Skidded out

[knowitall77]

My agility skidded out from under me while attempting to stop at a stop sign today on a wet pavement, shattering the left turn signal and roradrash on the plastic. I have been riding motorcycles for 15 years and been in pouring rain. Anyone think that the tires on the Kymco 125  need changing and are substandard. This scooter has only 800 kms .

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[h2ou8n4]

Sorry about your misfortune but glad you weren't hurt. Stop light intersections are repositories for all kinds of slippery goop that leaks out of cars & trucks. Add a little rain and a short wheelbase scooter with little wheels and you have a recipe for wipeouts. Motorcycle and scooters aren't quite the same animal in a skid. Did the front or rear skid first? Could be worn tires didn't help but when's the last time you practiced wet stops on that particular bike?

[knowitall77]

Sorry about your misfortune but glad you weren't hurt. Stop light intersections are repositories for all kinds of slippery goop that leaks out of cars & trucks. Add a little rain and a short wheelbase scooter with little wheels and you have a recipe for wipeouts. Motorcycle and scooters aren't quite the same animal in a skid. Did the front or rear skid first? Could be worn tires didn't help but when's the last time you practiced wet stops on that particular bike?

It might have been the rear. It kind of went sideways. I dive through this stop sign everyday. I have never noticed any oil or gunk on that intersection. Over the years I have gone through that intersection countless times on my Yamaha in all weather conditions without any issues. I think Kymco gambled with the riders safely by putting substand traction controls in lieu of a cheaper sticker price

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[Mr. Paul]

What year is your bike? The tires may be old. The original tires that came on my People 150 lasted a long time, at the expense of traction.

[knowitall77]

It is a 2014

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[Redk]

The factory tires on a Kymco scooter may not be the best on the market, yet I have never heard they were unsafe, like that mess that happened to Ford quite a few years back over the bad run of Firestone tires.

A first rain will wash up oils and grease from the roadway you wouldn't necessarily notice.

Black ice is a bloody nightmare !

From my experience, loss of traction at the front will cause the machine to wash out and pretty much flop.
Problems from the rear will send you off sideways, perhaps where you may have the front end turned full lock and still travelling straight forward !

Any time I might be concerned about possibility of a slick surface I apply the brake in short pulses, off and on, until I can tell how things are grabbing.
Still, I've gone down more than a time or two.

I don't use my rear brake much...  mainly as an assist to the front, or to keep the back in line with the front.
Easier to change front disk pads than rear shoes, anyway...

I've never had ABS on a two wheeler.

It's generally best to put new tires on just before a rainy season begins...  if possible, so you got the best on the ground, where it counts.

Glad you weren't injured and damage is low !
redk

[knowitall77]

Pulsing..great tip. Come think of it, that the water might have gotten into the brakes and locked up. Someone righly pointed out that the drive characteristics of a scooter are quite different from a motorcycle and possibly my expectations were high. Either way, few scratches, sore butt and a lesson learned.

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[Stig / Major Tom]

If you will be riding in the rain a lot, you might want to change out your stock nylon Kenda tires. They offer long tread life, but there are several tire brands which will offer better wet traction.
Veteran riders in the far Pacific regions advised me to replace my Kendas, soonest, for my planned all weather scooter commuting. At @400 miles I replaced the Kendas with Michelin City Grips.
Good to see ABS coming to smaller scooters - I  think a skidding tire is unsafe on every size of scooter.
DO practice wet stops in a safe area at low speeds. You need to know how your scooter will behave - no matter what tire you're riding on

ABS might have kept you in the saddle.....
Stig

[Vision]

OEM tires should be changed, yes dangerous IMO in wet conditions. Try michelin city grips.

[h2ou8n4]

Many years ago when I was aspiring to Superbike and GP class racing, I took Kenny Robert's dirt track training class at his ranch in California. Imagine a road course in the dirt and everyone is on XR100 Hondas. I thought I was a fair MX/Desert rider back then but I came out of that class knowing how a bike behaves in extreme unusual attitudes and how to recover from high speed traction loss. So much more fast and smooth on the street or track days after that course. There is no better training than aggressive dirt riding to produce great street riders. I trained both my sons in the dirt on 50/70/80/100 Honda XRs starting them out at age 4. We still have the XR100! Well, I never became a great roadracer, but I don't fall off much either! My point is, if you don't stir a bike around in the dirt past the limit of traction, you won't have much of a plan for when trouble happens on your street bike. I remember King Kenny was listening to a couple of dudes at the training session during lunch talking about the top speeds of their rides. "Your bike can go 165, said KR, but how fast can you stop from 165?" Sure makes ya think.

[knowitall77]

OEM tires should be changed, yes dangerous IMO in wet conditions. Try michelin city grips.

I am just surprised how a road Worthy vehicle was released to the general public without proper testing. Wonder if there were compaints with highway safety administration.

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[AMAC1680]

I am just surprised how a road Worthy vehicle was released to the general public without proper testing. Wonder if there were compaints with highway safety administration.

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Nothing wrong with the scoot or the tires. Not city grips but not a hazard either.
Haven't heard of other complaints from the dealers nor do the Feds show complaints.

It starts at the handlebars.

AMAC

[jeeves]

If you have Chen Shin tires on you scoot change them ASAP.
I had them, and they are just awful. Lost the front tire on dry pavement and dislocated my shoulder when I feel.
About a month after that, while riding a wet road going to physical therapy for my shoulder(stupid, I know) I gently pulled the rear brake, and instead of stopping I accelerated through a pedestrian crossing almost knocking down a old lady.

Put Michelins on the next day.

Scoot is Agility City 125.


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[knowitall77]

If you have Chen Shin tires on you scoot change them ASAP.
I had them, and they are just awful. Lost the front tire on dry pavement and dislocated my shoulder when I feel.
About a month after that, while riding a wet road going to physical therapy for my shoulder(stupid, I know) I gently pulled the rear brake, and instead of stopping I accelerated through a pedestrian crossing almost knocking down a old lady.

Put Michelins on the next day.

Scoot is Agility City 125.


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Sure enough. I have got the Heng shin tires. I am going to start a complain with the highway safety administration. We as buyers should not have to change anything on a vehicle to make it road worthy. The company needs to issue a recall on their crap product

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[AMAC1680]

Sure enough. I have got the Heng shin tires. I am going to start a complain with the highway safety administration. We as buyers should not have to change anything on a vehicle to make it road worthy. The company needs to issue a recall on their crap product

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Yep change those tires and you'll never have another off.........
Also think you'll need abs.

AMAC