Our goal at Cycle 9 is to sell quality products that help you ride your bike more. We realize that occasionally things don't work out and sometimes things break and need to be returned. We strive for 100% customer satisfaction. If you're not satisfied with something you purchased in the last 3 months, call us at 800-249-8098 or email us through the contact page. We will find a creative, positive way to resolve your issue, refund your purchase, or help you out. We are very reasonable about this. We do, however, have a detailed and extensive warranty policy, outlined below, so everyone is on the same page with what is covered under warranty. Please take the time to READ through the warranty and return policies outlined below, preferably before you contact us for a return. Thanks - from the Cycle 9 Team.
Ride Your Bike More Guarantee
We know that an electric-assist kit is an investment, and you might have concerns about whether the investment will pay off for you. For this reason, we offer a 3-month "Ride Your Bike More" trial-period Guarantee. The purpose of this guarantee is to give you a chance to try out your new kit and see if it helps you ride your bike more, drive your car less, and save you money. Within 3 months of the date we ship you your kit, if you've tried it in good faith and found it not to be for you, you may return it for a full refund, less shipping costs. This guarantee is only for new, complete kits purchased from Cycle 9. For parts or incomplete kits, see policies below.
Because Cycle 9 is a small business with less than 10 employees, and we carry the entire cost of these returns here at Cycle 9 (i.e. there's no "big company" behind us), we do have some exclusions to our guarantee policy. Returned kits under the Ride Your Bike More Guarantee must be unmodified, not abused or used excessively, and in working, re-sellable condition. If a kit does not meet these conditions, you may receive a partial refund, depending on the condition of the kit. Cycle 9 technical staff will determine the condition of the kit based on their examination and testing. This return policy is only for complete kits purchased from Cycle 9.
If you use your kit as intended, don't modify it, and take reasonable care of it (i.e. don't leave the battery out in the rain, don't open up electronics and alter them, etc) the you'll be able to return your kit under this policy. We just ask that you use good faith and return the kit to us in good working condition that can be resold as used. (Note, our kits are quality and rarely experience problems. However, there is a warranty policy, outlined below, to cover the occasional technical problem that might come up).
Returns or Exchanges
For parts, accessories, or non-complete kits purchased from Cycle 9, you may exchange or return uninstalled or unused items within 30 days for a full no-hassle refund (less any shipping costs). This would cover situations where you purchased an incompatible item for your bike/kit, or just changed your mind.
If the item was installed or modified, it may be returnable for a partial refund, depending on the degree of modification or use. Cycle 9 technical staff would need to examine your product before agreeing to the amount of partial refund. We are reasonable people, so if your part or kit is in good condition, chances are you will get a refund.
Before returning any item to us under any of these policies, you need to contact us. This is so we know to expect your return, and we know what you are asking for. If you don't do this, your returned item might sit around in the back room for awhile because no one knows what it is. You may contact us by email (info@cycle9.com) or by phone (1-800-249-8068). Postage for all returns must be pre-paid. If you are risk-averse, we recommend that you insure your returned items, as we are not responsible for any shipping damage or loss.
WARRANTY
Warranty covers items that fail when used within their normal operating parameters. Unlike big box retailers that pass on all warranty and return claims to manufacturers, we at Cycle 9 generally absorb the full warranty cost with 3rd party products whose manufacturing is out of our control. The Bionx kits are the only exception, where we act as an intermediary between the customer and BionX for warranty issues. For other motor kits, the actual warranty details are particular to each product type. Clearance items are generally warranted for 30 days, but may have their own warranty terms.
Hub Motors
We offer a 2 year warranty on the eZee hub motors, and a 1 year warranty on the Hill Eraser (Nine Continent) and BMC hub motors. The warranty covers material and manufacturing defects in the motor itself, and not issues related to installation. We provide information to you on how to properly install your kit, and provide email or phone support for your install, but ultimately you are responsible for following these instructions. Examples of what is NOT covered by warranty are:
1. problems resulting from axle spin-out. Axle spin-out is when the axle of your motor is not properly restrained, and spins out of the drop-outs of your bike. The most common cause of this is from improperly installed or tightened axle nuts, but also could be from not using a torque arm when it is recommended or required, shallow or weak dropouts, or loosening of the axle nuts on regen systems, which put a lot of forward and backward strain on the drop outs. The results of axle spin out vary from minor to severe and might include twisting and breaking of the phase wires, wires shorting against each other and blowing out hall sensors or other parts, damage to axle threads, or even bike crashes when your wheel leaves the bike. Many of these damages can be repaired, and we will help you repair them at our regular shop rates of $60 an hour plus parts.
2. water damage: Even motors that are well sealed, such as the eZee and Nine continent motors, can get some water in them if submerged, or if connectors are exposed to continually wet conditions. Water in the motor results in flakey signals and/or corrosion of the inner motor. If a motor has been exposed to water damage in this way, when it is opened up, a small pool of water will leak out, and we will know that water damage was the culprit. If you store your bike in a non-climate-controlled area for an extended period of time, especially if you live in a humid or rainy area, your bike may suffer water damage from the moisture in the atmosphere. We recommend either storing your bike indoors, or using a dehumidifier in the storage area to prevent this damage.
3. Overheating damage: If you run your motor for a prolonged time period at well beyond the rated power, the motor can get very hot inside and cause damage to the inner windings. This can cause things like demagnetization melting of wire insulation, and even damage to the copper windings. If you purchase a kit from us, we have specced the motor and controller to prevent overheating. If you are using your own controller, keep the input levels below 1000Watts for eZee, Nine Continent, and BMC V1 motors, or below 1500 Watts for the BMC V2 motors. Damage caused to motors that are run with controllers above these levels will not be covered under warranty. It is possible to run your motor at higher power levels for short times, but sustained levels of use is where you start getting problems.
What IS covered would include, for example
1. damaged gears in eZee or BMC motors
2. damaged freewheel mechanism
3. Sheared side cover
4. Cracked flange on motor cover
5. Bad connectors: while we examine and test connectors before sending motor kits out, occasionally a connector will come loose of its own accord or not provide a good connection. We will supply and ship to you replacement connectors and instructions at no cost. Or, we will replace the connectors for you at no cost, but would not cover the cost of shipping your motor back and forth.
Motor controllers
The controllers that are sold as part of our electric kits are covered for 1 year for the Hill Eraser (9Continent) kits, BMC kits, and Electric Mundos and 2 years for the eZee kits and Electrify Your Madsen kits. Warranty covers the controllers only when used with 36V or 48V battery packs.
Infineon controllers that are sold individually are warranted for 3 months when used with a 9 continent, BMC or eZee motors. Controllers used with other 3rd party motors or controllers that are modified are not covered by warranty. While the controllers should work with most 3rd party motors, it is possible that an incompatibility could occur. For this reason, with the exception of a loose connector, we cannot warranty these controllers. We hare happy to help you diagnose and repair a controller in such a case, and this work will be billed at our electronics repair rate.
If you modify the connectors on your controller, your warranty may be invalidated. This is because there are connectors in use in the e-bike world that are not appropriate for high amperage use, and because we cannot ensure that your modification is done well. We are, however, reasonable people. So if you've made a solid connection using appropriately rated connectors, and the controller appears to simply be faulty, we will repair or replace, at our discretion.
We do not cover motor controllers that are damaged due to axle spinout, water corrosion, or internal modification. We also do not cover motor controllers damaged due to improper installation, such as connecting your battery backwards (reversed polarity) or connecting phase wires in the wrong order and running your motor under load. We provide installation instructions and support, and you are responsible for following these instructions. Please call if you have questions.
Battery Packs
Battery packs are a large source of warranty support, and we are continually improving the quality of our battery pack offerings to address this. Our LifePO4 batteries and chargers are warranted for 6 months, with an additional 6 months of reduced labor for any repairs covered under the original warranty. Our Li-ion packs and chargers are warranted for 1 year. Lead acid packs are warranted for 1 year when used with supplied wiring. Batteries sold on clearance are warranted for 30 days.
Battery warranty will cover
1. A faulty BMS that causes premature pack cutout or shuts off below the rated current
2. A pack that delivers less than 80% of its normal capacity at a 1C discharge rate
3. An internal loose cell tab
Warranty does not cover
1. Batteries that have been left to self discharge for long periods of time, where the cells have dropped below 2V/cell (lithium) (charge unused batteries every month. Unused batteries will slowly discharge and can completely discharge in 1-2 months).
2. Water damage or corrosion that can lead to faulty BMS behavior
3. Cells or tabs that are damaged due to the battery being dropped, impacted against your bike frame, punctured, or otherwise not taken care of. Soft shell batteries such as the LifePO4 packs can be damaged if not protected from impact.
We can often repair damaged battery packs that are not covered under warranty, and charge an hourly rate do do so.
Chargers
Chargers sold individually (without battery pack) are warranted for 6 months for metal chargers and 30 days for the plastic lead-acid chargers. Warranty does not cover chargers that were exposed to water or have been subject to impact or abuse. The jiggling caused by carrying a charger on your bike may cause damage to the internal circuit board, and it is recommended that you pad your charger against impact if you carry it in this way.
Cycle Analysts
Cycle analysts are warranted for 3 years when used within specified operating range. Inadvertent water damage caused by use in wet riding conditions will be covered, but not if the Cycle analyst was submerged. Warranty for this item is handled by GRIN technologies, the manufacturer of cycle analysts. Cycle 9 will act as intermediary for warranty purposes.
Other Products
Other products not covered above are warranted for one year. This includes freewheels, throttles, or other accessories. The warranty does not cover items that have been abused or are corroded due to water damage.
Procedure for Warranty and Return Shipping
If something you have ordered is not working, please contact us for support first. You may have a simple wiring mis-match or other problem that is easily resolved. Or we may be able to diagnose the likely problem over the phone, so you only need to return the faulty item. If the problem is not easily solved or requires us to look at the item, we will know that your product is being returned. If you do NOT contact us, your returned item may sit around for awhile in our back room because no one knows what to do with it.
We will strive to get your product repaired or replaced at minimal hassle to you. Items that are returned for service are entered into our electronics workflow queue. Depending on the amount of work, it may take several days before your item can be looked at. Rest assured that your item will be examined as soon as possible. In most cases, we will not ship out replacement items before your return has been assessed.
If sending your item by mail, you must adequately package the item to protect it from shipping damage. Shipping damage is not covered under warranty. Use a sturdy box and adequate packaging material. For hub motors, you must adequately package it to prevent the axle from poking through the box. For batteries in particular, you must carefully wrap the battery and provide crush protection and a sturdy box. Cover the connectors with electrical tape to prevent an accidental short. Insuring your package is up to you, but often is a good investment when shipping an expensive item. You may use any shipping carrier you like, with the exception of batteries, which MUST be shipped with a ground service such as Fedex Ground or UPS (NO AIR MAIL ON BATTERIES).
Send any returned or warranty items to:
Cycle 9
Returns
601 W. Main Street, Suite D
Carrboro, NC 27510
What about shipping costs?
Who covers the shipping cost depends on the situation. In most cases, you cover the cost to ship the item to us and we cover the cost to return it to you. In this way, shipping costs are split.
In cases where there is a clear failure early in the life of a product, we may choose (at our discretion) to cover shipping both ways. If this is the case, we will refund your shipping costs if you provide a receipt showing what they were.
In cases where an item was returned to us for warranty repair and proves to be working fine or is not eligible for warranty service (such as in the case of damage due to impact or water), then you would be responsible for shipping both ways.
For items that are returned under our return policy or Ride Your Bike More Guarantee, you are responsible for shipping costs of the return, and original shipping costs will not be refunded.
Can I repair something myself?
If you are tech inclined and think you can fix an item yourself, this may be possible without voiding the warranty. Please contact us before attempting repairs on your own.
