There is a lot of food for thought in this video for me who is seriously considering buying an electric Brompton. I must make a list of 'what happens if...' questions for my local dealer BEFORE I take the plunge. After all, a £3000 spend on a bike is a serious matter for a 71 year-old like me. Thank you so much for this informative video.
Thanks Johnny, I’m surprised at the growing number of “me too” responses so I fully understand your thoughts. The one thing people (in the UK) seem fairly unanimous on is that the dealer support is very good so those who have experienced issues have had them dealt with. From what I’ve read, if one is in another country it can be a different story. I personally would still make the same decision on purchase, even knowing what I know now but for sure that would not be everyone’s take on it.
Bought a brand new electric brompton and the battery controller died within one day's cycling. The best fix I found was to take it back to the shop and ask for a full refund of the £2995 that I'd spent. Since then had no further problems with brompton- sorted😉
Haha 😂 I can’t argue that’s about as perfect a fix as could be got! I can fully get why many (most?) people wouldn’t put up with the issues. Did you get an alternative?
Picked up my replacement Brompton last week after many motor faults with my last one. 100 miles in and already had a controller fault. Incredible bikes when they work, but there are still QA issues 4 years into the product life cycle.
@@oldmanwith first bike had motor issues. Eventually it was bricked on a ride home one day. UPS then lost that bike for a month. Brompton arranged a replacement and a courtesy bike. This new one has had two controller issues after a week. I wonder what the QA is on these bikes. There seem to be so many issues. Brompton need to up their game, as the e bike market is getting crowded.
Thanks for an excellent video. I too had a motor failure (in my case after very few miles) that was fixed by a new front wheel with no quibble by my local dealer - and I still love the bike. However, I would be interested in a comment from Brompton and also I would love to know how long the warranty on the motor is and whether out of warranty replacements would be on a cost only or subsidised basis.
Ken I’m sorry I thought I replied to this but it seems not 🤔 I can’t find anything specific in the warranty regarding the motor so in theory it’s 2 years. Yes there appears to be a general feeling of “it would be nice to get a comment from Brompton on this”. There’s an interesting moment in one of the Will Butler Adams videos where he says something along the lines of “I see lots of niggling little things that need fixing but actually getting them fixed happens frustratingly slowly”. Maybe our issues are on that list….
A really excellent video - I have 10 bikes !! All for different purposes but I just bought two electric 6 speed Bromptons for road riding combined occasionally with trains so my wife and I can go out for just fun . I have 2 other electrics (TERNS) for on and off road but my favourite bike is the Brompton Electric - it’s nothing short of amazing - and my wife won’t use any of her other so it’s meant I can spend more time with her cycling - you need to be clear what you want a bike for because there isn’t one bike that can meet the wide variety of needs - the Brompton scores tops because it’s the most versatile -
I hear you. I have a standard Brompton and LOVE IT. This said, after a year and 4500 miles (work commute) I have only had to replace a frayed cable which was my fault anyway. I have my own personal bicycle workshop and love working on my Brompton. Over this year however I do notice a few minor factory assembly errors. Not sure if it a rush during assembly but it has always been minor. What I am getting at is that my Brompton has held up extremely well and will continue to do same but from now on I will REALLY check my new purchase with hawkeyes.
Thanks Ed, Absolutely, I still think the Brompton is a great piece of design and engineering and I'm perfectly happy with ours. I think for me, as someone who has been around production engineering for a long time I have an acceptance that things can get missed or go wrong. People who build (and design) stuff are human and we make mistakes. I'm going to do a full (and potentially boring) video on the subject at some point.
Great information. Perhaps your cutting out problem is linked to the new free clip upgrade released by Brompton? I had a brief problem like this long ago but it hasn't reoccured with over 3700 miles on the bike now. I too really like my Brompton Electric.
Hey sir, I have the same problem with my electric bike I did some step what you did but it’s still not working on electric even though there is nothing wrong with the battery, can you please help me Thanks
Another interesting video! I haven't seen inside the motor but from my experience of other hub motors I would put outer bearing failure towards the bottom of the list. I assume the motor has a freewheel (spins easily in one direction)? These can fail if spring steel parts rust. Is the noise at road speed or does it sound higher frequency? A reduction gear would rotate the magnets at higher speed. I have known magnets to break and they really sound awful! I have known motors where a screw has loosened and actually cut through the motor shell. I expect there are nylon gears and perhaps they have developed a fault. If you are offered a faulty motor again please send it my way!
Thanks Tony, yes the wheels / motors freewheel. I’d agree, I don’t think the bearing itself had failed but without doubt something sounded awful. I’d imagined something like a missing outer seal that allowed road grit and dirt to get in the bearing. However it could easily have been some other damage inside. There were two noises, one that it made when it first failed in use which was a whirring more electrical sound (just about discernible in the video) and then noise made when the dealer spun the wheel only, out of the bike. If it wasn’t under warranty I’d have stripped it myself, if I get the chance of another you’ll be the first in the queue to strip it (after me 😁)
That is my worry with going electric is issues with motors, batteries and the added weight. I have a carrera folding bike but I was thinking about a Brompton. I love the design of the Brompton electric but it is very expensive. I do understand why you pay a premium given it is handmade and made in the UK. I would definately get a Brompton in the future because of the pack size and how long they last.
I have had an e-Brompton for two years. Under normal city conditions, I can drive only 20 km on it. Should I buy a new battery? There is no other solution? Can you improve it yourself, e.g. by replacing the cells in the battery? Is there an instruction on how to do this somewhere? (I don’t have access to an authorized Brompton service center.)
Hi Lech, thanks for your comment, I’m not an expert but that doesn’t seem like a good distance. I’ve never seen anything anywhere about rebuilding Brompton batteries, through google I just found one place in the UK that says they repair batteries (they don’t list Brompton). They are: ebikerepairs dot co dot uk I don’t know anything about them but it might be worth sending them an email to see what they think. Good luck!!
Hi Anthony, I believe the control unit is inside the bracket on the front of the bike (where the bag mounts) I can’t recall how I know that but probably it’s something the mechanic at Brilliant Bikes told me. I can’t find any other supporting evidence though so I can’t guarantee I’m correct.
They ( Brompton ) won´t have it but Brompton need to install or have the option of a suspension on the front forks or front part of the bike ...... to reduce the stress on the front part of the bike which can be heavily felt on the person riding it ( depending on the surface also which is being riden on yes obviously ) .... .. because if any bike needs suspension it is a bike with Wheels smaller than 20 inches and especially due to the thickness also of the wheel. All that vibration cannot be good for the ebike battery version and it cannot be healthy for a person either having to experience that long periods on rough surfaces... I would also not be surprised if Brompton had employees who work for them actually incognito on Social media trying to quell any negative comments by saying the exact opposite !! ps. That battery bag holding block on the brompton should maybe have some type of suspension or anti vibration mechanism of some sort... Yes i love the Bike but the hand grips and lack of suspension is worrying when driving over rougher surfaces... And most cities have these types of surfaces. Even here in Germany..
Thanks for the comment John. Personally I’d be happy with just the ability to add fatter tyres but I’ve ridden road bikes and rigid mtb long enough to be desensitised to a lot of the personal discomfort. However, in terms of the shock transmission to the battery mount I fully agree, a lot of the ebike battery connections aren’t up to the challenge of real roads / real life. If you look into other manufacturers many of them have similar issues but I think the Brompton mount really isn’t a good solution. And no, it doesn’t seem like they acknowledge it. As someone who’s worked in connection with manufacturing for a long time I can vouch that it’s a fairly standard industry approach. If there’s no legal challenge and not too much public noise about a products shortfalls then the shortfalls stay. I’d say that Brompton have a huge advantage in the fact that there’s so much zealous fandom of the standard Brompton that it easily drowns out most of the complaints. I think I’ve said in comments before, I’ve got mine to a workable solution I can live with, I’d even still buy another because I like it for what it is in terms of the storage and usefulness. That doesn’t make it a good product and it doesn’t make it right though.
@@oldmanwith Thank you very much for that very in depth and detailed answer..... I rode with the original hand grips and they was IMO very narrow and had no absorbtion.... I bought some replacemnet foam hand grips for bicycles from Woolworth @ 2 € and also a length of foam hand grip which can be cut to length ( an economical version but also very good which is 2 x 30 cms in length ) i added one of them onto the original hand grips so they sort of looked like semi circular foam pad has been added to the original grips.. this increased the thickness and also created a buffer and aided absorbtion quite a bit IMO... all in all doing that helped the ride become more pleasant....... The reason i did this is because I rode 30 to 45 minutes on tarmac and also other bumpy pavements etc and i noticed the amount of shock being placed on my elbows and hands was REALLY quite significant and not a pleasant experience.. but adding what i just wrote about above did help greatly IMO. then i have brompton purists on face book saying that i have spoiled the brompton and also said why did i not get the ezi chunky grips which cost 25 € and would most probably not have helped adding more thickness or possibly had better absorbtion.. So i suppose i have to buy these replacements grips now to either prove my point or eat my words... My instinct says my little invention if you can call it that is the best option because it improves thickness of the grips and also more importantly aides comfort and shock absorbtion greatly -.
@@fensterputzernuernberg I have a history of not getting on particularly well with purists……. I grew up with classic British motorbikes and cars on which I took great delight in removing large bits of superfluous junk and making them very fast in the process. If a standard product doesn’t fit the bill and you can find a way to modify it to suit your needs more exactly then go to it I say. Personally I bought the leather Brooks grips, they look lovely but are utterly useless. Slippery as grease when they’re wet and absolutely no shock absorption whatsoever 😂😂 Stick with your instincts 😁
i want to dismantle a 26" mtb and use the electric hub motor and control battery pack and finger trigger and the pedal assistance senor ( looking for wheel builder to respoke the back wheel my in the UK near London I would be glad for any wheel builders contact details
Hi Sean, it's difficult to give a steer in either direction in terms of buy it / don't buy it if that's where you are right now. I don't know how many Brompton Electric have been sold but in 2019 the quoted figure was "over 2500". So let's say 5000 to date. In the comments on my vids there's probably 10 people who've had some issues. If I look on the Brompton Electric Facebook group there's maybe another 20. So let's add a few more and say 50 that have had an issue and "gone online" about it. Let's then double that for people who have had a problem but just lived with it which takes us to 100. That's still only 2% of total sold. Then we could make adjustments for people who think they've had a problem but actually they don't know how to lock the battery properly or whatever else which would take the number back down again. My main point being that there seem to be a lot of people who have no problems and a few who do. I'll only quote from my personal experience which was that when I had the motor problem, Brilliant Bikes fixed it without question or delay. For the battery connection issue it was my choice not to go back to the dealer but to fix it myself. I'm not sure any of that helps you but I wish you luck in your decision.
Ah that sucks, and it sounds disturbingly similar to what I had, I’ve not had chance yet but I’d like to take the new wheel out of mine to see if I can figure how it’s sealed but yes if they replace yours it would be really interesting to strip it and see what inside. 👍
Well, with respect that’s not at all what the video is about. Part two is nearer the mark for your comment but if that’s the interpretation you take from it then I’ll just thank you for the engagement and bid you adieu….
There is a lot of food for thought in this video for me who is seriously considering buying an electric Brompton. I must make a list of 'what happens if...' questions for my local dealer BEFORE I take the plunge. After all, a £3000 spend on a bike is a serious matter for a 71 year-old like me. Thank you so much for this informative video.
Thanks Johnny, I’m surprised at the growing number of “me too” responses so I fully understand your thoughts. The one thing people (in the UK) seem fairly unanimous on is that the dealer support is very good so those who have experienced issues have had them dealt with. From what I’ve read, if one is in another country it can be a different story. I personally would still make the same decision on purchase, even knowing what I know now but for sure that would not be everyone’s take on it.
I have just ordered my Brompton electric last week. I'm really glad that I watched this video before it arrives. Thank you for sharing this 👍
Thanks William. Hope you enjoy it.
Bought a brand new electric brompton and the battery controller died within one day's cycling. The best fix I found was to take it back to the shop and ask for a full refund of the £2995 that I'd spent. Since then had no further problems with brompton- sorted😉
Haha 😂 I can’t argue that’s about as perfect a fix as could be got! I can fully get why many (most?) people wouldn’t put up with the issues. Did you get an alternative?
Picked up my replacement Brompton last week after many motor faults with my last one. 100 miles in and already had a controller fault. Incredible bikes when they work, but there are still QA issues 4 years into the product life cycle.
Oh no! That’s bad. What symptoms do you get?
@@oldmanwith first bike had motor issues. Eventually it was bricked on a ride home one day. UPS then lost that bike for a month. Brompton arranged a replacement and a courtesy bike. This new one has had two controller issues after a week. I wonder what the QA is on these bikes. There seem to be so many issues. Brompton need to up their game, as the e bike market is getting crowded.
Thanks for an excellent video. I too had a motor failure (in my case after very few miles) that was fixed by a new front wheel with no quibble by my local dealer - and I still love the bike.
However, I would be interested in a comment from Brompton and also I would love to know how long the warranty on the motor is and whether out of warranty replacements would be on a cost only or subsidised basis.
Ken I’m sorry I thought I replied to this but it seems not 🤔 I can’t find anything specific in the warranty regarding the motor so in theory it’s 2 years. Yes there appears to be a general feeling of “it would be nice to get a comment from Brompton on this”. There’s an interesting moment in one of the Will Butler Adams videos where he says something along the lines of “I see lots of niggling little things that need fixing but actually getting them fixed happens frustratingly slowly”. Maybe our issues are on that list….
A really excellent video - I have 10 bikes !! All for different purposes but I just bought two electric 6 speed Bromptons for road riding combined occasionally with trains so my wife and I can go out for just fun . I have 2 other electrics (TERNS) for on and off road but my favourite bike is the Brompton Electric - it’s nothing short of amazing - and my wife won’t use any of her other so it’s meant I can spend more time with her cycling - you need to be clear what you want a bike for because there isn’t one bike that can meet the wide variety of needs - the Brompton scores tops because it’s the most versatile -
Thanks for the comment Rob, what Terns do you have? I just looked and there are so many to choose from!!
@@oldmanwith S10 Vektron
Thanks Rob, I’ll take a look
I hear you. I have a standard Brompton and LOVE IT. This said, after a year and 4500 miles (work commute) I have only had to replace a frayed cable which was my fault anyway. I have my own personal bicycle workshop and love working on my Brompton. Over this year however I do notice a few minor factory assembly errors. Not sure if it a rush during assembly but it has always been minor. What I am getting at is that my Brompton has held up extremely well and will continue to do same but from now on I will REALLY check my new purchase with hawkeyes.
Thanks Ed, Absolutely, I still think the Brompton is a great piece of design and engineering and I'm perfectly happy with ours. I think for me, as someone who has been around production engineering for a long time I have an acceptance that things can get missed or go wrong. People who build (and design) stuff are human and we make mistakes. I'm going to do a full (and potentially boring) video on the subject at some point.
Great information. Perhaps your cutting out problem is linked to the new free clip upgrade released by Brompton? I had a brief problem like this long ago but it hasn't reoccured with over 3700 miles on the bike now. I too really like my Brompton Electric.
Yup, getting my upgrades on Friday, new video once I’ve tested it!
@@oldmanwith Great! Looking forward to that post upgrade video as it will likely be some before I can do the same.
Hey sir, I have the same problem with my electric bike I did some step what you did but it’s still not working on electric even though there is nothing wrong with the battery, can you please help me
Thanks
Another interesting video! I haven't seen inside the motor but from my experience of other hub motors I would put outer bearing failure towards the bottom of the list. I assume the motor has a freewheel (spins easily in one direction)? These can fail if spring steel parts rust. Is the noise at road speed or does it sound higher frequency? A reduction gear would rotate the magnets at higher speed. I have known magnets to break and they really sound awful! I have known motors where a screw has loosened and actually cut through the motor shell. I expect there are nylon gears and perhaps they have developed a fault. If you are offered a faulty motor again please send it my way!
Thanks Tony, yes the wheels / motors freewheel. I’d agree, I don’t think the bearing itself had failed but without doubt something sounded awful. I’d imagined something like a missing outer seal that allowed road grit and dirt to get in the bearing. However it could easily have been some other damage inside. There were two noises, one that it made when it first failed in use which was a whirring more electrical sound (just about discernible in the video) and then noise made when the dealer spun the wheel only, out of the bike. If it wasn’t under warranty I’d have stripped it myself, if I get the chance of another you’ll be the first in the queue to strip it (after me 😁)
That is my worry with going electric is issues with motors, batteries and the added weight. I have a carrera folding bike but I was thinking about a Brompton.
I love the design of the Brompton electric but it is very expensive. I do understand why you pay a premium given it is handmade and made in the UK.
I would definately get a Brompton in the future because of the pack size and how long they last.
Great looking route, where is it in Wales? Useful to hear your story too.
Thanks Neil, the majority of the footage is from Cardiff Bay, there’s a full video on the circuit elsewhere on my channel. It’s a nice little loop.
I have had an e-Brompton for two years. Under normal city conditions, I can drive only 20 km on it. Should I buy a new battery? There is no other solution? Can you improve it yourself, e.g. by replacing the cells in the battery? Is there an instruction on how to do this somewhere?
(I don’t have access to an authorized Brompton service center.)
Hi Lech, thanks for your comment, I’m not an expert but that doesn’t seem like a good distance. I’ve never seen anything anywhere about rebuilding Brompton batteries, through google I just found one place in the UK that says they repair batteries (they don’t list Brompton). They are: ebikerepairs dot co dot uk I don’t know anything about them but it might be worth sending them an email to see what they think. Good luck!!
@@oldmanwith Do you have an email for them?
Hi Lech, it’s contact@ebikerepairs.co.uk according to their website
Do you know what the “control unit” of the Brompton is?
Hi Anthony, I believe the control unit is inside the bracket on the front of the bike (where the bag mounts) I can’t recall how I know that but probably it’s something the mechanic at Brilliant Bikes told me. I can’t find any other supporting evidence though so I can’t guarantee I’m correct.
Thank you for sharing. Great detail.
No problem, thanks Shuka
I have exact the same problem with my brompton.
Ah that’s not good. How old is your bike? Can you get it repaired on warranty?
They ( Brompton ) won´t have it but Brompton need to install or have the option of a suspension on the front forks or front part of the bike ...... to reduce the stress on the front part of the bike which can be heavily felt on the person riding it ( depending on the surface also which is being riden on yes obviously ) .... .. because if any bike needs suspension it is a bike with Wheels smaller than 20 inches and especially due to the thickness also of the wheel. All that vibration cannot be good for the ebike battery version and it cannot be healthy for a person either having to experience that long periods on rough surfaces... I would also not be surprised if Brompton had employees who work for them actually incognito on Social media trying to quell any negative comments by saying the exact opposite !! ps. That battery bag holding block on the brompton should maybe have some type of suspension or anti vibration mechanism of some sort... Yes i love the Bike but the hand grips and lack of suspension is worrying when driving over rougher surfaces... And most cities have these types of surfaces. Even here in Germany..
Thanks for the comment John. Personally I’d be happy with just the ability to add fatter tyres but I’ve ridden road bikes and rigid mtb long enough to be desensitised to a lot of the personal discomfort. However, in terms of the shock transmission to the battery mount I fully agree, a lot of the ebike battery connections aren’t up to the challenge of real roads / real life. If you look into other manufacturers many of them have similar issues but I think the Brompton mount really isn’t a good solution. And no, it doesn’t seem like they acknowledge it. As someone who’s worked in connection with manufacturing for a long time I can vouch that it’s a fairly standard industry approach. If there’s no legal challenge and not too much public noise about a products shortfalls then the shortfalls stay. I’d say that Brompton have a huge advantage in the fact that there’s so much zealous fandom of the standard Brompton that it easily drowns out most of the complaints. I think I’ve said in comments before, I’ve got mine to a workable solution I can live with, I’d even still buy another because I like it for what it is in terms of the storage and usefulness. That doesn’t make it a good product and it doesn’t make it right though.
@@oldmanwith Thank you very much for that very in depth and detailed answer..... I rode with the original hand grips and they was IMO very narrow and had no absorbtion.... I bought some replacemnet foam hand grips for bicycles from Woolworth @ 2 € and also a length of foam hand grip which can be cut to length ( an economical version but also very good which is 2 x 30 cms in length ) i added one of them onto the original hand grips so they sort of looked like semi circular foam pad has been added to the original grips.. this increased the thickness and also created a buffer and aided absorbtion quite a bit IMO... all in all doing that helped the ride become more pleasant....... The reason i did this is because I rode 30 to 45 minutes on tarmac and also other bumpy pavements etc and i noticed the amount of shock being placed on my elbows and hands was REALLY quite significant and not a pleasant experience.. but adding what i just wrote about above did help greatly IMO. then i have brompton purists on face book saying that i have spoiled the brompton and also said why did i not get the ezi chunky grips which cost 25 € and would most probably not have helped adding more thickness or possibly had better absorbtion.. So i suppose i have to buy these replacements grips now to either prove my point or eat my words... My instinct says my little invention if you can call it that is the best option because it improves thickness of the grips and also more importantly aides comfort and shock absorbtion greatly -.
@@fensterputzernuernberg I have a history of not getting on particularly well with purists……. I grew up with classic British motorbikes and cars on which I took great delight in removing large bits of superfluous junk and making them very fast in the process. If a standard product doesn’t fit the bill and you can find a way to modify it to suit your needs more exactly then go to it I say. Personally I bought the leather Brooks grips, they look lovely but are utterly useless. Slippery as grease when they’re wet and absolutely no shock absorption whatsoever 😂😂 Stick with your instincts 😁
Interesting video, thank You very much.
Thanks Rolf
Very interesting. Thanks
Thanks Jonathan
i want to dismantle a 26" mtb and use the electric hub motor and control battery pack and finger trigger and the pedal assistance senor ( looking for wheel builder to respoke the back wheel my in the UK near London I would be glad for any wheel builders contact details
Hi MD, good luck with your plan, don’t know any wheel builders myself, I’d just be going full on google search personally
A bit worrying for me because the nearest brompton dealer is a long way from me.
Hi Sean, it's difficult to give a steer in either direction in terms of buy it / don't buy it if that's where you are right now. I don't know how many Brompton Electric have been sold but in 2019 the quoted figure was "over 2500". So let's say 5000 to date. In the comments on my vids there's probably 10 people who've had some issues. If I look on the Brompton Electric Facebook group there's maybe another 20. So let's add a few more and say 50 that have had an issue and "gone online" about it. Let's then double that for people who have had a problem but just lived with it which takes us to 100. That's still only 2% of total sold. Then we could make adjustments for people who think they've had a problem but actually they don't know how to lock the battery properly or whatever else which would take the number back down again.
My main point being that there seem to be a lot of people who have no problems and a few who do. I'll only quote from my personal experience which was that when I had the motor problem, Brilliant Bikes fixed it without question or delay. For the battery connection issue it was my choice not to go back to the dealer but to fix it myself. I'm not sure any of that helps you but I wish you luck in your decision.
Mine has just started displaying exactly the same symptoms. Today was the first time it got wet :(
Not impressed.
@@christofferhardman5829 Thats bad new Christoffer, was it just using it the rain or washing it?
Ah that sucks, and it sounds disturbingly similar to what I had, I’ve not had chance yet but I’d like to take the new wheel out of mine to see if I can figure how it’s sealed but yes if they replace yours it would be really interesting to strip it and see what inside. 👍
Used in the rain, once. Only ever washed with a damp rag. I'll ask the dealer to give me the old wheel
Here is this whole video: make sure the battery is seated fully. The rest of the video is a waste of o 15 minutes !!
Well, with respect that’s not at all what the video is about. Part two is nearer the mark for your comment but if that’s the interpretation you take from it then I’ll just thank you for the engagement and bid you adieu….