I've read elsewhere the standard factory issue PX tyres are not the best. Should I consider replacing and if so any recommendations to increase safety?

The tyres supplied with scooters are generally the lowest cost to meet the country standards (PX's in Australia come with Michelin S83's). It does not make good business sense to do otherwise. Below are a list of good tyres:

Sava MC18/MC20 (these are speed rated to 150Km/hr)
Michelin S1's (are better that S83's but are still only rated to 100Km/hr)

What does the tyre rating mean?

Refer to the Sava overview for what the numbers translate too: Tyre Rating Information

e.g. "J" = Speed category 100 km/hr, "51" = Load index of 195 kg.

A detailed example of the test procedure is found in Australian Design Rule 23/00 (below).

A brief summary is that the a "51J" rated tyre has to last 20 minutes at 93 km/hr, with correct pressure and a load of greater than 80% of maximum (i.e. ~160Kg). A "51P" rated tyre has to last 20 minutes at 143 Km/hr.

"Last" means "After completion of the high speed test specified in Clause 23.3.5 no tyre shall have ‘Tread Separation', 'Ply Separation', 'Cord Separation', 'Belt Separation' or 'Bead Separation', 'Chunking' or 'Broken Cords'."

Retrieved from "http://www.vespalabs.org/Vespa_FAQ/Tyres"

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		ADR2300comp1FINALFRLI.pdf http://www.comlaw.gov.au - Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 23/00	437.74 kB	02:22, 8 Aug 2008	internetscooter	Actions Attach new version Move/rename Delete

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Comments (5)

Viewing 5 of 5 comments: view all

vespavintage says:

Sava's are THE best tyre for a PX etc.

Posted 20:46, 2 Aug 2008

Dedalo says:

How do other users rate Pirelli SL26 in comparison with the Michelin S1?

Posted 00:08, 19 Nov 2009

internetscooter says:

I haven't used Pirelli SL26's, only the woeful square Pirelli's Vespas used to come with. The tech info for the SL26 says they are only "J" rated (100km/hr), so they seem comparable to the Michelin S1, which is better than the cheapest in the range but not suited for high speed/heavy load riding. I found that the I almost always got a puncture with my Michelin S1's on long rally trips (hot roads/fast riding/heavy load).

Posted 03:25, 19 Nov 2009

Dedalo says:

In terms of durability, safety, and affordability -- what would users say is the best tyre for the PX? I've tried various brands but am I dreaming to want to get more than 5000kms out of a rear tire on a Vespa PX? They all look pretty second-rate once they get into the 4000-5000 km band. I was speaking to a bloke the other day who rides one of those execrable BUG scooters -- he got better power, better economy, faster pick up, and his tires lasted 10,000kms! I grumbled. The only thing I could say about my PX was... well, er -- it looks better than yours! If someone doesn't get PXs (=understand the beasts), no one will ever be able to explain to him why we ride them. There are not many mechanical aspects of them about which you could say -- that's better than a modern scoot.

Posted 07:01, 19 Nov 2009

internetscooter says:

Dedalo - you won't get much better than 5000 Km out of a rear tyre and if you do the tyre is probably really bad. The reason is that a PX has the engine bolted to the rear wheel and that adds a large amount of unsprung mass.

What this means is that when you hit a bump, instead of the force hitting a 10Kg wheel, and then that wheel displacing and the force then going into the rear shock (spring), it has to shift about 40Kg of wheel+engine. So the rubber takes a battering. On top of that most of the weight is at the rear.

What you can do is rotate front and rear tyres... or just state how long your front tyre lasts in the next conversation ;)

Also point out your spare and the fact that you can fix a repair yourself due to the split rims.

Posted 09:04, 19 Nov 2009

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