How Do Refurbishment Centers Prepare E-Bikes For Resale?

Written by: Rémy Rossi | September 30, 2025 | Time to read 4 min

Go behind the scenes of how refurbishment centers like Upway’s UpCenters prepare e-Bikes for resale and a second life.

More about the Author: Remy Rossi

Rémy Rossi is a bike writer, mechanic, and educator who got his start in community-based bike shops and co-ops. With a decade in the industry, he still wrenches on bikes when he can and plays bike polo on a fixie.

Aventon Pace electric hybrid bike in front of light blue wall

We believe that a special kind of magic happens in our UpCenters, transforming pre-owned e-Bikes into like-new models, ready for a new life. Upway’s wizards— the expert team of professional mechanics— prepare electric bikes for resale, but like with any magic act, there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes. On average, Upway mechanics spend 0.25 to 3 hours per bike on refurbishment. I’ll walk you through the steps of how refurbishment centers like ours prepare e-Bikes for resale, from initial sourcing to repairs, cleaning, and the final check.

Table of Contents

How do refurbishment centers prepare e-Bikes for resale?

Step 1: Sourcing and intake of electric bikes

Step 2: Inspection and repairs

Step 3: Test ride and final check

Step 4: Cleaning and photoshoot

Step 5: Packaging and shipping

How do refurbishment centers prepare e-Bikes for resale?

Upway’s refurbishment centers— we call them UpCenters— are home to all of our operations, including logistics, servicing, photoshoots, packaging, and shipping. Our team of professional mechanics has tons of repair stands, workbenches, specialized tools, and cleaning stations to prepare every electric bike for resale. Here’s how the process works.

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Step 1: Sourcing and intake of electric bikes

Upway UpCenter Brooklyn

First, the pre-owned e-Bikes must make their way to refurbishment centers. Retailers like Upway source most of their electric bikes from brands and individual trade-ins. Specifically, around 70% of Upway’s inventory comes from trade-ins at partnering bike shops and returned e-Bikes from brands like Tern, Specialized, and Aventon. Upway also sources bikes from rental fleets, overstock, and individual sellers. The team processes the bikes upon arrival at an UpCenter— either Los Angeles or New York City— to ensure there is no frame damage or other serious defects.

Step 2: Inspection and repairs

Upway mechanic at repair stand in LA UpCenter

The bulk of the work to prepare an e-Bike for resale lies in the thorough inspection and making any necessary repairs. Refurbishment centers follow a comprehensive inspection checklist to certify each element of the e-Bike and identify any parts that may need to be serviced or replaced.

All Upway e-Bikes pass through a rigorous 50-point inspection to ensure there is no structural damage to the frame and inspect the mechanical components, drive system, battery, and accessories. The inspection helps us identify necessary potential repairs. Many e-Bikes come to us in excellent condition with low mileage, while others may need more TLC— common repairs include replacing components that receive a lot of wear, such as tires, brake pads, or the chain. Mechanics may also bleed hydraulic brakes, replace worn bearing systems, true wheels, lubricate the chain, and check proper adjustment and alignment of all components. All repairs made on a specific bike will be listed in that model’s inspection report online.

Step 3: Test ride and final check

After repairs and inspections, mechanics take each bike for a full test ride to simulate real-world conditions and examine components more thoroughly. They test braking performance, shifting, all pedal assist and throttle modes, suspension, lights, and more. The bike then undergoes a quality check from our senior-most mechanics.

Step 4: Cleaning and photoshoot

Cleaning is a crucial part of keeping a bike in great condition, and every refurbished bike receives a deep scrub before showtime— aka the photoshoot. Wash stations effectively clean the bike and get it ready to shine at its best when taking the images to post online. Each UpCenter has a dedicated professional photography studio with a turntable to take high-quality photos of each model. We upload several photos of multiple angles, including any frame scratches or imperfections, for full transparency.

Washing Stromer ST2 electric bike in Upway washing station

Step 5: Packaging and shipping

When a customer makes a purchase, it’s time to package and ship the refurbished electric bike. This final step in the process is handled by our UpCenter team, who carefully prepare your bike for delivery. Before packaging, our mechanics complete another final inspection to ensure everything is in perfect condition. Your bike is then securely protected using our custom packaging and placed in its box, along with all the essential accessories— charger, keys, and assembly tools— ready to be delivered straight to your door.

Key Takeaways

Thorough Inspection: Every e-Bike undergoes a 50-point inspection and necessary repairs before resale.
Certified Quality: Mechanics test ride and certify each bike to ensure safety, performance, and reliability.
Like-New Delivery: Bikes are cleaned, photographed, and shipped in custom packaging with all essential accessories.

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