RESEARCH PAPER
Safety and Reliability Assessment of Personal Electric Kick-Scooter Riding with Different Tire Types
1
Department of Mobile Machinery and Railway, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Lithuania
Submission date: 2025-12-27
Final revision date: 2025-12-29
Acceptance date: 2026-03-01
Online publication date: 2026-03-05
Corresponding author
Mykola Karpenko
Department of Mobile Machinery and Railway, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Saulėtekio al. 11, LT-10223, Vilnius, Lithuania
Department of Mobile Machinery and Railway, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Saulėtekio al. 11, LT-10223, Vilnius, Lithuania
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
This study investigates the mechanical safety of personal electric kick-scooters, specifically the vibration-induced failure of handlebar safety lock. Utilizing a dual-methodology approach, pre-experimental modal analysis via laser scanning was combined with real-world field measurements on asphalt and brick pavements using pneumatic and airless tires. Modal analysis identified a primary resonance frequency at 20 Hz, where airless tires exhibited significantly lower damping coefficients compared to pneumatic tires. Research results quantified a critical vibration that limit correlates with the unintended disengagement of the folding mechanism. On brick surfaces, airless tires produced vibrations 40% higher than pneumatic tires. These findings demonstrate that the reduction in damping provided by aftermarket airless tires directly compromises structural reliability, necessitating secondary locking redundancies for safe urban operation.
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| eISSN: | 2956-3860 |
| ISSN: | 1507-2711 |
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