Scooter Assembly

 

Pro, trick and stunt scooter setup

 There are two main types of pro scooters; completes and custom completes. Completes typically have all the parts you could need in one box and require very minimal setup. A much more daunting task, custom completes require you to choose eight unique parts and assemble them all together piece by piece. In this article we will go through each of these tasks in detail so you can be a professional scooter builder in no time!

How long does it take to put a scooter together?

Building a regular complete, out of the box, is quite a simple task. Realistically there are a few main things you have to focus on to assemble a complete. All said and done, this is easily achievable in about fifteen minutes  even if you’ve never built a pro scooter. Looking at the much more intricate detail that goes into building a custom complete, this will take a good while longer. Practice makes perfect when it comes to building a scooter from scratch, so expect a wider range of time frame to assemble one. An experienced scooter builder will typically take twenty to thirty minutes to assemble a custom complete. If this is your first time building a custom complete, assuming all your parts are compatible and everything goes nearly perfectly, we would recommend setting aside thirty minutes to an hour to assemble your scooter.

What tools do I need to assemble a scooter?

In previous years you would typically need a mini tool box to assemble a scooter. The nuts and bolts were over complicated and not standardized. Nowadays you need a much more condensed tool list. As always, let’s start with building a complete out of the box. Brands have really stepped it up and now you typically only need one tool to assemble your scooter! Even better, your scooter will come with the tool you need in the box…one allen key. So, long story short, you don't need to have any tools or go out and buy any tools to build a ready to go complete scooter out of the box. Custom completes can be assembled with minimal tools as well depending on which scooter parts you choose. We like to be prepared and we want you to be prepared too. See below for our “goto” checklist of tools you need to assemble a custom complete scooter.

Scooter Setup Tool List

 

 

We have allen key sets coming from UrbanArtt soon that have all the allen key sizes you need in a simple and convenient three spoke tool.

Scooter assembly instructions for a complete scooter

Now it's time to go over how to actually assemble your new pro scooter. If you are assembling a regular complete keep on reading. If you're assembling a custom complete scooter feel free to skip to the next section. 

Remove the scooter and allen key from protective packaging
Loosen and retighten the compression bolt located at the top of the fork which is protruding from the deck.

We do this because we do not want the compression to be too tight or too loose, just hand tool tight

1. Loosen (but do not remove) the clamp

• If you have a two bolt clamp it will be located at the bottom of the handlebars
• If you have a four bolt clamp it will be located at the neck of the deck
• We loosen the clamp so the bars can easily slide into place with minimal resistance

2. Attach the bars to the deck

• If you have a two bolt clamp this will be achieved by sliding the bars and clamp over the protruding fork
• If you have a four bolt clamp you simply need to slide the bars inside the top clamp
• If your bars are not going in all the way you may need to loosen your clamp more
•  If you are confident your clamp is properly loosened and the bars are a majority of the way on; simply “slam” the front wheel into the ground as if you were using it to hammer the bars and deck together. It goes without saying you want to do this firmly but not recklessly. If it fails to become fully attached make sure it is properly aligned and try again.

3. Align the wheel and bars

• This can be pretty frustrating depending on how perfect you want it to be
• Think of this like an alignment of your car, when the handlebars are straight you want the front wheel to be straight too so you actually travel straight
• It’s not uncommon for this to not be 100% perfect, but try your best to prevent the wheel from being too off centered for the safest possible experience

4. Tighten the clamp

• Now that everything is straight, it’s time to lock it in place
• When tightening the bolts you want to move from each one back and forth to prevent one section from becoming much tighter than another; this can cause the clamp to warp and make tightening more difficult than it needs to be  not to mention the possibility of stripping the bolt
• For a two bolt clamp, move back and forth tightening the two bolts little by little. Feel free to get them super tight so everything stays together
• For a four bolt clamp we like to number the bolts one through four with one being at the top and four being at the bottom. When tightening a four bolt clamp we like to do bolt one, then bolt three, then bolt two, then bolt four. You keep repeating this pattern about three times until all bolts are fully tightened

5. Make sure it's perfect

• We like to do a “drop test” where we simply take the scooter onto concrete or asphalt and bounce the scooter on it’s wheels  we are listening for rattling
• If there’s minimal rattling (like a vibration sound) this is totally normal and acceptable, but feel free to attempt to locate any loose bolts and tighten them up slightly  Once again this sound is pretty normal, so don’t worry too much
• If there’s extreme rattling (like a penny in a coke can) it’s safe to say something is not tight enough. For this we like to start by going through and making sure the wheels are fully tightened and have no side to side movement, just rotational. It’s also worth checking the brake and giving it a small tightening up. We do these first because they are the easiest fixes and can save you a bit of work. Go ahead and do the “drop test” again and see if there is rattling
• If there is no more rattling you are done and can enjoy your new scooter! There’s no need to read on from here, go outside and enjoy!
• If there is still significant rattling chances are your compression bolt from step two is loose. If this is the case you need to undo the clamp (one bolt at a time little by little), remove the handle bars, and move back to step two; making sure the compression bolt is plenty tight.

6. Call for help

• If you made it this far, chances are you’re stuck, and that’s okay!
• If you are close to a scooter store that knows how to fix scooters this is by far your best bet. They should be able to fix any issues without risk of damaging the scooter
• If there isn’t a scooter store in your immediate area that can offer help, phone a friend. Hopefully you have some friends who are good with repairing and maintaining scooters. If you trust their knowledge, meet up and have them take a look.
• It is hard to identify a tightness problem online or over the phone, but if you have no other in person options, we are here to help! Feel free to contact us through any of the options at the bottom of our website if you need further help.

Making a custom scooter from scratch

Let’s get into the finer details of building your own custom scooter. Although this will be a comprehensive guide, we recommend checking our youtube channel for custom build videos if you’re a visual learner. We are going to break this down step by step for people who want to go down a checklist and follow the instructions perfectly. We’d like to note this does require tools and sharp objects, so assembly is better left to adults  please use common sense for your own safety!

What parts do you need to build a custom scooter?

Here’s a list of every part you’ll need to build your own custom scooter. Please note, some parts are not compatible with others. Please please please reach out to us via any of our contact info at the bottom of the site if you're unfamiliar with pro scooter parts, we’d love to help!

 

 

Depending on what compression system you chose (IHC or SCS) this process will vary slightly. Please note which compression you chose and pay attention to special instructions based on that.

How to build a custom scooter

1. Grip Tape

• We aren’t going to teach you how to “full deck” grip tape here, but it’s a very similar process if you feel so inclined.
• Start by cutting your griptape to the proper length, it should be just a touch shorter than the distance between your brake and neck of head tube of your deck
• Next remove the backing of the grip tape (it turns into a giant sticker) and place it where you want it on your deck. Typically we keep it pretty centered but it depends on if there are any design elements of it that you’d like to make sure are visible. Firmly press down along the grip tape to make sure it’s fully stuck
• Once the grip tape is attached to the deck, take the side of one of your allen keys and firmly rub it along the edge of your deck, this will be the line we cut.
• Make sure the griptape is still sitting parallel to the deck, (i.e. the edges didn’t fold over and get stuck to the sides) lift up any parts that may have folded over. At this point you will run the blade of your box cutter along the side of the deck just like you did with your allen key. This will cut off any excess, please be safe with this and take your time. If it’s not perfect, that's okay, you can go back and remove any leftovers.
• Lastly, take an extra piece of leftover grip tape and use it to sand the edges where you just cut. This will make the grip tape sit perfectly flush and prevent lifting or fraying.

2. Rear Wheel

• This will be a fairly simple task and should only require an allen key.
• Use your allen key to remove the rear axle of the deck. Be careful to not lose any spacers that may be sitting on the axle.
• In general this order of assembly tends not to change. You will feed your axle back through the deck, then through a spacer, then your rear wheel, then another spacer, and then back through the deck where it will be held together by a threaded nut which may or may not be built into the deck.
• When placing the second spacer it can be a tight fit. We recommend using one of your allen keys to hold up and move around the spacer, while using your main allen key to guide the axle through it.
• Make sure it’s nice and tight and that the wheel doesn’t wobble and then you’re done with this step.

3. Headset and Fork

• Start by removing your headset from the packaging, there are lots of little parts so be sure not to lose anything.
• Notice there are two little cups on either end of the neck / head tube of your deck, place one bearing in each cup.
• Feed your fork through the bearings and head tube
• With your headset there will be a little spacer that looks similar to a washer with a lip on it, this spacer slides in between your top bearing and fork with the lip facing down towards the head tube. Once you add this spacer everything should fit snug preventing any non rotational movement.
• In your headset packaging there are paper thin washers, these go around the fork and on top of the top headset bearing.
• The visible part of the headset is the dust cap, slide it over the fork until it is covering the top headset bearing like an umbrella.

4. Clamp / Front Wheel / Handlebars

• This step is dependent on if you chose a four bolt (SCS) clamp or a two bolt (IHC) clamp.
• *For a Four Bolt SCS Clamp*
• With your fork there will be a “compression cap” it is basically a bolt and a washer that are on the top of the fork, go ahead and remove it.
• Loosen up your clamp and slide it over the fork until it rests against the headset dust cover
• We advised you to get spacers and this is why. You want to look at the gap in the side of the clamp and make sure the top of your fork sits below the bottom of the two middle bolts. If your fork does sit above this point, remove your clamp and add spacers as needed until everything is in the proper position.
• Take your compression cap from earlier and insert it into the top of your clamp, there is a little lip it will sit against. Feed your bolt through that cap and into your fork, firmly tighten with your allen key until it's nice and tight. If you go too tight the wheel won’t be able to spin, so go ahead and check that.
•  At this point it is best to put on the front wheel to prevent any accidental damage to the fork. Use your allen key to remove the front axle, paying attention not to lose any spacers.
• Your front wheel will go on almost identically to the back wheel… you’ve got this! Make sure it’s nice and tight.
• Moving on to handlebars, they come in two sizes; standard and oversized. If you are using standard bars on an oversized clamp, you will need a shim which probably came with your clamp. This will help hold everything together.
• Insert the shim into the clamp
• Next you are going to get the handlebars and insert them into the clamp and/or shim. Make sure the bolts on your clamp are plenty loose so they don't prevent insertion.
• If you're having a hard time getting the bars to go in all the way, make sure they are aligned with the clamp and “slam” the front wheel against the ground almost as if it was hammering everything together. Although you want to do this firmly, make sure you don’t end up doing it recklessly. 
• For a four bolt clamp we like to number the bolts one through four with one being at the top and four being at the bottom. When tightening a four bolt clamp we like to do bolt one, then bolt three, then bolt two, then bolt four. Do this lightly until you feel some resistance. At this point you still want to be able to move the angle of your bars with light effort, but you don't want them moving on their own.
• Align the wheel and bars
• This can be pretty frustrating depending on how perfect you want it to be
• Think of this like an alignment of your car, when the handlebars are straight you want the front wheel to be straight too so you actually travel straight
• It’s not uncommon for this to not be 100% perfect, but try your best to prevent the wheel from being too off centered for the safest possible experience
• Continue tightening your clamp little by little in the one, three, two, four order until it is fully tightened.
• Skip the two bolt clamp (IHC) section and move on to the grips section
• *For a Two Bolt IHC Clamp*
• Start by loosening and retightening the compression bolt located at the top of the fork which is protruding from the deck. We do this because we do not want the compression to be too tight or too loose, just hand tool tight.
• Loosen up your clamp and slide it up the bottom of your handlebars until it sits flush with the base of your handlebars.
• Slide your handlebars over the top of the fork
• If you are confident your clamp is properly loosened and the bars are a majority of the way on; simply “slam” the front wheel into the ground as if you were using it to hammer the bars and deck together. It goes without saying you want to do this firmly but not recklessly. If it fails to become fully attached make sure it is properly aligned and try again.
• Align the wheel and bars
• This can be pretty frustrating depending on how perfect you want it to be
• Think of this like an alignment of your car, when the handlebars are straight you want the front wheel to be straight too so you actually travel straight
• It’s not uncommon for this to not be 100% perfect, but try your best to prevent the wheel from being too off centered for the safest possible experience
• Now that everything is straight, it’s time to lock it in place by tightening the clamp
• When tightening the bolts you want to move from each one back and forth to prevent one section from becoming much tighter than another; this can cause the clamp to warp and make tightening more difficult than it needs to be  not to mention the possibility of stripping the bolt
• For a two bolt clamp, move back and forth tightening the two bolts little by little. Feel free to get them super tight so everything stays together.

5. Grips

•  There are a ton of different ways to get grips onto a scooter, it could be its own blog post. Today we are focusing on the two most popular ways.
• *Grips With an Air Compressor*
• This is definitely the most popular way to get grips onto a scooter. 
• Start by sliding the grips onto the handlebars as far as you can by hand (it won’t be that far)
• Once the grips won’t go any further, take the nozzle of the air compressor and hold it between the grips and the handlebars.
• Releasing the air will create a pocket between the bars and grips
• Twist the grips back and forth while you do this until they are fully in place and lined up all the way.
• *Grips With Hairspray*
• This is an oddly satisfying way to apply grips, the only downside is you have to wait for the hairspray to dry so that the grips don't move or spin while you're riding.
• You will simply spray a little bit of hairspray into the grips. The more you use the easier it will be, but the longer it will take to dry, so be mindful.
• Once you have a fair amount of hairspray in the grips they will simply slide on almost effortlessly. Make sure they are lined up perfectly with the bars and wipe away any excess.

6. Bar Ends

• You’re almost done, we promise!
• The bar ends are little plugs typically made of plastic or metal.
• *For Plastic Bar Ends*
• This ones easy, all you have to do is push them into the ends of your bars as far as you can and then smack them the rest of the way. (We prefer to use a rubber mallet)
• *For Metal Bar Ends*
• Metal bar ends aren’t “pressed” in, they actually have a mechanism that locks them in place.
• Insert the ends into your bars and use the required allen key size to lightly tighten them in place. You do not need to go very tight with this at all, you could risk stripping the bolt inside.

7. Make Sure Everything’s Perfect

• We like to do a “drop test” where we simply take the scooter onto concrete or asphalt and bounce the scooter on it’s wheels  we are listening for rattling
• If there’s minimal rattling (like a vibration sound) this is totally normal and acceptable, but feel free to attempt to locate any loose bolts and tighten them up slightly  Once again this sound is pretty normal, so don’t worry too much
• If there’s extreme rattling (like a penny in a coke can) it’s safe to say something is not tight enough. For this we like to start by going through and making sure the wheels are fully tightened and have no side to side movement, just rotational. It’s also worth checking the brake and giving it a small tightening up. We do these first because they are the easiest fixes and can save you a bit of work. Go ahead and do the “drop test” again and see if there is rattling
• If there is no more rattling you are done and can enjoy your new scooter! There’s no need to read on from here, go outside and enjoy!
• If there is still significant rattling chances are your compression bolt on the fork is loose. If this is the case you need to undo the clamp (one bolt at a time little by little), remove the handle bars, and move back to the clamp step; making sure the compression bolt is plenty tight.
  
  

8. Call for help

• If you made it this far, chances are you’re stuck, and that’s okay!
• If you are close to a scooter store that knows how to fix scooters this is by far your best bet. They should be able to fix any issues without risk of damaging the scooter
• If there isn’t a scooter store in your immediate area that can offer help, phone a friend. Hopefully you have some friends who are good with repairing and maintaining scooters. If you trust their knowledge, meet up and have them take a look.
• It is hard to identify a tightness problem online or over the phone, but if you have no other in person options, we are here to help! Feel free to contact us through any of the options at the bottom of our website if you need further help.