How Often Does My Electric Bike Need Maintenance

Riding your electric bike on sandy beaches is a thrilling experience, but it also comes with unique maintenance challenges. Sand can be abrasive and find its way into various components of your e-bike, potentially causing damage over time. After a day at the beach, it's essential to give your e-bike some extra care.

Begin by gently brushing off any sand from the frame, wheels, and components. Take your time to ensure you've removed as much sand as possible. Afterward, use a damp cloth or a bike-specific cleaning solution to wipe down the entire bike, paying special attention to the drivetrain and chain. Sand particles can accelerate wear and tear in these areas.

Another crucial step in beach maintenance is to consider applying a corrosion-resistant coating to protect the metal parts from the corrosive effects of saltwater. Regular beach maintenance will not only preserve your e-bike's performance but also extend its lifespan, ensuring many more enjoyable seaside adventures.

Winter presents a different set of challenges for electric bike maintenance, especially in cold and snowy climates. Cold temperatures can have a significant impact on battery performance, reducing its capacity. To safeguard your e-bike during the winter months:

First and foremost, store your e-bike indoors or in a heated area when it's not in use. This helps prevent temperature-related battery capacity loss. Additionally, it's a good practice to keep your battery charged during long periods of inactivity, but not fully charged, to avoid capacity loss.

Snow and road salt are common enemies during winter rides. After a winter outing, it's essential to thoroughly wash and dry your e-bike to remove any salt residue that can corrode metal parts. Regularly lubricate the chain and other moving components to prevent rust. Lastly, ensure your tires have good tread and maintain proper tire pressure for added stability on slippery roads.

The basics of e-bike maintenance are similar to maintaining non-powered bicycles. While regular maintenance at home shouldn’t replace regular professional servicing, it can extend your e-bike’s service life, whether you bought a brand-new model or a used electric bike.

Electric bike batteries are not designed to remain fully charged or fully discharged for extended periods. Most e-bike batteries use lithium-ion (Li-ion) cells, which are sensitive to extreme charge levels. Maintaining your battery levels between 30% and 80% keeps the battery in the ideal zone, prolonging its lifespan.

Proper battery care depends on how often you use your e-bike. If you use it daily or regularly, topping the battery off to 100% as needed is fine as long as you ride it soon after. 

Avoid letting your charge level fall under 30% to prevent unnecessarily stressing the battery cells. If your battery charge falls low, recharge it as soon as possible. Leaving a battery fully discharged (0%) for prolonged periods can reduce your battery range and even prevent the cells from being recharged.

If you need to store your e-bike away for extended periods (3 months or more), ensure the charge level is around 50% and unplug the battery from your e-bike. Your battery cells are more likely to degrade if you store a fully charged battery.

Your electric bike’s braking capabilities should be adequate for its size, weight and top speed. Worn-out brake components reduce your electric bike’s stopping power, increasing braking distances and the risk of an accident.

You can integrate brake inspections into your home e-bike maintenance routine by following these steps:

Visually inspect the brakes periodically: Look for signs of wear and tear on the brake pads, discs, calipers and rotors. Ensure your brake calipers are correctly aligned with each rotor and verify that your pads and rotors are not excessively worn or warped.

Test your braking lever: When squeezing the brake levers, they should engage smoothly and feel responsive. If you feel looseness, a spongy feeling or a lack of response, your e-bike braking system may have an issue. Bring your e-bike to a professional repair shop for brake servicing as soon as possible.

Check the brake fluid levels: If your e-bike has a hydraulic braking system, you may need to inspect the fluid levels periodically. If your brake fluid levels are low, follow the manufacturer’s recommended steps to top it off or bring your e-bike to a professional technician.

Give your brakes a live test: Even if every brake component seems to be in working order, a live test can give you valuable information on brake performance. Bring your e-bike to a safe environment like an empty parking lot. Ride it up to speed, then brake hard to check the stopping distances. If your e-bike doesn’t stop as quickly as it once did or your brakes make unexpected noises, consider giving it a tune-up.

Keeping your tires properly inflated and in good condition is critical for your comfort, safety, the electric motor’s efficiency and battery life. Under-inflated or damaged tires typically increase your e-bike’s rolling resistance, which presents many safety risks and reduces your e-bike’s efficiency. 

Riding on poor-condition tires may cause your steering to feel spongy or unresponsive and increase the risk of losing control. It also forces your electric motor to work harder to achieve a particular speed, draining your battery more quickly and increasing the risk of overheating.

Periodically check your tires for proper inflation. If one of your tires is flat due to damage or a puncture, you may need to disassemble the corresponding wheel from the bike. The complexity of this process depends on the electric motor type:

Mid-drive e-bikes, like most Trek electric bikes, do not have motors on the wheels, meaning disassembly is typically no more complex than on a standard bicycle.

E-bikes with hub motors, like Super73 electric bikes, mount the motor on the front or the rear wheel. The disassembly process may require specialized tools if your flat tire is on the hub motor wheel. Consult your owner’s manual or contact an e-bike repair shop for assistance.

In addition to giving your e-bike routine maintenance, scheduling regular servicing and tune-ups can help you detect potential problems as early as possible. Following a regular servicing schedule will help you prevent costly repairs or parts replacement. 

However, you may ask yourself, “How long do electric bikes last between services?” The answer depends on your riding habits and the e-bike’s make and model. 

Check your owner’s manual for the manufacturer’s recommended service intervals. Follow any listed recommendations and take your e-bike to a professional shop for a tune-up when you reach the listed mileage.

If your manual doesn’t offer recommended service intervals, use your riding habits as a guideline to decide when to give your e-bike servicing and what type. The more often you ride your e-bike, the more frequently (lower mile interval) it should be serviced.

Professional parts inspections: Have your e-bike’s major components inspected by an experienced e-bike technician every 100 to 200 miles. Inspections can help you accurately monitor your e-bike’s level of wear and tear.

Tune-ups: A tune-up includes an inspection and adjustments or minor repairs of your e-bike’s major components. Consider giving your e-bike a tune-up every 300 miles to ensure all elements of your e-bike are in proper working order.

Full overhauls: An overhaul is a complete disassembly and thorough inspection of your e-bike’s parts, repairing or replacing all worn-out components. While you should only consider a complete overhaul if an e-bike technician recommends it, it is typically recommended every 1,000 to 1,500 miles.

Professional e-bike technicians can help prolong the life of your electric bike with a tune-up, also known as an e-bike service. Tune-ups are more than just inspections; they include repair and alignment services to keep your e-bike road-worthy and extend its service life. 

On average, electric bike tune-ups cost $100 to $300. However, the cost of a tune-up varies depending on the shop, the number of parts requiring service and the time spent working on your bike. Tune-ups can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days.

When requesting a professional tune-up, you can typically expect the following services:

Deep Cleaning Service

Professional e-bike technicians have the tools and resources to disassemble electric bikes fully and give them a deep cleaning service. In addition to the basic cleaning you can do at home, e-bike technicians will clean more sensitive and harder-to-reach parts.

For instance, they will remove dirt, grit and grime from the inside of your electric motor, the motor cables, frame elements, drivetrain system, shifters, gearbox, derailleur and bearings. All parts that require lubrication, such as the chain or the brake and shift cables, will receive a fresh coat of lube.

Drivetrain Service

Your e-bike’s drivetrain assembly includes many essential parts, such as the chain, chainring, front and rear gears, derailleurs, shift cables and pedal crank.

A professional e-bike technician will disassemble and inspect each part to assess their condition. The more you use an e-bike, the more the chain will wear out the cassette and gears. Other drivetrain parts are also subjected to gradual wear and tear, eventually making lubrication ineffective. E-bike technicians will replace drivetrain parts to restore its original functionality, restoring your e-bike’s factory performance.

The front and rear derailleurs will also be inspected to ensure they are functioning correctly and properly aligned. If one or both of your derailleurs are misaligned, the technicians will make the necessary adjustments.

Brake Service

Ensuring your brakes are in proper working order is crucial for your own safety and that of others. An e-bike tune-up includes the following brake services:

- Brake system inspection: E-bike technicians will disassemble and visually inspect your e-bike’s brakes for signs of damage, wear and tear.

- Brake fluid services: If your e-bike has a hydraulic braking system, a technician can check the brake fluid levels and give you a top-up if needed. They can also bleed the system and refill it to remove air bubbles and contaminants, which can reduce braking power.

- Brake parts replacement: Brake pads and rotors wear out over time and require periodic replacement. Professional technicians can determine which parts need to be replaced and install new brake elements as needed.

Brake caliper alignment. Technicians will inspect the alignment of your brake calipers and ensure they properly contact the rotors. Misaligned calipers can make your braking inconsistent or pull it to one side when braking. A technician has the resources to inspect and re-align your calipers if necessary.

Wheel and Tire Service

Electric bike technicians can ensure your wheels and tires are functioning correctly. They can disassemble wheels from your e-bike safely, disconnecting the hub motor if applicable to inspect the condition of your tires and wheels. 

Professional e-bike wheel and tire services are comprehensive and include the following:

Tire inspections and replacements. E-bike technicians will check your tires for wear, tear, damage and pressure, including the valves and inner tubes. If one or both of your tires are overly worn out or damaged, they will install replacements as needed.

Wheel truing. A wheel truing service consists of an adjustment of your e-bike’s spokes. A technician will adjust the level of tension in each spoke to ensure it is true, meaning perfectly round and straight. You may need a wheel truing service if your tires are wobbling or shaking while riding.

Hub inspection and adjustments. A technician will inspect your bike’s hubs to ensure the bearings are correctly adjusted, allowing the hub to rotate smoothly. If the hub has any looseness, play or unexpected resistance, technicians may adjust or replace your hub bearings to restore its original performance.

Battery and Motor Check-Ups

If your electric motor is not performing as expected or your e-bike is experiencing battery or onboard software issues, an e-bike technician can help with various check-ups and services. 

- Battery health checks: Professional technicians can conduct a health check on the battery to determine its condition and help you know whether it needs to be replaced. They can also give you battery maintenance tips tailored to your make and model.

- Software and firmware updates: Another aspect of a battery service is software updates. Some e-bike battery issues can be traced to outdated firmware or onboard software updates. If you need help installing them, e-bike technicians can assist you and ensure your systems are up-to-date.

- Electric motor servicing: More rarely, some electric motors can experience issues. An e-bike tune-up includes thoroughly inspecting the motor housing, bearings, sensors and electrical connections. They can also help you understand power and classes to know whether your electric bike is street legal in your area.

If needed, e-bike technicians may also conduct electric motor re-calibration, ensuring it delivers the correct amount of torque. If your electric motor is failing or beyond repair, technicians can, if needed, replace it entirely and install a brand-new unit on your e-bike.

Upway is a leading American retailer of pre-owned, affordable electric bikes. Our extensive range of e-bike products has options to suit all riders and applications, ranging from city commuters to off-roading models, cargo transportation or road-tripping.

Each of the e-bikes we sell is Upway Certified, meaning every model we sell has passed our 20-point inspection review. Our professional technicians review all electric and mechanical components and accessories, restoring each e-bike to like-new condition. It allows you to purchase a high-quality e-bike for up to 60% off its original sticker price.

Contact us today with any questions or inquiries regarding our pre-owned brand-name e-bikes and find your next e-bike at Upway.