So you heard that gas scooters get great mileage and now you wonder how to increase your mileage? Well stay tuned for some easy ideas for improving your scooter’s fuel economy. No more blowing money at the pump!
1) Go easy on the acceleration, lead foot!
Similar to a car, how you ride your motor scooter will have a tremendous effect on how many miles you are able to obtain from your scooter per gallon. Out of all of the fuel-saving tips, the use of your throttle has the greatest effect on your overall gas mileage. The key is to accelerate slowly, rather than trying to chirp the tires from a dead stop.
2) Inflate your tires to the correct PSI
Not only is riding on improperly inflated tires unsafe, it is bad on mileage. Check your tires’ PSI (pounds per square inch), and inflate or deflate them accordingly. Remember that your tire pressure will climb in the hotter months and go down in cooler months.
3) Keep your ride in tune
Most owners think of a motors scooter as a set it and forget it thing. They buy it, ride it, and rarely think of performing maintenance on it. But just like a car, your scooter needs some TLC to run optimally and continue getting great mileage. Keep your scooter in good operating condition, and you’ll be rewarded with scooter longevity and superior gas mileage.
4) Change your oil frequently
You change your oil in your car every 3,000 to 6,000 miles, I assume. But it can take quite a while for your scooter to see that kind of use, especially if you use yours primarily for in-town riding. Regardless of mileage, you should try to change your oil at the start of every riding season.
For example, if your riding season is in the summer months, from May through September, but you usually only put 500 miles on your motors scooter over those months, you should still change your oil every May.
So how many miles per gallon can you expect to squeeze out of your scooter with these tips? The answer varies wildly depending on the type and size of your motors scooter, but you are looking at significant savings.
Remember that some smaller scooters only have a useful life of 25,000 or so miles, and these tips will also make a difference in the longevity of your scooter.