Are Electric Bikes easy to maintain?

A lot of people who are interested in electric bikes do not necessarily see themselves as 'cyclists' and as such don't feel confident doing bike maintenance. The good news is, that even though an electric bike typically has more features than a conventional bike, there is no more maintenance to do.

 

Tyre Pressure - Resist Punctures, Get Good Mileage

Maintaining the pressure in your tyres is important on two fronts. A good pressure in your tyres will help to resist punctures. The 'harder' the tyres are, the less vulnerable they will be to thorns and other debris that often get swept into roads during the summer. 

A good tyre pressure is also very important in getting the most mileage out of your battery per charge. If you notice that your e-bike is getting less mileage per charge, the first step you should take is to get the tyres up to their correct pressure. 

 

What tyre pressure?

Have a look at the side of your tyres. Embossed on the sidewalls will be a set of numbers that gives you the minimum and maximum tyre pressures. These will typically be double digits followed by the letters PSI eg. 40-65 PSI, as in the below photo.  

Tyres will lose pressure every couple of weeks or so, whether you ride them or not, so put a reminder in your phone to pump them up. 

 Tyre pressure

 

Chain Lubrication

This is a lot simpler than people think, but the difference it makes to your ride quality is substantial.

A lubricated chain will give you maximum efficiency, so your bike rides smoothly, gets you up to your cruising speed quickly, and it won't wear your gears out.

 

Step one: Clean Your Chain

This is especially important if you're an off-roader because when dirt and lubricants mix, they can actually form a grinding paste that will wear down your components. 

Clean your chain with a brush and warm soapy water. Some people like to apply degreaser to the chain first if it's especially dirty. Rinse with a little water or a wet cloth. 

 

Step two: Add chain oil

Some people reach for WD-40 but this is a thin liquid that doesn't offer long term lubrication on a bike. A proper chain oil is best. 

Drop-by-drop, add bike lubricant onto the chain links as you slowly turn the pedals. Read the packaging for guidance on how much to use. Lightly lubricate the rear cassette (cogs) as well. 

Leave the oil to settle in for a few minutes then wipe off the excess. If there is any excess oil, dirt will stick to this and create that dreaded grinding paste mentioned earlier. 

Chain lube 

 

Motor maintenance? 

There's nothing you need to do. The motors are sealed so there's nothing that can be serviced by you. Our technicians can plug your bike in to diagnostic software (depending on the model) so if there are any software glitches, we can check that and make any necessary repairs. All you need to do is make sure you don't go through any deep water

 Bosch e-bike motor

 

Battery maintenance 

Treat your battery well and it will last and last. Some of our staff have batteries which are still going after 10 years. We recommend keeping the battery at room temperature as much as you can.

If a cold night is expected and you keep the bike in a cold garage, you can unlock the battery and bring the battery in. 

The other important thing to do is to make sure that the battery always has some charge in it, even if you are leaving the bike in storage for a while, make sure to leave at least there is half a charge in the battery. 

Bosch Powertube battery 

 

 

Handlebar Display

Some of you will have a handlebar display (screen) that has an internal battery that is kept charged by the main battery when the bike is in use. So if you don't use the bike for a while, this little internal battery may completely discharge.

These display units can often be recharged via USB cable, so plug this in with a regular USB charging cable to wake it up. Contact our technicians for advice. 

 

Servicing

We recommend having at least an annual service. If you are a heavy user, you may want to visit us every 6 months so that we can check how worn out the drivetrain is. Even if the bike is running well, the motor manufacturers may have produced a software update that will need to be uploaded to your bike during a service. Currently we offer three years of free servicing when you buy from Energise E-bikes. 

 

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