One Thing Every Electric Scooter Rider Needs To Do Often!!!

So we all love tearing around on our scooters and it's very easy to forget basic maintenance. I mean let's face it we don't all enjoy swinging allen keys however maintainance is incredibly important for not only the longevity of your scooter but also your life! So what's one thing that every scooter rider young and old should be doing on a regular basis? The answer is... CHECKING TYRE PRESSURE! It seems like a mundane, almost pointless task but it is incredibly important and has an absolutely dramatic effect on your scooter, your safety and your wallet. Lets discuss...

Actually we'll begin with a story. A long time ago in a workshop far far away I sold a used scooter to an individual who won't be named. A great deal for both parties all went well and we went on our ways. Several weeks passed and said customer makes contact telling me matter of factly that there is an issue with the battery because they weren't getting the same speed or range as when they bought it. I found that hard to believe considering the battery was brand new and personally installed so I offered to asses the scooter. Well it wasn't hard to find the issue upon inspection and I'm sure you can guess? Yep that's right under pressure tyres!

Just like any other pneumatic (air-filled) tyre, be it on a car, bike or wheel barrow, air naturally escapes in tiny amounts over time. Gasses, like air (a mix of different gasses), are notoriously difficult to contain under pressure. This is the reason gas tanks, especially those containing flammable gasses, are made of strong steel. In the case of tyres and tubes the air will "bleed" through the rubber. The smaller the tyre and the higher the pressure, the more dramatic this effect will be, causing a large reduction in pressure over a short time. For this reason all tyres need to be topped up regularly. 

To start with as you've already found out under pressure tyres add extra friction and resistance to the equation. This in turn will cause a sometimes very noticeable  decrease in top speed and maximum range. It will also wear tyres unevenly as well as destroying side walls and beads creating the need for premature replacement. However this is the least of your worries when it comes to tyre pressure.

Another more concerning symptom of under pressure tyres are flat tyres and rim damage. In the case of tubeless tyres, being under pressure can cause the bead to de-seat from the rim leading to rapid loss of the remaining pressure. For tubed tyres the problem is worse, when under pressure the risk of pinch puncture increases massively. Pinch punctures are caused primarily when the scooter hits a bump. A perfect example of this would be the edge of a gutter. When under pressure the tyre will compress, essentially crushing or "pinching" the tube in-between the tyre and the rim. It IS the leading cause of punctures in tubes by a country mile. For both tubed and tubeless tyres rim damage is the biggest concern. When under pressure, just like pinch punctures a hard impact will go beyond compressing the tyre and physically damage the rim itself. In most cases this will add a new rim (or motor) to your flat tyre repair bill. Same can be said for people who continue to ride after getting a flat tyre (yes people do that, its out of sheer desperation to get where they were going) it will cause rim damage and add to your repair costs.

Worse yet again is the extra pressure your scooter is put under trying to push you around with under pressure tyres. Scooters are built to work at their best under ideal conditions, this includes tyre pressure, however they are not built to do much more. When you ride on under pressure tyres you're pushing the capabilities of your scooter. It generates extra heat which can burn out wiring and power controllers. It also asks more of your battery which is not a great idea considering the fragility of lithium. Overall if it's something you're doing often it IS going to cause you issues that you wouldn't otherwise have to deal with. In short it WILL decrease the service life of your scooter and in absolute worst case scenarios that will happen a lot sooner than you'd expect. 

All of that extra cost, frustration and time without your scooter by simply not checking tyre pressures. Crazy right? Yes but also very true. So how can we avoid this? Here's a crash course.

To begin we need to understand the pressure terminology. The general unit of measurement is P.S.I (Pounds of pressure per Square Inch). Most air compressors and pumps will have a PSI reading. This is the one we want to use, forget any other numbers on the gauge.

Next we need a pump or air compressor, pretty much any will do to check and adjust pressure. DO NOT use automatic gas station air pumps, they are designed for cars and can blow scooter tyres off the rim. Hand pumps for bike tyres or a small powered compressor is more than adequate. Scooters use the common Schrader valve, same as cars, which most pumps will accomodate for.

Next step, connect the pump, NO... STOP! How much pressure do you need to have in your tyre? The answer will always be written on the side of the tyre, could be one side only or both. There will be information regarding the brand, size and more importantly the load and pressure ratings. Here you will find, usually in brackets, the rated maximum COLD PSI. Wait... "COLD" PSI? 

Ok let's take a quick step back. Air and many other things change in volume depending on the temperature, when it gets hotter it expands and it contracts when it cools. The same effect but in reverse is how your ice tray won't be quite full of water when you put it in the freezer but the ice cubes will be sticking out the top when frozen. Now when the air that's being effected by a change in temperature is in a sealed environment, the change in volume also affects the pressure. A hot tyre will have a higher PSI reading than a cold tyre with the same amount of air inside. With that in mind, when we say cold PSI it should be checked and adjusted at normal ambient temperature. Checking after a big ride when the tyres are hot from friction will read higher than it actually is. If the hot tyre is smack on the max PSI, once it cools the pressure will be below the max PSI. So you'll be running around on under pressure tyres thinking they are correct. Same for checking when it is particularly cold. If the air is cooler than average when you check your pressure it will show a reading of less than actual. This will cause you to add air up to the pressure it should be. Once you go for a ride and heat things up, your tyre pressure will be in excess of the maximum rated PSI. This increases the chance of blowing tyre off rims and getting punctures. 

Sheesh, glad we got that out of the way... can we actually put some air in the tyre now? Yes, let's go! With a little luck your scooter model will have easy access to the valves making connection a breeze. Some models have their valves hidden away in tight little recesses making connection with a standard pump near impossible. For the small investment of a few dollars you can get yourself a valve extender to make this less of a challenge. 

Now we are connected the pump will read the current tyre pressure. Don't be shocked if it's very low. Remember we are reading the PSI measurement only. We are now going to add or remove air so the PSI reading on the gauge matches the Max PSI rating on the tyre. Take care not to over do it when adding air. Too much pressure will weaken the tyre and potentially blow it off the rim. Add little by little, stop to check the change every few seconds depending on the speed of your pump. If you go over, just let a little out, either by a release valve on the pump or by depressing the inner core pin in the valve itself. 

Once you have a match in PSI between the tyre and gauge reading we're all done. Be sure to replace the valve cap, it not only helps prevent air loss via the valve but also keeps it free of debris which can make future tyre checks inaccurate or impossible. 

In summary if you do this once a week or so then you WILL save yourself a lot of money in the long run. Maintenance is key when it comes to preventing major issues and checking tyre pressure is the most simple yet most effective maintenance you can do. There is no excuse, you have been enlightened, you have been warned!

I hope this article helps you on your scooting journey. Be sure to check out our other articles for more helpful information and tips. 

As usual the information in these articles is based on the experiences I've had over my years working in the scooter industry. While I may be knowledgeable I do not consider myself an expert by any stretch. I do my best to keep information accurate however if you believe I am wrong, have your own point to add or even just want to share a story then be sure to let me know in the comments section.