All season Scooter/commuter tyres
Discussion
My (new to me) scooter has had a very recent set of tyres. A pair of Conti Twist.
In the dry it's been absolutely fab and you can really chuck it about but ever since the rain has started to come back its been unbelievably sketchy.
I have checked the tyre pressures.
The first few days I thought it was just surface oils that you get when its been dry, then rains.
The third or fourth day I thought to myself "maybe i got some ACF50 on the tyres", although I was very careful. Or maybe picked up a bit of diesel.
I scrubbed the tyres thoroughly at the weekend just to be sure. It might have made a small difference but the bike still feels like its moving around an awful lot underneath me.
Lost traction a few times and nearly dropped it on several roundabouts as either the front has wandered or the back steps out. As such im finding im cornering or going round roundabouts at about 10mph!
I am not a fast rider by any stretch of the imagination but it just feels really wrong.
A bit of light googling suggests that this is a common complaint, which seems mad to me but whatever.
Any recommendations on a good year round commuter tyre?
BMW C400X
120 70 15 front
150 70 14 rear
In the dry it's been absolutely fab and you can really chuck it about but ever since the rain has started to come back its been unbelievably sketchy.
I have checked the tyre pressures.
The first few days I thought it was just surface oils that you get when its been dry, then rains.
The third or fourth day I thought to myself "maybe i got some ACF50 on the tyres", although I was very careful. Or maybe picked up a bit of diesel.
I scrubbed the tyres thoroughly at the weekend just to be sure. It might have made a small difference but the bike still feels like its moving around an awful lot underneath me.
Lost traction a few times and nearly dropped it on several roundabouts as either the front has wandered or the back steps out. As such im finding im cornering or going round roundabouts at about 10mph!
I am not a fast rider by any stretch of the imagination but it just feels really wrong.
A bit of light googling suggests that this is a common complaint, which seems mad to me but whatever.
Any recommendations on a good year round commuter tyre?
BMW C400X
120 70 15 front
150 70 14 rear
trickywoo said:
Michelin are normally a decent all weather option.
How much scooter / small wheel experience do you have? Could the problem be a scooter thing more than tyres?
If they are sliding around when it s still quite warm it doesn t bode well for single figure temperatures.
I rode a 125 Piaggio Medley in all seasons for 4 years and never had an issue with that. How much scooter / small wheel experience do you have? Could the problem be a scooter thing more than tyres?
If they are sliding around when it s still quite warm it doesn t bode well for single figure temperatures.
That had CityGrips.
How many miles on the old tyres? They might just be snagged out even though they still have some tread left. Once the right shoulder on the front starts to flattern handling gets squirrely.
City grips have a good reputation but in my experience they don't last long on a big fat touring scooter like my Silverwing, but used as intended in the city you won't go far wrong with them.
City grips have a good reputation but in my experience they don't last long on a big fat touring scooter like my Silverwing, but used as intended in the city you won't go far wrong with them.
Steve_H80 said:
How many miles on the old tyres? They might just be snagged out even though they still have some tread left. Once the right shoulder on the front starts to flattern handling gets squirrely.
City grips have a good reputation but in my experience they don't last long on a big fat touring scooter like my Silverwing, but used as intended in the city you won't go far wrong with them.
Just been through the paperwork and found a fitting invoice dated May26. So only 4months old.City grips have a good reputation but in my experience they don't last long on a big fat touring scooter like my Silverwing, but used as intended in the city you won't go far wrong with them.
Date code on the tyres puts them to manufactured laste 2024.
Edited by Ambleton on Friday 4th September 11:34
Michelin used to do Scooter Pilot Road 4s, these are good in the wet & dry.
But don't go looking for them, they've been replaced with: https://www.michelin.co.uk/motorbike/tyres/micheli...
But don't go looking for them, they've been replaced with: https://www.michelin.co.uk/motorbike/tyres/micheli...
Ambleton said:
Just been through the paperwork and found a fitting invoice dated May26. So only 4months old.
Date code on the tyres puts them to manufactured laste 2024.
It's not an age or mileage thing then unless you've done some big tours.Date code on the tyres puts them to manufactured laste 2024.
Edited by Ambleton on Friday 4th September 11:34
Conti are a good make but you say it's a known issue, so it might be just a mismatch between the bike and tyre. I think I would be tempted to try something else for winter and keep those ones for spring.
Instantly feels better already on the 5 miles through town and NSL ring road i've done.
Feels like a much softer compound so you dont get as many little road vibrations through the bars.
He said the contis were very hard and the CityGrips were always good as gold.
I took it to a small independent bike mechanic, seemed to really know his onions and had a vast array of bikes and scooters in.
First time the bloke had a C400 in. When I took it in and he looked over it he was a bit worried it was going to be a bit of a job but said it was actually fine, and was complimentary about how well it was screwed together and maintained.
Will see how they bed in and report back in a few weeks but so far so good. Looks like its dry for the coming week so I can scrub off the new sheen.
Feels like a much softer compound so you dont get as many little road vibrations through the bars.
He said the contis were very hard and the CityGrips were always good as gold.
I took it to a small independent bike mechanic, seemed to really know his onions and had a vast array of bikes and scooters in.
First time the bloke had a C400 in. When I took it in and he looked over it he was a bit worried it was going to be a bit of a job but said it was actually fine, and was complimentary about how well it was screwed together and maintained.
Will see how they bed in and report back in a few weeks but so far so good. Looks like its dry for the coming week so I can scrub off the new sheen.
Edited by Ambleton on Thursday 24th September 13:11
For reference...
These are the ContiTwists I have had removed.
And replaced with a pair of michelin CityGrip2.
I won't hate on the contis too much as the bike was really fun in the summer to chuck about on perfectly dry, warm roads, i felt like i was taking the piss sometimes. In the wet it honestly felt like I was on ice though.
Hopefully the citygrips will be a good all rounder.
These are the ContiTwists I have had removed.
And replaced with a pair of michelin CityGrip2.
I won't hate on the contis too much as the bike was really fun in the summer to chuck about on perfectly dry, warm roads, i felt like i was taking the piss sometimes. In the wet it honestly felt like I was on ice though.
Hopefully the citygrips will be a good all rounder.
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