Best current scooter tyre overall ?

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Taipan
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Re: Best current scooter tyre overall ?

Post by Taipan »

I've always used Hoops on my scoots but got on quite will with the Michelin City ones, but didnt think the matche dthe hoops wet weather grip.

My Tmax has Battlax SCs o and they are very good and the heat that gets into them just through normal riding is amazing, they are like a proper sports tyre! I've not pushed the Tmax as such, but notice minimal chicken strips and have never even felt a twitch from them.

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Re: Best current scooter tyre overall ?

Post by Bluebottle »

I think most people know this but I’ll say it anyway-

There is no one tyre that works for every bike.

When a manufacturer thrashes out the details of a bike design the tyre and bike or designed together, or even the bike built around the tyre, and often the tyre is designed for that one bike.

Each bike has vibration frequencies that it responds to and exaggerates that will make it wobble or skip. The tyre is tuned to damp out these frequencies with the suspension.

The frame, suspension and geometry are set up are designed around the tyre handling too. Radials v bias being the obvious example - "Soft" for bias tyres, stiff and aggressive for radials.

This is because bias tyres are fairly rigid all over and will force the tread into the road contours.
Good in some ways but causes it to transmit shocks - so softer suspension, relaxed geometry and a flexible frame are used to compensate.

Radials are a bit like caterpillar tracks, the tread is stiffer and lays down pretty much in the direction it is going and conforms less. This allows/requires soft sidewalls that soak up shocks and distortion.
Good for a soft ride and directional stability but reduces control - so a stiff suspension, aggressive geometry and stiff frame are used to compensate.

Belted bias fall between the two but as far as I'm aware! they are all towards the bias end of things.

So generally you can have a mismatch between bike and tyre.

If you talk to a boffin/tech at any tyre company (not a salesman) they will tell you this is a huge problem if you are trying to bring a 3rd party to market and you have to work out which bikes it will work with other than your target bike.
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MrGrumpy
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Re: Best current scooter tyre overall ?

Post by MrGrumpy »

Yes...an interesting case (well, I thought it was interesting!) was Bridgestone TH01 tyres (often found on Burgman 650s) but were also very good on the mk2 Tmax. The mk3 came with much sportier feeling B.stone BT11/12s if I remember correctly. However, I did at one stage put on a set of TH01s on the mk3 as they had been good on the mk2, and they were pretty awful - they felt very heavy and made the handling ponderous.
I guess the snag is as the new versions of tyres come out, its anyone's guess how they will work on older scoots.
And of course, we all have our personal preferences as well!

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Re: Best current scooter tyre overall ?

Post by MrGrumpy »

Another snippet that I just found out - Bridgestone's new SC2 (and SC2 Rain) maxi-scoot tyres are dual compound in the manner of Michelin Pilot Road 4. Is this a first time Bridgestone have done this or have I been asleep recently?

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Re: Best current scooter tyre overall ?

Post by XP500FUN »

Anyone tried to Bridgestone SC`s 1 or 2`s compared to the hoops out of interest.

The hoops are fairly comfy and grippy I think.

Though Michelins are a bit softer still.

Best Mark.

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Re: Best current scooter tyre overall ?

Post by MrGrumpy »

XP500FUN wrote:Anyone tried to Bridgestone SC`s 1 or 2`s compared to the hoops out of interest.
As the Hoops are AFAIK crossplies, and the SCs are radials, I think a a direct comparison is a bit tricky! The SC2s are very new.

XP500FUN
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Re: Best current scooter tyre overall ?

Post by XP500FUN »

Are SC1`s radials too ?

I was considering one of those before for the silverwing, though now on hold.

But they looked good.

Best Mark.

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The Bern
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Re: Best current scooter tyre overall ?

Post by The Bern »

Bridgestone Battlax SC's in Silverwing sizes are crossply (he said knowingly ;) ) can't do a comparison as never riden on hoops, but so far no complaints with the Battlax icon_maxi_scoot.gif
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The Bern
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Re: Best current scooter tyre overall ?

Post by The Bern »

XP500FUN wrote:Are SC1`s radials too ?

There's an easy way to tell if the tyre you're looking at is either radial or crossply/bias belted, basically it's same as car tyres, the size marking gioves it away. for example .. 155/70 R 13 would be a Radial & (if they made it) 155/70 - 13 would be crossply/bias belted .... Simples :D
Have wheels, will travel :D

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Re: Best current scooter tyre overall ?

Post by XP500FUN »

Ah ha very handy thank you, now thats easy enough.

Best Mark.

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