Thursday, November 20, 2008

Petrol-Saving Tips for Motor Scooter Riders

By Jared Conley

You know by now that motorcycle scooters get high mileage and now you want to increase that mileage? Well read on for the best ideas for improving your scooter's fuel economy. No more blowing money at the pump!

1) Go easy on the acceleration, Lightning McQueen!

Just like a car, how you ride your scooter will have a significant effect on how many kilometers you can get out of your scooter per litre. Out of all of the fuel-saving ideas, the use of your acceleration has the greatest effect on your overall gas mileage. The key is to increase your speed slowly, rather than trying to chirp the tires from a standstill.

2) Inflate your tires to the correct PSI

Not only is riding on under or overinflated tires unsafe, it is bad on mileage. Check your tires' PSI (pounds per square inch), and inflate or deflate them accordingly. Keep in mind that your tire pressure will climb in the hotter months and decrease in cooler months.

3) Keep your ride tuned up

Many owners think of a motors scooter as a buy it and ride it thing. They buy it, ride it, and rarely think of performing maintenance on it. But just like a car, your scooter needs some attention to run properly and continue getting great mileage. Keep your scooter in good mechanical order, and you'll be rewarded with scooter longevity and superior gas mileage.

4) Keep your oil clean

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.

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