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Proper Scooter maintenance is crucial
to getting the most out of your scooter.
You should always consult your owner
manual as certain things such as fuel
mixture or tire pressure may vary from
scooter to scooter. If the information
presented here contradicts your owner
manual, then you should trust the manufacture
and abide by their specs.
Furthermore we remind scooter enthusiasts
that although our gas scooters are toys,
they can be dangerous if not respected.
Please follow safe riding practices
and ALWAYS wear protective gear.
Before operating
your electric scooter: • Make sure the tires are
inflated properly. Small tires loose
air pressure quickly and must be aired
frequently. Most small tires can accept
air pressure to 85 psi. This allows
the tire to properly contact the surface
and keeps the tube from rotating inside
the tire during braking and acceleration.
If the tube rotates, the valve stem
will possibly be cut or torn from the
inner tube. This will require replacement
of the inner tube. • Charge
the battery. Batteries should be charged
frequently, especially after prolonged
usage that runs the battery down. Allow
the batteries to cool for an hour or
more before charging. Heat will damage
batteries and it is helpful to keep
batteries as cool as possible during
use or charging. • Keep the
right tension on your drive belt (or
chain) during use. A loose drive belt
will allow the teeth to slip and wear
at an excessive rate. Failure of the
belt will occur due to slippage or the
heat generated due to improper tension.
The belt can be adjusted by moving the
rear tire forward or aft. Check your
specification, but look for approximately
one-half to one-quarter inch gap when
pressing against the middle of the span.
It is important to prevent slippage.
• Do not ride electric scooters
through water or mud, or even on wet
grass since water can cause failure
of the electrical components! Electric
scooters are meant to be ridden on dry
hard surfaces.
The
following subjects are addressed in
Maintenance
Fuel and oil Mixture:
Your scooter usually uses a 2-stroke
engine for power. A 2-stroke engine
was chosen for it's excellent power
to weight ratio. A 2-stroke engine does
not require that you ever change the
oil, however it does require that you
mix a quality grade 2-stroke oil with
the gasoline prior to filling your scooters
gas tank. This ensures that your engine
will remain lubricated and give you
reliable service.
To accomplish this you can buy 2-stroke
oil at almost any auto parts store or
hardware store. The oil and gas are
the mixed together in a separate container
before filling the scooter. The mixture
should be done at a 25:1 ratio (See
ratio chart below). Mixing the gas and
oil too lean can cause the engine to
run too hot resulting in permanent engine
damage. Mixing the gas and oil too rich
will cause decreased performance and
result in a fouled Spark Plug. By strictly
following the 25:1 ratio you can be
assured maximum performance from your
scooter.
Gallons
of Gas |
Ounces
of 2 stroke oil |
1 |
5 |
2 |
10
1/4 |
3 |
15
1/2 |
4 |
20
1/2 |
5 |
25
1/2 |
Spark Plug:
The spark plug is a crucial and vulnerable
part on your 2-stroke engine. Your
spark plug can be located on the top
of the engine under the protective
rubber boot. Your scooter comes with
a tool kit containing a spark plug
wrench for easy removal.
The spark plug must be clean, and
must be replaced promptly when signs
of wear begin to show. The condition
of the spark plug can tell you a lot
about how your motor is running. If
the electrode is white, that can be
a sign that your scooter is running
too hot. This can be a result of either
running too lean, or that the fuel
and oil mixture is too lean. If you
are running your scooter to rich then
your spark plug may be black, covered
with gas, oil, or carbon. Another
common problem is that the spark plug
gets clogged up with carbon and/or
oil and "fouls". This should
be checked by assuring the electrode
has a clean gap of .023 in.
Air Filter:
The air filter is used to clean the
air going into the engine. Periodic
cleaning of this filter is recommended
to protect your gas scooter engine
against the damaging effects of dirt
and abrasive particulates. Your air
filter can be located on the front
of the engine and the protective cover
can be removed with one screw. When
the protective cover is removed the
air filter is revealed. You can also
see the small workings of the choke
and butterfly valve. The filter should
be free from dirt and grease and appear
clean like the one shown on the right.
If there are contaminants on the filter
it can be cleaned in a container of
gasoline. Allow the filter to dry
before re-installing it into your
gas scooter.
Chain:
The chain on your scooter should
be lubricated before every ride. The
chain should also be checked for tightness
on a regular basis. If the chain is
too loose a popping sound can be heard
and the scooter will jerk under acceleration,
or the chain will just jump off altogether..
If the chain is too tight it will
be noisy and bind, this can be felt
by pushing the scooter with the motor
off.
Throttle:
There are two main types of scooter
throttles. One is a twist type, and
the other is a hand throttle. Although
the throttles are different in operation,
they are essentially mechanically
the same. When the rider applies the
throttle, a cable carries this motion
down to the engine. For continued
smooth operation it is important to
keep this cable clean and free of
obstructions. Should the throttle
begin to feel loose and sloppy, the
slack can be adjusted on the cable
at the handlebars. Simply loosen the
lock nut and adjust the cable tension
via the adjustment screw. Once the
desired tension is achieved retighten
the lock nut.
Brakes:
The brake on your gas scooter is a
cable actuated drum brake. This style
brake has proven well over time and
is very simple to maintain. The rear
brake has two main adjustments. The
easiest of the two is the adjustment
on the handbrake itself. This adjustment
has two simple steps. To change the
tension on the cable merely back off
the locking nut and screw the adjustment
screw in or out accordingly. Once
the desired tension is achieved re-tighten
the locking nut. Further adjustment
can be made at the brake drum itself.
This task is easiest with two people.
First, loosen the adjustment at the
handlebar hand brake and screw it
all the way in. Next go to the rear
brake and loosen the Cable Clamp.
Once loose, pull back on the cable
and have the second person push forward
on the Brake Cable Lever (push hard,
you are pushing against a tight spring
action). While pushing the lever forward
and pulling the cable back, quickly
tighten the cable clamp. Additional
minor adjustments can be made where
the cable meets the rear brake.
Carburetor:
The carburetor has many adjustments
on it and it is recommended that these
adjustments to be made by experienced
persons only, however we will point
out the major points. The carburetor
is responsible for pumping the fuel
and mixing it with the air at a precise
measurement. The carburetor does this
with very small diaphragms, orifices
and ports, which are easily clogged
by contaminants. This is why is extremely
important that you use only clean
new fuel in your gas scooter.
Primer:
When the scooter is brand new, been
run out of gas, been sitting for a
long period or is very cold, it may
be necessary to prime the carburetor
before attempting to start it. This
is accomplished with the primer pump
bowl located at the bottom of the
carburetor. Simply press and release
this pump several times until gas
can be seen flowing through the clear
gas return line to the fuel tank.
This will help start the scooter under
the aforementioned conditions, however
if this is done once the scooter has
warmed up it may induce flooding.
Idle:
If the scooter will not idle or idles
too fast, an adjustment screw is provided
next to the choke. Turning this screw
clockwise will increase the idle speed.
Turning the screw counterclockwise
will decrease the idle speed. Remember
that an idle speed that is too fast
can be dangerous.
Possible
Problems and suggested solutions
Power system
will not charge
In this situation we will assume
that the battery has been charged
or allowed to stand for several hours
(a battery will normally self-charge
up to a point and make the scooter
power up for a fair distance). There
are generally two main suspects:
1) First suspect a loose or broken
connection. Take the top or deck off
to see the wiring and inspect it for
any loose or broken connections on
the battery, switch, controller, etc.
2) Second suspect the controller
box has failed. Since the controller
is the heart of the system it can
fail in many ways to prevent current
from being supplied to the motor.
3) Other less likely suspects can
be:
• A battery that is completely
open, supplying no current and possible
even testing as having no voltage.
It can be very briefly shorted with
a wire to see if an arc is produced,
revealing current is present. See
Below for more advises on batteries.
• It is also possible to have
a bad brake lever or throttle since
both have wiring and switches or variable
controls. The brake lever has a power
cut-off switch. The throttle variably
controls the speed of the scooter.
• The scooter On/Off switch
can be defective. Without a good switch
the scooter has no power, but the
test of this is the power light. Does
the power light come on when the switch
is activated to the ON position?
After fully charging, powers only
for short distance use.
Suspect the battery charger or the
battery as the primary cause of short
distance riding after a lengthy or
full charge. If your battery charger
does not have charging indicator lights
then you may not be charging the battery
at all if the charger is defective.
The battery may be self-charging
to only about 60% on it's own. If
the battery is getting old then it
may not be able to hold a full charge
and the battery will need replacement.
When suspected you can very briefly
arc across the battery terminals with
an insulated wire to see if it produces
a nice arc. It is also possible to
test some individual battery 12volt
cells using 12volt motors or lights
that will show you the available current
capability. Is the 12volt light dim
on a charged battery? Does the 12volt
motor run slowly when connected to
the cell? Similar type tests can be
performed using a 24volt battery cell,
too. WARNING! Batteries contain acid
that can explode, or the vapors ignite
from an arc. Batteries produce current
and voltage that can burn you when
a shorted circuit occurs. Be absolutely
sure you know what you are doing before
trying any tests to eliminate a component
from consideration of being defective!!!
You can take the battery to a shop
capable of testing the battery under
a loaded condition. Fully charge the
battery and carefully remove it. Let
a technician determine the condition
of the battery for you. A high quality
Battery charge helps to prevent over
charging the battery and increase
the life expectancy of your battery.
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