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Lightweight Disabled Mobility Scooter

Typically, scooter users have some ability to walk, but are limited in distance or stamina. Scooters are used to increase and extend the range of personal mobility and help conserve energy. Scooter users often have difficulty propelling manual wheelchairs and do not require the sophisticated electronic controls and seating systems common in powered wheelchairs.


	Base Unit	The base unit is essentially the body of the scooter. The base consists of a steel, aluminum, or composite frame with a fiberglass or composite floor to support the feet and batteries. Some scooter bases also include a shroud over the front wheel and drive head, creating a dashboard for the unit. The base also includes the wheels and the drive train. In some scooters, the seat post is also part of the base. The base unit is the primary determinant of whether the scooter is designed for indoor or outdoor use, the vehicle's maneuverability, the size of its wheelbase, its ground clearance, its turning radius, and its overall dimensions.

	Modular Units	On some scooters, the base unit may be comprised of modular units or may otherwise be disassembled for transport and storage. These same features may also allow the scooter to be converted from three- to four-wheeled models and/or from indoor to outdoor use.

	Outdoor-Use Scooters	If your scooter is designed for outdoor use, it should not tip easily during sharp turns or on inclines such as curb cuts. Anti-tip wheels should be included as part of the frame to help support and stabilize the scooter. On front-wheel drive units, anti-tips are often located laterally just behind the front wheel because they generally lack the power for steep inclines. Because most rear-wheel drive scooters are intended to negotiate more rugged terrain, they are usually equipped with rear anti-tips to support the scooter on hills. Side anti-tip wheels are sometimes offered as options. It should be noted that lateral anti-tippers may cause difficulties on curb cuts and ramps.

	Front-Wheel Drive Scooters	Front-wheel drive is usually found on smaller scooters designed primarily to be used indoors, or outdoors on flat, paved surfaces. The motor of the front-wheel drive scooter is located over the front wheel and drives only that wheel. Because of the motor and wheel configuration, front-wheel drive scooters are usually direct-drive units, eliminating chains and belts. However, this also means that the front wheel pulls the weight of the unit and the rider. Consequently, these types of scooters have a lesser capacity to move their load than do rear-wheel drive models, and are therefore less capable of handling hills, curb cuts, and other outdoor terrain. This is compounded by the fact that front-wheel drive models generally have smaller motors, causing them to have a shorter range, less speed and power, and a smaller rider weight capacity.

	Rear-Wheel Drive Scooters	Rear-wheel drive scooters are powered by motors connected to the rear axle, either via a chain, a belt, a transaxle unit, or some combination. Because the scooter is driven by the rear wheels, they push the combined weight of the unit and the rider, rather than pull it. The combined weight of the rider, the motor, and the batteries over the rear wheels, generally create better traction than that usually provided by front-wheel drive models. The increased traction combined with the more powerful motors used on rear-wheel drive scooters results in better climbing ability. The units also have a greater maximum speed, a longer traveling range between battery charges, and a larger rider weight capacity. These scooters have a wider wheel base and a greater overall length, making them less maneuverable and rendering some models unsuitable for indoor use. They may also be too large for van or bus lifts.

	Brakes	Most rear-wheel drive scooters utilize an electronic or electro-mechanical dynamic, regenerative braking system. This type of braking system works in tandem with the motor, first to slow and then stop the vehicle when the pressure is released on the thumb levers or the controls are otherwise disengaged. When the scooter is not being powered forward or in reverse, the brakes are engaged, thus preventing the scooter from moving. During the application of the brakes, excess power from the motor is channeled to the batteries, providing recharging.

	Batteries	Most scooters utilize 12- or 24-volt motors and electrical systems with one or two 12-volt batteries to power the drive train and controls. Twelve-volt systems are most frequently found on front-wheel drive scooters, and usually require one 12-volt battery, although two six-volt batteries are sometime used. Some manufacturers offer add-on units for 12-volt systems which allow them to utilize two batteries to extend the scooter's range between charges, although speed and power are not affected. Rear-wheel drive systems generally require two twelve-volt batteries to power 24-volt systems. There are three basic types available for use with scooters: Lead acid (or wet cell) batteries, sealed lead-acid batteries, and gel cell batteries.

	Wheels and Tires	The size of the wheels and tires on a scooter have a direct affect on a scooter's stability and maneuverability around obstacles. Scooters are generally equipped with six-, eight-, or ten-inch wheels, although other sizes may also be used. Some models use the same size wheels both front and rear, while others may have smaller wheels in front and larger rear wheels. Smaller wheels are generally found on front-wheel drive scooters intended for indoor use.

	Seating	The most common seat found on scooters is a chair-style seat similar to those found on boats. The basic seat is molded hard plastic or fiberglass, but most manufacturers offer a padded-seat option, usually with a choice of vinyl or fabric upholstery. Vinyl upholstery is frequently less expensive, but because it is a slipperier surface, it may not be the best choice for those whose disability makes it difficult to maintain position or balance.

	Armrests	Some scooters offer armrests only as an option; others offer fixed armrests as standard with flip-up armrests available.

	Tiller	The control and steering mechanism for the scooter, usually containing the controls to drive the scooter forward or in reverse, as well as steering the front wheel or wheels. Most scooters offer one type of standard tiller with other controllers available as options.

	Thumb Levers	Thumb levers are the most common controls, allowing the user to keep both hands on the handle bars while using the left thumb to power the scooter in reverse and the right to power the scooter forward. The amount of pressure applied to the lever will determine the speed of the vehicle (unless it is equipped with a proportional speed control). Consequently, a fair amount of hand control is necessary for safe operation.

	Joysticks	Since a joystick controls both speed and direction, scooters equipped with them generally do not have the post-and-handlebar tiller; the joystick is usually attached to an armrest or to an armrest extension, with a choice of right or left mounting.