My old ebike, a Merida Power Cycle, was manufactured c. 2003. I bought it used in 2015 for US $350. Thankfully someone had replaced the 17-pound lead acid battery with a lithium battery, but it didn't provide much power and was speed limited to 15mph (24km/h). I referred to it as "The Beast" not because it was tough or heavy, but merely getting it uphill was a beast. However, it did get me to and from work for three years so I can't complain.
When I changed jobs, though, I knew The Beast was not up to it. (The old job was a 90m/300 foot climb; the new job was a 200m/650 foot climb, with several sections over 7% grade.) A friend had been complaining for several years about buying a road ebike when he really wanted a mountain ebike, so I made him an offer on the road ebike and he took it.
The new bike was also speed limited to 25km/h, but my friend had installed a "badass box" which effectively disabled the speed limit. (This is actually legal in New Zealand as they restrict ebikes by power, not speed.)
On the first day cycling in to work, I was coming down a steep hill and discovered the rear brakes did not work! Thankfully I was able to bring it to a stop before rolling out into cross-traffic. The next day it went to the shop where they found a leak in the hydraulic brakes.
I also fitted a rack and some mud guards, but the rear mud guard was rubbing against the tire so I wrapped a bungee cord around it. This turned out to be a huge mistake: The bungee cord was now rubbing against the tire and it snapped when I was coming down a large hill, wrapped itself around the hub and froze the wheel! I snaked and skidded halfway down the hill. It was a miracle I didn't come off the bike.
And then a week ago, I was cycling into work and someone made a right turn, straight into me. They were looking for parking and just not paying attention. I was going downhill so even with my brakes, I couldn't avoid them. Thankfully they were turning slowly and, although I came off the bike, it was another miracle I walked away with just a few bruises. I just had to buy a new helmet (I got a bright orange one) and I ruined my shirt (somehow I got oil across it).
Hopefully I won't have any more adventures on this bike.
P.S. Unrelated, I was cleaning out the garage and had two bikes that hadn't been used in years: My wife's beloved Marin she'd brought from Scotland, and my beloved Brompton folding cycle I'd brought from London. I made a pact with her that I'd sell mine if she sold hers. However, hers had a lot of rust and she opted to donate it to a group that fixes old bikes and provides them to poor families. I put mine on Trademe (equivalent of eBay) and it sold for more than I paid for my ebike! I really hated parting with it, but hopefully the new owner will love it as much as I did.
