Brompton recalls folding e-bikes due to the risk of frontal collisions If you own a Brompton folding electric bicycle purchased between May 2019 and March 2022, you must immediately cease riding it. Ten Brompton e-bike users have reported things becoming trapped between the mudguard and front tyre, causing the wheel to lock up and crash, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in the United States. So far, two people have been hospitalised, and nine people have been injured, including “head and facial trauma, broken bones, shoulder dislocation, bruises, and chipped teeth.”
Owners of the recalled Brompton Electric M2L, H2L, M6L, and H6L models are encouraged to contact an authorised Brompton dealer to seek a free repair. To increase room between the mudguard and tyre, the front mudguard stay and flap must be replaced. The recall concerns around 2,230 e-bikes, which range in price from $3,500 to $3,800. lockup
Mudguards (or fenders, if you prefer) have also produced problems for other e-bike manufacturers. VanMoof experienced a similar problem in 2020, affecting over 1,600 of its S3 and X3 e-bikes due to loose fender bolts. However, rather than road debris becoming stuck between the tyre and mudguard, a few of VanMoof’s mudguards fell away and jammed the wheel after becoming hooked between the tyre and frame.
This is the second Brompton e-bike recall since April 2021. The first recall affected approximately 600 bikes, which were required to be returned to dealers for a software update to correct a fault that caused unexpected acceleration.
The Brompton recall announced today is restricted to the United States and around 110 bikes are sold in Canada. We’ve reached out to Brompton in the United Kingdom for clarification on the global effect of the recall and will update this story if we receive a response.
