Regular cleaning of your ebike is essential to keep it in good working order. Water and electrics are not compatible so blasting it with a pressure washer or hose at close-range is not a good idea. So how do you clean an ebike? Here are our tips
Most manufacturers recommend wiping your bike down with a damp cloth but sometimes that’s going to be hard work after a four-hour muddy slogfest. So what about some real-world e-bike cleaning tips? This is what the people who design them say
Bosch makes the ebike systems for a lot of ebike manufacturers and is probably the most popular motor on the market. For obvious reasons the company doesn’t recommend using a jet wash as this can cause water to penetrate the motor's bearings but it does say bike shampoos and care products, that don’t attack plastics or seals, are okay.
During cleaning Bosch recommends removing the battery and display, but if the latter is fixed, to cover it with clingfilm during washing. The company does recognise water can penetrate the motor so it has coated all the contacts with a special coating that protects against corrosion and wear.
Despite Shimano’s motor being fully waterproof, they don't recommend using a pressure washer. Instead users should employ a brush or damp cloth with the water well wrung out, especially for when cleaning the battery and plastic cover. To stop water getting into the battery Shimano recommends refitting any caps to the charger socket, which seems like a no brainer.
We can understand why some manufacturers don’t want to recommend cleaning your bike with a ton of water because it could potentially cause warranty issues with bearings and the electrical components. However, there’s nothing in the owner’s manual that says you can’t ride your e-bike through a puddle or down a wet trail. Your e-bike doesn’t know the difference between that and being lightly sprayed with a hose pipe. You just need to take a common-sense approach.
FACT: Mud and grime is going to get into the motor and battery area because in the winter your e-bike is going to get plastered with mud and the only way to break it down is with a bucket and brush. We recommend you just don’t do it too vigorously around the electrics or use too much water. You should then dry it thoroughly. Periodically we’d say remove the battery and motor covers and clean out any ingrained mud and then apply a specific contact grease to the connectors.
Pro Tip: If you use an air compressor to inflate your tubeless tyres, use it to disperse any water in hard to reach areas
If you don't want to risk water there are waterless cleaning products like Muc-Off Waterless Wash available on the market which work well but require a bit more effort if your bike is pretty clogged up.
