Scooter Tyres Advice

[stament]

Something that seems simple isn't so for me lol. Are tubeless tyres better than normal tyres? What do most scooters have as standard these days or isn't there a standard?

 

Want to make sure I purchase the best tyres, Michelin street pro have been advised by some members on here for Clicks GT's, etc which seems to be the way to go.

 

Thanks

[In the jungle]

Tubeless tyres are better than tubed though most small bikes here use tubed type.  The main beef I have with tubed tyres is that they lose pressure quickly.

 

Michelin Street Pro are excellent tyres although take their advertising claim of better longevity than rivals with a pinch of salt.  To illustrate my point I got 9,390 km out of a rear and 13,617 km out of a front on a 20 year old Dream 100.  I stuck with the Street Pro for replacements. 

[jackdd]

If it's tubeless or tubed depends on the rim, if you would want to change it you would need a new rim (If you don't know what you have, but want to know it, post a picture of the valve stem). So you just go with what your bike came with.

Afaik all tubeless tires can be used with tubes, but there are some tires which are made for tubes, which can't be used tubeless.

But tires which only work with tubes are easy to spot, because they don't define the size as 90/90-17, but instead they would say something like 2.50-17.

 

An alternative to the Michelin Street Pro would for example be the Pirelli Angel City (Probably easier to find a shop for this, as Pirelli is more common in Thailand than Michelin)

[Kwasaki]

2 hours ago, stament said:

Are tubeless tyres better than normal tyres?

 

What do most scooters have as standard these days or isn't there a standard?

You mean are tubeless tyres better than inner-tubed tyres.

Yes they are, tubeless tires offer you to run lower air pressure for a better grip and more comfortable ride, they tend not to have punctures so easily.

 

You need rims that take tubeless tyre if your bike has inner-tubed tyres.

 

Most scoots have inner-tubed tyres they need to be kept pumped up to max pressure if left with less pressure the tubes flex more within the tyre and puncture by tearing at the valve area.

 

What tyres you buy is up to you, IPC have been good for my Airblade scoot they came with it, noticed they got better over the 14 years of using them.

[stament]

1 hour ago, Kwasaki said:

You mean are tubeless tyres better than inner-tubed tyres.

Yes they are, tubeless tires offer you to run lower air pressure for a better grip and more comfortable ride, they tend not to have punctures so easily.

 

You need rims that take tubeless tyre if your bike has inner-tubed tyres.

 

Most scoots have inner-tubed tyres they need to be kept pumped up to max pressure if left with less pressure the tubes flex more within the tyre and puncture by tearing at the valve area.

 

What tyres you buy is up to you, IPC have been good for my Airblade scoot they came with it, noticed they got better over the 14 years of using them.

Thanks for all the informative responses. Can I ask how would you now if your motorcycle has tubeless tyres or not? Do all mag wheels on Clicks and Yamaha GTs, etc support tubeless tyres?

 

How can you tell just by looking at your bike?

[stament]

3 hours ago, jackdd said:

If it's tubeless or tubed depends on the rim, if you would want to change it you would need a new rim (If you don't know what you have, but want to know it, post a picture of the valve stem). So you just go with what your bike came with.

Afaik all tubeless tires can be used with tubes, but there are some tires which are made for tubes, which can't be used tubeless.

But tires which only work with tubes are easy to spot, because they don't define the size as 90/90-17, but instead they would say something like 2.50-17.

 

An alternative to the Michelin Street Pro would for example be the Pirelli Angel City (Probably easier to find a shop for this, as Pirelli is more common in Thailand than Michelin)

Thanks, so both are about the same in terms of quality, just easier to get Pirelli or is one preferred?

[jackdd]

1 hour ago, Kwasaki said:

Yes they are, tubeless tires offer you to run lower air pressure for a better grip and more comfortable ride, they tend not to have punctures so easily.

[...]

Most scoots have inner-tubed tyres they need to be kept pumped up to max pressure if left with less pressure the tubes flex more within the tyre and puncture by tearing at the valve area.

That's wrong. You can run lower tire pressure with tubes, and tubes are also more difficult to puncture, which is the reason why you find tubes on all Enduro bikes.

If you run a pressure where you risk tearing the valve area, then you are way lower than what would be possible with a tubeless tire (and when riding on a road it feels like a flat tire, so nothing anybody would want to do)

 

1 hour ago, Kwasaki said:

You need rims that take tubeless tyre if your bike has inner-tubed tyres.

That's wrong. Afaik all tubeless tires fit on tube type rims (maybe there are some exceptions, but i have not come across one yet), but you still have to use a tube.

 

For riding on road a tubeless tires is better, which is the reason why you find them on nearly all bikes.

[jackdd]

12 minutes ago, stament said:

Thanks for all the informative responses. Can I ask how would you now if your motorcycle has tubeless tyres or not? Do all mag wheels on Clicks and Yamaha GTs, etc support tubeless tyres?

 

How can you tell just by looking at your bike?

From the valve:

3 hours ago, jackdd said:

If you don't know what you have, but want to know it, post a picture of the valve stem

If it looks similar to one on a car it's tubeless, if it looks similar to one on a bicycle it's a tube.

 

 

12 minutes ago, stament said:

Thanks, so both are about the same in terms of quality, just easier to get Pirelli or is one preferred?

I think both are good quality tires from respectable brands, you can't go wrong with either.

[stament]

28 minutes ago, jackdd said:

From the valve:

If it looks similar to one on a car it's tubeless, if it looks similar to one on a bicycle it's a tube.

 

 

I think both are good quality tires from respectable brands, you can't go wrong with either.

Lol I just checked and it looks like the one on my car and bicycle. The car and bicycle look the same too! Do'h! Attached photo is my motorbike wheel.

[jackdd]

17 minutes ago, stament said:

Lol I just checked and it looks like the one on my car and bicycle. The car and bicycle look the same too! Do'h! Attached photo is my motorbike wheel.

That's tubeless.

 

Tubeless:

 

Tube type:

 

But don't let the rim type fool you. In most cases it's: [spoke rim = tube type] and [cast rim = tubeless] but there are exceptions. To be certain one needs to look at the valve.

Edited September 27, 2020 by jackdd

[Kwasaki]

1 hour ago, stament said:

Thanks for all the informative responses. Can I ask how would you now if your motorcycle has tubeless tyres or not? Do all mag wheels on Clicks and Yamaha GTs, etc support tubeless tyres?

 

How can you tell just by looking at your bike?

I don't know whether Clicks or Yams scoot do, the Mag wheels I have on my babyblade only take tyres with an inner-tube, whether or not I can get rims for fitting tubeless is not of interest to me it's only a scoot.

[Kwasaki]

1 hour ago, jackdd said:

That's wrong. You can run lower tire pressure with tubes, and tubes are also more difficult to puncture, which is the reason why you find tubes on all Enduro bikes.

If you run a pressure where you risk tearing the valve area, then you are way lower than what would be possible with a tubeless tire (and when riding on a road it feels like a flat tire, so nothing anybody would want to do)

 

That's wrong. Afaik all tubeless tires fit on tube type rims (maybe there are some exceptions, but i have not come across one yet), but you still have to use a tube.

 

For riding on road a tubeless tires is better, which is the reason why you find them on nearly all bikes.

Again we have to agree to disagree, don't wanna go in to to deep about what I prefer.

I have no interest in scoots or enduro bikes, I don't want tubeless tyres on my scoot even if it does take em, tube replacement is quick and easy and cheap enough.

Inner-tubed tyres will pop much easier than tubeless tyres. 

 

All bikes I have owed have had tubeless tyres except my scoot. 

[stament]

Thanks all very informative.

[stament]

Seems like street pilot seem the best as good in working conditions.

[stament]

 

 

20 hours ago, jackdd said:

If tubeless or tubed depends on the rim, if you would want to change it you would need a new rim (If you don't know what you have, but want to know it, post a picture of the valve stem). So you just go with what your bike came with.

Afaik all tubeless tires can be used with tubes, but there are some tires which are made for tubes, which can't be used tubeless.

But tires which only work with tubes are easy to spot, because they don't define the size as 90/90-17, but instead they would say something like 2.50-17.

 

An alternative to the Michelin Street Pro would for example be the Pirelli Angel City (Probably easier to find a shop for this, as Pirelli is more common in Thailand than Michelin

Was discussing this with my friend who has a Yamaha GT. He said he can't get Michelin's or Pirelli for his back tyre as it's a very unusual size. 100/70/R14. Do any members have any suggestions for him?  Thanks again.

[baansgr]

Keep it simple...

[jackdd]

2 hours ago, stament said:

Was discussing this with my friend who has a Yamaha GT. He said he can't get Michelin's or Pirelli for his back tyre as it's a very unusual size. 100/70/R14. Do any members have any suggestions for him?  Thanks again.

I did just notice that Pirelli Angel City is their 17 inch lineup, scooter sized tires are called "Pirelli Angel Scooter".

If you can't get a tire in the right size just pick a slightly different size. The Honda Click has a 80/90-14 rear tire, and if that's wide enough for a click it will also be wide enough for a GT. To stay a bit closer to the original size you can get 90/80-14, the Pirelli Angel Scooter comes in this size.

[In the jungle]

Try Lazada.

 

That is where I buy my Michelin Street Pro tyres as I have not seen them locally.

 

Lazada also good for other brands and big bike tyres.

[stament]

10 hours ago, jackdd said:

I did just notice that Pirelli Angel City is their 17 inch lineup, scooter sized tires are called "Pirelli Angel Scooter".

If you can't get a tire in the right size just pick a slightly different size. The Honda Click has a 80/90-14 rear tire, and if that's wide enough for a click it will also be wide enough for a GT. To stay a bit closer to the original size you can get 90/80-14, the Pirelli Angel Scooter comes in this size.

Thanks, will having a slightly different tyre size say 90/80/14 impact grip or braking as opposed to the 100/70/14 fitted as standard?

 

The 100 being the tyre width right, so a slightly narrower tyre.

[jackdd]

15 hours ago, stament said:

Thanks, will having a slightly different tyre size say 90/80/14 impact grip or braking as opposed to the 100/70/14 fitted as standard?

 

The 100 being the tyre width right, so a slightly narrower tyre.

Yes, the first number is the width, the second number is the height, given as a percentage of the width.

So the stock tire has a width of 100mm and height of 70mm.

A 90/80 tire has a width of 90mm and height of 72mm, i guess you won't notice the 10mm difference.

 

[stament]

On 9/29/2020 at 11:03 AM, jackdd said:

Yes, the first number is the width, the second number is the height, given as a percentage of the width.

So the stock tire has a width of 100mm and height of 70mm.

A 90/80 tire has a width of 90mm and height of 72mm, i guess you won't notice the 10mm difference.

 

Seems the choice between a 100/80 and a 90/80 vs the recommended 100/70.  Will the handle be much different between these or won't it be noticeable?  Is a higher tyre preferable 80mm  (vs recommended 70mm height) or the less wide tyre 90mm (vs recommended 100mm) which at 72mm is just 2mm higher than the recommended 70mm?

 

Just wondered if there was a preference or whether it's 6 of one and half a dozen of the other....

[Agusts]

I go with fatter tire , but to be honest less than 10mm here and there is really won't be noticeable on a scooter, far more important is the quality of the tire and patterns on it for wet roads...

 

I'm on Pirelli Angel Scooters front and back that I changed a few months ago, they are excellent after a few hundreds km break in period...

 

Just did 900km round trip from Phuket to Nakhon si thamarat and surronding area for a few days and there were many wet roads, no problem at all...