How To Stop Destroying Your E-Bike | Winter E-MTB Maintenance Mistakes
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 มิ.ย. 2024
- Winter can be hard on EMTBs. The addition of natures grinding paste puts even more wear on the drivetrain, we drafted in MTB tech expert Doddy to show you how to stop destroying your E-Bike⚡️
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You can use protective tape to save your frame from cable rub and other scratches; keep an eye on your drivetrain; and try to avoid water ingress. Finally, don't be too precious about your E-MTB! It's a tool for having fun in the woods after all . 🤘
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Have you had to learn any of these the hard way? Hopefully not! Share this video with your friends that may need to give their bike a little bit of TLC this winter!
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Umm. Sorry mate, I have to call you out on this one. Chains do stretch. The actual chain will be measurably longer than a new one with the same number of links. I don't know why you would say it's impossible for the chain itself to stretch. The steel itself that make up the flat metal links can definitely stretch and they do. Compare a new chain to and old one, it's not just the rollers, otherwise the overall length would still be the same. The rollers are simply floating on each pin and have nothing to do with the chain length. Any metal will stretch over time with enough repeated tension and impact stress. Why do you think spokes need to be retentioned periodically? They stretch on the opposite end of impacts when the top of the wheel pulls away from the center of the axle.
Bosch batteries arent entirely waterproof. Dont leave it out in a few days of rain. Unless you put some protective tape all arround the seams and always make sure the drain hole in the socket is cleared out. And getting any chemical, not only oilbased obds on brakepads or the disc, even cleaning agents can and usually will mess them up. Squeeks like hell afterwards and brakes less. Burning them clean with a blowtorch is the way to go, just dont burn the resin out of them, done that once too haha
ViperGuy Dodge i actually agree on that, you can see that effect noticably on singlespeed chains (softer steel). We usually get that from a 50mtr roll and spend arround 10 of those a year (yeah we got a ton of bikes). You can meassure it and after 2years (usually when we replace) when the chains get swapped, hold it to a new one and the plates are noticably longer. The wear ontop of that, sometimes can make for a whole link difference.
How harder the metal, how longer it takes to do that though. But with the ammount of force you put on an emtb chain, it goes really fast.
Ontop of that a new chain needs to settle as well. On gearhubs and single speeds we put them on too tight, then pinch the chain together with allot of force. Doing that every time after half a revolution with the pedal. Afterwards the chain will be more slack and most of the setteling of the pins will be done. On a derrailer system you obviously cant but you can hang it up and then hang on the chain.
Just by doing this your chain will last allot longer as it wears less.
On emtbs we swap more or less arround every 1500/2000km.
Oure gearhub city ebikes (closed chainhouse) 2500/3000
Normal mtb 1500/2000 as well. (seaclimate, and powdersand is a killer on anything not having a chainhousing)
Normal city bikes ruffly 4000.
Thats pushing it by the way.
@@XennialGuy No. Steel does not stretch. At least not under the load at which it's loaded in a bike chain. Also, if it stretched beyond the elastic deformation limit (Rp0,2) it'd go to hell in a hand basket rather quickly. However, Doddy didn't mention that pins wear out and side plates wear out, too. So, the actual "stretch" is the accumulation of small gaps in the pin-side plate connections. And yes, this is much more important and actually changes the pitch of the chain, than the roller wear. In fact, rollers will always take a pitch-position dictated by the pin - it'll just be at a different "section of their circle", if you can understand what I mean. Basically, if it's "new" then the roller will take a seat at "6 o'clock" between the two neighboring cogs, and if it's worn out it'll take a seat at the "~4 o'clock" position around the pin. This is also why absolutely new chains measure 0.25% stretch with the shown ParkTool CC-2 tool (because the tool doesn't compensate for roller gap/free play). However, if you made the chain taught and measured with a metal ruler or Vernier calipers the pin to pin distance over let's say 12 links - it'll be exactly 6" - meaning 0% stretch pitch wise.
I've been using electrical tape as an extra seal around charging port and battery compartment on my Cube Stereo. This prevents any contaminants from entering the inside of the housing. When the bike needs charging I simply remove the tape, charge the bike and later re-seal it with a fresh piece of tape. It's simple, cheap and effective!
Me too. Cube hybrid pro 750
Best educational ebike maintenance video I've see! Easily Understandable!! I'm a Newbie, really appreciate this information and how to's!!!
You and GMBN have, by far, the best production vidoes about our sport, bar none. I have learned so much about techniques and maintenance from your channel that has contributed my greater personal enjoyment every week. There's no one that even comes close to your quality. A huge thanks.
It's almost like they are 'professionals'
@@TheWebstaff 🤔yeah..... professionals👍😝
I found cleaning the cassette with wooden BBQ skewers works well. They fit in between the gears nicely and go all the way down to the hub. I rub both sides of the gear with the skewers while turning the crank, gets rid of the gunk that collects there. Cheers!
A great substance for the connections and charging port is dielectric grease. It repels water, protects the terminals and is non-conductive. A little dollop into the port and close it up.
Extremely helpful maintenance tips. thank you!
Thanks Doddy. A good winter tlc reminder well presented as usual (I cannot image Mr Jones taking such care of his bikes!) 😎
Brilliant tips as always EMBN
An absolutely informative video. Love your channel. Kind regards from Bonnie Scotland 🏴. Keep safe
IME you can avoid/minimise the hard gunk on your rear mech and cassette by avoiding Ceramic Lubes. Get a grunge brush on the wheels and some degreaser and that's it sorted. I use Purple Extreme and never have to deal with it anymore.
This is good info for a beginner who has a mid-drive. As a 4 season rider who has been going for 20 years on the same bike I would add a suggestion to this: do a full inspection, cleaning, and greasing at the start of every season, this way season specific precautions can be done. I have disovered grease and lube that works great in summer turn to gum in the winter cold and, conversely, the same liquify in the summer heat. Would be nice if you guys did some rear wheel motor e-bikes, that's what I have and am familler with.
Watching and listening to your expertise is a pleasure and I have learnt so much-recently returned from overseas with a 48 volt fat tired beauty and now I have a perfect teacher so I can get the maximum from my Bike,encore your a diamond.
Top tube protection I use a amazon basics cable tidy, they are made from Lycra so they stretch to fit you top tube. Get them dirty take them off and chuck them in the washing washing.
Excellent Video! Proper cleaning and lubricating after every ride will prevent so many costly problems later on.
Great help, thanks
One tip I've learnt is using a shower cap (from staying in hotels: as I'm bald). They are great to put over the disc to protect it form any gunk when cleaning
VERY!! very good Video! Thanks so much! I appreciate this. You can explain very good, i am german, and i understand everything. Thanks, Danke schön!!
Point one reminds me of scars.
either you show them or hide them.
I like every paint chip and scuff on my bike, each one tells its own story, some do double service as I have matching scars to scuffs/chips :D
Most of my chips are from taking the bloody great motorbike chain on and off ; )
Amazing!
After cleaning my bike I always use a dogdryer to dry al the e MTB. That works very good. There are no parts left where the water is still standing in. After that I use some bike cleaner from muc off. That protect the bike against water.
I've learned the hard way that water ingress into the Bosch motor casing along the speed sensor wire causes the sensor to fail. The result is Error Code 503 due to the lack of sensor data. No power is subsequently available.
Prior to this problem, I had been out on the bike on several consecutive wet days. The bike had been cleaned carefully by dribbling water and using a rag to shift the muck. Despite being out of warranty (just), Bosch provided a new sensor free of charge.
I have now sealed the point at which the sensor wire enters the motor casing with bathroom sealant and I place a towels over the motor and battery when cleaning. To give the bike time to dry properly, I intend to avoid using the bike on consecutive days in wet conditions, which is a bit limiting.
Amazes me how crap these systems are, on an offroad mountainbike they should be made fully waterproof as that is what the bike is made for..
Great video, thank you
Great information, thanks
Thanks for the support, Bob! 👍
grreat advice thanks
Ha ha the vids the wrong way round! Started watching - he's farting bout worrying about a bit of paint. End of vid - don't be precious, thrash it!
Nearly didn't watch when started with paint damage, but excellent video.
I'm into trials/motocross and my ebike seems very delicate and dainty to me. Asking bit too much of the componetry. Wee spindly chain, tiny fragile brackets holding major bits like derailleur on etc.
Brilliant crack tho - getting feel of it now
I notice Specialized has gone to a triple seal on the charging port beginning with the 2022 models. For my 2021 Turbo Levo Comp, I believe just putting some electrical tape over the charging port door will keep it clean.
Great points to follow, I am curious what you recommend after a mud covered day to get the mud off the bike. Soap and water and a hose with a spray nozzle with not much pressure. Checking all the points you mentioned after ?
Just use a bit of cardboard with a slot cut in it to slide over your axle and protect the disc and caliper when spraying stuff that might overspray...
With my dirt bikes I always put a fan blowing on them. Same with my ebike. Can also put it in my office with the a/c on dry.
I have some nail polish to touch up dings
Here in Canazuela we have Princess Auto and, they sell automotive brake cleaner cheap all the time. Cleans chains and cassettes great and quickly...
"Gunk up like a tramps gum line." Quality, very funny.
Thanks
Cold weather effects on battery would be useful,lost some capacity charging at cold temps I believe.
Thank you for this video. There are not nearly enough maintaining videos on TH-cam across all catagories. Keep it up. :)
Excellent, common-sense video Doddy!
I was hoping for some more specific suggestions about E-Bikes. Most of the tips go for every bike you ride in the dirt wet.
After washing and even a dry wash I've been using high pressed air using a air triggered gun to regulate the air pressure so not to use to much air pressure in order to dry off and or clean off components. It seems to work very well. I learned doing this years ago in the automotive industry owning a bodyshop and detail shop. Any reason you can think of not to use this method? Obviously around seals you must be carful not to use too much pressure.
i have a 20/4" fat tire ebike and i find the most important thing is to keep moisture out of the electrical system and i do this using both self fusing electrical tape and silicone sealer. i also use dielectric non conductive grease on the juliet connectors as these are the usual cheap connections containing copper and these are prone to corrosion. a lot of amps go through there and it gets warm then cold and this can cause problems. it also reduces the risk of arcing as on mine there are 9 pins in close proximity to each other. you only need a thin smear of grease to do the job. my daily rider which is a nearly finished project is a kona 27.5" with a yose power kit. i fitted a new 3 speed crank a brand new 9 speed cassette, front and rear derailleurs and new shifters with cables. i also fiited a comfier saddle and adjustable riser for the bars. new continental all terrain tires too. i bought the bike as it is very light and even with the kit you can easily pick it up with one hand. my fat tire bike is a tank in comparison and thats why it runs 2 batteries with a balancer kit. i love ebikes and its got me back in the saddle again after many years not riding, my knees arent the best so pedelecs are great for getting me out and about.
This is not so much WINTER conditions as it is general WET conditions. A rainy summer day in Whistler will have these muddy conditions.
I've used an e-bike on my outdoor job through two REAL winters, going for hours in -20 Celsius. Battery has worked like a champ. Not worried anymore. It can take abuse.
Now I'm ready to put my own E7000-mtb through it's first scandinavian winter. I basically use it as a city car. Ice Spiker Pro tires on. Full coverage mudguards. Neoprene cover on battery.
Only worry is road salt, but it's only used on highways here so I only expect small amounts that cars can bring from the highway to the roads I ride. Not easy to wash a bike in -20 Celsius :S
Very well done! Thank you!
I had trouble with my Jam2 cutting out in wet conditions, removed the motor and put dielectric grease on the plug connectors, no trouble since!
Vaseline if not same effect
Hi, New to ebikes and have a Specialized Vado hybrid. Do eMTBs read across more tech/maintenance wise than e road bikes? Ride the narrow country lanes rather than off road, but can’t find anything that really relates to hybrids. Any thoughts?
Just a thought. I'm wondering if liquid Sugar Soap will be an effective safe way of cleaning your bike. It's used as a strong detergent degreaser in the Decorating world. And old tooth brush along with sugar soap should work a treat.
So how often should you clean the chain/drive if driving in the winter?
I recently got a new ebike and I'm nervous about rust.
Doesn't waxing the chain make it last like 3 times longer as long as you use petroleum naphtha to strip off the factory lube before waxing? Also, use dry lube on the gears and jockeys (like you said)
So what are all the key areas to spray the water displacer with? U only showed the chain and cassette. Is there any more?
Is that sticker you put on the top tube in your shop?
What is the product can i use to clean chain or crank
Do you have a video lubricating an e bike?
My Haibike with Yamaha motor got Cover for Display so protect screen & Buttons quite few friends bought same cover from Germany Chris Smith seen my one
Best haircut in the business 👍👍👍
Where can I get the tape you've put on the frame of your bike in this video?
My 2020 Levo gets an error if I wash the power button on the top tube or the handle bar power button. I have learn to just wipe those areas down if dirty.
Wd40 specialist 😉
my bike groans from the motor/controller area, makes the motor sort of seize up, or stop outputting. I can't replicate the problem when I'm not riding.
The issue stops and starts when riding, and I'm not sure of the catalyst.
Is this because of binding to the frame? I can't find my problem on TH-cam at all
Great for the price.
What's the best frame protection for carbon fibre frames? I feel that helitape would peel off the lacquer when removed.
Invis or Hellitape. Using a hairdryer to heat the tape aids safe removal.
👍💯
I like Boeshield T-9 sprayed into a clean microfiber cloth.
If I spray, I plastic bag electrical components.
I wrap my 42v 15ah lion battery in a thick scarf 🤗
Is TF2 safe for electric components?
Doddy, please do all the tech videos for both channels
Your idea of winter is not the same as mine. Got any tips for riding my Ebike in -38c weather?
I'm trying to keep my 500w ebike charged as I'm riding. I have a 4lb scooter battery that powered on a 750w power inverter. So I thought about plugging the ebike charger in the inverter with just 1 small scooter battery. So I asked the man that works at the battery store he told me since the charger is 48v , he said I need to have 4 small scooter batteries to make it 48v. Do I need 4 batteries or can I just use 1 battery. He said if I use less than 48v it can mess up something. Is that true or false ?? May some 1 tell me the names of the jump starters that has 1000w and more that's all electric and very light weight or the lightest possible like around 23-50 lbs so I can mount it on my ebike ??
Links plz!
Or at least how you spell all the equipment you just mentioned.
Thx
Thanks for the video, useful tips 😊perhaps a better analogy for a tramps gum line would be more appropriate though?
I love it ,the bikes are made to be thrashed👍👍👍🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😁😁😁😁
And cleaned and cared for.
2nd Comment: Anyone have personal experience with Ecells (in Nevada USA) Super Monarch ebike (dual batteries, motors & suspensions, 26" wheels, 4" fat tires, speeds over 32+mph) orange & black colors!???! I'd like to hear about your good/bad experiences with it! Thanks!
"A tramps gum line"
Beautiful.... So well put....
Are there any nice cheap E-bikes that are trail worthy?
how should you mount your heavy ebike to work on it? are there special stands?
A few brands have special stands yes, but you'll find the weight limits online so you can check. Most stands should be just fine :)
I just do the chain bit by bit and stick a rubber band in to tell me where to stop.
Come back Doddy
Air compressor or a blower to get the water out.
Just bought a 2020 Turbo Levo Comp and took it out on a pretty muddy day on the first ride as the weather has been crap so far and wanted to test the bike out. I noticed mud piled up on the rear linkage above the back of the motor and started to wonder about the water-tightness of the bike. Looked up on it and there have been a good number of issues on the turbo levo and other ebikes with water ingress. I'm affraid to wash the dang thing and get water in the motor. I don't use a pressure washer, just a hose and rag but still it just seems so easy to get water into the motor its unnerving.
I've used a petrol stihl blower as my "water displacer" once I've cleaned it....then silicon etc after its dry.... Am i mad or a genius? It's a thin line!!!
😂😂😂
In Australia it gets hot, we have floor fans.
Bought an NCM Moscow maintenance free compared to the noisy awful mid drive motor
Man I though this was the new "Bill & Ted's" movie... the thumbnail is misleading. LMAO
Don't know what part of the world it is ok to destroy/damage trails in muddy conditions but the best thing for the trails is stay off them in those conditions.
Trail hotlines and sites indicate open/closed
If you have a bike park or something that is ok with trail destruction and repair then go for it otherwise riding in wet conditions is a top way to lose trail access to current trails and makes getting permission for future trails exponentially more difficult.
I guess this England's view on "winter" maintenance. In other parts of the world it's called indoor storage for 4-5 months.
So how about doing a video about riding in actual winter?
A tramps gum line😂🤘🏻
Tipping down rain
Tramps gum line 😂
I like my bike more once it looks used a bit. Putting very ugly stickers on everything just to prevent a bit of paint loss? Naah, not on my bikes. I'd rater put some protections/sleeving around the break and shifter lines where they might rub the frame, to protect these critical parts from wearing down over time.
What about snow
Push irons for sun and summer
Don’t use isopropyl in those electrical contacts it’s more likely to rot seals than clean.
IPA will not hurt rubber. Brake cleaners containing acetone will. If what you said was true, then every service center in the world wouldn't use IPA to clean up forks and shocks after/during service (and I'm not talking about metal parts only).
Jockey wheels. The simple bush type are cheap and last longer than youd think. More expensive bearing versions ALWAYS seize and are a waste of money.
Put vaseline on the contact pins of the bike to the battery (not the battery!!!) keeps oxydation at bay.
OnzeManInKazakhstan no. Vaseline is oil based, anything oil based doesnt contuct. So instead of the current being distributed over the whole contact, it may and probably will do it over a significantly smaller area. The result can be burning out the contactpoints, even resulting in destroying your battery, controller, cables and on some low end bikes even the motor.
And yes, ive seen that happen way too many times.
Winter is mentioned many times. Does it mean winter or ”winter”. Winter for me is lots of snow. Mud is autumn and spring issue.
this is UK's channel. There is no winter there. 95% of time mud and rain. In correct winter conditions just make sure your bike will be stored in dry place, dried after each ride with cloth, well lubed (winter lubes) and charged before the ride. Don't charge it in advance eg. on monday because you planning to go on the ride on Friday. Charge it on Thursday or Friday morning :). Also WD-40 is the worst kind of lubes on the market. This is good to clean your chain but then use on it something good from Juice Lubes. I recommend Ceramic chain juice.
@@Yorku_testuje No winter? Heard of the Cairngorms in Scotland where I live we're already down to -4c and winter has barely started!
@@barrycorney3665 I wrote UK thinking about England , Scotland yeah sure lot of powder but still -4c is an average temp during day in Poland in mild winter. -20 at night.
I remember in 2016 I did some MTB on my local hill in -12. My brakes stopped working after uphill so I had to go downhill very slow not mention 1 meter of snow :) Winter is nice to ride but in temperature above 0c.
We used to have snow in England. I remember when I was a kid the snow was amazing. The last 5 years we've had about 3 weeks of snow total.
@@barrycorney3665 5c in Australia is bad enough
3:12
Very informative and helpful but please know that every steel can and will stretch, no matter the composition. The moment it stops stretching is the moment it will snap.
Bike chains don't stretch, even on an E-bike the tension is insufficient for that. The wear makes the pitch change by enlarging the inner diameter of the rollers/bushings hence the chain gets slightly longer.
Your close, the wear of the rollers makes the chain seem stretched, and longer, but it isn’t. The links don’t lengthen.
@@jasonborne5724 perhaps my information is not usefull in this discussion but steel as a material will bent (stretch) no matter how unnoticable. You can change those characteristics in steel depending on the needs. Anyway, stretched chains are indeed problems with the rollers and not the small amount of stretching of the steel.
Hairdryer?? Better to lay down protective film on a mix of water and alcohol. Allows you to re-position the film before it sets, AND chase out any air bubbles without fighting the adhesive. Let it sit for a few hours in a warm and dry space, overnight being ideal - your film is set!
The best tip here is: expect things to go wrong so you can be prepared to fix them
when talking about drivetrain you guys never mention waxing your chains, it's extra faff compared to using lube but in my experience it makes the whole drivetrain last a lot longer (if done frequently enough)
estorilvideo What kind of environment do you ride in? The word on the street seems to be that a waxed chain is the best thing ever, unless you ride in wet / snowy conditions, where it doesn’t really hold up.
@@CodSlap that's why I said if it's done frequently enough, I am in the UK so wet/mud is the norm from about October through to March. I run three chains and tend to swap them over and re-wax once every 2/3 rides, probably once a week/60-70 miles.
Wax is good if you ride in an environment where it benefits you. It also needs to be tended to quite a bit more because it will flake up and fall off. Wet lube is still far superior than anything else, but it requires frequent attentional well. I personally prefer wet lube because even though it picks up dirt quickly, it protects your drivetrain better than anything else out there.
estorilvideo All righty, a tip of the hat in your general direction then: that’s a commendable system, but involves a lot of tinkering. I have an inkling of OCD myself, but wouldn’t go to those lengths unless I had at least a garage and a dedicated workspace for bike maintenance. I think wax hasn’t been covered that much as a lot of people will look at your triple-chain system, weigh in the cost of time and effort, and then just decide to stick with wet lube. I don’t care too much about drivetrain wear either, to be honest: I prefer to use lower-cost 2-by componentry, keep the bike relatively clean and change chains early. As long as my wet lube’s 100% biodegradable and my drivetrain components fully recyclable metal, I’m fine with replacing components more frequently.
Great point. Excellent for dry conditions like we have in my part of the world. Actually very simple to maintain even with a single chain... re the comment about it flaking off, if thats the case your doing it all wrong! Use a combo of candle wax and liquid paraffin oil, basically get the % of each so that when applied melted to a knife blade when its cooled say under water it remains and in a just so creamy state so not flaky. If flaky and brittle add more paraffin oil. Simple process to keep chain lubricated. 1. Take dirty chain off (quick link). 2. put into a container / jar with petrol and shake shake shake to clean the chain. 3. wash chain with water and drop it into a hot bath of wax / parafin oil. again shake it to get the wax into all the air pockets etc. 4. Remove chain let cool a bit and put back on bike. Oh and for the wax bath a simple cheap electric small chip fryer is perfect $10 or steal the wifes leg wax pot ;) Use the wax mixture over and over and over again :) when cooled it goes hard, simply reheat and drop your cleaned chain back into it.
It's no mud in the winter mud is mostly water, water turn into ice when it becomes zero degrees, here that's even long before the winter,,, if you have mud all year you don't have a winter. What you actually need to think about in the winter is all the salted ice and snow, that cause corrosion which is why it's impossible to use a ebike close to a habitated area in any winter country. Salt humidity and cold is all the components in a corrosion machine, like the one abus use to quality check their locks. So using the ebike in the winter is like storing it in a giant corrosion machine. So can I please have a contract with embn that any damage caused by using it in actual winter conditions will be covered by embn or are you just making people ruin there bikes on purpose?
I come back from a ride in the wet and mud , my cassette sounds like a coffee grinder ..WD40 works for me 👍
Same
That could ruin the PAS/Cadence sensor.
For the extreme wealth a person needs to afford a E-bike (especially maintenance costs), many bike companies are doing their best to make sure e-bikes do not proliferate. About as delusional as electric vehicles. And if batteries were better protected from extreme cold/heat, we're very sure companies would add a heftier price tag.
That stated, the Raymon Hardray 6.0 29er, is all we need for our daily commutes and light trails. Outdoors in temps below zero, for more than a couple hours, the battery freezes. A dilemma we're sure e-bike makers will add gratuitously to the pricetag when remedied. The primary problem in Winter riding is...road salt. Corrosive, no matter how politicians describe "treated," salt as being environmentally safe (We assume regular salt must be a ecological hazard, much like the Li-Ion, batteries we glamorize in bike mags and websites).
In short. Best to keep that prized (and expensive), e-bike, safe indoors until the Spring warmth. Most importantly...make sure that e-engine is waterproofed. We use a gluttony of silicone gel around the seals of the Yamaha PWX engine. As well as waterproof lubricant on the chain and components, every time we go out. And we ride every damn day of the Winter.
How long can a battery stay operational? Depends on the abuse. Harsh Winters and hot Summers, can deplete a battery's performance. Until the new, more expensive batteries hit the market. Our last e-bikes was Ghost hardtails, with Shimano Steps e-engines. The original battery lasted over two years, charging it every day. It's all about how well you take care of your steed. Abuse it on demanding trails and poor caring, is gonna cost you plenty. Unless ya don't care about cost.
We can't have knackerd cranks...