit
It's all about money making which is sad really
SilverFishK@reddit
Is the bike motor now very vulnerable to rain and consequently rust, or are there steps to take to decrease rain risk
Carbonian92@reddit
How many hours spent cracking open the internals, sourcing the nylon gear, and the controller then putting everything back together? Shop price takes that into account. How much is your time worth?
IAmNotABot111@reddit
Do you want a pat on the back or something?
Commentariot@reddit
Yes?
Interesting-Day7808@reddit
You’re forgetting the most important thing; labor cost. If they did it your way that still would have cost them 10-20 hours of labor to break open the motor and then to research alibaba and then do the back and forth with the manufacturer and the solder wiring harnesses meanwhile they’re assuming all the risk if the part is damaged or doesn’t work. Which if it doesn’t they can’t charge you at all or have to start over again. You said it took you days just to find parts. What business owner would sign up for that? I mean we’re talking about asking someone to do thousands of dollars of research alone lol.
They gave you a practical cost for something they KNOW how to do with products they HAVE and be able to SERVICE down the road (which will only increase the lifespan of the bike.)
showersareevil@reddit
Bosch makes a dollar, it could be fixed for a dime. Thats why I fix BBSHD on my own time.
anzitus@reddit
First mistake, taking it to the dealer. Find a shade tree eBike mechanic next time on FBM.
jah_red@reddit
The thing that doesn't help is this community LOVES to say get it from a local shop so they CAN work on it. Almost does a disservice to the newbies in the group.
UT07@reddit
OP conveniently left out the brand of the bike. He mentions bafang so I assume some cheaper DTC bike that no shop wants to touch
jah_red@reddit
That is still a wild quote for a bike they sold you, in my opinion.
UT07@reddit
Where did he say they sold him the bike?
RodediahK@reddit
the second line?
band-of-horses@reddit
Local shops can indeed work on them. That doesn't mean you as a customer will like the price they quite to work on it.
jah_red@reddit
Still why I would consider it a disservice to newbies when they get told to drop 2k on a bike, then a simple repair costs more than an extra battery.
band-of-horses@reddit
Why? It's not any cheaper to get someone to work on a $500 bike.
probels@reddit
I disagree with a lot of these comments. If they sold the bike they should have a line on replacement parts and if they don't want to do the work at least provide easy access to parts. Id call them lazy at best and dishonest for sure.
sjmuller@reddit
They did have a line on replacement parts. They offered to replace the broken motor and controller for $900. That's all I would expect a local bike shop to do. If it was a hub motor, replacing the motor requires rebuilding the wheel, which is doable, but time consuming and costly. Most bike mechanics are not qualified to tear down and rebuild a motor like the OP had to do.
probels@reddit
I hear ya but that's not parts, those are assemblies. Why replace a motor when it is just gears. Offer the gears for sale. It's like throwing out a perfectly good power tool because 4:dollars of brushes are worn out and it takes 15:min to split the case and replace them. So Im still going to say lazy and that's not unique. And a bike mechanic should absolutely be able to do that. If you can set up a derailer replacing gears is a cake walk.
Mannolicannoli85@reddit
It's because of availability and liability the larger chain type of bike shops do not want to do the type of work where they open up the component or motor that they do not manufacture themselves if something is not replaced correctly and the issue causes a catastrophic failure like fire in the home or crash that results in death they do not want to be liable. For the smaller bike shops with only a couple employees - it is the issue of is the investment in time worth the charge for them to have it be profitable - time is money and since this would take a lot of time for them to invest to fix, would the quote be turned down for being too for the shop time needed l as a gamble they would not want to take they would just rather say no and work on several other bikes in that time that are easier that they can turn a profit on quicker without setting back their queue or turn around time.
Cultivationking@reddit
I'm having the same issue right now.
I'm UK based, I've got an E-MTB running an internal 48v battery connected to a 350w rear motor wheel.
Had a bad accident and snapped my rear axle in a huge pothole, bike otherwise is fine but there isn't a shop around me that will even entertain it.
After some intense researching spurred on by rejection and my refusal to scrap a very expensive but of kit I've managed to source a fully built wheel where all the specs match. It comes with it's own 18A controller and an SW900 display.
As I've already got the correct battery with wiring in the bike I plan to strip everything else out and just wire in the new wheel, controller and display.
Hopefully this works, ordered the wheel this evening after having a very in-depth discussion about my plans with the seller.
Cost me £185, small price to pay to fix a £1.5k bike
Gizmorum@reddit
i thought shops just dont want to deal with alibaba ebikes? Its the same thing with chinese cars, they might be half price, but part availabilty and a technician that has worked on them will be non existant.
you get what you pay for in the end being cheap
Ok_Plenty4953@reddit
Please post the alibaba seller, im sure there are lots of us DIYers that want to save money over LBS fleecing
ssolomon9@reddit
This-You-2737, do you mind sharing the seller's info? I'm trying to source some ebike and escooter internals and waterproof harnesses as well.
Intelligent_Corgi452@reddit
That’s great you figured it out. But don’t hold a grudge against the bike shop. It takes hours to disassemble the bike, disassemble the motor, research for parts, buy the parts, put it all back together, and there is still a chance that does not fix the bike. Often there are plural maladies. A mechanical failure can stress an electrical component also causing that to fail. Could be a hall sensor PCB in the motor, or the controller, in addition to the mechanical parts failure. But the bike shop can’t charge you for their time spent if they did not fix the bike. The risks are big for the bike shop. The only way around this dilemma is to either do what you did, and put your own time into researching and fixing the bike. Or, offer to protect the bike shop by negotiating a price to try & repair to eliminate the risk that the bike shop won’t get paid for their expertise. These bikes are difficult to work on, because there are few diagnostic tools that simplify diagnosis. It’s a ‘swap & see’ game. Bike shops are lucky if they can invoice customers 50% of the hours they pay their technicians. It’s a tricky business model.
parisidiot@reddit
personally if i was a bike shop i wouldn't want to warranty a motor i swapped the gears out in
_Cerebral_Musings@reddit
Local bike shops seldom like to work in bikes they are not selling.
No-Bottle-300@reddit
save old bikes good work sir happy safe riding
willmasse@reddit
This is why we need to fight for right to repair in all aspects of our lives. Keeping things out of the landfill and working it as hard as we believe!
ChunkbrotherATX@reddit
Nobody told him he couldn’t.
Shiney_Metal_Ass@reddit
No, but it is an example of a toss and replace culture. Manufacturers are even pushing to make it so consumers can't repair their products. The other person was just using this case to demonstrate that there was no need to throw it away and buy a new one
aero_sock@reddit
you have to fight for it with companies like apple who only sell big part assemblies instead of small particular components and even that, only after you sign an NDA... bafang has all the parts up to the smallest boards and pieces available online... this is no ones but the shop's problem
Slipstriker9@reddit
Yes Bafang middrive motors arevthe best motors for self repair and modding, with the largest 3rd parts parts market.
Well done mate 😃
kootenayraz@reddit
which component manufacturer on alibaba did you end up using ?
thx
UT07@reddit
What brand??
aero_sock@reddit
people justifying a shop that's wasting people's money and creating ewaste because of their incompetence is genuinely funny... bafang is one of the most popular ebike drivetrain manufacturers, if you can source and service basics parts of it, then im afraid it's a skill issue.
Significant-Pen-6049@reddit
How did you buy anything on alibaba without getting harassed that its only one unit and they send the wrong part on purpose and won't refund you.
Kflynn1337@reddit
Did that with the wife's first e-bike... darn thing never quite worked right. (turned out it was a dodgy connector inside the frame that kept disconnecting) but when the controller died and took the motor with it, (350watt motor, 250watt controller, inevitable really) I stripped the whole thing out, replaced the system with a standard kit with the same voltage as the stock battery.
It worked better than ever for five years until she upgraded.
NJdestroyed@reddit
So if you had to take a few days to dig through listings to find a supplier, don't you think that would take as long if not longer for the repair shop? That is why they have you a total loss price. Plus what if there's another component that breaks inside there in another month? The shop is stuck.
Numerous_Car650@reddit
Sure, DIY is great when possible. But if you accurately tracked your time for spending "a few days on Alibaba", corresponding back and forth with the parts supplier, watching Youtube tutorials, actual time repairing, etc. multiplied that by your hourly rate, and doubled that again for a fair comparison to a shop that has overhead to cover ... I think you'd be a little bit closer to $900 than $85.
beachbum818@reddit
Exactly this
kennyloftor@reddit
my local shop charged 50$ just to “handle” my e-bike
midnightJizzla@reddit
The low costs are democratizing to DIYers. This extends to so many other things and professions.
Lordly_Lobster@reddit
You would think if they sell an ebike they would know where to get parts. Sounds like shops just want to sell ebikes not repair them.
xb4r7x@reddit
Because those parts are only available on alibaba... the suppliers that the bikes shops use don't have the parts, so they can't fix it.
Fixing shit yourself is something you can do in most areas of life if you're willing to get your hands dirty.
I fixed my own water heater with a $20 spare part. Plumber wanted $2000
Slight_Nobody5343@reddit
become your local ebike tech!
Fair-Discipline-1005@reddit
Really,how did you found what is wrong with your bike? And you found everything on Alibaba? YouTube? Great Job...👍
HattoriHanzo9999@reddit
Good job OP!
DuckAxe0@reddit
"I spent a few days on Alibaba digging through listings... " ($50/hr labor x 10hrs) = $500 + $85 = $585
The repair could well exceed the cost of a new kit.
jah_red@reddit
I had a friend that went through 3 ebikes and one day I took a look at one of them. I said "I can get that to work." It was cheap Chinese crap, but he said it was mine if I could get the back wheel off. So he wasted 700 bucks just because he wasn't able to get the hub motor loose. It was annoying, but less than an hour later, hey, free bike!
No_Home_708@reddit
Sometimes it is easier to give an outrageous quote than to outright say "we don't want this job"