Last Updated on September 21, 2020 by Markeyus Franks
HOW TO PREVENT TIRE PUNCTURES
One of the most sure-fire ways of avoiding a tire puncture is by ensuring that you are actually riding with your tires at the right pressure. This will avoid putting undue strain on the tire. You should check the psi every few weeks, and you can do that using a standard bike tire pump. Simply plug the nozzle into the tire valve and check that the pressure is within the correct range for your specific scooter. Generally, electric scooter tires should be between 40 and 60 psi, but the actual number will be dependent on your weight. Below is a rule of thumb guide for determining ideal psi.
Riders weighing 110 to 154 pounds:
- Front Tire PSI: 35-40
- Rear Tire PSI: 40-50
Riders weighing 154 to 198 pounds:
- Front Tire PSI: 40-45
- Rear Tire PSI: 45-55
Riders Weighing 198 to 220+ pounds:
- Front Tire PSI: 45-50
- Rear Tire PSI: 50-60
HOW LONG DO TIRES LAST
They can last roughly 2,000 to 3,000 miles if carefully maintained for optimum use (e.g., correct tire pressure, avoiding road hazards, etc.).
TYPES OF ELECTRIC SCOOTER TIRE
There are several types of tires that you can get for your electric scooter. They both have advantages and disadvantages.
AIR-FILLED TIRES
These excel when it comes to control and shock absorption. You can get ones with air-filled tubes at the center or ones without the tube. By far, the ones with tubes are easier for quick fixes though the tubeless tires tend to take more damage before going flat. The main disadvantage of air-filled tires is that they can be easily punctured or flattened compared to the other options.
SOLID TIRES
While you do not have to be concerned about solid tires getting punctured or going flat, that does not mean they are better. Their rigidity makes them prone to shakiness, and they provide less traction. They are also heavier, which can affect control.
HONEYCOMB TIRES
These tires are a combination of the previous two, and they have both air pockets and a honeycomb of rubber running throughout the tire to keep it from getting a flat. They are more expensive and tend to be slightly heavier than air-filled tires, but they are less rigid than solid tires, which means they have a better grip for smoother control.
WHAT YOU NEED TO REPAIR A FLAT TIRE
You will need several items to repair your flat or damaged tire, which includes the following. You can have these in a small scooter pouch to always carry with you so that you will be able to fix your tire no matter where you are.
- Allen wrench
- Pump
- Tire repair kit (e.g., patches, slime, glue, etc.)
TIRE REPAIR KITS
There are many types of tire repair kits available on the market. Any of them which are designed to deal with the tires of your scooter will do the trick. Here are a couple of affordable kits as an example.
DAWAY
Bike Repair Tool Kit
Price: $10.90
TAGVO
Bike Puncture Repair Kit
Price: $12.99
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE FOR HOW TO FIX AN ELECTRIC SCOOTER FLAT TIRE
You can follow these steps to repair your electric scooters’ flat tire temporarily. It should be noted that, for air-filled tires, you can take preventative action by placing sealant slime inside the tire before on the outset. If it ends up getting punctured, the slime will automatically inflate and seal the breach.
IDENTIFY DAMAGE
Check to see which of these applies to how the tire became damaged.
- Road hazard (e.g., glass, nails, etc.)
- Improper tire pressure
- Improper inner tube installation (e.g., not filling it entirely with air)
APPLY TEMPORARY FIX
If you are using slime to repair your scooter, then follow these steps.
- Remove valve stem (slime package should include a tool for this)
- Deflate tire completely
- Connect tire hose to slime away container and follow directions regarding how much to use for your tire size
- Reinstall the valve and reinflate the tire
- Spin tire to equally distribute slime
If you are using glue and patches to repair your scooter, then follow these steps.
- Remove tire (this will include removing nuts and the disc brake/motor)
- Remove air and then disassemble the tire (use tools in the bike repair kit)
- Remove wheel tubing and pump it up enough to be able to identify are of the leak (you can place underwater to pinpoint small leaks)
- Clean and sand area around the hole
- Apply a thin layer of glue (follow directions on the package)
- Wait recommended time
- Attach a patch to the same area, being sure to follow the patch directions carefully
- Replace tube inside wheel (valve nipple first)
- Fully reassemble the wheel
- Pump tire to the recommended psi
- Replace the wheel on the scooter
GET NEW TIRE
Even if you successfully repair the puncture or flat, you will still want to replace the damaged tire as soon as possible. Also, if the hole is too large, then repair kits will be unable to do anything to fix it, and you will need to replace the tire fully.
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE FOR REPLACING A TIRE
If the damage to your scooter tire is too severe or it has merely worn out and needs replacing, then you can choose which tire option is best for your replacement (e.g., honeycomb, solid, air-filled). Once you have that figured out, the exact steps of replacing the tire are pretty straightforward and mostly consist of removing the tire, checking that new tire is good to go, and then replacing everything.
Here are the steps for entirely replacing an electric scooter tire. There may be some slight variation based on the model, but the main steps are the same
- Remove the tire (this will include removing nuts and the disc brake/motor)
- If the inner tube is the only thing damaged beyond repair, then replace the inner tube and replace the tire, otherwise continue following the next steps.
- Ready new tire (make sure it has the correct psi if air-filled)
- Place motor on the new tire
- Replace tire and disc brake
