Bosch Performance Line Motor Coming Apart

[Barry Shittpeas]

Has anyone else experienced the following?

The left hand Bosch Performance Line badge falls off and with id a flimsy bit of plastic which wraps around the front of the motor. The badge seems to be the thing which keeps the flimsy plastic in place. I've cleaned everything with MEK to degrease it, and stuck it back on with a sealant (I guess this needs to be removable, so don't want to use a strong glue.) My concern is that this piece of junk is going to fall apart on a ride and I will lose something. It's such a poorly designed and manufactured item, that I suspect this will be a common problem.

The photographs probably explain things better.

 

[soundwave]

you can glue them on if you want you can still remove the covers if you need to with the 3 screws.

 

[Barry Shittpeas]

you can glue them on if you want you can still remove the covers if you need to with the 3 screws.

Thanks. It just seems such a poorly thought out, badly manufactured piece of crap that I thought there had to be something wrong with it.

It rides nicely, but I'm not impressed with the quality of these Bosch motors, or anything else Bosch make for that matter. All their products seem a bit low-end.

 

[soundwave]

it is just a plastic cover with bits stuck on with double sided tape but you can fit the cx motor to that frame if you wanted.

 

[Amoto65]

It rides nicely, but I'm not impressed with the quality of these Bosch motors, or anything else Bosch make for that matter. All their products seem a bit low-end.

So why did you buy it?

 

[Andy-Mat]

Thanks. It just seems such a poorly thought out, badly manufactured piece of crap that I thought there had to be something wrong with it.

It rides nicely, but I'm not impressed with the quality of these Bosch motors, or anything else Bosch make for that matter. All their products seem a bit low-end.

But apparently Hi-end on price according to some local Bosch owners here in Germany!
After WW2 for many years in the UK (in the London area at least), a rubbish product could be called "Bosch" or "what a load of old Bosch" or simply "Rubbish Bosch".......though it was mostly written without the "c".
It may have even originated with WW1, but I was not around then....
It has I believe now gone out of favour, maybe we should bring it back?
Andy

 

[nightrider]

So why did you buy it?

Thanks. It just seems such a poorly thought out, badly manufactured piece of crap that I thought there had to be something wrong with it.

It rides nicely, but I'm not impressed with the quality of these Bosch motors, or anything else Bosch make for that matter. All their products seem a bit low-end.

have had a few bosch bikes now, never had a problem, would not hesitate to buy another, the only other type I might buy instead of bosch if they made them mass produced like the bosch motor would be a Panasonic motor/ebike.

 

[Barry Shittpeas]

So why did you buy it?

Probably because I didn't do enough research. The performance of the motor is OK, no complaints there. Unfortunately, it has the build quality of something put together by a monkey.

It's actually my wife's bike, I have a Kalkhoff with a Panasonic which I bought in 2008 and is still going strong. I just assumed that the Bosch motor would be of similar quality, sadly it is nowhere near, the usual Bosch tat. It's my fault, I should have guessed this was going to be no different.

I can live with it, the power is good, but I'll just need to keep an eye on the thing and stick it back together with some glue as and when.

 

[soundwave]

the motor is fine but the case is well crap also those black rings are also stuck on with tape and clips i think on one side.

just glue it all up and it wont be a problem again

 

[Deleted member 25121]

Probably because I didn't do enough research. The performance of the motor is OK, no complaints there. Unfortunately, it has the build quality of something put together by a monkey.

It's actually my wife's bike, I have a Kalkhoff with a Panasonic which I bought in 2008 and is still going strong. I just assumed that the Bosch motor would be of similar quality, sadly it is nowhere near, the usual Bosch tat. It's my fault, I should have guessed this was going to be no different.

I can live with it, the power is good, but I'll just need to keep an eye on the thing and stick it back together with some glue as and when.

Who made the bike and what other problems have you had with the Bosch bits?

 

[Barry Shittpeas]

have had a few bosch bikes now, never had a problem, would not hesitate to buy another, the only other type I might buy instead of bosch if they made them mass produced like the bosch motor would be a Panasonic motor/ebike.

Same here, it's a shame that Panasonic motor was sidelined by the Bosch. Fantastic piece of engineering built to automotive standards. Indestructible.

Who made the bike and what other problems have you had with the Bosch bits?

The bike is a Forme Peak Trail.

The motor powers the bike adequately, its the flimsy plastic case which comes apart that I’m disappointed with.

 

[Deleted member 25121]

The motor powers the bike adequately, its the flimsy plastic case which comes apart that I’m disappointed with.

So you're saying that you dislike all Bosch stuff and the motor is a piece of "crap" "junk" (posts 1 and 3) purely because a cover has come unstuck?

 

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[Barry Shittpeas]

So you're saying that you dislike all Bosch stuff and the motor is a piece of "crap" "junk" (posts 1 and 3) purely because a cover has come unstuck?

Yes, that’s it. I’ve owned a Bosch strimmer which was unfit for purpose and fell apart and a Bosch drill in which the gear box broke. Ive since bought Makita power tools which are much better and Viking garden tools. Now this poorly made ebike motor from Bosch, I should have known.

As soundwave says, I can keep glueing it back together when it falls apart.

Bosch make a lot of things, non of them very well.

 

[soundwave]

Yes, that’s it. I’ve owned a Bosch strimmer which was unfit for purpose and fell apart and a Bosch drill in which the gear box broke. Ive since bought Makita power tools which are much better and Viking garden tools. Now this poorly made ebike motor from Bosch, I should have known.

As soundwave says, I can keep glueing it back together when it falls apart.

Bosch make a lot of things, non of them very well.

this is the inside of my motor after 5 years of use with a dongle what pisses me of is i cant buy any part of it and the only option is a new motor or peter at performance line bearings

 

[Deleted member 25121]

Yes, that’s it. I’ve owned a Bosch strimmer which was unfit for purpose and fell apart and a Bosch drill in which the gear box broke. Ive since bought Makita power tools which are much better and Viking garden tools.

Makita make power tools for professionals (I buy them), Bosch make power tools for amateurs at half the price. There's really no comparison and Makita don't make ebike components.

I've never heard of Viking.

Bosch is a hugely successful German engineering company that makes quality products, I've visited and worked with some of their factories in Germany. Sadly the UK no longer has any company that can even remotely match it.

 

[Barry Shittpeas]

Makita make power tools for professionals (I buy them), Bosch make power tools for amateurs at half the price. There's really no comparison and Makita don't make ebike components.

I've never heard of Viking.

Bosch is a hugely successful German engineering company that makes quality products, I've visited and worked with some of their factories in Germany. Sadly the UK no longer has any company that can even remotely match it.

You are right about U.K. manufacturing, very sad.

My drill was Bosch “Blue” which I believe is their higher end product, but I wasn’t impressed. Viking is part of Stihl, they always seem to be cold together anyway. Never had a problem with either.

 

[Andy-Mat]

So you're saying that you dislike all Bosch stuff and the motor is a piece of "crap" "junk" (posts 1 and 3) purely because a cover has come unstuck?

I think its a "judgement" call for anyone, when on what is an expensive e-bike motor, stuff is put together with sticky tape and/or glue, to me that is not quality. I take it as a warning to buy from a different manufacturer.
I feel it shows intention to deceive, and to maximise profit.
Some years ago, when I was first thinking of replacing my first e-bike, I was looking at the online "tales of woe" about Bosch motors on e-bikes, as I was interested at the time.
Then I saw the prices, plus I spoke with some owners here near to where I live. I was not impressed, though some had no problems, but they were the "Sunday morning on nice days bikers...."
Remember, I was using many times daily, a cheap e- bike, that I bought secondhand for €200 from a friend of mine, that gave far less trouble (basically nothing), than some were experiencing with Bosch products, though I did not ever know about the plastic caps problem till this topic mentioned it.
That is basically for me myself, "the final nail in the coffin".
My choice of course, and I am really happy for those who have good experiences with Bosch, but I am never going to become one of their "crash test dummies!"
IMHO, its people like myself, who are e-biking daily, with up to 6 trips a day on all manner of surfaces, that really test any bike to its limits, and it appears that Bosch motors are simply not reliable enough.....
I see no logical reason to buy any mid motored e-bike, though I have heard of far less problems from other makes, Bafang for example. But as I have no idea who has sold the most, that may simply be because Bafang has not got the market share that Bosch has achieved...
But since I saw that all power, both motor and muscle power, goes through the same parts, the chain and gears for example, I see that as a weak link for high mileage users, so nothing anyone can say or do will every make me buy a mid motor bike.
My view of the problems, not in any particular order are:-
1) Price is definitely OVER priced! As someone with Scottish blood, I am quickly put off is there is no user advantage to a high price.
2) Motor guarantee is for the company, not the customer
3) LSB is restricted in what it may do for the customer, many wait for up to a month for repairs and service from Bosch
4) Early motors (still maybe?) have plastic gears in them, that are/have been prone to catastrophic failure, possibly due to heat build up on hot days someone said to me, but many have had them fail if you look in the German press reports.
5) As mentioned, high wear rate on chain, and possibly other parts associated with it, the chain gears for example
6) Firmware is not "adjustable" in many areas for the customer, and has been a source of irritation to many customers, to put it mildly
6) Weight of bike is high, which will make it less attractive for women riders, getting it on and off car carriers.
7) On both of the bikes I have owned, if the chain broke, but I still had power in the battery, I could get home in one of two ways. a) using the throttle, b) pedaling in air, which on both bikes fooled" the electronic" into driving me home. If the highly stressed mid motor chain broke, I would be walking if I could not repair it at the roadside!
8) The number of special tools needed for most work on the motor!
I have looked on the German internet, and anyone who can understand a smidgen of German, can see and hear what the varied problems have been, though basically, all the various Bosch versions!

On both my rear hub motor bikes I have never ever had a motor problems of any sort - NOTHING! So I do not know what is in there......That's how it should be!
regards to all
Andy

 

[Barry Shittpeas]

I think its a "judgement" call for anyone, when on what is an expensive e-bike motor, stuff is put together with sticky tape and/or glue, to me that is not quality. I take it as a warning to buy from a different manufacturer.
I feel it shows intention to deceive, and to maximise profit.
Some years ago, when I was first thinking of replacing my first e-bike, I was looking at the online "tales of woe" about Bosch motors on e-bikes, as I was interested at the time.
Then I saw the prices, plus I spoke with some owners here near to where I live. I was not impressed, though some had no problems, but they were the "Sunday morning on nice days bikers...."
Remember, I was using many times daily, a cheap e- bike, that I bought secondhand for €200 from a friend of mine, that gave far less trouble (basically nothing), than some were experiencing with Bosch products, though I did not ever know about the plastic caps problem till this topic mentioned it.
That is basically for me myself, "the final nail in the coffin".
My choice of course, and I am really happy for those who have good experiences with Bosch, but I am never going to become one of their "crash test dummies!"
IMHO, its people like myself, who are e-biking daily, with up to 6 trips a day on all manner of surfaces, that really test any bike to its limits, and it appears that Bosch motors are simply not reliable enough.....
I see no logical reason to buy any mid motored e-bike, though I have heard of far less problems from other makes, Bafang for example. But as I have no idea who has sold the most, that may simply be because Bafang has not got the market share that Bosch has achieved...
But since I saw that all power, both motor and muscle power, goes through the same parts, the chain and gears for example, I see that as a weak link for high mileage users, so nothing anyone can say or do will every make me buy a mid motor bike.
My view of the problems, not in any particular order are:-
1) Price is definitely OVER priced! As someone with Scottish blood, I am quickly put off is there is no user advantage to a high price.
2) Motor guarantee is for the company, not the customer
3) LSB is restricted in what it may do for the customer, many wait for up to a month for repairs and service from Bosch
4) Early motors (still maybe?) have plastic gears in them, that are/have been prone to catastrophic failure, possibly due to heat build up on hot days someone said to me, but many have had them fail if you look in the German press reports.
5) As mentioned, high wear rate on chain, and possibly other parts associated with it, the chain gears for example
6) Firmware is not "adjustable" in many areas for the customer, and has been a source of irritation to many customers, to put it mildly
6) Weight of bike is high, which will make it less attractive for women riders, getting it on and off car carriers.
7) On both of the bikes I have owned, if the chain broke, but I still had power in the battery, I could get home in one of two ways. a) using the throttle, b) pedaling in air, which on both bikes fooled" the electronic" into driving me home. If the highly stressed mid motor chain broke, I would be walking if I could not repair it at the roadside!
8) The number of special tools needed for most work on the motor!
I have looked on the German internet, and anyone who can understand a smidgen of German, can see and hear what the varied problems have been, though basically, all the various Bosch versions!

On both my rear hub motor bikes I have never ever had a motor problems of any sort - NOTHING! So I do not know what is in there......That's how it should be!
regards to all
Andy

Good post and summarise most of my feelings about the Bosch motor.

As I mentioned earlier, my ebike experience is with the Panasonic mid motor over 12 years and about 35,000 miles. That motor has a proper alloy casting for the body. It’s built for the job to automotive standards.

The Bosch motor on the other hand, costs about the same as a Panasonic motor, if not more and is junk by comparison. A plastic case held together with double sided sticky tape is crap. It’s blatant rubbish and demonstrates a certain degree of contempt for the customer.

The Bosch motor will be adequate for my wife’s light leisure use, but as a daily transport tool, it’s woefully inadequate. It’s a disgrace that they flog this tat for a premium price.

I will put a roll of gaffer tape in my tool bag to strap it together when it falls apart again on another ride. I would definitely not recommend this motor to anyone.

 

[Deleted member 25121]

I think its a "judgement" call for anyone, when on what is an expensive e-bike motor, stuff is put together with sticky tape and/or glue, to me that is not quality. I take it as a warning to buy from a different manufacturer.
I feel it shows intention to deceive, and to maximise profit.
Some years ago, when I was first thinking of replacing my first e-bike, I was looking at the online "tales of woe" about Bosch motors on e-bikes, as I was interested at the time.
Then I saw the prices, plus I spoke with some owners here near to where I live. I was not impressed, though some had no problems, but they were the "Sunday morning on nice days bikers...."
Remember, I was using many times daily, a cheap e- bike, that I bought secondhand for €200 from a friend of mine, that gave far less trouble (basically nothing), than some were experiencing with Bosch products, though I did not ever know about the plastic caps problem till this topic mentioned it.
That is basically for me myself, "the final nail in the coffin".
My choice of course, and I am really happy for those who have good experiences with Bosch, but I am never going to become one of their "crash test dummies!"
IMHO, its people like myself, who are e-biking daily, with up to 6 trips a day on all manner of surfaces, that really test any bike to its limits, and it appears that Bosch motors are simply not reliable enough.....
I see no logical reason to buy any mid motored e-bike, though I have heard of far less problems from other makes, Bafang for example. But as I have no idea who has sold the most, that may simply be because Bafang has not got the market share that Bosch has achieved...
But since I saw that all power, both motor and muscle power, goes through the same parts, the chain and gears for example, I see that as a weak link for high mileage users, so nothing anyone can say or do will every make me buy a mid motor bike.
My view of the problems, not in any particular order are:-
1) Price is definitely OVER priced! As someone with Scottish blood, I am quickly put off is there is no user advantage to a high price.
2) Motor guarantee is for the company, not the customer
3) LSB is restricted in what it may do for the customer, many wait for up to a month for repairs and service from Bosch
4) Early motors (still maybe?) have plastic gears in them, that are/have been prone to catastrophic failure, possibly due to heat build up on hot days someone said to me, but many have had them fail if you look in the German press reports.
5) As mentioned, high wear rate on chain, and possibly other parts associated with it, the chain gears for example
6) Firmware is not "adjustable" in many areas for the customer, and has been a source of irritation to many customers, to put it mildly
6) Weight of bike is high, which will make it less attractive for women riders, getting it on and off car carriers.
7) On both of the bikes I have owned, if the chain broke, but I still had power in the battery, I could get home in one of two ways. a) using the throttle, b) pedaling in air, which on both bikes fooled" the electronic" into driving me home. If the highly stressed mid motor chain broke, I would be walking if I could not repair it at the roadside!
8) The number of special tools needed for most work on the motor!
I have looked on the German internet, and anyone who can understand a smidgen of German, can see and hear what the varied problems have been, though basically, all the various Bosch versions!

On both my rear hub motor bikes I have never ever had a motor problems of any sort - NOTHING! So I do not know what is in there......That's how it should be!
regards to all
Andy

What's your favourite brand of ebike motor?