Valve stems for a Like 200i tire

[Duddy03]

It is finally time to replace my OEM Kenda tires with new Amazon-purchased Michelin City Grip 2s.  From past posts, a new 90-degree tire stem in the rear is something worth having to make it easier to check/add air to the tires.  (The front tire already has the 90-degree stem.)  The KYMCO dealer says this $13 stem requires a special tool so as to not damage the plastic stem during installation.  Questions:
1.  Has anyone heard of this potential installation problem?  (The work will be done by a local Honda dealer but they prefer I buy the stem from KYMCO to be sure it is the correct one.)
2.  Should both front and rear stems be replaced as is done with automobile tires?  Or can the front one be reused?
3.  Should I reject the urge to add an Armor-All-like product to the tires before they are installed on the wheels?  (I want that first turn to be a pleasant one and not land me on the pavement.)
Thanks.

[Neil955i]

I’ve never replaced motorcycle or scooter stems on tyre replacement with no issues.

Armor all? On tyres? This is a wind up, right?  Anything likely to affect my tyres’ coefficient of friction would be a no no for me.

City Grip 2s? Great tyres, as they come!

[Iahawk]

guilty of applying a rubber protectant / tire dressing to my motorcycle tires!...but ONLY to about 1 inch of sidewall where it would never make contact with the pavement.  It's easy to see on your tire where the tread can contact the road and the small sidewall portion where it can't.

All this being said it's best to just keep your tires clean and keep anything potentially slick off of them.

[Ruffus]

@Duddy03, pls see pic of several valve stems I use.
From left to right:
-90° with nuts and rubber seals,
look good and are easy to reach for checking air, had to remove and replace them after a year because of airloss at this seal

-straight metal/truck type valve stem, same story like 90° pieces

-rubberknob type short, that is what I had for many years, keeps air pressure and easy to change but difficult to reach

-rubberknob type long, changed recently some of my valves to that type, easy to bend towards filler gauge.
There are some other types out but didn't try them yet.

[Stig / Major Tom]

My 2012 LIKE200i came with right angle tire stem on the front, shorty straight on the rear.
I always ask for new valve stems when getting new tires. Always. Cars, trucks, scooters, bikes, boats, etc!
I find the R angle one on the front susceptible to cracking as I fool with it trying to check the PSI or put air in it....because it IS an angled one!
I like short stems.....more room to fiddle, much less prone to flexing sideways which IMHO is 1st steps to cracking, losing air, making me walk! Less mass, so less prone to cause wheel balance issues.

If you like excitement - smear your new tires with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!....it'll give the EMS guys a good laugh on the ride in while you explain what you did.

I'm sorry - I have never known a cracked sidewall to lose air or cause a crash. Never. (Valve Stem - Yes - last summer)
I bet 30% of my fellow citizens are driving today on ancient WalMart Baldies with more cracks than my dear 96 yr old mother-in-law.
She's still rolling along, more or less, and so are they.
I think you'll be riding on the cotton threads under the tread before your sidewall ever causes a problem.

Stig

[Duddy03]

Thanks for the replies.  The tire stem purchased must be compatible with the KYMCO wheel.  A KYMCO dealer sold me a WPS 85-044A 90 degree tire stem (see the picture). This Western Powersports item appears to be manufactured by Fire Power and is said to be for wheels with a .453 inch or .625 inch valve stem hole.  OK - then any stem used in the Like 200i must be compatible with this spec.  Right?  Therefore, the contention from a parts manager that most all valve stems for motorcycles are acceptable must be false.  So, what size hole does the KYMCO wheel actually have, .453" or .650"?  (And how can it fit two different size holes?)   The Cyclepedia Service Manual doesn't provide information on this issue.  Note that when converted to metric, the holes are 11.5 mm and 15.875 mm - rather strange metric sizes.  I am being cautious because a non-KYMCO dealership will be doing the install and they won't take any responsibility for ensuring the proper tire stems are installed.

Also, has anyone used tire balancing beads?  For a person that doesn't push the scooter too hard, I assume it would provide limited value.

[Stig / Major Tom]

The standard is 11.5MM.......for ...well, can't name something that it wouldn't fit! (probably wouldn't fit a tractor with 6' tires)
Kymco does not use some weird valve stem size. The stems in the Honda dealer's drawer will work fine in your Kymco.

Just have the dealer who is installing your new tires put in a pair of right angle valve stems if that is what you want.
Or tell them you want short straight ones.

They have a drawer full of them.
Balance beads don't hurt. Some use BB's from WalMart ammo counter.
The tire has a colored dot ....the red dot goes opposite the tire valve, a yellow dot goes next to the tire valve.

I do not use balance beads in my LIKE200i and am using Michelin tires....and I rarely run over 40mph. No issues.
(I actually was thinking about it this morning when out on my LIKE200i at 40 mph, "Am I getting any shake or bounce from these tires which have no balance beads in them and no wheel weights?" And my answer was, "No.")

Stig

[Ruffus]

Standard hole size for alu rims is 11.5mm.

[Duddy03]

I will put the short straight valve stem on the front . . . that makes a lot of sense.  Will provide feedback on how the new Michelin tires work out. Thanks.

[Neil955i]

Will provide feedback on how the new Michelin tires work out. Thanks.

Willing to be you'll love 'em!

As my tyre fitter always says, "no hard braking or cornering heroics for the first 100 miles!"