Exercise Bike Resistance Motor Faults – Electrical and Mechanical Issues
A humming or dead resistance motor on your exercise bike? Learn to diagnose electrical and mechanical faults, from bad wiring to stripped internal gears.
Anatomy of a Resistance Servo Motor
A look inside a typical resistance motor, showing the small DC motor and the plastic gears used to create movement.
Mechanical Failure: Stripped Gears
The most common fault. If the motor hums but the resistance doesn't change, the internal gears are likely stripped. This requires motor replacement.
Electrical Failure: A Burnt-Out Motor
If the motor is completely silent and unresponsive but is receiving power, the motor itself has burned out.
Diagnosing the Motor vs. the Controller
A technician can test by applying direct voltage to the motor. If it moves, the problem is the controller. If it doesn't, the motor is bad.