Buying an e bike - Is a dead company a bad idea?

[bugger]

Hi, I was looking into a road or folding bike for my small framed wife, and saw the Raleigh Retroglide Royale E1 step through had top marks, and wasn't insanely priced (like most of the other ones, and esp. from known mfrs).
I found out Raleigh pulled out or was rebought in 2020. Wouldn't be a big issue but I know from experience how the electronic parts can fail-and apparently mfrs don't have to support a bike off market over 4 years!
Is it therefore a mistake to buy such a e bike? I have noticed they still have some product/sales in UK and Canada, but no identical model listed that I can find.

Other questions"
Is there a dual battery bike which doesn' suck?
I think I saw only one bike as such with 500lb limit..but my guess is a lot of chinese stuff is throwaway, or the lable/mfr disappears...
Then again, that's what happened to Raleigh USA .

 

[Hoggdoc]

Welcome Bugger,

There are so many facets to your questions. First buying a bike that is no longer produced is very bad idea IMHO. The bike you mentioned is, after a review of the specs a low spec e bike. The price I saw was $2700+ very pricey considering the level of quality of the components. For instances, the 400 wh battery and 250 w motor on the very low end of what is currently available. Also the battery seems to be "built-in making it not easy to replace, if not impossible.

Just to bring you up to speed the overwhelming number e bike are made in China these days, some of the higher end brand name bikes are made in Taiwan and very few from the EU.

It would be helpful to know where you are living as the US has totally different rules and laws regarding e bike's speed and motor power.

My general answer to someone new to the e bike world is to read and watch as many reviews you can find to help you determine the type of bike that suits your needs. Also I tend to recommend buying bikes that are made of very generic and available parts, in that way you have a way to keep it on the road even if the original company goes away.

 

[procreator]

Also I tend to recommend buying bikes that are made of very generic and available parts, in that way you have a way to keep it on the road even if the original company goes away.

The biggest issue you are going to have besides brand-specific components is the battery. Depending on a lot of factors, you'll likely have to replace it every 5-10 years. Batteries can be rebuilt, but if it uses a custom case you might have problems finding a vendor to do it. If you can't replace/rebuild you be left with a heavy conventional bike that you over-paid for.

 

[SDGuitarMan]

I wouldn't buy any ebike without some kind of warranty unless it was used and the company still existed and had parts available in case I needed any.

But brand new, no warranty, no OEM parts available, not a chance.

I guess the exception would be if you're a DIY person and aren't bothered by having to source aftermarket parts and do all the work yourself.

 

[Vaf513]

Def don't do it. The customer service is a pain enough with companies that still exist!!

 

[HumanPerson]

I wouldn't buy any ebike without some kind of warranty unless it was used and the company still existed and had parts available in case I needed any.

But brand new, no warranty, no OEM parts available, not a chance.

I guess the exception would be if you're a DIY person and aren't bothered by having to source aftermarket parts and do all the work yourself.

Well Yes Please

 

[portjon]

I have a wtva/vtuvia ,folding ,step thru and my 5'4" wife rides it good.Rad rover had a rad mini step thru 2 but quit selling them.The rads seat could be adjusted down to 24 inches from the ground.both of these bike come with 1 battery .I ride a ariel rider grizzly 2 motors and 2 batteries ,dual suspension. 1000 watt motors that put out about 3750 watts $3299.00 most ebike have over the counter replacement parts,except for motors. That was for the nit pickers