Yep, the most expensive components on an ebike are the battery and motor, you can cut the top tube and pull those components out and sell them for 500+ a piece

Yep, the most expensive components on an ebike are the battery and motor, you can cut the top tube and pull those components out and sell them for 500+ a piece on the used market. The batteries usually have a lock that is supposed to keep them from being stolen, but even on the high end brands they can just be shimmed open with a credit card in a second. I used to work as a bike mechanic, so learned all the tricks of the bike theft trade just from the stories from customers coming in after they had their bike stolen or stripped. If I was a bike thief I wouldn't even be bothering stealing full bikes, you can just walk around with a set of allen wrenches and a chain tool and make off with a nice derailleurs, carbon wheelsets, full stem and handlebars mounted with expensive shifters. You will look less like a thief and more like a guy working on his bike, and if you're afraid of someone questioning you, just stuff a card with your name and information on it in the seat-tube while your stripping it, and if anyone ask you can just pull that out as 'proof' that the bike is actually yours.