Just took my scooter for yet another oil change and ended up forking out about $250 cos my hooter stopped working. Grrrr! :fume:
I’ve also been examining my scooters back tyre, there seems to be quite a big bald spot right in the middle(you know, right where there is supposed to be a tread stripe).
I was told a new tyre would cost me $800. Is this right? Cant i just swap the back and front tyres for the meantime? Whats the consequences of driving with my tyre in its current condition?
I think I’ll just settle into a comfy chair with this one…
[quote=“rosco12”]Just took my scooter for yet another oil change and ended up forking out about $250 cos my hooter stopped working. Grrrr! :fume:
I’ve also been examining my scooters back tyre, there seems to be quite a big bald spot right in the middle(you know, right where there is supposed to be a tread stripe).
I was told a new tyre would cost me $800. Is this right? Cant I just swap the back and front tyres for the meantime? Whats the consequences of driving with my tyre in its current condition?[/quote]
wow, that sounds really interesting…mount the bigger rear tire on the front, and take the nicely treaded front tire and mount it on the back end…and the ‘new’ front tire has a big bald spot…i hope for your sake that u are only driving on race tracks that are free of water, oil, greasy plastic bags, general road grime or wet painted lines…in other words, if u take that ‘new’ tire combo to the streets…ur asking to have the front end fall out from under u when cornering…really dangerous combo…don’t do it, 800 NT is cheap for a new tire…in fact, u can do even better, spend 1000-2000NT per tire and u will have fantastic sticky tires that perform well in all weather conditions…if you can afford it, please change both tires at once. When u do get the new tires mounted, take it easy at first, tires usually covered with a greasy compound that allows the rubber to be removed from the mold at the factory…after a good scrubbing in, the tires will be good to go and u can lean as far as u feel is safe
[quote] Just took my scooter for yet another oil change and ended up forking out about $250 cos my hooter stopped working. Grrrr!
I’ve also been examining my scooters back tyre, there seems to be quite a big bald spot right in the middle(you know, right where there is supposed to be a tread stripe).
I was told a new tyre would cost me $800. Is this right? Cant I just swap the back and front tyres for the meantime? Whats the consequences of driving with my tyre in its current condition? [/quote]
800 would be for a Taiwan brand of tire…that slides nicely in the wet…and maybe in the dry. Ever seen someone taking a corner and just wipe out for no reason? That’s cuz are using a bald hard compound tire like the one you’re riding with.
Swap tires…mungacious already mentioned the size issue…plus if you’re going to have mismatched tires (which isn’t recommended) then you should have the better tire on the front and less reliable on the back since a front end “slide” is less controlable than a rear end slide.
And now for the reprimand. A scooter is equally as dangerous as a motorbike…more so in some ways. You should not only be taking the best care of your scooter which you entrust your LIFE to on a daily basis (I’m doing some generalizing here…guessing you ride it every day), but you should also be studying up a little on general riding knowledge…it seems you don’t know things that are very common knowledge for people who ride bikes. I’m not saying this as an insult…I’m saying it out of concern for your life. Roughly 3 people die everyday on bikes in Taiwan and any way that you educate yourself about the vehicles you entrust your life to gives you a better chance of staying alive.
Go buy yourself a “scooter” magazine…or take a look at one of the many “biker” forums out there and read about riding techniques. Most of what applies to bikes applies to scooters. www.600rr.net is a good one…I got banned from there though 
.
Yeah, im pretty new to this scooter thing!!! 
Its all good, i’ll get a new tyre as soon as I can. Which ones should i look out for? How do i know if im being sold a “Taiwan” brand tyre instead of a proper one?
Another thing, they say change the oil every 1000km…but what if I don’t…? 
How far can i push it?
rosco12 -
Well…you answer this…How far can you push it?
As in…“I’m pushin’ my froze up ‘scooter down the streeet lookin’ for a mechanic.”
[quote=“rosco12”]Yeah, I’m pretty new to this scooter thing!!! Its all good, I’ll get a new tyre as soon as I can. Which ones should i look out for? How do I know if I’m being sold a “Taiwan” brand tyre instead of a proper one?
Another thing, they say change the oil every 1000km…but what if I don’t…? How far can i push it?[/quote]
Anything past 1000 you should start to feel the bike running rougher…I’m sure you could go another 5000 km without a change but you’d be doing serious damage to the bike. Oil loses a good percentage of its viscosity after a fairly short amount of distance.
As far as tires go try to get a brand you recognize…if not just try “feeling” the different tires they have in the shop. A test for softness is to stick your finger nail into the tire. If the indentation comes right back out…then that’s a fairly hard tire…if it leaves an impression for more than a few seconds…then that’s a fairly soft tire…soft tires have better grip…hard tires last longer. And for scooters you should probably get something with a lot of…umm…“tread lines” to help with water dispersal…since it rains a lot here.
So in summary best to get a brand you recognize (dunlop, michellen…etc) with soft rubber…and good tread for rain. If you can’t get all of those…then shoot for 2 out of 3.
[quote=“rosco12”]How do I know if I’m being sold a “Taiwan” brand tyre instead of a proper one?[/quote][quote=“Mordeth”]So in summary best to get a brand you recognize (dunlop, michellen…etc) with soft rubber…and good tread for rain. If you can’t get all of those…then shoot for 2 out of 3.[/quote]Doesn’t have to be a Dunlop or Michelin. The best quality Cheng Shing (Zheng Xing?) ones are pretty good and good value for money too.
So I suppose that all these tyres are available in my friendly corner scooter shop? Or is this gonna be one of those 3hr hunting missions again?(I left my bow and arrow in my other pants)
I’ve seem to find an enourmous variation on things that particular shops stock. Not just scooter shops. It seems like the shop stores only what the owner feels like. It’s just too volatile…
So I suppose that all these tyres are available in my friendly corner scooter shop?[/quote]They may or may not have the best quality ones in stock, but they should be able to get them if you ask for them.
Reasonable tyres and brakes, and straight forks, are IMO the very basics of safety on a bike.
Joe’s right… Zheng Shin (sic) do make fairly good tires… for starters they make the Maxxis range of tires for bikes and bicycles which are great… problem is like everyone else they know that the Taiwan market demands cheap crap and damn the repercussions… so I’d not say that all their scooter tires are great, but I don’ tdoub they have at least some good ones…
Maxxis is definitely a popular brand here…and well known. They sell Maxxis tires in Europe as well. I know this because I have a British scooter magazine. They did a scooter tire comparison. The Maxxis’ came in dead last. The best tires from their results were the Michelin Sport. I personally think that’s a bit more tire than most people need on a scooter…so I went with the Michelin City…which is better for rain…and should probably last longer than the Sport. But I think they both cost about 1700-2000.
It’s your well being on that scooter. You pay for what you get. Tyres keep you and the scooter together on the road. Think of tyres as good insurance. What’s an extra $200, or $500 for a name brand if it keeps you upright?
Just my humble opinion, from extended stays in hospitals.
haven’t gone through the tire experience myself… but last time i went in for maintenance the guy said my taillight bulb was too bright and preceding to change the bulb… I was of course berated for not knowing so… :loco:
Well. As for oil think of a scooter as a big lawnmower (remember those?) 1000km is the MAXimum for any scooter over 10 years old. For older scooters put cheep ( $100Nt or less ) oil in every 500km.
For tires get the 8 or 10 ply 1 or 2 thousand each. The the $6 to $800 ones are 5 ply. As others said is a few hun worth your life? Tires and breaks make a scooter. Do your maintenance every 3 months and it will last you forever.
I own many scooters as a rental guy and have never heard the bright tail light scam. Thats a new one.
Ya only got two wheels…why cheap out on them?
Get whatever tire fits. Honestly, if you’re not hauling ass all the time, get the cheapest one you can find. If you’re up in Taipei, it rains more and getting a tire with smaller knobs and lots of channels for water removal would help. If you want to lean it into some turns… get a Meteor Innova 3.50-10 for 800nt. It’s the softest stickiest tire on the market. All the guys at the track use it.
[quote=“turkey_dinner”]Honestly, if you’re not hauling ass all the time, get the cheapest one you can find.[/quote]I disagree. I think you get a LOT better performance and safety by going at least one level up from the cheapest available. You don’t have to get the top-end one, but avoid the dirt cheap ones.
How often do other scooter riders have the tires / tyres (sp?) on their scooters replaced ?
I just noticed that the rear tyre / tire on my Sym looks a bit on the bald side ( bike also slides around a bit in the wet )… figure it’s time for replacing.
Also - how much will a new tyre / tire set me back ?
Cheers !
[quote=“scott02”]How often do other scooter riders have the tires / tyres (sp?) on their scooters replaced ?
I just noticed that the rear tyre / tire on my Sym looks a bit on the bald side ( bike also slides around a bit in the wet )… figure it’s time for replacing.
Also - how much will a new tyre / tire set me back ?
Cheers ![/quote]
i suggest replacing both front and back at the same time if funds permit. 1,000 to 1,800 per tire would be fine. a set of front + rear tires should not cost anymore than 4,500NT. Tires at that price would be the stickiest/top of the line foreign brand like bridgestone, michelin, metzeler etc.
take it easy on the new tires, don’t push it too hard in the corners or in the rain. theres usually a greasy compound on the tire surface from the factory which disappears with use.