If your scooter feels fine until it doesn't, you're not imagining it. Most commuter breakdowns start as small things you can catch at home.

Do this on Sunday night:

1. Squeeze both brakes. The lever should bite before it hits the grip. Spongy = get it looked at before Monday traffic.

2. Press the tire sidewall with your thumb. If it squashes easy, air is low. Low tires eat range, chew the sidewalls, and make the scooter wander.

3. Look at the chain or belt. Dry, rusty, or skipping under load means it's wearing the rest of the drivetrain, not just itself.

4. Lights and horn. Cars do not assume you exist.

If two or more of those fail, don't wait for a roadside surprise. That's a tune-up, not a rebuild.