Brake Adjustment & Replacement
Tools needed: 5 mm Allen wrench, T25 Torx wrench, and needle nose pliers
Brake and rotor check before riding
- When servicing the bike, turn off your battery by changing the battery switch to the “0” symbol.
- Spin the wheels and check that the rotor is spinning straight and is not warped
- Squeeze the brake lever and ensure that the wheels are stopping.
- On your first ride, condition your brakes by performing a series of long gradual slow-downs to walking speed from 15 mph or more using one brake at a time.
Brake adjustment is needed if the brake pads rub the rotor even when the lever is not pulled, or when you pull the brake lever it touches the handlebar grips.
Brake Adjustment
Cable pinch bolt
When your brakes are loose enough that your brake lever touches the grips, use the cable pinch bolt to make a large adjustment to the cable tension. Increase cable tension by pulling and securing more of the cable past the pinch bolt.
Lever Barrel Adjuster
To increase brake cable tension, turn the adjuster counterclockwise and secure it with the locknut by tightening the nut clockwise.
Caliper Barrel Adjuster
The caliper barrel adjuster works in the same way as the lever barrel adjuster. Unscrew the adjuster by turning counterclockwise to increase the brake cable tension and secure the locknut by tightening clockwise.
Front Pad Adjuster
Note: The pad adjuster changes the static position of the inner brake pad, while the cable tension modulates the position of the outer brake pad during braking.
Adjust the inner pad position by locating the pad adjuster on the brake caliper, then using the 5mm Allen wrench turn one click at a time clockwise to decrease pad spacing. Turn counterclockwise to increase pad spacing, but do not fully unscrew the pad adjuster.
Rear Pad Adjuster
The rear pad adjuster is obstructed by the motor and can be accessed in two ways:
- Remove the rear wheel to allow access to the adjuster
- Use the 5 mm Allen wrench to carefully remove the caliper from the frame and rotor to access the adjuster. Then reinstall the caliper by mounting it in line with the brake rotor.
Rotor replacement
- Protect the display by loosening the clamp screws and rotating the display so it does not contact the floor then position the bike upside down.
- Remove the wheel by loosening the quick release skewer and pulling the wheel from the fork dropouts. If servicing the rear wheel, be sure to disconnect the motor cable before removing the wheel.
- Remove the rotor by using the T25 Torx tool to carefully remove the rotor mounting bolts.
- Note: Avoid touching the outer ring of the rotor. Contaminating the braking surface with hand oils or synthetic oils can cause poor braking performance and squeaking.
- Install the new rotor by carefully hand threading the mounting bolts, then continue threading the bolts using the T25 Torx tool until the bolts lightly contact the rotor.
- Finish tightening the mounting bolts by moving in a star pattern to evenly distribute the force.
- Reinstall your wheel by making sure the rotor enters the caliper between the brake pads and the quick release skewer is fully seated in the fork dropouts. If servicing the rear wheel, make sure the slotted axle slides into the dropouts before securing the axle nuts.
Brake pad replacement
- Use pliers to straighten the brake pad retention pin
- Remove the brake pad retention pin
- Pull the brake pads from the caliper
- Install the spacer spring onto the new brake pads
- Insert the new brake pads into the caliper
- Reinstall and re-bend the pad retention pin