Odd tire dilemma

[Kansas kymco]

I've been looking at a smaller lightweight scooter to be able to haul in my travel trailer garage. Looking at a Super 8 150 with 14" tires. 
The back is 120/80-14 and front is 100/80-14.  I can get Michelin Pilot front tires for both front and back.  Continental Conti - scoot makes a rear tire that fits the front and a front tire that fits the rear, the tread looks very similar.  Pirelli Angles are made for front and back but high priced. Was going to get some Shinko's but only made for the rear.

Thinking about a Shinko for the Rear and a Michelin pilot for the front.  The tires will age out long before they were out on this scooter. What's your opinion about miking brands of tires or does it matter on this small of scooter?

[john grinsel]

When you are rolling down the road----your life depends on tires!!  I would buy make that offers front and rear in proper size.  Falling off hurts. 

[CROSSBOLT]

Are they both bias ply construction? Should not make a difference if they are. I recall a Michelin caution for steel belt radial on cars that the bias ply go in front if a driver were going to mix bias and radial. That was supposed to promote understeer which, for some reason, they considered safer. This was early before any other tire maker was into radials except maybe Pirelli.

I have a Michelin PP SC on my front and an Achilles steel belt car tire on the rear and have yet to catch on fire or crash and burn....

[Stig / Major Tom]

Well, not sure you will find a lot of support for mixing tread designs from the same manufacturer, or tires from different manufacturers.
But if you're doing nothing more than poking around in the puddles of a camp ground..... ??

Stig

[Kansas kymco]

Are they both bias ply construction? Should not make a difference if they are. I recall a Michelin caution for steel belt radial on cars that the bias ply go in front if a driver were going to mix bias and radial. That was supposed to promote understeer which, for some reason, they considered safer. This was early before any other tire maker was into radials except maybe Pirelli.

I have a Michelin PP SC on my front and an Achilles steel belt car tire on the rear and have yet to catch on fire or crash and burn....

Yes Karl both are bias ply tires.  Stig I use the little scoot for runs to the store, restaurant and other errands.   It won't be driven over 60mph, mainly because that's all she'll do.

[Kansas kymco]

Well, not sure you will find a lot of support for mixing tread designs from the same manufacturer, or tires from different manufacturers.
But if you're doing nothing more than poking around in the puddles of a camp ground..... ??

Stig

Stig that's the problem Michelin, Pirelli and Metzler all make a 120/80/14 front tire only and this is a rear tire. The Pirelli is the only one that advertise that the front tire can be used on the rear.  Must be a odd tire combination on the Super 8 with 120/80-14 rear and 100/80-14 front.

The original tires show no signs of cracking so I will not change them now (2463 miles) on them.  The original tires are CST's* which are not even sold on ebay.
* Cheng Shen tire

[Kansas kymco]

Anyone use Continental-Conti Scoot ?

[dan v.]

Have you checked out Kenda?  They have a variety of tires and are available in some hard to find sizes.

Reasonably priced, too.   I have been pleased with the ones I have run; I have them on several scoots.

[Neil955i]

Kendas?!  I'm surprised you're taken with them Dan as I found them completely underwhelming in terms of both feel and wet weather grip.  Changed them both out at <2K miles for Michelin City Grip 2's which have transformed the handling of my scooter.  That said, we get lots of rain and don't have too many long straight roads over here...

As a footnote, I thought I'd try to sell the Kenda's on eBay* and after a couple of months, not so much as a sniff.  Seems I'm not the only one who doesn't like them   

*  https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/303781280843

[Kansas kymco]

Have you checked out Kenda?  They have a variety of tires and are available in some hard to find sizes.

Reasonably priced, too.   I have been pleased with the ones I have run; I have them on several scoots.

Didn’t even see Kenda in the size I need.  Only front tires for the rear in Michelin Pirelli Metzler and Continental.   I think I may get a Shinko front tire for the rear or a front Conti-Scoot .  Now I see why they may have switched to 12" tires.

As far as rain I rarely ride in rain and only if I get caught in a shower.  The county roads I ride rarely have a curve unless you count correction curves to compensate for the curvature of the Earth.