A couple of weeks ago, Avinox unveiled its new M2S and M2 drive systems, toting huge 150Nm and 1,500Wh figures, with 60 brands in tow, releasing bikes equipped with the new motors. But with so many bikes on the market running a very new system, how does the brand aim to offer its warranties? I got in touch to learn more.
It’s always healthy to approach something new with a spoonful of scepticism, especially when it promises potentially revolutionary performance. With Avinox quickly becoming a huge player in the e-bike market, and becoming a must-have to the point where 60 brands reckon that kitting their bikes with one is a good move, a little concern about the warranty process will easily rise.
In fact, when the M1 was released, it was a question I had in the back of my mind, with Avinox still being a young manufacturer. But, it looks like the brand has things pretty well covered, and it’s not too far from the norm, albeit still a little vague.
A solid approach to warranty repairs is important for any expensive bicycle product, but for e-bikes of all types, it’s vital. Unfortunately, motors and batteries are not serviceable by the user, so it means that customers must either drop their bikes at a shop, or send them off to the brand they bought it from for repair. That then adds what can be a lengthy wait until the bike arrives ripe for riding.
Some brands do this incredibly well, turning around repairs in a matter of days. Others, you may be waiting months. And that’s why I got in touch with the folk at Avinox to elaborate on how it plans to rectify warranty repairs. Some of the answers shed some real light; others are rather boilerplate, but one thing’s for sure, it’s placing a lot of the onus on the dealer.
When asking what Avinox’s plan is around warranty and repairs, an unnamed spokesperson said, “The warranty period for the drive system is two years (starting from activation date), and the battery is covered for two years (starting from activation date), with up to 500 charge cycles. Warranty policies and terms may vary by OEM and region, and warranty claims should be reported to your dealer.”
Avinox has also confirmed that spare parts are already available in the UK, “Yes, Avinox spare parts are available in the UK. Consumers should contact the shop where the bike was purchased or their local dealer for service requests or warranty needs.”
When chatting about lead times, Avinox seems to rely heavily on the dealer, stating, “Consumers should contact their local authorised dealer for questions regarding warranty cases or repairs”.
Avinox then gave the same answer when I asked about how the warranty process works and if motors are outside of their warranty windows.
When clarifying Avinox’s reliance on dealers and its intent to use its dealer network for warranty and repairs, the brand replied, “Yes, Avinox has established a clear response roadmap together with its partners, and there is a dedicated support network in place to assist with any after-sales requirements. Partner OEMs are trained on Avinox policies.”
So with all of this said and done, Avinox looks like it’s got its warranty process pretty nailed down. Though it looks as if it’s placing a lot of the heavy lifting on the dealer, so while the brand has confidently set these guidelines, lead times and warranty outcomes will rely on where and how you’ve purchased your Avinox-equipped bikes.
For example, if you bought yours from a direct-to-consumer brand, there will be some added complication in returning your bike to that dealer. However, if you bought it at a bike shop, you should be able to wheel it through the doors. Though I’ve still been left uncertain of how long customers will be without their Avinox bike as warranty repairs take place.
6 thoughts on “How is Avinox going to approach the warranty of its M2S and M2 e-bike motors?”
This is how warranty works, if you buy a bike with a shimano groupset and the shifter snaps you didn’t buy the shifter you bought the bike so you have to deal with the shop you bought the bike from. Same with a frame, you buy a bike with a Planet X frame from a shop, the frame snaps, you go to the shop you bought it from, not Planet X
It’s worth mentioning the Consumer Rights Act / CRA provisions for UK based owners.
Whilst Avinox might only offer a 2 year warranty, the bike manufacturers and retailers may have a hard time convincing the small claims court that a “reasonable” service life of a very expensive and claimed high performance part is only 2 years.
Whilst it’s an unknown how Avinox or their service agent in the Uk will process claims made outside of the warranty period, they should expect to support consumers beyond that timeline or face claims under the CRA.
Not a very good example, because Planet X aren’t sold in shops as they are an online only company so you would be dealing directly with them for any warranty issues. In any case, in many instances that’s not “how warranty works”, for example Specialized say regarding parts, “”3rd party” components (e.g. SRAM or Shimano) are warrantied directly by that manufacturer. Separate warranty information for these parts should have been included with your bike when you purchased it” so if your SRAM lever snaps, you go direct to them to have it replaced under warranty, not to Specialized or their retailer.
The question is surely how expensive is expensive when it comes to complex mechanical and electronic items. You can’t really put an arbitrary figure on a certain class of item and say “anything over that has to last more than 2 years”.
For some products, the more expensive they are, the less expectation there is for durability vs performance.
Rendel, the Planet X example is a real example from a few years ago, so is the post of a poor example. Buyer bought a bike with a Planet X frame from a bike shop, issue with frame, contacted Planet X and was going ok until the guy said oh no I bought it via a bike shop built up, and Planet X said oh well you need to go via the shop you bought it from. Specialised, if I had bought a bike from a specialized store I’d be saying nice try I bought the bike from you it’s your problem to fix it under warranty – or probably more likely I wouldn’t buy the bike with those warranty stipulations
As Planet X don’t sell to retailers it’s not surprising that they wouldn’t honour a warranty on any of their products purchased through a bike shop because that would make the purchaser the second owner and therefore not covered under the warranty terms. It is not uncommon for manufacturers to state in their warranty terms that they only cover the parts manufactured by themselves and third-party components are covered by the warranty of the manufacturer of said components, certainly it’s true for Specialized and Giant. So your statement that “This is how warranty works” should at best be “this is how some warranties work”.