All vehicles need to steer, right? Electric scooters make no exception and it’s important to follow some tips for a great ride. I will give you my tips for steering an electric scooter in the safest possible way.
We will explore the steering mechanism on an electric scooter, parts and some tips on repairing the steering mechanism.
How steering work on an electric scooter?
The steering mechanism on an electric scooter is pretty simple. As in cars, the steering is done using the front wheel. The front wheel is connected with your handgrips via the handlebar and a fork.
Moving the handgrips, in left or right will twist the handlebar, which is basically a tube. This rotation allows the front wheel to point left or right and lets you steer in the direction you want.
You may be familiar with this steering mechanism as it’s basically the same mechanism used on bikes.
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Another important aspect is that some electric scooters have a suspension spring between the handlebar stem and the fork. This way, shocks can be reduced when riding on difficult terrain.
Types of steering
There are basically two types of steering on an electric scooter, but they aren’t that different. The only thing that matters is the angle of the front wheel. So, I divided the electric scooter’s steering into 2 categories:
- Full steering
- Partial steering
The full steering means that wheels can be turned at a 90-degree angle. While this may not absolutely necessary, it can be useful when trying to do a short turn around. You can turn your electric scooter faster. I will attach a photo below to see what I’m talking about.
Partial steering means that you can not turn the wheels more than 45-70 degrees in any direction, depending on the scooter. Except for the inability to take sharp turn arounds, it doesn’t have disadvantages.
Actually, it has one advantage. If you try to lift your electric scooter with one hand, you may find that the deck will turn. On electric scooters with full steering, the deck can hit your legs when turning. This can be painful and it happened to me more than once. I often lift my scooter to get over a big curb. Yes, you can easily jump over it, but it may affect your suspension.
My tips for electric scooter steering
1. Use your body to balance
The first and most important tip on steering on an electric scooter is to use your body balance to steer. Especially at high speeds, it’s dangerous to actually move the handles in order to steer. It may be too sharp or to sudden. If you have a small angle turn, it’s better to balance in one direction in order to steer. To do this, just put more weight on left or right and you will see the scooter starting to steer in that direction.
On turn at low speed, you may need to use the handles in order to steer. That’s not a problem, but you need to be gentle to prevent losing balance.
2. Don’t take sharp corners quickly
If you try to take sharp corners with high speed you may easily lose balance. If you figure out in the middle of the turn that you can not make it you will be tempted to steer even more so you may fall. Always brake way before a corner and take it slow. You can go full speed after.
3. Don’t accelerate or brake in the middle of the turn
If you try to do this, you may lose your balance. Instead, try to break before the turn, and after you pass the middle of the turn put your hand on the throttle. Electric scooters have a huge torque, so accelerating in the middle of the turn is not a good idea. Also, the brake can be brusk at low speeds.
4. Be gentle
A common sense tip, but, try to be gentle with the steering. Sudden moves can make you lose balance. Electric scooters have small wheels so the balance is not the best when taking turns.
5. Pay attention
You already know that you need to brake way ahead of a turn, but also make sure nobody is coming after the corner. Pay attention to pedestrians, cars and other vehicles. Always drive defensively. Read more safety tips on this post.
How to fix it?
The main components of an electric scooter steering mechanism are:
- Handles
- Handlebar Stem
- Headset
- Suspension (if any)
- Fork
- Front wheel
Electric scooter steering parts
If your electric scooter is still in warranty, you need to take it to an appropriate dealer. Otherwise, you may void your warranty. Steering can be fixed easily if you have the skills involved. The mechanism is pretty simple, you have the handlebar stem, the headset, the fork, and the front wheel. The headset or fork are usually the parts that can be damaged.
I’ve not seen a lot of problems with steering on electric scooters as the mechanism is simple and there are few things that can be damaged.
I would say the headset has a problem if you can’t twist the handlebar or the fork if it doesn’t hold the front wheel good enough.
Conclusion
The steering mechanism of an electric scooter is fairly simple and it’s usually pretty durable. There are some small tips you need to follow to be safe if you are new to riding an electric scooter. Ride safe and have fun.
>>> BEFORE YOU GO! Check out our article about the best electric scooter accessories here <<<