If you Ask any bike shop owner or manager if they fix electric bikes, you get an interesting array of stories.
“I know a guy who has lost a finger working on ebikes,” says MacKenzie Hardt, owner of Hardt Family Cyclery in Aurora, Colorado, and the former executive director of the nonprofit bike shop and community hub Bikes Together. Hardt has torn tendons in his own hand after accidentally triggering a cadence sensor that caused the wheel to spin out of control on the stand, even when the motor and battery were disconnected.
He now has a message on the company voicemail that informs customers the shop will not repair any ebike without third-party UL 2849 certification, the gold standard that certifies that an ebike’s entire package, from electrical drive train to battery to charger system, has been thoroughly tested. (Check out our guide to How to Buy an Electric Bike for more info.)
The Wild, Wild West
A lot of the problem in fixing ebikes is related to the fact that a surprising number of electric vehicles that are sold as ebikes are not, in fact, ebikes. According to PeopleForBikes, the third-party advocacy group, an ebike is a low-speed electric vehicle that “closely resembles traditional bicycles in their equipment, handling characteristic, size, and speed.”
In 46 states, all ebikes fall under a Class 1, 2, or 3 distinction. The distinction depends on the bike’s maximum motor-assisted speed and how it’s powered. However, many ebikes sold online are way more powerful than the maximum 28 mph speed allowed on a Class 3 ebike, and they operate more like a moped or even a motorcycle.
“That’s really the heart and soul of the service problem,” says Cory Oseland, manager of the Ski Hut, a high-end bike shop in Duluth, Minnesota. “Once you slide out of the three classes, you run into a lot of parts and equipment that aren’t part of the bike industry.”
Repairing an ebike can also land the shop in a quagmire of liability issues. As bike shops are part of the product liability chain, they can be held responsible if they so much as inflate a tire on an electric vehicle and the rider later injures themselves or another person. Ebike-related injuries have jumped more than 1,020 percent nationwide from 2020 to 2024, according to hospital data, so this is not an unforeseen occurrence. “I have known people who have lost their shirt,” says Hardt.
In most states, if the bike doesn’t fit the Class 1-3 classification system, the shop’s insurance will likely be null and void. The problem, says Hardt, is that “we don’t regulate nationally what an ebike is. What is legal here may not be legal somewhere else.” Working on an unregulated bike, he adds, “is like if somebody brought in a Tesla to fix.”
Hardt estimates that he has turned away hundreds of bike repairs, which alienates his shop within the community. “People don’t understand why they were allowed to buy a $1,000 bike online if no one can fix it,” he says. Hardt adds that he used to be able to refer customers to motorcycle shops, but those shops also experienced liability issues. “Now I don’t have anywhere to send them.”
No Standardized Parts
The majority of US states follow PeopleForBikes’ “Model Legislation,” which defines and regulates the three classes of ebikes and has been in place for almost two decades. But there's still no national standard. In January, New Jersey passed a law restricting the definition of low-speed electric bicycle to Class 1. Class 2 and 3 ebikes are now classified as “motorized bicycles” and require that their owners buy an insurance policy to operate them. The new law also requires all Class 1, 2, and 3 ebikes to have registration and a driver’s license.
In theory, laws like this may appear to be sound legislation that increase safety. But in practice, they make it even more challenging for the ebike industry to coalesce around a national standard. How did ebike regulation become so complex?
“For over a century, the US bicycle industry sold durable products that are designed to be repairable and have extensive warranties,” says Matt Moore, PeopleForBikes’ general and policy counsel. These products, he explains, are supported by local retailers who are trained in how to repair them. In turn, the bike industry has supported retailers with robust supply networks for spare parts, online product manuals, and customer service representatives who answer phone calls and emails.
Everything changed during Covid when bike sales shot through the roof, manufacturers couldn’t keep up with demand, and consumers turned online. While many affordable bikes are third-party certified and come with repair networks, others do not offer any promise of customer care along with their purchase. These bikes might have specialized parts or proprietary manuals that are impossible for shop owners to find or access.
“Consumers may have purchased an uncertified and unsafe ebike that the seller will not stand behind and which no local retailer will be able to service or even want to have in their store due to risk of fire or liability for working on it,” says Moore. Moore’s advice when searching for a new ebike: “You get what you pay for.”
When It’s Worth It
The good news is that there are plenty of reputable bike companies selling ebikes with a UL-certified battery, a high-quality motor, and software, all of which have been engineered to work together. All of the ebikes that we recommend in our guides are manufactured by companies that stand by their bikes, offer repair support, and are third-party certified.
Most often these bikes are sold in authorized shops or, if online, buyers will still have access to trained technicians with diagnostic software that can identify and fix a problem. One of these companies is Liv Cycling. (We will be testing the Liv Embolden E+ later this year for our guide to the Best Electric Mountain Bikes.)
“Liv takes a fully integrated approach to ebike development,” says Jen Audia, the company’s global product marketing manager. “Systems are engineered holistically rather than assembled from unrelated components, meaning battery, motor, and software are designed to work seamlessly together. This integration improves reliability, performance, and long-term durability.”
Even if you plan to buy an ebike from a legit brand online, however, it’s important to call around to your local bike shops to find out whether it can be serviced locally. Hardt notes that it's always best to try out a bike before you buy it. Ideally, he adds, “buy a bike that is UL 2849 certified or tested to the UL standard.”
If you want one last piece of homework for total peace of mind, you can call your insurance company to find out what its policy is on covering ebikes.
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