Top 10 Accessories for Scooters (other than Performance Upgrades)
- Scooter Helmet or Helmets (Safety essential)
- Scooter Gloves (Safety essential)
- Sunglasses and/or goggles (Safety essential)
- Good quality scooter lock (Disc Brake type lock and Cable Lock)
- Scooter Messenger Bag or Backpack
- Scooter Cargo Box such as GIVI or saddle bags or cargo pouches
- Scooter Jacket (with protective padding)
- Rain Gear
- Scooter Cover
- Scooter Skirt
1) Scooter Helmet or Helmets
(For details see our other article on Choosing a Proper Helmet)
The first thing every scooter buyer needs is a good helmet. We find many scooter buyers buy more than one helmet – especially women. (Just like guys usually only have one wallet but how many girls do you know with only one purse?)
If you are using your scooter as an urban commuter, we recommend having a full face helmet as your primary helmet.
(Sample full Face Helmet)
Full helmets without chin-guard and half helmets may offer more comfort and some say better hearing with half-helments, but you need to make sure you have protective eyewear. They will also do nothing for your chin and jaw area if you take a spill.
(Sample Full Helmet with Visor - No Chin Guard)
(Sample Half-Helmet)
Many of our customers choose more than one helmet style and different colours. It’s always nice to have a spare on hand in case you are taking a passenger. If you have a spare, it is often a good idea to get something a little larger. It is easy to find innovative ways to make large helmets fit people but impossible to make small helmets bigger.
The PROPER fit for a helmet is a nice snug fit.
2) Scooter Gloves
Gloves are not just to keep your little fingys warm – they are one of your first lines of defense if you take a spill. Most riders we’ve known who have taken a tumble manage to get a hand down first – it sure is nice if that hand is protected.
Gloves come in all shapes and sizes. The main categories are:
- Standard length gloves
- Long gloves (over the cuff)
- Leather gloves
- Synthetic gloves
- Non-armored gloves
- Armored Gloves
- Summer Gloves
- Winter gloves
For general purpose summer riding, we like either synthetic or leather gloves in standard length. Gloves with extra padding on the knuckles and on the palm are a good idea. We also really like some of the gel and padded gloves since they absorb a lot of the vibration.
For winter or colder weather riding, we lean toward the longer gloves made out of synthetic materials. These often have insulation such as Thinsulate but are still thin enough to have a good feel for the throttle and brake levers.
While leather gloves look really cool and are quite warm, they don’t fare as well in the waterproof department. The synthetics are very good for waterproof capability and they dry out a lot better and a lot faster than the leather gloves. Leather does offer some of the best protection in the event of a spill so if you opt for synthetic gloves, make sure they have extra padding in the palm and on the knuckles or Kevlar lining for that added level of protection.
Just like helmets, no need to limit your riding gloves to just one pair.
3) Scooter Sunglasses or goggles
Nothing worse than a flying pebble in the eye at 60 km/hr. (Well, maybe a juicy bumblebee or wasp is a close second.) Sunglasses and goggles are not just to look cool, they are a safety essential especially if you are riding a helmet without a face shield.
Goggles do a better job of keeping the wind out of your eyes which can often lead to tears and blurred vision.
Lenses come in a variety of colors from clear to green, to amber, to yellow. They also come in polarized and non-polarized and in glass or plastic lenses. Even the less expensive lenses tend to offer good UV protection but polarized lenses come at a higher price. Polarized lenses are great for reducing glare, fantastic around water, and you would be surprised at how much glare is coming off the road on a sunny day.
Make sure you find a pair with a good fit. Many people wear a good pair of sunglasses for the sunny days and then have a pair of goggles with a clear or light colored lens for the not-so-nice days.
4) Good Quality scooter lock (Disc Brake type lock and Cable Lock)
If your scooter has a front disc brake, we highly recommend the front disc brake locks. These are very compact and highly effective since your scooter can not be rolled with one of these on. Best to get the one with the “reminder cable” that attaches to the handgrip so you don’t forget to take the lock off.
Good cable locks are bulkier, but have the added advantage that you can attach your scooter to something permanent so that it cannot be carried away in a truck.
Some people leave their cable lock attached to something at their home or office and then just take their tiny disc brake lock when they are running errands.
We recommend having a cable lock for your overnight or long-term lock with a small disc brake lock for quick trips.
(Sample Scooter Lock - Disk Brake Type)
5) Scooter Messenger Bag or Backpack
One of the handiest ways to carry you essential on a scooter is a messenger bag or a backpack. Messenger bags such as those by Chrome, Aerostich, and Timbuk2 tend to be of high quality and are waterproof with very reliable fasteners. They are available in a wide range of sizes, colors, and styles and often have available accessories such as cell phone holders, padded straps, laptop pouches, etc.
We like the overall practicality and more traditional scooter look of messenger bags but there is no arguing that many backpacks are great too.
Keep in mind that if you are doubling, a messenger bag is better than a backpack.
(Sample Chrome Messenger Bag)
6) Cargo Box such as Givi or Saddlebags or Cargo Pouches
It’s a fact that scooters don’t have as much storage space as an SUV’s. Most scooters do have some storage space under the seat and many also have a hook in front of your legs. That hook is often a good spot to hang a small pack or a reusable cloth or nylon type of grocery bag.
The cargo box such as those by GIVI is a great way to supplement your scooters lockable storage area. Available in various sizes, the cargo box allows you to carry quite a bit of extra “stuff” in a waterproof container, without the need to carry it on your body.
Cargo boxes are a great place to carry a few tools, a first aid kit, a water bottle, a couople of Power Bars, and any ot those other little essentials that you want to have with you. We’ve seen GIVI boxes tricked out with foam liners for photo gear and all sorts of other configurations.
Many people leave the shop with their new scooter only to be back a week later to add this worthwhile accessory.
Some cargo boxes also have additional lighting as an extra safety feature.
(Sample Givi Scooter Cargo Box)
7) Jacket (with protective padding)
Scooter riders want different clothing than most motorcycle riders. When we were surveying some of our customers about the type of gear they wanted us to carry, one comment really hit home when he said “Anything that doesn’t say Joe Rocket on it.” Nothing against Joe Rocket, it’s just that scooter riders are a different breed than most motorcycle riders. We carry great jackets from companies such as Corazzo that you would never know are armored. A good scooter jacket has a good degree of waterproofing, windproofing, padding, and allows you to sit in a comfortable riding position without feeling restricted in the shoulders.
The Corazzo line has adjustable padding that you would never know is there because the jackets are so stylish. Our jackets look as cool on campus or in Starbucks as they do when you are sitting on your scoot.
While leather jackets can be nice, we prefer the versatility and waterproofing of a good, machine washable, padded synthetic jacket.
(Sample Corazzo Armoured Scooter Jackets)
8) Rain Gear
Goretex gear is great but quite expensive. You also tend to dawn the Goretex only when it is actually raining out when you start your ride.
It’s great to have some raingear close by that can be quickly put on to shelter you from the elements and provide some extra warmth. We recommend that you always have a cheap plastic poncho stowed on your scooter (or a green garbage bag that you can punch holes in and pull it over your head in case of a rainstorm.)
We also have like some of the very moderately priced rainsuits that fold up into a pouch and stow in under your seat or in a GIVI cargo box.
Amazing how handy raingear is, especially out here on the West Coast.x
9) Scooter Cover
A scooter cover is a very moderately priced accessory that adds greatly to the life of your scooter. In addition from sheltering it from the elements, it also keeps a plethora of pesky kids from sitting on your scooter and playing with all the buttons.
Reduced vandalism, UV protection, protection from dust, dirt, and the elements – it’s a no brainer. Plus, most scooter covers go on and off in seconds and stow easily under the seat or in a GIVI cargo box.
10) Scooter Skirt
One of the great accessories that many scooterists have never heard of. You’ve probably got a great helmet, jacket, and gloves to protect the top half of your body but what about the rest? A scooter skirt such as ones made by Scooter Skirt or Corazzo straps around you waist and drapes over your legs when you are riding. Don’t let the “skirt” name throw you – these are not just a girly thing.
Usually made of a heavy waterproof and windproof Cordura nylon and often lined with a fleece, these handy accessories can be put on and off in seconds and provide great protection and warmth.
Easily stows under a seat or in a cargo box, we consider this an essential for winter riding on the West Coast.
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