Whether you just bought an e-bike or have an e-bike you've been riding for a while, you'll need to perform some essential maintenance to keep your e-bike in top riding condition. E-bike maintenance is important not only to prolong the life of your e-bike, but also to ensure safe riding.
This article tells you how to look after your electric bike, including tips on washing the bike, applying lubricants, regular component checks and looking after the battery.
Here are a few do-it-yourself electric bike maintenance tips:
- Regular cleaning
Cleaning your e-bike after a ride is a good habit to keep in top shape. Cleaning your bike frequently helps keep dirt, dust, and debris from getting into the engine and messing up the motor, and it also helps keep all the mechanical parts moving properly without rubbing against each other or blocking the chain. But only use bike-specific cleaning products. Avoid water jet cleaning as high water pressure removes grease that lubricates bearings and other moving parts. It can also cause water to build up inside the motor, eventually leading to corrosion and rust.
- Keep tires properly inflated
Maintaining the correct tire pressure will allow your e-bike to roll effortlessly and the motor will not draw as much current, which will increase the mileage. It also prevents uneven tire wear. The best tire pressure is on the side of the tire. You can check tire pressure with a pressure gauge. As you gain experience with riding, you will be able to deviate slightly from the printed values. Depending on the weather and type of terrain, you can increase or decrease tire pressure until you find the value that works best for you.
- Check the brakes regularly
Electric bikes are heavier than pedals, and electric bikes are faster, so stopping an electric bike requires strong and reliable brakes. To prevent any accidents, you must check your braking system every few weeks. The most commonly used brakes in e-bikes are disc brakes. These brakes are activated by wire rope or brake fluid. In both cases, a disc is mounted on each wheel. When a lever is pushed, the caliper pushes the pads against the surface of the brake disc, and the resulting friction stops the e-bike. To check if the brakes are in good condition, all you have to do is activate them with the lever. The pads must engage immediately. If they don't engage right away or don't press hard on the disk, maintenance is required.In the case of hydraulic brakes, the brake fluid must be drained and replaced.
- Lubrication
To keep all the mechanics on your e-bike working properly, you can apply lubricant to the main moving parts like the chain. By reducing wear between moving parts, the effect of extending the life of the electric bicycle can be achieved. Both hydraulic systems and gears require regular lubrication. Before using the lubricant, it is necessary to clean the chain, bearings and other components with a special cleaner, and then use a specially designed lubricant. You can lubricate your e-bike in the garage at home, no special tools and specific locations are required.
- Battery care
As one of the key components on an electric bicycle, the maintenance of the battery is also particularly important. The most commonly used batteries on electric bicycles are lithium batteries. These batteries usually have a large capacity, and when used at the right temperature, it will perform well. However, if you don't use and maintain your battery properly, its capacity can drop dramatically, reducing the range of an e-bike. Therefore, it is crucial to learn how to properly use and maintain an e-bike battery. For example, you shouldn't let it fully discharge. For long-term storage, try to charge the battery to about 40%, place it in a cool place, and maintain it every three months.
- Use the correct charger
Even though some battery chargers are compatible with multiple e-bikes, you should only use the charger supplied by the store. Not all batteries are always charged the same way, so if you use the wrong charger, you could damage your e-bike battery.
- The Rest of the Important Parts
Finally, other components of the electric bike also need attention. You should check once a week to make sure all the screws are tight as they can loosen with bumps over time. Electric bikes do have many moving parts and points of contact that can cause friction. To reduce friction, make sure all components such as stem, handlebar, seat post, steerer tube and pedals are properly tightened, and maintain with proper bicycle lubricant.
Conclusion
Regular maintenance is the key to extending the life of your e-bike. If you want to avoid repairing or replacing e-bike components on the road, there are some simple maintenance items that you must learn. These will help extend the life of your e-bike.
