The ability for anyone to buy a kit and undertake an independent DIY e-Bike conversion is easier to some degree these days than it's ever been, largely due to an abundance of tutorials on YouTube and the like... and people who "have a mate who knows stuff about bikes". However, just like the DIY home renovation scene as spurred on by "reality TV" reno-shows, it also opens a potential Pandora's Box of problems to unwary and inexperienced players.

Potential Issues 

Such potential pitfalls include, but are not limited to, things like rider safety on the converted e-bikes, people not having the proper tools, the installation procedure being more complex than many people thought it would be... and for kit sellers, the inevitable resulting warranty claims.

Skillset 

Converting a regular bike to electric assist is not a short half hour job that can be undertaken without appropriate knowledge. It also requires suitable mechanical skill with bikes, motors, batteries, and having access to some special tools... and even then it can be challenging, hence our preference for customers to have us install the kits.

Is a Pro' Build Worth the Extra Cost?

To answer that question, you need to consider a few things. Whilst professional installation may add a few hundred dollars to the price of a kit, adding the necessary specialist tools and sundry items typically costs up to half of the professional installation fee, as well as taking an average of 6-8 hours. So if you save say, $150 by DIY, is it still worth it?

Well...

That will depend on your knowledge, skill, the time you have available, access to the proper tools, and the specifics of your bike - different bikes provide different and sometimes unique challenges. If things go well like clockwork with your DIY installation, then you may be fine... but if not, then rejecting a professional installation may prove to be false economy.

Trust Your Work? 

At the very least you would want your DIY to be a satisfying experience, producing a good quality result. No one wants it to be an experience fraught with hours of aggravation and bruised knuckles! You also want to end up with a safe product. If you go it alone, then all responsibility and safety of the system and conversion is entirely in your hands. For example, if you DIY and don't tighten up some bolts to the proper torque specs and something falls off or dislodges causing an accident or gets damaged, that would be bad, to say the least! ...and REV won't be held responsible for the outcome of your conversion. Unfortunately you'd be on your own.

Riding into the Unknown

Ultimately you won't know if the DIY was worth it until you finish the job. Our experience from years of completing eBike conversions, is that some installations present challenges which require more time and sometimes creative engineering solutions.

Warranties

Obviously if you decide to undertake an independent DIY installation, then all your labour and results are entirely in your hands and there's no warranty on that ... the only warranty is for the parts, as new, as in "out of the box"; the condition they're in before you actually do anything with them. If you damage a part during installation, that's not covered by warranty. Sad but true :(

Peace of Mind

On the other hand, a conversion by our trained installers provides you with a life-time warranty on the fitting, and doubles the manufacturer's warranty on the parts - that's a 2 Year Extended Comprehensive Warranty on products, rather than the standard 12 Month Limited Warranty! As if that's not enough, we add a free annual safety check. How cool is that? Priceless, we reckon!!

Other Options...

DIY doesn't mean having to go It alone!

Rather than just selling our customers a kit and then forgetting about them, our focus is on customer satisfaction and safety. We aim to do this by providing opportunities for our customers to be suitably equipped and skilled for undertaking what is a complex and demanding procedure.

Build Assist

We understand that some customers will be up for the challenge of DIY e-Bike conversion. In order to assist them to obtain a quality final result, we will be offering Supported Installation Workshop group event days in the REV Melbourne workshop for $100 (and hopefully with our dealers in other major locations soon.) Workshop days provide the opportunity whereby customers can bring their bike in and undertake their DIY conversion with assistance from experienced mechanics (who regularly update their knowledge and skills), as well as having access to the special tools needed on the day.

Check It

Another option for those who choose the independent DIY conversion experience, is that we offer after-installation check-overs for $50, plus we offer video tutorials on YouTube and written instructions on our website.

We believe that these options will give DIYers the peace of mind that everything is safely fitted, and professionally finished to the standard that should provide years of service and riding enjoyment!