On two occasions, the Bike Project of Urbana-Champaign Illinois voted and banned all gas and electronic bikes. They are not allowed in our shops.
There are several reasons for this.
1. Insurance
2. Lack of knowledge of our volunteer mechanics in regard to these types of bikes.
3. Wear and tear on our stands as they tend to be heavier than analog bikes
4. Too many different standards of ebikes make it difficult to be knowledgeable about all systems.
5. Risk of fire.
6. Since we serve both a large University and surrounding towns, the e-bike projects that folks tend to try are the cheapest DIY kits and batteries shipped from Asia. It is just not worth the liability. I have seen some really dodgy stuff over the years.
The final straw is that we are located in a basement of an old converted post office. While there are some avenues of escape that keep the fire marshall at bay, the combination of a dodgy battery and the various lubricants used over the years is a risk we really don't want to take right now.
Todd Spinner
The Bike Project of Urbana-Champaign