Cleaning Around the Motor, Display and Connectors

The motor housing is caked in grime, the display is smeared, and you can see the plug sockets. How do you clean any of it without drenching it?

Short version: a cloth, not a hose. Here's the reasoning, part by part.

Symptom: dirt on the motor

HOVSCO says to wipe electronic components like the motor casing with a slightly damp cloth, never soaking them.¹ That's one maker's advice. Check your own manual.

Makers differ on the bottom bracket, where the motor sits. HOVSCO says to avoid getting any water or soap on it, and Velotric says to avoid it when washing.¹² Canyon says to get right under it, because a lot of grime gathers there.³ Ariel Rider says to keep jets off it.⁴ Your manual decides which applies to your bike.

Another guide says to avoid jets at the motor, hubs, headset, bottom bracket and battery bay.⁴ Check the pressure washer page for why.

Symptom: smeared display

The same advice applies. Wipe it with a slightly damp cloth.¹ If it comes off the handlebar, your manual may say to remove it first. The page on what to do before washing covers that.

Symptom: dirty sockets, ports and contacts

This is where the warnings get firm. One guide says never to aim water at connectors.⁴ Another says to avoid getting moisture into charging ports or electrical connections, to prevent short circuits or long-term damage.¹

For battery contacts, one guide has you take the battery out. Then use a fresh dry rag on the contacts, on the battery and the frame, and in the space it sits in.¹ Another says you can wipe these parts with a cloth rather than water.²

"Water got into the battery slot"

Other makers say to keep moisture out of charging ports and electrical connections, and to keep jets off the battery bay.¹⁴

Canyon says, about its own bikes, that there are small drains and the plugs have an anti-corrosion coating.³ That is one maker's statement about its own design, not every bike. Check your own manual before assuming water in the battery bay is harmless, and ask your maker or a bike shop if water gets in.

Keeping jets away from the electrics

Skipping the jet near the motor matters most here. A maker's guide lists the motor, hubs, headset, bottom bracket and battery bay as places to keep jets away from.⁴

Keep the bike the right way up

Flipping a bike over might seem handy for reaching the underside. One maker warns against it. Water can pool in dangerous places when the bike is upside down.² Use a stand, or lean the bike on a wall.

Quick reference

Your manual may name more spots. It wins over a general list.