Keeping Up With Electric Bike Maintenance
Electric bikes are a great way to get around, but if you don’t take care of them properly they can give you more trouble than they are worth and end up costing a lot of money. Regular maintenance can help your e-bike stay in top condition and reduce the risk of larger repairs in the future.
When you’re doing e-bike maintenance, it’s important to remember that there are both mechanical and electrical elements that need your attention. Electric bikes have all the mechanical parts of a regular bike but with the addition of an electrical motor that also requires maintenance.
Here are a few do-it-yourself electric bike maintenance tips:
Cleaning the bike often will help to keep dirt, dust, and debris from getting into the engine and messing with the motor. It also helps to keep all the mechanical parts moving properly without grinding against each other or blocking the chain. E-bikes should be washed once or twice per week.
When you clean your e-bike, do not use a pressurized hose or stream of water. This might compromise the integrity of the meals around electrical equipment and wear them down, eventually leading to exposed and wet electrical systems that will then malfunction. Instead, use a low-pressure water stream or a wet rag and dry the bike off once you’re doing washing it.
In order to keep all the mechanics in working order, you can apply lubrication on the major moving parts such as the chain. You should use a special cleaning solution to clean off the chain before applying a bike lubricant to it. This should ideally be done at least once a week if you use the bike often.
Do a quick once-over and check for any loose screws, bolts, nuts, or anything else on the bike. If there is too much play in the bolts, tighten them up a little bit and see if you can identify the cause of the looseness. Don’t tighten the bolts too far.
The sidewalls of your bike tires should tell you how much pressure is ideal for proper use of the bike. You can check to see what the current pressure is in the tires by using a simple pressure gauge. If it’s too low, or if the tires can visibly sink when you push your finger into them, you should get out your bike pump and inflate them properly to the pressure indicated on the tires.
Take a good look at the brake pads on your bike every few weeks to see how they are holding up. It’s essential that you have effective brakes or else you could end up in a serious accident. Brake pads can easily and cheaply be replaced whenever necessary.
The most important electrical piece on the bike is the battery. Read the manufacturer’s instructions on how to properly charge it before you attempt to charge. Charging it improperly will probably end up damaging the battery and wearing it out quicker. Battery replacements can be pricey, so take care of the battery you have and help it last as long as possible.
All in all, E-bike maintenance is important if you want to avoid large fixes or replacements down the road. These are some quick and easy maintenance items that you can do for yourself that will help to greatly extend the useful life of your electric bike.
