Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Folding Bikes
Reload this Page >

Expanded Tern recall

Notices
Folding Bikes Discuss the unique features and issues of folding bikes. Also a great place to learn what folding bike will work best for your needs.

Expanded Tern recall

Old 10-17-17, 05:34 PM
  #251  
Joe Remi
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: NorCal
Posts: 1,453

Bikes: Haibike Sduro Trekking SL, Rivendell Appaloosa, Concinnity singlespeed, KHS mini velo (Japan market), Trident Spike trike

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 651 Post(s)
Liked 91 Times in 74 Posts
Holy crap. The Link is the lower cost series, and I presumed to be heavier, tougher frames. It was my impression that all the failures were Verge series; now it looks like the problem is in the design and company-wide.

Dr. Hon needs to tell his idiot family members to get out of the bicycle business. They're bad at it.
Joe Remi is offline  
Old 10-17-17, 06:51 PM
  #252  
dahoneezz
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 336
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 162 Post(s)
Liked 12 Times in 10 Posts
Originally Posted by jur
Based on what I saw in the various failure pictures, it seems to me this was a design problem not a manufacturing problem; if this is correct it therefore affects ALL Terns made before the weld design was changed and augmented, ... (snip) ? ...
The design problem was no weld in line with the frame yes? Solution was adding the gusset plate. What about other bikes with mid fold hinges? Crius, Fnhon, Dahon etc. Did they do it right?

dahoneezz is offline  
Old 10-18-17, 09:42 AM
  #253  
masch
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 37
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 24 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Holy crap! Ok I didn't think one could get into that much trouble. I guess I seriously need to replace my bike / frame. Speedy recovery to you sir.

Would really love to see the photos. I'm still trying to understand what's the mechanism of the frame welding failure that could happen.
masch is offline  
Old 10-18-17, 11:17 AM
  #254  
downtube
Senior Member
 
downtube's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Greensboro, NC
Posts: 1,498

Bikes: Many Downtube Folders :)

Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 282 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 24 Times in 17 Posts
Originally Posted by masch
Holy crap! Ok I didn't think one could get into that much trouble. I guess I seriously need to replace my bike / frame. Speedy recovery to you sir.

Would really love to see the photos. I'm still trying to understand what's the mechanism of the frame welding failure that could happen.

Take a look at https://www.google.com/search?q=tern...w=1280&bih=893

Thanks,
Yan
__________________
Designer of Downtube Folding Bike
Ph.D. Temple University ( Math )
Biked across the USA twice
Semi-active chess player ( two time Bahamas National Champion )
Sivananda ( Bahamas ) Trained Yoga instructor ( 2013 ) and ThetaHealer since 2013
Bicycle delivery worker for Jimmy John's. Delivering is the best workout I have ever had.
downtube is offline  
Old 10-18-17, 11:27 AM
  #255  
masch
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 37
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 24 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Oh my gosh, so they fail at the welds!

So I guess I'll have to scrap Mark Bickerton's idea of replacing the frame of my Tern Link.

Interestingly enough I have just made a search for "Dahon Frame Failure" but all the images returned were of Tern bicycles?
masch is offline  
Old 10-18-17, 11:44 AM
  #256  
downtube
Senior Member
 
downtube's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Greensboro, NC
Posts: 1,498

Bikes: Many Downtube Folders :)

Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 282 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 24 Times in 17 Posts
Originally Posted by masch
Oh my gosh, so they fail at the welds!

So I guess I'll have to scrap Mark Bickerton's idea of replacing the frame of my Tern Link.

Interestingly enough I have just made a search for "Dahon Frame Failure" but all the images returned were of Tern bicycles?
I guess google understands Tern has a monopoly on these

Thanks,
Yan
__________________
Designer of Downtube Folding Bike
Ph.D. Temple University ( Math )
Biked across the USA twice
Semi-active chess player ( two time Bahamas National Champion )
Sivananda ( Bahamas ) Trained Yoga instructor ( 2013 ) and ThetaHealer since 2013
Bicycle delivery worker for Jimmy John's. Delivering is the best workout I have ever had.
downtube is offline  
Old 04-11-19, 06:14 PM
  #257  
dahoneezz
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 336
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 162 Post(s)
Liked 12 Times in 10 Posts
https://www.******.com/r/Brompton/co...rn_it_to_hell/

Saw this. Could be an old model. Also, the bike has an electric motor.
dahoneezz is offline  
Old 04-11-19, 08:29 PM
  #258  
tds101 
55+ Club,...
 
tds101's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Somewhere in New York, NY
Posts: 4,266

Bikes: 9+,...

Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1085 Post(s)
Liked 821 Times in 570 Posts
Originally Posted by dahoneezz
https://www.******.com/r/Brompton/co...rn_it_to_hell/

Saw this. Could be an old model. Also, the bike has an electric motor.
Your link is dead,.....
__________________
If it wasn't for you meddling kids,...
tds101 is offline  
Old 04-11-19, 08:37 PM
  #259  
Rollfast
What happened?
 
Rollfast's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Around here somewhere
Posts: 8,050

Bikes: 3 Rollfasts, 3 Schwinns, a Shelby and a Higgins Flightliner in a pear tree!

Mentioned: 57 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1835 Post(s)
Liked 292 Times in 255 Posts
It's possibly dead because this thread is dated in 2016?

If you want to find a current recall, you should visit https://www.bikeforums.net/recall-announcements/ and if you cannot find it, try a search engine you like or ask the staff.

There is also
https://www.cpsc.gov/recalls
__________________
I don't know nothing, and I memorized it in school and got this here paper I'm proud of to show it.

Last edited by Rollfast; 04-11-19 at 08:42 PM.
Rollfast is offline  
Old 04-12-19, 12:14 AM
  #260  
dahoneezz
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 336
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 162 Post(s)
Liked 12 Times in 10 Posts


Picture from redd it dot com

​​​​​​​

It is dead because I think there is censorship bot in this forum. What you can do is click on the link and replace the asterics with "redd it" dot com.

The hinge failure is recent ( like maybe several days ago), but the bike could be old model plus modded with electric motor.
dahoneezz is offline  
Old 04-12-19, 07:03 AM
  #261  
Kabuto
Full Member
 
Kabuto's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Far East
Posts: 269
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 172 Post(s)
Liked 76 Times in 52 Posts
The link should work if its embedded in text, for example CLICK HERE.
Kabuto is offline  
Old 04-12-19, 09:13 AM
  #262  
wesgreen
Full Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 223
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 80 Post(s)
Liked 36 Times in 28 Posts
Thanks for the link! Looks like Tern's learning curve on how to weld is not quite finished. At least they know how to produce slick websites and pr.
wesgreen is offline  
Old 04-12-19, 01:00 PM
  #263  
tds101 
55+ Club,...
 
tds101's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Somewhere in New York, NY
Posts: 4,266

Bikes: 9+,...

Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1085 Post(s)
Liked 821 Times in 570 Posts
Originally Posted by dahoneezz

"Warning: My Tern Cargo Node + BBSHD split in half while riding yesterday. Just under 2k miles and it broke in two while slowing down at an intersection. Could have been much worse! This is not a safe conversion."



Picture from redd it dot com


It is dead because I think there is censorship bot in this forum. What you can do is click on the link and replace the asterics with "redd it" dot com.

The hinge failure is recent ( like maybe several days ago), but the bike could be old model plus modded with electric motor.
OMG!!! This is from 3 days ago,...and it's the newer Tern Cargo Node!!!
__________________
If it wasn't for you meddling kids,...
tds101 is offline  
Old 04-12-19, 04:13 PM
  #264  
dahoneezz
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 336
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 162 Post(s)
Liked 12 Times in 10 Posts


Cargo Node.
​​​​​​​

Oh ... somehow I missed the part that it was a different kind of bike. I thought it was just a normal bike with a rack.

dahoneezz is offline  
Old 04-12-19, 04:54 PM
  #265  
dahoneezz
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 336
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 162 Post(s)
Liked 12 Times in 10 Posts
The redd it link I posted was not the original owner's link. I believe the one below is the original. Sorry about that.

https://www.******.com/r/ebikes/comm...split_in_half/
dahoneezz is offline  
Old 04-12-19, 04:56 PM
  #266  
dahoneezz
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 336
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 162 Post(s)
Liked 12 Times in 10 Posts
Original owner:

​​​​​​​"https://www.******.com/r/ebikes/comments/bbaayg/warning_my_tern_cargo_node_bbshd_split_in_half/"

dahoneezz is offline  
Old 04-12-19, 04:57 PM
  #267  
dahoneezz
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 336
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 162 Post(s)
Liked 12 Times in 10 Posts
Dammit bot!! "redd it"!!!!
dahoneezz is offline  
Old 04-12-19, 06:11 PM
  #268  
tds101 
55+ Club,...
 
tds101's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Somewhere in New York, NY
Posts: 4,266

Bikes: 9+,...

Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1085 Post(s)
Liked 821 Times in 570 Posts
Originally Posted by dahoneezz
Dammit bot!! "redd it"!!!!
Post a word, then use the "chain link" in the bar up top to add the site link,...posting a direct link to that site is apparently taboo! LOL!!! I believe it has to do with spam and such.
__________________
If it wasn't for you meddling kids,...
tds101 is offline  
Old 04-12-19, 06:59 PM
  #269  
Kabuto
Full Member
 
Kabuto's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Far East
Posts: 269
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 172 Post(s)
Liked 76 Times in 52 Posts
Originally Posted by tds101
OMG!!! This is from 3 days ago,...and it's the newer Tern Cargo Node!!!
I noticed that as well. The frame joint looks like the earlier version (with no gusset plate) that caused problems on earlier bikes though. Would be very interested to know where the frame was made (Vietnam, China, or Taiwan). The frames with the gusset plate are all Made in Vietnam.
Kabuto is offline  
Old 04-13-19, 02:53 AM
  #270  
berlinonaut
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 665
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 319 Post(s)
Liked 14 Times in 11 Posts
What is worth mentioning regarding that case:
- The bike in question was a Tern Cargo Node - a cargobike, basically consisting of a Tern Node Frame (thier 24" bike) with a factory fitted xtracycle rear frame cargo extension. I do not know if the frame of the cargo node is different or stiffened in compariston to an ordinary Tern Link frame though optically identical for the innocent watcher.
- The poster says he had no heavy load on the bike at the time of the accident - just himself (at 165 lbs) and a laptop
- he had fitted an electric motor to the bike. A Bafang BBSHD mid-drive motor at the bottom bracket. The BBSH is rated at 1000 Watts. Tern themselves do sell the cargo node with an electric mid-drive motor, but only one with 250 Watts.
Edit: There is no electric version of the Cargo Node on Terns webseite, so possibly they did not even sell an electric version at all. The claim was from memory.
The force of that retrofitted motor is clearly far higher than what Tern offer themselves, so basically he used the bike outside the specification.
The poster himself writes in said r-e-d-d-i-t (seems on is not even allowed to post the word ****** here ) thread:
The BBSHD puts out an incredible amount of torque. I could take off like a rocket from a stop, something most people couldn’t do. I’m sure that put a lot of stress on that joint.
- He posted more pictures of the break at imgur: https://imgur.com/a/DwozLzH
- As usual we do not know if the breakage developed over time or happened completely all of a sudeen, maybe starting secretly at the underside of the frame.

So while it is the same well-known area where the bike broke it seems maybe a bit questionable in this case to simply claim it was Tern who still are unable to weld. With the extra force of that extremely powerful motor the bike was used far out for what it was designed, specified, rated and tested. Luckily the rider did not suffer injuries. Maybe a sign of warning to people to put the most powerful motors on any given bike w/o knowing the limits or paying respect or attention to the forces that the frame will have to deal with. Just because things fit mechanically it does not mean it is a good idea or a valid combination.

Last edited by berlinonaut; 04-24-19 at 10:41 AM.
berlinonaut is offline  
Old 04-14-19, 07:05 PM
  #271  
dahoneezz
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 336
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 162 Post(s)
Liked 12 Times in 10 Posts
"“Ross Evans, the founder of Xtracycle, is a good friend,” said Hon (pictured below grabbing a slice of pizza at Eurobike). “We went to Stanford University together and have kept in touch.”

Almost literally because the Cargo Node originated from some close proximity thinking: “We were sat in a hot tub, and I said you make this really cool rear rack and we make these cool bikes, maybe the joining of the two could make something interesting?”
​​​​​​​BikeBiz: Home Stream
dahoneezz is offline  
Old 04-14-19, 07:09 PM
  #272  
Rollfast
What happened?
 
Rollfast's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Around here somewhere
Posts: 8,050

Bikes: 3 Rollfasts, 3 Schwinns, a Shelby and a Higgins Flightliner in a pear tree!

Mentioned: 57 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1835 Post(s)
Liked 292 Times in 255 Posts
Originally Posted by tds101
Post a word, then use the "chain link" in the bar up top to add the site link,...posting a direct link to that site is apparently taboo! LOL!!! I believe it has to do with spam and such.
I'll say it for the third time this month, that site URL is directly blocked because the place is just too potentially OTT and not safe for 16-20" riders and not pleasing to Donny and Marie even. If you can find a different source, try, a lot of their stuff originates elsewhere anyway.
__________________
I don't know nothing, and I memorized it in school and got this here paper I'm proud of to show it.

Last edited by Rollfast; 04-14-19 at 07:14 PM.
Rollfast is offline  
Old 04-14-19, 08:25 PM
  #273  
tds101 
55+ Club,...
 
tds101's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Somewhere in New York, NY
Posts: 4,266

Bikes: 9+,...

Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1085 Post(s)
Liked 821 Times in 570 Posts
Originally Posted by Rollfast
I'll say it for the third time this month, that site URL is directly blocked because the place is just too potentially OTT and not safe for 16-20" riders and not pleasing to Donny and Marie even. If you can find a different source, try, a lot of their stuff originates elsewhere anyway.
Hmmm,...yes,...ok,...that really required a quote,...GN,...
__________________
If it wasn't for you meddling kids,...
tds101 is offline  
Old 10-25-19, 08:04 PM
  #274  
towatai
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 15
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts
Hello from Germany. Yesterday my Tern Vektron P9 broke down. Fortunately not during the drive but when starting at a traffic light. I bought it on november 15th last year. I am curious what my dealer will say on the phone afterwards. 2 minutes before I stood at the traffic light, the tachometer indicated still good 40km/h (it went downhill) not to imagine what could have happened. maybe I should start to pray ;-) unfortunately I can only post after 10 posts photos or left on pictures :-/ it looks exactly the same as with tds, exactly the same place.
towatai is offline  
Old 10-25-19, 08:18 PM
  #275  
Kabuto
Full Member
 
Kabuto's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Far East
Posts: 269
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 172 Post(s)
Liked 76 Times in 52 Posts
Originally Posted by towatai
Hello from Germany. Yesterday my Tern Vektron P9 broke down. Fortunately not during the drive but when starting at a traffic light. I bought it on november 15th last year. I am curious what my dealer will say on the phone afterwards. 2 minutes before I stood at the traffic light, the tachometer indicated still good 40km/h (it went downhill) not to imagine what could have happened. maybe I should start to pray ;-) unfortunately I can only post after 10 posts photos or left on pictures :-/ it looks exactly the same as with tds, exactly the same place.
Could you confirm what you mean by "broke down"?

"broke down" can mean the problem is fixable, such as when you have minor car trouble on the highway and you call the local motor association for help. Or did you mean the bicycle frame broke in half?
Kabuto is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.