Most hunters don’t overthink their vehicle choice when it comes down to hunting – and yet some of you might have even replaced your loud quad motorcycle with a fully electric hunting bicycle.
Special hunting eBikes are increasing in popularity and in no time, you’ll be seeing many more of them.
But if you are an owner or you’re just wondering what’s the maintenance like – this post is for you.
I’ll show you exactly what you need to pay attention to, how to maintain your own hunting eBike, but also what are some of the benefits you can experience (in case you still didn’t make a change).
Whether you’re reading this in the comfort of your home or you’re wisely using your time while waiting in the hunting blind – read on to find out how eBikes can take your hunting game to another level!
Benefits of Electric Hunting Bicycles
Among some of the biggest benefits of electric hunting bikes – these are some of the best ones every hunter would love to have:
- eBikes are cheaper to run in the long run (easier to maintain)
- They produce very little noise and can help you conceal your movements
- Can often offer higher loading capacity
- Can be charged on the go
- Come in all shapes and sizes
- Are suitable for all ages and heights
- Offer useful power assistance feature to tackle rough terrain
- Offer plenty of additional eBike accessories
There are many more benefits, some that only true eBike owners experience. Such benefits can be very small and yet change the hunting game for better.
Since hunting eBikes are specially designed for hunters, you won’t have to worry about the power or loading capacity. Plus, you have plenty of ways to improve or even modify your eBike so it fits your hunting style.
Hopefully, you can see why I predict that there will be more and more hunting eBikes around – and if you don’t have one yet, you should definitely consider getting one!
And since the number one benefits are the cheaper running costs – how much maintenance is there required?
There is significantly less maintenance required than when running an ATV or any other vehicle suitable for hunting, so let’s just jump into it!
How Much Maintenance Should You Expect?
Maintaining an electric hunting bike is very similar to maintaining a regular bicycle, but you just have to pay extra attention to the soul of your new hunting vehicle which is an electric motor.
Depending on how much you ride your electric hunting bike, you’d need to service your eBike every 6 to 12 months. This would be a regular check-up and maintenance, whether or not you have noticed any damage or problems with your eBike.
It’s all about making sure you keep your eBike clean (possibly clean it after every ride) and you shouldn’t come across any obstacles.
However, there is a bit of work required for regular eBike maintenance. On the bright side, you can do the regular maintenance yourself with just a couple of tools.
Also, the eBike maintenance is drastically cheaper than maintenance for a motor vehicle.
And as promised, I’ll be showing you how to maintain your own electric hunting bike in this article, so let’s jump straight into it!
How to Maintain Electric Hunting Bicycle?
Maintenance of an electric hunting bike is very similar to the maintenance of both regular bicycle & electric bicycle.
Therefore, it’s best to split the eBike maintenance into two parts:
- Regular Maintenance
- Battery Maintenance
Regular Maintenance
Regular maintenance consists of everything you’d maintain on both regular & electric bicycles.
Therefore, regular maintenance includes:
- Keeping your eBike clean
- Checking on tire pressure
- Gear and brake adjustment
- Brake pads check-up
This part of maintenance is very straight and even hunters with no mechanical background or experience will be able to maintain their bike.
Your electric hunting bike will get dirty and that’s okay – but it’s important to keep it clean. I prefer cleaning my bike after every ride in order to keep it in the best condition possible.
The easiest way to clean your bike is to hose it down (don’t use jet washer) but you should stay away from electrical components such as the battery pack. Ideally, you’d clean your wheels and a part of the frame with a hose, but you can always rely on a good sponge and brush for parts that are a bit harder to clean.
Just like with any vehicles, tire pressure will have to be regularly checked and you should pump up your tires when needed in order to have your eBike ride efficiently. Keep in mind that lower tire pressure can lead to punctures.
Gear and brakes work with cables that will eventually stretch out after some time of use. In most situations, you’ll just need to adjust and tighten them up a bit.
Brake pads can also get worn out after some time and it’s a good idea to check up on them regularly. It’s very easy to spot worn brake pads – and if you spot them, you’ll have to replace them. If you do have an eBike with disc brakes – it might be trickier to see the state of their condition.
However, I highly recommend taking off the wheel since this will allow you to check on the brake pads inside which are located inside the brake caliper.
Battery Maintenance
All eBikes rely on a lithium battery which can last for quite a long time if they’re used & treated properly.
Lithium batteries should be kept in temperature between 1 and 39 degrees or they could get easily damaged. This is something you should keep in mind when storing your eBike during winter.
The trick I highly recommend is removing the battery (since they’re easily removable) and storing it inside your home – while you can still store your bike in a garage or a shed and have no worries at all.
If you decide to store your battery for a longer period of time, try to charge it at least once every 3 months to ensure your eBike’s battery doesn’t drop below the residual power.
However, unlike smaller batteries, eBike lithium batteries won’t get damaged if you leave them on the charger even after the battery is at 100%.
And when it comes down to cleaning, I only recommend cleaning the battery connectors with an alcohol-based agent and use a spray such as GT85 to displace the water and improve the conductivity.
This is a trick you can do every time you do your eBike maintenance. You’ll benefit from the long-term results leading to a healthy battery.
Do you take your eBike to a local shop for the maintenance? Will you give maintenance a try?
I’d love to hear your thoughts and hear about your experience so feel free to leave a comment down below!
