Maintain Your Electric Bike

Electric bikes are a great way to get around - there's no doubt about that, 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, which is why Urban E Bikes today will tell you all about how to take care of your electric bike.

DIY Electric Bike Maintenance Tips

When you’re doing e-bike maintenance, it’s important to remember that there are both mechanical and electrical aspects that need your attention.
Electric bikes have mostly 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:

Regular cleaning

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.

Here's a great video of How To Wash An E Bike by the Electric Mountain Bike Network.

Lubrication

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, such as the products of Finish Line which can be found by clicking here.
This should ideally be done at least once a week if you use the bike often.

Check the bolts

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 - be mindful about it.
This may happen at the beginning of using an e-bike, since it's new.

Tire pressure

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.
If you’re off-roading, lighten up a bit, but not too much as to avoid flats. If you’re on a smooth surface in dry conditions, then try a higher pressure.

Brake pads

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.

Here's a video on how to replace e-bike brake pads by evolutionaryTom.

Battery care

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.

Conclusion

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.
However, of course we recommend you take your bike to regular check-ups to a specialist.