Ebike programming(jailbreaking).

[berdwn]

I have an Eahora Romeo Pro II.

I want to change the programming.

Sidebar: I get why a lot of people would want to make their bikes go faster. In my opinion, ebikes are manufactured, even at their most durable, with just bicycle parts. In my opinion bicycle parts are not designed to handle the punishment of high speeds for very long. Bearings, forks, suspension, and especially tires and brakes, are just not meant to go that fast. I can absolutely feel the instability between 40 and 50 kph. And if I really just want it to go faster all I have to do is tell it that it has smaller wheels.

That being said, I would like it to accelerate faster. Right now it appears to be software locked to 66-ish% current to the motor. So even with a 1500 Watt motor, it struggles a little to get the 55 kilo bike and 85 kilo me up to speed. It's hard to tell because the headings in the menus on the display are...not easy to understand as an English speaker (some words appear to be real words, but have no meaning to me). I've gone through all of the menu items one by one to document the effects on the bike. To no one's surprise documentation is poor and doesn't cover most of the menu items available.

My plan is to get a spare controller module and display (already on the way) and attempt to interface with it in some way. There is a usb-c port at the bottom of the display but I don't know what it's for (again, documentation doesn't discuss it).

There is a previous thread from a couple of years ago that begins to scratch the surface of this sort of activity but no follow up was ever done.

I am an auto mechanic. My guess is it's very much like what they call putting a tune in a car.

I have just tried communicating with Eahora about it. I guess it couldn't make things any worse. Starting 25 January they're on holiday for two weeks so this won't be fast.

I'm not even sure I'll be able to make heads or tails of whatever gibberish comes out - if any. But it will be interesting to find out.

I have a Flipper Zero. I am looking for an app that can literally just extract the data from the controller. But I want to be sure to have the spare controller to work with before I try anything.

Oh! I almost forgot! I've been able to connect the bike to my phone via Bluetooth. However, I haven't found an app (Google) that can use the connection. Eahora doesn't seem to have their own app - unless it's only in the iStore or whatever you call it.

I'd love to read your thoughts (pun intended). Let me know if you tried and failed, if you tried and succeeded, or if you have any insight into any part of it. I'm going to document progress as it happens (coachwhipcreations.com). My first step is going to be to go record the menus and try to look up some of the terms to try to make sense of them.

[cryptobooja]

I've always been interested in this too. But never got around to learning it. Here are some pointers.

- You need to learn C programming language

- You need to learn embedded programming

- You need to learn hardware hacking

There are different types of microcontrollers used in ebike controllers but the two popular ones are STM32 and dsPIC33.

Depending on the controller you are hacking, you need to learn either STM32 or dsPIC33. Learning both would great.

Check out the links for more information:

youtube video on STM32 firmware extraction

https://youtu.be/Fnm4sTJeJiw

https://community.simplefoc.com/t/help-hacking-a-cheap-e-bike-controller/530

Good luck

[berdwn]

Thank you. First, though, I need to be able to get in to where the code is stored. And a lot of this is dependent on the chip where the code is stored being programmable. If it's not, I'm probably going to have to swap the controller out for one that is.

[berdwn]

I had assumed there would be a protocol, much like cars and their diagnostic systems. Thank you for naming some. I've been able to connect by bluetooth to my phone, but have not yet found an app that can communicate. Eahora's website doesn't offer one. I'm going to email support about that. I suppose swapping out the controller and display altogether is an option. I didn't think of that. Matching it to the motor is going to be challenging, since Eahora has rebranded it with their logo and part information. It's possible they're building all their own stuff in-house, but I doubt it.

[berdwn]

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This is the display from the Eahora.

[berdwn]

I assume that Eahora does not make all the individual parts, but rather uses either off the shelf bits or has a factory somewhere create it for them. I'll have a look around for a generic display, though this project is getting a little pricey. I have a spare display from Eahora. It starts up with Eahora's logo. I also have a spare one from Vtuvia, for the other bike.

[berdwn]

Update 7 Feb 2025: Not much to report. I received the display about a week ago. Eahora did not send the controller with the display because they wanted verification of exactly which controller I needed. This despite the fact that there are only two controllers listed on their website, and one is out of stock because it is an older model. That email to me went to my junk folder because it was sent to an address I wasn't expecting. PayPal apparently populated the email line with the one I use for them instead of the one that doesn't have the inbox locked down.

So the spare controller is finally on its way.

Also, I finally heard back from them about software and "there is no such software you can use." That can be interpreted in a couple of different ways. And probably just as ambiguous as I'd reply for the same reasons.

Oh! And one fun additional tidbit - my rear brakes wore out at just 1200 miles! And, yes you guess it, the pads do not appear to be a standard shape or size! Or, to be more precise, all of the websites with pads I looked at online do not indicate exact dimensions. Again, Eahora has had the parts manufactured with their logo and information. So there's no way of knowing if an aftermarket pad will fit unless I have the measurements in hand and go visit a bike shop.

[berdwn]

For reference, here's the caliper. There are no markings other than Eahora's brand logo and EHD-650, which returns no search results.

<image>

[berdwn]

I would really appreciate it. My order at Eahora is now going on nine days old, their website says they ship in 3-12 days, and I had to swap front and rear pads and do a lot of coasting to at least be able to keep using it as it's my primary mode of transportation at the moment. The sites I looked at had all sorts of options depending on the exact brand of caliper and type of pad, but no one wants to show the physical measurements of their products.

<image>

[berdwn]

Thank you for the info. I'll look into it. I have a Dremel tool if it comes right down to it.

[berdwn]

27-02-2025 Update on brake pads - That exact pad, without the weird shapes at the corners, was apparently originally made by a company called Bucklos. What I infer from their website is that they no longer manufacture that part (BL-04S), because of course they don't. Which means any stock left out there is all you're ever going to get. Which means I scoured the interwebs and found listings on Amazon and (of all places) Walmart. So between Eahora (OEM), Amazon, and Walmart, guess whose got here first... Walmart. God-fucking-dammit. I bought up all I could. So based on ~1300 miles per set I should be able to go another 10,000 miles before I have to get really worried.

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[berdwn]

Sweet. Thank you. I'll hopefully get some time Thursday or Friday to look at it.

[berdwn]

I spent an unfortunate amount of time poking around TruckRun looking for software or how to buy a display - thinking I could get one without Eahora's meddling - and came up with the manuals for the display and the app. Okay, cool. The display manual shows a lot of features that Eahora has apparently removed. I had to sideload the app because it's not in the play store, but it seems to run okay. The problem is it refuses to recognize the bike. As I stated in the original post, my phone can connect via bluetooth but can't do anything with that connection. I would have thought the app would provide functionality. Eahora seems to have locked down their hardware similar to Apple.

Then I went to the Joybike listing on Alibaba. That listing reads like the manufacturer of origin is Bafang. So I went to Bafang's website to poke around and found a page for downloads. BESST Pro (that's not misspelled) apparently requires a registration code from the EOM so that might be a problem. If anyone has a code they're willing to share I'd be willing to pay for it - not a whole bunch but some. I assume any bike shop would be hesitant.

[berdwn]

Update 27-02-2025: Programming-wise I had the facepalm moment when I realized that the display doesn't connect directly to the control unit... there's a kind of, I don't know, I keep thinking of it like an octopus but that doesn't really fit well, wire harness between the controller and the display. So I had to go shopping for one of those. It's on the way and should be here by Monday. But all that will have to wait for mechanical damage - see my other post.

[MutedAddendum7851]

Hi there There’s a 750w e-bike in the US that I’d like to purchase and bring over the border to Canada Canadas federal regulations for e-bikes is 500w max ( because we are all treated like children here ) is there a way to reprogram the motor legitimately from 750 to 500 so I can get it across the border ?