Scooter Maintenance

Preventive Maintenance will extend the life of your Scooter, keep it looking good and always ready for a ride. Good maintenance requires regular check ups, and can not be completed if you do not have spare parts and maintenance supplies on hand. The last thing you want to happen is not be able to ride your Scooter because you don’t have basic spare parts to repair or replace some simple component that is broken or not working. You will be unhappy if you have to shelve the scooter until you get replacement parts ordered.

Scooter are like any other mechanical device and when they take a lot of abuse, parts begin to fail, break down or just plain ware out. All scooters will eventually have mechanical or electrical problem and that eventually is drastically shorten when scooter riding is pushed to the limits. Make sure you have the basic spare parts and supplies on hand that will put you back into riding after a break down.
When ordering parts…….. be sure you have all the required and necessary part information, so you can adequately describe the part that you need. That will help insure that you get the correct part you need. Check with the manufacture or the dealer you purchased your scooter from, and check to see if they require specific information for the part you will be replacing. New models are always coming on the market and there may be a change is a parts dimensions and specifications. Your dealer or the manufacture will alert you to possible changes in parts for different models.

Most Electric Scooters are well built and designed to take the stress of riding. Many riders will abuse the scooter and cause severe wear and tear, causing parts to fail well before they were designed to last. Accidents will happen and that will invariable cause damage to the scooter but most damage comes from those who push the limits of abuse in riding a scooter. Rough riding will take its toll on the scooter, it is to be expected. Drive Belts will wear outs faster by repeated fast starts, fast stops. Skidding to a stop as a lot of riders like to do will shorten the life of the tires and if you don’t keep the tires fully inflated that adds to their wear and tire. Low tire pressure will also cause the inner tubes to rotate on the rim when braking and skidding occurs, this can lead to the shearing off of the valve stem. The Electronic Controller can also be adversely effected by abusive riding by causing the controller to over heat…… it is important to give the scooter a chance to catch its breath and cool down. Remember this is an Electric powered scooter and electric cause heat so if you push it too hard for too long you may cause over heating…. give it a break and let it cool down from time to time.

Small tires loose air pressure quickly and should be check each time you go riding or at least each day. Tires will wear out much quicker if you ride them with low air pressure. Another problem that low air pressure can cause, is the inner tube rotating inside the tire during braking and acceleration. If the inner tube rotates, the valve stem can damaged or cut off from the inner tube, causing a flat and the expense of replacing the inner tube.

Daily Maintenance Check

Charge the batteries.
Check over the Scooter to be sure everything is in good condition. If you find something wrong repair or replace the problem before riding.
Check tire pressure, add air if low.
Check the Break Lever to make sure it does not touch the handle bar when pressed, adjust if it does.

Weekly Maintenance Check

Wheels

Wheel Bearings

Check wheel bearing to make sure the wheel are rolling free and with out vibration.
Wheel bearings are important as they effect the ride of the Scooter and how well it will roll. You will get a faster ride with good bearing and at the same time reduce unnecessary power required of the motor. Bad bearings will cause an extra drain on the electric motor.
When you do replace the bearings make sure you get the best rated ones you can. Bearings are rated on a smoothness measurement called ABEC. The smoother the bearing the better it will work. The best bearings are ABEC-7 the worst is ABEC-1 so make sure you buy ABC-7 rated bearings.

Tires

Check Tire Pressure. Small tires can hold from 45 psi to 85 psi, so it is important for you to check the wall of the time and see what the recommended air pressure is. If it is not there, check you Scooter Manuel.
Check the tires for wear and tear and make sure there is still tread on the tires. Don’t ride on bald tires.
Check the valve stem for air leakage and to make sure it is still in good shape and has not slip so much it is leaning over.

Batteries

Check the battery terminals and cable to make sure they are tight and have not become corrosive.
Charge the battery regularly even if the Scooter is not being used. Lead acid batteries can be charged frequently since they have no memory, even after short trips.
Allow the batteries to cool for an hour or more after long rides before charging. Heat will damage batteries so it is helpful to keep batteries as cool as possible during use or charging.
Before charging the batteries make sure the Ignition Key is turn to the off position, then remove the key.
Do not charge batteries that are still hot from riding. Let them cool down for an hour or two before charging.
Do not recharge in an area that will allow the electric scooter or the charging unit to become wet.
Recharge only in an area that is well ventilated.
Keep children away from the electric scooter while it is being recharged.
Do not block the air vents on the charging unit. If blocked, the charging unit may overheat and create a fire hazard.
Disconnect the battery from the motor lead when not in use.
Do not ride your Scooter or charge the Scooter if you see any wires that have become worn, broken, or damaged in any way. Don’t wait and ride…. repair them before your next ride. You don’t want to be 10 miles away have your Scooter stop running.
Do not use the Electric Scooter battery to power or recharge any other equipment.
Do not modify your Electric Scooter’s electrical controls or writing.

Fuses

Check the fuses in your Scooter and Charging unit to be sure they are not burnt or broken.
If you need to replace a blown fuse on the Scooter or the Charging Unit, make sure you use the correct fuse with the correct amperage. If you use the wrong amperage you could damage the electrical systems.

Drive Chain and Belts

Check the chain or belt drive for excessive wear and tear and that it has the right tension and is properly aligned on the hubs. If you have removed the belt or are installing a new belt, make sure adjust the belt to the right tension and is again lined properly and does not ride against the sides of the belt hubs on the motor or rear tire. If it is not centered properly it will cause the belt to try to jump up on the edge of the hub and cause a tear in the edge of the belt which will eventually cause the belt to completely separate or tear. Make sure the belt hubs on the motor and rear wheel have teeth that are not worn down, creating a situation where the new belt will slip and the teeth will be worn down. The belt/chain can usually be adjusted by moving the rear tire forward or back. Check your Scooter Manuel for information how to adjust the belt/chain. Normally you only need to loosen the large axle nuts to make the adjustment. Check your specs, but look for approximately one-half to one-quarter inch give when pressing against the middle of the belt/chain span.
Always keep the drive chains lubricated with a good chain spray or grease (do not use chain wax). If the chains are allowed to run dry for a prolonged period of time they will fail, and the life of the chain will be severely shortened.

Nuts and Bolts

Lever Controls and Cables

Keeping You Scooter Clean

Battery Maintenance & Important Safety Information

WARNING! Batteries contain acid that can explode or burn you. If you get the acid on your clothing it will eat holes where ever it comes in contact. Batteries produce vapors and they can explode if ignited. Never connect the positive and negative terminals directly together…. this will cause a serious short circuit and could ignite battery vapors. Batteries produce current and voltage that can burn you when a shorted circuit occurs. Be absolutely sure you know what you are doing before doing anything with the batteries, other than charging them. Batteries are the most dangerous part of your Electrical Scooter and you must be very careful when you work with them.

Batteries should be charged after each ride or before you take the Scooter out for a ride. You don’t want to be half way on your ride and have the batteries run out of juice. If you are driving your Scooter at full speed for a long time….. it is best to stop and let the Scooter and Batteries cool down. Heat can damage batteries and it is helpful to keep batteries as cool as possible during use or charging. Allow the batteries to cool for an hour or more before recharging.

When the time comes to replace your batteries, make sure you get advise as to what type and brand to use. You must also dispose of the use battery in a proper manor as require by law. The easiest way to dispose of your batteries is to turn them in to the people you purchase you new batteries from.

Electric Scooter Maintenance