Washing ebike

[dariusf2]

Hi, might be a stupid question but I'm wondering about washing ebike. I have the Motobecane eMulekick with Bafang m800 mid drive motor. I rode the bike in rain with no issues and have rinsed it off with a garden house, just light spray not under strong pressure. Before I do that I removed the downtube battery and try to get as little of water in tk the olen battery compartment as possible. Looks like the motors is sealed quite well and I guess rinse off like that is not really a big deal. I let the bike dry out overnight or a few days before I put the battery back in.

 

[Deacon Blues]

I have three ebikes that I wash on a regular basis.
I lightly hose the bike down, then, using a detailing brush, wash the bike with Muc-Off bike cleaner, then lightly hose it down again. I don't take off the battery and have, in the five years I've been washing my ebikes, ever had a problem.

 

[scrambler]

You must dry your ebike immediately with leaf blower. Lube whatever needs Lube pump tires, check lights and inspect your gear make sure no centipede in your shoes or in your helmet. Clean your eye glasses etc.
That is how my safety check on my bike is owner performed.

A wash cloth may be better as not to push the water in small spaces....

 

[PDoz]

You must dry your ebike immediately with leaf blower. Lube whatever needs Lube pump tires, check lights and inspect your gear make sure no centipede in your shoes or in your helmet. Clean your eye glasses etc.
That is how my safety check on my bike is owner performed.

Just to be clear, are you suggesting putting shoes and helmet with the bike before blasting those poor centipedes with the leaf blower?

More importantly, WHY worry about them after the ride? I'm far more concerned about the red back spider under my seat deciding to nest in my short and curlies, or a well lubed scorpion hanging it's claws out of my ear because it'd been sleeping in my helmet between rides....

 

[Slaphappygamer]

If you remove your battery when washing (or cleaning) it is a good idea to press the power button for the bike. When battery is removed, pack voltage is still present in the controller. Pressing the power button AFTER battery removal will dissipate all pack voltage within 10 seconds. Otherwise, you may short the pins going to the controller with full pack voltage. Sure it’s brief, but could still damage things.

 

[6zfshdb]

Although my bikes get thoroughly soaked during transport in the rain, they are fairly water resistant and I've had no issues. Even so, I usually clean with compressed air and a soft bristle brush. I sometimes use a wet rag for the stubborn stuff. I'm not a clean freak anyway and to me, a little dirt is a badge of honor on a bike.

 

[PDoz]

I'm intrigued by the suggestion of compressed air / leaf blowers etc. Surely it can't be good to be sand blasting our bikes / blowing dust into areas it doesn't belong ?

For perspective , I've spent decades taking motorbikes into remote Australian destinations where the dust is fine enough to get EVERYWHERE . I've seen it sneak past air filters and destroy new motors within a day, or hide behind suspension bushes grinding it's way through metal bushes and bearings. I remember trying to get a 15 year old adv bike clean enough to get through New Zealand customs - three commercial steam cleans , hours with a high pressure hose +/- scrubbing brush...and there was still dust hiding away in crevices.

So I look at my levo sl with an allegedly waterproof rated motor, lots of grease protecting bearings and bushes, and fragile carbon fibre frame. Surely a gentle rinse with warm soapy water is safer than sand blasting?

 

[6zfshdb]

I'm intrigued by the suggestion of compressed air / leaf blowers etc. Surely it can't be good to be sand blasting our bikes / blowing dust into areas it doesn't belong ?

For perspective , I've spent decades taking motorbikes into remote Australian destinations where the dust is fine enough to get EVERYWHERE . I've seen it sneak past air filters and destroy new motors within a day, or hide behind suspension bushes grinding it's way through metal bushes and bearings. I remember trying to get a 15 year old adv bike clean enough to get through New Zealand customs - three commercial steam cleans , hours with a high pressure hose +/- scrubbing brush...and there was still dust hiding away in crevices.

So I look at my levo sl with an allegedly waterproof rated motor, lots of grease protecting bearings and bushes, and fragile carbon fibre frame. Surely a gentle rinse with warm soapy water is safer than sand blasting?

The trick is to use low air pressure so as not to create a sand blast effect. I generally use 15 PSI or so and let the bristle brush loosen the stubborn dirt.

 

[Gionnirocket]

Soft rag, maybe a little Simple Green and a tooth brush to get into hard to reach areas rinsed with flowing water and not a spray or power stream for most areas. I use the compressed air to help dry the bike and am careful to blow across surfaces and not down into seals.

 

[PedalUma]

Less is more. I use a spray bottle with a little Simple Green, some laundry soap and Dawn with water. Then rinse with a low pressure garden sprayer water. I dry using Turtle Wax one step spray. Then dry lube the chains. Rotors or rims can be wiped with alcohol with acetone. Last week I did five bikes in a row like this. Yes, I remove batteries first and place the discharge connector in a small Ziploc bag.

 

[dodgeman]

I use a spray on wash meant for cars and spray it on a microfiber towel and then wipe the bike down. I also have an assortment of Q tip type cleaners. They come in an assortment of a sizes but I use the large one the most.

 

[Deacon Blues]

I bought something like this off of Amazon and they work great for cleaning my bikes. Soft enough so they don't scratch the paint and easy to get into hard to reach spots. I use it in conjunction with Muc Off wash.

https://www.amazon.com/Exway-Detail...-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1