If you live in a place where your Xiaomi electric scooter is likely to get punctures very often, you may want to upgrade the wheels to solid tires. This is especially the case for those who live in rural areas or do not have tarmacked driveways or roads. Upgrading to a solid tire will save you a lot of energy and expensive tubes too.
Transitioning from inflatable tube tires to airless solid tires has its advantages and disadvantages;
Pros:
They do not get punctures. This is pretty much the only real advantage of solid tires.
Cons:
Your new solid tire for your electric scooter may have more or less rolling reluctance which means that your scooter will use more energy and battery power. The energy spending or conservation will largely depend on how well you fix the tire, and whether you have the right one for the job.
Solid tires may also be a little difficult to mount on the rim of the wheel since they can be too tight or loose. This, however, can be solved by softening it before fitting (this will be explained further in the fitting instructions). The Xiaomi electric scooter tire size is 8.5 inches in diameter and 2 inches thick.
Additionally, Xiaomi M365 electric scooters do not have shock absorbers. With the lack of its pneumatic tires, this means that the scooter may experience a lot of vibrations during the ride. The movements may loosen bolts and nuts which may cause parts and cables to loosen and fall apart in the future so pay attention and maintain your Xiaomi M365 scooter.
Here’s what you will need for the job:
- 8.5-inch by 2-inch solid tire
- Allen wrench
- Razorblade
- Flat blade screwdriver
- 18mm wrench
- Lubricant
- Silicone paste
Steps to follow:
- First, you have to remove the inflatable tire.
- Cut around the red label and pull it off then loosen the two screws below it.
- Remove the first plastic cover then loosen the other four small screws below it.
- Turn the scooter over to the other side and repeat the process. You should now be left with one nut embedded deeply into the wheel under a plastic cover that is attached to the wheel support system.
- Lift the cover slowly to avoid cracking it then loosen the nut below it using a wrench.
- Remove the nut. The wheel is now loose enough to slide out easily. The motor cable is still attached (to the front wheel) so do not pull it off.
- Fitting in the solid tire
- Add some lubricant on the rim of the wheel. This should manage the amount of friction that will be involved during the fitting.
- You will need to soften the solid wheel before fitting it:
- Boil some water to about 100ºC in a pot large enough to fit the tire.
- Put it in (make sure that it is wholly immersed) then leave it for ten minutes.
- As an alternative, you can heat the tire in a microwave for three minutes, checking it after every minute.
- Once the wheel is soft enough, remove it and fit the rim into it. Let it cool for five minutes.
- Fasten the nut and the other screws (while replacing the plastic cover) on both sides. This is basically the reverse of the initial process of removing the wheel. Also, make sure that you return the red labels.
- Fill the hole on the wheel with some silicone to avoid entry of dust, stones or water. Your scooter is now ready to go!
Caution
Make sure that you purchase your Xiaomi electric scooter parts from a trusted distributor. This will minimize the chances of buying counterfeit or low-quality parts, spares, and tools.
