Frustrated with new Izip purchase

[gskbrew]

Last week I purchased an Izip E3 Path+ bike from my local electric bike shop. After two days of riding (~35 miles) I heard a grinding/rattling sound coming from the rear hub where the motor is located. The bike would move at normal speed, but when lifted off of the ground, the rear wheel would not freely spin. It would come to a stop immediately. I took it back to my bike shop and they confirmed there was something wrong with the motor and swapped my wheel and motor with another Path+ model in the shop. Three days later and now at ~90 miles, the same exact thing has happened again. I will be taking the bike back to the shop tomorrow. However this time they will not have another replacement wheel for me and I'm certain to be waiting days for a replacement to arrive. Needless to say, this has shaken my confidence in the Currie Tech motors and the Path+ bike. I'm uncertain as to what I should do. Do I roll the dice and get another replacement motor, hoping that it was only pure dumb luck that I got a couple of motors from a bad quality control day at the factory, or do I just tell the bike shop owner I'd like a different brand of bike. Anyone else with these issues?

 

[dogman dan]

Tell them to look for a cut wire to the motor, or a problem with the controller. You describe shorted phases on the motor, and that short might be in the controller or wiring harness. Very rare to fry a motor that quick. Or have two with a factory defect.

Or is the problem a bad bearing?

Unplug the motor from the controller, if the problem with stiff turning vanishes, it's definitely a short in the controller or wires to it.

Two bad controllers is much more plausible to me than two bad motors.

 

[gskbrew]

Thanks dogman. I'll give that a try.

 

[Nineballboy]

gskbrew,
I've worked with a few of Currie's bikes over the years. Having something fail right away, and twice sounds really horrible, but those guys have been around a long time, like 15 years or so, and have always come thru for warranties, and sometimes a bit over the written one. Their 2014 Path+ and some other new ones don't have a controller to unplug, it's all built into the motor, so it's pretty hands-off for trying to find out where it died. It might be the controller or the motor parts. Who knows! You're probably getting taken care of by the shop you got your bike from, so it's best not to mess around inside the wheel.

The Dash looks really cool! I might have to get one SOON!.....if the wife lets me.

 

[gskbrew]

The dealer did some troubleshooting with Currie and they suspect the failure is in the motor. They stressed tested another motor (with a serial number far from the last two) and are shipping it to the shop to be installed. We'll see after tomorrow how it holds up. I'm hoping I just had a stroke of bad luck with these two.

 

[dogman dan]

Duh, I get it. Controller is in the motor. So its replace motor if there is a controller problem. Shitty luck, but keep trying.

This is where the forum shines, somebody always has the correct info, to give me the dope slap. And next time, I might have better info.

 

[Nineballboy]

Dogman,
No dope-slap intended!

Check this out!
https://sites.google.com/a/currietech.com/help/support/bikes/izip-path/component-replacement/motor-internals-controller

They're making it way easier on these new motors to swap out the whole guts of the motor with controller. Not like those older 8-(no)Fun ones. Good move!

 

[999zip999]

Gakbrew where do you live?

 

[gskbrew]

Gakbrew where do you live?

Los Angeles.

Currie suspected a defect in the previous two motors. They tested a third motor from a production date that was far removed from the previous two. This motor was installed on Thursday and I put 53 miles on it yesterday with no issues. I am thankful that Currie responded quickly and shipped a motor right away.

 

[999zip999]

Currie in Northridge Ca. on northoff.
Keep it pluged in after ride. Most of us leave it on a little longer for balancing if you have that kind of setup. Charge it.

 

[gskbrew]

The third motor also produced the same problem after ~40 miles. I'm getting a completely new Path+ bike today from Currie. If this one doesn't hold up then I'm done and will head down to Irvine for the Pedego City Commuter.

 

[999zip999]

Where you leave ? You what a pedago I have an inside track. P.M after work.