E-Bike Maintenance Checklist

Any mode of transportation needs regular maintenance to make sure it gets you from A to B every time. An e-bike requires routine maintenance too. In fact, the routine maintenance on an e-bike is very similar to a traditional bicycle and you don’t have to be an electrical genius to carry it out. Read on for an e-bike maintenance checklist that is easy to keep up in the long run. 

How Often Do I Need to Give my E-Bike a Check-up?

How often you need to check your bike depends on how often you ride it. Assuming you use your e-bike to commute or to exercise every day, your routine bike maintenance schedule will look something like this:

• A pre-ride check.

• A post-ride check and clean.
• Weekly basic check 
• A more in-depth tune up once a month
• A six-month overhaul
• A yearly service

Naturally, if you don’t ride your e-bike regularly, the need for these check-ups reduces and you can get away with carrying out the six month tune up once a year and only need to service your e-bike every 18 months or so. 

While this might read like a lot of work, it actually doesn’t take up much time nor does it require a lot of specialized knowledge. We’ve detailed each of these maintenance routines below, so you can see how easy it is.

 10 Point Pre-Ride Check 

This check is just to make sure that everything is working A-OK before your ride. When you get the hang of it, you’ll realize that it takes less than 5 minutes to complete.

1. Battery is connected, locked, and charged.
2. Electrical devices are working correctly including lights.
3. All nuts and bolts are tight.
4. The front and rear wheels are secured to the bike frame and cam locks are tight.
5. The tires are filled to the correct pressure, as indicated on the tire side wall.
6. The brakes are adjusted and operating correctly, including the brake kill switches.
7. The seat is locked and the seat stem is adjusted to the correct height.
8. Handlebars are tightened firmly.
9. Chain, crank arms and pedals all run smoothly and are lubricated as instructed by the manufacturer.
10. The rider is wearing appropriate safety gear, including: high visibility reflective clothing, helmet, gloves and eye protection.

Post-Ride Check

This check is to ensure that nothing damaged your e-bike while you were out on the road. This shouldn’t take you more than 10 minutes.

• Check your tires and rims for any damage they might have received. Check your crank arms and pedals too.
• Check your gears by turning the pedals while your bike is off the floor. Shift through the gears ensuring the transitions are smooth. Slow your wheel with a brake test.
• With a cloth wipe down your bike frame and chain.
• Check your wheels for their alignment by looking down the tires.
• Put your battery on charge.

Weekly Check:

The weekly check is a more in-depth version of your pre-and-post ride checks where you look carefully for any problems and give your bike a thorough cleaning.

• With a cloth wipe down your chain rings, cassette, and derailleur pulleys and check their alignment.
• Have a look at your brake pads for wear and tear. 
• Inspect your frame thoroughly for damage.
• Inspect your wheels for rim damage, wobble, broken spokes.

Monthly Check

Your monthly tune up takes a little more involvement and requires a basic understanding of how an e-bike works. It’s easy to learn how to do and is even easier if you are used to taking care of a traditional bicycle. No electrical knowledge needed. 

• Adjust your brakes and check your brake pad alignment.
• Check your bike tuning by checking your derailleur and making sure it’s shifting properly.
• Lubricate your chain, braking and gear shifting cables as instructed by the manufacturer.
• Check tire wear, inspect for rim damage and spoke tension.
• Tighten all your firmware including accessory mountings, etc.

Six Monthly Tune Up

Unless you’re totally confident adjusting your brakes, gear shifter, checking your drivetrain, your bearing system, and safety-checking all your bolts, take your e-bike to a service centre until you learn how. It isn’t very expensive and the once-over the professionals give your e-bike can pre-empt any problems, so you know your bike is safe on the roads.

Annual Service

Leave this one to the professionals. They pretty much take apart your entire bike to check every component carefully, clean them and lube them as well.

At Green Light Cycle, we have high-quality, strong, lightweight, and sporty aluminium framed e-bikes that are fast, silent, and economical. Our troubleshooting page is full of tips on how to fix easy issues with your e-bike and you can always get in touch if you need replacement parts or advice! 

If you are not familiar or cannot do the above service to your e bike please contact Green Light Cycle Ltd. for the following ”M” Checks:

MINI 5 point M check - Quick tune up

• F & R true wheels and tension spokes
• F & R true brake discs and adjust brakes, check calipers, hand levers, cables and lubricate
• Shifter cable check adjustment & lubrication, derailleur cable adjuster wheels check & lubrication
• Head set check and lubrication, stem bolt tension check and adjustment
• Chain wear check lubrication, Bottom bracket arms and pedals check and lubrication

12 point M check Full E-Bike tune up

• Clean and degrease the bike.
• F & R tire wear check and inflation.
• F & R rim check for bends, spoke hole wear, front hub bearings grease and adjustment, front quick release tension, rear motor bolt tension.
• F & R true wheels and tension spokes.
• F & R true brake discs, adjust brakes, check calipers, hand levers, cables and lubricate. 
• Head set check and lubrication, stem bolt tension check and adjustment. 
• Shifter check, cable adjustment and lubrication, derailleur check, derailleur wheels check and lubrication.
• Chain wear check and lubrication. 
• King Meter check, function, cadence sensor check & adjustment, motor & battery voltage check, wire connectors check.
• Battery Analyzer, simulated road test for capacity.
• Bottom bracket bearings, crank, crank arms, pedals check and lubrication.
• Saddle and seat post check, quick release tension and adjustment.

If you have any questions please never hesitate to reach out to Green Light Cycles.