If you own a mobility scooter, you already know the limit of its speed. Since it serves as a mobility aid, speed is not a priority. Speed may or can only cause troubles to the disabled person using it. But if you have an extra mobility scooter and want to experiment with it, maybe like me, you have already asked this question: how do you speed up a mobility scooter or adjust its speed? I will give you five ways on how to do this. After reading this article, you will have a practical idea of how to make it happen.
There are five simple and complicated ways to speed up a mobility scooter. These are: altering the motor by rewinding it, removing the speed limiter if it is present, upgrading your battery, eliminating other less commonly used parts to reduce the weight, changing sprockets, and replacing the tires.
The following are the mobility scooter speed adjustments that you can do but keep in mind that it is not as easy as we think. It requires a deeper understanding of the technical aspects of the machine.
Altering the motor
The motor is a complex mechanism; thus, any incorrect modification can damage it. Sufficient knowledge is needed.
There are two ways to alter the motor to speed up the mobility scooter:
Motor rewinding: It is the method of rewinding the motor coil. Just keep in mind that doing so will increase the motor’s speed and reduce its windings per loop—the lower the windings, the lower the torque. And when the torque is slower, it means that the motor’s acceleration will slow down in the first phase movement—this happens when the motor starts to gain speed at the start.
Removal of the speed limiter: There are scooter motors with a feature called a speed limiter. It is a mechanism that limits the motor’s speed, especially on mobility scooters where its user’s safety is vital. When you remove it, it will provide a more noticeable increase in the scooter’s speed. But not all motors have such a mechanism. If you are not familiar with it, you can check your user manual or contact the manufacturer to verify if it’s present in your motor.
Battery Upgrade
Upgrading the battery is also one way to give the motor an increased speed. Sometimes capacity and power have the same meaning, but when it comes to its effect on your motor or scooter as a whole, capacity is one thing, and power is another. If the higher battery capacity gives a longer travel time, the higher battery power will add speed to your motor. If you are looking for a battery with high power, Li-ion (Lithium-ion) is the type of battery for you. Now it is not only known for having a more efficient and more compact battery, but it is also known for its higher battery power.
Reduce weight
If you think the scooter has parts or features that you do not use often, you can consider removing them to reduce the scooter’s weight. The important thing here is to keep the current weight capacity away from its weight limit to increase its speed.
Change sprockets
You can increase the scooter’s speed by installing long sprockets on the scooter’s front while shorter on the back. The increase will not be immediately noticeable, but you will see its difference from before in the long run.
Replace tires
Yes, you read it right. Replace those tires to increase speed. This method helps a little in speeding up the scooter, but at least worth a try. When choosing replacement tires, look for airless tires or similar. The idea is to reduce friction to gain some extra speed.
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To end things off
As you can see, it is indeed possible to increase the speed of a mobility scooter, but with it are the consequences such as damages to the mechanism or the loss of its factory warranty. Mobility scooters are simple compared to automobiles and other more fully-featured vehicles. But like other motor technologies, it still requires enough knowledge. I suggest consulting your local mechanic before performing any of the above modifications.
But let us remember that a mobility scooter whose purpose is to be a tool to help people with disabilities, speed is not as important as the ease of use and safety of the rider. See also how to start a mobility scooter without a key.
