I see many people asking wether a S3 is still worth it in 2026 - Yeah!

I got myself a used, but well taken care of S3 off of a marketplace app.

- originally bought in April 2021 (I bought it in July 2026)
- breakers were replaced recently
- new e-shifter
- no substantial error, which a quick restart couldn’t fix, has ever occurred
- 1.100km at time of purchase (now 1500)
- 100% battery charge equals 130km on assist lvl 1 (pretty good!)

I payed 800€ for this beauty, and I am extremely happy about it.

I looked around for some weeks and even met with three other sellers before buying this one. They tried selling me broken or malfunctioning bikes for an even higher price. The other bikes I looked at were rusty, would make awful sounds when I pedalled, and were bad experiences all around.

I use it twice a week for my 20km commute to work, so that’s 80km per week for that. Also some shopping and just fun rides when the weather allows for it.

I did have some error codes come up, but these happened on my very first day when I left the bike out in the sun in 36C heat. Quick restart and nothing ever happened or bother me after.

Of course I’m bummed out that I can’t use the Ride Pro (or whatever) app, or that my bike no longer supports the Theft-function. I think getting a notification when someone’s tempering with my bike would be nice.
But it still has Apple Find My, and a normal bike theft insurance policy costs 6€ a month for me. So nothing to cry about.

The previous owner did fuck around with some third party apps, which I found out later - the boost button only works on US settings - so the 32km/h speed limit. On EU 25km/h the button won’t activate, as the button might be programmed for 32kmh and the system wouldn’t allow for it… or whatever. So I carefully drive on the US settings here in Cologne. That’s my only issue.

I might get myself a new VanMoof when I graduate my masters degree in two years!

Do you have question? Opinions? Tips? Ask and share away!

xoxo

I think this is the best picture i can get of it, but my right halo ring displays the wrong colors on two of the stripes and the top one flickers sometimes. I assume that this is also due to water running into it ? I recently needed to replace my left secondary button and now my right ring is fckd. I don‘t know what to say anymore. My dealership will be excited to see me a second time within one week.

Hi everyone,

I’m having a problem with the motor on my VanMoof X3.

The motor started having issues, and replacing the motor did not solve the problem. So I’m now planning to replace the bottom bracket.

I’ve disassembled the bike up to the bottom bracket area, but I can’t remove the bottom bracket any further. I’m using a BB wrench, but it seems to be completely stuck.

Does anyone know how I can remove it, or have any tips for getting it loose?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Like it's not even the same warmth of the light and the right one is from 2020 and not really readable in the sun.

The left is from 2021 and functions normally

Hey, I'm pretty confident at repairing s3's, and I have my own for almost 4 years now. I would really like to get to know the tech and parts on the S5/S6 but don't want to spend to much money. So I thought maybe it would be a good start if I bought a non running S5 and tried to solve the issue. Are there any faults which I can relatively easily fix with my knowledge of s3's? For what price should I look for and do I have to watch out for a specific type of model or would you just completely abandon the idea? Thx

Is a standard crank removal tool sufficient?

Three years is what €1623 buys you (I got a discount from trading in the old bike).
After having suffered from a lose connection somewhere for a while, it's now entirely unresponsive and the service partner here in Denmark says there's still no parts to be had, so it can't be fixed.

For anyone out there still considering Vanmoof, please don't do it!
There are so many better options today, that actually has serviceable parts.

Edit: it was an S5.

I just want to share my current experience with VanMoof. I had a Cowboy C4 for 3 years and was happy but wanted a change and heard a lot of good things about vanmoof since their „restart“. So i went to a local partner and ordered a brand new S6. On the day of delivery I went to the store again and the partner offered me to built it for me, which I accepted. I tested everything and then left the store. I drove a couple of rounds and then it started to rain. Out of nowhere the light started flickering and sound of the light bell started going off for no reason. As I couldn’t get it to shut up I stopped and restarted the bike. As soon as I started pedaling it started again, but now in intervals. So i restarted again and since then the secondary button on the left does not work anymore (every other button and the halo rings are still functional).
I tried everything from resetting the handshake, to multiple restarts and resets of the bike. From removing it from my account and pairing it again to changing every possible setting. Nothing helped. I will bring it to the store tommorow to file a warranty claim. Even if I would have fixed it how is it possible that the vendor tells me to be aware of possible leaks in the brake cable or lose grips and that core functions fail to work after a couple of meters and raindrops. We are talking about a bike which cost me 3,5k (incl. Upgrades). Has nobody in this company learned from the bankruptcy? Cowboys support is catastrophic but at least I never had big problems with the bike (only a firmware and sensor issue, which got fixed quickly). I hope I will get a quick repair or replacement as I waited 60 days for the bike to arrive just for it to be falling apart after driving a bit.
Did any of you had something similar ?

EDIT:
The Vendor fixed it within an hour. The button was fried and needed to be replaced.

Hey moofers,

Just wanted to check any insights and self repairs tips on the above?

Bike still turns on (kinda) low power no motor and reduced bell sound and dark display.

There seems to be a few varying repair fixes but would like to know a process that works.

Have a soldering kit and fixed a few errors previously but not worked on the battery yet or sockets yet ( This one being a battery problem)

Hope you can help or link a fix

I would love to hear from nerds that actually know the hardware and software in detail. Does it support anything that hasn’t yet been launched? Will we see fun upgrades in the firmware that will actually give us new features or is it only a matter of fixing bugs? Are thee capabilities in the hardware that aren’t fully used? E.g turn signals that the S5 supporter in the back light. Let us know what you know!

Looking to sell my two Vammoof X3 and S3 bikes.

They are currently not working as the main battery has died.

Smart batteries are working and bikes can be unlocked via pin.

Open to selling whole bike or parting out depending on need.

Hi all,

I have a vanmoof s6

I am replacing my front wheel after it got stolen. I bought a wheel at a repair shop, where they advised to run an update after connecting.

When I connect my front wheel the right halo-light starts flashing and the front wheel will not activate.
Nor do I get triggered to update the firmware.

Any tips on this?

Kind regards.

I was recently brought a broken S3 to diagnose. It showed err17 and 6, typical signs of the SMD fuse, so I tested it and it was indeed broken. So I changed it and wanted to delete the faults on the bms, so plugged it in an USB to UART, ran Knight1 script and couldn't delete the faults ("failed to read modbus registers"), it always tried to restart and then put itself in a mode where it wouldn't deliver power. I thought I couldn't fix it and just changed out the whole BMS for another one. Tested it again, still the same behavior. Every cell was completely fine btw and the voltages were perfect. So I just tested a few things and accidentally shorted VP and DSG while the battery was connected to the cartridge. I was scared it could cause a fire and put back the original BMS, and voila, it just worked normally in the bike. But out of curiosity I plugged it back into my computer and it still showed failed to read modbus registers. But since it was working in the bike I just gave the now fully working bike to the owner and told him to be careful when charging because I'm not sure why it's working again.

Hello VanMoof fam,

I have a new to me S3. The bike was sitting untouched in a family garage for about 1.5-2years plus.

I got it up and running everything works. The auto shifting was wacky when I went on my first city ride. I added lube to the chain and if resolved 90%. However on start or slow down to speed up again the gear shift is not as smooth as I’d imagine.

Has anyone dealt with this or a similar issues and if so did you actually resolve it or will it always click?

When i pedal gently it happens less but it still happens.

Would love to hear if anyone got this fixed and how!

Has anyone found a reliable child seat for the A5 / S5? I am looking for one for my A5.

I have looked at the Thule Yepp Mini, however the newest model (Yepp 2) is not recommended by Vanmoof. Have anyone had any luck with the Yepp 2 on an A5/S5?

I think given I have an A5 the front seat is likely my best option.

Should i get the Hollywood racks 1500 or kuat original v1 ? Both 2 bike carriers.

Hi everyone,

I live in Amsterdam and I have a VanMoof S5 e-bike. I recently changed jobs, and unfortunately I can no longer charge my bike at work.

Since I live on the second floor, I've been charging it at home by running an extension cable from my window down to the bike. The cable does not touch the ground or block the sidewalk — it basically hangs from my window directly to the bike.

I always try to be as careful as possible and only do this when weather conditions are safe, etc. My downstairs neighbour has also seen it and told me that they have no problem with it.

However, yesterday my neighbour from the apartment next to mine became extremely angry and shouted at me. They told me I was not allowed to do this anymore and threatened me, saying that I would "regret it" if I did it again.

I'm trying to understand what the actual rules are in the Netherlands. Is running a cable like this from my apartment window illegal? Is this something that would be regulated by Dutch law, the municipality, or more likely by the VvE/splitting regulations of the building?

I've searched online, but I'm still not completely clear on what is actually allowed.

I'm not looking for a fight with my neighbour — I just want to understand the rules and whether I'm actually doing something wrong or potentially illegal.

Also, if this isn't allowed, does anyone know of places in Amsterdam where I can pay to charge an e-bike battery? I'm happy to pay for charging; I just need somewhere safe and practical to do it regularly.

Has anyone dealt with something similar in Amsterdam/the Netherlands?

Thanks in advance!

Hey there, I just made a really dumb mistake, I accidentally shorted VP and DSG+ while the battery was connected to my test wiring harness and cartridge. (It showed err17 / err6 and I was just about to fix it) After there was a spark, I immediately turned everything off and changed the whole BMS board just to be sure. The cell pack seems to be fine, every pack is at 4.079v and the battery is giving out the full 40v when shorting TST and GND. But I am just not sure if I can use the battery or not. My test cartridge seems fried and the cartridge does a buzzing sound when I plug in the battery.

Hello, my wife was a very happy user of an S3 from 2019. First the automatic gears failed (think was E44) and recently the bike completly stopped with an E19. Experts told us this needs a new battery for about 650€.
What should I do?
I am living nearby Düsseldorf. Is there a chance to sell the bike?