# Couple questions



## Yootah (Jun 30, 2017)

The wife let drop the other day that an ebike might make her a little more likely to join myself and the boys on the trail, and now I am feverishly in the market because I've been trying to get her back on two wheels for a while.

Generally speaking, how are batteries holding up over time? When looking at used bikes, should I be wary of anything over a couple years old? Any way for a layman with a multimeter to test a used battery for remaining life?

If we end up going new, what brands should I be looking at in terms of bang for the buck? She doesn't need a great big bike, she'll be riding mildly technical stuff at best. Kinda looking at the Specialized Turbo Tero and Kona El Kahuna as sturdy but entry level bikes, anything else at that price point worth looking at for her?


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## MSU Alum (Aug 8, 2009)

Are you in a place where she can rent one first?


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## NS-NV (Aug 15, 2006)

I would definitely try to demo a few different bikes (by that I mean motors). Full E and smaller if possible.

After that, I would be really hesitant to purchase used, unless it was a crazy good deal and I knew the owner. E-Technology is still pretty flakey. Not having a full warrantee would keep me up at night.


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## MSU Alum (Aug 8, 2009)

Yeah, for E-bikes, I'd buy new.


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## EpicTC (Jun 28, 2009)

Pro-tip from a woman: 
When searching for a used e-bike, search for the terms you want in a bike and add girlfriend & wife to your search. 
That is how I found my e-caliber. 
A dude bought his wife a bike, did a ton of upgrades on it and hoped that she'd enjoy riding. She did not. 
When I bought the bike he took a big hit on $$ and I got a sweet ride with only 10 miles on it. 

I knew what I wanted in a bike and was shopping for myself.
As noted above, she may want to demo a few bikes first to figure out a good geometry and fit for her.


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## Yootah (Jun 30, 2017)

EpicTC said:


> Pro-tip from a woman:
> When searching for a used e-bike, search for the terms you want in a bike and add girlfriend & wife to your search.
> That is how I found my e-caliber.
> A dude bought his wife a bike, did a ton of upgrades on it and hoped that she'd enjoy riding. She did not.
> ...


That's a rad tip, thanks!


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## mike_kelly (Jul 18, 2016)

Just remember that if the battery is bad and needs to be replaced they can cost upwards of $700 to replace with a new one depending on the model and brand of bike.


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## RustyIron (Apr 14, 2008)

EpicTC said:


> search for the terms you want in a bike and add girlfriend & wife to your search.


I don't know whether to laugh because you're clearly a feminine super genius, or to cry because my gender is just oblivious and we so frequently get it wrong.


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## MikeTowpathTraveler (Aug 12, 2015)

My Haibike Full FatSix was put into service back in April 2017. Still have the original Yamaha 400wh battery & it's still providing great service with no problems. It's been supplemented by 3 other 500wh batteries, the oldest being some 3 plus years old. All still are at or near 100% capacity. 17,400 miles on the odometer and everything works as if it were Day 1.....so, why would anyone discount a used ebike if the buyer knew what to look for?

No, DO NOT go poking a battery with a voltmeter as you are very likely going to dead-short the battery, which means, game over. Instead, if you are looking at a particular brand, go on-line to review the procedures to check for battery capacity and charge cycles. Each mainstream brand will have some way of checking this. I believe Bosch can supply you with a paper print out of the battery's health if you take the battery to be checked at an authorized Bosch service dealer. 

Knowing how to check for trouble codes is important and if you have a brand name bike in mind, look it up before checking the bike out. I would not hesitate one bit in buying a used Yamaha powered Haibike. There are tons of them on Craigslist and Facebook marketplace at great prices over new. I'd be hesitant on any Shimano powered ebike due to the troubles documented in this ebike forum by Shimano owners. I'd feel good about any used Bosch powered bike, based on how it looks upon inspection. The repair parts stream for Bosch is pretty good. Early Brose powered bikes had that internal drive belt issue which I believe was addressed. Something to think about if looking at Specialized. Not sure what Specialized battery availability for those early Brose motors are like. Between this on-line forum and the one at Electric Bike Review, there are enough owner histories of each brand ebike that can allow you to make a decision on which bike to steer towards....even the used ones.

Check all frames for cracking, assume the bike was jumped by enthusiastic down hillers auditioning for the latest Red Bull extravaganza......


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## EpicTC (Jun 28, 2009)

RustyIron said:


> you're clearly a feminine super genius,


I think that should be my signature...
Feminine Super Genius!


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## SkiTalk'er (Jun 26, 2021)

RustyIron said:


> because you're clearly a feminine super genius,


She is and really hot to boot!


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## markloch (Jul 15, 2021)

Check out Trek PowerFly. It's a nice compromise between a full-on eMTB and a more casual townie bike. Comes in hardtail and FS, priced considerably lower than even the base model Trek Rail 5.

As far a batteries go, unless the bike's app/controller gives you the info on it's own (Bosch's last-gen app doesn't, not sure about the latest), before purchase take the bike to a shop that services the manufacturer's ebikes, they can run a diagnostic and tell you how the battery is holding up - how many charge cycles, remaining capacity.


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