Joyor S10-S-Z · Tyres & wheels

Flat tyre or puncture

The tyre is soft or fully flat. On this scooter that almost always means a new inner tube.

Difficulty: HardTime: 1–2 hours the first time9 things you need

Is this your problem?

  • Tyre squashes flat when you stand on the deck
  • Scooter pulls or feels like it is riding on the rim
  • You heard a pop or hiss

Likely causes

1
A sharp object went through the tyreHow to tell: Look and feel all round the tread. Glass and thorns are often still stuck in it.
2
Pinch flat from low pressureHow to tell: Two small cuts side by side in the tube (a "snake bite"). Riding a soft tyre over a kerb does this.
3
Valve torn at the baseHow to tell: The tube splits right where the valve joins it. Happens when the tube creeps round the rim at low pressure.
Check this first

Pump the tyre up to the pressure on the sidewall and listen. A fast hiss means a hole; no hiss may just be a very slow leak (see the slow-leak guide).

What you need

Tools

Example photo: Tyre levers (2–3)Example photo
Tyre levers (2–3)

Plastic levers are kinder to the rim. Small scooter tyres are tight, so a strong nylon or steel-core pair helps.

Photo: Ian Harvey, Public domain, resized
Example photo: Spanners (combination wrenches)Example photo
Spanners (combination wrenches)

Metric. The axle nuts on 10-inch scooters are usually big (often 18 mm or more): measure yours before buying.

Photo: Fructibus, CC0, resized
Example photo: Socket set with ratchetExample photo
Socket set with ratchet

Metric sockets. A deep socket helps on axle nuts that sit on a long thread.

Photo: Kae, CC BY-SA 3.0, resized
Example photo: Hex (Allen) keys, metricExample photo
Hex (Allen) keys, metric

A metric set, roughly 2 mm to 8 mm. Long-arm keys reach the recessed bolts on the stem and deck.

Photo: Leon Brooks, Public domain, resized
Example photo: Pump with a pressure gaugeExample photo
Pump with a pressure gauge

A floor pump with a gauge. Scooters like this one normally have a car-style (Schrader) valve: check yours and make sure the pump head fits it.

Photo: Ewok Slayer, Public domain, resized
Example photo: Tyre pressure gaugeExample photo
Tyre pressure gauge

Any gauge that fits your valve. The gauge on a cheap pump can be off by a lot, so a separate one is worth it.

Photo: Simon Speed, CC0, resized
Example photo: Clean lint-free clothExample photo
Clean lint-free cloth

A clean microfibre cloth or paper towel. Never one that has had oil or polish on it for brake work.

Photo: Polyesterchen, Public domain, resized
Example photo: Nitrile glovesExample photo
Nitrile gloves

Keep skin oil off the brake parts, and brake fluid off your skin.

Photo: unknown, Public domain, resized

Parts

Example photo: Inner tube, 10 × 3Example photo
Inner tube, 10 × 3

Size 10 × 3 (also sold as 255 × 80 or 80/65-6), with a bent valve like your old one. Copy the size and valve from the old tube.

Photo: Oostblokblik, CC BY-SA 4.0, resized

Photos show the kind of tool or part, not a specific product. We don’t sell anything and get nothing from any shop.

Step by step

Tap a step when it’s done to keep your place.

  1. Switch off and unplug

    Power off, unplug the charger. Fold or tip the scooter so the flat wheel is off the ground and easy to reach. Put a cloth down so nothing gets scratched.

  2. Take photos first

    Photograph the wheel from both sides: where the motor cable goes, how the axle nuts and washers sit, how the brake caliper is fitted. You will copy these when putting it back.

  3. Unplug the motor cable

    The motor cable leaves through the axle. Follow it to its plug and unplug it, or free enough cable-tie so the wheel can come out without pulling on it. Never pull the cable itself.

  4. Free the brake caliper if needed

    If the brake disc cannot slide out past the caliper, undo the two caliper bolts and move the caliper aside with its hose still connected. Do not squeeze the brake lever while the disc is out: the pads will close up.

    Never undo the brake hose itself. Hydraulic brakes then need bleeding.

  5. Undo the axle nuts and take the wheel out

    Loosen both axle nuts, keep every washer in order (lay them out on a cloth), and slide the wheel out of the rocker arms.

  6. Let the rest of the air out and get the tyre off

    Press the valve pin to empty the tube. Look at the rim. If it has a ring of bolts on the side, it is a split rim: undo those bolts and the rim comes apart. If not, push the tyre edge into the middle of the rim all the way round, then lever it over the edge with two tyre levers, working a little at a time.

  7. Find the cause before fitting a new tube

    Run your fingers carefully round the inside of the tyre to find anything still stuck in it. Pump the old tube a little and find the hole: it tells you where to look on the tyre. Skipping this is how people get a second flat the next day.

  8. Fit the new 10 × 3 tube

    Put a little air in the new tube so it holds a round shape. Push the valve through the rim hole first, tuck the tube inside the tyre, then work the tyre back on (or bolt the split rim back together) without trapping the tube.

  9. Seat and inflate

    Pump up slowly. Check the moulded line on the tyre sits evenly above the rim all the way round, on both sides. Then pump to the pressure printed on the sidewall.

  10. Refit everything in reverse

    Wheel into the arms, washers back as in your photo, axle nuts tight, caliper back with its bolts, motor cable plugged in and tied away from the tyre and disc. Squeeze the brake a few times before riding.

  11. Test slowly

    Spin the wheel: no rubbing, no wobble. Switch on and check the motor runs. Ride slowly for a few minutes and test both brakes before any real ride.

Stay safe

  • Tyre levers can pinch the new tube. Go slowly and use plastic ones if you can.
  • Test the brakes before riding off. A caliper put back wrongly can rub or not grip.

When to take it to a shop

If the axle nuts are seized, the motor cable is damaged, or you cannot get the tyre bead on. Many bike and scooter shops will fit a tube you bring.

Also check

Written for the Joyor S10-S-Z using the maker’s published specs and error list (Joyor technical guide) plus general repair practice for scooters built this way. Parts and fittings can change between production batches: if yours looks different, trust your scooter and its manual. Repairs are at your own risk.

Found a mistake? Tell us.