WORKSHOP A FEW TIPS FROM OUR WORKSHOP HERE ARE A FEW EASY TIPS FOR ALL SCOOTER RIDERS Hugo James Mechanical Tips
Tyres
Tyres are the most important part of your scooter as they are the only part of the scooter to touch the road whilst you are riding! So need to be checked each time you ride your scooter.
There are two main points to look out for when checking your tyres, tyre pressure and tyre tread. When checking your tyre pressure at a service station it is a good idea to purchase your own handheld gauge to double check the stations’ gauge which can be very inaccurate. Most scooter tyres should be inflated to 30psi (2.07bar) in the front tyre and 32psi (2.21bar) in the rear, but you do need to check that this is correct for your scoot.
Tyre pressure too low or too high, can result in poor handling, fuel economy and accelerated tyre wear. Checking the tread is a not required as often as checking your tyre pressure but is equally important. Without tread water can’t escape from underneath your tyres and will cause the tyre to “aquaplane”. This is very dangerous as you have no control of your scooter.
Many tyres have small arrows on the side wall of the tyre, these are indicators to show where small wear marks will be on your tyre tread. If the indicators in the tread are flush with the rest of the tyre then your tyre needs to be changed. Got a question in regard to tyre pressure or wear? Call or drop into Scooter Central.
Service
Service is an essential part of your scoots wellbeing. Although you may see your scooter go into the workshop and come out looking exactly the same, it is vital that serving is carried out on a regular basis. The most important part of you servicing is the changing of your engine oil (as well as oil filter if applicable) and gearbox oil. Without changing your oil you risk irreversible damage to your scoots engine.
Serving should be carried out as per your manufacturers’ requests. Interim services should be carried out at the appropriate kilometres travelled or every 6 months, minor services at the appropriate kilometres travelled or every 12 months and major services at the appropriate kilometres travelled or every 2 years.
Most scooter riders do one or two services each year. See us about booking in your scoot for its next service.
Fuel
On the few occasions you do actually head to the servo there’s a couple of tips when filling up. The first thing is to choose the correct fuel for your scooter.
For all carby scooters you will need to place regular unleaded petrol in the tank.
However, for all the fuel injected and two stroke scooters you will need to put premium unleaded petrol in the tank.
It has also come to the attention of the Staff at Scooter Central that more service stations are selling ethanol fuel. This is a big no for all scooters, as it can damage the fuel lines and can cause quicker deterioration of the rubber seals in the fuel tap and carby.
Another quick reminder, when filling your tank, don’t rely on the automatic stop to cut in, by the time this does the fuel will have shot out of the tank and for most scooters all over your belongings under the seat. A good idea is to check the size of your fuel tank, when your gauge is showing empty you are best to fill your tank three quarters full and then trickle the last litre or so in.
Remember that if any fuel does get onto any of the bodywork or lights to immediately wash off with water (don’t forget to put the cap on the tank beforehand!)
Maintaining Look
There are a few ways to maintain the overall look of your scooter, they do however, mean that a bucket and sponge are required. The best way to maintain the look of your scooter is to keep it undercover, wither in a garage/carport or under a scooter cover. Scooter covers are available from the shop for as little as $45.
If your scooter has collected some road grime or need out in the weather then a wash is the answer. At Scooter Central we use a car wash and a soft sponge to clean the scooters and a chamois to dry them off.
If your scooter is garaged or only has a small amount of grime a quick wipe over with some Waterless Wash and a soft cotton rag is easiest, again used at Scooter Central for all the showroom scooters.
For protection of any chrome parts or metal mirrors Scooter Central recommends a Corrosion Protection Spray by Wurth. The product available in an aerosole can allows you to keep your scooters shining retro look for much longer and is available to purchase in store.
Quick tip from the workshop, “If you’re using any protection spray – like armourall - on your scoot don’t forget to keep it away from the tyres, seats and brakes! It looks great but doesn’t help you grip too well.” published 16/06/2007 |