I went through six to seven of them due to both failures and shipping damage, and found a fix for the slipping issue: swab out the insane amount of grease, and use fiber grip. It worked for me on the bikes I had.
Maybe pop that bushing on the end of the wider tube out?
I tried a bunch of different ways to search for the info online, and struck out. Itās called a āseat setbackā thing. One would think if they send out parts, there would be instructions somewhere on how to replace it. 
Perhaps ask Wahoo for instructions? They respond pretty quickly.
Reached out to Wahoo also, but figured it out myself.
You have to unscrew the locking handle, underneath it there is a hole. There is a screw in the āseat setbackā which stops it from being pulled all out, pull it until it stops, you can then see the screw through the hole and remove it. Then it is free to pull out.
Awesome!!
Also good news that Wahoo is supporting āRight To repairā at some level. I hated sending their bikes back when it could have been a simple fix. For the record, Tacx/Garmin has a āspecial service toolā to remove the belt, but I got it included in a troubleshooting/repair incident. I was happy they did that as shipping big things back and forth for simple fixes seems silly and wastes a lot of shipping time not to mention the time off bike and environment costs. Bravo Wahoo?
EDIT: The list price for that Tacx tool was over $100US which seemed user abusive. Getting it free was a very nice and appreciated gesture.
Friendly heads up that the Kickr Bike v1 certified reconditioned model is currently $1,999 through Wahoo. I believe this ties the lowest price itās been previously. (This is what I paid for mine a few years ago, but havenāt seen it at this price point for a while.)
https://www.wahoofitness.com/devices/indoor-cycling/smart-bikes/reconditioned-kickr-bike-v1-buy
How do you like your V1? Considering the purchase myself
Some people have had issues but for me has been one of the best bike related purchases I have made.
If I purchased today I would probably go with the Kickr Bike Shift. Lower price and from what I hear more quiet (but canāt confirm as I have the V1).
I use mine 8-16 hours a week. Pretty much every week. Since late 2021. Been rock solid. To be honest, almost all my workouts are done in simulation mode, as opposed to erg mode or app controlled. The app mode (wahoo systemx or rouvy work well) works well with hills and what have you, but I prefer to control how hard it is to ride. I set the % grade with the basic wahoo app (free) and shift gears to control resistance, I temper my power output by cadence/shifting This is what translates to me for outdoors best. I had a loosening stem rise at the beginning, but it hasnāmoved in 2 years. My unit price per hour on this trainer is lower than all my other bikes by a longshot. It just works. I wish I had the time to ride outside more, but 4AM 2 hour rides while half asleep are easy if you arenāt actually going anywhere. Ive thought of swapping bars or tape, but never did it. It just works.
Iāve had my V1 for 3+ years. The only issue Iāve had is the handlebar slipping down but thatās something that has a few different solutions.
My only issue is the permanency of the bike compared to having my bike a direct drive trainer. I have just enough room for the kickr bike in my office along with other exercise equipment. In hindsight I think a direct drive with my regular bike would be a better option as I could more easily set those aside and have a little more space
Iāve really enjoyed mineāhad it for 2.5 years or so. I really donāt have any major complaints. I switched out the seat added additional tape to the handlebars to provide more cushioning.
Iāve got a permanent space set aside so i once set up it will stay set up
I have the KICKR Bike V1 and Iām using the free Wahoo app to control it. When I set the resistance high in level mode, or set the grade to 10%+ in sim mode and shift to an easy gear, it pretty much still feels like Iām pedaling on a flat road. Is there a way to make it feel more like climbing a steep grade? I was definitely able to get that feeling on my original KICKR (not the bike) even in erg mode by shifting into an easy gear.
Well after 4 years my Kickr v1 died mid ride on Zwift. Showed an error (ER 17) on display and wouldnāt shift. Submitted a support request so hopefully they can just send me new handlebars as saw at least one other post online thatās what they did. I tried later and error went away but ride lasted 4 minutes before it came back.
I do have concerns about how many years wahoo will just replace their kickr bike/parts.
I had the same thing happen last year, they sent new bars no questions asked.
Thatās what I am hoping.
They went straight to full reconditioned bike and not just handlebars
score!!!
Hopefully the reconditioned unit can last me at least a good 5 years