It’s going to happen eventually--at some point you will get a flat tire on your scooter or it will need replacing. Swapping out a scooter wheel is probably the first and easiest do-it-yourself job on a scooter you will have, and knowing how to do the job can resolve a related roadside breakdown.
Be sure to have the proper size tire and inner-tube for your scooter wheel. If traveling, be sure the two are secure on your scooter with the tube tucked in your glovebox and the spare tire on the side or back of your scooter. In many cases, the spare tire is bolted on, already installed on the wheel rim, which makes the job easier.
Once the scooter is stable and turned off, unbolt the old wheel from the wheel hub. Use a socket wrench with the appropriate sized socket and unscrew each wheel nut in a star pattern to avoid warping the rim from uneven tightening pressure. If removing the front wheel, make sure the scooter is stable on its kickstand. If removing the back wheel, be sure something is used to prop up the scooter frame while the wheel is removed. When the nuts are off, pull the wheel off the wheel hub–this may require a smack from a rubber mallet.
Take your spare tire off its carrying bracket and get ready to install it on your scooter. If you have no spare tire, you will need to take the tire off the wheel rim and replace the tube inside. Deflate the loose wheel to remove air pressure. Unscrew all the nuts on split rims and lever the rim halves off the tire using a tire lever or flathead screwdriver (be careful with a screwdriver as it can gouge the rim and tire). Standing on the tire can sometimes loosen it off the rim. Use the tire levers to pull the tire over the rim on solid rim wheels.
Using a spare tire, hook up the wheel to the wheel hub so that the hub bolts line up to the holes in the wheel rim. Use the socket wrench to secure and tighten the nuts on the wheel to the hub, working in a star pattern. If you don't have a spare wheel, remove the old tube from the removed tire and insert a new one.
Re-install the wheel rim into the tire, either whole or split halves. Make sure the tube air spigot is located in the right part of the rim. For split-halves, bolt the rims together, making sure not to pinch the tube between the metal parts. Re-inflate slightly to seat the tube inside the tire. Re-install the tire on the wheel hub, tightening down in a star pattern. Then, re-inflate the newly-installed tire to the correct pressure.
Check the tire to make sure it’s not loose or spongy once tightened down. Roll the scooter back and forth while sitting on it to add pressure. Once satisfied, take the scooter for a short ride to make sure the wheel is functioning correctly. If repairing on the road, take it easy the first 10 or 15 miles to make sure the tire is working properly. Then ride as normal.
