How to Wash your eBike and Bakcou eBike’s Waterproof Rating:

Cleaning your eBike is easy and it will keep it in good working order. Removing muck and grime will increase the lifespan of many of the bike's components. It’s good practice to clean up your bike whenever there is noticeable grime on it or before storing the bike for extended periods.

To give your eBike a good cleaning you will simply need:

  • Rags or old t shirts
  • Brushes
  • Sponge
  • Hose
  • Bucket
  • Soap
  • Degreaser

Step 1: 

The first thing to do when washing your bike is to use your hose to spray off any mud or dirt that is caked on. Getting off the initial big stuff with a hose will make the next steps go much faster. Note: leave your battery on the bike to protect the ports when cleaning

Step 2:

Now I like to get on to the degeasing. You will need to use a degreaser for the drivetrain including the chain. There are specific tools (Chain Cleaner) to make cleaning your chain easier like this one. 

But if you don’t have the tool you can simply spray on a degreaser and then hold a rag around the chain and pedal the bike. 

There are also specific products for cleaning your cassette, we carry Gear Floss which makes getting into the nooks and crannies very easy. But you can also use a toothbrush or similar to get in there with the degreaser. 

Step 3:

With the drivetrain clean it is time for the frame! Use a sponge and some soap to rub down the frame. Work from front to back to make sure that you don’t miss any areas. After the whole bike has been cleaned use a hose to rinse off the remaining soap. 

Step 4: 

For the wheels get out a nice soft big brush to quickly get into every part. You can use the same soap used for the frame to clean up the rims and the tires. If you have disk brakes you may also want to use a Disk Brake Cleaner to remove any grime on the rotors. This will help to prevent squeaky brakes (although if that is already a problem we have you covered)

Step 5: 

You are done with the cleaning part, now is time to dry and then relube your bike. You can dry the bike with a clean towel or simply let the bike dry off in the sun. After the bike has dried it is very important to relube your drivetrain. To do this simply squeeze some lube over the cassette onto the chain. Then pedal the bike while shifting gears to distribute the lubricant to all of the gears on the cassette.

That’s all there is to it! A lot of people worry about the water rating on our bikes whether for cleaning or crossing the occasional stream. So let’s talk a little bit about that so you can rest assured you won’t cause any water damage to your bike. 

Bakcou eBikes Waterproof rating (IP rating):

The IP (Ingress Protection) rating is a measure of an electrical or mechanical equipment's resistance to “solid objects” (like dirt or dust) and moisture. The first digit ranges from 0-6 and measures the resistance to solid objects. For example if the first digit is a 3 that means that it is protected against a solid object greater than 2.5mm such as a screwdriver.

The second number ranges from 0-8 and relates to the protection against moisture. For example a 2 here would mean that it is protected against vertical falling drops of water even if the enclosure is tilted up to 15 degrees from center. 

Our bikes have an IP rating of 65. This means that you are fully protected against dust and solid objects. And as far as the water tightness you are protected against jets of water, which is why you are fine to wash your bike with a hose. 

And you are also protected when riding through a shallow stream. We would caution against fully submerged your bike for any amount of time. But in the rain or washing your bike you don’t have to worry about the motor or battery. 

And there you go, how to clean your ebike and why you needn’t worry about getting stuck in the rain on your Bakcou bike. Let us know if you have any other questions by chatting with us on our website, giving us a call, or leaving a comment below!