Washing an E Bike?

[gray198]

This may seem like a stupid question but what is the best way to wash bike. Is it Ok to use a hosepipe (where not banned) with a gentle spray or is that a no no. What areas of the bike have to be treated with extra care etc.?

gray

 

[tillson]

This is going to depend on what type of bike you have and if the wiring is routed along the bike frame and terminated with connectors. Also the quality of the connectors will dictate how much water you can swill around.

My bike is one of the Kalkhoff crank drives, where the battery and motor almost form a single unit, so no wiring or connectors. To wash the bike, I just use car shampoo and a sponge and then liberally rinse it down with a garden sprayer containing clean cold water. It works a treat.

 

[flecc]

If a hub motor bike, avoid directing a hosepipe at the spindle entry points of the motor, especially if the cable enters through the spindle. Also avoid the controller box and any handlebar control unit. All in all it's best to use a sponge or cloth and do the job by hand, possibly rinsing with a very gentle hosepipe flow.

Fully sealed crank drives like Tillson's Panasonic unit should be hosepipe proof, I'm on record as riding one through deep water with the unit completely immersed.

 

[indalo]

Wash a bike...?? Last time I did that was during the Cuban missile crisis! I regard that in the same way as what to do with left-over wine.......left-over wine??....Hello!

Indalo

 

[beached]

Dedicate a (dry, unused) paint brush for the job. Just brush off the dirt regularly and you should never get very heavy build up. Use spray oil on an old rag or paper towel to clean metal surfaces. The oil helps prevent rust pitting and keeps chrome shiny.

 

[Eaglerider]

I use a small piece of old towelling and a bucket of water to get the grime off. Then dry it off with another bit of dry towel to buff it all up a bit.

If the motor hub gets dirty then I use a rag and a dab of white spirit. I can't see that a hose is really necessary, and I would'nt be hosing the motor on any occasion.

The final process is topped off with a final waxing, well, another rub over anyway.
I also use this opportunity to just nip the crankbolts up, as they do seem to require regular maintenance to avoid creaky pedal syndrome.

 

[yselmike]

My flyer needs a regular wash in the winter as the chain gets filthy and starts to slip and jump,so it goes in the shower
with car shampoo and degreaser got a selection of brushes but an old fashioned dustpan brush pretty much washes all the
bike and dedicated brushes for the chain and crank so I dont spread the grease and oil around.finish with fork spray and lube and a quick polish,its a once a week job in the winter duting foul weather,the down side to a dual drive system.

 

[gray198]

thanks everyone. Looks like just being a bucket and sponge then