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Biking is a material-intensive sport. Even more so with a motor than without. That's why you should check the material for signs of wear at shorter and longer intervals. The right time for a major e-bike service is at the end of the season at the latest. Because one thing is certain: when the first warm days arrive next spring, bike dealers will be at their limit in no time. You shouldn't expect quick, professional help then. The supply of spare parts is also disrupted at the moment. More lead time will help to get hold of common wear parts such as chains, sprockets and brake pads. So don't wait until the season starts again to have your e-MTB serviced!
In this article you will find the following instructions:
And if you are planning to ride your e-mountainbike through the winter, there are a few tricks to prepare the bike for this in the best possible way. Corrosion protection is particularly important. With road salt as an accelerator, rust eats through aluminium alloys in fast motion. Before you start your autumn e-bike maintenance, we recommend a gentle wash so that the coarse dirt does not block the view of the details. Old-fashioned cleaning with a bucket and brush is the gentlest way. You should only use the steam jet on the tyres, otherwise it will quickly do more damage than good. If you are storing the bike over the winter, we recommend a dry storage area. The battery prefers medium temperatures to extremes and should be stored half-charged over the winter - this also applies to spare batteries, of course.
Our plan for e-bike maintenance here is based on the most important components of a motorised bike. Let's go to the workshop!
- Drive
- Circuit
- Warehouse
- Brakes
- Impellers
1 - Maintaining the drive on an e-bike
The drive is the centre of wear. Care reduces the follow-up costs. You should observe the following when maintaining the chain, sprocket and chainring!
Hans-Peter Ettenberger, EMTB test laboratory, recommends here: "My tip is chain wax. With the dry lubricant, the chain stays clean even when riding in mud, and hardly any deposits form on the sprockets and chainring, which makes maintenance easier."
2 - Care of the e-bike gears
The derailleur is a delicate, mechanical marvel. To ensure that twelve gears run smoothly and quietly, the sensitive Bowden cable in particular must be in good shape.
Christoph Allwang, EMTB test lab, advises this: "Don't skimp on the inner cable! The better stainless steel cables are rolled on the outside and therefore have a rounder and lower friction contour than cheap cables. Coated cables run even more smoothly, but are also much more expensive, much more sensitive and can be damaged during installation."
3 - Bearing maintenance for e-bikes
The function of the bike depends on many ball and plain bearings. We show you the most important steps for maintaining the bearings during e-bike maintenance.
4 - Brake check - for constant safety
Brake pads should be checked regularly for wear. But the discs also suffer, especially in muddy conditions. Take a closer look at these components when servicing your e-bike.
Mike Schinke, EMTB test lab, gives the additional tip: "New brake pads have to be braked in, otherwise they wear out rapidly: brake ten times from 20 km/h to almost zero, then brake really hard once on a downhill run."
5 - Checking the wheels during e-bike maintenance
Tyres and wheels have to take a lot of knocks. You should therefore check the concentricity and spoke tension regularly. Otherwise spokes can break in the worst case.
Dominik Scherer, EMTB test lab, says: "You should use a tyre change to have a look under the rim tape. A lot of dirt and moisture collects in the spoke holes. This creates a corrosive environment for the nipples, which makes it more difficult to centre the wheels. Regular maintenance guarantees that the wheels can be centred well when necessary."
7 basic care tips for e-bike maintenance
- Batteries
It is best to leave the batteries half-charged over winter - at room temperature if possible. Check the charge level from time to time. Recharge from 30 % up to 60 %.
- Contacts
Rub dry and check whether the contacts are shiny. To refloat: spray affected contacts with contact spray. Vaseline or terminal protection grease can be used as corrosion protection.
- Vapour jet
Only the tyres can be cleaned safely. However, the electrics and bearings will be damaged if water gets in. Especially the motor electronics, as they are located behind the seals of the bottom bracket!
- Salt
After riding on salted roads, wash the bike thoroughly, dry it and only then park it. Salt kills many aluminium alloys!
- Wax
Hard wax from car care is ideal for protecting all aluminium parts from corrosion: Fork dip tubes, hubs (spoke holes!). The paintwork also benefits from a coat of wax.
- Fits
Grease or assembly paste should be applied wherever parts sit close together and water could penetrate, for example on the seat post. Exception: Carbon seatposts require extra care with carbon paste.
- Screw heads
Screw heads rust quickly. A splash of penetrating oil displaces water and ensures beautiful heads next spring.
>> No matter how conscientiously you brush the sprockets or lubricate the cables. From time to time, the gears also need to be readjusted. Adjusting the MTB gears: In 5 simple steps tells you all the necessary steps for a perfectly purring gear shift.
>> For all those who have installed or upgraded a new Sram AXS, we show in Sram AXS: This is how easy it is to set up the electronic gearstick Everything from the first pairing of the components to the firmware update.
>> The battery on an E-MTB requires special care. That is why 9 answers: How to extend the e-bike battery life exclusively for the maintenance of the centrepiece of an e-bike.
>> Perhaps you notice during maintenance that the light on your e-mountainbike is no longer working properly? Or have you been annoyed by the dim glow of your battery light for a while? E-bike lighting - lightshow for the trails and everyday life.
