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Permit Joined: 14 Nov 2005 Posts: 58

I've got Pirellis on one and the back is starting to square with only a thousand miles on.

What tires do you guys prefer? I'm thinking Continental maybe but I've never run Conti's on anything.

Dunlop make anything for scooters?

Thanks in advance

Harv

Michelin S1's are great but they don't wear so well on new scooters;-)

Chris

Zippy 1 Are great.

Permit Joined: 14 Nov 2005 Posts: 58

Thanks guys.

Those look like to be the best.

Even for a new scooter...

Harv

I like the Zippy 3's the best. They give me the vintage feel and last about 3000 miles or so.

Dave

Dang don't they make tires that last longer??? I heard the OEM on my Vino are good for about 8k miles.

Licensed Joined: 08 May 2005 Posts: 352

I swapped out the stock tires on my Bajaj with Sava whitewalls shortly after I bought the bike during the Du back in 2002. I had approximately 3500 miles on those tires when, at Slaughterhouse XII last weekend, the rear tire blew out dramatically. Rochelle and I were going 45 mph down Lake Shore Drive just south of the Museum of Science and Industry when this happened. I managed to keep the bike upright and pull over to the side of the road. Rochelle was just about in tears and I was shaking like a leaf as I changed the tire. It appears that dry rot had set in on the inside tire wall and had chafed a hole in the tube. It scared the shit out of me.

If any of you keeps an eye on the Chicago scooter postings, the incident has joined the annals of history for this Slaughterhouse rally. We were cheered when we showed up with the rest of the ride which had taken a rest near some statue at 63rd/Hayes. I understand we were awarded the Geico award at the ceremonies although we were not there to receive it. When we arrived at Scooterworks for the BBQ, I bought three new tires and a new split-rim and installed them then and there.

Rochelle mentioned Stacie's crash repeatedly. It's very clear to me that things could have gone horribly wrong in a million different ways. My point is simply that scooter drivers should pay serious attention to the condition of their tires regardless of the tire size - particularly paying attention to the age and wear of the tire. 80 bucks to replace two tires is a small price to pay for not having to endure the scary bullshit of a tire going flat at any speed much less going down like Stacie did.

One guy did crash his bike - he hit another scooterist. I understand he had that bike for a day before it happened during the rally although he was an experienced rider before that. When I saw the rash on his elbow at Scooterworks, it made me sick to my stomach - it could have easily been Rochelle or me - or worse.

My two cents, for what it's worth...

Glad to hear that you stayed upright during what could have been an even scarier (and very painful) incident.

COULDN'T AGREE MORE about the tires - check often, replace when any doubt - cheapest insurance there is.

Permit Joined: 14 Nov 2005 Posts: 58

Licensed Joined: 19 Jan 2005 Posts: 1323 Location: MPLS

Whoa scary Joe, good job keeping it up.

For tires do you want them to last a long time or handle better? I think stock Bajaj tires will last for 100,000 miles if that's all you are interested in. I like conti zippy 1's. michelin s1's, or the sava race tires. They handle great but don't last as long, should last more than 1k though. The classic treads, zippy 3's, s83, will last longer and usually better in the rain but don't handle quite so well. It's all personal preference, try out a few and see what you like best.

Licensed Joined: 08 May 2005 Posts: 352

Actually, there were few miles on it as it was the spare - I swapped it out at the beginning of summer because it went flat, mysteriously. I wrote about that incident somewhere on Minnescoota a while back. In hindsight, the flat was almost identical in nature to the one at Slaughterhouse except it occurred slowly rather than catastrophically.

So, the answer to your question is that the spare had a few hundred miles on it when it went flat but was the same age as the two tires that had 3500 miles on them. The tread on the rear tire with 3500 miles on it was at the point where it required replacement anyway.

BTW, I meant Sava tires, not Kava. I've fixed the post.

So what manufacterers sell scooter tires besides the dealer's ?
I think I am goin to try to research it. I have 3300 miles on mine scoot/tires since I bought it last june. I have checked them every other day and tire pressure also. the first time I checked them I found out the dealer didn't in flate them properly not even close to the mfr. specs. Has anyone done an evaluation on scooter tires???
Dave

Noob Joined: 21 Jan 2006 Posts: 12

I like the Zippy 3 for all-weather use. But I'm insane and ride year round. The Zippy 1 seems to be a good speed tire; I'm looking at a compromise next time around with the Conti Navigator:

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http://www.conti-online.com/generator/www/de/en/continental/motorcycle/themes/scootertires/allwetter/navigator_en.html