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How to Make an Electric Scooter Faster – Our Top 10 Tips

If you have been wondering about how to make an electric scooter faster, then let’s get you up to speed with our best tips and advice.

While most people want a faster scooter for the adrenaline rush, you might want to travel faster to save you time as well. Always bear in mind that local laws need to be obeyed. In some countries the limit for an electric scooter is 15.5 mph (25 km/h) if you are on public roads.

If you live in the UK you can’t at present ride an electric scooter anywhere except private land where you have the permission of the landowner, so having a faster scooter won’t affect you in the same way.

How to Make an Electric Scooter Faster

1 Remove the Speed Limiting Cable or Firmware

This is the most effective way to answer the question how to make an electric scooter faster, but it comes with some considerations.

You need to make sure you know what you are doing in case you damage something, you need to be aware that tampering with the speed limiting cable will likely void the manufacturer’s warranty (not an issue if you’ve had your scooter for a while), and you need to bear in mind that making the motor work harder will probably mean you shorten its lifespan. It will also mean that your battery charge won’t hold as long because you pushing your scooter to its limits.

Most manufacturers of electric scooters include the speed limiter to make sure to conform to speed laws, but it can be quite easily disconnected to add decent speed to your scooter. Some recent models and high end scooters might not allow for this, although you may be able to make your more advanced scooter go faster more easily by turning off the speed limiter on an app, or changing to a faster mode.

How to Remove Speed Limiter on your Electric scooter

There are 2 types of speed limiters that are used in electric scooters; hard wire speed limiters and firmware speed limiters. Once you have found out which speed limiter is on your scooter (check the manual to help) you can perform the following simple steps to disable the speed limiter on your scooter.

Hard Wired Speed Limiter

    1. Determine if your scooter has a hard-wired speed limiter, which is a wire that connects the throttle and controller, limiting power output (use the scooter manual or an online video tutorial)
    2. Locate the position of the speed limiter (it is usually between the controller and the motor – you will probably need to use a screwdriver to remove the housing that protects the electrical components inside the scooter (it will somewhere on the deck of the scooter)
    3.  Find the wire (usually equipped with a clip or plug, making it easy to identify) that limits power output.
    4. Disconnect the wire at the clip or plug to remove power limitations from the controller, unlocking extra power/speed. Some older or more basic models might need you to clip the wire with a pair of pliers
    5. Put the housing back on and use a screwdriver to tighten the screws

Firmware Speed Limiter

    1. Identify the firmware speed limiter (using the manual) – firmware speed limiters are usually implemented at the control panel level or within the controller’s software
    2. For scooters with common LCD control panels, access “P SETTINGS” to adjust speed and power output settings
    3. Use the APP interface (Bluetooth) to push a ROM flash that updates the scooter’s firmware directly (models like the XIAOMI M365)
    4. Adjust the P Settings for Power Limiting (if applicable to your scooter)
    5. Identify the most common P Settings for power limiting, such as P8 (Motor Power) and P12 (Acceleration Speed), on LCD displays like the LT01 / QS-S4 LCD Throttle
    6. Adjust these settings to unlock full motor/controller potential

If you are lucky enough to have a high end scooter (e.g. YUME X11+) you may well be able to turn the speed limiter on and off on your app, which is about as straightforward as it gets!

Pure Air Electric Scooter

2 Switch to a Faster Riding Mode

Exploring the scooter’s riding modes can also yield faster speeds. Modes such as ECO are designed for efficiency and limit speed, while Sport or Turbo modes unlock the scooter’s full potential. If your scooter features these modes, switching to a faster setting can provide an immediate speed boost easily.

Often the manufacturer or the retailer will leave the scooter in a default mode (often ECO which is the most fuel efficient mode), expecting customers to change riding modes according to preference. If this is the case, then this is a really easy way to increase your electric scooter’s speed.

Not all scooters have modes, and the modes may differ from brand to brand or even models within the brand. The modes might also be called something different (e.g. some of Apollo’s scooters have LUDO mode as the fastest mode) although it shouldn’t be difficult to check your manual to see what the various modes of your scooter are, or if there is just one riding mode.

3 Change to a Higher Voltage Battery

A higher voltage battery can mean more power getting to your scooter’s motor which of course means more speed. It’s really important that you make sure the controller is compatible with the battery replacement so this will require a little know-how. You might need to do some research or consult an expert or someone who has made this modification to their scooter already.

Although this is a potentially significant tip for improving speed it isn’t one of the easier ones on the list. It’s also worth considering that more power to your motor will add to wear and tear, possibly shortening the shelf life of your motor. A more powerful battery will also take longer to charge.

4 Increase the Tyre Pressure

Obviously this only applies if you aren’t already at full pressure (which is usually 50 PSI or 3.5 kg/cm2 ), however it’s worth checking to make sure your tyre pressure is at recommended levels. This is another quick and easy fix and it works because higher tyre pressure means a reduction in rolling resistance which leads to a decent boost in speed efficiency.

5 Stay up to Date with Firmware Updates

Certain manufacturers release updates which may improve your scooter’s performance in a few different ways including speed capabilities.

More basic or older models likely won’t have this option, but there are plenty of brands who release updates quite quickly after launching a new scooter. Apollo in particular are good at this, issuing regular updates to improve the performance of their scooters.

6 Remove any Unnecessary Weight

This is another quick and easy way to ensure your scooter goes more quickly, and while it’s fairly obvious it is often overlooked.

Try not to bring any heavy items with you where possible and wear light clothing and footwear (not boots) to make sure your scooter is as lightweight and quick as it can be. If you need to bring a backpack, consider only filling it with the essentials and think about how to reduce weight for each and every item you include.

7 Try to Join Online Communities with Plenty of Scootering Experience

There are always going to be certain places where people who have lots of experience with electric scooters hang out online. Whether it be Facebook Groups, Reddit, Instagram Threads or online forums finding communities who use your particular brand of electric scooter (or have a passion for electric scooters in general) is just going to open you open up to a world of possibility.

Chances are there will be at least some good posts about how to make an electric scooter faster (probably including some information you haven’t previously thought of), not to mention many other topics of interest to electric scooter riders too. People can often be innovative in ways that manufacturers don’t consider, and making an e scooter go faster is a common topic for scooter enthusiasts

8 Make Sure your Scooter is Well Maintained

It may sound like a really dull and unexciting way to make your scooter go faster but regular maintenance makes a big difference.

Make sure to lubricate all moving parts and ensure the motor is clean and free of debris to improve efficiency and speed.

9 Upgrade your Speed Controllers

While there’s no denying that replacing the electronic speed controller (ESC) with a custom controller can increase your scooter’s top speed, it isn’t an option for many scooter riders because it can be difficult to find an aftermarket controller for your scooter. It’s also worth bearing in mind that some scooter controllers require the battery to be uprated to allow for this.

All that being said it’s worth considering that your scooter’s ESC is responsible for power management and distribution and it can have a real impact on acceleration and overall power output. In the end it’s entirely up to you but it is worth taking into account if you are willing to put in the time and effort to research.

10 Adjust the Brakes Properly

If you have the technical know-how or you can find a useful video tutorial on the topic, making sure there is no contact between the brake pads and the scooter rims will make sure your electric scooter goes faster.

This is one of the lesser known ways of speeding up your scooter but it is very effective. Consult an expert if needs be, but take our word for it, this is a very effective tip.

Electric Scooter Up Close
Electric Scooter Up Close
If you enjoyed this article on how to make an electric scooter faster, then you might also enjoy our value-packed article on electric scooter maintenance as well.

 

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