That's a good point. AFAICS most dealers adjust or bias the facts to convince you that a bike they have is good for you. I don't mean that they'd sell you an unsuitable bike because most are suitable for most people anyway.
You'd be surprised how little most dealers know about the bikes they're selling. Go in a shop and ask how many amps the controller allows. That's one of the most significant characteristics of the system, which is directly proportional to the power of the motor. Most will tell you that the bike is 250w max, which is normally less than half what it actually is. Another typical answer is that it's a 12 amp battery, by which they mean 12 amp-hours capacity, but they don't understand what those terms mean.
Another important characteristic is the motor RPM. See how many know what it is. That applies to crank-drives as well as hub-motors.
Hi D8veh, I agree with this one, living in Asia especially here in the Outback of the Philippines the sales assistant can't even tell me the frame size let alone anything else. Product knowledge here in Asia is very poor but when your paid less than £5 a day there is little incentive other than personal pride.
Ive already experienced what you have said from emails that I sent to a handful of retailers, for a potential spend of 2k plus, you would expect better service.
Some including Woosh and Wisper have been excellent.
On a separate note what is your view on depreciation both electric and non electric? Ive seen normal bikes that cost upwards of £600 being sold for as little as £200 less than a year old! Used Electric bikes most decent brands rarely appear on ebay unless they are very old.
Andy