High-quality electric scooters are an investment. You can use them for a thrilling to ride through the city at top speeds. However, they require routine maintenance, just like any old car or bike.
Maintaining your scooter requires regular cleaning. You’ll need to ensure the battery is charged and stored correctly. You may need to adjust your tire tube’s pressure, and expect to change them every 1,000 miles or so. You should also get your motor looked at by a professional at least once a year.
Don’t be intimidated by the necessary maintenance required for electric scooters. The process can be relaxing and help you connect with your ride. Here’s the complete guide and everything you need to know to keep your electric scooter in prime condition.
Importance of Regular Electric Scooter Maintenance
Just like any other vehicle or tech device, regular maintenance will ensure the longevity and performance of your electric scooter. Electric scooters are much easier to care for than cars. You’ll typically need to clean them and make sure the electrical components are working properly. You can keep your scooter in prime condition and save money with a little elbow grease.
Keep Your Scooter Reliable
Minor issues in your scooter’s battery, motor, or tires can dramatically impact your performance. Not to mention, poor maintenance habits can lead to accidents, injuries, and costly repairs down the line. Routine maintenance and servicing allow you to keep your scooter reliable and in tip-top shape.
Avoid High-Cost Repairs
Although they’re cheaper than a standard car, electric scooters are an investment. If you don’t take care of your scooter, it won’t last as long, or you’ll have to pay expensive repair costs. It’s in your best interest to prolong your scooter’s lifespan. Doing your due diligence and reading the user’s manual will allow you to detect and fix minor issues.
Prevent and Correct
The types of maintenance are preventative and corrective. Preventive maintenance allows you to avoid severe issues and handle them before they snowball out of control. Corrective maintenance is required when you haven’t looked after your scooter and when minor issues have turned into costly problems.
Electric Scooter Maintenance Tips
Taking care of your scooter is necessary to ensure its performance and longevity. Try not to consider routine maintenance as an annoying chore.
Think of it as a part of your electric scooter hobby and a way to connect with your ride. Depending on your model, maintenance can be a breeze or require some learning. Here are some electric scooter maintenance tips to get you started.
How to Clean Your Electric Scooter
Cleaning your electric scooter is one of the first steps to routine maintenance and servicing. Keeping your scooter clean ensures there isn’t any gunk, debris, or other buildup causing performance issues. Be sure your scooter is completely turned off before beginning.
Step One: The Mechanical Components
Be sure your scooter is completely turned off before beginning. In the first step, we’ll be focusing on the mechanical components—mix warm water and soap in a bowl or bucket. Dip your first cotton rag (on Amazon) into the solution and wring out as much water as possible.
Start with areas that are less dirty, like the handlebars. Move onto the other mechanical elements like the frame, brakes, throttle levers, kickstand, lights, etc. Wipe away any grime, dirt, or other debris.
Take your second cotton rag and dip it into the water without any soap. Wipe all the mechanical elements again to clean any residue. Finally, take a dry cotton rag and wipe away any extra moisture.
Step Two: Degreasing the Chain
You’re going to need a platform to begin de-greasing the chain. You can use any platform, like a table or stool, as long as the wheels can spin freely in the air.
Pour a bit of eco-cleaner(on Amazon) into a bucket or bowl. You don’t have to use too much eco-cleaner because a small amount will work just fine. Take your small brush (on Amazon) and dip it into the solution. Begin brushing the chain with one hand and spin the wheel with the other. Wipe away any dirt, grime, or other buildups.
Now, you can use your small brush and clean water to wipe away any residual eco-cleaner. Keep your electric scooter on the platform for step three.
Step Three: Washing the Wheels
With your electric scooter still on the platform, you can begin step three. Take a sponge(on Amazon) and dip it into water. You don’t need any soap or chemicals to clean the wheels. Simply wash away any grime. You can also take time to wash the rims and inspect for any damages.
Step Four: Lubricate the Chains
The final step is to lubricate your electric scooter’s chain. Keep your scooter on the platform for this step. You can either wait for the chain to dry or use a small rag to speed up the process.
Take your lubricant (on Amazon) and a cotton rag and apply the solution to your electric scooter’s chain. Don’t go overboard here. A little lubricant goes a long way.
How to Maintain Electric Scooter Motor
The motor of your electric scooter is a vital component. Without the motor, you just have a scooter with a battery and a controller. Servicing the fine details of a motor can be a bit tricky, so be sure to consult your user’s manual beforehand. You may want to take your scooter to a professional for specific motor care.
However, make sure all the wires, connections, and components are fitted properly. Look for any loose ends, damage, or other sketchy elements. You should do this safety inspection every time before you ride.
How to Maintain Electric Scooter Battery
The battery of your electric scooter is one of the essential components of your ride. Without the battery, you don’t have an electric scooter. The way you ride your scooter, charge your battery, and how you store your battery all affect the performance. Here are some of the best tips to maintain your electric scooter battery:
- Don’t store your battery in extreme temperatures, whether they’re hot or cold.
- Ensure you’re using the original battery charger or that your charge is compatible with your battery’s voltage.
- Unplug your battery when it’s fully charged or shows a green light on the charger.
- Don’t charge your battery immediately after a ride. Let it cool down first.
- Don’t let your battery completely drain. Keep a little charge in it.
- If you aren’t using your scooter for extended periods, put on a tender battery charger. Tender battery chargers don’t allow the battery to overcharge and control the charging process.
- Unplug your battery when it’s fully charged or shows a green light on the charger.
- Don’t charge your battery immediately after a ride. Let it cool down first.
- Don’t let your battery completely drain. Keep a little charge in it.
- If you aren’t using your scooter for extended periods, put on a tender battery charger. Tender battery chargers don’t allow the battery to overcharge and control the charging process.
Not allowing your battery to be completely empty is one of the main takeaways. If you allow your battery to be empty for more than a few hours, it may get internal oxidation, shortening its lifespan in the process. Be sure to charge it as soon as possible after letting it cool down if it completely discharges.
Electric scooter batteries aren’t cheap. Be sure to follow these steps to prolong your scooter’s lifespan, improve its performance, and save your money down the line.
How to Maintain Electric Scooter Tires
Your tires are an integral component of your electric scooter. Routine maintenance ensures they’re working properly and keeps your performance high. The first step to maintaining your tires is tire pressure.
Maintain Proper PSI
Maintaining and optimizing your tire’s PSI will allow you to avoid damage and improve your technique. You should always check your tire’s recommended pressure. You can find this on the tire itself, the manufacturer’s website, or in your user’s manual.
Using a lower pressure setting can lower your speeds, use more battery life, and increase damage to the tire. If your PSI is too high, your tire might burst or receive irregular wear.
Changing Electric Scooter Tires
You may only have to change a car’s tires every 25,000 miles. Electric scooters are a bit different. You may need to change your tires every 1,000 miles, depending on your circumstance. You risk accidents and damage if you don’t regularly change your tires. Here’s a general guide to changing the front tire of your electric scooter:
Step 1: First, take the brakes off your electric scooter. You’ll need to use an Allen Key (on Amazon), typically number 5. Then you can use a regular wrench to remove the front wheel. You don’t have to unscrew things all the way, just enough to take the wheel down.
Step 2: Take your bicycle tire lever (on Amazon) to remove the inner tube of the tire. You can use plastic bicycle levers to avoid damage and scratches to the rim.
Step 3: Now that you’ve removed the inner tube, look for any sharp objects or punctures. If you can’t find any, you can pump the tube up and place it in a bucket of water. You’ll notice bubbles coming out of any puncture holes.
Step 4: Put your new tube in and inflate the tire following the manufacturer’s instructions. Put the wheel back on and attach the brake accordingly.
Avoid putting a new inner tube in without checking for sharp objects. You’ll suffer another puncture If you inflate the tire and there’s still a sharp object.
How to Maintain Electric Scooter Brakes
Properly maintained brakes are vital to your safety as you cruise through the city at top speeds. Without working brakes, you run the risk of accident, injury, or even death. Electric scooters can have several types of brakes. Here are a few to be aware of:
- Band brakes
- V-brakes
- Caliper brakes
- Drum brakes
- Disc brakes
- Electric brakes
The maintenance required is going to depend on the types of brakes you have. However, ensuring they are functional and well serviced is crucial to your ride. Make sure the brake shoes and brake pads are correctly fit. Adjust them if necessary.
You can place your upside down on a platform to ensure the wheels are spinning. Use Allen keys (on Amazon) for brake pads or shoes. Be patient and fine-tune your brakes. Fine-tuned brakes can increase your speed, save battery life, and keep you safe.
Things You Need for Electric Scooter Maintenance
We covered a lot of steps and tools in this guide. Here are some handy links you can use for all the tools mentioned above:
- Allen key(on Amazon)
- Regular wrench (on Amazon)
- Adjustable wrench (on Amazon)
- Electric scooter lubricant (on Amazon)
- Bicycle tire levers (on Amazon)
- Cotton rags (on Amazon)
- Brush set(on Amazon)
- Eco-cleaner (on Amazon)
- Sponge (on Amazon)
- Bucket(on Amazon)
Remember, proper maintenance and care are crucial to your electric scooter’s performance and longevity. Following this guide is sure to set you on the right path to a well-performing scooter.