Man buys bricked pay-to-ride e-bike from Facebook Marketplace for $75 to try and jailbreak it

A bricked fleet eBike bought on Facebook Marketplace was revived using a new motor controller and pedal assist system.

These bikes are often left bricked when their rental operators shut down.

But thanks to accessible tools and a little ingenuity, this fleet eBike now works as a personal ride.

The process reveals what it takes to repurpose commercial bikes bought through Facebook Marketplace.

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The cost of fixing a fleet eBike from Facebook Marketplace

The YouTuber Berm Peak led the rebuild, showing exactly how much effort is needed to turn a bricked fleet eBike into a functioning ride.

Buying a fleet eBike from Facebook Marketplace can seem like a bargain.

The hardware is solid, often including a belt drive, a three-speed hub, and a sturdy frame.

But once the software is disabled, the entire bike can become unusable.

This bike had its motor controller locked, its display unresponsive, and its battery held in place with an electronic latch. None of the original systems worked.

Early attempts to reverse-engineer the electronics through wire tracing and resistance testing proved unreliable.

Berm Peak eventually replaced the original motor controller with an affordable unit from a known supplier.

The pedal assist sensor needed custom mounting, so a 3D-printed bracket was fabricated.

The lights also required a voltage reducer after it was discovered they could not handle full battery output.

Each section of the bike had to be tested independently.

The wiring harness was labeled, the battery release was reconfigured with a polarity switch, and the entire unit was reassembled with careful routing to prevent shorting or overloading.

Costs were kept low. The motor controller, pedal assist hardware, voltage reducer, and miscellaneous wiring added up to less than $125.

Combined with the $75 Facebook Marketplace purchase price, the entire fleet eBike revival stayed well under $200.

Rebuilding from scratch with a new motor

Restoring the fleet eBike into a functioning machine meant replacing key systems.

The new motor controller handled both pedal assist and throttle response.

A 3D-printed bezel helped the smaller display fit the original dashboard area.

Battery access, once dependent on a defunct app, was reworked through a custom switch linked to the light circuit.

Testing showed that lights, motor functions, and pedal assist all worked properly once voltages were balanced and connections stabilized.

The new controller was larger, which made assembly difficult.

Tight routing was needed to close the case without pinching wires.

The bike now runs with pedal assist, functional lights, and a secure battery release.

Despite the learning curve, the result is a dependable fleet eBike that looks nearly stock.

It’s now a reliable ride, with strong components and no remaining software locks.

Buying a fleet eBike on Facebook Marketplace often means dealing with locked systems and unsupported hardware.

But with a replacement motor controller, a functional pedal assist setup, and basic technical skills, it’s possible to turn a bricked bike into a usable one.

This build cost less than $200 in total and revived a high-spec bike that otherwise would have been scrapped.

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