German bike brand Hercules has issued an urgent recall for five of its folding e-bikes, warning owners to stop riding them immediately. The affected models are the Rob Fold SL IQ, SL 10, SL 9, SL F 5 and SL R5 — all equipped with a carbon fork that, according to the manufacturer, can fail without warning.
Notably, the recall is not limited to specific serial numbers or production years: every unit of the five listed models is covered. Rob Fold variants without the “SL” designation are not affected. Owners can verify the exact model name printed on the frame.
The company describes the risk in stark terms. If the fork fails while riding, the rider may lose steering control, with a crash and serious injury a realistic outcome. Hercules has not explained the underlying cause of the fork problem, but it explicitly advises against even a short ride to the nearest dealer.
Two free remedies are on the table. Owners can exchange their bike for an equivalent Hercules e-bike with an aluminum fork — the company names the Rob Fold F5, R5, SUV and 9 as candidates — or return the complete bike, including battery and charger, for a full refund. Customers who cannot reach a dealer can contact Hercules directly by email or phone.
The recall adds to a string of safety actions in the German market this year, following Decathlon’s software-related e-bike recall in July and an earlier pedal-related recall at Cube.
Source: wattmoves.de