Getting a flat: well since I ride my scooter everyday I feel like it's not a question of whether it will happen, but a question of when it will happen. And since I like to be prepared for these kinds of things, I recently decided put a little emergency kit together of tools that can be used to fix a flat on the road. I'm not sure how common it is for people to do this, and although I've had several flats since I've started riding a scooter, this is my first emergency kit. It's a reasonably compact kit, and fits well within the front dashboard with some extra room leftover.
Here's what I put in my kit:
- Tire plug kit. I got mine from the local NAPA auto-parts store, it was the smaller variety. Came with some smaller and bigger plugs, rubber cement, and a plugging tool for $7.
- Small knife. This one's just a box cutter I picked up for less than a dollar. This is used to trim the plug down once it's been placed in the tire.
- Portable bicycle pump. I happened to have an extra one around, but they can typically be found on the cheaper end for less than $20 (make sure these work with Schraeder valves, and not just Presta).