BMC USA of Boston issued a recall notice for certain Stromer ST1 e-bikes bicycles sold as early as Jan. 1, 2012; a full year earlier than the date stipulated in a global recall of the bikes issued by Stromer last fall.


The recall involves a carbon fork that can break, posing a crash and injury hazard to the rider. It does not affect ST1 with suspension forks. In its recall notice Thursday BMC USA advised Stromer customers to immediately stop riding the bikes and return them to an authorized Stromer dealer who will replace the fork at no charge.

 

The recall applies to bikes that sold for between $3,500 and $4,000 from January 2012 to May 2013. BMC, which acquired Stromer in 2011, estimates 1,300 of the bikes have been sold in the United States and 11 in Canada. BMC has received one report of a fork breaking, resulting in minor scrapes and bruises to the rider.

 

This recall involves all 2013 Stromer ST1 women's and men's pedal-assist electric bicycles, models M33 Elite and P48 Platinum. The bikes were sold in three colors; black, red and white. They have an integrated lithium battery located inside the down tube, motor on the rear hub and a three-button LCD system display on the handlebars. “Stromer” is printed on the top tube of the bicycle frame and on the seat and chain guard. The fork's serial numbers for the recalled bikes start with: ST1S2F, ST1S2G, ST1S2H, ST1S2I, ST1S2J, ST1S3A, ST1S3B, ST1S3C, ST1S3D and ST1S3E. The serial number is etched at the bottom of the rear fork.  

On Nov. 28, 2013, Stromer issued a global recall of all Stromer ST1 Series A carbon bicycle forks after it noticed “a production defect as a result of our supplier's quality control processes with the very first generation of carbon forks (Series A) used on the Stromer ST1.”  At the time, Stromer said an extensive check on the Series A forks’ production history at a supplier had identified 122 forks which could potentially by affected by this issue. Out of an abundance of caution, Stromer announced a voluntary recall of all Stromer ST1 Series A carbon bicycle forks on bikes delivered between Feb. 1 2013 and Nov. 28, 2013.


At press time, It was unclear why BMC USA was extending its recall of the ST1 all the way back to January, 2012.