- The heart of the eBike is a battery.
These things are great devices,
storing a lot of energy in a small space.
If looked after properly,
these things can last a long, long time,
but you need to take care of
them on and off your bike.
Today's video we're gonna
be looking at all those tips
and avoiding that expensive replacement.
(digital explosions)
So, first things first,
there can be a lot of time
that passes from when
this battery's activated
or made in the factory
to the time it reaches
the manufacturers, and
even more time by the time
it reaches you, so first things first,
get that battery on charge
as soon as you receive it.
So, lots of different
manufacturers mount their battery
lots of different ways.
However it's mounted in your frame,
just make sure that connection
and the way it holds in there is secure.
If that battery falls out,
hits the ground and cracks,
it's game over and you've got to replace
that expensive battery.
Lithium batteries are generally
best kept fully charged,
even after a short little ride.
If you do regularly flatten that battery
it's really gonna struggle
to hold a full charge
and keep 'em topped up.
A good little tip as well
is don't leave that charger
plugged in for hours and
hours, or days and days
away in your workshop or
wherever you keep your bike.
Soon as that battery is
topped up remove that charger.
If there happens to be
a charger malfunction
this battery could actually overheat.
Really nice way of doing
that is by actually putting a
timer, one of the ones
you plug into the wall,
just put four or five hours
on there and that should be
enough to charge any battery.
As soon as that, obviously, overruns
and times out you're gonna
have no power going to that.
So, if you're using that
battery in the winter
or below freezing, it's
really advisable to bring that
battery inside and actually charge it up
at room temperature.
Some batteries won't actually
even charge if below freezing.
Just check that you're
not trying to charge
it while it's too cold.
Also, out on these rides
you might find that
a battery sleeve or a thermal
cover will actually increase
and hold that battery's core temperature.
It should in theory give
you a bit more range too.
For the best overall health
and life span of that battery
it's not a good idea to go
sticking that battery on charge
as soon as you get back from your ride.
It's advisable just to let
that battery have a rest period
it's letting that battery
and the chemistry go from
a state of discharge to a state of charge.
Just give it around
half an hour to get back
in the run of things, then
stick it back on charge.
There's little danger from a wet battery.
Actually, the battery is
one of the most waterproof
parts on your eBike.
It's actually got an IP-67 rating.
That means it can be fully submerged,
apparently without any damage.
Something that I wouldn't go testing out
down at your local lake, but
they are fairly water-proof.
Just keep an eye on it's contact points.
If they do become corroded or any rust
and things get in there, just
give 'em a quick wipe round.
Keep it nice and dry, get rid
of that oxidization or rust
anything like that cause
that can cause problems when
it comes to connecting that
connector to the frame as well.
Just keep an eye on that.
Best bet is just to wipe them
down with a nice damp cloth
not getting them to wet.
So let's talk about
transporting that battery safely
when it comes to your eBike.
A lot of manufacturers recommend to remove
that battery before traveling.
It's more if you get
involved in an accident
or your battery isn't secured properly
and it goes bouncing off and
hitting someone out on the road
and what I like to do is
basically wrap this battery
in a towel, stick it
underneath my passenger seat
that way I know it's not
gonna get rattling around
in the back of the van, fall off,
or smash into some seats when I brake.
Also, remember not to
stick that thing up on the
passenger shelf or on the back seat,
if this battery hits you
in the back of the head
when you brake heavy, you're
certainly gonna know about it.
You might notice a few little
screws, nuts, and bolts
holding these batteries together,
but whatever you do, don't even think
about trying to open these up.
Extremely dangerous, highly flammable.
Lithium powder's one of the most flammable
things known to man, so if you do suspect
a battery problem, take
it back to your dealer
and get it sorted in the proper way.
So, let's talk about damaged
batteries on your eBike.
If you've crashed or hit that battery hard
some of the cells inside
can become damaged
and that cell can pass
on to the next cell,
the next cell and all
the way up that battery
could end up being affected
and then heating up to
extreme temperatures,
so if you're suspicious
about that battery in any way,
get it back to your dealer A-S-A-P.
A lithium battery is always best
stored in the nice, cool conditions.
Batteries are quite like us
they don't like extreme temperatures.
Things between minus 10 and
above 60 degrees Celsius
should be avoided.
Just try and keep that battery
somewhere nice and cool.
Nothing too extreme.
If you know you're not
gonna be using that battery
or eBike for a long time it's
really worth thinking about
how you're storing that battery.
A good way of storing it
is keep about 80% charge
in that battery, it varies
from different manufacturers,
but about 60 to 80% is
really good charge to
keep that battery at.
Ideally if you can keep
it somewhere nice and cool
like we talked about earlier
and keep topping it up
every few weeks as well.
Just strain a little
trickle in there as well
is gonna help keep that
capacity levels in that battery topped up.
Okay, so just to conclude
the main points from today
are keeping that battery
between 60 to 80% topped up
if you're not gonna be using
that battery for a long time.
If you are, just keep topping
it up all the time as well.
Don't put it in extreme
temperature conditions.
Basically, if you take
care of that battery,
it's gonna look after you too.
So, I really hope you've
enjoyed today's video
about batteries.
If you've enjoyed today's
video don't forget to check out
how motors work with Steve up here.
Also, if you're wondering
how far you can get
from one of these things,
check out a ride where I
did a hundred kilometers
on one battery, down here as well.
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See ya in the next one.
