Modern Vespa

It looks like tire technology is moving ahead with tire sealants. I am thinking of converting my scoot to Slime. Anybody aware of the negatives to this approach? The only negative I have heard is that it is somewhat messy when removing the tire.

It's water-based, so can be cleaned out with a shop-towel and the tyre and wheel rinsed - unlike many other after the event fix-a-flat solutions. Do tell the tech it's installed when it's time to change tyres though - it squirts everywhere if a bead-breaker is used before all the air is out of the tyre.

However it can be expensive in the long run, unless you routinely have punctures. It can help with balancing, but only mild imbalance that you probably wouldn't notice much anyway, so always get the tyres balanced properly.

Try Ride On not as gooey as slime. We like it over here. A tad more expensive but worth it. Some places won't change a tire if they know there's slime in them but not with ride on. Good luck

+1 on Ride-On.

When I asked my dealer about Slime his face scrunched up and he shook his head, LOL.

We ran slime in the trails bikes out west. As Jim said, it is water based but I can attest that it's a bloody nightmare to deal with and clean up. Are you prone to having flats or are you afraid you might hit something that might cause your tire to go flat? If you're thinking that you won't have an epic tire failure because you've got slime, I think you're being delusional. It's great for thorn and small punters and you can usually see where it's seeped from the hole. I hit something in the road with the big bike that required 6 plugs to get me home. Slime won't plug that type of hole.

Ugh...vile, evil stuff from my experience with changing other people's bicycle tires. How about a patch/plug kit?

This!

It don't work with dyna beads for balancing... so it not work with me!

Slime is for Ghostbusters. You want to go with Ride-On.

"It don't work with dyna beads for balancing... so it not work with me!

I was just thinking of the the combo just before i read your post, what a mess.

I ride a lot, if 30,000 scooter miles a year is a lot-----and been at it since 1955---do own tire work, don't like to have idiots touch bike----RIDE ON is the answer today...not cheap, balances and seems to keep scooter tire and wheel in balance for life of tire.....maybe better total tire mileage on small wheels----over 11,000 on rear (13") on my Burgman 400---Michelin SC.

+1
Graham

+1
Graham

Okay... I ordered a bottle on your recommendation.

The in-the-tire products seem to be geared to catastrophic failures.
How susceptible are scooter tires to massive failure?
Are they any more so than car or moto tires?

I had wondered about that as my Heidenau tires are unbelievably rigid, and heavy, and would likely not come apart if punctured or cut.
My Pirelli are more lightly built, and would seem easier to puncture, and would more easily break up.
The Michelins I looked at--Power Pure, I think--were even less substantial than the Pirelli. I could see them getting totally shredded.

EDIT:
There is another active post about a guy getting a puncture and loosing his air, and control, and going down. I guess it doesn't need to be a catastrophic/shredding to put you in serious trouble. Dang. I might have to buy some of this stuff...

I got almost 10k on my Heidenau with Ride On. Yes their stiffer but it works on punctures. It balances the tires a bit also. Great stuff. FEB you'll like it.

I have ride on in the tires of mine. On my chinese 150 I had before my BV it helped balance the tires and smoothed my ride out a bit and stopped a tiny leak that was requiring me to add air every 2 weeks. I put it in my BV the day I got it.