Which Brand tire would you reccomend By hellspigeon (Read 713 times)

[hellspigeon]

My rear tire failed on me. Currently I have a Avon AM63 Viper Stryke, I guess it's ok. I'm not sure if there's a better tire or if I should just go with the cheapest thing out there. Michellin, Shinko, Pirelli, Continental, and Kenda make tires for my rim. I'm leaning towards getting the Michellin, mianly because they're a well know brand. Which brand would you guys recommend I get. I'm not worried about the cost of the tire. I just want something good and dependable.

[Bashan]

Not worried about money?.........Pirelli

[cyborg]

Pirellis are nice but don't last,, michelins are good,,,, my next set is going continental zippys ,,, I've heard good things about them so I got a set

[rks]

It would be nice if scooter tires were rated as auto tires are (tread wear, traction, & temp). Then one could choose a tire to match his or her driving style. Not planning on entering any races with my scoot, so don't really need sticker tires like the ones used at Bristol.....not into riding in the rain either, so wet traction is not important to me.

The rear tire I just replaced, ( K413), lasted all of 2300 miles....that just plain sucks
The original (Chinese) front tire has 5500 miles on it, and doesn't look to be half worn out yet

[adamhoyer]

I would recommend these kendas scooter tires

[jct842]

I an not in to riding in the rain, but some times you just get caught in it. I ride with pirelli tires. To me it isn't worth riding on second best. The few bucks I could save on tires may very well put me in the hosp. It's not like when you have 4 tires and you don't lean. So what if I don't get as many miles out of a tire as those rock hard ones that don't grip like mine. I have been riding since 1958 and gone down a few times and never once enjoyed it. Break a bone and can you afford to be off work 6 weeks? I have and it isn't good.

[rks]

Thank you jct842....your post confirms that not everyone wants the same tire performance. The point I was making before was, if our tires were rated as an auto tire is....we would be be able to make a more informed buying decision. You'd know which ones were best for traction.....I'd know which one to pick for mileage.

My scoot is just a toy, it is not my sole means of transportation... I am retired....I don't have to make a daily commute on a scooter....We all have different life styles....not everyone needs a racing tire on a scooter. Now, after saying all of that....I run aggressively treaded Pirelli's on both of the BMW Cruisers in my stable, but they are a horse of a different color, and ridden as such.

[jct842]

Your right about some sort of ratings for scooter tires. It would just about have to come from the gov as a law to make all tire companies comply. Maybe some thing tied in to the DOT ratings.

There are rubbers out there that are hard as a rock that still do not give a good ride or good mileage like one could expect, almost like they crumble off. And others soft and yeilding that just refuse to wear. A lot of wear or lack of it is due to tire pressure too.

[tvnacman]

I took my time choosing tires for my vespa its a 250cc and I have seen it at 85 mph . The guy that I bought it from blew out the rear tire and put a zippy on the rear . I wish I would have caught it when I bought it. I ended up with the Pure Power SC . They have a 93 mph rating , they are rated well dry and wet . I ride daily if it is raining more than a drizzle I walk past it . I knew I needed I tire that would do well in the rain if the sky should open up on me . The cost difference was $20 for the set vs the other tires . Some were pushed aside because of low speed rating .

John

[rks]

I too took my time trying to find a tire that fit my needs. It came down to either the Pure Power or the City Grip, mainly because Michelin was the only company I found that offered a chart comparing the features of their different tire models. Found the dual compound technology of the Pure Power very tempting...but ended up with the City Grip only because of it's slightly higher tread life rating, according to charts on Michelins site. It has the same 93 mph speed rating.....but that means nothing to me.....very, very rarely see more than half of that....45 is plenty fast for me on a scooter.

Something I forgot to mention in previous post...It would be nice if the tire specs included revolutions per mile, or at least inflated tire circumference, so you could figure it out. Tires marked with the exact same size, can vary quite a bit in actual dimensions....found this out when original rear tire was replaced with a Kenda, they were marked exactly the same...the new Kenda was 1.625" less in circumference, than the original. That translated to an extra 200 to 250 rpm's to run 40mph. Compensated for this by increasing variator weights. If I had put this smaller tire on the front end, it would have thrown the speedo off by a couple more mph.

If I can manage to get 5000 to 6000 miles from my City Grip, I will be satisfied...and probably quit bitchin'

[jct842]

One feature about the speed rating some do not take into account is the fact that the higher speed rating is a much tougher tire. The same bumps in the road are there no matter what tire you mount up but the higher speed rated tire is better able to cope with those same imperfections of road even though you may be going only a fraction of what the speed rating is.

The inflated size would be nice in the spec sheet. Width and dia.

[jct842]

As far as how many miles a tire goes is a totally individual thing. Too many variables in comparing to your buddys results. The road surface you ride, how you ride, air pressure, what bike or scooter, how much you weigh, and on and on. Comparing tire wear to some one else's just can not be done accurately . The best you can do is say this tire lasts longer than that tire on this machine! The chip and seal roads around here chew up tires quickly. I might be able to double my miles on decent roads.

[trailheadmike]

I put on Michelins and they wore out very quickly, maybe 1500+ miles. I now have on Shinko SR429's and so far they've outlasted the Michelins with no real sign of wear. Lovin' them.