Do Electric Bikes Have Trackers?

Last Updated on March 18, 2022 by

Electric bikes are becoming more popular among riders all over the world. They’re revolutionizing how people ride their bikes – in more ways than one. 

For starters, they’re allowing people to ride faster and have an easier time pedaling. They can even reach speeds that would allow you to replace your car with one. 

They also offer a great way for people who live in cities to get around without using gas or oil. And if you want to go farther away from home, electric bikes give you a chance to explore places you wouldn’t be able to otherwise.

Electric bikes house a motor near the pedals that help you to pedal, and therefore travel, faster. They come with a rechargeable battery that you can replenish time and time again. 

Electric bikes are a great and valuable asset to own. With more people using electric bikes, some riders are wondering whether they include trackers or not. Let’s look into this below.

Electric Bikes Trackers

Unfortunately, the majority of electric bikes on the market do not come with built-in trackers. This means that you cannot look back on your route after you have finished riding, which is what a lot of riders enjoy doing. 

With that being said, some manufacturers are beginning to add trackers to their electric bikes. These manufacturers are among the likes of VanMoof and Stromer.

However, when looking on the market for electric bikes, you will still see a vast majority of them without any type of tracker within them. 

Fear not, however, as you can add your own GPS tracker onto your bike to track your location and routes, as well as working as a deterrent for thieves.

Can Electric Bikes Be Stolen? 

Yes, just like any regular bike, electric bikes can fall victim to thieves who want to sell them on to make a profit. Even if you secure your e-bike to a stand, there are many ways to break a bike lock and take the bike away. 

Even if you use a top of the line bike lock, thieves can potentially scavenge the bike for parts. This means that they can sell the parts on for profit. So, even if your bike is secured and cannot be completely stolen, they might be able to work around your lock and take pieces of it anyway. 

Do E-Bikes Get Stolen A Lot? 

 It seems like everyday that you hear of a traditional bike getting stolen. In fact, there are over 188,500 thefts concerning bicycles every year in the US alone. This number is even more perplexing when you consider the fact that a lot of bike thefts remain unreported. 

So, do electric bikes follow in regular bikes’ footsteps, or are they less likely to be stolen?

Unfortunately, e-bikes are three times as likely to be stolen than regular bikes. This estimate comes from Amsterdam, where electric bikes are much more commonly used than in the US. 

In Amsterdam, there has been a 200% increase in electric bike thefts within the last three years. With more people in the US becoming interested in e-bikes, it is indicated that this same pattern will follow over here. 

So, yes, e-bikes do get stolen a lot. Thieves know that they can sell electric bikes and make much more of a profit than if they were to steal regular bikes. Plus, the uniqueness of e-bikes makes them much more interesting for people to steal. 

GPS Trackers For Electric Bikes

So, you’ve decided to put a tracker on your electric bike to know where it is at all times. This is a good plan and one that we highly recommend. But how do you know where to start in doing this? 

Can I Put A Tracker On My E-Bike? 

Yes, you can put your own tracker onto your electric bike to make it more secure and safer to ride. Most electric bikes that come with trackers already installed are quite expensive, so you might just want to add a tracker to your existing bike. 

Aftermarket trackers can be added anywhere onto the frame of your bike so that you can track it from wherever you are. Most come with an accurate reading of your bike’s location within 10 meters, so you can find it quite easily should you lose it. 

Where Do You Hide A Bike Tracker?

Provided that your bike tracker is not used as a thief deterrent, you might choose to hide it so that it is not noticeable to people looking at your bike. 

Bikes are very efficiently built and therefore don’t often come with many spaces to fix your bike tracker to. However, between the handlebars seems to be a common place for people to hide their trackers. 

However, with some electric bikes, this is where the control panel is. Therefore, this isn’t the best space to put your tracker without it getting in the way. 

Another place to put your tracker is on the seat post or one the frame. This is probably the best place to put your electric bike tracker so that you don’t knock it off accidentally. Just remember its position if you’re moving the seat up or down. 

If you prefer to hide your bike tracker somewhere more subtle, you can disguise it as a bike reflector or a bike light if it comes with either of these qualities.

There are some bike trackers on the market that are already disguised for you, you just need to fit them in the place that makes sense. 

GPS Trackers For Electric Scooters 

Similar to electric bikes, e-scooters are much more valuable than regular scooters and therefore more likely to be stolen. To avoid this from happening, you might want to consider fitting a GPS tracker onto your electric scooter. 

Can I Put A Tracker On My Electric Scooter? 

Yes, you can put a tracker onto your electric scooter. Much like trackers for electric bikes, you can fit it to your scooter to ensure that you always know where your scooter is, even if it has been stolen. 

Scooters tend to have less places to position a tracker onto, but you can still find some space between the handlebars and on the handlebar holder. 

Some electric scooters do come with tracking already built into the design. However, e-scooters that come with this feature tend to cost much more than e-scooters without it. 

In fact, even if you were buying a new electric scooter, you might be able to purchase it and an aftermarket tracker for less than an e-scooter with built-in tracking costs! 

How Can I Track My Scooter? 

If your scooter has already been stolen and you hadn’t previously installed a tracker, then there isn’t a way to track it unfortunately. 

However, if you want to get ahead of thieves and prevent your electric scooter from being stolen and lost forever, you can purchase an aftermarket bike tracker and place it onto your scooter. 

Bike trackers will work perfectly well for your scooter. As scooters just tend to be a variation of a traditional bike, most bike trackers will fit onto your scooter without too much manipulation on your part. 

Once you have added the tracker onto your scooter, you can then use an app on your phone to track the GPS signal being emitted from the tracker. You will now know where your scooter is whenever you want to. 

Best Bike GPS Trackers

There is so much to consider when choosing which bike tracker to purchase. Here are a few factors to think about before purchasing a GPS tracker.

What Is The Best Size For A GPS Tracker? 

First off, you want to determine the size of the tracker and whether you want it to be seen or not. 

Trackers that are visible might be a deterrent for thieves to stay away from your bike. After all, if you already have a GPS tracker on your electric bike, who knows what else you might be hiding on there? Trackers might seem like more effort than the bike is worth to thieves. 

On the other hand, if a thief sees a tracker on your electric bike, they might think to remove it before stealing it. Bike trackers don’t tend to be too difficult to remove, so they can quickly whip it off and throw it away as they’re driving off with your bike. 

Then you’ll be stuck for hours looking for your e-bike in the wrong place. 

So,  it’s up to you whether you choose a larger tracker that can be seen or a smaller one that can be hidden. It’s worth noting that larger trackers might be able to be reinforced better and therefore not always removable by the thief. 

However, some believe that a hidden tracker removes the possibility of the thief removing it at all, making it the safer option. 

How Do You Hide A Bike Tracker?

Some trackers might come in larger sizes, but that is because the manufacturer has created them in clever disguises. For example, the Sherlock Bike Tracker is shaped as a handlebar insert and can be slotted into one of the bars on your bike.

This is virtually impossible to see when you’re not looking for it, meaning that the thief can steal the bike without ripping the tracker off of it beforehand. 

Other bike trackers are shaped like lights with real working LED lights in front of them so that you can use them to both track your e-bike and keep you safe at night. You can also get trackers built into reflectors that do the same dual-purpose. 

How Much Is A Bike Tracker?

Another thing to consider when purchasing your electric bike tracker is the price. You don’t have to spend too much on your tracker to get the most out of it – all you need is a basic little tracking device that can connect to GPS and tell you where your bike is in real time. 

These basic models cost around $25 and work perfectly for people who don’t want the bells and whistles that come with the higher end bike trackers. 

However, if you are in the market for a tracker that costs more, you might be looking at models with a price tag of $100 or more. These trackers should come with more features such as clever disguises, which are easier for thieves to miss. 

As trackers are becoming more popular with electric bikes, more thieves are starting to catch on and look for them before they take the bike. Due to this, you might decide that a more expensive tracker is the best option for you to keep your e-bike safer. 

Free Bike Trackers

Most GPS trackers will require you to sign up for a subscription to enable the real time tracking abilities. There are a handful that do not require fees, although these tend to have less impressive tracking abilities. 

Free versions of most things leave the user wanting more, so it might be best for you to pay the subscription fee of a GPS tracker to ensure the safety of your bike.

How Much Does A GPS Tracker Cost Per Month? 

GPS tracker will come with a SIM card that allows the device to show you its location in real time. SIM cards are more commonly seen in cell phones, but they can also be used in tracking devices. 

Much like when you use a SIM card for a cell phone, you’ll need to keep the SIM card topped up by paying the monthly fee. 

This subscription fee is typically between $5 and $25 a month. The lower end of the spectrum will often be for trackers with more basic features, and the higher end will be for trackers that are the most accurate and helpful. 

Make sure that you know which features you’re getting with your subscription, though, as you don’t want to be paying too much for very basic features that another tracker might offer for half of the price. 

Is A Bike Tracker Worth It? 

The answer to this will depend on your personal situation. For example, a bike tracker would definitely be worth the investment if you live in an area where e-bikes are often being stolen and you’re leaving your bike on a public road overnight. 

If you keep your bike inside and don’t leave it locked in public spaces very often, however, you might not have much need for a bike tracker. 

Likewise, if your electric bike is top of the range and already comes with a tracker built-in, then there is no need for you to add another one to it. 

However, we think that it is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to expensive items such as electric bikes. If yours does not come with a tracker built into it, we suggest that you put one on it yourself. 

Even if you don’t leave it in public spaces very often, it only takes once to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and your bike will be gone for good. So, we are always strong advocates for electric bike trackers. 

Summary

In summary, we believe that a bike tracker is a great way to make sure that your e-bike and e-scooter stays safe. They can help you find out exactly where your bike has been left if you lose it, and who took it if it was stolen. 

Electric bikes are expensive, so get a GPS tracker that you can rely on to keep it safely in your possession. We would recommend using one that is disguised into the bike to prevent thieves noticing it and taking it off before stealing your e-bike. 

You will most likely have to pay a subscription fee for your bike tracker, but this shouldn’t be too much a month and will give you peace of mind. With e-bikes being so valuable, we think that it is always best to attach a tracker to your bike just in case someone were to steal it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3Ht1VEOAKc&ab_channel=JER