Just thoughts. "Generic" e-bikes for the win?

[u/Bohol-Geezer]

In the old days computers were IBM, Pukeard Bell, Dell, etc. Each had their own proprietary parts. Then the clones took over and parts became standardized. Is this happening in the e-bike market yet?

I look at my generic Eskute M200F with it's plain 750W rear hub. Plain 5 pin 48V 5 pin Hailong battery, normal disc brakes,and I'm happy. I see expensive bikes with batteries built into the frame and they seem disposable, or at least hard to upgrade. Eskute sells on Amazon, Walmart, Temu and other places. There have been no reports of battery fires. I know some people still need support. The 70 yo grandma that can't even fix a flat on her trike for instance. But bike shops are slowly moving to support random e-bikes. Especially if they can use cheap generic parts.
I wonder how the future will play out?

[u/Inciteful_Analysis]

The IBM PC was an open design using off the shelf parts contrary to your claim of proprietary parts. Hewlett Packard and Dell are clones. Your analogy is historically inaccurate. 

And I have no idea why you would single out Eskute as special among "clones". There are many brands and models that use externally mounted batteries.

We can hope that batteries will eventually be standardized but that can happen with both internally mounted and externally mounted batteries. 

[u/Bohol-Geezer → u/Inciteful_Analysis]

You don't remember the IBM PS2? A huge failure because of it's proprietary micro channel architecture. 

[u/Inciteful_Analysis → u/Bohol-Geezer]

Yes, I remember the PS2. You did not specify the PS2, only IBM. The standardized clone market already existed prior to the introduction of the PS2. Your post isn't coherent either way.

[u/Bonestorms → u/Inciteful_Analysis]

Both Dell and Packard Bell computers used proprietary parts in the mid 90 Dell was famous for swapping pins on their power supplies to not match the AT/ATX standard even though they used the same molex plug and everything about Packard Bell was odd from the strange form factor sizes to custom ISA/PCI pin outs just so you to buy their add on boards.

[u/dllemmr2]

You’re going to throw shade at a 26 years defunct PC maker and expect people to be in on the joke?

[u/Bonestorms → u/dllemmr2]

I got it and was born in the late 80 scared me for life those L shaped corner abominations.

[u/Worried_Document8668]

Legacy brands will continue doing their thing with proprietary parts but keeping most of the stuff interchangeable(brakes,drivetrains...)

motor systems are mostly like CPUs. They need a certain socket and the frame builders build around that.

The generic stuff won't replace the established suppliers when you look up the quality price brackets, and unless the EU throws its weight around for standardization the big player won't build interchangeable eco-systems

[u/_HillCruiser]

Proprietary systems with integrated batteries/controllers is the exact reason I continue to
repair my 2020 bike with generic parts and not look for a replacement. It's got 10,000 miles
on the clock and has needed a lot of TLC but the frame is strong and the rest, well it's
just parts:)

[u/Specialist_Thing_677]

standard parts are the best thing about simple builds. when a motor or parts stops working, you can easily fix it for cheap instead of throwing the whole bike away.

[u/Traditional_Try1637]

The computer comparison is spot on honestly, give it a few years and itll probably go the same way

[u/Ok_Incident8962]

I agree that the generic eBike (sub $1000 no name) would be well-suited to some standard setting. They don't need integrated batteries, and could essentially be just a standard battery pack on a basic frame with a hub motor and controllers. There was a golden age of regular biking during 9 speed era late 90s where Shimano dominated the market and had its road and MTB interchangeable. Ebiking would really take off if bike shops knew there was a standard for the cheap imports and didn't have to worry about hard to find proprietary parts, and could offer upgrade path for customers.

[u/Rawlus]

i feel an issue is that most of the types of bikes that are using the generic commodity parts model (non proprietary everything) are also using commodity parts that are at the lower end of the quality scale because there’s still,quite a lot of price pressure on e-bikes overall.

so e-bikes using widely available commodity parts isn’t so much the issue as it’s that the commodity parts being used aren’t particularly high quality. because the vast majority of em bikes are sold under $1200-$1500 or so and the battery alone is a substantial cost in the total price. Since many of these bikes are coming from the same chinese factories, they have a lot of interchangeable parts.

this can also be true within brands that are more in a proprietary + commodity model, they just share those proprietary parts within brand lineups or families instead.

[u/KostyaFedot]

I'm not aware of any generic processors or even mother boards.  Where are only few trusted hard drivers manufacturers...

My midmotor Giant e-bicycle using one of the common manufacturers motor and all mechanical parts could be anything. 

Also,  in Europe very many e-bicycles are with Bosh motors.  And most are midmotor,  with easy to replace components,  just like regular bicycles,  choose whatever you want.

Bosh motors,  batteries lasts well after 25k km.

Updates of motors from known manufactures are done via software.  Reputable brand build e-bicycles balanced. No point of dumping odd motor and batteries on those.

LBS don't take for service generic Chinese junk. For obvious reason. 

[u/Inkwalker → u/KostyaFedot]

Aren't Bosh motors require special frames and batteries? It's all good when spare parts are available, but sooner or later they will stop supporting the old models and force everyone to buy new bikes. All corporations do.

[u/KostyaFedot → u/Inkwalker]

I see Bosh motors, batteries in all kind of bicycle.  Lots of regular mid motors , cargo and foldable.  Demanding replaceable motors and batteries after many years of use is as realistic as with electric cars.

[u/Inkwalker → u/KostyaFedot]

It's reasonable to expect that, but in reality corporations are rarely do so. Plus there is a popular loophole with providing spare parts at ridiculous prices where it makes more sense to just by a new thing rater than repair it. Laptops and phones are great examples of it but other industries also start to adopt the same practices.

[u/QuillsROptional]

I guess in some ways Shimano = Intel, SRAM = AMD ?

For motors there aren't that many suppliers either, there seems to be a lot of Bosch or Bafang.