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How to maintain e-bike yourself: instructions, checklist and tips
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About e-bike maintenance in a nutshell
- Regular maintenance extends the service life of your electric bike, prevents accidents and increases riding enjoyment. We recommend a thorough maintenance session at least twice a year.
- In addition to cleaning, it is particularly important to check the brakes, drive and gears, wheels and lights. You only need a few tools for this. However, you should know exactly what you are doing, especially with safety-relevant components such as the brakes.
- Remember to look after the battery on your e-bike. Maintenance of the electronics usually has to be carried out by a specialist.
- The maintenance feature in the new PowUnity app for the BikeTrax GPS tracker reminds you when inspections are due. This makes it easier to keep your bike in good shape.
Bent gears, poorly adjusted gears, worn brake pads: Wear and tear on an e-bike reduces the fun of riding and turns your proud luxury vehicle into a bike with a motor. If the brakes suddenly fail or the chain breaks while you’re out and about, it can even become a fire hazard. To maintain your bike regularly increases the service life of bike’s parts. You will also recognise in good time when a replacement is necessary.
Sounds complicated?
With good instructions, it’s not that difficult. In the following, we will guide you step by step through the most important tasks. We explain what you need for electric bike maintenance, how to proceed and when a regular check at a professional bike shop is advisable.
How often is e-bike maintenance necessary?
You should check bikes and e-bikes at regular intervals. A thorough inspection is recommended at least twice a year, preferably in or after winter and in autumn. If you ride a lot and frequently explore rough terrain on your e-MTB, it may be more often.
Take between half an hour and an hour and have everything you need for maintenance ready.
Snow, ice and winter temperatures are tough on any bikes, especially on electric bike batteries. Find out here how to winterize your e-bike.
What you need for e-bike maintenance
Is your toolbox limited to the minimum? Don’t worry. With the following equipment, you can get pretty far with a basic maintenance:
- Warm water
- Cloth or microfibre cloth
- Tire lever
- Bike cleaner
- Washing-up liquid
- Chain oil
- Bike pump
- Screwdriver
- Allen key
- Spanner
- Brushes in various sizes
Tip: You can buy cleaning kits for bicycles and e-bikes in various designs from retailers. So you have a basic set.
Depending on the scope of maintenance, additional accessories may be useful. These include a chain gauge, for example.
Step-by-step instructions for electric bike maintenance
The scope and individual steps of a maintenance unit depend on the condition of the bike. Use the following steps as a guide for thorough maintenance:
Clean the e-bike
It all starts with a cleaning process. To keep your bike clean a bucket of warm water with a little washing-up liquid is usually sufficient for this. A bike cleaner makes the job easier. But be careful: Aggressive cleaning agents remove dirt quickly, but can also damage sensitive bike parts. That’s why we advise against it. It is also better to leave the steam cleaner in the cellar.
Maintain the drive unit
Check the drivetrain after cleaning. Are the sprockets or teeth bent? Is the derailleur hanger bent? You can measure the chain elongation with the aforementioned gauge. Replace parts that have reached an advanced stage of wear at an early stage. Damaged components often affect others.
Clean and lubricate the chain. Chain cleaner and a special chain oil for bicycles are suitable for this. Apply the oil to the inside of the chain. Wait a short time and then remove any excess oil.
Check the gears
The gears are an important and sensitive component of bicycles. Check whether it is bent and check the shift cables. If the outer casing is badly damaged, replace it. Maintain uncoated cables with penetrating oil.
Tip: Re-adjusting a rear derailleur on an e-bike is also not rocket science. However, the instructions for this are beyond the scope of this article. You can find help in the instructions for adjusting the gears.
Tip: Re-adjusting a rear derailleur on an e-bike is also not rocket science. However, the instructions for this are beyond the scope of this article. You can find help in the instructions for adjusting the gears.
The brake check
Functioning brakes are extremely important for your safety and that of other road users. That’s why we recommend: If you feel that your brakes are weakening and you are not familiar with the matter, visit a bike dealer or workshop as soon as possible.
If you are handy, you can do it yourself:
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Measure the disc brake thickness and the thickness of the brake pads. A minimum thickness is usually noted on the disc brakes. If the thickness falls below this and/or there are deep cracks, replace the disc.
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To measure the brake pads, you must remove them. To do this, it is necessary to loosen the locking screw. Clean used brake pads that you want to reuse with degreaser, caliper and disc with brake cleaner.
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If you have replaced disc brake, realign the caliper. To do this, first loosen the bolts and then retighten them alternately while pulling the brake lever. It is important that the pads do not rub against the disc.
Check tires and wheels
Take a close look at your bike tires. Is the tread still in good condition? Are there any brittle spots? Are the tires holding the correct tire pressure? Check whether the wheels turn smoothly or if there is any rubbing. Carefully tighten loose spokes with a nipple tightener, but gently and always alternating between different spokes.
Check the lights
Test your lights. Are they working properly? Are the lights dirty? If a fixed lighting system is causing problems, defective cables are often to blame. If you haven’t already done so, remove any dirt from the reflectors. Especially if an e-bike or bicycle is parked outside, these are particularly vulnerable after the winter.
Tighten the screws
Once you have completed the previous steps, check all the bolts on your bike or e-bike. Simply retighten any loose pedals. But don’t overdo it with the tightening. Penetrating oil is again a good remedy against rusting screw heads.
Checklist for the inspection of electric bikes
Done… Or not?
You can use the following checklist to check whether an electric bike service is complete or whether you have forgotten something. It is also a good indication of whether you should also have a professional service carried out.
- Bike cleaned including reflectors
- Tires in order and inflated
- Wheels turn freely
- Chain cleaned, checked for clogging and oiled
- Gears work perfectly
- All lights work
- Brakes apply correctly
- Brake cables and brake pads are in order or have been replaced
- All screws are tightened
The power system: how to look after your electric bike battery properly
Modern lithium-ion batteries supply your e-bike with power for many years. However, how many years also depends on how you handle the lithium batteries. The following maintenance tips will extend its service life:
- If possible, avoid discharging the battery completely and charge it to around 90% after every ride.
- Only use original chargers from the manufacturer.
- Expose the battery to extreme temperatures as rarely as possible.
- If you do not use it for a long time, store it in a dry, clean place. An ambient temperature of around 20 °C is ideal.
If you are travelling by bike in winter, do not install the e-bike battery until shortly before your ride. Neoprene protective covers help to keep it warm and prevent it from losing too much power.
When a professional should service your e-bike
Even the most talented hobbyists take their bike to a professional from time to time. This is especially true for e-bikes. This is because you can only check the built-in electric bike components like the battery and motor with suitable equipment. Normal tools are not enough. An e-bike workshop has special software to service and update the motor. An experienced bike mechanic can also measure the battery capacity.
Apart from that, the same applies to regular bikes as to cars: safety first. If you don’t have the confidence to service sensitive parts such as brakes or gears yourself, it’s better to call in the experts. You can tips find out how bike inspections differ and what costs you can expect in our “Bike inspection: instructions and tips”.
Never forget maintenance again with the PowUnity app
Never want to forget when a bike inspection is due again? You can save reminders in the maintenance section of the new PowUnity app. You also benefit from highly efficient theft protection with the app and the BikeTrax GPS tracker.
Conclusion: e-bike maintenance can be learnt
Whether electric mountain bikes or e-trekking bikes, every model needs electric bike maintenance. The winter break or after the cold season is the ideal time for this. You don’t necessarily need a professional to make your bike running smoothly. Some things can easily be done by yourself. However, if you dare to tackle the brakes and electrical components, you should know what you are doing to avoid damage and accidents. Otherwise, it is better to take your bike to a workshop before your next tour.
FAQs on independent e-bike maintenance
Can I maintain my electric bike myself?
You can carry out a lot of maintenance and care work on a pedelec yourself. Your knowledge and motivation are crucial. For example, you should only service the brakes yourself if you know exactly what you are doing. The electronics are best checked by a specialist with the necessary equipment. Software updates cannot always be carried out by yourself either.
What is the best way to look after my electric bike battery?
Avoid exposing an e-bike battery to extreme temperatures. A neoprene protective cover helps in winter. If you do not use it for a longer period of time, store the battery dry and protected at temperatures of around 20° degrees. Charge it to 90% after every ride.
How do I clean my e-bike properly?
Use a soft cloth and a mild soap solution to clean your e-bike. Avoid using high-pressure cleaners, as these can force water and cleaning agents into sensitive electrical parts. Make sure to protect the battery and display from moisture. After cleaning, you should allow all moving parts, especially the chain, to dry thoroughly before continuing maintenance.
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