Protection from Bad Weather

Audio2

Pedelecer
Apr 5, 2015
98
42
81
Having recently installed two Woosh Mxus Front Hub torque sensor kits & purchased a towbar bike rack, I was wondering what additional measures are necessary to protect from heavy rain etc. I will be camping & on occasion taking the bikes several hundred miles on the bike rack. This has not been a problem before with these bikes before conversion, so I would welcome your advice as to any additional precautions to take to stop water ingress.
 
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KirstinS

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 5, 2011
3,224
899
Brighton
I don't put my bikes on car /motor home racks but I'm lead to belive the vortex can really drive water into every nook and cranny when on rear rack. I'd try to wrap the bikes in tarp or something.

They also hate being left in standing rain so again, tarp is your friend when camping

Always remove the batteries indoors and take extra care to ensure the lcd panel on the is protected when standing or on the rack.

I'm sure others have more personal views. Mine is memory of many posts on the subject. I ride in all weather but most water issues I've had are in standing rain
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,765
30,351
At camp sites park the bikes upright. My one experience of damp problems was after laying a wet bike on its side in the back of my car. Some water on the bike ran into the controller housing and it took hours of running a dehumidifier and a fan heater with the bike in a closed room to get it operational again.

Make sure your motor cable enters the spindle from below with the lead looped around. If the cable enters from above, rain on the cable might run into the spindle and on into the hub motor, a common problem.
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vfr400

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 12, 2011
9,822
3,985
Basildon
It depends on the design of the car/van. I wouldn't want to put an electric bike on one of those racks and take it out in the pouring rain. If you cover the bikes, you can get enormous wind resistance, which not only brings the danger of something getting bent, but also knocks your fuel consumption right down - much more than you'd think.

The vulnerable parts of an ebike are the motor, the battery and it's holder, the LCD/LED control panel, and the throttle if you have one. I've also seen water penetrate the waterproof connector for the LCD. Maybe if you can find a way of protecting those things and anything else that looks vulnerable, you'll be OK. A roll of cling-film should be enough.