2nd hand E-bike good idea?

[swfcdan]

I've been wanting a E-bike for some time having tried a family member's and for the hills around my area. However I don't have a lot of disposable income so was considering getting a 2nd hand E-bike likely off Ebay which I have seen a few listed which interest me.

When it comes to the electrics though I would need warranty on it, so is this a good idea? If warranty can be transferred then I feel like I should get a common one which would be serviced by the usual bike shops (Halfords/Evans) nearby. So I was looking at Raleigh Motus Tour, Carrera Crossfuse, and Boardman Hybrid E bike- think those are the main common ones?

Other E-bikes like Ribble ones look good too but I have no idea where they would be serviced as I've only seen the bikes online. Anyway is 2nd hand a good option if looking to save money? And are there any other models recommended? I would also definitely want one with a kick stand particularly due to the added weight, I'm not sure if they all can have those fitted easily though due to the central motor? The Raleigh Motus is the one type with the stand fitted and it's at the back, I've tried it as a family member has one and like using it but it's very heavy around 24KG so I'd prefer to get one a fair bit lighter around 17KG.

Some advice would be great, thanks.

 

[cyberknight]

I would say be careful as batteries tend to lose efficiency over time and will not hold as much charge until eventually you will need a new battery which are not cheap .

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I would be careful buying a used ebike
You need to know how many times the battery has been charged. Modern ones are supposed to deal with 500 charges without any great degree of degradation (loss of range) but can last for 1000 - or so the manufacturers say!
Old ones may not be that good - and it depends on how good the cells are - which you can;t tell as they are encased in a plastic box.
Just to make things more complex - they also don;t like sitting around unused for long periods of time - so if it has only 10 charges but is 5 years old then that may be as bad (or worse) than one that has been charged 300 times

And, of course, there is the problem of how you can be sure the seller if being totally honest. If the seller is a dealer then you are trusting them and the person they got it from

Which is a problem

As far as the Raleigh Motus is concerned I have had one since November (long story) and it is my 4th ebike if you include my wife's folder. It is a great bike - OK it's a bit heavy but the motor deals with that and it is FAR better than any other I have tried - including several modern ones. Mine is 2019 model - there may still be some cheap ones left on some sites as the price of the 2019 models went down a lot when they brought out the 2020 model

 

[swfcdan]

As far as the Raleigh Motus is concerned I have had one since November (long story) and it is my 4th ebike if you include my wife's folder. It is a great bike - OK it's a bit heavy but the motor deals with that and it is FAR better than any other I have tried - including several modern ones. Mine is 2019 model - there may still be some cheap ones left on some sites as the price of the 2019 models went down a lot when they brought out the 2020 model

Some useful advice, thanks Widnes. I think I may focus on just new e-bikes then. However I'd still like to know, is warranty transferrable on e-bikes if bought 2nd hand?

As for the Raleigh Motus 2019 model, where may I find those as I only see the 2020 models listed on Evans site. If I bought one of those from a different site, where would I take it for servicing? As the one my mother has was bought from Evans, they gave a free service (3 months) and are where her warranty applies to if any electrical faults develop- if I bought from an independent site how would the warranty work then?

Also is the Carrera or Boardman e-bike I mentioned one you've used in the past? If so what did you think of those.

 

[Levo-Lon]

Most have 2yr warranty.
I sold a perfect Trek ebike to my friend.

I wouldn't buy one from eBay.

I'd be looking at ex hire from Rutland cycles or similar.

Cheap ebikes are very poor quality.
Ideally a 2.5k RRP bike for 12-1500 would be a better bet.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Some useful advice, thanks Widnes. I think I may focus on just new e-bikes then. However I'd still like to know, is warranty transferrable on e-bikes if bought 2nd hand?

As for the Raleigh Motus 2019 model, where may I find those as I only see the 2020 models listed on Evans site. If I bought one of those from a different site, where would I take it for servicing? As the one my mother has was bought from Evans, they gave a free service (3 months) and are where her warranty applies to if any electrical faults develop- if I bought from an independent site how would the warranty work then?

Also is the Carrera or Boardman e-bike I mentioned one you've used in the past? If so what did you think of those.

There were some 2019 models on on line shops - but they may have sold out by now. Long term support is a real consideration - I could have paid less and got a bike cheaper from the WWW but I opted to go to the local bike shop - as I ended up with serious problems (not with the Motus) it was just as well that I did - the bike shop were brilliant and dealt with all the liaison with the manufacturer for me and I ended up with an excellent solution to the problem.

I did try some other ebikes - I already knew the basics as I had had an ebike for 10 years so I knew what I was looking for - I didn;t find a Boardman I could try but I did try a couple of Carreras - I just didn't like them as bikes - they seemed to be to be low quality and I didn't like the way they felt. The Raleighs were all far better made as far as I could tell. The Motus certainly seems an excellent bike - on a flat road it just coasts along hardly loosing any speed even with no motor power.

 

[Pale Rider]

People do seem to like Motuses.

I've only had a short ride so cannot really comment, but it has the excellent Bosch motor and I liked the short spin I had.

As @ebikeerwidnes comments, it bowls along nicely which probably indicates a good range - in context.

Warranty is like any bike, a bit iffy but you should be alright with the likes of Evans, or a local shop with a good reputation.

The other point to bear in mind is that with a Motus you are buying a good quality ebike, so I suspect most owners won't have to resort to the warranty.

People are wary of a second hand ebikes due to fears over the motor and battery.

You can understand why, they are about £700 each.

However, that can be reflected in the price, which is good news for the buyer.

Buying a second hand ebike can be much the same as a push bike - the bike is bought with good intentions but finds its way to the back of the garage and stays there.

In that respect, you are assessing the seller more than you are the bike.

I generally think it's bad form to recommend the Pedelecs forum on here, but there's often a little used crank drive bike on their classified section which has been bought by a buyer, often a wealthily retired one, who did a few miles and found he genuinely didn't get on with it.

In other words, a decent second hand buy.

 

[swfcdan]

Thanks for the replies guys. I understand the risks with using Ebay, I am only looking at low milage/age bikes though and would properly check their selling reputation first). Also wouldn't pay until I had gone to check the bike over in person - difficult at this current time though admittedly. I still want to fully understand how the warranty works though (im not knowledgable on this stuff):

So e.g. say I buy a new Raleigh Motus from an external site like E-bikes direct rather than Evans, where would the 2 year warranty apply for- which shops can I take it to in event of any fault down the line? Would it be any Evans store as they deal with all Motus range even if didn't buy from them or would it have to be sent away?

I'm trying to understand if existing warranty can be transferred if bought 2nd hand? If not then I would stop considering a 2nd hand one immediately. Or could I take a reciept with someone elses name on into Evans and they wouldn't check the name so long as it was still in warranty?

I have found Pedelecs forum that may be a better bet than ebay so thanks for that idea too. Any reason why they aren't generally recommended on here though, or is it just because its a rival site?

 

[MarkF]

I'd say yes if you you know what you want and can find the "right" bike. I am looking because of the first year value loss and am hoping the right size and lightly used bike comes along within striking distance. I should have bought a Giant Fast Road a month or so back instead of just thinking about it, £2.8k new but on Ebay for £1500 less with 1500 miles on it. I can afford a new one, but I don't want to suffer the £ hit if I don't get on with it. I'd take a punt on used Orbea Gain and I'll keep looking.

I am not a member but find Pedelecs a great source of information.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I dunno what your local bike shop is like but mine is very understanding

I think that if I went there and said I REALLY wanted a Motus but couldn't afford the price new - but I had seen one online (there was a shop online selling the 2019 version for about £1200 yesterday - can't remember where but I just googled Raleigh Motus so ....) and asked them if they would be OK to service it for you then I am sure they would respond in a positive manner - especially if they are a Raleigh dealer.
I would imaging that they would try to sell you an ebike that they can get new for you but at the end of the day they won't want to sell you at a loss.
If you get really lucky they may be able to source a 2019 Motus themselves and sell it to you 'as new' - or 'as new ish'

worth a go - if they respond in a non positive manner then you have still gained because you know to avoid that shop!

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

not as expensive as you may think

Depends on the make - Bosch can be expensive

 

[TheDoctor]

Well, having bought a £500 shine from Ebay, my advice would be - don't.
It's about 3 years old and it's on the way out...

 

[swfcdan]

Most have 2yr warranty.
I sold a perfect Trek ebike to my friend.

I wouldn't buy one from eBay.

I'd be looking at ex hire from Rutland cycles or similar.

Cheap ebikes are very poor quality.
Ideally a 2.5k RRP bike for 12-1500 would be a better bet.

Hi, I was looking on Rutland cycles site. Where do you find the ex-hire bikes listed? I only seem to be seeing new ones.

 

[smokeysmoo]

Hi, I was looking on Rutland cycles site. Where do you find the ex-hire bikes listed? I only seem to be seeing new ones.

Maybe they only list them when they have them?

Give them a call and enquire, 0115 978 3876 I found them very helpful when I bought a non-e bike bike from them.