Bearprint New City 505 problems update!

[bazwaldo]

Hello everyone I have the Bearprint New City 505 E bike which I bought in October 2010 and you might have seen my review for it in the review section. I am posting an update about some problems I have been experiencing.

So far I have done over 4500 miles commuting to work throughout the winter and into this summer.
Overall the bike has performed very well with few problems until recently when it seems going over 4000 miles has been the trigger for several problems to occur.
The power started to become intermittant until eventually it failed to give any drive at all.
I checked the battery contacts and visible connections and cleaned out the controller box under the battery and reterminated the plug connections and sprayed with WD40 to give good moisture free connections.
This temporarily resolved the issue but after a few days it happened again.
Steve and Phil at Bearprint sent out a replacement controller which I fitted myself and this fixed this problem.

The next thing to go wrong was the battery fuse which blew going to work one morning, I managed to make my way without power - which was very tough - to a garage on the route who checked the fuse and said it was a 16 AMP type, I bought two and fitted one with one spare. About a mile up the road on a steeper section the fuse blew, I fitted the spare which also immediately blew. I made my way back to the garage and after a phone call to Bearprint eventually I was advised that a 30 AMP fuse was needed and while I was unable to obtain this the garage and a car parts shop near my home were able to offer a 35 AMP blow 17 amp continuous fuse which seemed to be able to handle the electric current ok.

Shortly after this I booked the bike into my local Bike shop for a service as it was overdue with the mileage I had done and there were some things needing attention:-

1) The crank bearing occasionally was making a "grawnchy" noise.
2) One of the rear wheel spokes had lost the tightening nut which had fallen inside the wheel leaving the spoke loose.
3) The water bottle holder had become loose even though it has never been used to hold a bottle.
4) General servicing inspection all over.

Strangely on the morning I took the bike to my Bike shop just a hundred metres or so away from my home I noticed the pedal assistance was not working while the throttle was ok. I tried wiping the sensor and magnet plate to ensure there was no dirt or obstruction and it seemed to work again.
On my return from a weeks holiday in Cornwall with my family I collected the bike with it's new sealed crank bearing fitted and noticed that the sensor again was not giving power while the throttle was.
On checking the sensor it was broken with the securing screw part having snapped off some how - I have no idea how this may have happened.
Thinking back, on my last trip back home from work before my holiday I thought I heard something snap or ping off and momentarily paused and looked back and around for anything which may have fallen off the bike but was unable to see anything and I was able to carry on home with no problems .
Phil at Bearprint kindly sent out a replacement sensor and another controller just in case and I managed to fit the new sensor which resolved the issue.
This was not as easy as I had hoped as the retaining screw is on the right hand crank side and is covered by the chain cog and pedal. I purchased the necessary tools to remove these items and fitted the sensor.
If the retaining screw was accessible from the left side under the crank housing it would have been much simpler to replace the sensor.

Everything I hoped was going to be fine but when I wheeled the bike out of my conservatory for a test drive a piece of the battery bottom plate fell onto the floor. This plate developed cracks quite soon after I had the bike and I had mentioned this to Bearprint previously.
I removed the battery and the 2 pin plug pulled out of the bottom plate as it was no longer held in postion.
I will attempt to post a photo below showing the broken plate:-

Drat the link is not showing at all in the preview, here it is without the embedding codes:-

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6vX9xwOaAH8/Tld7GoeVXDI/AAAAAAAAALQ/6KHpP-wGgy4/Bearprint%2520Battery%2520plate_640.jpg

Currently I feel that I have been unlucky to be getting a series of problems one after another which are preventing my enjoyment of the bike. In particular I want to carry on commuting to work with it and have been getting "withdrawal" symptoms at this enforced off road period of 2 weeks while I have been on holiday.
I phoned Bearprint again this morning and was advised by Steve that he had never seen another instance of this plate breaking and that they would have to charge for a replacement plastic plate into which the connector plug fits and onto which the battery seats.
Naturally I was unhappy at this and I argued that this item should be covered by the warranty which was listed as 2 years for electrical items and 6 years for the frame.
Thankfully Phil phoned back to advise that they would send out a new plastic plate and that it will be covered by the warranty.
With regard to the crank bearings giving up the ghost Phil advised that he has known them go after just 2 thousand miles, I have no experience in these matters but that does not seem like much of a lifetime for a new bearing.
What sort of mileage should a new crank bearing give before it needs replacing?
I was happy to look at this particular repair as being my responsibility under "wear and tear" was I right?

Well that's it for now I want to give an account of my experiences with the Bearprint bike so other forum members can way up any pros and cons when looking to purchase bikes themselves.
Obviously I have a £1200 vested interest in my own bike but I believe I can be impartial and can stand back and try to give a neutral view of events as they unfold.

Like everyone else I have noticed members opinions of the Tonaro bikes and if I had seen these before I had purchased my Bearprint bike I think I may have bought one of these instead.
In particular their crank drive system may give better hill climbing ability and also less drag when being used without power. Also the battery replacement costs seem good when my Bearprint battery is likely to cost over £500 when eventually it expires.
My hub drive Bearprint while it freewheels well when going down hills, etc, when cycling without power there is very noticable "drag" which makes it much harder to cycle - in fact I do not want to cycle it without power.
To be fair a powered bicycle is designed to be used as such with power but in an emergency situation those which unpowered feel more like a heavy unpowered bike will be nicer to use during any "powercut".

Best wishes to all,
Barry.

 

[oigoi]

Thanks for the update Brian, in my opinion for the mileage you have covered the number of problems you have had are not too bad - I read on here of owners with more expensive bikes having problems at much lower mileages. You are certainly getting plenty of use out of it.
Hopefully where parts have failed this will be fed back to the manufacturer and they will improve the design.
A two year warranty is in my opinion a good idea for someone like yourself who is using the bike a lot, I hope the continue to replace any other parts that fail.

To me the mileage the bottom bracket bearings have lasted is reasonable (not bad, not outstanding) and in line with what you could reasonably expect. I have known bottom brackets last less miles than that and last more.

It is interesting to read your thoughts on the Tonaro, a lot of people think well of them and it is a bike I have considered purchasing myself. Maybe get another year or two out of the bearprint then when it needs a new battery move on to a Tonaro?

 

[mike_j]

Are the Bearprint electrics basically Bafang? There seem to be a lot of bikes of Chinese origin with very similar components and I find it hard to judge whether there is any significant difference in quality between bikes varying in price by some hundreds of pounds.

I do appreciate that after sales service is a factor in pricing and Bearprint seem to be treating you well.

 

[bazwaldo]

Thanks for your input.

oigoi, I suppose I could change my name to Brian if it makes things easier!

The latest situation is that I received the new battery connector plate in the post today and after fitting it, which was very straightforward, I went for a 4.6 mile test drive which started off well but towards the end the pedelec sensor power lessened and then stopped.
The throttle still worked but this faded in and out as well before I got home.
Phil at Bearprint had sent a 2nd replacement controller box as a precaution with the new sensor I recently fitted and after I fitted this another test drive around the same route was trouble free.
I really hope I have seen the end of these various problems which have hit me just lately, it seems to be a run of bad luck which surely must end soon!
Having a perfect battery bottom plate with no cracks is certainly very satisfying.
Also the new crank bearing seems nice and smooth.

With regard to Ebike warranties I wonder how constant use and mileage affect them?
Does the fact I have clocked up over 4500 miles mean the battery warranty is lessened at all?
What factors should decide when it is replaced free of charge?
Is it down to total mileage? Total number of recharges completed or length of ownership?
If I can get 2 - 3 years of good use from the battery that would be good.
It may be that after a while I might need to charge the battery at work for the return trip whereas so far it has managed to and from on one charge so far during the 10 months I have been commuting with it.

mike_j , the Bearprint does have the Bafang hub motor, as I noted in my review I believe it has the same spec in main components as the Freego and Juicybike Ebikes as they are manufactured in the same Chinese factory. If this is not correct I am sure someone will put me right.

Thanks for taking the time to post a comment.

Best wishes,
Barry.

 

[oigoi]

Apologies Barry, my brain is not 100% of what it used to be With regard to your warranty each manufacturer lays down their own terms and conditions in the small print, particularly when it comes to things like the battery they often specify it will last a certain number of cycles and it has to be down below a certain amount e.g. 50% of its original capacity before they will replace it. Probably worth swotting up on the small print of your warranty so you know where you stand.

Fingers crossed the bike continues to run smoothly.

 

[bazwaldo]

No worries oigoi, my brain is the same especially after I've had a beer or 2 like today!
Just finished watching the Belgium Grand Prix.
Good race and nice to see Jenson gain 3rd place.
Schumacher also did well I would quite like to see him win another Championship!
I was hoping to give the bike a good test with a 22 mile round trip to visit my Father in his care home today but the weather has been so unreliable and showery I prefer to drive. :-(
Cheers,
Barry.

 

[eddieo]

It does not matter what details the bikes warranty stipulates as any purchase is covered by the sales of goods act 1979.

Key Facts:

• Wherever goods are bought they must "conform to contract". This means they must be as described, fit for purpose and of satisfactory quality (i.e. not inherently faulty at the time of sale).

• Goods are of satisfactory quality if they reach the standard that a reasonable person would regard as satisfactory, taking into account the price and any description.

• Aspects of quality include fitness for purpose, freedom from minor defects, appearance and finish, durability and safety.

• It is the seller, not the manufacturer, who is responsible if goods do not conform to contract.

• If goods do not conform to contract at the time of sale, purchasers can request their money back "within a reasonable time". (This is not defined and will depend on circumstances)

• For up to six years after purchase (five years from discovery in Scotland) purchasers can demand damages (which a court would equate to the cost of a repair or replacement).

• A purchaser who is a consumer, i.e. is not buying in the course of a business, can alternatively request a repair or replacement.

• If repair and replacement are not possible or too costly, then the consumer can seek a partial refund, if they have had some benefit from the good, or a full refund if the fault/s have meant they have enjoyed no benefit

• In general, the onus is on all purchasers to prove the goods did not conform to contract (e.g. was inherently faulty) and should have reasonably lasted until this point in time (i.e. perishable goods do not last for six years).

• If a consumer chooses to request a repair or replacement, then for the first six months after purchase it will be for the retailer to prove the goods did conform to contract (e.g. were not inherently faulty)

• After six months and until the end of the six years, it is for the consumer to prove the lack of conformity.

 

[bazwaldo]

eddieo thanks for your input.
Not sure how it all relates to my battery for instance which has done good mileage so far but is apparently warrantied for 2 years!
I was very impressed with your holiday snaps from your other post, very very nice.
Looking at the weather we have been having I am envious of those wonderful european sunny days you enjoyed also congratulations on having such a beautiful daughter!
By the way how do you embed photos into your post, tried that with my battery plate picture but it was not recognised at all. The photo link works ok though.
Thanks,
Barry.