Some of the best scooter parts are the batteries, simply because they power it up and make everything work. Of course, the engine and other parts are just as important, but since we will be talking about batteries in this article, we thought it would be nice to highlight their importance for the overall functionality of the scooter.
The short explanation
Like cellphone or car batteries, a scooter’s battery has a limited number of cycles before it fades to dust. Most scooter models come with a battery that can hold anywhere from 300 to 400 such cycles, which for most people will add up to about three years. That doesn’t mean the battery dies away, however.
You will still be able to charge it. It’s just that it won’t be able to hold a large amount of charge or hold the charge as long as it used to. As such, you might find yourself running out of battery when you need it the most.
Replacing the battery is necessary at that point. However, there are a few tips and tricks that can expand the battery’s lifespan so you will only need a replacement later rather than sooner.
Maximizing the scooter’s battery life
Your scooter’s battery can last up to five years or even more (though chances are low) if you follow a few simple rules.
First of all, make sure to charge the battery all the way up. Don’t leave it at 80 or 90 percent and then unplug the charging cable. This trick works for all sorts of batteries, be it for cell phones, laptops, cars, and, of course, even scooters. Some people report that this trick did wonders for them.
Don’t allow the battery to drain all the way. By doing so, you’ll use up those limited charge cycle numbers and you’ll quickly find out that your battery will be dead in even less than the regular three years of life.
If you are planning to leave your scooter aside for an extended period of time, it is wise to take the battery out and leave it in a fairly warm room, away from dust and humidity. Why warm? Because the cold drains batteries faster. We won’t go into the technical details, but if you’ve ever wondered why you barely see electric cars out during winter, now you know.
Easy maintenance tips
Speaking of winter, you should avoid leaving your scooter outside during the cold season. Or if you don’t have a fairly warm garage where you can store it, take the battery out and place it somewhere warm. Again, we can’t stress this enough, keep it away from cold, excess heat, and especially humidity. You don’t want to start a fire in your own home, do you?
If your scooter comes from a reputable brand, it should also have some specific maintenance tips in the manual. Search the index and look for the part that talks about the battery specifications. More often than not, you’ll find tips on how to handle the battery, how much you should charge it, and how to connect and disconnect it from the scooter.
Overcharging and undercharging the scooter battery
However, no matter which brand of scooter you have, the basic rules that we talked about earlier still apply. When you first receive your scooter, you might be tempted to ride it from the get-go. But it would be wiser to leave it charging first. Some scooter models’ manuals specifically state that you should leave it to charge for 12 hours before the initial use.
People, especially those who’ve never owned a scooter before, have a tendency of riding their vehicles when they’re undercharged. On the other hand, you have people who, more or less accidentally, overcharge their scooter. These things can happen out of negligence or if you’ve replaced the charger with a different one without reading the compatibility specs.
If you’ve somehow managed to break the scooter’s original charger, the best way to go is to get a brand new one from the same manufacturer, made for the same model that you have. If that’s not possible, check the voltage, amps, current flow, and all the other technical specs to see if the charger you intend to buy matches the things required by your scooter’s battery.
Signs that your battery is dying
If you notice that your battery doesn’t last nearly as long as it used to, it’s not a good sign. Furthermore, if your scooter struggles to start up despite having a fully charged battery, it could also mean that it’s got problems. Check the battery for signs of corrosion – another sign that tells it fair and square.
And, finally, the telltale sign of a dead battery is its critical level. What do we mean by this? If the battery can barely hold the minimum charge necessary to start up a scooter, let alone ride it for a couple of miles, then you absolutely need to replace it. Riding with a worn-out battery can be dangerous for numerous reasons. Here is how to replace it:
Replacing a dead battery
Sooner or later, your scooter’s battery is going to sleep with the fishes. No, we don’t encourage throwing dead batteries into the ocean. That was a bad pun.
Anyway, the usual location for the battery is right under the floor panels. You simply have to remove the panels and you will quickly see where the battery sits. If you’re unsure about the location, check the user’s manual.
To get the battery out, you’ll first need to unplug the negative charging cable. It’s usually the black one. After unclipping the negative cable, do the same with the positive one. Most times it’s colored red. The simple rule goes as follows: if you have a black cable and a cable of a different color, the black one will always be the negative one.
If you have a red cable and another of a different color, the red is the positive one. We don’t know about any manufacturer that does these things otherwise. But just to be sure, please check the manual so that no accidents happen.
Unscrew the battery (if it’s held in place) and remove it carefully from the scooter. Leave it aside in a safe spot, away from humidity and fluctuating temperatures.
Placing the new battery
Make sure the new battery is fully charged and matches both the specifications of your scooter and your charger. Put the new battery where the old one used to be and screw it in place if you have the option to do so. Otherwise, it will rattle like crazy and break much faster, and you don’t want to waste so much money on these things because they can get quite expensive.
Now the installation process is going to be the exact opposite of the dead battery removal process. More specifically, you should start by connecting the red (positive) cable first, and only after you’ve secured it properly should you go and connect the black (negative) cable.
Make sure both cables are properly secured before pushing the start button or connecting a charger. Now it’s time to test out your new battery: start the scooter and use it around the block for a couple of minutes. Did everything work out fine? Did you hear any rattling? If the answer to the first question is yes, and the answer to the second one is no, good job!
But what if your scooter doesn’t start? There are two possibilities: either you didn’t secure the cables properly, or the battery is out of charge. Normally, new batteries should come fully charged, but if you get your battery second hand you might stumble onto this issue. Use a multimeter to see if the readings are in check, and then leave the battery to charge.
Final thoughts
Did you find the information in this article useful? If so, we would appreciate it if you shared it with other motorcycle and scooter enthusiasts. We spend countless hours researching everything related to these spectacular vehicles to bring you the most accurate information possible.
In any case, we hope that you found this information useful and that it will help you solve any future scooter battery-related issues you might encounter.
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