Your scooter check-up. Check today to move at full speed tomorrow.
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Ok, we’re always saying this: your electric scooter’s maintenance costs about €45 a year (compared to the hundreds of Euros you’d spend on an endothermic vehicle). But what checks should be done? Who should do them? And, more importantly, how do you keep your e-scooter in good condition and in working order?
Here's the ABC for perfect maintenance.
Periodic service: when and where?
Whether you have an S1, S2, S3 or an e-scooter EVOlution, the first check has to be carried out at 1,000 km and, after that, every 3,000 km. Even if you don't travel 3,000 km/year, we recommend having your scooter checked every 12 months, at one of Askoll's authorised centres, where, in addition to the brakes, tyres and lighting system (which we will talk about shortly), the transmission belts, steering-head bearings, front fork and rear shock absorber, the stand and all fastening devices will also be checked.
Brake safety for wet ground.
When we talk about the maintenance of brakes, we essentially refer to fluid levels and pad wear.
Do you have your eS in front of you? So, on the right side of the handlebars you should see a small black tank. Found it? Here is where you can find the brake fluid. You can check the level whenever you want, by looking through the inspection porthole. You'll then know whether you can get on your scooter and set off on a new adventure or if you need to make a pit stop in one of the service centres situated all over our peninsula.
As a guide, the brake fluid should be replaced every 4,000 km or every two years, but taking a look at the reservoir once in a while won’t hurt.
Askoll tip: if the fluid level is low, don’t fill the reservoir immediately, but check the brake pads and brake disc first for wear or ascertain that there aren’t any leaks.
Ok, let's move on to the brake pads. As in endothermic scooters, these should be replaced every 8,000 km or every 3 years; but each one of us drives in a different way: there are those who push hard on the accelerator, those who brake at the last minute and those who, keeping a constant speed, manage to brake more gently and with less force. For this reason, we recommend you check your brake pads every time you replace the fluid.
Everything is illuminated.
What happens if the headlights don't work? Well, here we have to differentiate between those with halogen lighting and those using LED lighting.
S1 and S2 are fitted with 350W H8 bulbs, which you can replace on your own using the key found in your scooter underseat. You must just take care to position the bulb correctly - it’s as easy as that.
It’s a different matter when it comes to the S3 and scooters from the EVOlution range. They are equipped with LED lighting that does not need to be replaced except in special cases (often as a result of accidents).
The same applies to the rear light cluster, the direction indicators and the licence plate light: LED lights are integrated into the vehicle structure. In the event of an accident, you must contact an authorised service centre to replace them.
Under pressure (but not too much): let’s turn to the tyres.
"I'm a nail that entered by mistake
In a bicycle wheel
I can't leave, I can't move, I can't run away
The air pushes me, forcing me to let go
But I hang on and keep on turning."
So sings an Italian indie band in one of its best-known songs (Chiodo fisso by Eugenio in Via di Gioia... worth listening to) and gives a good idea of what happens to our scooter tyres. They're tubeless, which means they don't have an inner tube. This is mainly to allow less friction but, above all, greater safety in the event of a puncture. When a small blunt object comes into contact with our tyres, it’s held there, almost acting as a stopper. So the loss of pressure is slow and there is less risk of a sudden flat tyre. You’ll have plenty of time to go to an authorised service centre to have your tyre changed.
Askoll Tip: regularly check the pneumatic pressure. For S2 and S3 front tyre pressure is equivalent to 2 bar and the rear tyre is 2.8 bar (in S1, the pressure is 2 bar and 2.5 bar respectively).
Check the pressure regularly when the tyres are cold: incorrect tyre pressure causes abnormal tyre wear and makes driving dangerous.
When do you have to change them?
Tyres are fitted with wear indicators and must be changed as soon as these indicators are visible on the tread.
Tips for cleaning your e-scooter perfectly.
It's time to clean up your travel companion. How many times have you postponed this? Don't worry, we did it too. Now is the right time to make up for it, learning a few simple rules that will help you to always keep your scooter in the best condition!
1. Don't leave the scooter dirty for too long
2. Clean it with warm water, shampoo and a soft cloth
3. Avoid cleaning it under direct sunlight (especially in summer): this may dry the shampoo quickly, damaging the paintwork.
4. If you expect a long period of inactivity, before closing your vehicle in the garage, carry out general cleaning. Speaking of inactivity…
... hibernating during the winter months: how to get ready?
If you only use the scooter in warmer weather, during the colder months, keep it protected in a covered place, park it on the stand to prevent the wheels from touching the ground in the same position and cover it with a cloth. Do this, however, after taking the batteries out: they suffer from frost (we’re talking about when the temperature drops below zero) and could suffer from a thermal shock.
This is the maintenance vademecum for your electric scooter: for all operations (except the replacement of the S1 and S2 halogen bulb) we strongly advise you to read the instruction manual (you can find it here) and contact your nearest authorised service centre.
