How to Ride an Electric Scooter

Hopefully, you’re jumping to an electric scooter model because you’re comfortable with a manual scooter already. Don’t skip that step, since you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the balancing and control issues first.

After that, start by using a scooter rated for your weight and for your newbie skills. This means you use a scooter that’s not too fast and is very reliable and stable. Finally, wear a helmet. Wear clothes that cover your arms and your legs, and use elbow and knee pads as well.

Now it’s time to start:

Pick a safe practice place. Go with back roads and parking lots where there isn’t much traffic. Make sure you practice on even terrain.
Unlock the scooter, usually by flipping the latch at the base of the steering column. This should raise the scooter in its upright position.
Press the “on” switch. If you have an LED display, check the battery life indicator to make sure you have a full charge. If you don’t have full battery power, charge up first. Depending on the model, this may take a few hours. Some may even need to charge overnight.
Find the handbrake on the handlebars. Get a feel for it, and note how sensitive it is.
Hit the throttle gradually, just like you step on a car’s accelerator gently. Practice increasing and reducing the power to control your speed.
Use the brakes to slow down or to stop completely.
Practice making turns with the scooter. Remember, you should slow down when you’re making a turn. This should be a safer way for you to learn how to make turns without falling.
See if you can practice with a more experienced scooter rider. You can learn tips from them while you also learn what to do from their example.
Try to focus on maintaining your balance. As you speed up, learn how to compensate especially when making turns. Don’t go too fast too quickly. Just gradually learn how to deal with faster speeds.
Keep an eye on the mileage and the battery life indicator. Once you reach near the maximum mileage or your battery indicator goes low, head for home so you won’t have to carry the scooter home.
In case of an accident, keep calm. If you panic, you may end up hitting the throttle even more and this can make things worse. Try to just jump away and let go of the scooter if you get into some sort of trouble your brakes can’t handle. Keep yourself safe first, before you worry about the condition of the scooter.
When you’re done, turn the power off. Fold the scooter back and engage the latch. Now you’re done with your first session.
But you’re not done learning. Practice as often as you can. It’s like learning how to ride a bike or play a musical instrument. The more you practice, the better you become.