Electric Scooter Maintenance Guide in 10 Easy Steps
Electric scooter maintenance really boils down to a few important but straightforward steps regardless of what brand your scooter is, or what the specs are.
This article is designed to offer useful advice on how to maintain and get the best out of your electric scooter. After all you spent decent money on it and you want to get the best return on investment you can!
These are our top ten tips for electric scooter maintenance. Sometimes it’s the small things that make the big difference, and that definitely holds true for electric scooter maintenance.
1 Electric Scooter Maintenance 101 – Avoid Complete Battery Drainage & Overcharging
Your electric scooter’s battery is your best friend when it comes to scooting. If your battery is not working properly your whole scooter isn’t working properly. Full stop.
To make sure you maximise the lifespan of your battery it’s crucial that you do your absolute best to avoid draining your battery completely. Charging the battery when there’s at least some power left will reduce the wear and tear on the battery over time, extending the battery’s life and your effective use of the scooter.
To further optimise battery life be sure to never overcharge it. Always disconnect the charger from the mains plug before disconnecting the charger from the battery, and don’t charge it for longer than what it takes to reach full charge.
2 Store the Scooter in Moderate Temperatures
Extreme heat or cold will have a detrimental effect on your electric scooter’s battery. If you have ever left your phone in direct sunlight on a warm day you will already be aware of this.
In order to maintain overall performance to a high standard avoid extreme temperatures which will lead to battery degradation.
3 Check Tyre Pressure Regularly for Crucial Electric Scooter Maintenance
Just like a car, the tyres are such an important point of electric scooter maintenance – they are the point at which the rubber hits the road (sometimes literally and sometimes not depending on what your tyres are made from) and you need to make sure the pressure is correct to avoid punctures and wear.
Electric scooters have tyres that should be inflated to the correct pressure of around 3.5kg/cm2 or 50 PSI (pounds per square inch). You should be able to source this information from your user manual, or often on the side of the tyre itself. Scooter tyres are much like car tyres in this respect at least – they need to be regularly maintained to serve their purpose.
4 Keep an Eye on the Tyre Tread
When the tyre tread isn’t enough on your scooter it means that the tyre doesn’t have sufficient grip on the road, making your brakes less effective and increasing braking distance in particular. It will take the electric scooter longer to come to a complete stop compromising safety.
Poor tyre tread will also affect the scooter’s suspension and the overall feel and experience of the ride.
5 Avoid Riding in Heavy Rain, Snow or Sleet
Even if your scooter has a high Water Resistance Rating (IP65 is considered waterproof for most purposes) it’s still best to avoid really wet weather conditions. Obviously this also increases the likelihood of accidents, such as slipping on the deck or the wheels sliding in the rain when braking.
The main reason however, is the potential of damaging your battery which is of course the life and soul of your electric scooter. Too much water can make your battery leak, overheat or even ignite. Although occasional splashing will probably not have much effect, continual exposure to heavy rain for prolonged periods of time will eventually degrade your battery, and minimise its effectiveness.
6 Regularly Check your Scooter’s Brakes
Another key part of electric scooter maintenance is the regular checking of your scooter’s brakes. This is especially important if it has disc brakes, to ensure they are in good working order. After all, your brakes might just save your life.
Replace worn pads and adjust the brakes as necessary if you can do it yourself. Otherwise get a professional to do it for you. Most scooters come with 1 year warranty so make sure keep an eye on your scooter’s performance to get replacement parts before the warranty runs out.
Other Electric Scooter Maintenance Guides
7 Clean the Scooter Regularly (An Obvious but Overlooked Part of Electric Scooter Maintenance)
Wipe your scooter down with a soft cloth or brush regularly to prevent the build up of dust and dirt.
This is particularly important in dry, warm weather or when you have been scooting on dusty or muddy terrain. Over time, the build up of dirt and dust can degrade your scooter’s overall performance.
8 Get a Waterproof and Dustproof Scooter Cover
A decent cover for your scooter that is both waterproof and dustproof can make a world of difference to your scooter, helping to avoid any degradation of your battery in particular. This is particularly true if you aren’t going to be using the scooter for a while.
Use the cover when you are storing the scooter, especially when conditions are damp, cold or very humid. It’s also worth considering using a desiccant (e.g. silica gel) in humid conditions to remove moisture from the air.
9 Use Puncture Protection Fluid
Puncture Protection Fluid is a fibrous fluid that helps to prevent punctures by sealing any holes from the inside. You fill your pneumatic air-filled tyres with the fluid, and it automatically seeks out and seals punctures from the inside and it can give you up to 2 years protection.
It doesn’t cost much to buy and it definitely helps you avoid painful punctures that will cost you time and more money in the long term.
10 Consult the User Manual for your Scooter
Although there are definitely similarities across the board when it comes to electric scooter maintenance, it’s extremely useful to be familiar with the manual for your specific make and model. Being aware of potential problems, and learning how to diagnose and then repair any issues will save you money and hassle, as well as keep you enjoying your electric scooter for years to some.
If you don’t feel comfortable or capable enough to make repairs yourself, then by all means take your scooter to an expert and get them to sort it for you.
If you are thinking about buying an Apollo electric scooter or you have one and want to see how it compares to other Apollo models you could consider reading our Top 5 Apollo electric scooters article.
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