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IrelandFortNine weighs electric-bike promise against a $17,000 repair
Ryan F9 finds real advantages in quiet, precise electric power, then asks whether repair costs undermine the appeal.
FortNine
Story of Why this story? 968,008 views so far, and here is what is inside it.
Why Electric Motorcycles are Probably Cursed
Things we can learn from the video
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- 1:07Electric bikes need no engine air intake, giving properly waterproofed designs an advantage in water crossings.
- 1:40Ryan explains how hand-operated rear brakes and precise torque delivery can help cornering and traction.
- 3:44Reverse functionality and near-silent operation round out his case for electric power.
- 5:00Without a conventional clutch and flywheel, clearing obstacles and controlling jumps require a different approach.
- 7:51His Can-Am Origin's failure produced a $17,000 warranty repair quote, exceeding its $8,000 purchase price.
- 9:39Ryan questions whether electric motorcycles can reverse the broader decline in motorcycling.
What happens when fixing an electric motorcycle costs more than buying it? Ryan F9 has a particularly uncomfortable example: his Can-Am Origin stopped working, and the warranty repair quote came to $17,000 on a bike he bought for $8,000.
That story arrives well into FortNine's "Why Electric Motorcycles are Probably Cursed." Before reaching the bill, Ryan makes a substantial case for electric riding. The motorcycle retailer's channel has produced a review that gives the technology room to persuade before examining where it falls short.
"Where electric is objectively better is not in pure power, but the application of power," he says. His argument centers on precise torque delivery and traction control, alongside hand-operated rear brakes that free up foot positioning in corners. He also counts reverse and near-silent running among the benefits. Water crossings earn a place too, because electric motors don't need an engine's air intake, though waterproofing still matters.
The compromises become more apparent off-road. Ryan explains how losing a conventional clutch and flywheel changes the rider's ability to lift the front wheel over obstacles and control the bike in jumps. Then come the less playful problems: a depleted battery, waiting to recharge and expensive, tightly integrated components that complicate repairs.
Viewers pick up on that last distinction. Several argue that the Can-Am's construction illustrates a particular design problem rather than an unavoidable flaw in every electric motorcycle; others make the case for smaller electric mopeds used for short trips.
Ryan finishes by widening the question. Beyond whether electric bikes can improve on gasoline machines, he asks whether a different powertrain can revive motorcycling itself.
Published on Trari
Where next?
What viewers say
Ryan's pieces are are more like video essays than regular tech/auto review videos.
@jasonsituSee it on YouTubeKinda sounds like a *Can-Am* design flaw, not a flaw of all electric motorcycles.
@oldred9122See it on YouTubeA subjective advantage of near silence is how night rides feel without the noise of a petrol engine.
@brettjohnson9453See it on YouTube
1 more comment
I genuinely think the best part of the EV bike market, is the mopeds.
Short trips, a small battery, that's almost always removable, you can take in with you to charge at work, generally reasonably accessible cost.
When your not likely to do more than 30 miles in a day, ever, a small EV makes a lot of sense and would have all the prescribed advantages of an EV, it's just not glamorous or "fun".@PyroTechittenSee it on YouTube
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- Channel
- FortNine
- Subscribers
- 2,370,000
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 2,741,562
- Channel views, pace per day
- 175,369 (on a normal day: 423,820)
- Video published
- October 31, 2026
- Video views so far
- 968,008 (4 days online)
- Video views, pace per day
- 177,633 (on a normal day: 282,633)
The numbers
The review is approaching a million views four days after publication. Its argument, rather than an unusually fast start, is the story here.
💡 Test your knowledge
Which electric motorcycle produced the repair quote Ryan recounts?
Ryan recounts his Can-Am Origin failing and receiving a warranty repair quote greater than its purchase price.