Wider Tyres?

[Riley'sLife]

I have a Suzuki Smash 110 that’s ready for some new tyres and would appreciate some advice. I don’t care about cost, I just want the best possible performance, with safety a priority.

Do wider tyres make a bike safer? I notice the PCX has much wider tyres than the smaller scooters like the Waves, etc.

[mania]

I would prefer "good" tires to wide tires.

A wider tire than bike is designed for is harder to push/pull down in turns

Some will argue for the bigger footprint & that is fine if going straight is the main criteria

Just my opinion

If I were you I would stick to stock size but find quality rubber

supple case that performs well in wet & dry

[Riley'sLife]

Thanks for that. Are soft compound tyres available for scooters? I would like as much grip and stability as possible. Any particular brand of tyre better than others?

[mania]

Thanks for that. Are soft compound tyres available for scooters? I would like as much grip and stability as possible. Any particular brand of tyre better than others?

You know I have not really shopped for scooter tires yet.

But I would guess you would not go wrong with name brands like Michelin, Bridgestone, Dunlop, etc.

Not so much as they are going to be soft but they will be supple made of good rubber compound & have a good tested tread pattern

& with a scooters light weight that is good the tire can flex when leaned & still maintain a nice patch of contact.

Cheap tires even on motorcycles seem to be very hard non supple rubber compound built to last probably but not very

comfy or even safe at times when leaned or road is wet. Also it has been my experience a good tire brakes better too.

again I think due to it being more supple & maintaining contact rather than stiff & skipping over small bumps etc.

Edited January 31, 2013 by mania

[loserlazer]

If you carry things or ride two up, just buy a size bigger than stock like motorsais doing if your rims allow as stock tires on my wave are very thin- same style of bike with smash - i get some problems while riding two up like burst tires or lost air pressure.

[Riley'sLife]

I think the original tyres on the bike must be quite hard as a couple of times I have experienced lack of grip on corners, and as I live in a rural area even the concrete or tarmac side roads often have sand or gravel on the road which can be quite dangerous on corners. I'm not an experienced biker having only been using scooters occasionally for the last 15 yrs or so in Thailand, and only owned the Suzuki for about 4 yrs.

I often ride two-up and with a load of shopping but so far have never had any burst tyre, although pressure loss seems constant and needs topping up a coupe of times a week.

So, thanks for the advice fellas, much appreciated.

[poanoi]

What you really want for safety is tires with thick walls, thick enough so it doesnt go flat on a puncture

[BSJ]

I have a Smash up country and I find the standard tyres to be quite OK.

[JeffreyMcCollum]

Sounds by your driving you really don't need anything much more than good quality.

On my Wave I did up size to Dunlop T900 80/80 -17 front and 90/80 - 17 rear. But I also up graded the rims and drove it all over Thailand mostly above 100 kph

That said, the stock Duro DM1089 70/90 front and 80/90 back that came on my Lifan Ares have been outstanding as a standard tire

[Osiris]

Thanks for that. Are soft compound tyres available for scooters? I would like as much grip and stability as possible. Any particular brand of tyre better than others?

I've been on Michelin's for years because of tread compound and better sidewalls. I'm getting about 25,000 km out of the tires. Check the shops in Chinatown for the best price and selection. Whatever you do, stay the hell away from the IRC's no matter what anyone tells you. They suck in the wet, even the Japanese ones.

[Riley'sLife]

That's interesting. I'm not in Bkk unfortunately, but down south. Thanks for the IRC info. Yesterday I saw the IRCs on a Suzuki Shogun 125R in the local showroom and they looked the part, although to fit them on my smash would require new rims, anyway your info is very timely, thanks. The last thing I want is poor performance in the wet.

I'm still trying to source tyres other than the local no-name brands. Michelin would be perfect if I can source them. There are loads of car tyre dealers selling known brands, but tyres for scooters all seem to be sold by small scooter repair shops aiming at the lowest possible cost for brands I'm unfamiliar with like Dream -11, or Street Star.

[mania]

I'm still trying to source tyres other than the local no-name brands. Michelin would be perfect if I can source them. T

There is a Thai website called 29tire dot com

They seem to have pretty good prices & stock some Dunlops & Michelins

They have a phone number & allow online ordering & seem to ship for free within Thailand

That may be an option for you? As any shop can install for you for a few baht or you may do it yourself

Edited February 3, 2013 by mania

[YipYipYa123]

That's interesting. I'm not in Bkk unfortunately, but down south. Thanks for the IRC info. Yesterday I saw the IRCs on a Suzuki Shogun 125R in the local showroom and they looked the part, although to fit them on my smash would require new rims, anyway your info is very timely, thanks. The last thing I want is poor performance in the wet.

I'm still trying to source tyres other than the local no-name brands. Michelin would be perfect if I can source them. There are loads of car tyre dealers selling known brands, but tyres for scooters all seem to be sold by small scooter repair shops aiming at the lowest possible cost for brands I'm unfamiliar with like Dream -11, or Street Star.

if you need specific brand tyres , a car tyre dealer selling that brand can normally order them if you dont mind waiting a couple of days

and of course paying for them upfront