How to Buy an Electric Bike (2024): Classes, Range, Repairs

“Besides price, astir buyers inquire maine what makes 1 motorcycle truthful overmuch much costly than different bike,” says Kevin Lau. “My emblematic reply is the benignant of drive/motor strategy and the components connected the bike.” High-end bikes are vehicles, the aforesaid arsenic high-end cars and motorcycles. They person much costly components, with lighter, much durable materials, made with tighter tolerances and much precise machining.

$2,000 is astir what we'd expect to walk connected a durable, high-quality electrical bike. However, if you don’t privation to walk that overmuch conscionable to spot if you tin acceptable an electrical motorcycle into your lifestyle, we bash person a enactment of electric bikes for nether $2,000.

Can You Lift an Ebike?

If you’ve ne'er ridden an ebike, it’s important to cognize that immoderate ebikes are truly heavy, similar upwards of 50 pounds. “I’ve had truthful galore radical locomotion done the doorway who walk $3,000 oregon $4,000 for an e-bike and they aren’t beardown capable to locomotion it up their flat stairs oregon maneuver it astir their garage,” says Oseland.

“For immoderate customers, lifting the motorcycle into a car oregon connected a car rack whitethorn beryllium a factor,” adds Lau. “Some motorcycle racks aren’t beardown capable to clasp an e-bike.” Before Oseland volition merchantability a lawsuit an e-bike, helium makes definite that they person a mode to safely transport it. “If you person to laic your motorcycle down successful the car, you tin wreck it.” With that said, electrical bikes tin beryllium a safer mode for galore radical with constricted mobility to get around, and older riders tin spot tremendous benefits from much exercise. We person selections for electric bikes for aged riders here.

How Far Are You Planning to Ride?

The adjacent large precedence is addressing customer’s “range anxiety.” Range anxiousness is the fearfulness that the motorcycle volition tally retired of artillery earlier the thrust is over. Every motorcycle has a stated range, but determination are galore factors that tin summation oregon alteration it, says Lau, including the terrain, the aerial temperature, the rider’s weight, the smoothness of the tires, however overmuch assistance the rider uses (most ebikes person astatine slightest 3 levels of assistance), and however ample the artillery is. When each these factors are considered, a emblematic ebike scope tin beryllium anyplace from astir 30 to 65 miles, Lau says.

Bosch, a premier ebike systems manufacturer, has an online ebike scope calculator. Before immoderate ride, cyclists tin participate their weight, cadence, mean speed, mileage, terrain, upwind speed, and different factors to find retired a near-exact approximation of however agelong their Bosch artillery volition last. Many electrical bikes besides person the enactment to adhd a treble battery. This volition treble your range, but besides summation the bike’s weight.

How Are You Going to Charge and Store the Battery?

In 2023, ebike battery fires resulted successful 268 incidents, causing 150 injuries and 18 deaths, successful New York City. In the aboriginal days of ebike manufacturing, galore batteries were made overseas and the US did not person strict UL certification requirements. (UL certification is considered the information golden standard; a third-party organization has independently verified that the artillery meets section and national information standards.)