By Seth Sypko
Folks frequently come up with some of the most roundabout ways to solve problems. Momentarily ignoring base capitalist motivations, much of the time this process of discovery feeds into a broadly accepted culture of waste. We all know this.
Marketed as relatively inexpensive and sustainable, ebikes and other wheeled e-mobility devices have become an attractive transportation solution for those that aspire to a less car dependent lifestyle while still fulfilling the need for speed and personal freedom. Whatever the case, the reasons are there and they’re all completely valid.
Sadly, the failure rate for these machines is startlingly high. There are as many reasons for this as there are riders riding these things. Mainstream service departments are rarely a viable avenue for repair. The bottom line there is that beyond a certain point the threat of liability becomes too great.
One of my jobs is working at a decent sized bike shop. We sell a ton of ebikes. Mostly big-name brands and all are kinda pricey. Remember that remark about high rates of failure? Our brands aren’t impervious to that. Our warranty department is full of bikes that have failed for one reason or another. Broken frames, dead batteries, thrashed motors, and bricked systems. And nowhere to really go with them.
Over the past summer, one of my more industrious and anarchy-minded coworkers took it upon themselves to methodically test and salvage all usable parts from the warranty pile. Eventually half a dozen bikes were built up and distributed amongst employees that could use them. Mismatched paint, battery packs strapped down with Voile straps and Gorilla Tape, motor compartments left exposed for an easy swap, these bikes are ugly and fast. Shelves of motors, batteries and controllers are ready for when a component dies. Six months in and all of the bikes are still going strong, with more being added to the mix over that time. As remarkable as this example of repair and reuse is, it’s opened my eyes to how widespread this practice has become.
I take a lot of joy in the fearless ingenuity of street level mechanics. Necessity and curiosity is manifested. Whether it’s a 1000 watts of batteries daisy chained to a hacked Lime scooter splitting lanes with a shopping cart full of scrap metal in tow, or the sheer resourcefulness of Pakistan’s DIY King and Dhoom Bros, who make free use of marine batteries, car alternators and home-brew Android controllers strategically strapped to a bike shaped object and cheerfully propelled well beyond any reasonably safe speed.
It’s also rad to see the right to repair to its most extreme. I’m here for all of it. I don’t know where we’re going, but we may as well get there on our own terms. Wacky Races Style!