My experience with Bafang M560 E10 840wh: High output, low reliability, and a "trap" warranty

[AlexLem]

Hello everyone,


I wanted to share my experience with the Bafang M560 (750W/140Nm). I’ll be posting more details soon, but I want to warn those considering this motor for serious E-MTB/Enduro use.


My M560 broke after only 1,300 km (7 months of use). To give you some perspective: the motor failed before my first 12V Shimano chain (CN-M8100) even reached 0.5% stretch (verified with a precision chain checker).


The Issue:


Internal gears (likely 2nd or 3rd stage) started slipping, resulting in a loud grinding noise and a total loss of pedal assist.


The Warranty Trap:


I opened the side cover to diagnose the issue before sending it to Bafang Poland for a warranty claim. Their response? Warranty denied because the motor was opened.


Here is the paradox:

• Article 1 forbids opening the motor.
• Article 3 states the warranty is void if you don't perform "proper maintenance".
• The Reality: In France, the nearest "Bafang Certified" shop is 350 km from my house.

The Math of the "Bafang Tax":


A new M560 costs around €560 in Europe. To keep your warranty, you must pay for shipping (€60) + a certified service (~€200) every 1,000 km. By 3,000 km, you’ve spent the price of a brand-new motor just on "authorized" grease.

Quick Pros & Cons (Real-world Enduro use)​

Pros:

• Power & Speed: 1000+W peak is fun for top speed and raw climbing power.
• Climbing: On fire roads or steep straight lines, the 140/150nm torque is impressive.

Cons:

• Zero Agility: The motor is heavy and the rear-end feels like an anchor. If you ride with flat pedals, doing bunny hops or manuals is a struggle because the bike is poorly balanced. You can try to use suspension compression to pop the bike, but the overall mass makes it feel sluggish compared to a Bosch or Shimano powered bike.
• Lag & Overrun: There is a noticeable latency. The motor doesn't cut off instantly when you stop pedaling, which is dangerous in various cases like turns or descent.
• Inertia: The total system inertia makes the bike feel "dead" in the air. It’s not a bike for jumping or active riding.
• Reliability: Failed at 1,300 km while the drivetrain (chain/cassette) was still like new.

Comparison with Major Brands:

I personally assembled the Pinarello F12 and both Dengfu E10s from the frame up. Having built these bikes, I am intimately familiar with their mechanical requirements and maintenance needs. When compared to the high-end standards of my Rocky Mountain C90 (Dyname 3.0), the Bafang experience is disappointing. With premium systems like Bosch, Brose, or Dyname, the motor is a reliable, sealed unit. You don't face a "hidden tax" requiring a €200 internal regreasing every 1,000 km just to keep a warranty valid. Bafang’s policy—forbidding the opening of the motor while mandating professional maintenance that is not locally available—is a contractual trap. For anyone capable of building their own bikes, being denied warranty for simply diagnosing a premature failure is a major deal-breaker.


Conclusion:


Bafang announced the M560 as a high-performance E-MTB motor, but in practice, it’s just a heavy, unreliable powerhouse. If the motor breaks before a 12v chain snaps, it tells you everything about the internal gear quality.


I am receiving the motor back from Poland next week. I will perform a full teardown and post photos of the internal damage

"Imagine buying a car, driving only 10,000 km, and having the engine explode before the timing belt even shows a sign of wear. That is exactly what happened here: the M560 motor failed before a high-end Shimano chain even reached 0.5% stretch, even the original tires are in good condition."

(To be fully honest and objective, I was really happy riding the E10 with the M560 for 7 months before this happened, despite my current issues with Bafang’s reliability and after-sales service. That's why I built a second one to ride with my father before my first motor broke; the first is 8 months old and the second is only 2 months old.)

 

[TQFreak]

It looks like the second gear overrun clutch is the weak part of the motor. It also looks like Bafang did not address this issue since m600.

 

[AlexLem]

It looks like the second gear overrun clutch is the weak part of the motor. It also looks like Bafang did not address this issue since m600.

Thanks for your feedback. Please tell me if I'm wrong, but I suspect the contact area on these parts is too narrow to handle the torque.

I will open my motor as soon as I receive it on February 3rd. I had already inspected the other gears before sending it to Bafang (which is why my warranty was denied). I need to check the one-way bearings and the subsequent gears shown in the photos (from what I understand, it's gears 2 and 3).

Nb: These photos are from this forum it's not from my motor.

 

[ncs]

Just order this parts from aliexpress, plug&play, not wait for any warranty

 

[AlexLem]

Thanks for your advice, do you have any experience with this?

Do you know exactly which parts are involved? I'm about to find out when I receive my broken motor (as previously mentioned).

I bought it around 8 months ago. Warranty was denied in Poland, but Dengfu emailed me today they are sending me a new motor tomorrow, as they are in touch with Bafang China which seems to cover my issue.

 

[datguy741]

Thanks for your advice, do you have any experience with this?

Do you know exactly which parts are involved? I'm about to find out when I receive my broken motor (as previously mentioned).

I bought it around 8 months ago. Warranty was denied in Poland, but Dengfu emailed me today they are sending me a new motor tomorrow, as they are in touch with Bafang China which seems to cover my issue.

Sucks that you have to wait but in the end you get a new motor and you get to keep your old one and possibly repair it yourself to keep as a spare? Thats kinda nice lol.

If/When you find out what part was broken please let us know

 

[AlexLem]

Sucks that you have to wait but in the end you get a new motor and you get to keep your old one and possibly repair it yourself to keep as a spare? Thats kinda nice lol.

If/When you find out what part was broken please let us know

"For sure"

I truly hope it's only the one-way bearing (HFL1426) that failed, without any gear damage. If I replace it with an INA one, it should solve the problem and avoid having to change it every 1300km. I also hope that better quality grease (like SHC 100) will limit maintenance. From my experience, stock Bafang grease needs to be changed every 1000km because it can't handle the heat and turns into black sludge too fast.

About the warranty like Dengfu told me to send my motor to Bafang I'm not sure I'm normally allowed to keep my first motor.
My only goal is to ride something reliable,
It's nice to send me a new motor but if I have this issue few time it doesn't fix my problem.
The timeline was Dengfu confirmed me that they send me a new motor after Bafang denied my warranty and asked me for the 2nd time "We return your motor or we put it to recycling?"

I will post every informations I can on this forum until this problem is fixed for the community but also resellers.

 

[ncs]

Bafang grease needs to be changed every 1000km because it can't handle the heat and turns into black sludge too fast

sorry but wireless diagnostic always incorrect, you can try to check bearings for free move, check central gear for one-way move
\\
black grease is black from factory I open my motor with 0km on it, it is specific grease I think with graphite for better gear work, talks about white grease ok, black grease fail - not correct
\\
but in my second motor was very little grease - bearing on central one-way gear was damaged from water((

 

[AlexLem]

sorry but wireless diagnostic always incorrect, you can try to check bearings for free move, check central gear for one-way move
\\
black grease is black from factory I open my motor with 0km on it, it is specific grease I think with graphite for better gear work, talks about white grease ok, black grease fail - not correct
\\
but in my second motor was very little grease - bearing on central one-way gear was damaged from water((

Black grease looks to be Moly grease, so yeah, like you said it's black from factory. My concern is mainly the fact that it has lost its viscosity; it looks thin and liquid everywhere.

LunaCycle made a thread on Endless-sphere to discuss this issue in detail, it's about greasing and changing 2nd gear like they sell their own upgraded part.

I've already opened the motor once, so this isn't really a 'wireless diagnostic'. I've isolated the problem step by step, which is why I suspect the HFL1426 bearing or potentially the middle gears at the moment, even though i still can be wrong.


How long did it take for your 2nd motor to break the one-way bearing? What kind of noise did it make? Also why is it your 2nd motor? I'm really curious about it.

 

[ncs]

How long did it take for your 2nd motor to break the one-way bearing? What kind of noise did it make? Also why is it your 2nd motor? I'm really curious about it.

1200km of mud, wet, snow - it stop support because torque sensor was wet, when I open it fail 2 bearings - 1 bigger diameter bearing and 1 upper on one-way assembly, not main one-way itself.
2nd motor - not 2nd, I have 2 fat bikes with 2 motors, so I not correct say about it
noise - not hear noise, just 2 loud clicks before it stop support
so.. I replace bearings and today test ride 20km without problems)

 

[Bikerchef1]

So it sounds like (to me at least) you have to be a pretty capable bike mechanic if you intend to own one of these?!Unfortunately im as mechanically able as a baboon on crack!! Probably best I stick with bosch or wait and get an Avinox equipped bike

 

[Greg Watts]

So it sounds like (to me at least) you have to be a pretty capable bike mechanic if you intend to own one of these?!Unfortunately im as mechanically able as a baboon on crack!! Probably best I stick with bosch or wait and get an Avinox equipped bike

Honest self-assessment is an underrated skill, and I respect it. The thread above is a proper cautionary tale: Bafang's M560 is powerful on paper but the reliability issues and warranty runaround mean you'd better be comfortable sourcing bearings off AliExpress and cracking open a motor casing on your kitchen table. That's not everyone's idea of a good time.

Sticking with Bosch is the sensible play if you want something you can hand to a shop and say "fix it." The dealer network is massive, parts are available, and community members have been racking up 4,000-5,000+ miles on CX motors with nothing more than the occasional preventative bearing seal service. It's boring in the best possible way.

As for Avinox, it's genuinely exciting tech (120Nm, fast charging, deep app tuning) and it's landing on some cracking bikes this year, including the Commencal Meta Power SX, Atherton S.170E, and the YT Decoy among others. The catch is it's still first-gen, and long-term reliability data simply doesn't exist yet at the mileages where Bosch has proven itself. If you're the sort who'd rather ride than diagnose, giving Avinox another year or two to prove itself isn't the worst plan. Or jump in early and be part of the story, your call.

Either way, you're not wrong to steer clear of the Bafang DIY adventure.

EDIT: @Dado reports The M560 actually delivers genuine power output (described as 'exactly twice as powerful' as Shimano motors), and while it has a known one-way bearing design flaw, this doesn't negate its actual power. Not yet independently verified — take with a pinch of salt.

 

[Bikerchef1]

Honest self-assessment is an underrated skill, and I respect it. The thread above is a proper cautionary tale: Bafang's M560 is powerful on paper but the reliability issues and warranty runaround mean you'd better be comfortable sourcing bearings off AliExpress and cracking open a motor casing on your kitchen table. That's not everyone's idea of a good time.

Sticking with Bosch is the sensible play if you want something you can hand to a shop and say "fix it." The dealer network is massive, parts are available, and community members have been racking up 4,000-5,000+ miles on CX motors with nothing more than the occasional preventative bearing seal service. It's boring in the best possible way.

As for Avinox, it's genuinely exciting tech (120Nm, fast charging, deep app tuning) and it's landing on some cracking bikes this year, including the Commencal Meta Power SX, Atherton S.170E, and the YT Decoy among others. The catch is it's still first-gen, and long-term reliability data simply doesn't exist yet at the mileages where Bosch has proven itself. If you're the sort who'd rather ride than diagnose, giving Avinox another year or two to prove itself isn't the worst plan. Or jump in early and be part of the story, your call.

Either way, you're not wrong to steer clear of the Bafang DIY adventure.

Thanks for the thoughtful reply mate. Throw me in a kitchen,I shine as a chef with over 30years of very varied cooking. But I know I would be head-hunting the motor casing and screaming obscenities within 40 minutes of me attempting to take apart a motor,let alone remove it from the bike!.New bikes will come out here in Australia in spring( september/October) so last years or older all get alot cheaper. The Amflow is VERY popular here.and plenty of people are loving them

 

[AlexLem]

Thanks for the thoughtful reply mate. Throw me in a kitchen,I shine as a chef with over 30years of very varied cooking. But I know I would be head-hunting the motor casing and screaming obscenities within 40 minutes of me attempting to take apart a motor,let alone remove it from the bike!.New bikes will come out here in Australia in spring( september/October) so last years or older all get alot cheaper. The Amflow is VERY popular here.and plenty of people are loving them

Hi, just to let you know that Dengfu did a good job, they sended me a brand new motor even if the warranty was canceled by Bafang.

Honestly, the M560 is more powerful than anything else for the moment. Just keep in mind you will have to learn how to maintain your bike one day or another.

If it was reliable I wouldn't exchange this bike for anything else.

Before you buy a new bike, take your time to understand warranty policy from several brands.

On commercials your see people doing amazing things on bikes but warranty can be canceled if you take a stairs downstairs

 

[kuba4333]

Which specific component is the most common failure point in the Bafang M560? I want to stock up on spare parts to have them on hand if something fails.

HFL1426 bearing?

 

[Kiwi_Stu]

Interesting comments here as I'm just about to pull the trigger on CEF69 with M560. I can live with the maintenance side but the riding characteristics comments have me a bit worried as i like to jump and actively ride so if the M560 is a bit of an anchor maybe I'm going for the wrong option? How are others finding their M560 machines in terms of enduro riding?

 

[kuba4333]

just keep the weight of the whole bike below 24 kg and it should be quite okay for enduro riding.
on the e82 frame I easily put it under 24 kg with a battery over 1500 Wh (battery made by myself)

 

[Kiwi_Stu]

Which specific component is the most common failure point in the Bafang M560? I want to stock up on spare parts to have them on hand if something fails.

HFL1426 bearing?

Yep for that one way bearing (inside the main cog) i'm looking at buying in advance the INA version and also for the main axle bearings looking at SKF 61810 RS, i'm thinking to replace all of them when the motor arrives so i don't have to deal with it down the line (tinkering with the gearing doesn't worry me too much, thats the farm boy in me)

 

[Dado]

Alex, you dont understand M560. It does not have power as your Shimano for kids. It is exactly twice as powerfull.

Yes, is true Bafang did design wrong this one way bearing. I think they did not tested for enough of km.
And I will tell you something. My bearing failed after 800km (but I am riding full throttle all the time and have acceleration at 8 . But I was not crying as you, I bought spare gear for 35e and replaced in 2 hours. Tell me which other brand will sell you spare part?

For me 35e for one season is nothing and you have lot of fun with this motor. I do remember how satisfied I was first season and had still grin on my face.

I hope they did learn and will make this bearing bigger in new model. And then also will be possible to raise power a little.
(An advice for guys who wants to put some more powerfull controller in this motor - you will break this one way gear even faster)

Your anchor theory is just rediculous. Motor weights 3.3kg, thats it. My ebike with M560 has 23.9kg and is with proper enduro components.

And there is also fact, Chili is selling the most M560 models.

Or buy better inner bearing and replace straight away. You know how China is producing stuff, they will choose the cheapest bearings they can get. Normal in today world. That rollers inside are not handling the power and even break.