Electric bicycle motors in wet weather conditions

Weather Proofing Video

1. Can my Electric Bicycle Conversion kit take the rain?

Overall, the conversion kits can take rain to a certain extent so getting it a little wet is not an issue.  The main concern is not to submerge your Conversion kit into water. Essentially you apply the same principles for crossing bodies of water as you would for a car. Do not attempt to ford water when its depth is over your axles. Like cars, Conversion kits will be damaged if water seeps into its electrical components.

2. How can I better protect my Electric Bicycle Conversion Kits from rain and moisture?

To better protect your Conversion Kit in moisture heavy environments, you’ll need to protect two things:

(a) the connections between the components of the kit and;

(b) any possible openings that may allow water seepage to occur.

Let’s examine the parts of your conversion kit:

The hub motor of your Conversion kit has sealed water resistance, so your main concern will be the connection from the Motor to the Controller. You should cover up your connection so that water seeping into this connection is kept to a minimum.

The Controller requires you to seal the opening in the casing of the Controller where the wires comes out. This can be done by sealing it with Clear Outdoor Silicon available at your nearest home improvement outlet. Connections to the various other parts connected to the Controller should be covered as well.

The Throttle is a critical area. Water getting into the throttle can result in a loss of command to the motor. This is especially the case for lighted throttles that provide battery power levels as the only thing stopping water from seeping in is a sticker. To protect against this scenario, you should seal the edges of the sticker with Clear Outdoor Silicon to prevent any water seeping in from that point. Of course, you should also cover the connection from the Throttle to the Controller as well.

The Battery is relatively straightforward. Basically you try to keep it dry if possible and cover the connection from it to the Controller the best you can without taping it up since the Battery is the only component you’ll be removing on a regular basis. Keep in mind that if you plan on wrapping up your batteries in plastic to keep them dry, that they do generate heat as they are used so try to use something has some resistance to heat and moisture.

3. Can I get electrocuted from my Conversion kit battery because of rain?

The only way for this to happen there must a path for the electricity to flow from the battery to the ground and you must connected to both negative and positive terminals of the electrical circuit.

To prevent such a hazard from happening do not disconnect the battery when it and the connector is wet. Disconnecting the battery at this point could be seen as reckless because water conducts electricity and providing a path for it to the ground is just asking for trouble.  Just as electrical equipment should be avoided around the bathtub, electrical systems should not be tampered with when wet.

4. I am storing my Converted Electric Bicycle away for Winter, is there anything I should know?

If you are live in a high humidity area that has a lot snow do not leave your Converted Electric Bicycle in an unheated garage or shack during winter.  When the weather gets hot and cold moisture builds up around metal and could possibly cause the motor to rust from inside out.

Keep your Converted Electric Bicycle above zero degrees Celcius and keep the area dry if you live in a high humidity area.