Does anybody know how do those 24v electric scooters work

[Peter]

Electric Scooter

I have just been given one of those little electric scooters. The
type on which you stand on a small platform and the motor kick-in
after it exceeds a certain speed.

I am not sure who makes it. It has a very 1970's Russian build quality
to it! Anyway, I put a picture of it here:
http://www.tecno.demon.co.uk/electric_scooter.jpg

I dismantled it and found a 24v 4A sealed lead acid battery, a small
relay board and a motor.

My question:

By what mechanism does the scooter trigger into action above a certain
speed?

And its fault symptoms:

The scooter seems to have very low power. the battery seems OK but the
slightest load applied to the motor causes it to cut-out.

Any suggestions?

 

[Jerry G.]

When lead acid or gel batteries go weak, they have trouble to deliver
current under load. A common problem is that the battery goes too weak, and
there is not enough torque from the motor.

To properly test the battery, you must do a load test on it, and not a
simple voltage reading.

--

Jerry G.
=====

Electric Scooter

I have just been given one of those little electric scooters. The
type on which you stand on a small platform and the motor kick-in
after it exceeds a certain speed.

I am not sure who makes it. It has a very 1970's Russian build quality
to it! Anyway, I put a picture of it here:
http://www.tecno.demon.co.uk/electric_scooter.jpg

I dismantled it and found a 24v 4A sealed lead acid battery, a small
relay board and a motor.

My question:

By what mechanism does the scooter trigger into action above a certain
speed?

And its fault symptoms:

The scooter seems to have very low power. the battery seems OK but the
slightest load applied to the motor causes it to cut-out.

Any suggestions?