As with most pieces of equipment, it’s important to care for your belongings to make them last longer. This advice carries over to scooter maintenance just as easily as it does car maintenance. The better care you take of your stunt scooter, the more you will extend its life and avoid having to repair preventable problems.

We understand that not everyone is as good at maintenance as they are at scooter tricks, which is why we’ve put together this list of the best ways to keep your stunt scooter in top shape and keep riding.

The Importance of Maintenance: Keeping Your Stunt Scooter in Top Shape

1.   Keep Your Stunt Scooter Clean

Dirt, grime, and mud can cake up on your scooter and cause scratches, rusting, and other unnecessary wear and tear on your scooter. After every use, you should wipe down your scooter to keep it in top shape. Pay careful attention to what you are using to clean your stunt scooter to avoid rusting.

It’s preferable to use water with a small amount of gentle detergent on a non-abrasive cloth to wipe down your scooter. If you need to do any scrubbing to remove hardstuck dirt or mud, use a soft-bristled brush and scrub gently. Never scrape at your scooter while you are cleaning it.

After you’ve washed off your scooter, it’s essential to fully dry off the entire scooter—especially any metal components. Failing to do so can cause rusting, which can destroy the metal components of your stunt scooter.

2.   Don’t Forget Your Scooter’s Moving Parts

Scooters have moving parts, and with any moving mechanism, they need proper lubrication to function smoothly and efficiently. You might be surprised to learn that the same principles that apply to heavy machinery apply to your scooter.

Lubrication of moving parts is done to fight off friction which can lead to damage of the moving component. Friction can increase heat between the two moving parts and cause heat absorption of the parts, which can increase the rate of wear and tear.

Without proper lubrication of the moving components of your scooter, you likely find yourself replacing components that are getting damaged before they should be. Luckily, you can easily integrate lubrication into your maintenance routine with bearing lube like this one from CORE.

3.   Perform Upkeep on Tires and Wheels

There are several things to look out for when performing upkeep on your tires or wheels. Because the wheels bear the most weight of your scooter, it’s vital that they are turning smoothly to allow your scooter to function properly.

Look out for deterioration of your wheels and bearings and examine them frequently. On your wheels, keep an eye out for flat patches, damage, or cracks. These are signs of wheels that need to be fully replaced for the longevity and safety of your stunt scooter. Corrosion and damage are signs that your bearings need to be replaced.

Buying new wheels can be a great investment and is part of the natural wear and tear on your scooter from regular use. There are many great scooter wheel options available online.

4.   Check Small Parts on Your Scooter

Bolts and screws are commonly overlooked. You might think that they are so tiny they couldn’t possibly cause an issue. However, a loose bolt or screw can cause your stunt scooter to underperform or cause further damage.

These pieces must be checked regularly and tightened to keep your stunt scooter in top shape. Not tightening your bolts and screws also runs the risk of you losing screws while riding, which can be frustrating and even dangerous.

Check your bolts and screws before each ride to make sure each one is properly secure to stay on top of your maintenance. 

5.   Replace Parts as Needed

Finally, the most important part of scooter maintenance is to replace parts when you need to. Over time, there will be parts that need replacing and neglecting to do so often has a chain reaction on your scooter’s performance. If your scooter needs new wheels or new handlebar grips, don’t put off doing so.

Inspect all the components of your scooter, including bearings, grips, and your deck, and anticipate what is aging and wearing down from use. You’ll thank yourself for staying up to date on your scooter maintenance later.

In Need of Stunt Scooter Replacement Parts?

CORE offers a full selection of scooter parts so that you can take control of your scooter maintenance. From decks to forks to bolt clamps and beyond, CORE has what you need to keep your stunt scooter in top shape. To view the scooter parts that CORE has available, click here.