dry rot tires !! i need a new front tire stat

[Drbeastmaster]

my people s 125 has been riding really weird lately so i though maybe the psi was off in my front tire. after checking it there is multiple cracks 4-8 cm long along the middle groves, after having my father in law look at it , a  experienced motorcycle driver he said its dry rot and i def shouldnt drive it any more ,so...... i need to buy a new front tire , any suggestions or websites i should check out , should i just take it to the dealer and have them charge me whatever ?? any advise would be great

[old mod]

I've heard that Michelin City Grip 100 80 x 16" are good gripping tyres (tires), I believe Cortez has a set on his Agility, I have a set but haven't got round to fitting them yet! Too mean to throw a set of Cheng Sh*t away!

[P250Fanatic]

I've got Michelin Gold Standard on the front (I think these are discontinued??) and I just got a Michelin City Grip on the back.  Needless to say, I'm a Michelin fan and I fully recommend them for smoothness and long life.  Most shops don't have a problem with you bringing them a tire to put on your scoot.

[Drbeastmaster]

sweet

[Portland Steve]

That front tire is a 100/80-16?  That is a tough size it seems.
This is a good site for tires, but there are only two choices in your size.  More options for the 120/80-16 rear.
Try searching by rim size, it seems like there are some hidden 100/80-16s in there.

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/5/0/Motorcycle-Tire-Finder/Scooter-Tires.aspx?WT.ac=Scooter_Tires_-_Main6x6_1_03.11.11_TireFinder#&&Back=1-15-1-0-0-2-6-3

I would suggest replacing the rear as well, but if you are on a budget...
If you can get the wheels off yourself, you can save a bunch.  Most motorcycle/scooter shops charge around $25 per wheel to change tires if they are off the bike.  Double that if they need to be taken off.  Make sure that they balance them, although on 125cc scooters not as big a deal as bigger bikes, but they should do it anyway.  Give them a hard time if they scratch your rims (I have had this happen when done by inexperience techs) or get touch up paint.

[Drbeastmaster]

the rear tire was replaced about a 1000miles ago so thats good, i found this sick deal on ebay for some kendas
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150641423458&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:MOTORS:1123#ht_500wt_1182
yea i went to two places in town one guy said if i took off the tire and brought it in he would put on for like 15 bucks, the other guy said he would do all the work for like 60-70, if i do it my self how important is the balance your talking about?? should i just pay a little extra and let the shop do it??

[old mod]

I've not heard anything good about Kendas, as for balancing, i can reccommend dynabeads, but good tyres like Michelin don't need much balancing.

[Portland Steve]

yea i went to two places in town one guy said if i took off the tire and brought it in he would put on for like 15 bucks, the other guy said he would do all the work for like 60-70, if i do it my self how important is the balance your talking about?? should i just pay a little extra and let the shop do it??
[/quote]

I have been riding motorcycles since 1991 and have changed tires on motorcycle or scooters maybe a total of 2 times.  I don't ride as much as some, but I get around.  It seems like I change the tires on a new bike and sell it before I need to change the tires, which is sad.  It is tempting to get some tire changing and balancing tools, but I just can't justify the expense.  Even making your own tools for this can be expensive.  You can go super cheap and use some clamps to break the tire bead, and just get some motorcycle tire irons to muscle it off, but it won't be easy.  Balancing is not as important on scooter tires (except on the bigger scoots), but it is recommended.