PB’S HAIBIKE ALLMTN 6
MONTH 9: PB’S Haibike earns a timely upgrade but he rocks it a little too hard at Bikepark Wales
£5,399 / 29/27.5in / haibike.com
If you’ve been following my updates you may remember I said I’d be upgrading the Allmtn 6 as little as possible because I figured you’d want to read about what happens to this bike and not some sort of tricked-out imposter. That still holds true, but I have had to replace the wheels because, as I mentioned last month, the rear lost a load of tension and the bike just wasn’t riding in a straight line. I fitted some Spank Oozy 395+ wheels that I just received for test and they are actually designed for e-bike use. That means they have super-strong 40mm wide rims and a Hex E-plus freehub, which is steel rather than soft alloy and runs on heavy duty bearings.
First time out on the Spank wheels and it was like riding a new bike. Spoke tension has little to do with wheel stiffness but the Allmtn 6 did feel a lot tighter and more responsive. I paid a visit to Bikepark Wales and they felt on the money there too, but unfortunately I’m now out of pocket for the cost of a new rear tyre because I got all cocky and slashed it hitting a drop on AC/DC. That said, after nearly 700 miles off-road, the Maxxis Minion DHR II was getting a bit threadbare anywhere.
There are a couple of other things that need attention too – the remote for the motor broke a month ago and is just hanging loose on the handlebar and I need a new chain, some fresh brake pads and headset bearings.
I’ve also stripped the bike down, removed the shock and dismantled the swingarm this month. I wanted to check and see how much Sussex clay was lodged in and around the motor and whether the bearings in the Yamaha drive unit and swingarm were still running smooth. Surprisingly, it was all pretty clean in there, the rear seals and the plastic motor cover seem to be doing a good job. Haibike fits Bolu bearings on all of the suspension pivots, which are Chinese made, but then what isn’t? And again, they were pretty smooth, despite being exposed to the elements.
I’ve contacted Haibike about the cost of a replacement set of bearings and whether they’re user serviceable but I’ve not had any info back yet, although I can’t see anything stopping you replacing them with an upmarket brand because they’re a pretty standard size.
Also I’m still waiting to hear back from Haibike about the spare battery (that would have come in really handy at BPW) and the bottle cage mount that slots into the Modular Rail System on the down tube. The mount itself is only £4.99, so I’m up for spending my own money on one but no one has stock in the UK, although there is a place in Italy that seems to have them, so I may give them a try. Ciao for now.
WHY IT’S HERE One of the few e-bike brands running Yamaha’s PW-X2 motor with Intube 600Wh battery