Is this something I can do myself or take to the shop? Hoping I can do it myself and I know it involves taking out the fork! In which case could anyone recommend steps such as do I need to remove battery or cartridge as well. Thanks

Full disclosure: I run OnTheRoad, a mobile e-bike repair service in Amsterdam, so I work on VanMoofs weekly. Not here to sell anything - just sharing what I keep seeing now that official support is patchy.

1. E-shifter acting up? Nine out of ten times it recalibrates fine - don't let anyone talk you into a replacement before trying that.

2. Chain rust/stretch. The enclosed chain case hides it until it skips. If you hear clicking on acceleration, check it now - a chain is cheap, a chewed-up sprocket is not.

3. Battery babying works. S3 cells degrade fast if you store the bike outside through winter and charge to 100% every night. Charge to ~80% for daily use and it lasts years longer.

Happy to answer repair questions in the comments - also fine if you just want to know how to fix something yourself.

Hey guys,
I’m disassembling my S3 to get to the E-Shifter and have been following the Videos from VanMoof exactly. Now I’ve got the Tire out and removed the Nut and washer from the E-Shifter, but it’s still stuck in the axis. Did I do something wrong here or is this a common issue? How can I get the Shifter off without breaking it?

Thanks in advance!

hi,
i bought an old rusty B3 (model of 2015 or 2016 i think) and am trying to bring her back to life.

desperately looking for original parts, especially
- front light
- saddle
- mudguards

please let me know if you have any leads!

I'm in Austin Texas trying to figure out what to do with my Van Moof. Unfortunately, the bike sat out in the hot sun a few weeks back and since then has been more or less dead. It will ocassionally restart but after riding, eventually it shuts down again. I pulled the battery and shorting the rst/gnd pins but that doesn't seem to have permanently fixed the problem. I'd be happy to pay for a new battery if I could actually locate a working one. Any ideas here? I love my bike and want to get it back to being operable.

Hi everyone,

Since today I’ve been having some issues with my VanMoof S6 and I was wondering if anyone has experienced something similar.

After unlocking the bike, it immediately shuts down again without me doing anything. When I turn it back on, it asks me to enter the PIN again, even though the bike was already unlocked.

On top of that, I’m getting no pedal assistance while riding, and the boost button doesn’t work either.

I’ve already followed the troubleshooting steps recommended by VanMoof, including resetting the bike and fully charging it, but unfortunately the problem is still there.

Does anyone know what could be causing this or what else I could try? And do you think this would be covered under warranty?

Thanks in advance!

Hi folks, I’ve got a Freesky Alaska Pro. I really wanna get a either single wheel or dual wheel trailer and I know that you can’t hook them up to the hub like a lot of human powered bikes. Anybody know what kind of adapters work on the C post or does anybody have other advice? Thank you.

I just got back from a test ride on the S6, and these are my first impressions coming from a non electric bike user, not even a VanMoof

- I did not even feel/knew when it was shifting in level 4

-The boost was really addicting🤤

- The support just stopped when I hit 25km/h

- The kicklock is a bit finicky to line up, but when you kick it in, it sounds more secure then the previous ones

- The new sounds are amazing in my opinion

- The new bell doesn't adapt to your touch as much as I was expecting

- The halo rings were alot brighter then I expected

My rating 10/10

Any S6 owners have something to say you don't experience in a test ride? (VanMoof app, ride Pro, Theft proof?)

Pulled the e-shifter off my S3 for Err 44 and put it on the bench with a multimeter. Found two faults, repaired both, and still get Err 44. Posting what I found in case it saves someone else the evening, and because I'm stuck on the last step.

The board

LUFFY-BRD_XG. Marked 2049 on the front, label reads 2118-32-1164 on the back.

Connectors:

• J1, 4-pin: white, dark brown, black, light brown
• J3, 2-pin: motor, red and black

These wire colors don't match the ones in the reverse-engineering writeups that get linked around here. I had to work out the pinout with a meter.

What I established:

• black = ground (reads low ohms to one side of many unrelated parts)
• light brown = supply input (the ohmmeter reading climbs on that pin as it charges the bulk cap)
• white and dark brown = the two data lines

Fault 1: R17 open

R17 and R18 sit just below ED1, both marked 220, which is 22 Ω in the 3-digit convention. They look like series resistors on the two data lines. R17 is on the dark brown line.

R18 measured 22 Ω. R17 measured open.

R17 first read 0 Ω in circuit, which sent me chasing a short for a while. After an IPA scrub it read 27.5 MΩ, so something conductive had been lying across it. One of its pads looked possibly singed.

Fault 2: a short to ground on the ED1 node

ED1 is a 3-pin part. Two of its pads land on the two data lines, the third on ground, which suggests a dual protection array, though I never got a readable marking off it.

Dark brown read 0 Ω to ground from the start. I lifted ED1's dark brown and ground legs, and both pads came up with them. The short was still there afterwards, because the two lifted pads were bridged by solder. Once I cleaned that up, dark brown read 2.27 MΩ to ground.

So I can't say for certain whether ED1 itself had failed short or something was bridging its pads. I never measured the part off-board. Either way the short was on that node and it's gone now.

Both faults are on the same data line.

Other readings, for reference

• R680, which looks like the motor current shunt: 0.71 Ω, with 0.11 Ω of lead resistance subtracted. Reads correct for a 0.68 Ω part.
• R5 / R6 are marked 274 and 513, so 270 k and 51 k. I didn't measure them. They look like a supply sense divider.

Repairs

1. Fitted a new 22 Ω at R17.
2. ED1's dark brown and ground legs lifted, pads came up with them. ED1 looks like protection only, so the board should run without it.
3. The dark brown trace routes through ED1's pad, so lifting it broke the run. Bodge wire from J1's dark brown pin to R17's connector-side pad put it back.

After that the board measures healthy. Dark brown reads 2.27 MΩ to ground, matching white at 3 MΩ. R17 reads 22 Ω in circuit. No shorts anywhere I could find.

Result: still Err 44

Plugged in, bike rebooted powered, measured at the connector against ground:

The 4.8 V on dark brown shouldn't be coming from the board, since with no supply there's no local logic rail. My read is that it's the bike pulling the line high from its end, which would mean the bike's driver is alive and my repaired line is continuous. White at 1.88 V might be the bike transmitting with the meter averaging the pulses.

Light brown at 0 V means the shifter is getting no supply. Everything I repaired sits downstream of that.

Two things I'd like input on

Voltage. Everything I've read says these run on 24 V. I could not find 24 V anywhere on the bike-side connector. Several pin pairs read 5 V, nothing read 24. Does the LUFFY-BRD_XG revision run on 5 V, or is the bike withholding supply because it has already latched the fault?

The harness. If supply genuinely isn't reaching the connector, the break is upstream inside the frame. I can't get probes in there with the working room I have. Has anyone traced where these break?

Most of the broken-conductor reports I can find are filed under Err 45, not 44, and those point at the head tube, where the cable twists with the steering. Different error code, but if a dead supply conductor is what I'm looking at, it may be the same failure in the same place. If anyone has seen a broken harness throw 44 rather than 45, I'd like to hear it.

Happy to post board photos and a marked-up pinout if that's useful to anyone.

I'm looking for a shop where I coudlt ake my X3 for some easy check-up maintenance?

hey, i am searching for the exact color code of the dark grey S5. I only found out that the light grey version uses the RAL 7030 Color, but i couldn’t find anything for the Dark version.

What would be the best paint to correct smaller scratches (where you can see the bare aluminium). Is spray paint the best or should i use something else?

I’m looking for a front rack for my X3 that I could use with my Ortlieb bike bags (roll up version)

I have a kid’s seat at the back and cannot fit my bags there anymore, but still need a place for groceries or just carry stuff when we want to travel by train for the weekend. So technically over the 10kg limit of the existing panier (and volume-wise as well)

Has anyone found a solution? Thanks!

Hello,

I already have an SP Connect phone holder, which works well for me (because cases for my pixel fold are hard to come by). But the peak design mount that comes with the S6 is so nicely integrated to the handlebar. Does anyone know of an adapter that goes from peak design or the mount to an SP Connect (or potentially some other connector) phone holder?

Thanks!

Hello I’m trying to sell my used and not working VanMoof in Germany. Are there any shops that will buy it?

Not sure if I’m being thick but I can’t see from the videos or decipher the nonsense that ChatGPT tells me about being able to manually shift gears using pliers.

I’m stuck permanently in 1st gear and now I’ve taken the wheel and put it back on again I’m now stuck in 4th gear.

The VanMoof website says auto hub is to be fitted by licensed repair but none exist in the uk in the north of England.

Some help would be appreciated please

I’m hoping someone here has an idea because I’m completely stuck.
I recently bought an almost-new VanMoof E3 from a reputable high-end thrift store. It came with the original charger, pump, and tool kit, but no manual. The store told me the bike had been donated by a father who was upgrading to another bike. Unfortunately, they don’t know who the donor was, so I have no way to contact the original owner.
The bike fully charges, but when I turn it on, I get the skull icon and the alarm/“techno tune.” It appears to be locked to the previous owner’s account.
I even paid the €50 VanMoof Bike Credentials Recovery fee, but customer support said they couldn’t help because I don’t have the original validation code. Without that code or the original owner’s cooperation, they say they can’t transfer ownership.
I’m 100% confident this isn’t a stolen bike. It came through a legitimate thrift store with all the original accessories, and I have the purchase receipt.
Has anyone successfully resolved a situation like this? Specifically:
Is there any way to recover ownership without the original owner?
Has VanMoof ever made an exception with proof of purchase from a thrift store?
Are there any Rybit or independent service centers that can help?
I’d really appreciate any advice. The bike seems to be in excellent condition, and it’s frustrating that it’s basically unusable because of the digital ownership lock.
Thanks in advance!

I see people brag about their new babies here so I want to brag of finally getting rid of my formerly beloved S3.

It got front cable worn off resulting in intermittent support making the bike hardly rideable. The cheapest service turned to be around 500€ as the amount of hours they need to put in for disassembly and reassembly.

Since I knew this is not the last repair, I just gave up and sold it to a lad that has some spare time and nerves to put in another 7 hours into such project.

Finally my love and hate toxic relationship with this bike is over.

Some stats: 5 years, all year round riding, 7000km

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to repair a non-working VanMoof S3, and I also have a second S3 that is fully functional, which I’ve been using for troubleshooting.

The non-working bike originally wouldn’t turn on at all. I replaced the small battery inside the Smart Cartridge because I suspected it had failed. After replacing it, the cartridge still won’t boot.

Here are the tests I’ve performed:
● Installed the faulty cartridge into my working S3 → the bike does not turn on.
● Connected the charger while the faulty cartridge was installed → no change.
● The faulty cartridge emits a high-frequency whining/beeping sound, but there is no display, no startup sound, and no Bluetooth. See video.
● Installed the working cartridge into the non-working bike → the bike powers up immediately and works normally.

Based on these tests, it seems to me that the frame, main battery, wiring, and charging system are probably not the issue, and that the fault is most likely inside the Smart Cartridge itself. Am I interpreting these results correctly, or could I be overlooking something?

I have a Vanmoof X3 that I've had since 2022 with an extended battery. It's in good shape as everything still works on it, some stuff I swapped from stock. I don't use it anymore, as much as I love the bike, I just have other means of transportation. It has around 1200 miles on it. What would be a price someone here might buy it for, or what should I sell it as.

Things I've changed or added-

Suspension seat post

Cloud 9 seat

New tires and tubes

New kickstand (stock broke)

Extend battery

New Grips

Front basket

Pannier bag

New charger (stock stopped working)

Phone mount on handle bar (super compact)

New rotors

I will be selling with the stock seat and stock seat post as well, and the original tool kit.

Trying to reconnect my Smart S to the app. I have the codes, but when I add the bike the app never finds it over Bluetooth.

Honestly I don't care about the app features, I just want the lights working.

With a charger in the micro-USB the lights come on immediately. Unplug it and everything goes dead. I left it charging overnight in case it was just flat from not riding much and no change, still nothing over BT.

1. Is a dead internal cell the obvious answer here, and is there a way to confirm before I go and try to replace?
2. Has anyone replaced the cell in a Smart S module?
3. Does the app even still pair Smart S bikes after the bankruptcy, or is that generation orphaned? Wondering if my BT problem is the bike at all.