Morning all, I am coming to the end of my c2w scheme on my 2022 H30 Orbea Rise. Was thinking of selling it and getting a new one, on a new scheme. But watching a few bikes on FB marketplace, nothing appears to be selling. There is Rise the same as mine, but with hardly any miles (300 or something), and some tasteful upgrades (XT 4 pot brakes). They can't seem to get £2400 for it, it looks new! Mine is in great condition, but must be worth barely £1500 on that basis (2500 miles, will go up). That's a £2500 loss in 2 years! Has anyone else noticed 2nd hand ebikes are hard to sell / very low re-sale value?
Are 2nd hand ebikes pretty much worthless?!
- Thread starter kevtp19
- Start date
johnnystorm
Active member
I've noticed that a fair number of the bikes in the classifieds here, and on eBay don't seem to have been checked against what they now cost new. Some very optimistic pricing!
For your example, the H30 is £3k here new. https://www.jejamescycles.com/produ...wT6PChxpnvg-Qe8otnntWF8C-325FK-RoCYscQAvD_BwE
Mountain bikes have never been a sound investment and ebikes only add more risks to a second hand purchase. With 0% finance paying a bit more for peace of mind is a no brainer for some wanting an easy life.
C2W is also a factor, when new bikes have at least 25% off you'll need to save a chunk more to make buying used worth it.
For your example, the H30 is £3k here new. https://www.jejamescycles.com/produ...wT6PChxpnvg-Qe8otnntWF8C-325FK-RoCYscQAvD_BwE
Mountain bikes have never been a sound investment and ebikes only add more risks to a second hand purchase. With 0% finance paying a bit more for peace of mind is a no brainer for some wanting an easy life.
C2W is also a factor, when new bikes have at least 25% off you'll need to save a chunk more to make buying used worth it.
- Thread starter
- #3
Crikey didn't know you could find brand new @ £3k. I must admit I would not buy a 2nd hand ebike. To have any chance of it lasting, you are trusting the previous owner has treated it / charged it / stored it correctly, not ridden through rivers etc... The warranty is golden on ebikes, without that it makes sense they are worth significantly less tbh. A new motor & battery will cost more than it is worth. As much as I love them, I will have to accept they are an expensive luxury item.
If I was hyperthetically to buy a 2nd hand ebike (>1 year old) I'd be factoring in the price of a new battery from the very beginning (assuming availability) and motor costs in the near to middle future.
Ebikes do not hold their value. It's probably best to buy something reliable as possible and ride it for years rather than selling after 2, unless you're blessed with bountiful financial resources.
Particularly at the moment, new bike prices are relatively low, especially on last year's model, meaning unless you set the price extremely low there's no incentive for potential buyers to risk 2nd hand instead of buying new.
Ebikes do not hold their value. It's probably best to buy something reliable as possible and ride it for years rather than selling after 2, unless you're blessed with bountiful financial resources.
Particularly at the moment, new bike prices are relatively low, especially on last year's model, meaning unless you set the price extremely low there's no incentive for potential buyers to risk 2nd hand instead of buying new.
Which says to me it's hardly been ridden so the battery has been lying around flat and will need replacing straight away, and it's never been taken in to a bikeshop for a service. The brakes will probably need bleeding, maybe some other minor maintenance is needed. It also hasn't been ridden enough to discover any problems, but now there's no warranty.
A very quick Google (not shopping around) shows this bike available brand new (I.e. with 2 year warranty) at 4000€, about £3600, as "end of line model".
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johnnystorm
Active member
My link up there is for a 2023 model for £3000/€3500!
A healthy quality battery will last for over 12 months before it would be anywhere near flat, so it wouldn’t need replacing.
Also, a new factory battery will still have its passivation layer from when it was manufactured, this doesn’t migrate away from the cathodes and anodes until it starts being used. It’s effectively dormant at its storage charge. Without that ability to sit and not be used, every battery would have to be made to order and that isn’t the case.
Going completely flat, left for a long period at 100% and of course cycles will kill/wear out a battery.
All this is for quality cells of course, I can’t say the same for a no name cheap cell manufactured goodness knows when or where.
Of all the things to worry about on an e-bike, the motor is number 1 on my list, and they usually need a workshop visit to setup properly even if you obtain a new one. At least a new battery can just be installed/connected and you’re up and running again.
Sold my Levo last spring, 3 years old, motor replaced previous autumn, ridden less than 4000km`s. The battery died soon after I have sold it. Never had single problems with battery. I dodge the bullet but sorry for the buyer 
Dirtstache
New Member
Yea I was kind of in the same boat with an Aventon Adventure I bought in '21. I've moved to a real eMTB and it was taking up garage space. After paying $2500 I would have been lucky to get $500 for it and that's after dealing with Marketplace Shenanigans so I ended up just giving it to my sister's family to ride around the neighborhood.
Pricing to sell I would add the cost of a new battery then compare to the price of new bikes and set expectations from there. Anyone buying 2nd hand should expect to need a new battery, however I do not recommend buying a new battery before selling to "sweeten the deal" as the buyer most likely won't believe you.
When selling motorcycles or anything else like that I also take the aftermarket stuff off and put the stock parts back on, buyers don't want to pay a penny extra for better parts even if it doubles the value of the bike and will often pay more for a "stock" bike assuming you didn't ride it as hard.
Pricing to sell I would add the cost of a new battery then compare to the price of new bikes and set expectations from there. Anyone buying 2nd hand should expect to need a new battery, however I do not recommend buying a new battery before selling to "sweeten the deal" as the buyer most likely won't believe you.
When selling motorcycles or anything else like that I also take the aftermarket stuff off and put the stock parts back on, buyers don't want to pay a penny extra for better parts even if it doubles the value of the bike and will often pay more for a "stock" bike assuming you didn't ride it as hard.
It is a gamble honestly, some brand only guarantee first buyer, seller usually sell it too high to be fair.
I you can have a new one for 6k low-medium tier vs the 2 year used one but high tier spec, I do not think people will ever buy your bike, make no sense. Better take the new, send it and upgrade along the way.
NB: this is real with Specialized and high end brand.
This also mean that people should grasp that buying an ebike 10k and hoping to sell it 2 years later at 6k will go void. Some people might buy it but unlikely. We are very very far from -20% per year, especially on ebike wear battery wear to death and motor can just die without reason.
Meaning you could buy a used bike and within a month having to pay to fix it and have literally nearly reach the price of a brand new one.
It is hard as hell to sell bike currently, market is just crashing more and more. Current price trend will not last.
I you can have a new one for 6k low-medium tier vs the 2 year used one but high tier spec, I do not think people will ever buy your bike, make no sense. Better take the new, send it and upgrade along the way.
NB: this is real with Specialized and high end brand.
This also mean that people should grasp that buying an ebike 10k and hoping to sell it 2 years later at 6k will go void. Some people might buy it but unlikely. We are very very far from -20% per year, especially on ebike wear battery wear to death and motor can just die without reason.
Meaning you could buy a used bike and within a month having to pay to fix it and have literally nearly reach the price of a brand new one.
It is hard as hell to sell bike currently, market is just crashing more and more. Current price trend will not last.
This ^^^
Buy a new bike, look after it but run it until it's worn out, strip the good bits off, buy a new bike and fit the good bits ... repeat
jezhumphrey75
Member
pretty much, got stung on my first ever ebike, bought a used really nice bike for 2k, all was perfect for 3/4 months then motor shat itself, 1200 for new motor supplied and fitted....screw that, sold it for a good price £1200 so didnt lose out to badly....back on analogue bikes ever since.
johnnystorm
Active member
Lucky new owner saved themselves £800 and has the security of a new motor to boot.
jezhumphrey75
Member
well, he still had to buy the motor and fit it wouldve cost him around 2k including the bike.....swings and roundabouts......im now waiting on a deal for a new one with warranty.Lucky new owner saved themselves £800 and has the security of a new motor to boot.
johnnystorm
Active member
Ah, I thought you'd fixed it up and sold it on...
MartinShires
Member
I sold my 2 year old Trek rail with original battery and original motor on 2k miles, with Hope 155mm Cranks / chainring, and brand new cockpit, brakes, Fox mid-range suspension, tyres, wheels , transmission etc that I swapped from my newly acquired Levo SL .... for £1500. My buyer was a close associate and knowing that I was transferring the risk of a battery or motor issue in the future to him, it seemed only fair as a price to reflect what could be a £400-600 cost for him at any time.
Short answer to the original question is, yes!
E-MTB's must be one of the fastest depreciating vehicles around. Basically, the main expensive parts are the motor and battery, which are very unreliable compared to other motorised vehicles. When the warranty has run out, these bike are massive gamble with huge expense to put right, and it's more a case of when something will fail rather than if.
There are lots of bikes up for sale with total bullshit histories - A mate bought a Kenevo for top dollar, it was supposed to be fully rebuilt with a new battery. Turned out the battery was the original and was failing, the gearset had been to the moon and back, and the motor was full of water and seized up shortly after he bought it. I think he paid around £3,000 for it, really it was worth £500 - £1000 max.
E-MTB's must be one of the fastest depreciating vehicles around. Basically, the main expensive parts are the motor and battery, which are very unreliable compared to other motorised vehicles. When the warranty has run out, these bike are massive gamble with huge expense to put right, and it's more a case of when something will fail rather than if.
There are lots of bikes up for sale with total bullshit histories - A mate bought a Kenevo for top dollar, it was supposed to be fully rebuilt with a new battery. Turned out the battery was the original and was failing, the gearset had been to the moon and back, and the motor was full of water and seized up shortly after he bought it. I think he paid around £3,000 for it, really it was worth £500 - £1000 max.
MartinShires
Member
"...gearset had been to the moon and back..." love it
edruid
Member
sustract cost of new battery, controls and motor (including labour) from the cheapest price you can find the nearest equivalent new online. If it's less than that, then maybe...
I was going to sell my Rise to buy a DH bike, but you then find things like this
I'm not convinced mine is worth selling lol. That's a bargain!
I'm not convinced mine is worth selling lol. That's a bargain!
sold a few bafang equiped ebikes over the years and all sold for around 60-70% after 2 years
maybe cause the motors are cheap and batteries are not that expensive
more important is when the suspension was serviced if serviced at all.
i always put a new drivetrain when trying to sell it and a fresh service.
this always helps
maybe cause the motors are cheap and batteries are not that expensive
more important is when the suspension was serviced if serviced at all.
i always put a new drivetrain when trying to sell it and a fresh service.
this always helps
Why is it a £2500 loss, you've ridden it for 2 years or more, had smiles in your miles, it's pretty naive of you to think the value would stay static given the advances over the past few years, be realistic, it's probably out of warranty, high miles, if you're holding on to what is rather than focusing on a new ride then maybe you should stick with what you have.
That very much depends if you have insured your bike separately rather than included it in your house contents insurance, I stopped paying £1400 per annum to insure a Yeti 160e and a Pivot Shuttle LT, I instead invested in Hiploks AX series of protection and alarmed my integral garage.
Depends on the insurance policy.
My current bike insurance pays out the price payed at purchase (keep the receipt!) regardless. In the past I've had bike insurance which would have payed out 10% less purchase price per year age of the bike, upto 5 years.
2ndhand market prices don't usually effect insurance policies, at least not directly. Too volatile for a start.
Yup!…and that sucks. The only thing(s) original on my 2020 Rail 9.7 is the frame, motor and battery. I’m not even going to consider selling at this time.
There’s nothing out there that could replace this bike (or money pit) for a reasonable price. So I’m doing a full rebuild and service. The motor, forks and shock will be an outside service. I’ll do the rest of the service myself. I expect a service to my motor, shock and fork to cost me about $1000.
I’m satisfied with the feel and geometry of the Rail. I’m not sure if a newer model or different manufacturer would make much of a difference.…other than bottom bracket clearance.
As far as the battery(625w) goes …maybe I got lucky. I charge each ride (250-300 a year) and have completely submerged the bike several times. (River crossings)
jimslade
Member
Secondhand LevoSL buyer here.
From the comments and tone of everyone replying here, I'm assuming everyone here also only buys cars brand new? lol
I've only ever bought used cars, and I've had good luck over 11 vehicles. And because of people's fears of a scary used car/bike, if you buy new you take huge depreciation, especially in the first couple years.
I have owned my used Levo SL for a couple years now. It has been perfect in every way, and I bought it at a ~50% discount to new.
But yes, bikes do depreciate, you got your use out of it, and new tech comes along that makes your older bike less valuable.
Also consider it's probably the worst time of year to sell a bike, and the best time of year to buy one... normal riding season is over, retailers are discounting to get rid of unsold inventory, and prices will have some downward pressure until April or May.
From the comments and tone of everyone replying here, I'm assuming everyone here also only buys cars brand new? lol
I've only ever bought used cars, and I've had good luck over 11 vehicles. And because of people's fears of a scary used car/bike, if you buy new you take huge depreciation, especially in the first couple years.
I have owned my used Levo SL for a couple years now. It has been perfect in every way, and I bought it at a ~50% discount to new.
But yes, bikes do depreciate, you got your use out of it, and new tech comes along that makes your older bike less valuable.
Also consider it's probably the worst time of year to sell a bike, and the best time of year to buy one... normal riding season is over, retailers are discounting to get rid of unsold inventory, and prices will have some downward pressure until April or May.
The only insurance I think worth paying for is third party Public Liability cover. Most insurance companies specify the bike has to be secure anyway so I just do that, either securing them in my shed or van.
As Gavalar said, enjoy the ride, the cost of a good insurance over a few years will go a long way to buying a new bike and your old bike will have no value anyway.
I would be interested to hear what success people have had with claims rather than quoting what their insurance company says they will do; in fact it would make a useful poll here.
As Gavalar said, enjoy the ride, the cost of a good insurance over a few years will go a long way to buying a new bike and your old bike will have no value anyway.
I would be interested to hear what success people have had with claims rather than quoting what their insurance company says they will do; in fact it would make a useful poll here.
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