Service and Maintainance Guide

All RAAW models are built to last and can take quite a beating—a true worry-free bike. But, just like the toughest hero appreciates a shower now and then, your RAAW will enjoy a bit of care in the form of cleaning, maintenance, and servicing. Don’t worry; we’ve made this process as simple as possible for you, both through the frame design and this guide.

Regular Cleaning
Frame and Bearing Maintenance
Bearing Care and Check
Bearing Replacement
Torque Overview

Regular Cleaning

We recommend cleaning your RAAW regularly with lukewarm water, mild soap, and a soft brush. Avoid using a pressure washer or high-pressure cleaner. Simply spray it down with a garden hose, then use a soft brush with soapy water to scrub from top to bottom. Let it soak briefly, then rinse it off with clean water, and you’re done. Your RAAW will thank you and give you years of fun.

Note: For your own safety, these tasks should ideally be performed or at least checked by a qualified bike mechanic or someone with equivalent skills.

Frame and Bearing Maintenance

No matter which RAAW you own, all the bearings on your frame are generously sized and protected with additional seals on the cover caps. Typically, it’s enough to check them every six months to make sure they’re functioning properly—this is also a good time to clean the pivot points thoroughly. If you notice any bearings that have play or feel stiff, we recommend replacing those bearings right away.

We’ve gone to great lengths to make our bearings as durable as possible. However, they are wear parts with a limited lifespan, which can be affected by environmental factors like water and mud as well as by overly aggressive cleaning agents. Depending on how you ride and care for your RAAW, the lifespan of the bearings can vary significantly.

Of course, you can get the right replacement bearings directly from our shop—either as an affordable complete set or individually. If you’d like to replace the sealed dust caps, we have the right replacements for those as well. To make bearing replacement even easier, we also offer a bearing tool specifically designed for our frames. Our Main-Axle Tool is another helpful accessory, securely holding the chain stay in place during bearing replacement. Both tools are optional and not strictly necessary for the job, but they definitely make the work more comfortable.

In this video, we show you how to clean the frame, maintain the bearings, and replace them step-by-step. Alternatively, you can find a maintenance guide in text form below.

Bearing Care and Check

Below, we describe how you can maintain and check the bearings and pivot points on your RAAW for wear. We recommend performing these steps in the order shown—it takes about 30 minutes. If you only want to service/check a part of the pivot points, feel free to jump directly to the specific sections.

Preparation

First, thoroughly clean your RAAW and secure it on a repair stand. Then remove the wheels, shock, and crankset. When the shock is removed, check the rear triangle for play and ease of movement by rotating it around the main axle with your hand.

Rocker Pivot Maintenance

Rocker Removal: Start by removing the two bolts connecting the rocker link to the seat stays and main frame. Once those are out, you can remove the rocker link and check the bearings for smoothness and signs of wear. If you notice any stiffness or play in the bearings, it’s time for a replacement.
Pro Tip: If the dust caps are tricky to remove, try pushing them all the way in first. This helps center them, making removal easier.
Cleaning the Rocker Bearings and Dust Caps: Use a cloth or paper towel to clean any dirt and grease off the dust caps, rocker bearings, lower shock mount, and bolts and axles. Don't forget to wipe down the contact surfaces on the seat stays and the rocker mount on the seat tube. If you notice any stiff bearings while cleaning, you can replace them right away—details on this are covered later in the article.
Rocker Reassembly: Apply a thin layer of assembly grease to all contact surfaces and a medium-strength thread locker on the threads before reattaching the rocker link to the frame and seat stays. Simply follow the reverse order of disassembly: first, attach the rocker to the frame, then connect the seat stays to the rocker, tightening the bolts to 12Nm. Don’t reinstall the shock just yet.
Pro Tip: Less is sometimes more! Using too much grease can backfire, attracting dirt rather than keeping it out.

We recommend reassembling the rocker before moving on to the other bearings, especially if you’re working solo. This approach gives you a sturdy guide for the next steps, so you won't be handling loose parts unconnected to the frame.

Horst Link Bearing Maintenance

The process for servicing the Horst Link bearings is the same as for the rocker. Use a 5mm Allen key to loosen the bolts and separate the seat stays from the chain stays. Clean all small parts and contact surfaces with a cloth or paper towel. Reassemble in reverse order, applying assembly grease to all contact surfaces and medium-strength thread locker to the threads. Tighten the bolts to 12Nm.

Main Pivot Maintenance

Main Pivot Removal: Loosen the bolt on the non-drive side of the main pivot, and use a rubber mallet to gently tap out the axle. If you have our Main-Axle Tool, it can be helpful here. Now you can remove the dust caps between the frame and seat stays for cleaning. Note: For the main pivot on Yalla!, Madonna V2.2, and Jibb V1, you’ll need a Hollowtech II tool or an appropriate socket.
Cleaning the Main Pivot Bearings and Dust Caps: Once again, use a cloth or paper towels to clean the dust caps and contact surfaces on the frame and chain stays. It’s easiest if you remove the zip ties from the lowest cable guide on the downtube. Check these bearings for stiffness or wear and replace them if needed (instructions provided below).
Reassembling the Main Pivot and Shock: Apply assembly grease to all contact surfaces and add a medium-strength thread locker to the threads before reattaching the seat stays to the main frame. Gently tap the main axle back into place with a rubber mallet, ensuring that the “notch” on the drive side is properly aligned with the opening in the chain stay. Tighten the bolt to 50Nm. You can now reinstall the shock as well, tightening the bolts to 12Nm each.

Don’t forget to clean the bearings and dust caps on the lower shock mount before reinstalling the shock.

Rear Axle Insert Maintenance on Dropouts

Removing the Inserts and Contact Plate: Start by removing the rear axle insert on the drive side by loosening the small screw and pushing the insert out with your fingers. On the brake side, you’ll find the “contact plate,” which should also be removed.
Cleaning the Contact Surfaces: Use a cloth or paper towels to thoroughly clean the inserts and the openings in the dropout.
Reinstalling the Inserts: Apply assembly grease to all contact surfaces, place the inserts back in their original positions, and secure each with its respective screw. Thread locker is not necessary here. Tighten the screws to 5Nm.
Pro Tip: Mount the rear wheel and tighten the rear axle before fastening the insert screws. This ensures that the insert is perfectly centered.

Bearing Replacement

If a bearing is worn out—meaning it has play or is stiff and hard to turn—it’s time to replace it. You can find the correct replacement bearings in our shop, either in a set or as individual pieces.

To make bearing replacement easier, each bearing seat on the Madonna frame has two small notches behind the outer ring of the bearings. These allow you to easily knock out the bearings with a hammer and punch.

For installing new bearings, we recommend using our Bearing Tool, available in our shop.

When pressing in new bearings, ensure that the bearing seats are greased and that the bearings are inserted straight and evenly. Our Bearing Tool can help with this, as it includes adapters for each bearing size.

Torque Overview

To prevent damage to components, make sure all frame bolts are tightened to the specified torque values. You can find the recommended torque settings in the graphic below. Be careful not to over-tighten or under-tighten the bolts.

At the frame pivots, apply a bit of grease to the contact surfaces of the bolt heads and a small drop of medium-strength thread locker on the threads. For the brake mount bolts, skip the grease, but thread locker is essential here.

For cable guide screws, we recommend using only grease and skipping the thread locker altogether.

[1] Main Axle 50 Nm
[2] Frame Pivot Bolts 12 Nm
[3] Brake Mount Bolts 12 Nm
[4] Dropout Bolt 5 Nm
[5] Cable Guides 3 Nm
[6] Seat Post Clamp 5 Nm
[7] Rear Wheel Axle 15 Nm
[8] Lower Shock Mount Bolts 12 Nm