Electric bike repair and maintenance advice
One of the most ingenious inventions in transportation is the electric bicycle or simply the electric bicycle. In case you didn’t already know, an e-bike is basically a conventional bike with an integrated electric motor, battery, and display and control system. It gives you boost and pedal assist to make your daily commute effortless and sweat-free.
The popularity and sales of e-bikes have skyrocketed over the past few years due to their practicality and positive impact on the environment. They provide an efficient mode of transportation and creative entertainment for large numbers of people.
Using an e-bike can improve your physical health and reduce your costs in the long run, while protecting the environment from all the harmful fumes that typical fossil fuel vehicles emit. However, owning your own e-bike isn’t always easy, especially if you expect it to last for years. Because just like any other technology, electric bikes require proper care and attention.
Whether you already own or plan to buy one, there are a few important things you should know when maintaining an electric bike.
Because an e-bike is a bicycle after all, you should understand the basic maintenance and repair of a normal bicycle. You must also understand the basic components (motors, batteries, display and control systems) and their purpose.
Here are 4 simple tips to keep your e-bike in good shape when you’re out and about.
#1 Learn Basic Bike Care
Just like any other bike, an electric bike needs basic bike maintenance, it’s still a bike after all. From keeping the chain well lubricated to making sure the tires are adequately inflated, protecting an e-bike doesn’t take that much. Just knowing the basics of these aspects can go a long way in helping you maintain the excellent performance of your e-bike.
Brakes and Chains
The chain of an e-bike is one of the first parts you wear when using your e-bike a lot. Due to the high-speed capabilities of e-bikes, the chain can experience excessive friction and eventually break down. To extend the usability of your e-bike chain, regularly remove old dirty oil and lubricate it well. Make sure to wash off the old oil thoroughly before using the new lubricant. This will ensure that the chain moves freely within the drivetrain for a smoother ride.
Safety first! Before letting your e-bike spin, make sure your brakes are working properly. Check your brakes, check and adjust, look for loose parts, pay special attention to brake pads. If you think that’s not enough, let your local bike shop do the rest.
Featured Image: Drivetrain of the BEST 648 All Wheel Drive 48V/10Ah 600W Fat Tire Electric Bike
Tire
Your tires are tires that interact with the ground. So when you’re traversing rough terrain, your tires can easily be punctured and damaged by sharp objects on the ground. As a result, these tires become flat and can be difficult to repair. An e-bike with a mid-drive motor has a different tire change than an e-bike with a hub motor. Frankly, the latter is more difficult to fix because the motor is mounted in the center of the wheel, while for a mid-drive e-bike, changing the tire should be easy as it is the same as repairing a flat tire on a conventional bike.
To replace a tire on a hub motor e-bike, you should know how to disconnect and reconnect the motor to its cable and control system. In this part, it’s best to get some help from your e-bike supplier, or have an expert do it for you.
#2 Protect Your Electric Bike From Excessive Water Exposure
If you think your e-bike can withstand any weather, you are dead wrong. Although your e-bike is splash-proof, it’s still not completely waterproof, so you’ll have to equip it with protective accessories, such as bike fenders.
Do not risk using the e-bike in a downpour as it may fill the inside of the motor with too much water, causing the e-bike to malfunction.
Another thing is to provide a plastic cover for your display system to keep it from getting wet. Make sure all cables are closed and properly sealed. Doing these simple things can mean a lot to the efficiency and shelf life of your e-bike. So, before you go out, double check your e-bike’s level of protection against different weathers.
To learn more about the waterproof rating of electric bikes, read our full discussion here: Do Electric Bikes Get Wet?
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#3 Take care of your battery
The battery is like the heart of an electric bikeThis is also the most expensive part. Taking care of your e-bike battery can save you hundreds of dollars in replacement and repair costs.
Your battery life is defined by the cycle count (the number of times it has been emptied and fully charged). A typical e-bike battery has a cycle count in the range of 500-1000 cycles, enough to last your e-bike for years.
To help you maximize your battery’s potential and capacity, be sure to charge it with an original charger and adapter. The use of third-party chargers is discouraged as they may damage your battery due to current mismatch.
Always charge the battery to 100% and avoid draining it completely. Although some experts say it’s a good thing to fully discharge an e-bike battery once in a while.
In terms of storage and transportation, your battery needs to be stored in a cool, dry place away from any wet surfaces. On the other hand, carrying an e-bike and parking it in a public place is prone to theft, so keep your battery safe by locking the battery properly and buying an extra security lock for your e-bike. Here are some accessories that allow you to increase the safety level of your e-bike.
For more tips on how to take care of your battery, read the full article: Caring for Your Electric Bike Battery
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#4 Find a Trusted Electric Bike Store
If you’re still not confident enough about what maintaining and repairing your e-bike should do, contact your local bike shop to help you deal with it. But before you do that, try to research all the available and established bike shops in your community. Put them on a list of most reliable to not-so-reliable. Contact them and try to test their expertise on the type of e-bike you have. Once you’ve found all the shops you think are the most trustworthy, make sure they’re legitimate service shops where you can inspect and service your e-bike.
With e-bikes taking the world by storm, bike shops are most likely to accommodate new customers with advanced bikes like e-bikes. Ultimately, all bike shops will be ready to accommodate all kinds of e-bikes and their complexities. Because such complex techniques require thoughtful and precise tuning, it is sometimes best to leave them to experts to do their jobs.
Generalize
Although there are many bike shops that offer exclusive services for e-bikes, it is still recommended that you consult your official supplier for basic guidance and help with e-bike repair and maintenance. Besides reading blog posts on the subject on the internet, another thing you can do is watch tutorial videos. Just make sure you are watching a video from the official youtube channel of your electric bike supplier or authorized dealer.
Keeping your e-bike in good shape and working can be exhausting and expensive, but that doesn’t take away all the benefits you get from using it. Taking care of your e-bike will be a breeze with just the right knowledge and basic guidelines from your favorite local store or legal supplier. So, keep these four simple tips in mind, and you can go wherever you want with your e-bike.
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