Shimano Motors and Batteries - Survey

vcyclist

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Is there a list of issues or no-issues that people have had with the Shimano package? I would like to see real world comparison with Shimano vs the Specialized motor and battery. Reliability and the ability to upgrade without huge mods are important to me.
It seems there are less issues with the Shimano products vs others.
 
Everyone I know with a Shimano system has had it cut out with error codes at least occasionally. If you look around on here, some people experience this almost every ride. After they cutout, they can be re-started and will go again for some length of time, hours, or days without seeing the issue again. Unfortunately, they often cut out on a steep climb, which can really suck.

Several people on here have reported motor failures with Levos. Search and you will find them.

The Bosch and Yamaha systems seem to be more solid. I personally have put thousands of tough trail miles on my two Bosch powered eMTBs and have had *zero* issues. There are design flaws, IMHO, but as far as reliability they are rock solid. The biggest issue I've seen reported with Bosch that could be tagged as a reliability issue is that the Intuvia display, the large one that mounts in the center of the handlebars, is subject to damage in crashes, and if the mount is damaged, the removable controller display will become loose. When this happens, if you hit a bump, the display loses electrical contact with the mount and the motor shuts off. This is cured by either a new controller display or a new mount, or by just replacing the Intuvia with the later Purion model that lives on the left side of the handlebar, near the grip and which is not removable.

Same with Yamaha as far as I have heard, no one has issues with those, they just work.

The Shimano is Gen 1 and will probably get better, but no one knows when they will be updated. Bosch is just now coming out with the fourth iteration of their system, Yamaha is on Gen 3, Levo is on Gen 2.
 
I’ve only been in the ebike world for about 4 months, but in those 4 months I’ve logged just over 1,600 hard miles. I’ve got the Intense Tazer Shimano Steps 8000 system with 504wh battery. Zero problems so far, with my fingers crossed! Love this bike!
 
Thats a great testimony. I am not bagging the Specialized product as they have the most out there and will have the most returns but it seems like there are a lot of motor replacements, even on the new 2019.
 
I’d imagine you would have to visit each manufacturers website (Brose, Yamaha, Bosch, Shimano, etc...). Keep in mind Bosch just launched a new motor, so most of the reviews you’ll be seeing will be on that old design. Most new bikes will be sporting this new Bosch motor.
 
Many manufacturers use multiple systems, but the players in the US with at least some Bosch eMTBs are Haibike, Trek, Cannondale, Bulls, iZip, Kona, Moustache. Mondraker used to make eMTB with Bosch but they shifted to Shimano.

Here is a list of ebike manufacturers that use Bosch, not all are available in the US, and not all make eMTBS:

https://www.bosch-ebike.com/us/servi.../ebike-brands/

As pointed out, the new 2020 Bosch Gen4 motors should be arriving soon. Trek has not revealed their 2020 eMTB line yet, but I would think they are so big that they'll be one of the first that have them. The new Bosch motors are 2 pounds lighter without giving up any power. It remains to be seen if they will be as rock solid as the current Performance CX eMTB motors.
 
I have. been riding the shimano 8000 on a canyon spectral: on for three monthes and 600. km and am very satisfyed with its overall performance, the tunning of the assistance and range are all I could ever expect for a first ebike experience.
 
I have the Yamaha motor on my 2017 Haibike mountain bike. I have logged a bit over 800 miles on it. Never had any problems. Been very stable and reliable. Love it!

I also have a 2018 cargo/utility e-bike with the Shimano 6000. Occasionally, I get an error code when turning it on. Solution is to power off/on again and it goes away. It has never given an error code in the middle of a ride.

Needless to say, the e-MTB is pushed much harder while mountain biking than the cargo bike.
 
Where a lot of the issues occur is when manufactures use the Shimano motor but then their own battery. The YT Decoy has proven to have intermittent cut-outs due to compatibility between the motor and a battery. As mentioned by MTBBIKER models like the Intense Tazer use a complete Shimano system so there is 100% compatibility. I did have an issue with a Shimano battery where after 3 uses it just refused to take a charge. I got in touch with Shimano and they had a new battery to my door in two days.
 
Read some more.
Shimano is the name of the first motor.
At the second it is shishimano
At the third you do not want to know
There are more than 2 manufacturers.
 
Interesting observation, but Pivot Shuttles have been known to have issues as well, and they use a genuine Shimano battery.

It would be interesting to see if Fezzari or Commencal, who also use Shimano batteries, have been seeing issues. Focus had their own battery with a Shimano motor, but they appear to have pulled out of the US market. There were a few people on here who had them though. Any Focus or Fezzari or Commencal owners want to weigh in?
 
I have a Decoy with shimano motor and zero problems. The most common shimano error is W013..that's when you turn it on while feet on cranks. Shimano does not want you to lose control by not being ready for that massive torque I guess
 
When riders need a second, a third motor i think they do not focus on the battery.
 
The wife and I have 2 commencals w shimano. I since last fall, I new this spring. Quite a bit of hard riding on them. No failures, never cuts out when riding.
 
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I have recently purchased a Merida E Big 7 E 300 SE with Shimano drive unit, I have now ridden 900k however in during the last two rides on steep hills using boost the highest setting the electric drive cuts out regularly yesterday for instance at least 10 times over a 300m section.
I have had it back to the dealer previously for the same problem.
Looking for advise regarding this problem.
 
Hi All, and thanks for the join.
I'm a new Merida eOne-Sixty 700 owner. (2021 EP8 motor)
Got my new bike on 28th October. Three rides later I have a major issue with the thing. I got a W10100 (speed not being sensed). So I did exactly what eTube app said, just a few minutes ago, same as an LBS would do I suppose. I fitted a new EW-SS301 sensor, checked the magnet, no change. I get assist as soon as I crank, but before a pedal rev is complete it cuts out, then I get another short kick, and so it goes on. In higher gears I get a rev or two. Speed shown on the display can be as high as 87mph/140kph while cruising gently with this cutting in and out going on (all at less than 12mph). Anyway, when I connected the eTube app to see if the fault had cleared before riding with the new sensor (it hadn't) it showed motor firmware update 4.1.8 available, so 15 minutes later that was installed (why so slow, is it a crappy Bluetooth implementation?). Update did not help the problem.

Does this sound like a fatal fault to you? The shop I bought it from is 200 miles away, any alternatives you folks can suggest for a diagnostic?
 
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