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Electric Scooter Maintenance
General Maintenance Information
Daily Maintenance Check
Weekly Maintenance Check
Battery Maintenance & Important Safety
Information
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.
Take pride in your scooter and take good care of it.
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
- Check the wheels to make sure they have not been bent out of alignment
and roundness. If they are bend out of their regular shape you should
replace them.
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
Before working on your batteries be sure to read important
Battery Maintenance &
Important Safety Information below.
- 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
- Check all the nuts and bolts to insure they are tight and cannot
vibrate loose. In some cases, a bit of Loctite on the threads can
prevent nuts from loosening.
Lever Controls and
Cables
- Check the cables and levers to ensure that they're connected and
adjusted properly. When riding a scooter sometimes the cables can
become loose, so make sure they're fastened securely where they should
be
- Lubricate the throttle and brake cables with a light lube oil.
Keeping You Scooter Clean
- Always clean your scooter after riding and before storing, a clean
Scooter will last longer and look better. Clean the exterior of your
Scooter with a soft, damp rag.
- Do not use a water hose to clean your Scooter.
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.
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