Electric Skateboard Maintenance Guide
An electric skateboard needs everything a normal skateboard needs, plus three things it does not: belts, battery habits, and keeping water out of the electronics.
None of it is difficult. The belt one is the item most riders never check until a belt strips, usually a long way from home.
The short version
- Check belt tension and condition monthly. Belt drive boards only.
- Carry a spare set of belts. A snapped belt means walking.
- Never hose or pressure wash it. Damp cloth only.
- Never store the board flat. Charge before putting it away.
- Store at around half charge if it is sitting for weeks.
- Bushings and bearings work harder here than on a push board.
- Check trucks and wheels the same as any skateboard.
What we cover
Maintenance schedule · Belts and drivetrain · Wheels, bearings and bushings · Cleaning safely · Storage · After a wet ride · What needs a workshop · FAQ
The maintenance schedule
| Task | How often | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Check belts, visually | Before longer rides | A stripped belt strands you |
| Check belt tension | Monthly | Too loose strips teeth, too tight costs range |
| Check truck tension and bolts | Monthly | Vibration and weight loosen fasteners |
| Inspect wheels for wear | Monthly | Drive wheels wear faster than free wheels |
| Inspect bushings | Every couple of months | They work harder on a heavier board |
| Clean and lubricate bearings | Every 2 to 3 months | Sooner after wet or dusty rides |
| Check the charge port and enclosure | Monthly | Grit and moisture collect underneath |
| Charge the remote | Ongoing | Flat remotes cause dropouts blamed on the board |
Belts and drivetrain
If you ride a belt drive board, this section is the one that matters. Hub and direct drive owners can skip it, which is one of their genuine advantages.
Correct tension: firm enough that the belt does not skip under hard acceleration, loose enough that it deflects slightly when you press it with a thumb.
- Too loose: the belt skips under load, slaps audibly, and strips its teeth quickly. Once teeth are gone the belt is finished.
- Too tight: constant drag, which costs noticeable range, and accelerated wear on motor and wheel bearings. This one is quieter and does more long-term damage.
What to look for when inspecting: cracks between the teeth, missing or rounded teeth, fraying at the edges, and shiny glazed patches where the belt has been slipping.
Carry a spare set. A board with a snapped belt does not roll freely, because the motor is still attached through the pulley. You walk, carrying a heavy board. Belts are inexpensive and a spare set lives in a bag.
Learn to change one before you need to. It is not a difficult job and it is considerably easier in a garage than on a footpath in the dark.
Also worth checking: pulleys and motor mounts. Worn pulley teeth chew belts, and a motor mount that has shifted changes tension on its own.
Wheels, bearings and bushings
Same components as a skateboard, working considerably harder.
Wheels. The drive wheels wear faster than the free wheels, because they are the ones putting power down and doing most of the braking. Swap front to back periodically to even that out. Watch for coning, which makes the board pull to one side, and flat spots from hard regen braking.
Bearings. Standard skateboard bearings, cleaned the same way. Clean every two to three months and immediately after any wet ride. Electric boards cover far more distance than push boards, so bearings see more of everything.
Bushings. Electric boards are heavy and carry speed, so bushings compress faster and matter more. Worn bushings show up as a vague, unstable feel, or as speed wobbles that were not there before. Replace by rider weight rather than by feel. Cheap fix, big difference.
Pneumatic wheels add tyre pressure to the list. Check weekly with a gauge and stay inside the sidewall range.
Cleaning it safely
Never hose it, and never pressure wash it. This is the mistake that causes expensive, delayed damage. Water forced past seals into the enclosure, motors, connectors or charge port causes faults that show up weeks later as intermittent cut-outs or a dead controller, and nobody connects it back to the wash.
The right method:
- Power off and let it cool if you have just ridden.
- Wipe the deck and enclosure with a barely damp cloth.
- Brush the drivetrain dry. Grit off the belts, pulleys and wheels with a soft brush.
- Avoid the charge port, display and connectors entirely.
- Dry everything before charging or storing.
Keep the charge port cover closed when you are not charging. It sits close to the ground and collects everything.
Storing it
For anything longer than a few weeks, over winter or while you are away.
- Charge to around half. Not full, not empty. Lithium cells are most stable in the middle.
- Store indoors, cool and dry. Not a garage that swings from 5 to 40 degrees, not a shed.
- Top it back up every couple of months if it drifts down.
- Do not leave it on the charger. Holding at full for months ages the pack fastest.
- Clean it before storing. Grit left on a drivetrain for three months does not improve.
- Loosen nothing. Store it assembled and ready.
The one that actually kills boards: storing it flat. A drained pack keeps self-discharging and can drop below the point where the management system will allow a charge. Many chargers cannot wake it and it becomes a workshop job. Charge it before it goes away.
After a wet ride
Electric boards tolerate light moisture and none of them like it. Deal with it the same day.
- Wipe it down and dry the connectors, including around the charge port.
- Spin the wheels hard to throw water out of the bearings, then pull and re-lubricate them.
- Dry the enclosure seam and check nothing has pooled underneath.
- Do not charge it wet. Let it dry properly first.
- Watch for faults over the next week. Water damage is often delayed.
Rusted bearings are the most common permanent damage from one wet ride, and it is entirely preventable in five minutes.
What needs a workshop
Do yourself: belts, wheels, bearings, bushings, truck tension, cleaning.
Bring to us: anything inside the enclosure, battery pack work, motor internals, controller and wiring faults, and persistent error codes. Those need specific equipment and the battery in particular carries real risk.
We are an official Evolve repair centre and Frosty runs our electric workshop at Richmond.
E-skate maintenance FAQ
How often should you change electric skateboard belts?
When they show cracks between teeth, missing teeth, fraying edges or glazed patches, rather than on a set schedule. Belts are consumables and wear depends on how hard you accelerate and brake. Carry a spare set if you ride any distance from home.
How tight should electric skateboard belts be?
Firm enough not to skip under hard acceleration, loose enough to deflect slightly when pressed. Too loose strips teeth and slaps audibly. Too tight drags constantly, costing real range and wearing motor and wheel bearings.
Can you clean an electric skateboard with water?
Only with a damp cloth, never a hose or pressure washer. Water forced into the enclosure, motors or charge port causes faults that appear weeks later. Wipe it down, brush the drivetrain dry, and keep moisture away from all connectors.
How should you store an electric skateboard over winter?
Charge the battery to around half, store the board indoors somewhere cool and dry, and top the pack back up every couple of months. Never store it flat, since a deeply discharged pack can drop into a protective sleep that needs a workshop to wake.
Do electric skateboards need more maintenance than normal skateboards?
Yes, but not much more. Everything a skateboard needs still applies, plus belts on belt drive boards, battery habits and keeping water out of the electronics. The extra weight and speed also make bushings and bearings work harder.
What maintenance can you do yourself on an electric skateboard?
Belt changes and tensioning, wheel and bearing service, truck tension and bushings, and cleaning are all straightforward. Leave the enclosure, battery pack and motor internals to a workshop, since those carry real risk and need specific equipment.
Bring it in for a service
Belt replacement, drivetrain service, battery testing and anything electrical are all better done properly. 435A Bridge Road, Richmond, open seven days. We carry belts and parts for the brands we stock, so repairs happen in days rather than waiting on a distributor.
Call 03 9421 2293. Free shipping Australia wide on orders over $90.
Keep reading: Problems and How to Fix Them · Street or All-Terrain Wheels? · Battery Care · Onewheel Care · Workshop and Service
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