Electric Bike Tune-ups: How to Find the Right Services

There are tons of articles and how-to guides about taking care of your bicycle, whether you ride traditional bicycles or have started enjoying the ebike lifestyle. But much like your car needs regular check-ups, ebike maintenance is essential to keeping your rides smooth and prolonging the life of your ebike overall.

But not all bicycle tune-ups are created equal. Let’s talk about it or go ahead and book your appointment now.

Nothing of Quality Is Free

The word “free” can make you feel like you won the lottery. Winning free stuff and qualifying for free services is typically a great way for customers to feel appreciated. But free bicycle tune-ups are almost never going to be beneficial to you or your ebike.

Many bike shops like to offer “free” lifetime annual tune-ups for customers. And while this seems like a great deal, this offer is like many others – it just offers a taste of what the real service should be. And when it comes to the quality of your ride, freebies won’t keep it running in optimal shape.

A quality bicycle tune-up isn’t like an offer to check your car’s tire pressure and inflate them if they need it: that service takes a few minutes and greatly impacts your mileage and the wear on your treads.

Most free checks are about 20 minutes or less. But our Scooteretti experts know good ebike maintenance checks take time – and time is money, for all of us. And the time it takes to give your ebike a good once-over, address or let you know about any repairs that need to be made, and finally make those adjustments can take an average of two hours.

At Scooteretti, we skip the free checks that won’t tell you anything about the health of your ebike. But we do offer tune-ups that go through the entire bike, including:

• Checking all electrical components
• Complete detailed computer diagnostics
• Detailed cleaning, degreasing, and lubrication of key parts on the bicycle

We go into more detail below about everything we check in our tune-ups.

Free ebike tune-ups are a lot like those complicated warranties you find on electronics – they never cover what they should, and they end up costing you more in the long run.

What Your Bicycle Tune-ups Should Cover

An ebike is like a hybrid or luxury car – you’re going to want someone for your tune-ups who knows the intricacies of your advanced bike type. And since there are tons of different types of ebikes, it’s easy to think that anyone offering to do maintenance on your ride will only do so if they have the knowledge and expertise.

This is often not true. And because the knowledge gaps can be so large, we thought we’d give you a list of things you should look for on your tune-ups. And remember: if these things aren’t being looked at, they will almost certainly cost you more money in replacement parts and labor later.

At Scooteretti, our tune-ups run through the full bike and include:

• Full bike wash
• Inspect, clean and lubricate the drivetrain
• Inspect and torque all fasteners
• Inspect brakes & adjust as required
• Inspecting & inflate tires
• Inspect wheels & true as required
• Cycle computer
• Control panel
• Battery
• Drive unit
• and more

Our service log for your cycle computer covers these activities:

• Check that the ebike switches on/off at the cycle computer
• Function test on all buttons
• Check that the cycle computer and display holder are properly secured
• Visually inspect cables for damage
• Check that the design mask is fitted correctly and not damaged
• Clear error memory

For your control panel, we:

• Check that it is fitted properly and not damaged
• Visually inspect cables for damage
• Function test all buttons

Then we move on to the battery, where we:

• Check that your ebike switches on/off at the battery
• Visually check battery housing and switch foil for damage
• Visually check and function test battery fixtures, battery lock, and charging socket hatch
• Check contacts and cables for corrosion, damage, and dirt
• Clear error memory
• Check that software is up to date

Your drive unit is next. We’ll:

• Check that design cover is fitted correctly and not damaged
• Check that the drive unit is secured properly to the frame interface
• Check that the crank fixing bolts are tightened properly
• Check contacts and cables for corrosion, damage, and dirt
• Visually check and function test chainring holder and lock ring
• Check chainring for wear and damage
• Visually check the chainring housing for and retrofit if necessary
• Check that the speed sensor and the spoke magnet are positioned correctly
• Clear error memory
• Check that software is up to date

And finally, we perform a few other tasks, which include creating an ebike diagnostic report, taking a test ride in all assistance modes, and checking WalkAssist and Light functions (if activated).

Take Your Tune-ups to the Next Level with Scooteretti – Canada’s Only Bosch Certified Expert Retailer

The bottom line is shops that don’t offer clients detailed service options and instead opt for free, but less thorough, tune-ups are doing the customer a disservice. This practice leads to expensive future repairs, premature wear and tear, and ultimately reduces the lifecycle of your electric bicycle.

Bosch is one of the world leaders in ebike quality and performance. And that’s why Scooteretti is proud to be awarded the highest level Bosch offers – we are “Bosch Ebike Experts” and we take our position very seriously. We have made a commitment to strive for customer excellence through our attention to detail, and we’d love to help you find the ride of your dreams and keep it going for as many miles and memories as possible.

Check out our ebike inventory today or reach out to us about having your ebike serviced or repaired.