Owning an electric scooter opens up a world of possibilities for thrill-seekers, tech fiends, commuters and individuals that cannot afford a car. As little space is required to store them, and newer models can boast long-lasting power features, there’s no doubt that e-scooters are here to stay.
Just as with your car or any other electrical item, regular maintenance ensures your electric scooter will be able to perform well. It’s also the best way to identify minor issues with your scooter to prolong its lifespan.
In most cases, you’ll need to clean the scooter regularly and make sure the electrical components continue to work. Small steps can make a significant difference in the long term and save you a lot of money. Now, let’s take a look at the benefits of scooter maintenance.
Part 1: Why Is Important To Do Regular Electric Scooter Maintenance?
Like anything with moving parts, it’s important to run an eye over your e-scooter every now and then to ensure it keeps performing as the miles rack up. Simple things like under-inflated tyres and a dirt build up around the wheels and bearings can lead to a reduction in electric range and erratic handling.
Part 2: How Often Do Electric Scooters Need Maintenance?
When it comes to how often electric scooters need maintenance, there’s no definitive answer. Your care and repair routine depends on how often you’ll use the scooter and the kind of conditions you ride in.
In general, we suggest regular servicing based on your mileage and amount of use, and at a minimum, your e-scooter should be checked over and adjusted every 600 - 800 miles.
You should perform a quick check every time you use the scooter, including feeling the tyres, ensuring each component is secure and whether your battery has enough charge.
Part 3: Main Parts of An Electric Scooter
When it comes to how often electric scooters need maintenance, there’s no definitive answer. Your care and repair routine depends on how often you’ll use the scooter and the kind of conditions you ride in.
In general, you should perform a quick check every time you use the scooter, including feeling the tyres, ensuring each component is secure and whether your battery has enough charge.
Main Parts of An Electric Scooter
In their most basic form, an electric scooter has similar parts to mechanical scooters, with one significant difference; electrics. TIf you want to learn how to perform e-scooter maintenance, it’s essential to know the role of each component.
1. Brakes
Brakes are essential for road safety because they enable you to slow the speed of your scooter and stop it in an emergency. Much like your car brakes, an electric scooter is a safety hazard if it doesn’t have a supportive braking system.
Many scooters have two sets of brakes to ensure complete safety. While electric brakes are easier to maintain, mechanical brakes provide more strength, so manufacturers usually combine them to make a high-powered yet reliable scooter.
2. Batteries
As your car needs petrol to run, your electric scooter requires batteries to power the motor, lights and other electrical components. If you opt for a budget scooter, the manufacturer might use a lead iron battery, but most choose lithium-ion cells that merge to form a battery pack.
The capacity of your battery determines how long each charge will last and whether your battery can provide energy for higher power motors.
In electric scooters, battery capacity is measured by Wh (watt-hours), ranging between 250 – 3000Wh.
3. Tyres
Tyres provide the traction to brake in an emergency, but they’re also necessary for your scooter to run. Just as a flat tyre would make riding a bike or driving a car incredibly difficult, the health of your scooter depends on a strong set of tyres.
4. Grips
Grip refers to how the contact surface of a tyre meets the road. In simple terms, the more grip your tyres offer, the safer your journey will be. Car manufacturers usually make specialist winter tyres because standard grips don’t provide proper support during the winter months.
You should pay special attention to your scooter tyres and check if your model offers enough grip for rain and icy conditions.
5. Motor
While the battery provides power to the motor, the motor, in return, keeps your electric scooter moving. High-powered motors are usually seen in performance scooters because they can offer higher speed levels, but these electric scooters often consume more energy.
Most people try to find a happy medium between power and efficiency. But, with some scooters offering high-capacity batteries, they can provide you with hours of usage while enjoying the experience of a powerful motor.
6. Frame
The frame supports each component of your scooter, so if it becomes damaged in any way, the handlebars, deck, wheels and electrical components will feel the effects.
Part 4: How to Maintain Your Electric Scooter?
1. Cleaning the scooter
Since water and electricity don’t mix, you can’t clean your scooter like you would your car. Instead of hosing it down, use a damp rag and water to carefully wipe dust and dirt from the bike. If you’ve got stubborn areas of grime or stuck-on insects, use an all-purpose cleaner to wipe it away. Overall, the goal is to get the scooter clean without using excess water, taking care to keep moisture away from sensitive electronics and batteries.
2. Lubricating moving parts
Lubricating all moving parts of the scooter is important for electric scooter maintenance. Use WD-40 Specialist Bike Chain Lube or a comparable product that contains PTFE to lubricate wheel and headset bearings. Spray a small amount on the components, and wipe away the excess, taking great care to avoid getting any of the product on brake components.
You also need to lubricate the folding mechanism and shock absorber using the same careful approach. Remember that standard WD-40 won’t work to lubricate scooter parts and that you need a product with PTFE to prevent friction from damaging important components of your bike.
3. Maintaining tires
If you own an electric scooter with pneumatic air tires, make sure to check the air pressure regularly. Keep them at the recommended air pressure, which is indicated on the sidewalls of the tires. Whether your scooter has pneumatic or solid tires, regularly look for wear and tear, and replace tires when treads get too low.
4. Checking brakes
Functioning brakes are essential to your safety as you ride your e-scooter. If your scooter has disc brakes, check the pads for wear, making sure the friction material is still in place. Even a moderate amount of wear and tear can have a big impact on your ability to stop quickly as you drive, so be sure to invest in new brake pads whenever necessary to protect yourself and other drivers on the road.
5. Checking cables and fasteners
You should regularly check all fasteners on your scooter to make sure nothing’s coming loose. Use a wrench to keep everything snug and tight. Take a look at the cable housing and fittings for wear and tightness, and reach out to your trusted scooter repair professionals if you notice any damage.
6. Caring for the battery
Batteries are usually the most expensive part of a scooter, so you need to keep up with preventative care and maintenance to avoid costly replacement. Refer to your owner’s manual to prevent overcharging or overheating. If your scooter has a lithium battery, be sure to maintain at least some charge, as these batteries become irreparably damaged if they completely lose a charge.
Caring for your e-scooter doesn’t have to be a headache, and while in some cases a customer assumes mechanics won’t perform vital repairs, that couldn’t be further from the truth. The popularity of motorcycles and other scooters means many mechanics are choosing to specialise in electrical repairs.
Failing to perform some essential maintenance creates higher expenses in the long term. If you don’t look after your scooter, most manufacturers will say you have complete responsibility to pay for any repairs.
The most critical components of your scooter include the battery, motor, wheels and frame. By remaining vigilant to any changes in how the scooter performs, you’ll be able to resolve minor faults before they become a big problem.
If you’d like more helpful tips about how to prolong your scooter’s life cycle and get the best performance possible, we have everything you need to know.
From the latest e-scooter news to reviews on the best models for your budget, the ride starts here.
