How else are you going to fix a bike?

I’m back to tackling the VanMoof X3. After a bit of playing around with the problem bike, I found out that there is an issue with the internal wiring. The bike doesn’t show any speed until the handlebars are turned fully, suggesting a faulty connection. I had replaced components on my VanMoof S3 before (e-shifter, wheel, brakes) but never tackled anything as big as this.

This VanMoof X3 has done around 1,200 miles according to the app odometer and started to play up while still in warranty. Unfortunately when VanMoof went under and was bought out, they made the decision not to honour warranties on the ikes that were already out in the wild. This became an even bigger problem because of the lack of workshops qualified to work on the buggers. They are lovely bikes when working properly as my S3 has been for over a year, but really difficult to work on thanks to the bespoke parts and hidden wiring that’s exactly the right length it needs to be. Just don’t try to access any of it.

There is no publicly available repair manual for VanMoof bikes which goes into this level of detail which is a bit of a pain. I started out removing components I was familiar with by first principles, but quickly hit a snag. Accessing the socket isn’t as simple as removing the front fork. I got to that stage and was unable to drop the fork off completely as I hadn’t realised the need to pull the motor cable through the hole under the headset.

I started to do a little exploring on Reddit (the font of all knowledge) and came across a few people mentioning similar problems. Someone very helpfully detailed the steps required to remove the socket but it wasn’t as straightforward as I was hoping. To remove the socket and wiring harness is to remove all of the wiring/cables in the bike. That means a near complete disassembly in the hope that it could one day be put back together. I’m not holding my breath.

Picking up my trusty VanMoof toolbox, I got to work.

First things first, I had to take off the back wheel. This is enough of a faff by itself as there is a chain tensioner and e-shifter to deal. Following this I removed the kick lock (one of the best features of this bike, in my opinion) and pulled the cabling up through the frame. The e-shifter cable was fine, but the kick lock cable had to pull past the hydraulic brake cable which proved to be a minor nightmare. Getting it out without damaging either part, sandwiched between a brake line I didn’t want to break and a metal frame which was itching to slice the connector off the cable. After some time (and swearing) I snuck it through.

After that the battery could be taken out from the bottom of the frame. Be warned, from this part on the bike continually complains and thinks you’re messing with it. Of course, it is right.

I removed the battery followed by the saddle, then the smart cartridge that lives in the top tube. This is where the magic happens – the onboard computer – and I’m hoping it can survive being away from the battery for a prolonged period as this bike is taking a while to work on.

If getting the kick lock cable out of the frame was a minor nightmare, removing the motor cable was a son-of-a-bitch-hell-bastard-shitshow. How can something so simple take so damn long? There is barely any wiggle room internally so everything takes contortionist level skill to access. After what seemed (and objectively measured) like an eternity I managed to remove the motor cable from the fork and now all that is left is to remove two little Torx T8 security screws. Screws that will not budge and now are at risk of thread stripping. Can’t I have one easy bit? One simple part to make my life a little more pleasant?

Once I find a way to get the final screws out then I can remove the socket and figure out what to do next. If the wires are easily accessible then I may be able to fix the broken ones. If not, then I’ll have to find a replacement socket/harness which may be easier said than done. Some VanMoof parts are readily available, but this is not one of those.

What’s all this in aid of? Can’t I get it repaired professionally? It’s not quite that simple. The closest workshop that would be willing to look at the bike is in Bristol which involves driving over two hours from Plymouth to get there (and picking it up at a later date of course), and the price I’ve been quoted is £600 for labour and £200 for the part. The repair would cost nearly £300 more than the replacement bike we bought for Sarah (Pendleton Somerby-E) which is mind boggling, but having experienced first-hand how tricky this bugger is, I’m not surprised they try and put people off bringing the bikes in.

A quick look online shows some new wiring looms for £200 or a used one for around £70. Expensive for what they are, but the alternative is a dead bike so there’s not really much choice here. The plan is for VanMoof to make more parts available to local workshops in an attempt to keep as many bikes on the road as possible, but I wish they’d hurry up and do it. For now I’m stuck between eBay sellers.