Electric trike maintenance follows the same rhythm as any e-bike: a quick check before each ride, a clean each week, a closer look each month and a professional service once a year. What changes on a trike is the list of parts. You have three brakes to check instead of two, a rear differential and a wide rear axle, two rear tyres that need to match, parking brakes, powered reverse and a folding frame. This guide covers those trike parts, model by model, for owners and for anyone helping a parent or partner look after theirs.
By the Ridewave team, updated October 2026
How is looking after an electric trike different from a bike?
The NSW Government's advice for any bicycle or e-bike is a three minute check every time you ride and a professional service at least once a year (NSW Government guide to maintaining your bicycle or e-bike). Our e-bike and e-trike maintenance schedule sets out that weekly, monthly and yearly rhythm in full, so this guide sticks to what a two wheeler doesn't have.
On every current Ridewave e-trike, that means three hydraulic disc brakes plus parking brakes, a rear differential, two rear tyres that share the load, a folding frame and folding handlebar stem, powered reverse, a brake light and indicators, and a removable, lockable battery with a 48V 3A charger.
Which trike parts need checking, and how often?
Here's the trike only checklist. The timing follows the NSW Government rhythm of a check before each ride, weekly and monthly checks at home and a yearly professional service, and where the NSW guide is silent it's our suggested routine. Your own manual comes first for anything model specific.
| Part | What to check | How often | Which models |
|---|---|---|---|
| Three hydraulic disc brakes | Each lever feels firm, each wheel stops cleanly, no rubbing or squeal | Before each ride | All five |
| Parking brakes | Holds the trike still when set, fully released before you ride | Before each ride | All five |
| Frame fold and stem fold | Both latches fully closed and tight, no play in the handlebars | Before each ride | All five |
| Two rear tyres | Firm, and both at the same pressure from the sidewall | Weekly | All five |
| Front fork | Wipe clean, check the lockout works | Monthly | Quokka, Wallaby, Wallaby Plus |
| Front fork | Look for damage, nothing to adjust | Monthly | Koala, Platypus (current batch) |
| Rear axle area | Wipe away grit, listen for clicks or grinding when turning | Monthly | All five |
| Lights, brake light, indicators, horn | All working | Monthly, and before riding at dusk | All five |
| Powered reverse | Moves the trike back smoothly and stops cleanly | Monthly | All five |
| Brake pads on all three wheels | Wear and contamination | Monthly look, yearly service | All five |
| Rear differential | Checked by a mechanic | Yearly service, sooner if noisy | All five |
How do you look after three hydraulic disc brakes and the parking brakes?
Test all three brakes before every ride, keep oil and cleaning products off the discs and pads, and leave anything inside the hydraulic system to a mechanic. Every current Ridewave e-trike has hydraulic disc brakes on all three wheels, so there are three brakes to test, not two.
Before each ride. Squeeze each lever in turn and push the trike forward. The wheels should stop cleanly and the lever should feel firm.
Keep the discs clean. Pads lose grip when they pick up oil, lube or spray cleaner. When you lube the chain, keep the bottle well away from the discs, and never spray anything near them. CHOICE notes that dirt build up on pads makes brakes less effective and that a rubbing brake can drain the battery faster (CHOICE guide to maintaining an electric bike).
What a soft lever means. Hydraulic brakes don't stretch like cables, so a spongy lever, or one that pulls closer to the grip than it used to, usually points to air or a leak in the system. Don't ride until a mechanic has checked it.
The parking brakes
Every Ridewave e-trike has parking brakes, and they're the part new owners most often forget. Set them whenever you stop on a slope, load the basket or get on and off. Before you ride, check they're fully released, because a brake left partly on drags the wheel and wears the pads. Once a month, set them on a gentle slope and check the trike stays put.
What care do the rear differential and rear axle need?
At home, keep the rear axle area clean and listen to it. Inside the differential is a job for the yearly service. Every current Ridewave e-trike has a rear differential, which lets the two back wheels turn at different speeds so the trike goes round corners smoothly.
What you can do yourself:
- Wipe the axle area after wet, sandy or dusty rides, with a damp cloth, not a hose.
- Listen when you turn. Ride a slow circle each way in a quiet car park. Clicking, knocking or grinding that comes and goes as you turn is worth booking in.
- Check for play. Hold each rear wheel at the top and rock it gently side to side. A clunk or obvious movement needs looking at.
What to leave alone: don't open the differential housing, and don't spray lubricant into it. Ask the mechanic to check it at the yearly service.
Which tyres and front fork does your trike have?
Tyre sizes and forks differ across the range. The right pressure is printed on each tyre's sidewall. Use a pump with a gauge, and keep both rear tyres at the same pressure so the trike rolls straight and the load is shared evenly. CHOICE suggests checking pressure before every ride, since soft tyres cost you range (CHOICE guide to maintaining an electric bike).
| Model | Tyres | Front fork |
|---|---|---|
| Koala | 16 x 3 inch | Rigid (current batch) |
| Quokka | 20 x 2.125 inch, puncture resistant | Suspension with lockout |
| Wallaby | 20 x 3 inch | Suspension with lockout |
| Wallaby Plus | 20 x 4 inch fat tyres | Suspension with lockout |
| Platypus | 16 x 3 inch front, 20 x 3 inch rear, puncture resistant | Rigid (current batch) |
Wide tyres. The 20 x 4 inch tyres on the Wallaby Plus usually run at a lower pressure than narrower tyres, so always go by the sidewall rather than a figure from another trike. After gravel or grass rides, pick out stones and look for cuts.
Suspension forks. On the Quokka, Wallaby and Wallaby Plus, wipe the fork legs clean so grit doesn't wear the seals, and check the lockout turns on and off. If the fork leaks oil or tops out with a clunk, book it in.
Rigid forks. On the Koala and Platypus in the current batch, there's nothing to adjust. Just look the fork over for damage.
For more on getting pressure right, see our guide to e-bike tyre pressure, which applies to trike tyres too.
How do you check the folding frame and store a wide trike?
Check both folding latches before every ride, and plan storage around the trike's width. Every Ridewave e-trike has a folding aluminium frame and a folding handlebar stem.
The latches. Before you ride, make sure the frame latch and the stem latch are fully closed and tight. Hold the front brake and rock the handlebars: there should be no play or knocking. Once a month, fold and unfold the trike, wipe the hinges and look for cracks or loose bolts. If a latch won't close firmly, don't ride until a mechanic has adjusted it.
Storage. Every current Ridewave e-trike is 77 cm wide, unfolded and folded. Folding makes it shorter, not narrower, so measure the doorway, side gate or caravan door it will pass through.
- Store it somewhere dry and out of direct sun. Outside, use a breathable cover so moisture doesn't sit on the electrics.
- Set the parking brakes, and take the battery out to store it in a cool, dry place.
How do you check the lights, reverse and battery?
Check the lights and reverse monthly, and treat the battery as you would on any e-bike.
Lights and signals. Every current Ridewave e-trike has an LED front light with a horn, a rear light, a brake light and indicators. Turn the lights on, press each indicator, sound the horn, and squeeze each brake lever to check the brake light comes on. The NSW Government advises checking lights and reflectors are fastened and working each month.
Powered reverse. Every Ridewave e-trike has powered reverse for backing out of a parking spot or a tight shed. In a clear, flat space, try it once a month: the trike should move back smoothly and stop cleanly, the way your manual describes. If it doesn't, note anything shown on the display and call us.
The battery. Each Ridewave e-trike has a removable, lockable 48V 15Ah battery with EVE cells, and comes with a 48V 3A charger. The NSW Government's lithium-ion battery guidance applies to every trike (NSW Government guidance on lithium-ion batteries):
- Use only the charger that came with the trike, and let the battery cool after a ride before charging it.
- Charge on a hard surface in a garage, shed or carport, away from living areas and exits, and don't leave it charging unattended or overnight.
- Stop using a battery that is swelling, leaking, cracked, dented, hot, giving off smoke or vapour, or has been in water.
For longer breaks, CHOICE suggests storing the battery at about 30 to 60% charge and topping it up roughly once a month (CHOICE guide to maintaining an electric bike). The battery is lockable, so keep its key somewhere safe.
Which jobs should you leave to a mechanic?
Anything inside the brakes, the differential, the motor or the battery. The NSW Government recommends that repairs are done by a qualified bicycle mechanic, and a trike's extra parts are no exception.
Book a service if you notice:
- a brake lever that feels soft or pulls further than usual
- clicking, knocking or grinding from the rear axle, especially in turns
- a rear wheel that rocks or wobbles
- reverse, the lights or the motor cutting in and out, or an error on the display
- wiring that is pinched or loose near the folding joints.
Ridewave e-trikes are covered by a 2-year limited warranty on the frame, motor and electrical parts. The battery is covered for 2 years or 300 recharge cycles, whichever comes first, and accessories for 6 months. Our warranty page has the details. For a service, call us, or find a service partner near you on our locations page.
What this guide can't do
A checklist can't diagnose a fault or replace your trike's manual, and this guide gives no pressure figure or service interval of its own: follow the sidewall and the yearly service. If something feels wrong, stop riding and get it looked at, even if no check is due.
See the parts up close
The quickest way to learn your way round a trike is to have someone show you. At our showrooms we can point out the parking brakes, the folding latches, how reverse works and where the battery comes out, on the Platypus, the Wallaby or any model in the electric trike range.
Visits run at our showrooms in Vermont (Melbourne), Girraween and Marrickville (Sydney), and most take 30 minutes to an hour. Call ahead so we can have the right trike ready: book a showroom test ride, or call us on +61 468 095 888.
Sources
- Maintaining your bicycle or e-bike, NSW Government, checked October 2026
- Lithium-ion batteries and e-micromobility devices, NSW Government, checked October 2026
- How to maintain your electric bike, CHOICE, checked October 2026
Related articles
- E-bike and e-trike maintenance schedule: the full before ride, weekly, monthly and yearly checklist.
- How to clean your e-bike or e-trike after a beach ride: the extra care salt and sand call for around the rear axle.
- How to clean an e-bike chain: a step by step chain clean that keeps lube off the brakes.