Electric bike maintenance: how to look after your e bike?

When you are thinking of acquiring an electric bike, you should have a good knowledge of the basics. A good electric bike is very expensive and requires frequent maintenance to keep it up to the standards you expect. This document provides a list of ways to care for electric bicycles including all the important aspects like, cleaning and upgrading the crucial components of your electric bike and checking its battery life.

If you haven’t found a good place to start, we offer beginners’ guide on how to maintain your new electric bike. Maintenance for an electric bicycle is equally as important whether you want an electric bicycle, an electric hybrid bike or an electric folding bicycle. So without any further ado, let’s get started with our ebike battery maintenance guide.

How often should you service an electric bike?

First things first. Many users are curious to know how often they should go for electric bike maintenance. In many respects, maintenance for electric bicycles isn’t like the maintenance for a non-supported bike. Nonetheless certain components such as driveshafts (cranks, chains, and sprockets) face increased force and wear.

Firstly, clean bikes make happy bikes. Dirt and mud can cause excessive wear to a component and bind with water to form a paste that reduces performance in a bike or, worse, quickly wears through consumables. Therefore, washing your bike regularly will ensure that you get all that you need from the vehicle.

How to extend the ebike battery range?

Another common ebike maintenance query among users is how to increase the ebike battery range. Follow these quick steps to increase the range of your ebike battery life:

• Rhythm: Riding at a rate greater than 50 rpm uses less battery power than doing the same at a lesser rhythm.
• Weight: Decrease the burden laden on your bike by carrying lesser weight as it will strain your battery life more.
• Brakes: It is also important to reduce the frequency of brakes or halts in order to ride efficiently.
• Tire Pressure: Adjust your tire pressure, just as you would on a standard bicycle, to achieve the right balance between gripping, convenience, and rolling resistance.
• Use Smart technology: By using technology, users can adjust their riding style by monitoring the amount of battery power they are using from various e-bike controllers.
• Climate: Riding in chilly weather will put greater stress on a battery and lower range.

Top Five Tips for e bike maintenance

An electric bike requires a great deal of maintenance just like any other standard bicycle or motorcycle to make the most of it. The additional features can make it seem daunting, but if you take care of things, it’s doubtful that you will have any major problems. There may be numerous operational components that need upkeep when it concerns your electric bike upkeep. Initially, it might be a little intimidating to understand what has to be done and when, but don’t worry; the fundamentals of electric motorcycle care aren’t at all challenging. 

Component wear and tear

Almost any e bike now includes an assistive riding system. Consequently, the e bike has stronger pieces that are designed to withstand the increased force due to the increased motor power and weight. The electric motors of bikes are usually heavier and differ from the motorized motors. Ebike-specific wheels and tire types can be softer, the forks strong and the brakes powerful.
Drivetrains on electric bikes are frequently larger and feature a wider range of gears than those on non-assisted bikes. Additionally, e bike-specific tires, forks, brake pads, and other components are tougher.
We are still placing our electric bike under a significant amount of stress despite this added robustness, whether we are pedaling, halting, ascending, or sliding down. Therefore, it is a sensible move to keep a close eye on the parts and framework for loose screws or damaged components.
It is also important to conduct a safety examination of your electric bike to make sure all components and axles are fastened to the product’s specified torque recommended setting. You should also inspect your tyre for any potential punctures and inspect any loose spokes. Besides this, it is also essential to prevent any  excessive wear. When a component, like the chain, is damaged, it might also cause untimely damage to other components, such as the chainrings and cassette.

Waterproofing and repairs

Raindrops and rainwater will not hurt bike parts and the batteries of the motor vehicle. However, you might already have an idea that the water will not flow into your electric bike unless there is certain standards for good hygiene and common sense. When using an electric bicycle you should avoid jet washing the bicycle or completely submerging. It’s inside a machine sealed unit and shouldn’t be used to try to repair a problem or to remove it for maintenance.
If you feel something hasn’t worked out with your bike, you should visit a dealer or e bike manufacturers who sold your bike or take the bike to a reliable dealer for repairs.

Battery life and charging

Although maintaining a sealed battery seems somewhat difficult, there are many ways to maintain your e-bike battery in excellent shape.

Every lithium-ion battery over time degrades and loses capacity. This may only represent 5% of the annual maximum price, but it should be considered. The battery’s lifespan can be extended by taking proper care of it, storing it properly, and charging battery regularly according to the recommended levels and its requirements.

Charge your battery in a dry atmosphere at room temperature. It is also important not to leave your battery at maximum charging or  entirely depleted for a prolonged period of time in order to enhance its lifespan.

Users can also detach the battery when the bike is not in use for a long period of time. It will eventually run out of charge, so keep topping it off.

It would be best to avoid leaving your e bike batteries uncharged for extended periods of time, as we’ve already stated; a charge of between 40% and 70% is recommended for long-term storage.

Use appropriate chargers for your batteries

If you want to keep your batteries in tip top shape in order to maintain your e bike, it is important to use appropriate chargers while recharging your batteries. You should make sure that you are using the battery charger specified and recommended for your bike, even though some chargers appear to work with multiple electric bikes.
Using the wrong charger could potentially harm your e-bike batteries as batteries don’t always recharge in a similar manner with a different charger. Therefore, it is crucial to use the correct charger.

E bike battery cleaning and storage
If you periodically remove your battery, use the time to scrub it with a damp towel and use a dry brush to sweep away any debris from the connectors. Every once in a while, you should also clean and gently oil the battery contacts. Avoid using a high-pressure hose or jet washing while cleaning your e bike’s battery.
Another important aspect is the atmospheric temperature while storing your battery. Electric bicycle batteries are harmed by intense temperature changes.  Your e-bike battery should be kept in a cool, dry location away from direct sunlight.

Cleaning your electric bike

While we have already stressed on the importance of avoiding jet washing or using hose water while cleaning your electric bike, let us take a closer look at how you should clean your electric bike.
Electric bike gears and batteries come in enclosed units, so you should just not allow any water to penetrate inside them. Users should pay particular attention to this and prevent washing any bicycle, electric or otherwise, with a strong jet wash. Washing your bike with a strong jet wash might push its way past the bike’s multiple sealings and cause damage.

To swiftly remove contaminants and grime, wash your e bike using water from a container or minimal-pressure hose, a brush, along with a cleaning solution designed especially for motorbikes.
Keep the battery in its case to assure that all connections are kept covered, however switch off the e-bike equipment when washing them. Make sure to unplug it from the charger as well.
Experts recommend cleaning any debris with a clean and dry cloth or brush because charging ports might collect dirt. It is also necessary to keep these ports closed while washing the bike.

Post-washing care and maintenance

The next step is to dry your bike after washing it, being mindful not to touch its disc brakes (you do not wish to unintentionally pollute your brakes with grease or other cleaning agents used other parts of the e bike).
Perhaps you prefer to regularly clean your battery connections. If yes, then you can simply use a  gentle, clean brush, a cloth, and alternatively lubrication can also be used for this.

Notice any changes while riding

Whenever you are taking your e bike out for a ride, you should keep a close eye to how it is operating, particularly as  electric bikes put greater strain on the gears. When you’re riding, you should keep your ears open for any odd sounds. Excessive bike sound is one of the earliest and most evident indications that something is wrong with your bike. You should take a closer look if your bike ever becomes noisier or produces any sort of grinding sounds. Are you hearing a rattling sound somewhere? Does the chain have a sound? Are the brakes screeching?

A well-kept e bike will be relatively quiet. It’s common to hear chain noise or possible motor noise. However, you should ensure that everything is operating without a hitch. Keep an eye out for jerky shifts or gears that bounce or slip.
Apart from this, it is also crucial to make sure that your thru-axles are securely fastened when you are riding your electric bike.

As worn rotors scrape against your brake discs, you may notice a tiny wobbling in your tire along with some noise. Have the tire checked if the wobbling continues; it has probably become cracked from a bump on the road or other factors.

Summing Up:

All in all, we have walked through all the best practices to upkeep your electric bike and all its crucial components in the best state. It would be best to maintain all your components, keep a vigilant eye on any wear and tears or odd sounds in your e bike. It is also important to follow our recommended practices while cleaning and washing your electric bike.

Most importantly, it is important to take care of your battery and follow all the recommended practices to extend its lifespan and the overall performance of your electric bike. If you follow all our top eight tips consistently, rest assured that your e bike will give you an optimum performance and a smooth ride. You will definitely enjoy your morning commute to work and running daily errands on your bike more than ever!

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