Nouvo Elegance 135Cc -Too Slippery Tyres.......

[wana]

need better tyres for a nouvo elegance ,its like ice skating whenever the roads get wet and oily in bangkok

stock tyres are crap and many people say to replace them ASAP

buut what to replace them with ?

i was thinking to go 20mm wider on the back and 10mm wider on the front because someone on another forum did it and he said its much better grip but i see thai motor sai taxi drivers using what look like 17" bicycle tyres (seriously thin ) and they seem to hold the road much better than my standard 16"s so do i go get

thinner ?

thicker ?

same size but pirelli or bridgestone quality branded tyres ?/

all advice welcome plz

[katabeachbum]

to get any sensible advice, you should first tell us if you have tubed tyres on spokerims, or tubeless on mags. Nouvo E comes with both, depending on what you order and pay

[wana]

sorry i should have been more clear with the spec ,its running on tubeless tyres (whatever brand is stock) + mag wheels at the moment and its frightening how little traction there is in the wet .......

[CMX]

It would be interesting to know if the brand new (2011) Elegance - which comes now standard with alloys and tubeless - have the same brand/pattern -

Or is this the new stock???

[Semper]

,its like ice skating whenever the roads get wet and oily

Sounds normal to me. Have you tried to regulate your speed to match the present road conditions?

[Familyonthemove]

I've also been looking for wider tyres/tires for my Elegance to reduce the 'tramlining' on broken road surfaces. I think the lack of grip may be more to do with the poor road surfaces and different tyres may not help much, but I'd still like to try a better/wider tyre if anyone has a recommendation?

I've found that tyre pressure is critical for wet grip though.

[wana]

,its like ice skating whenever the roads get wet and oily

Sounds normal to me. Have you tried to regulate your speed to match the present road conditions?

it isnt normal ,we have several scooters and motorbikes and whatever tyres came with the elegance mags are more dangerous than the rest

i wouldnt go to the hassle and expense of changing a set of tyres there was nothing wrong with just for the entertainment of it .....

[Semper]

,its like ice skating whenever the roads get wet and oily

Sounds normal to me. Have you tried to regulate your speed to match the present road conditions?

it isnt normal ,we have several scooters and motorbikes and whatever tyres came with the elegance mags are more dangerous than the rest

i wouldnt go to the hassle and expense of changing a set of tyres there was nothing wrong with just for the entertainment of it .....

Well I have never had any problems with my tyres, but then I'm not a race driver on the streets.

[wana]

I've also been looking for wider tyres/tires for my Elegance to reduce the 'tramlining' on broken road surfaces. I think the lack of grip may be more to do with the poor road surfaces and different tyres may not help much, but I'd still like to try a better/wider tyre if anyone has a recommendation?

I've found that tyre pressure is critical for wet grip though.

yes mate,ive experienced that as well and its very unsettling ,ive been down to the dealer a couple of times he insists the tyres should be around 60 psi like it says on the sidewall (MAXIMUM ) but the owners manual says 33 psi on the back and 28 on the front IIRC

i have found the only way to get any traction in the wet is to drop down to the 22/24 psi

i dont think they differnentiate between mag wheels or wire spoked tyres either in that dealership and i checked and the standard tyres on the spoke wheel are a much differnt tread pattern (never driven one in the wet though so i dont know if it sticks to the road any better though )

just found another thread and a few low speed accidents on the stock tyres and someone has found wider tyres to fit in china town so i think il get a set and stick them on (the address is a few posts down in the thread )

[ttakata]

The dealer recommends 60psi ?!

That man is just an idiot that knows nothing of physics or science.

Yep, check the thread above, I'm the dude with the better tires.

My 2009 model was super dangerous in the wet even at walking speeds.

In the dry I could easily skid the front tire.

Now with new tires, I haven't crashed since and I've ridden through some deep rain.

The Dunlop TT900 is sweet.

FYI, dealer technicians in this country are extreme idiots and their advice might be putting you or the bike's life at risk.

I had my bike at Kawasaki Pattaya last month because I lost a bolt riding.

I told the guy in the service area (in Thai language) I will put the bolt in myself.

He ignored me and stripped the nut welded on my frame.

I had to go home and cut the nut off and weld a new one on.

This is the Kawasaki dealer, and the guy didn't even know you should always back-catch a thread before tightening it.

Edited August 11, 2011 by ttakata

[wana]

The dealer recommends 60psi ?!

That man is just an idiot that knows nothing of physics or science.

Yep, check the thread above, I'm the dude with the better tires.

My 2009 model was super dangerous in the wet even at walking speeds.

In the dry I could easily skid the front tire.

Now with new tires, I haven't crashed since and I've ridden through some deep rain.

The Dunlop TT900 is sweet.

FYI, dealer technicians in this country are extreme idiots and their advice might be putting you or the bike's life at risk.

I had my bike at Kawasaki Pattaya last month because I lost a bolt riding.

I told the guy in the service area (in Thai language) I will put the bolt in myself.

He ignored me and stripped the nut welded on my frame.

I had to go home and cut the nut off and weld a new one on.

This is the Kawasaki dealer, and the guy didn't even know you should always back-catch a thread before tightening it.

thanks for that ,i will search the city and acquire a set of TT900s or something suitable tomorrow ,unbelieveable how dangerous these tyres are at the recommened pressure ,i can literally skid either wheel at 15-20 kmph at recommended pressure of 33 rear and 28 front ,bad weather today and almost lost it again on a very gentle curve on pracha songkro at about 20 kmph with a 60kg passenger

instantly pulled over and reduced pressure to 20 psi on the front and 24 on the back ,sticks to the wet road like glue at those pressures ( under inflated by about 30%) but the tyres could blow if we went flat out on the xpress way from excess heat build up so il get a better set on ASAP

just for comparison ,my honda scoopy with its little wheels can swerve all over a wet road and its feels much safer in the wet and its a cheaper bike so its hard to believe yamaha used such garbage tyres on its best scooter ,particularly on the more expensive version with mag wheels

[morry]

I just put a set of TT900s on my Nouvo Elegance up here in Chiang Mai.

They're on 17" wheels with spokes, but I guess the compound would be the same.

It's amazing how much better it grips now. The bike feels like it wants to go into a corner and overall feels much safer. Felt a bit weird at first, but after a day or so it felt great. Best 1600 baht I've spent in a long time.

[HappyInCM]

I just put a set of TT900s on my Nouvo Elegance up here in Chiang Mai.

They're on 17" wheels with spokes, but I guess the compound would be the same.

It's amazing how much better it grips now. The bike feels like it wants to go into a corner and overall feels much safer. Felt a bit weird at first, but after a day or so it felt great. Best 1600 baht I've spent in a long time.

Which place in CM did you buy them from?

[morry]

I got them from a place on Chang Moi road. Past the curve on the right hand side, before the Honda dealer. There's a Dunlop sign out the front.

Let me know if you can't find it.

[pampal]

Michelin M45

[Familyonthemove]

Wanna (OP) ... did you change the tyres?

I like the sound of the TT900's (reminds me of my old Brit Bike days!). After a weekend of riding around Bangkok I fancy something a bit fatter to reduce that nasty lurch as I cross the joins in the concrete sections .... and more wet grip is always a good thing.

[wana]

Wanna (OP) ... did you change the tyres?

I like the sound of the TT900's (reminds me of my old Brit Bike days!). After a weekend of riding around Bangkok I fancy something a bit fatter to reduce that nasty lurch as I cross the joins in the concrete sections .... and more wet grip is always a good thing.

i have currently reduced my pressures to from recommded 28 to 20 psi front and recommended 33 to 24 psi back and it stops dead in a puddle as soon as i touch the brakes at these pressures (i dont go over 60-80kmph though )

wouldnt dream of going full blast on under-inflated tyres

i was about to buy the 120mm irc and 100mm dunlop tt900 but the shop was closed for the holiday on friday then .....

the more i read about motorcycle tyres ,the more confused i get .......

i thought wider = more contact with road surface =equals better grip

on the contrary many biking sites say thin tyres bite into the road and have less or almost no chance of aquaplaning /slipping because the combined weight of bike + passsengers= more "digging in " where a wider tyre might slide becaused its to wide for the load its carrying

i read "manufacturers dont just guess what size wheels and tyres to stick on their next vehicle but rather they do "extensive safety testing to determine the best wheels" to put on their vehicles "according to the vehicles intended speed, weight ,handling and safety factors" ......

other popular biking site says ,dont get bigger tyres on ur bike ,GET BETTER QUALITY RUBBER ........

im undecided (tempted though ) between going 20mm wider on the front and back or sticking with the yamaha recommended width but either way il be buying a quality dunlop michelin .pirelli,bridgesone ,irc etc

obviously wider will soak up the bumps a bit nicer but will it come at the expense of handling and safety (overall grip) ?

[Familyonthemove]

Thanks Wanna. Let me know what tyres you fit and how you get on.

In my uneducated opinion, it's the tread pattern that prevents aquaplaning, and unless we fitted crazy wide tyres, then a wider tyre will give a greater contact area? The handling will be different, but it's a scooter with the engine on the swing arm, so I don't think the tyres will be the critical issue.

But better rubber makes a lot of sense to me.

I've also noticed that my tyres are getting better as I put more miles on them. At first I found them a bit slippy in the wet (and terrible on shiny underground car park surfaces .... I could almost high-side a 135cc scooter) but now they are OK.

I've also noticed that my (tubeless) tyres lose pressure and I need to pump them up every couple of weeks to maintain the correct pressure.

[wana]

Thanks Wanna. Let me know what tyres you fit and how you get on.

In my uneducated opinion, it's the tread pattern that prevents aquaplaning, and unless we fitted crazy wide tyres, then a wider tyre will give a greater contact area? The handling will be different, but it's a scooter with the engine on the swing arm, so I don't think the tyres will be the critical issue.

But better rubber makes a lot of sense to me.

I've also noticed that my tyres are getting better as I put more miles on them. At first I found them a bit slippy in the wet (and terrible on shiny underground car park surfaces .... I could almost high-side a 135cc scooter) but now they are OK.

I've also noticed that my (tubeless) tyres lose pressure and I need to pump them up every couple of weeks to maintain the correct pressure.

theres another thread here about a guy looking for THINNER tires to put on his cbr 150 to make it hold the road beter and we are looking for WIDER tyres for exactly the same reason ..........you can see how confusing this gets very quickly

[Familyonthemove]

Thanks Wanna. Let me know what tyres you fit and how you get on.

In my uneducated opinion, it's the tread pattern that prevents aquaplaning, and unless we fitted crazy wide tyres, then a wider tyre will give a greater contact area? The handling will be different, but it's a scooter with the engine on the swing arm, so I don't think the tyres will be the critical issue.

But better rubber makes a lot of sense to me.

I've also noticed that my tyres are getting better as I put more miles on them. At first I found them a bit slippy in the wet (and terrible on shiny underground car park surfaces .... I could almost high-side a 135cc scooter) but now they are OK.

I've also noticed that my (tubeless) tyres lose pressure and I need to pump them up every couple of weeks to maintain the correct pressure.

theres another thread here about a guy looking for THINNER tires to put on his cbr 150 to make it hold the road beter and we are looking for WIDER tyres for exactly the same reason ..........you can see how confusing this gets very quickly

Yes .... very confusing. That's why I want you to try it first!

[wana]

Thanks Wanna. Let me know what tyres you fit and how you get on.

In my uneducated opinion, it's the tread pattern that prevents aquaplaning, and unless we fitted crazy wide tyres, then a wider tyre will give a greater contact area? The handling will be different, but it's a scooter with the engine on the swing arm, so I don't think the tyres will be the critical issue.

But better rubber makes a lot of sense to me.

I've also noticed that my tyres are getting better as I put more miles on them. At first I found them a bit slippy in the wet (and terrible on shiny underground car park surfaces .... I could almost high-side a 135cc scooter) but now they are OK.

I've also noticed that my (tubeless) tyres lose pressure and I need to pump them up every couple of weeks to maintain the correct pressure.

theres another thread here about a guy looking for THINNER tires to put on his cbr 150 to make it hold the road beter and we are looking for WIDER tyres for exactly the same reason ..........you can see how confusing this gets very quickly

Yes .... very confusing. That's why I want you to try it first!

someones already tried it with the wider IRC 120mm on the back and the dunlop 100mm on the front and he says its like sports bike performance on a scooter so il probably end up going with his recommendation for 1950 thb or else dunlop tt900s front and back for 1500 thb

seems a shame to throw away a set of unworn tyres so ive been burning around the car park for entertainment before i get them changed over .......

[paulian]

The dealer recommends 60psi ?!

That man is just an idiot that knows nothing of physics or science.

Yep, check the thread above, I'm the dude with the better tires.

My 2009 model was super dangerous in the wet even at walking speeds.

In the dry I could easily skid the front tire.

Now with new tires, I haven't crashed since and I've ridden through some deep rain.

The Dunlop TT900 is sweet.

FYI, dealer technicians in this country are extreme idiots and their advice might be putting you or the bike's life at risk.

I had my bike at Kawasaki Pattaya last month because I lost a bolt riding.

I told the guy in the service area (in Thai language) I will put the bolt in myself.

He ignored me and stripped the nut welded on my frame.

I had to go home and cut the nut off and weld a new one on.

This is the Kawasaki dealer, and the guy didn't even know you should always back-catch a thread before tightening it.

I've been to the dealer with my new bike two times in the past two months and I have also had a problem with the techs. One stripped bolt, also and some air cleaner housing screws not even installed after a simple service. I'm not so sure it's their qualifications, as I think they are better than many independents who I dealt with on my last bike. I think it's more that they don't care very much about the quality of their work and there are no Service Managers, as there are in many Western Country dealers, overseeing them. Like everything else in this country, have to find a reliable person and stick with them.

[Gary A]

I too have an Elegance with stock OEM IRC tubeless tires. I am especially cautious on wet roads so have never felt any slippage. I did surf quite a bit regarding wet roads and finding safer stickier tires. I found that they recommend increasing the pressure 5 psi when roads are wet. According to the experts, the higher pressure apparently squeegees the water away better.

Are they wrong? Since I avoid riding on wet roads whenever possible, I have never changed my tire pressure and keep 30 psi in front and 32 psi in back.

[ttakata]

I too have an Elegance with stock OEM IRC tubeless tires. I am especially cautious on wet roads so have never felt any slippage. I did surf quite a bit regarding wet roads and finding safer stickier tires. I found that they recommend increasing the pressure 5 psi when roads are wet. According to the experts, the higher pressure apparently squeegees the water away better.

Are they wrong? Since I avoid riding on wet roads whenever possible, I have never changed my tire pressure and keep 30 psi in front and 32 psi in back.

That depends on how fast you're going.

If the tire has more pressure then less of the rubber touches the ground and the tire will bounce around more instead of absorb bumps in the road.

At the same time, if you're moving quickly over a puddle, the narrower contact patch provides less resistance so it should slice through the puddle easier.

Without a scientific lab you'd ever know what is better in rain.

The general gist of things is a softer tire has more grip.

Less pressure = bigger contact patch = more heat = more grip = wastes gas = shortens tire life.

There's a tradeoff to everything but I'd rather have more grip and shorter tire life than a hard tire that crashes and shortens my life.

I'd stick to the recommended psi or a few less for regular to better traction.

[KBTexas]

As one who just dumped his 2 month old Yamaha Elegance today, I can tell you that tomorrow I will be looking for the Dunlop's at the very least! The stock tires on the bike have tried to dump me numerous times...if they are a bit wet, there is dirt or sand on the road, or just a nice polished piece of roadway! Today it was a bit of sand, from a dead stop on a u turn, and boom, the front end went one way and the back end went the other. Nothing but a bit of road rash and some scrapes on the bike, but it was a wake up call that the stock tires just do not cut it. I would hate to think of driving this thing with these tires during the rainy season!

I'll let you know how the new tires work out.

KB

[karlos]

As one who just dumped his 2 month old Yamaha Elegance today, I can tell you that tomorrow I will be looking for the Dunlop's at the very least! The stock tires on the bike have tried to dump me numerous times...if they are a bit wet, there is dirt or sand on the road, or just a nice polished piece of roadway! Today it was a bit of sand, from a dead stop on a u turn, and boom, the front end went one way and the back end went the other. Nothing but a bit of road rash and some scrapes on the bike, but it was a wake up call that the stock tires just do not cut it. I would hate to think of driving this thing with these tires during the rainy season!

I'll let you know how the new tires work out.

KB

What tyres are on the bike as stock, my 6 month old Mio125 has IRC and they are a relatively soft compound and have never given any problems, hard cornering, braking or accelerating. Seems strange that the Elegance which has 1.5hp more would require such hard tyres, or are they over inflated? Most shops just inflate tyres until their compressor is empty :S

[William Osborne]

I've had a Nuovo for over 2 years and have no problems whatsover, same with about 3-4 other stock scooters

From reading some posts, it is apparent that some posters have no clue how to adapt their riding styles to different road conditions... if you ride like a <deleted> on a sandy/wet road, it doeasn't matter what tires you have, you will more likely end up on your ass

[sudhammo]

does anyone want to buy a new bike (red) honda pcx(125cc) 8 months old with insurance if your would get stolen. 98% condition with 3000km used. This bike is to offer in THB 62.000.- ( 1 st hand in THB 75.000+3.200) interested person please contact me (tanni) 085 205 7644 or [email protected]

[KBTexas]

I've had a Nuovo for over 2 years and have no problems whatsover, same with about 3-4 other stock scooters

From reading some posts, it is apparent that some posters have no clue how to adapt their riding styles to different road conditions... if you ride like a <deleted> on a sandy/wet road, it doeasn't matter what tires you have, you will more likely end up on your ass

I am happy for you, and for Karlos...but there are many people in this thread alone that report problems (and there are quite a few threads about this). Why would you assume that they all have no clue as to how to ride? I rode motorcycles for 15+ years in the States, and dumped the bike exactly once, in unexpected gravel. It is a bright sunny day, no water...how would you 'adapt' your driving style to this? When I looked at the road after the spill, it had a very light dusting of sand and dirt...which could not be easily seem. I expect a bike of any size (including a scooter) to be able to handle 'normal road conditions' without having to 'adapt' my riding style! The stock tires on this thing are dangerous and I will be replacing them with something a bit stickier...end of story.

KB

PS to Karlos...I checked the pressure this evening. It was 2 psi high...not enough that I would think it would turn the thing into an unstable ride.

And I also own a Honda scooter that has even skinnier tires, and ride it around the same turn without issue.

Edited January 4, 2012 by KBTexas

[karlos]

PS to Karlos...I checked the pressure this evening. It was 2 psi high...not enough that I would think it would turn the thing into an unstable ride.

And I also own a Honda scooter that has even skinnier tires, and ride it around the same turn without issue.

Yep 2psi more wouldn't make much notable difference but changing tyres won't help you if you hit the same patch of sand on the same corner again.

As mentioned in other posts, the roads are very dry and sandy right now, so be careful. However there was a sudden downpour in my area of Bangkok tonight, so hopefully this would have washed some of the sand and dirt away