No matter how careful you are or how high-quality your electric scooter is, there will come a time when you’ll need to fix it up. Let’s face it. The daily use of your ride will contribute a lot to the wear and tear.

Sure, you can send it to a shop to have it fixed up in a jiffy. But it’ll cost you precious dollars that we’re sure you’d rather have in your pocket. The more affordable solution is to do the care and maintenance yourself.

With the proper know-how and tools, you’ll be equipped to service your electric scooter and get rid of pesky problems like low battery charge and loose connection. Plus, constant maintenance can keep your e-scooter rolling for years to come. 

Read on to learn how to take care of your electric scooter.

The Importance of Electric Scooter Maintenance

The regular maintenance of your electric scooter can minimize problems in the long run. Sure, repairs can fix it back up. But why wait for something to go wrong? 

Think of scooter maintenance as preventive care. It’s better to make sure everything runs smoothly than to experience problems while on the go. 

But what other reasons are there to say that e-scooter maintenance is crucial?

1. It Lowers The Costs

Many people are buying electric scooters because they are more convenient and cost-effective than other electric vehicles. Even its maintenance is a more budget-friendly alternative because you can do it all on your own.

Armed with a few tools you already have in your garage, you can fix up and maintain your ride without having to splurge on services. 

2. It Minimizes Safety Risks

“It’s better to be safe than sorry” is an age-old adage that sums up maintenance pretty well. Just like other vehicles you drive on the road, a faulty electric scooter is just tempting fate for an accident.

It’s better for you to check that everything is in working order before riding your electric scooter anywhere. Then, you’d be able to know if something needed to be repaired or replaced. 

This way, you’re not only taking care of your investment. You’re also increasing the chances that you and the people around you will be safe from accidents.

3. It Maintains Riding Comfort

Taking good care of your electric scooter eases a lot of your worries when you’re out driving. A worry-free mind can make a huge difference on how much you get to enjoy your rides.

When you maintain and check your electric scooter regularly, you don’t have to think about faulty batteries, broken connections, flat tires, and such. All you have to do is hop on and wonder at how smooth your ride is going.

Basic Parts of An Electric Scooter

Remember that your electric scooter isn't just a fancy toy. It’s basically a small vehicle which means it has to be working well all the time if you want to be safe.

Don’t be fooled at how simple it is when you look at it or ride it. It’s still composed of many important parts to make it perform amazingly well. 

Before you get started, it’s best to familiarize yourself with your e-scooter parts if you want to do a good job of maintaining your ride.

Electric Components

• Batteries
• Charger
• Electric Motor
• Switches
• Throttles
• Fuses
• Controllers

Mechanical Components

• Decks
• Kickstands
• Wheels
• Shock Absorbers
• Fenders
• Forks
• Chain or Belt
• Seat
• Brakes
• Handlebars

Safety Components

• Lights (front, rear, and side)
• Turn signals
• Horn or Bell
• Reflective 

The Golden Rules to Electric Scooter Maintenance

Going to a professional mechanic shouldn’t scare you away. There will be times that e-scooter problems will be well over your head and their help will be needed. But for small and common things, you should be able to do it yourself with minimal effort.

One way to make the maintenance process easier is to think of it as a hobby instead of something you need to regularly do. That way, you can associate taking care of your e-scooter with relaxing.

The Basic Tools You’ll Need

Many of the things you will need for electric scooter maintenance is already in your garage. So you won’t need to shell out tons of money to get a comprehensive tool set just for this.

But as a general guideline, here are some of the basic tools you’ll need:

• 1.5-6 Allen Key
• 10, 13, 15, 17 Wrench
• Adjustable wrench
• Lubricant
• Tools for washing
• Bicycle tyre levers
• Multi-meter
• Steel tray with magnets
• Cleaning brush for chains and belts
• Chain breaker 

Washing 

The first step in your maintenance routing is washing. This is something you need to do at least once a week.

When washing your electric scooter, you have to remember 4 important steps:

1. Washing your e-scooter’s mechanical parts

Mix soap and warm water. Dip a cotton rug in the solution. Then, you need to make sure to wring the rug until it’s almost dry.

Wipe the damp rug on your electric scooter, starting with the parts that are the least dirty. A good general routine is to start from above (handlebars) all the way down (deck and kickstand). Make sure to wipe your brakes, fenders, frame, and throttle levers. 

Do everything again but with a clean rug dunked in clean water, and wrung until almost dry. Once finished with that, go back and do all the steps for a third time with a dry rug to remove any watermarks. Careful not to submerge or get large amounts of water on your e-scooter. This can potentially damage the internal components. 

2. Degreasing your e-scooter’s chain

Place your electric scooter somewhere secure that can leave your wheels freely spinning. Use a small brush and dip it into some eco-cleaner. Start brushing the chain of your electric scooter until it looks new. 

Once that’s done, clean your brush, dip it into clean water, and brush the chain again to remove excess eco-cleaner.

3. Washing your e-scooter’s wheels

Don’t remove your electric scooter from your platform. Get a small sponge and use clean water to wipe away the dirt in your tyres and rims. No soap is required for this step.

Tyres

Always check your tyres prior to riding your electric scooter. This way, you can be sure that it’s fit to perform on the road. Other than that, you should also determine if your tyres are still good enough or if they might need to be changed. Regular tyre changing is a good habit to develop if you don’t want to get into accidents.

Tyre Pressure

Besides looking out for flat tyres, you should also check your tyre pressure regularly. It can directly affect your e-scooter’s performance. So if you want to go as fast and far as you can, the right tyre pressure is required. 

Look for your e-scooter model’s recommended tyre pressure and don’t exceed the maximum pressure allowed. It's also just as important to not underfill your tyre pressure, as this can sometimes cause punctures to occur. Some problems that can happen when you have the incorrect tyre pressure are:

• Your speed is lowered
• You spend more battery charge
• Your tyre might burst during a ride
• Ride comfort is lowered
• You might need to change tyres often = higher spending
• Risk of tyre puncture 

Tyre Lifespan

Electric scooters aren’t the same as vehicles. So you can’t expect your e-scooter tyres to last as long as cars. A good guide to follow is to change tyres after 1000 miles of riding on average (rough riders will need to change tyres earlier).

This is because constant riding will make your tyres thin and more likely to puncture. It also poses risks when you’re cornering or braking. So expect to change tyres more than once.

Batteries

One of the most vital parts of your electric scooter is its batteries. Most batteries also cost a lot so this is one part you want to maximize the performance of before changing.

The good news is that practicing simple riding habits can go a long way in maintaining the health of your batteries. Some behaviors that can affect your battery life are:

• The way you charge the battery
• Riding style
• Rider’s weight
• Regular maintenance of your electric scooter
• How often you use your electric scooter
• Where you park your electric scooter
• Riding while raining/driving on wet surfaces

Some tips that you can do to preserve battery life are:

• Before you use for the first time, give your scooter a big charge. This helps set the battery levels. 
• Store or park your e-scooter in cool (but not freezing) places.
• Use original chargers that are made for your battery’s voltage.
• When the battery is full, unplug.
• Don’t charge your electric scooter directly after a ride. Let it cool down.
• Don’t let your battery run out completely.
• Put your battery on a tender charger (to avoid overcharging) if you haven’t used your e-scooter for a long time.

Brakes

Brakes are an essential and a part of your electric scooter that should always (ALWAYS) work correctly. Your stopping power is critical to your safety. It doesn’t matter if you’re a daredevil zooming all over the place or just a leisurely stroller in the city. 

Fine tuning your brakes will require Allen keys (smaller ones and a key 5, to be exact). Patiently adjust your brakes so that your wheels can spin without any obstruction.

Others

Chains/Belts

Let’s go back to your ride’s chain or belt. It is also important that your chain/belt remain in good condition if you want to prolong your e-scooter’s ride. You might find it too loose or too tight.

When a chain/belt is too loose, you might lose power. Your motor will continue to spin and work but the power it generates won’t go down to the wheels. At the same time, more pressure is put on your chain/belt if it's too tight. Thus, it might snap at any time. 

You can adjust your chain/belt with a wrench. 

Grips

Constant use of your electric scooter will also affect the comfort of your grips. When this happens, it might feel like both handles are throttles. 

To change your grips, never use a knife. It’s just asking for an accident you can avoid. Instead, use WD-40 or the like and spray it inside the grip with a small tube. That way, you can easily wiggle the grips out of the handlebars. Soapy water also does the trick here. 

You can also use compressed air to help wiggle out the old grips. A last recommendation (that is also helpful and budget-friendly) is to use hairspray or deodorant. 

Once the old grips are removed, make sure to clean your handlebars with an eco-cleaner. When putting on the new grips, use alcohol-based products.

Top Tips for Taking Care of Your Electric Scooter

Of course, there’s more to taking care of your ride than just a great maintenance routine. Forming good habits will also keep your electric scooter performing amazingly for a longer time.

So make sure to keep these tips in mind the next time you use your ride: 

Keep Scooter Details On Record

Besides care and maintenance, keeping a record of your scooter details is the responsible thing to do. Whether you choose to maintain your ride on your own or take it to be serviced, you can hurry the waiting time if you know what your e-scooter needs.

That is why you need to take photos of your electric scooter’s serial numbers, battery connections, and wiring harnesses. Besides those, it’s also a good idea to record the position of the wires. That way, you can use the record as a basis during your maintenance routine. 

Make sure to mark the position of detachable parts like bolts and adjusters to make reassembly quicker and easier.

Scooters are hot items for criminals, and having the serial number on hand is extremely important for a quick recovery for police. 

Charge Your Battery Often

Make a habit of keeping your electric scooter fully charged so you won’t find yourself in the position of having your motor shut off in the middle of a ride. It’s better to charge your battery to 100 percent after every ride (or at the very least, every few days).

Charging your battery often can also extend your battery life which helps you save hundred of dollars in the long run. How does this help? A battery has a set number of charging cycles. One charging cycle is when you drain your battery then recharge it to 100 percent.

Instead of draining it all and losing the ability to hold a full charge for longer, reula charging of your battery after every ride can increase its lifespan and maintain charge capacity for a few more years.

Know the Right Time to Recharge

The first time comes with a caveat, though. You should know when to recharge your battery. Charging it directly after a short ride is fine.

But if you’re going for a long ride, say 30 minutes or more, let your electric scooter rest for about 30 minutes so that it can cool down. Then, charge it.

If you’ve used up significant charge, don’t let your battery stay discharged for hours. Make sure to charge it without delay. 

Practice Proper Storing

Remember that electric scooter maintenance is more preventive. So the main idea is to incur as little damage as possible. A simple way to start this habit is to store your scooter somewhere both safe and secure.

Two important things to consider are sunlight and temperature. You don’t want to keep your e-scooter under direct sunlight. At the same time, your storage should neither be too warm or too cold or it might damage your ride’s battery or other parts.

You should also consider storing your electric scooter inside the house rather than outside. Elements and weather conditions can also contribute to faster wear and tear.

Lastly, another good habit to foster is to charge your e-scooter before storage. That way, you’ll always be prepared.

Use an Appropriate Charger

Buying a cheaper charger is always tempting. But you never know just how compatible cheap and generic chargers are with your battery.

Keep this in mind: an original charger (though more expensive than knock-offs) are still more affordable than a new battery. 

It has the added benefit of guaranteeing that this original charger is specifically designed for your electric scooter. So don’t risk it. Just get the right charger.

Avoid Riding on Wet Surfaces

Though electric scooters are durable to a level of water contact, it is still an electrical machine. And you know that electric components are more likely to fail when exposed to water. 

As such, avoid riding on wet conditions as much as you can. This includes muddy grounds and wet grass. 

Besides failing parts, water exposure can also lead to rust and corrosion. So, in the instances that riding on wet surfaces is unavoidable, make sure to wipe down all of your chrome pieces. This can help avoid rusting.

Check Tyre Pressure Before Every Ride

It’s better to be safe than sorry. Make sure that your tyres are properly inflated at all times. This helps you achieve the maximum range possible without putting a lot of pressure on your ride’s motor. A simple bike gauge can do the job well.

Besides tyre pressure, it’s also a good idea to check your tyres for any damage prior to riding. That way, you can quickly determine when you need them to be replaced.

Keep Parts Clean and Lubricated

Proper cleaning and washing can significantly increase your electric scooter’s performance. Yes, it’s not just for making your ride look neat and nice to look at. Dirt and other elements like mud and plants can jam wheels or make other parts malfunction.

By keeping your wheels dirt-free and your parts well-lubricated, you’re not only getting the best but also the safest riding experience possible.

Plan for Yearly Check-Ups

While regular care and maintenance can be done by yourself, it might not be enough. This is especially true if you’re using your electric scooter as your primary mode of transport.

As such, it’s best to schedule an annual inspection with a trusted mechanic. Mechanics can perform a more well-rounded inspection and will know if you’ll need repairs before it’s too late. 

What’s more, these professionals are more knowledgeable. They might spot issues that you might have overlooked.

Conclusion

Regular care and maintenance of your electric scooter will not only increase and prolong amazing performance. It can also keep you safe during your rides.

But having them serviced often can be hard on the pocket. So it’s best to leave regular maintenance with you. From proper washing to lubricating chains/belts, you’ll be able to keep your electric scooter in tip-top shape. All that’s left to do is to enjoy the ride!