The PDI
Post Delivery Inspection & Set Up
Brought to you by, The "Big Guy"

When you take off the cardboard, you'll see something like this. Depending on the seller, there will be some assembly required. Some scoots, like this one, require that you attach the front wheel, gages, luggage rack, etc.

Save the cardboard and foam wrapping, you'll need this later to put the plastic panels on.

The first thing to do is get it out of the metal crate without damaging it! Start by taking all of the top bolts out first and remove the top angle iron.

Next, remove all of the bottom bolts on the vertical supports. You may find that the handlebars might be attached to the supports, cut the attachment wires and carefully remove the wire and protective covers on them. The scoot should/will stand on it's own, since there are four more attachment points on the bottom.

I like to free the scoot of it's metal prison before continuing, so with two people, one balances the front of the scooter while the other cuts and removes the remaining support wires. Next, the helper unbolts the front axle bolt from the frame and slides it out, saving all the removable parts - this will free the front wheel. Now both pick up the scoot and place it on firm ground on the center stand. Most all smaller scooters will stand up fine without the front wheel, but a cardboard box under the floorboard will make sure it won't fall forward. Scoots larger than 150cc will require support, since they will tip forward.

Before we get started, look for the accessory box with the battery in it. It may be in a box on the step-through, or under the seat. Follow the directions for adding the electrolyte to the battery and put the battery on charge with no more than a 2 amp charger. We'll need to have this fully charged a little later on in the PDI.

First, remove the protector from inside the disk brake pads if it has one. Then, slowly guide the wheel into place. The disk on the wheel should slip between the disc pads. There will usually be a metal spacer that goes between the axle hole on the wheel and the front shock on the disc brake side. While you hold the wheel and spacer in place, have your helper slide the long axle bolt you removed from the framing in step one through the shock, spacer and front wheel. If all is lined up properly, it should slide through, however, sometimes it'll only go half way. 

You must get the axle beyond the shock, spacer and into the wheel by hand. If it gets stuck beyond this point, a few blows with a rubber mallet will take it all the way through, but be gentle!

Once the axle bolt is all the way through, put a drop or two (not too much!) of blue Loctite on the axle threads and put on the washer and nut (some scoots have a bearing on both sides). The manuals usually call for about 35-45 lbs of torque, but I always torque to 75-80 ft lbs to ensure the axle has seated properly. Some scoots ship with the attachment nut on the end of the axle, while others have a different nut in the accessory box. Make sure you know which one you have!

If this is the first time you're disassembling the plastics on a scooter, it can be quite frustrating, but just take your time, do it in a well lit area and take a lot of pictures as you go! Most of the plastics are held in place with small screws and one attaches to the other, however, there are some that will fit together with small slots and tabs in addition to the screws. Go slowly and tug on the plastics to find the next attachment point and you'll get them all off! On some scoots, like the MC-54 for example, the entire rear section can come off as one piece.

A little trick I have to save a lot of time and confusion is a having a box of Ziploc baggies on hand. I put all the