Care and cleaning

The SPEEDHUB 500/14’s gear unit runs protected by seals in an oil bath, so it needs very little care. What is worth doing regularly is cleaning and lubricating the drivetrain.

Cleaning

• Use only water — without pressure — and a mild cleaner.
• Do not clean around the shaft seals with a brush, toothbrush, pipe cleaner, rag or cotton: dirt can get under the seal, lift the sealing lip and cause a leak.
• A thin film of oil around the shaft seals is perfectly normal and harmless.

Never use a pressure washer

With a pressure washer, a steam jet or a hard water jet, water can get past the seals, mix with the oil and damage the bearings. The same can happen if you transport the bike in the rain without a cover, or the hub goes under water. If you suspect water got in, do an oil change as soon as possible.

Lubricating the chain and tensioner

Clean and lubricate the chain and the chain tensioner (if fitted) regularly, depending on use — and always after riding in the rain.

Apply the lubricant in a thin line to the rollers on the outside of the chain, turning the chain backwards — that makes it quick and even.

On the chain tensioner, put a drop of oil on each of the upper pulley’s joints, left and right.

The cable box (external actuation)

With external actuation, take the cable box off by hand about every 5,000 km, clean it and lightly grease the inside of the cable pulley — a little grease at the points marked with arrows.

Caution

Do not lubricate the shift cables: they are stainless steel and run for a long time without lubrication.

Disc brake (DB) hubs

Before every ride, check that the shell cover screws are tight.

The full schedule is in the Maintenance plan.