Tell me about scooter tires

[scooter65]

To all you scooter experts out there,
Just wondering about scooter tires.  I have a 2009 Xciting 500 with about 5000 miles on it.  Kind of new to 2 wheel motorcycle/scooter, loving it!  The tires on my Xciting are Kenda, original equiptment.  Are these good tires?  Are there tires that are puncture proof?  I'm afraid of blowouts at highway speeds.  About how many miles should scooter tires have before replacement?  Lots of variances I know.  What are the best and safest tires?  Regarding tread design, car tires have lot's of tread, scooter tires very little, what holds/grips the road on a scooter tire?  Any tire experts out there could give me a crash course on tires if you will!  Thanks.

[axy]

To all you scooter experts out there,
Just wondering about scooter tires.  I have a 2009 Xciting 500 with about 5000 miles on it.  Kind of new to 2 wheel motorcycle/scooter, loving it!  The tires on my Xciting are Kenda, original equiptment.  Are these good tires?  Are there tires that are puncture proof?  I'm afraid of blowouts at highway speeds.  About how many miles should scooter tires have before replacement?  Lots of variances I know.  What are the best and safest tires?  Regarding tread design, car tires have lot's of tread, scooter tires very little, what holds/grips the road on a scooter tire?  Any tire experts out there could give me a crash course on tires if you will!  Thanks.

1. Most people do not like them, probably because they are on "OEM tires must be bad" bandwagon, on the contrary, I was quite satisfied with them, among the best tires for big-wheeled scooters.

2. After 13.000 kms, rear tire showed significant central wear, even though there was plenty of thread left on the sides and the front wheel. Considering that I ride 365/24, I changed it at 13.800 kms. Somebody might be able to squeeze more kilometers, but considering that two tires are 70 EUR and tire change is 30 EUR, for me every 2.5-3 years, it is simply not worth it. If you fell off the scoot, it is better to know it was not due to worn tires.

3. Puncture proof as any other tire.

4. New tires are the best, buy any except Chinese made. Even Chinese tires might be good, but if you cannot find reference tests, avoid them. Keep it simple.

5. Tire thread has nothing to do with road holding under dry conditions. Slick tires do not have thread pattern at all, yet they are the best gripping tires. Tire thread density and layout is aimed at dispersing water in front of the tire. Car tire has plenty of threads because of its contact area and width. Scooter and bike tires and contact patches are very narrow, hence no need for a lot of thread. Its layout is much more important. Do not worry about that either.

[streido]

My Agility 50 stock tyres where similair to yours with not much tread. They were good in he dry but the rear became the twitchy in the rain and if turning sometimes I felt the front slip a bit. They still had good tread on them but after my front end slip on a bend and I came off I changed them.

Its pretty wet here at times so I wanted a tyre with more tread for better wet weather grip as well as dry grip. Looked around and did some research online then had a shortlist of 3 tyres, Continental Conti-Twist sport, Michellin Pilots or Bridgestone ML50 Molas.

In the end I chose the Bridgestones and as soon as I drove out the garage I felt a big difference. The ride feels more solid and grippy and it just feels a whole lot better. Will never fit stock again now. Not had much rain lately but the times I have riden inthe wet they do feel pretty good, not pushed it yet cos im still sore from my spill.

In my opinion any performance tyre is a vast improvement over stock, and considering its your safety on the line its a small price to pay the extra cash for good tyres.

[scooter65]

Thanks for your imputs Axy and Streido.  Like I mentioned I am rather new to biking and I need all the imput I can get!

[blue]

I have been rideing moped and scooters for more the 30 years I have been useing kendas for about 10 years now the ones I have now are the ones you see on the honda ruckus they are good in the rain and good if you take the scoot off road.the street tires kenda makes I dont care for I like the big nobies on my tires.

[Red Horn]

Nothing wrong with Kenda's IMO. Unless getting cheap China tires that circumvent testing and certifications like "DOT" then you should be AOK. Blow out's should not be a concern if checking tread and side-walls for any visible issues. This is easily done when checking weekly air pressures.

These will probably go on my Agility 125 when I get to point it needs new shoes;
http://www.bikebandit.com/kenda-k413-scooter-tire

Good Luck... and happy scooting :~)

[adri]

I found axy's reply really interesting. It's true, stock tires are underrated. My Maxxis tires on my KYMCO Venox got me through hell and back, many times. Nonetheless, I did pay a little extra and got the Metzeler ME-880s on my Venox. I believe they're made with a higher amount of silica in the compound making for better water dispersion. They feel great and I can scrape pegs.

If you're the type to really push your scoot to its limits, go all out. If you're a casual, or fair-weather rider, odds are you'd be ok with a little less.

[Oscar]

When it comes to brand of tires - do you think location has much to do with it? I know that I consider that with my 4 wheeled vehicles. I'm new to scooting, so please excuse any faux pas I may make in the beginning.

I live in North Miami Beach area and when it rains here - it gets slick quick.

I recently purchased a used 2006 People 150 - I love it, but have been checking the weather report before riding too far away from home. I know that it will need tires soon. I checked inflation - read on these forums and adjusted accordingly and it has made a BIG difference in handling.

Also, how difficult is it to change at least the front tire? The rear tire I can see the advantage of having a mechanic do it.

Thanks!

[ts1]

The tires on my Xciting are Kenda, original equiptment.  Are these good tires?
Are there tires that are puncture proof?
I'm afraid of blowouts at highway speeds.
About how many miles should scooter tires have before replacement?
What are the best and safest tires?

No.
No.
Tubeless tires don't "blow" out. They loose their pressure slowly.
It's more about flexibility of the rubber and legal tread minimum, not the miles travelled.
Heidenau tires! Even Michelin and Bridgestone are inferior for scooter (and small mc) tires. But Heidenau does not produce high speed tires (>200kph).

[Red Horn]

it gets slick quick.

Try to not ride during the first 10 to 15 minutes of rain fall. The initial water mixes with accumulated dirt and oil on the road and forms a very dangerous slick layer. After raining a short bit most of it is washed to side of road or down storm drains.

As far as changing a tire at home I think it is very difficult and shops use a special machine I think. Hand tools could far too easily damage rim and thus create sealing issues. IMHO condition (void of sidewall cracks, gouges, and worn spots) is more important than actual tire brand. There are of course some tires that are better in the wet than others, but in a lot of instances a careless move that will cause you to go down will most likely cause this situation with any tire.

Kenda's are not all bad. Costlier tires are better.

[Portland Steve]

My stock CST stock tires have been working fine for me and I ride in all year, rain or shine.
Some people seem to hate them.  When I replace them, I will probably try a Pirelli just to see if they are better.
Inspect your tires often for junk that may end up causing a leak.
I have had flats, but never a "blow out".

[Oscar]

Try to not ride during the first 10 to 15 minutes of rain fall. The initial water mixes with accumulated dirt and oil on the road and forms a very dangerous slick layer. After raining a short bit most of it is washed to side of road or down storm drains.

This I know - I just wanted to know brands to look for that are excellent for wet oil slick terrain  - in case it does happen - these are the type of tires I chose to use on my 8 cyln Jeep Grand Cherokee - for the exact same reason - when it down pours here. It gets slick!

Thank you for the input on any and all types of tires - links would be great if anyone has some!