What to look for Buying used?

I

indca

Member
Hello there guys;
I am buying Emmo Wild fat tire ebike with 700 km according to seller for Canadian $1,000, what should I be checking to see wear and tear? Could this be good commuter Ebike for Winter months riding on road?

Link to Emmo Wild Ebike: Is this a good deal for 17AH battery
https://emmo.ca/electric-bicycle-e-wild

How would you inspect when buying from kijiji to avoid getting a lemon?
 
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Yeah that is almost ridiculous heavy...

In what to search for in a used bike...tire tread for what use they have been getting, brakes, rust on frame, weld points...

The bike you have listed is not a great deal...its just OK and maybe on the subpar side.
 
Well the spec is what it is, so component specs and weight aside...

> Any warranty left ? Is it transferable (probably not)
> battery level and condition, charger operation, range displayed on the computer display
> all keys are present, the battery locks / unlocks (diengages/engages correctly) - are all charge point covers
> Do all/any power assist modes work ? Throttle work ?
> Any strange noises from the motor, any glitches in power delivery ?
> Check the wheels for damage / cracks at the rims and the inner and outer ends of the spokes
> Check brake operation (adjusted correctly, cable stretch ?) and condition of the pads - you should be able to see them in the caliper with a small flashlight, or take a photo with your phone camera and then zoom in.
> Check the frame for abuse and the weld sections - i'd especially look at the top of the seat tube as the frame is quite low there and a tall rider would have the seat up high and potentially stress the frame in that area
> Tyres - some of these fat tires last some mileage but worth checking as they aren;t the cheap;est to replace, even with similar Kenda/Chinese tires
> Chain stretch, rear cassette wear (its only an entry level Tourney spec, so quite tough and cheap to replace) and the crank gear wear
> Front fork, nothing to shout home about, but check it works smoothly and that the lockout does work - if nothing else its a sign of the owners care

Other things - if its a winter commuting buck, then can you fit mudguards - the rear could be a seat post mount, but is there room for a front guard ?
 
Does it ride true? Does it brake true? For 1K I would look elsewhere personally and get a used name brand since you will want to fix things and keep it going.
 
Used e-bikes get you into the high probability of a flaky problem that only occurs "sometimes". Iike a poorly welded battery that stops electricity at the first pothole. Or flaky computer problems. I saved money, I bought a first class pedal bike then installed a motor & battery myself. Or decent e-bikes can be had for $1200 or so. Note the higher prices at dealers gets you into a class of components where the dealer doesn't expect to do any warrenty work. Might be worth it. Unless you live in a ebike desert like I do, one high priced dealer in the next state, none others for 135 miles.
The one bargain in used e-bikes is old people who decided they just don't want to do this hobby, or bought a men's frame they can't climb over, or the wrong size frame, or something similar.
 
I womder how they got up to 100 pounds. I have a steel frame fat tire bike that is only 55 pounds. FIrs I thought it used lead acid scooter betteries, but it looks like lithium. THe frame doesn't look unusual either, Maybe those cast wheels are 20 pounds each. Naaah.

See if you can lift it, Maybe that 45 kg is an error,
 
indianajo said:
Used e-bikes get you into the high probability of a flaky problem that only occurs "sometimes". Iike a poorly welded battery that stops electricity at the first pothole. Or flaky computer problems. I saved money, I bought a first class pedal bike then installed a motor & battery myself. Or decent e-bikes can be had for $1200 or so. Note the higher prices at dealers gets you into a class of components where the dealer doesn't expect to do any warrenty work. Might be worth it. Unless you live in a ebike desert like I do, one high priced dealer in the next state, none others for 135 miles.
The one bargain in used e-bikes is old people who decided they just don't want to do this hobby, or bought a men's frame they can't climb over, or the wrong size frame, or something similar.
Click to expand...
Also check for in store demos and trade ins, and Bycycle Blue Book for prices, but really I would not buy a CL bike unless I knew the seller. Sorry.
 
Would recommended not buying a 100 pound bike as suggested earlier. Also, "Buyer Beware" when buy a used (entry level) bike.
 
Fat tires are great on groomed snow, but in my opinion horrible for everything else. The wide tire acts like a bulldozer in thick slush and horrible on frozen footprints and frozen tracks from regular bikes. 2.4" tires with studs is what you want for black ice and any kind of precip on top of ice. When buying used, it's best to assume it will need a new battery pack when doing the negotiation. Even if it doesn't act like it on the test ride. You'll have no clue how the owner treated the battery and how often it was charged.
 
There are too many things that will go wrong on a used bike. The battery alone is the most expensive part of the bike. Buying used more than likely is non transferable. For A couple of hundred more, you can buy yourself a new bike with a full warranty and have peace of mind. Ebikes lose their value very quickly. I personally would not buy used unless you were getting an exceptional buy, more than 50% less minus $1.00 per mile. Even at that I would be very cautious. Good luck and ride safe.
 
Don't forget Black Friday Sales... You might be able to grab a bargain if you look around.
 
Haha that would be too cruel to let you do it :)

I'm getting use to just looking at this bike.. Its more of an ornament :D

It does stay so nice and clean when you don't ride it :rolleyes: 😆
 
MartsEbike said:
Haha that would be too cruel to let you do it :)

I'm getting use to just looking at this bike.. Its more of an ornament :D

It does stay so nice and clean when you don't ride it :rolleyes: 😆
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But Mart, since you guys have been waiting, I have had 3 Ebikes delivered! And I wait for my Frey. Are we gluttons for punishment or what?
 
This is no longer a sport or a hobby, ebikes are our life haha :D

I have to admit... I'm thankful I have my other ebike to ride.... The summer wasn't completely ruined! :D
 
MartsEbike said:
This is no longer a sport or a hobby, ebikes are our life haha :D

I have to admit... I'm thankful I have my other ebike to ride.... The summer wasn't completely ruined! :D
Click to expand...
lol, and here Mart, I envisioned Mart held hostage with a Schwinn Stingray!
 
Haha... I remember those bikes but had forgot the name! Not quite my style :)

I'd like to see how they hold up on a downhill track! :D
 
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