Scooters are like any other products and, on the market, there are a lot of models. Unlike weather radio suppliers that only sell these models and a few more, scooter providers sell various models and you can always personalize your purchase depending on your needs.
Initial considerations
Electric scooters are a modern way of transportation best suited for people living in big cities where traffic can be a drag. Unlike a normal scooter, an electric scooter gets you to your desired destination faster and the physical effort while riding it is diminished.
But, like any other product on the market, it is important to know that electric scooters have components that can deteriorate. High-performance electric scooter prices are above 1200 dollars, meaning you have to spend a considerable amount of money on purchasing one.
That is why it is very important to take care of it because, like any moped, car or motorcycle, you can have problems if you don’t get periodical check-ups and if you don’t use them according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
After you have chosen the right one for you, what makes the difference is how you take care of it. And like with any other vehicle, you can increase its life by following some simple steps that we are going to talk about here.
Reading the manual
Whether this is your first scooter or you have been a scooterist for a long time, it is always essential to begin with reading the manual. Even if it seems like a dumb thing to do, you might be surprised to find out that there are a lot of things you can learn simply from doing this simple thing.
Imagine you buy an electric scooter and it needs a tune-up. You start using it without doing so, and, in the long run, you might damage the battery or other important components. It takes 10 minutes, maybe half an hour to read the manual. And just because you might think that it’s not important, you could cause your electric scooter serious damage by skipping this step.
How to increase your battery’s life span
One of the most important parts of an electric scooter is its battery. When you first buy your scooter, if you read the manual, as we’ve previously discussed, you will find out that the manufacturer gave your electric scooter battery a warranty. Usually, this is between 300 and 500 uses. But what does that mean?
Like any other product, your electric scooter will work at its peak performance for a limited period of time. The fact that your battery’s warranty ends after 500 rides, doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to use your electric scooter anymore and you will have to buy a new battery.
It simply means that the battery won’t be at its peak performance. This means that maybe you will have to recharge it sooner.
There are some tips that are going to help you increase its lifespan and we are going to cover all of them here.
1) Always make sure that your electric scooter is charged
A rule to prolong the life of any battery is to never let it deplete completely. Try to never let it deplete below 10 percent. This might not happen if you don’t commute for long distances, but it’s never a bad thing to make sure that your battery is fully charged every evening.
2) Know the right time to charge your electric scooter
If you have had a long ride, it is always best to leave your scooter to cool down for at least half an hour, but never leave it with a low charging percentage for more than a few hours.
3) Try to use an original charger as much as possible
To always be prepared, a good tip from pros is to have two chargers. You should always have one with you and you should keep one at your usual commute destination. Compared to your electric scooter, an original charger is relatively cheap. That’s why you shouldn’t compromise your battery by buying a non-original one.
4) Never forget to charge it before storing it
During long periods of not using your electric scooter, it’s important to remember to charge it at least every 30 days and, before storing it, to make sure that the battery is at least half charged. You may cause battery damage if you leave it uncharged for months.
5) Try not to leave your scooter unsupervised while it’s charging
Because electric scooter batteries are very powerful, there is a chance that they overheat while charging and burst into flames. It is also possible for your battery to get overcharged. That’s why it’s important not to leave it charging overnight or unsupervised.
Protect your scooter from external environmental factors
Imagine you have bought a very expensive electric scooter that has the best features there are. You do everything to keep its battery safe, but, at some point, your battery breaks down. You go to the service shop and they tell you it was a result of battery overheating. In this case, you come to the conclusion that it’s the manufacturer’s fault, right?
Wrong. If you think about it very carefully, you will remember that during the summer you stored your electric scooter outside in the yard, with the sun heat right on your battery. Do you know why it’s not recommended to leave your child in the car on a summer day? It’s because the car gets overheated.
But cars have battery protection, electric scooter don’t. Overheating is one of the main causes of battery damage, so try as much as possible to store your electric scooter inside, covered with a tarp.
And remember, even if you bought a waterproof electric scooter, it is very important to keep its contact with the water as little as possible.
Regular check-ups
Like when owning a car you have to do regular check-ups, with electric scooters the situation is similar. But when you have an electric scooter, it is important to do some things annually, others monthly, and others weekly.
First of all, remember that, while you travel, dust and dirt can accumulate on the wheels and on the small slits. It is important to do a regular cleanup. If you want you can do it weekly or every two weeks, but never let more than a month to pass after your last clean-up. Try to use products specially made for electric scooters as much as possible.
Check your tires weekly, as well. The wheel pressure is very important when it comes to avoiding accidents, so make sure that everything is ok when it comes to this matter.
Every month try to check the tires to see if they still have marks on them. If not, change them because, as we’ve said before, tires are very important when it comes to preventing bad accidents. Better safe than sorry, right?
Check your battery, as well, for any signs of corrosion or irregularities. If you notice that something isn’t right, talk to a service shop and have it repaired. The battery is the most essential part of an electric scooter, so don’t neglect it.
Last but not least, you should take your electric scooter to a specialist once a year. They will see if it needs significant repairs and, this way, you know that you will always have safe rides.
Insurance
A recommended practice is to have special insurance for your electric scooter. Even if it’s not mandatory, if you have a high-performance one which is more expensive than the others, you should do that for your own good.
Final thoughts
Electric scooters come, like any other beautiful thing, with some responsibilities. They are not big responsibilities, but there are some things that come with it that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Unlike other means of transportation, an electric scooter is not offering you much protection when it comes to accidents. So, to avoid any injuries, it’s a good practice to make sure that everything about your electric scooter runs properly.
Parts of it that are damaged or not properly taken care of can cause you a lot of trouble. Taking care of it and having periodic check-ups will make your rides a lot safer and, because of that, your stress levels will be diminished. Safety comes first and if there is something you can do about it, why not give it your best to ensure it?
