So you’re traveling a little lighter these days on a scooter. Although your scooter is functional, it could stand to have a little more personality. Luckily, it doesn’t take much money to personalize your scooter. Try one of these five tips to customize your scooter into something a little more you:
1. The easiest way to customize your scooter is to add stickers. Bumper stickers that aren’t too large can look great if placed properly on a scooter. Check with your scooter’s manufacturer for the style add-ons, such as decals of swooshes and flames, that will fit your make and model. Scooter Prints has some good ones. But before you put on a sticker, remember: if you want to remove it, you could take some paint with it. If you’re not into that kind of commitment, look for smaller, flat car magnets and make sure to move them around regularly so they don’t stick and the paint doesn’t fade.
2. Add a basket. Scooters don’t come with much storage space, but yours can if you add a Buddy basket. If you don’t use your scooter for highway commutes, the Buddy basket will suit you fine. If you like to go a little bit faster, I recommend using a front basket with a lid. CTM Scooters makes a sturdy covered basket that would work well for their product. Keep in mind that you can’t always mix scooter products and keep them safely mounted, so you will need to contact your manufacturer to find out about a similar product.
3. Install a cigarette lighter on your scooter. You don’t have to be a smoker to know that a good cigarette lighter can keep your phone charged in an emergency, and it will only cost you $10 to customize. Kenny Burton at GSTwin gives a good how-to on modifying a Suzuki scooter for a cigarette lighter. Basically, all you need is a cigarette lighter adapter, terminals, wire and fuses. Connect the wires to the proper battery terminals on the scooter, secure everything with zip ties and give your cheap customization a try.
4. Change up where you sit with a seat cover. Scooter Seat Covers has a wide variety of prints and designs made to fit many scooter types. The best part about this site is that they have over 70 fabric samples, which means you’re not tied to two or three designs. Once you get your cover, just stretch it over your current seat. It will stay in place with elastic, and can be removed for easy cleaning.
5. Your scooter doesn’t have to have all of the fun when it comes to customization. A really cheap yet awesome trick is to customize your helmet. With a little paint and some creativity, you can make a fun helmet that will make other people on the road smile. Personally, I collect those OBX-style stickers when I travel on my scooter and slap them on my helmet. I’m particularly fond of the Lego-inspired helmet made by Sebastian Errazuriz. However, be careful about adding paint to your visor, as you will to keep full visibility to stay on the road. Be sure to use a paint that can withstand the weather, as you don’t want your helmet to start leaking color when you’re driving down the road.
