At Electric Whispering, our phones are continually ringing, and one of the most often asked questions is how to correctly adjust your electric scooter’s suspension. Fortunately, changing the suspension is straightforward, and just a few tools are required.
Materials:
- Tape Measure
- Shock Specific Pump
- Friend (optional)
The best place to begin is with the front fork's air pressure. By using a shock pump to pump up the fork, you may change the air pressure. The valve is located on the upper left of the fork. Start at roughly 150 psi, sit on your bike (it helps to have a companion to keep you stable), and glance at the o-ring to see how much the suspension has compressed. The fork should compress between 15 and 25mm (5/8" and 1") If your fork isn't compressing sufficiently, say 10mm, simply reduce the PSI of the fork in 5 psi increments till it looks appropriate. On the other side, if your fork is going too far, such as 25mm, add additional air to your fork.
Turn your focus to the rebound after you've established the air pressure. Controlling the "springyness" of your fork, or how fast (or slowly) the suspension returns, is referred to as rebound. With the knob at the bottom of your fork, you may adjust the rebound. Loosening the knob all the way out results in a fork that is exceedingly "springy" and quick to rebound. When you fully tighten the knob, the fork will return slowly. It's typically best to go somewhere in the center; once you've found the rebound you like, you can just leave it there and forget about it!
Compression is the final suspension setting. On the other side of the air valve, on the top right of your fork, you'll find this adjustment. When you turn it clockwise to "lock," your suspension will not collapse, which is handy when climbing or riding on the road. If you flip your suspension anti-clockwise to "open," your suspension will be able to go up and down freely, which is exactly what you want while riding tough, bumpy terrain for optimal comfort.
Now you're ready to ride your electric scooter. You may start with the air pressure of roughly 150 psi once more. Check how much the fork compresses when you sit on the bike with the o-ring. The percentages on the shock will be visible, and after sitting on the scooter, the o-ring should have shifted to roughly 25-30%. Remove air from the shock if you're hitting less than this, and add air in 5 psi increments if you're hitting more. Proceed to rebounding after you have the right psi.
The red dial is used to modify the rebound. If you to turn the knob in the opposite direction of the rabbit, the shock will return faster and be more springy. If you crank the knob in the other direction from the turtle, the return will be slower. Choose a point in the center that seems right to you.
Last but not least, you may modify the compression, exactly like on the fork. When the blue lever is parallel to the bike, your rear suspension is open, which helps to level out trail bumps. For you turn the knob all the way out, the suspension is locked out, which is beneficial when climbing or riding on the road.
Conclusion
You can get the most out of your electric scooters if its suspension is properly tuned. Finding your right ideal air pressure and rebound setting is an easy process. Depending on what you're riding, you can easily adjust the compression on both the fork and the shock.
