Scooter batteries hate the cold nearly as much as we humans do, and that chilly winter weather can play havoc with your scooter’s power supply. Where possible, store your scooter in a garage or out of the elements; this will ensure that the battery remains in a better condition throughout the winter months.
As your scooter will not be ridden as fast, far or as regularly a bit of extra vigilance is required. Listen to how your battery starts the scooter before every trip, if you can hear it losing power or struggling to start your engine, then it's time to charge up. Instead of removing your battery to charge, Trickle Charge your battery regularly and take your scooter out for serious spin most days and at revs over 5000rpm to keep the battery topped up, this will keep the power supply healthy and reliable despite the cold.
There are a number of reasonably priced trickle chargers available online with extended connectors. It is easy to install and will give you more life out of your battery. If this it too difficult visit your local battery shop and they should be able to install for you.
INSTALL - Trickle Charger
Step one - Unscrew all 8 screws around the top and side your front battery box, including the two forward facing screws at the bottom behind your front forks. Remove the back of the box carefully and lay to one side.
Step two- Pull back the rubber housing on your battery terminals to expose the two bolts. Using a 10m socket or screwdriver, disconnect the battery leads and bolts. Using the connector provided with your charger connect the RED (+) on RED and BLACK (-) on BLACK insert charger connectors flush on top of the battery connectors and reconnect the battery terminals.
Step Three - feed the charge plug through the cup holder or under the battery box for easy access to the charge plug.
Step Four - Replace battery box and screw back into place. Simple as that.
It is worth bearing in mind that extremely cold weather can cause your battery to drain more quickly than usual. We won’t go into the science, but we will ask you to keep an ear out on your battery’s energy levels when starting. Your scooter does have a kick starter.. follow normal starting procedures with key switch to on, run mode on brakes engaged and a tiny twist of the throttle... note: all it requires is a gentle push.Simply place your foot on the peg and push down and back. Do not use excessive force as the splines in the kick starter can be misaligned due to excessive force.
The cold weather can affect your scooter in other ways too, so remember to have your machine serviced regularly throughout the winter, keep your battery on a trickle charge to ensure your starter capabilities. Regular services and bolt checks are suggested to ensure your safety and your scooter's longevity on the road.
If you have any questions always feel free to contact us for assistance.