Basic Maintenance Guide
Regular maintenance is essential to keep your Rerode R1 or R1+ performing at its best. While these bikes require significantly less maintenance than a traditional dirt bike, they are low maintenance—not maintenance free.
Chain Lubrication
Proper chain lubrication helps reduce wear and extends chain life.
Recommended Chain Lube
Use any O-ring safe chain lubricant.
Best Practices
- Raise the rear wheel using a bike stand or bucket.
- Rotate the wheel while applying lubricant.
- Spray the top of the chain first.
- Then spray the bottom of the chain.
Avoid This
Do not spray chain lube near the rear brake rotor.
Overspray can contaminate the brake rotor and brake pads, significantly reducing braking performance.
Chain Tension
Unlike most motorcycles, the R1 and R1+ have the rear sprocket aligned with the swingarm pivot, allowing the chain to run tighter than many riders expect.
Adjusting Chain Tension
- Loosen the rear axle.
- Loosen both chain adjuster lock nuts.
- Adjust each side evenly.
- Measure both sides with a ruler instead of relying on swingarm markings.
- Rotate the wheel several times to check for tight spots.
- Insert a rag between the chain and rear sprocket and roll the wheel forward to preload the axle before tightening.
- Tighten the axle.
- Snug the adjuster lock nuts (do not overtighten).
Proper alignment is more important than matching the swingarm index marks.
Brake Lever Travel
As brake pads wear, the brake lever will travel farther before engaging.
This happens because the caliper pistons move farther outward as the pads become thinner.
Improving Lever Feel
If your pads are approximately 50–75% worn, you can:
- Remove the brake caliper.
- Carefully pump the brake lever to move the pistons outward.
- Reinstall the caliper.
- Center the caliper before tightening.
This restores a firmer brake lever and earlier engagement.
Replace Brake Pads
Once the pads reach approximately 75% wear, replacement is recommended.
Thin brake pads:
- Hold less heat
- Increase brake fade
- Reduce braking performance
Brake pads are inexpensive and should be replaced before they become excessively worn.
Centering the Brake Caliper
After reinstalling the caliper:
- Install both mounting bolts loosely.
- Pump the brake lever several times.
- Hold the brake lever firmly.
- Tighten both caliper bolts while keeping pressure on the lever.
This automatically centers the caliper over the brake rotor and helps eliminate brake drag.
Tire Pressure
Recommended tire pressure:
20–25 PSI
For higher-powered R1+ models, installing a rear rim lock is recommended.
A rim lock helps:
- Prevent tire slip on the rim
- Allow lower tire pressures
- Improve traction in mud and technical terrain
Front End Alignment
If the bike experiences a crash or hard impact and the handlebars or suspension feel twisted:
- Remove the front wheel.
- Loosen the triple clamp bolts.
- Allow the forks to naturally realign.
- Reassemble and torque everything correctly.
This removes binding in the suspension and restores smooth fork movement.
Battery Storage
Proper battery storage significantly improves battery longevity.
Avoid
- Leaving the battery at 100% for more than a few days.
- Storing the battery at a very low charge.
Recommended Storage Range
25–70% State of Charge
If the bike is fully charged but plans change, leaving it at 100% for a day or two is generally acceptable. However, avoid storing it fully charged for extended periods.
Likewise, if you finish a ride at around 10%, recharge the battery soon rather than leaving it discharged.
Maintaining a moderate state of charge helps reduce battery degradation over time.
Summary
- Lubricate the chain regularly using an O-ring safe chain lube.
- Apply lubricant to the chain only—avoid contaminating the rear brake rotor and pads.
- Check chain tension frequently and measure axle alignment instead of relying solely on swingarm marks.
- Rotate the wheel while checking for chain tight spots.
- Restore brake lever feel by resetting the caliper pistons when pads are 50–75% worn.
- Replace brake pads when they reach approximately 75% wear to maintain braking performance.
- Center the brake caliper after installation to reduce brake drag.
- Maintain 20–25 PSI tire pressure.
- Consider installing a rear rim lock on higher-powered models for improved traction.
- If the front end becomes twisted after a crash, loosen and realign the forks before retightening.
- Store the battery between 25–70% charge whenever possible.
- Avoid leaving the battery at 100% or very low charge for extended periods to maximize battery life.
