After working with moped scooters for over 10 years, I've learned some really valuable tips that most scooter riders don't know - tricks and tips to help your scooter last years longer, tips which will help you not get your scooter stolen, and tips for saving money on replacing batteries. So here's the best of the best, The Top 5 Scooter Tips And Tricks Of All Time:
Moped Scooters Tip 1 - Locking out your scooter so burglars can't steal it
Most riders do not know that their scooter has a locked position that makes it extremely unappealing for burglars to take. It's such an easy thing, but it can mean the difference of keeping your scooter or having it jacked. For most scooter models, all you have to do when parking, is simply turn the handlebars all of the way to the left, press the key down into the ignition and turn it to the left until it locks. The handlebars will now be locked in a sharp, left-turn position. For burglars, it's much less appealing to take your scooter if it can only drive in a forever left-turn circle. They will quickly move on from your scooter and onto the next victim who doesn't know this trick. To release, simply insert the key into the ignition, press the key down into the ignition, and turn the key to the right as if you were starting your scooter normally. That's it!
Moped Scooters Tip 2 - Use the seat for locking your helmet to the scooter
For lots of us, our scooters don't have trunks or storage compartments big enough to store our helmets. It's sad to even have to worry about stuff like this, but sadly, helmets are stolen all of the time. To protect your helmet from getting stolen, simply open the seat, and use the straps, or buckles on the straps of your helmet to interlace between the spacers or locking mechanism of the seat, then close the seat. Now the helmet will be locked to the scooter by the strap of the helmet. Good luck making an attempt to steal it now!
Moped Scooters Tip 3 - Parking on hills and utilizing the center stand
Have you ever come out to hop on your scooter only to find it tipped over on the pavement? Probably, your response is to look around you and see who did this awful thing to your hog, but nobody is to be found? What often occurs, if you're parked on a hill, is the scooter is faced downward on the hill with the kickstand. The crazy part is, the weight and gravity of the downhill slope, will bend the kickstand back and your scooter will go crashing to the ground! To prevent this, never park your scooter facing down hill. You can still park on hills, just face uphill, and always turn your front wheel so it faces uphill also. For parking in general, whenever possible, use the center stand. It is much more stable than the kickstand (for help on practicing using the center stand, visit the "moped scooters" link below). It'll only take once to learn this lesson the hard way. But how about as an alternative, you skip the pain, and remember this trick.
Moped Scooters Tip 4 - For new scooters, change the oil in the first 300 miles
When you purchase a new scooter, the engines and lines aren't typically tested to great depths. And when it's sent over to wherever you buy it from, there's dirt, dust, and debris that is stuck in your scooter, and it's very damaging to an engine. To help to save your scooter, and have it last for years longer, get an oil change within the first 300 miles of buying your new scooter and then maintain regular oil changes after. I would recommend each 1,000 miles or so after, dependent on how much you ride. At the least though, make sure you're changing the oil once per season.
Moped Scooters Tip 5 - Take care of your battery
One of the most popular complaints I am getting from scooter riders is about their batteries. People will get new moped scooters, and come back the very next year and say their scooter will not work. The very first thing I will always check is the battery. And virtually every time, there'll be a problem with the battery. And it is usually dead because the person did not unplug the battery or use a trickle charger for the 6 months it was sitting in the garage. Like your scooter, batteries have to be cared for as well, especially if you live in a seasonal riding environment, then you need a trickle charger for the down time. A trickle charger keeps the battery charged while the scooter is not running while it's in storage. But even for those that ride all year, it's a good practice to check your battery every 30 days to be sure the terminals are solid, there isn't any corrosion on the battery, and everything is bolted down tight.
Moped Scooters Tip 1 - Locking out your scooter so burglars can't steal it
Most riders do not know that their scooter has a locked position that makes it extremely unappealing for burglars to take. It's such an easy thing, but it can mean the difference of keeping your scooter or having it jacked. For most scooter models, all you have to do when parking, is simply turn the handlebars all of the way to the left, press the key down into the ignition and turn it to the left until it locks. The handlebars will now be locked in a sharp, left-turn position. For burglars, it's much less appealing to take your scooter if it can only drive in a forever left-turn circle. They will quickly move on from your scooter and onto the next victim who doesn't know this trick. To release, simply insert the key into the ignition, press the key down into the ignition, and turn the key to the right as if you were starting your scooter normally. That's it!
Moped Scooters Tip 2 - Use the seat for locking your helmet to the scooter
For lots of us, our scooters don't have trunks or storage compartments big enough to store our helmets. It's sad to even have to worry about stuff like this, but sadly, helmets are stolen all of the time. To protect your helmet from getting stolen, simply open the seat, and use the straps, or buckles on the straps of your helmet to interlace between the spacers or locking mechanism of the seat, then close the seat. Now the helmet will be locked to the scooter by the strap of the helmet. Good luck making an attempt to steal it now!
Moped Scooters Tip 3 - Parking on hills and utilizing the center stand
Have you ever come out to hop on your scooter only to find it tipped over on the pavement? Probably, your response is to look around you and see who did this awful thing to your hog, but nobody is to be found? What often occurs, if you're parked on a hill, is the scooter is faced downward on the hill with the kickstand. The crazy part is, the weight and gravity of the downhill slope, will bend the kickstand back and your scooter will go crashing to the ground! To prevent this, never park your scooter facing down hill. You can still park on hills, just face uphill, and always turn your front wheel so it faces uphill also. For parking in general, whenever possible, use the center stand. It is much more stable than the kickstand (for help on practicing using the center stand, visit the "moped scooters" link below). It'll only take once to learn this lesson the hard way. But how about as an alternative, you skip the pain, and remember this trick.
Moped Scooters Tip 4 - For new scooters, change the oil in the first 300 miles
When you purchase a new scooter, the engines and lines aren't typically tested to great depths. And when it's sent over to wherever you buy it from, there's dirt, dust, and debris that is stuck in your scooter, and it's very damaging to an engine. To help to save your scooter, and have it last for years longer, get an oil change within the first 300 miles of buying your new scooter and then maintain regular oil changes after. I would recommend each 1,000 miles or so after, dependent on how much you ride. At the least though, make sure you're changing the oil once per season.
Moped Scooters Tip 5 - Take care of your battery
One of the most popular complaints I am getting from scooter riders is about their batteries. People will get new moped scooters, and come back the very next year and say their scooter will not work. The very first thing I will always check is the battery. And virtually every time, there'll be a problem with the battery. And it is usually dead because the person did not unplug the battery or use a trickle charger for the 6 months it was sitting in the garage. Like your scooter, batteries have to be cared for as well, especially if you live in a seasonal riding environment, then you need a trickle charger for the down time. A trickle charger keeps the battery charged while the scooter is not running while it's in storage. But even for those that ride all year, it's a good practice to check your battery every 30 days to be sure the terminals are solid, there isn't any corrosion on the battery, and everything is bolted down tight.
About the Author:
If you take these tips seriously, your scooter will last longer, will run better and you will be safer on the road. And, not to mention, your scooter will not get taken! To get the rest of the tips, checkout www.sunnysidescooters.com or click moped scooters.
