Orbea Rise - Charging/Cabling Fault Finding

[Rod B.]

So after a couple of days use the electrics seem to be all good. You mentioned the rear pivot linkage and that was going to be part of my winter service. This is a job that I've not tackled myself before but I've ordered a bearing removal and install kit and just about to order the Orbea Rise bearing kit. Before I do that I plan to replace the rear pivot bearings on my Scott Spark RC Team which I only use occasionally now.

The 2020 thru 2022 Orbea Rise has two issues with the rear pivot linkage design. They are as follows:

1) Under hard use, the linkage arms will slip on the upper pivot axle and open up.

Note: Obea specifies a precise upper pivot linkage arm gap between the linkage arm and upper axle. Instructions can be found in the Orbea Rise Blue Book. A special linkage arm gap tool comes in the bike kit that Orbea provides when the bike is purchased. The tool is used to set the linkage arm gap.

2) The upper and lower pivot axles are not sealed. With use, exposure to dust, water, frequent bike washings, etc., the lubrication on the axles dries up/washes away. The pivot bearings themselves need to also be serviced, i.e. cleaned and new grease added.

If the linkage arm gap is not maintained or the axles are not lubricated, then an extremely annoying creaking will develop. The noise will sound similar to a creaking seapost or saddle. It will start off as a slight creak and eventually become unbearable. When the linkage arm slips, it will introduce play in the rear triangle assembly. The play can usually be felt when you rail the bike hard into or out of a corner. The bike will give off the sensation like the rear triangle is trying to wrap around you and not track straight.

If using the 2022 thru 2022, Rise under gentle trail conditions, there should not be any issues with linkage arm slippage. If the bike is exposed to a lot of water and or dust, then creaking will eventually occur and a pivot service will need to be performed. The 2023 and newer Orbea Rise has a modified linkage arm and I believe this fixed the slipping issue.

I wrote several technical articles on servicing the upper and lower pivot axles on the 2020 thru 2022 Rise model. At the time I wrote the articles, Orbea recommended the use of a retaining compond on the axle and linkage arm splines. The retaining compound will help prevent the linkage arms from slipping. However, if the retaining compound is applied too thickly, it will make removing the linkage arms for a future bearing service very difficult. If you do use the retaining compound, use it very sparingly, i.e. one drop.

I now recommend the use of Cascade Components, Orbea Rise Pre-Load kit for 2020-2022 models and no longer recommend the use of a retaining compound.

Rise Preload Kit | US | Cascade Components

This kit is designed to be used in conjunction with our Rise link to completely solve all issues and concerns with the links migrating outwards on the splines due to side loads. Truth be told, a single pinch clamp often isn't adequate to react all side loads from the rear end. Included is a...

cascadecomponents.bike

Here are the tech articles I wrote:

Part # 1: Orbea Rise - Upper Linkage Axle and Bearing Service

Thank you to those who have contributed their experiences thus far to make this article better. I service the linkage, i.e. remove the linkage, axles, inspect, clean and lubricate the bearings about every six months on my Rise. The pivot bearings have held up nicely. Very wet or powdery dirt...

www.emtbforums.com

PART # 2: ORBEA RISE - LOWER MAIN LINKAGE AXLE AND BEARING SERVICE

This is Part Two in a two part series on servicing the Rise pivot bearings and linkage. Part Two will discuss servicing the Rise's lower main pivot axle and bearings. If possible, please read Part One before continuing with this article. In Part One, "Orbea Rise - Upper Linkage Axle and Bearing...

www.emtbforums.com

The 2020 thru 2022 Orbea Rise uses a single linkage arm pinch bolt that does not provide sufficient clamping force to hold the linkage arm on the upper pivot axle. If your Rise has a rear pivot linkage the looks like this it will need a more frequent service than the newer models.

 

[Bill36]

Thanks for this, these articles are so informative. I'm considering carrying out this pivot service after the winter as I'm not getting the same issues that others have had. Local weather has been very wet lately and the trails I use are muddy with plenty of standing water. My wife and myself have planned a week in early Spring at trail centres in the Scottish borders ( 7stanes - mountain biking heaven | Forestry and Land Scotland). I'll probably also get a fork and shock service at the same time. Thanks again for your advice.

 

[Bill36]

My Orbea Rise wouldn't switch on today so decided to carry out continuity testing with everything appearing to be good. When I connected everything back together it switched on . I think the on/off switch is playing up as an hour or so later it wouldn't switch on but after removing it and refitting it, it switched on. I don't like the uncertainty so I ordered a new switch, hopefully that will sort this for good.

 

[Rod B.]

My Orbea Rise wouldn't switch on today so decided to carry out continuity testing with everything appearing to be good. When I connected everything back together it switched on . I think the on/off switch is playing up as an hour or so later it wouldn't switch on but after removing it and refitting it, it switched on. I don't like the uncertainty so I ordered a new switch, hopefully that will sort this for good.

I like to ride technical, rocky trails. At about 16 months of ownership, all of the pounding on the bike began to cause wiring issues. One moment the bike was good, the next it wasn't. When I removed the motor, I noticed some of the wiring had chaffed through the outer wiring loom cover and into the wires.

I ultimately ended up replacing both the main harness and the power switch harness and my connection issues with the battery went away. At the end of this message, I've included pictures of the two wiring harnesses that I replaced. The pictures were obtained from Orbea's parts website.

Let's talk electrical connectivity grease......

I considered using electric connectivity grease on all of my Rise's plug and port connections. My thought was this would prevent water from seeping into the connection ports and causing either corrosion, or a loss of connectivity. I asked Shimano about the use of electrical grease and they said 'No, we don't recommend doing it.' They did not give me an explanation. If I had to take a wild guess, I think Shimano had two concerns which resulted in a 'No we don't recommend it.'

The first area of concern is type of grease used. It is important to use the correct type of electrical grease or issues may occur. If you use the wrong electrical grease it'll open up a can of worms.

Dielectric grease is an insulating grease and is non-conductive. Using it on electric connections may inhibit connection and can cause issues such as a loss of electrical signal. Dielectric grese is mainly used in automotive applications, such as on spark plug wire boots to keep them from sticking to the spark plug. If you use Dielectric grease on electrical connections you may have issues.

Conductive grease contains conductive particles such as carbon or metal particles and is used to enhance connection and reduce electrical resistance between contacts. Conductive grease protects against corrosion.

Connectivity grease sounds absolutely perfect for wet Scottish weather? The issue with conductive grease is in it's application. Let's say you have a four pin connection plug. You apply the grease to the plug, both the female and male connectors. You give it the full treatment, no half measures, more grease is better. After a short bit of time, the grease spreads and now causes connectivity between the four pins. This results in a short circuit and things turn to shit. The trick is to be cafeful in the application of the grease, use it sparingly, less is more. I like to use conductive grease on single wire connections and have had good results.

Ultimately, I think use fo the wrong grease and or, over application of the correct grease was a concern for Shimano why they said 'No, we don't recommend it."

Here's a cool video explaining the two types of electrical grease:


Several years ago I wrote a three part tech series on servicing the Rise's Shimano brakes and modifying them. I also wrote an article on what I carry in my trail pack. If you are interested in reading them here are the links:

Part One:

Part # 1: Shimano Brake System Service

This will be a three part technical article discussing Shimano braking system components, how to service your Shimano brakes and brake system modification on your Rise. Part # 1 will discuss basic maintenance on your Shimano brakes. Part # 2 will discuss brake modifications to your Orbea...

www.emtbforums.com

Part Two:

PART # 2: SHIMANO BRAKE SYSTEM – Orbea Rise Brake System Modification

This technical article is the second installment in a two part series on Shimano brake systems. Refer to “Part # 1: Shimano Brake System Service”, for information on bleeding and servicing Shimano brakes and brake pad compounds...

www.emtbforums.com

Part Three:

Part # 3: Shimano Brake System Service

After submitting Part # 1 and Part # 2 of the tech series on Shimano brakes, I realized I had not included anything on checking your Shimano brake rotor for minimum thickness or signs of uneven rotor wear. You can review Part # 1 and Part # 2 in the series here...

www.emtbforums.com

Trailside Repair - What's in my pack:

Trailside Repair - What's in my pack

Hello, It's been a while since I've written a technical article. I thought I'd change it up and talk about what items I carry in my pack and why I carry them. Hopefully this article may give you some thought on what to carry in your own ride pack. What I carry, may not be what you carry. Forum...

www.emtbforums.com

Be safe,
Rod

Orbea Rise - Power Switch Wiring Harness

Main power supply harness to the battery and motor harness

 

[Bill36]

I like to ride technical, rocky trails. At about 16 months of ownership, all of the pounding on the bike began to cause wiring issues. One moment the bike was good, the next it wasn't. When I removed the motor, I noticed some of the wiring had chaffed through the outer wiring loom cover and into the wires.

I ultimately ended up replacing both the main harness and the power switch harness and my connection issues with the battery went away. At the end of this message, I've included pictures of the two wiring harnesses that I replaced. The pictures were obtained from Orbea's parts website.



Orbea Rise - Power Switch Wiring Harness
View attachment 171003

Main power supply harness to the battery and motor harness
View attachment 171004

Thanks again. I am in two minds about replacing the main power supply harness to the battery and motor harness. I discovered yesterday that there is definitely a fault with the power switch wiring harness which I'm replacing. When I popped the switch out and held the wires behind it it would switch on but not when it was back in place. With the switch replacement being a two minute job it makes sense to do this first.

 

[Bill36]

I fitted the new power button + cable this morning and now it's consistently switching on.

 

[Bill36]

I like to ride technical, rocky trails. At about 16 months of ownership, all of the pounding on the bike began to cause wiring issues. One moment the bike was good, the next it wasn't. When I removed the motor, I noticed some of the wiring had chaffed through the outer wiring loom cover and into the wires.

I ultimately ended up replacing both the main harness and the power switch harness and my connection issues with the battery went away. At the end of this message, I've included pictures of the two wiring harnesses that I replaced. The pictures were obtained from Orbea's parts website.

Let's talk electrical connectivity grease......

I considered using electric connectivity grease on all of my Rise's plug and port connections. My thought was this would prevent water from seeping into the connection ports and causing either corrosion, or a loss of connectivity. I asked Shimano about the use of electrical grease and they said 'No, we don't recommend doing it.' They did not give me an explanation. If I had to take a wild guess, I think Shimano had two concerns which resulted in a 'No we don't recommend it.'

The first area of concern is type of grease used. It is important to use the correct type of electrical grease or issues may occur. If you use the wrong electrical grease it'll open up a can of worms.

Dielectric grease is an insulating grease and is non-conductive. Using it on electric connections may inhibit connection and can cause issues such as a loss of electrical signal. Dielectric grese is mainly used in automotive applications, such as on spark plug wire boots to keep them from sticking to the spark plug. If you use Dielectric grease on electrical connections you may have issues.

Conductive grease contains conductive particles such as carbon or metal particles and is used to enhance connection and reduce electrical resistance between contacts. Conductive grease protects against corrosion.

Connectivity grease sounds absolutely perfect for wet Scottish weather? The issue with conductive grease is in it's application. Let's say you have a four pin connection plug. You apply the grease to the plug, both the female and male connectors. You give it the full treatment, no half measures, more grease is better. After a short bit of time, the grease spreads and now causes connectivity between the four pins. This results in a short circuit and things turn to shit. The trick is to be cafeful in the application of the grease, use it sparingly, less is more. I like to use conductive grease on single wire connections and have had good results.

Ultimately, I think use fo the wrong grease and or, over application of the correct grease was a concern for Shimano why they said 'No, we don't recommend it."

Here's a cool video explaining the two types of electrical grease:


Several years ago I wrote a three part tech series on servicing the Rise's Shimano brakes and modifying them. I also wrote an article on what I carry in my trail pack. If you are interested in reading them here are the links:

Part One:

Part # 1: Shimano Brake System Service

This will be a three part technical article discussing Shimano braking system components, how to service your Shimano brakes and brake system modification on your Rise. Part # 1 will discuss basic maintenance on your Shimano brakes. Part # 2 will discuss brake modifications to your Orbea...

www.emtbforums.com

Part Two:

PART # 2: SHIMANO BRAKE SYSTEM – Orbea Rise Brake System Modification

This technical article is the second installment in a two part series on Shimano brake systems. Refer to “Part # 1: Shimano Brake System Service”, for information on bleeding and servicing Shimano brakes and brake pad compounds...

www.emtbforums.com

Part Three:

Part # 3: Shimano Brake System Service

After submitting Part # 1 and Part # 2 of the tech series on Shimano brakes, I realized I had not included anything on checking your Shimano brake rotor for minimum thickness or signs of uneven rotor wear. You can review Part # 1 and Part # 2 in the series here...

www.emtbforums.com

Trailside Repair - What's in my pack:

Trailside Repair - What's in my pack

Hello, It's been a while since I've written a technical article. I thought I'd change it up and talk about what items I carry in my pack and why I carry them. Hopefully this article may give you some thought on what to carry in your own ride pack. What I carry, may not be what you carry. Forum...

www.emtbforums.com

Be safe,
Rod

Orbea Rise - Power Switch Wiring Harness
View attachment 171003

Main power supply harness to the battery and motor harness
View attachment 171004

On your advice I've decided to replace the main power harness as well as the power switch harness. I ordered it today and plan to fit this at the same time as replacing the pivot bearings even although the bearings are still quite good . It makes sense to have these jobs done before the Spring .

 

[Rod B.]

On your advice I've decided to replace the main power harness as well as the power switch harness. I ordered it today and plan to fit this at the same time as replacing the pivot bearings even although the bearings are still quite good . It makes sense to have these jobs done before the Spring .

Bill,

When you have a moment, check the rubber chain stay guard. Pay particular attention to the guard itself at the front, near the chain ring. I found that with enough miles, the chain will start to rub a hole through the rubber guard. If left unchecked, the chain will begin to eat into the chain stay.

If you tend to use the cassette's low gear (Big cog) frequently, the chain will rub on the inner arm on the chain guide. I found that eventually the inner guide arm will become paper thin and no longer support keeping the chain on the chain ring.

I mention the above with the thought that If you are placing an order for the main harness and the other parts are showing signs of wear, you may want to order them along with the main harness and save yourself future shipping charges and a wait for parts.

Be safe,
Rod

 

[Bill36]

Bill,

When you have a moment, check the rubber chain stay guard. Pay particular attention to the guard itself at the front, near the chain ring. I found that with enough miles, the chain will start to rub a hole through the rubber guard. If left unchecked, the chain will begin to eat into the chain stay.

If you tend to use the cassette's low gear (Big cog) frequently, the chain will rub on the inner arm on the chain guide. I found that eventually the inner guide arm will become paper thin and no longer support keeping the chain on the chain ring.

I mention the above with the thought that If you are placing an order for the main harness and the other parts are showing signs of wear, you may want to order them along with the main harness and save yourself future shipping charges and a wait for parts.

Be safe,
Rod

View attachment 171336


View attachment 171337

Thanks for pointing this out. I have already ordered the power supply harness to the battery from Westbrook Cycles, however after giving it another check it still has plenty of plastic on the inner guide arm . I checked it out on Westbrook Cycles website and it is out of stock. The chain stay guard is fine with little wear but I'll keep an eye on it.

 

[BAh30]

Is the Orbea RISE closed system the same for other Orbea models using shimano motors?

 

[Rod B.]

Is the Orbea RISE closed system the same for other Orbea models using shimano motors?

BAh30,

Bike manufacturers which use Shimano drive systems are required to use only Shimano architecture and components, i.e. Shimano wire leads, speed sensor, mode controller, wire junction blocks and adpaters, computer displays, etc. Therefore, any Orbea model utilizing a Shimano drive system will have a similar wire setup. Note that there will be some slight differences between older drive systems like the EP8 and newer drive systems, i.e. EP801, EP600, etc. This will consist of different wire types, i.e. older EW-SD50 and newer type EW-SD300 wire.

If you are not aware, Shimano Bike posts compatability charts and wiring diagrams in the Technical Documents section on it's webpage.

https://bike.shimano.com/en-NA/support-and-service/faq.html

I learned the hard way that it's good practice to check Shimano's eBike compatability charts before purchasing any Shimano electrical component. What will work for one drive system, may not work for another drive system.

Master E-Tube Compatability Chart:

https://productinfo.shimano.com/en/compatibility/C-525

Shimano Drivetrain Compatibility Chart:

https://productinfo.shimano.com/en/compatibility/C-488

Note that there will also be slight differences in cockpit wiring on various Orbea models. As an example, higher end models will usually come with a colorized computer display. Colorized computer displays will typically utilize EW-SD300 wire leads whereas lower end Orbea models will utilize non-display EW-EN100 junction boxes which utilize EW-SD50 wire leads.

Overall, all eBike systems whether Bosch, Shimano, etc., utilize a similar basic wiring setup. However......manufacturer wiring harnesses will differ between models due to differing frame designs. I've explained more below.

A) The speed sensor determines rear wheel RPM, based on the magnetic pickup mounted on the rear wheel. As the wheel magnet passes the speed sensor typicaly mounted on the chain stay, the speed sensor receives a magnetic pulse.

B) The speed sensor sends the magnetic pulse via a wire lead to the motor's computer. The computer via programming code, uses the magnetic pulse to determine rear wheel speed. When maxium wheel speed is reached (Depends upon the country, 20 mph in the USA). The computer tells the motor to stop providing assistance. When rear wheel RPM drops below the maxium allowed revolution, assitance is once more provided.

C) A separate Shimano EW-SD300 multi strand wire lead from the motor, travels up the down tube and to the Shimano mode controller. The mode controller determines motor output, i.e. walk mode, Eco, Trail, Boost. A wire strand within the EW-SD300 wire loops from the mode controller, through the computer display, or EW-EN100 junction block, and back down to the moto. The wire strand signal from the mode controller lets the motor know how much assistance to provide.

D) Here's where things change. Every bike manufacturer utilizes different locations for charge ports, power on/off buttons, built in display locations, etc, on bike models. The basic wiring harness which controls power on/off, battery charge, and power delivery to the motor, will differ slightly between Orbea models due to frame differences, drive systems, etc. Fortunately, Orbea's 'Blue Book' for each Orbea model goes into detail regarding the wiring harness.

E) As I've mentioned before, if at any point in Shimano's wiring architecture, there's a break in a wire connection, i.e. pulled out lead, corroded contact point, water egress, etc. the motor will issue an error code and default to off. Secondly, at any point in Orbea's own wiring architecture there's a break in a wire connection, i.e. charge port to the battery, battery to the motor, etc., the bike will default to off. Both systems work hand in hand with each other.

I recognize that this is probably more information than you asked for. I try to write my responses so that should somebody else someday read these threads, the information might prove useful.

If you have further questions, just ask, or shoot me a private message, and I'll help you out the best I can.

Be safe,
Rod

 

[Bill36]

Is the Orbea RISE closed system the same for other Orbea models using shimano motors?

I think the only other Orbea model using the closed system is the Urrun.

 

[BAh30]

Thanks Ron. I have a Kemen ep6 powered ebike which is a derivative of the urrun and apparently it too has the closed system and electronics that Ron outlined in his post.

 

[Rod B.]

Thanks Ron. I have a Kemen ep6 powered ebike which is a derivative of the urrun and apparently it too has the closed system and electronics that Ron outlined in his post.

Here is the Shimano dealer manual for the EP6 drive system. The manual contains wiring information.

https://si.shimano.com/en/pdfs/dm/DUE001/DM-DUE001-05-ENG.pdf

 

[Rod B.]

Here is the Shimano dealer manual for the EP6 drive system. The manual contains wiring information.

https://si.shimano.com/en/pdfs/dm/DUE001/DM-DUE001-05-ENG.pdf

BAh30,

If you visit Orbea's website and click on the word "Gear" located on the top header bar, this will take you to a separate menu which lists various things including "Spare Parts."

Click on Spare Parts and this will take you to another screen which allows you to search for bike parts specific to your bike. You can search by bike model or frame serial number.

If you wish to perform a search for spare parts by bike, you'll need to know the year of manufacture and model of Kemen.

Select your bike and a new screen will open listing Kemen bikes by year and model.

I suggest checking the Spare Parts section as this will provide a picture of the exact wiring harness used by Orbea for your bike. Below is an example here is a wiring harness for the 2025-2026 Kemen Alloy Hydro Model.

Because Shimano and Orbea do not seal connection ports, both female and male sides, moisture can egress into the contact points on Shimano specific wiring and Orbea specific wiring. Because of the moisture, corrosion can occur which will cause the bike not to power up or issue a fault code.

When a break in electrical contact occurs, it's best to remove the wire leads and clean the electrical contact points on Shimano specific wiring and Orbea specific wiring. To clean the electrical contacts, I like to use a soft bristle tooth brush to clean the male lead side and fuzzy pipe cleaners soaked in electrical contact cleaner to clean the female lead side.

On many of Orbea's bikes, especially those with batteries located in the down tube, you will need to drop the motor to gain full access to the wiring harness.

 

[Bill36]

The 2020 thru 2022 Orbea Rise has two issues with the rear pivot linkage design. They are as follows:

1) Under hard use, the linkage arms will slip on the upper pivot axle and open up.

Note: Obea specifies a precise upper pivot linkage arm gap between the linkage arm and upper axle. Instructions can be found in the Orbea Rise Blue Book. A special linkage arm gap tool comes in the bike kit that Orbea provides when the bike is purchased. The tool is used to set the linkage arm gap.

2) The upper and lower pivot axles are not sealed. With use, exposure to dust, water, frequent bike washings, etc., the lubrication on the axles dries up/washes away. The pivot bearings themselves need to also be serviced, i.e. cleaned and new grease added.

If the linkage arm gap is not maintained or the axles are not lubricated, then an extremely annoying creaking will develop. The noise will sound similar to a creaking seapost or saddle. It will start off as a slight creak and eventually become unbearable. When the linkage arm slips, it will introduce play in the rear triangle assembly. The play can usually be felt when you rail the bike hard into or out of a corner. The bike will give off the sensation like the rear triangle is trying to wrap around you and not track straight.

If using the 2022 thru 2022, Rise under gentle trail conditions, there should not be any issues with linkage arm slippage. If the bike is exposed to a lot of water and or dust, then creaking will eventually occur and a pivot service will need to be performed. The 2023 and newer Orbea Rise has a modified linkage arm and I believe this fixed the slipping issue.

I wrote several technical articles on servicing the upper and lower pivot axles on the 2020 thru 2022 Rise model. At the time I wrote the articles, Orbea recommended the use of a retaining compond on the axle and linkage arm splines. The retaining compound will help prevent the linkage arms from slipping. However, if the retaining compound is applied too thickly, it will make removing the linkage arms for a future bearing service very difficult. If you do use the retaining compound, use it very sparingly, i.e. one drop.

I now recommend the use of Cascade Components, Orbea Rise Pre-Load kit for 2020-2022 models and no longer recommend the use of a retaining compound.

Rise Preload Kit | US | Cascade Components

This kit is designed to be used in conjunction with our Rise link to completely solve all issues and concerns with the links migrating outwards on the splines due to side loads. Truth be told, a single pinch clamp often isn't adequate to react all side loads from the rear end. Included is a...

cascadecomponents.bike

Here are the tech articles I wrote:

Part # 1: Orbea Rise - Upper Linkage Axle and Bearing Service

Thank you to those who have contributed their experiences thus far to make this article better. I service the linkage, i.e. remove the linkage, axles, inspect, clean and lubricate the bearings about every six months on my Rise. The pivot bearings have held up nicely. Very wet or powdery dirt...

www.emtbforums.com

PART # 2: ORBEA RISE - LOWER MAIN LINKAGE AXLE AND BEARING SERVICE

This is Part Two in a two part series on servicing the Rise pivot bearings and linkage. Part Two will discuss servicing the Rise's lower main pivot axle and bearings. If possible, please read Part One before continuing with this article. In Part One, "Orbea Rise - Upper Linkage Axle and Bearing...

www.emtbforums.com

The 2020 thru 2022 Orbea Rise uses a single linkage arm pinch bolt that does not provide sufficient clamping force to hold the linkage arm on the upper pivot axle. If your Rise has a rear pivot linkage the looks like this it will need a more frequent service than the newer models.

View attachment 170768

View attachment 170769


View attachment 170773

I ended up ordering the Cascade Components, Orbea Rise Pre-Load kit. Quite expensive ($88 incl postage) in the UK as I needed to order it from US.

 

[Bill36]

Just fitted the preload kit yesterday and do notice the difference as the noise from the pivot has stopped. Good advice from Rod B.