In the same way you maintain your vehicle, your scooter or moped also needs to be looked after. This will ensure it lasts for a long time and make you avoid the high costs of replacement or repair required when damage occurs.

Below are a few ideas on how to maintain the two:

• You need to regularly check and change the oil in your scooter. Oil change should be done at least after every thousand miles. Oil change for scooters and mopeds is quite cheap. They have a capacity of less than a litre of oil and oil change takes about five minutes to perform. It is also recommended that you change the transmission oil every two thousand miles or after every six months.

• Moped and scooter tire pressure is also vital to prevent accidents and for prolonging the life of your tires. You should check tire pressure regularly and inflate them accordingly. Most tire bursts result because of low air pressure. Check for cracks in the valve stem and watch out for any signs of wear in the tires. Moped parts and tires contribute to its overall safety. Driving with worn out tires is a safety risk you do not want to take.

• When performing service on mopeds and scooters, ensure that all parts are properly assembled. Joints and hinges tend to become loose during servicing and other operations. These should be tightened to prevent detachment which might lead to accidents.

• You can perform scooter tuning if the bike is showing low performance than when you first bought it. It might be that air cleaners are blocked or oil deposits have settled in the systems. You may either do it yourself or take it to a professional. Either way, ensure that any scooter spares installed are genuine products from the manufacturer.

• Inspect the controls. Any kinks or broken strands in your cables need to be watched for. The control mechanisms on both ends should be regularly lubricated.

• The chains and sprockets should be checked regularly for worn teeth and lubricated appropriately.

• Most people ignore the most basic of all maintenance techniques. This involves regular cleaning of the scooter or moped. When you clean the scooter, do not forget the carburettor and air filters.