Everything you own needs maintenance; if not maintained, it could lead to a reduced life that will always cause you to spend more than required. Especially in the case of vehicles, it happens to be a significant concern to keep them maintained.
So, if you own an e-bike as well, you will have to look after its care and maintenance timely so that you can have it maintained without any flaws. Also, at the same time, the life of your e-bike increases.
One of the primary reasons people invest in an e-bike is that it is an economical option. Also, while you are using it for commuting, you don't end up leaving any carbon footprints on the environment.
However, choosing an e-bike means you must ensure that your bike is adequately maintained at all times so that you can use it for years and years without any wear and tear. Here we have suggested a few tips that will help you improve your e-bike's life.
Tips to Improve the Life of E-Bike
You can follow the below-suggested tips and maintain your e-bike easily, increasing its usable life.
Keep It Dirt Free
One of the most essential and primary considerations for maintaining e-bikes is having them clean and tidy. Always keep your bike clean by washing it timely and ensuring no dirt and debris stays in it. An electric bike is an open vehicle. It gets a hit from a lot of dust, and even when ridden in the water or on roads having dirt, it accumulates a lot of mess.
Hence it is suggested to wash your e-bike timely and clean the tires and other parts of the e-bike, but make sure never to use any harsh chemicals for cleaning. Also, don't pressure clean as this ends up removing the greasing products which are essential for it.
To keep the e-bikes sparkling clean many bikers also paint over the bike, and it must be made sure that it is not applied to the moveable parts. You can follow the below-suggested steps to clean your e-bike.
- Initially, you need to remove and cover certain parts of your e-bike. So, make sure to remove the battery of the e-bike and the display if possible. Use a towel or plastic to cover the motor and connections backed with electricity.
- Start rinsing the frame of the e-bike; make sure to keep the pressure of the water low because high pressure damages the parts of the e-bike and may also reach the electrical components.
- Invest in a good car wash detergent and apply that with the help of a towel and scrub gently. Certain areas of the e-bike, like the brake pads and the handles, are subjected to more dirt and sweat and hence need deep cleaning, so make sure to scrub there.
- In the end, rinse the entire e-bike gently and wipe with a dry cloth.
- Ensure the battery holder has dried up completely before you plug the battery back in.
Ensure Tires are Inflated
To keep the e-bike in good condition, it is imperative to have its tires inflated with the right pressure. If the tires are not inflated properly, they will face a lot of wear and tear and at the same time, they will draw more current from the battery.
Whereas, if you ensure that the pressure of the tires is appropriate, the range of your e-bike will also increase, and at the same time, you will be able to maintain it properly. The more focus is being added to the tires, the more the lifespan of your e-bike also increases.
Maintaining the Brakes
If you compare an e-bike to a regular bicycle, the main difference is that a bicycle works with pedals. In contrast, an e-bike works with a battery and a motor powered electrically. Therefore, the electric bike's speed is also higher than the usual bicycle. Thus, when riding an e-bike at high speed, you must stop it immediately while on the way.
So, taking care of the brakes is equally essential. You must always ensure that your brakes are working properly by keeping a check and balance on them and carrying out their timely service. If your e-bike has hydraulic brakes, you might have to add fluid to them, and when you have disc brakes, you have to keep an eye on the cables of the brakes. The cables might have to be replaced when they wear out.
Preserving Moving Parts
Your e-bike will have many parts; some will be moveable ones. Hence, the moveable parts need to function correctly so that the e-bike works appropriately. It is always suggested to grease and oil the moveable parts of your e-bike so that they don't wear out or make any noise. If the friction between them is increased, the life of the e-bike might be hindered.
Therefore, ensure that you are lubricating all the moveable parts of your e-bike to increase its life.
Maintaining the Drive Train
The drivetrain of your e-bike will have gears and chains which need special attention. They will need proper cleaning and maintenance. After specific spans, you will need to remove the grease from the chain and clean it thoroughly, and afterward, grease will be applied again. So, make sure to carry out this activity on time, or else the wear and tear of your e-bike will be impossible to avoid.
You can also invest in a good quality degreaser that can help you get rid of the applied grease quickly and then use a good lubricant and, after applying it to the chain, make it pass through all the gears in your e-bike. This will improve the life of your e-bike and will also let you have a smooth riding experience.
Schedule a Professional Service for E-Bike
It is common to get a cleaning and servicing done at home for your e-bike, but on the other hand, it is also equally important to have it serviced by a professional too. You must schedule timely servicing for your e-bike with a professional cleaner, as it will also play a significant role in improving the life and the working of your e-bike in the longer run.
However, as much as it is essential to have your e-bike serviced by a professional, it is also important to have it serviced by someone who is an expert. There are certain things to take into consideration when choosing a service provider, and these include the following:
E-Bike Expert Mechanic
Even though an e-bike and a usual bike both serve the same purpose, they are still not the same in terms of functions and mechanism. There are many things between these two bikes that differ and need to be considered carefully. So, it is always suggested to choose an e-bike mechanic who is an expert in this kind of bike when it comes to having it.
The usual bike mechanic might not have sufficient experience and knowledge of how to service an e-bike, and one wrong action on his part may damage your e-bike.
Renowned Professional
Never choose an e-bike mechanic who is not a professional; instead, always select someone who is a trained professional with an established reputation among people. It is always best to look forward to having positive reviews from the clients who have already got their e-bikes serviced by him.
The service provider would know everything about the maintenance of the e-bike and the care of the battery, so always choose service providers that offer this form of professionalism and have a positive rating overall.
Check for Warranties
Most of the servicing companies for e-bikes are equipped with warranties after service. So, choosing companies and service centers that offer you these warranties is always the best. It will give you a feeling of contentment because it shows that the service provider is responsible and will look into any problem that might occur after the e-bike is serviced.
Maintaining E-Bike Battery
Paying attention to the maintenance of the e-bike should be your primary concern. Still, you can not ignore the significance of maintaining the battery of an e-bike. Here you will find some tips that can be used when it comes to maintaining the e-bike battery, and these include the following:
Let It Cool Before Charging
Once you are back from your errands and you feel that you need to plug in your e-bike for battery charging, don't do that! When you use the e-bike, the battery tends to get hot and needs time to cool down completely. If you start charging it immediately without letting it cool, you are at a mistake, and it will lead to damage to the battery in the long run.
Hence, always wait for a while till the battery is entirely cool, and then plug it in for charging so that it retains its life.
Avoid Charging for Longer Periods
One of the most common mistakes observed among bikers is changing their e-bike batteries for a very long period. Some people even leave their e-bike batteries on charge for the entire night. No matter what kind of battery it is, overcharging always ends up ruining it, and when you do this with your e-bike battery, its life will get shorter.
Don't Let it Discharge Completely
Don't let your e-bike battery drain till 0%; always make sure to have it charged a little, even because draining a lithium-ion battery will ultimately damage it. It adds a lot of stress to the battery because as it keeps on draining, its power also gets low, but it has to put pressure on itself to provide you with the ability to ride the e-bike.
Instead, when you feel that your e-bike battery has reached around 15%, you must switch to paddling, this will help you preserve some charge in the battery rather than draining it completely.
Store the Battery Properly
When your e-bike is not in use, it is essential to take care of its battery. If you end up forgetting about its maintenance, the battery would damage and will be of no use.
Hence, always ensure it is charged timely, irrespective of its usage. Make sure to have it at least 80% charged even when not in use, and keep it in a cool and dry place. After ninety days, make sure to recharge it to maintain its good condition.
Keep Battery Away from Moisture
An e-bike battery needs to be dry, although it is natural that you will sometimes drive off your e-bike into the rain. This battery's design is also sufficient to protect it against the rain but should still be kept dry. There is always a chance of the e-bike battery oxidizing or corroding when subjected to rain or water, damaging it and, therefore, must be avoided.
Save from Temperature Changes
The temperature always has a severe impact on the battery of e-bikes. If too cold, the battery will be subjected to electrical resistance and discharge quickly. Similarly, if the weather is too hot, the batter will discharge fast. Therefore, try to keep the e-bike battery at a moderate temperature to keep it running for longer.
Make Sure Tires of Your E-Bike Work Well
It is usually not realized by most bikers, but in reality, the tires have a lot of impact on the e-bike battery. If you install inappropriate tires or your tires are not appropriately inflated with the right pressure, they will put a lot of force on the battery and motor. Hence, this will lead to damage to your battery earlier. So, always make sure that the tires are suitable to work well with the e-bike battery.
Do Not Repair Battery of E-Bike
Whenever you find any problem with the e-bike battery, avoid opening it or repairing it on your own. Instead, always head to a professional to do this job. When combined with water or oxygen, a lithium powder in the battery may cause an explosion. So, it is always dangerous to open or repair an e-bike battery.
Conclusion
E-bikes are gaining significant popularity day by day. They are a suitable commuting method for many people who don't want to use public transport but want a quick and pollution-free vehicle. However, as much as using them correctly is essential, the timely and required care of e-bikes and their batteries is equally important and must not be ignored.
