Scooters are a great great way to go from one place to another, they are fast, reliable, they don’t use too much fuel. But unfortunately at some point the fun will end. Like all vehicles 50cc scooters have a lifespan, a certain number of miles that they can run until things stop working.
How many miles can a 50cc scooter last? On average a 50cc scooter will last between 20,000 and 30,000 miles.
But if you don’t take care of your scooter you won’t even get 10,000 miles. So let’s take a look at some simple things that you can do to properly maintain your scooter, and get as many miles out of it as possible.
Table of Contents
How to Extend Your 50cc Scooter Lifespan
So let’s talk about the things that you can do to extend your scooters lifespan
The Manual
The most important, and unfortunately the most boring thing that you can do is to familiarize yourself with your scooter. And the best way to do that is to read the manual.
Even if you are an experienced scooterist, you should still read the manual, because you will always find something that you didn’t know inside of it.
Reading the manual will provide you all the basic information you will ever need to repair your scooter if something breaks. So reading the manual will also save you a few hundred bucks along the way.
I know that reading a manual is not quite that interesting so let me point out a few things that you should pay a little more attention:
- Air filters
- Battery
- Brakes
- Drive belt
- Engine oil
- Spark plugs
- Tires
- Transmission oil
Those are the things that will give you the most trouble. So if you don’t have the patience to read all the manuals, you should at least read those parts.
Get Yourself a Small Repair Kit
After you read the manual and you know how to fix things yourself, you will need a repair kit so that you are able to apply the knowledge you just earned.
By being able to repair your scooter as soon as something breaks you will increase it’s mileage capacity by a lot. Even if the fix you make is not permanent, it’s still better than riding with a broken scooter.
You can probably find a premade kit online somewhere, but to be honest I never bought one of those, I always preferred to make my own. So let’s take a look at what you will need for a repair kit:
- Screwdriver. This is one of the most important things, and you should never leave without one. Everything is held together by screws, so if you have a problem inside the scooter, you will most likely need a screwdriver to open it, or to remove some parts that get in your way.
- Zip Ties. If there are some wires that hang loose, or something doesn’t stay in place, using a zip tie will fix things.
- Duct Tape. Duct tape is the most versatile tool in the world, it can hold things together like nothing else can do, it can fix cut wires, and a lot more. So make sure that you add it to your kit.
- Patch Kit. Getting your tire pierced by a sharp stone, or broken glass, is a lot more common than you might expect. So make sure you add this to your kit.
- Mini Pump. A few years ago, pumps were huge and quite inconvenient, even if they are very useful to have around. But now, mini pumps are a thing and they are just as useful and a lot easier to carry around.
- Flashlight. You probably have one on your phone, but they are not the same thing, even if they do the same thing. It’s not quite as easy to handle a phone as it is to handle a small fleshlight. So you should get one.
- First Aid Kit. This is more a requirement for you than for the scooter itself. But you definitely need to have one with you all the time.
There is a small chance that you might be thinking that all of those items are useful, but you don’t really have a proper place to store them. Luckily for you there is a solution. You can always get one of those boxes that goes on the back of the scooter.
Monthly Checks
Now that you have a good repair kit, it’s time to talk about monthly checks.
If you want to go over the average lifespan of your scooter, than you should definitely check your scooter once a month for the following things:
- Engine Oil Level. Running out of oil is one of the worst things for a scooter, so make sure you always have enough.
- Tire Pressure. The correct tire pressure for your scooter can be found in the manual.
- Test the Electrics. Check if everything works fine, horn, turn signals, brake signals, etc.
- Tighten Mirrors and Handlebars. You will be surprised at how easily those things can get loose, and losing one of them is not pleasant at all.
Yearly Checks
Besides the regular monthly checks you should also do some yearly checks.
During those checks you will basically check on things that require some time until they don’t work properly any more:
- The Alignment. Start by placing the scooter straight. Then stand in front of it at about 10 feet away, squat down and eyeball the front forks, they should be straight and even. If they are not there is a good chance that the scooter is not correctly aligned, or that some other part is bent, which is just as bad.
- Belts. Inspect the belts for excessive wear and tear, if they don’t look good they might need to be replaced.
- Check the Tires. If the tires look bad, or if the pressure on them is alway low, it means that they should be changed.
- Lubrication. And finally you should also lubricate the throttle and brake cables.
Storage
Another great way to increase your 50cc scooter’s lifespan is to store it the proper way.
As you can imagine leaving your scooter outside in the rain, snow, heat, dust, etc. will have a very bad effect on your scooter.
The best way to store your scooter is to put it in a garage. But unfortunately that is not something that everybody can do.
The second best way, and also the most accessible is to use a cover. Covers can be easily ordered online, or bought at supermarkets, or specialty shops. Or you can always improvise one. If you choose to make your own cover, make sure that it’s made out of a material that won’t let water pass through.
Ride It Carefully
The final thing that you can do to increase the lifespan of your 50cc scooter is to drive it carefully.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t use it at its maximum speed. No, you can do that without worrying that it will negatively affect your scooter.
Riding your scooter carefully means not abusing it. Don’t make a lot of sudden moves, don’t ride it on improper roads, don’t hit your scooter, etc.
Conclusion
So here they are, my tips for increasing the amount of miles your scooter can go. If you are an experienced scooter rider, you might have heard them already, and you might be putting them to practice. Overall I wouldn’t say that there is any secret out there that can make your scooter last longer. The best thing that you can do is to take proper care of it, and do the maintenance when you should.
If you have any questions about scooter maintenance, or scooters in general, you can always leave them in the comment section and I will answer them as soon as possible.