The Ultimate Stunt Scooter Maintenance Checklist (For Riders & Parents)
Right then everybody, this is a super important part of scooter riding and can be the difference between a frustrating session, and a great one. To ease you into learning how to maintain your stunt scooter or your little one's setup, this scooter health checklist is for you. Regular maintenance can extend the life of your scooter, prevent injuries, and keep your sessions smooth. Whether you're riding street, park, or to school every day.
Firstly, why is scooter maintenance important?
Scooters take a serious beating, especially scooters used at skateparks or in the streets. Loose bolts, worn bearings, or cracked decks can turn a good ride into a broken-down session fast.
If you're searching for:
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"how to fix a rattling scooter"
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"scooter making noise when riding"
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"how to tighten a scooter headset"
You're in the right place!
Your Step-by-Step Scooter Health Checklist
Run through this list every couple of weeks, or before a big session.
1. Clamp Bolts – Are They Tight and Even?
Your clamp holds your bars in place. Use an Allen key to ensure all bolts are tight and evenly torqued. Uneven bolts can cause the bars to come out of line during riding... speaking from experience, this is not a good day!
2. Headset / Compression – Any bar rock or is it noisy?
Stand with your foot on the brake and rock the bars forward/back. If you feel a wobble even when your clamp is tight, your headset or compression system likely needs tightening. Which can be done by removing your bars and tightening the compression bolt.
The famous 'Drop Test'... lift your scooter about 3-5 inches off the ground and drop it. If it sounds tight and solid, it’s dialled. If you hear a low pitched rattle, this is another sign of a loose compression or clamp.
3. Wheels & Bearings – Spinning Smooth or Worn Out?
Give both wheels a spin. They should be silent and free-spinning. If they wobble you may just need to grab some Allen keys and tighten them up. However, if they make a grinding noise, or stop quickly, it may be time to replace the bearings, or swap out to a new set of wheels.
🛠 Shop Scooter Wheels
🧰 Shop Replacement Bearings
4. Deck (the most important part of a scooter) – Any cracks or flex?
Check your scooter deck for any hairline cracks or dents, especially around the headtube, rear axle holes or underneath the brake. Riding a cracked deck can be pretty dodgy... if you spot damage and you're still in warranty, get in touch. Even if you're out of warranty please let us know, as there may be something we can do for you with a 'crash replacement' discount!
5. Axles & Bolts – Are They All Tight?
Grab an Allen key and check all your nuts and bolts — deck, wheel axles, brake, clamp. Loose bolts are one of the most common causes of scooters to degrade over time. Unnecessary stress on components will mean that you can sometimes void warranty and reduce the life-span, so it's super important!
6. Grips – Are They Torn or Spinning?
There is no excuse for worn grips! Grips are one of the easiest and most satisfying upgrade, refreshment part. Starting from under a tenner, if your grips are worn, ripping or slippy, grab a new set!
DOGG Top Tip: Create a Scooter Tool Kit
Here is what we recommend:
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Allen key set (usually 5mm and 6mm), grab two!
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13mm Spanner
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Socket set and ratchet, this will be the holy grail. Grab a set of sockets particularly size 13mm and some Allen key attachments (again, 5mm and 6mm but also a 3mm or 4mm for your brake!
- Pick up some spare parts! Small parts can be a life saver and will mean you're not left in the lurch when doing some maintenance or re-building your scooters.
How often should you do this check?
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Every 2–3 weeks for regular park riders
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Weekly if riding daily or doing tricks
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Before every big session or comp
Regular scooter maintenance doesn't just protect your gear, it protects you. A five-minute check up can make all the difference between you having an insane session and having breakdowns all day.
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