E-Bike Tampering

Your E-bike offers pure enjoyment. We take pride to give you the best ride for commuting, sports or outdoor exploration. Our products are produced and tested for the toughest environments and circumstances. That standard of quality is guaranteed when the E-bike is used the way we designed it. When our E-bikes are tuned for higher speed than designed this quality standard may be compromised and we cannot guarantee the correct functionality of the E-bikes. To be fair, tampering with a product that is designed for use on the public road causes safety issues. Not only for the rider but also for your fellow road users.

Tampering with an E-bike is illegal

As a bike manufacturer we have a legal obligation to prevent the illegal use of our products, but we want to take it a step further. We care for the safety of our customers. That is why our system detects if an E-bike is being tampered with. This will result in the E-bike going into safety mode. Not only for legal reasons, but because we care about your safety.

What is tampering?

In the ‘tuning’ market nowadays there are several ways of tampering with your bike. Mechanisms such as tuning dongles or chip tuning give users a quick way of changing the maximum speed of your bike. Not only is this against the law, but it also can damage the motor and e-components of your bike beyond repair.

Voiding your warranty

Because our bikes are designed and produced as they are, we cannot guarantee the correct functionality of the bike and its components after tampering has occurred. Therefore, any form of tampering automatically voids the warranty on all E-bikes and components within our brands.

We want your ride to be safe

When your E-bike surpasses the maximum speed limit it will change the status of your e-Bike to a motorized vehicle, and it must meet the regulations for usage on the public roads. Should you be involved in an accident it could lead to substantial liability, expenses and even criminal prosecution, not to mention the risk of an accident with severe health issues.

For a long time, we have cooperated with the cycling industry to combat E-bike tampering. We are working together with manufacturers and cycling associations to counteract manipulation and tampering of E-bikes while we raise awareness about the risks and consequences of E-bike tampering. We have pledged to help prevailing anti-tampering regulations, continually enhance existing standards, and amplify public consciousness concerning the risks associated with tampering.

The guidelines articulated in EN 15194:2017 establish a consistent European benchmark for electrically power-assisted cycles (EPAC bicycles), encompassing all implicated components. Procuring an E-bike conforming to EN 15194:2017 assures buyers that the electric propulsion unit and other constituents meet the prescribed baseline requirements and function harmoniously. Additionally, EN 15194:2017 mandates the implementation of effective measures to avert or mitigate plausible manipulation, including speed tuning.

The ecosystems

Our E-bike systems boast software that can detect instances of tampering via computations conducted by multiple sensors. When tampering is detected, an error code signifying manipulation will be displayed, and the motor will fall into safety mode. The original factory settings can only be reinstated by the manufacturer which will be at the cost of the consumer. We do this to protect the system that is functioning on our E-bikes. If we are unable to protect that system, the durability, functionality and safety of the bike cannot be guaranteed.

Purpose of your bike

In the end, it is all about using your bike the way it was designed and produced for. These high standards have led to bikes that are fun and easy to use. We do that with our riders in our minds. Tampering with our E-bikes is simply not necessary because you already get the best version of our E-bikes. Doing more is simply unsafe.