Recently, many people ask me if I sell 2nd-hand electric bicycles because I think they perceive them to be cheaper than those 1st-hand ones.
But today, I want to tell you 3 reasons why buying a 2nd-hand electric bicycle can actually be more expensive than getting a 1st-hand one.
1) The more the electric bicycle has been used, the less capacity the battery will have. If you buy a 2nd-hand electric bicycle which is 1 -2 years old, you will at most be left with only 5 – 15km of mileage per charge.
2) In most cases, there will be no warranty (or finished warranty) to cover any damages/defects/faults and you will usually have to go back to the bicycle shop from where the bicycle was bought from because not many other bicycle shops will be interested to help you repair the 2nd-hand bicycle. Also, the bicycle might be rusty, and the tires and brakes might be worn out.
3) You can find a cheap and good 1st-hand electric bicycle on the market for around $680 onwards. While it is true that although you can probably get a 2nd-hand bicycle for about $300-400, you will realize that it can actually cost more than a 1st-hand one after factoring in the various costs.
- Battery Change (Lead – acid battery ~ $150 – $180, Lithium batteries ~ $400 to $500 )
- Tires Change ($20-$50 ),
- Brakes/ Minor fix-up / add-ons ($20 to $100 ), you would have paid more than the price of a brand-new electric bicycle with full warranty and support and brand new batteries.
I seriously do not recommend getting a 2nd-hand electric bicycle due to the reasons as stated above.