Modern Vespa

Called a couple scooter shops, they all want to sell me a new tire. I want an internal patch repair.

I guess some quality time with the Yellow Pages to find a tire shop who'll help. If anybody has some suggestions as to how to go about this, I'd appreciate the help.

P.

I'd get a new tire if it were me. Good tires are your friend

replace.... don't repair.... only repair when you are on a road trip in the middle of death valley, and have no cell phone coverage.

which is cheaper ---- a new tire or the hopsital bills?? the choice is yours and choose wisely grasshopper.

New tire no question about it!

I agree. Do not be cheap when your life could be on the line.

+1

OK, you convinced me--the cheap side of me comes out every once in a while, but I can beat him down.

P.

Don't be surprised by the cost of changing the tire. I won't speculate on what you will pay but it can be high. In my area it is shop rate prices and those are about $95.00 CDN per hour. If the wheel has to be removed by the shop you will pay!

I highly suggest you learn how to remove your own wheels and just take those in when you need tires.

Here's a couple of threads that will help:

The removal of the Vespa GTS 250ie rear tire.

TOMORROW: HELP! Removing a GT200's rear wheel!

Dave

I pay $42.00 plus shipping for a new tire, then $30.00 for a local independent motorcycle shop to mount and balance my tire. That includes removing the silencer, etc. Takes my guy about thirty minutes.

Thanks, wheel is off the bike--front wheel is very easy to remove.

Bike is in my yard with blocks propping up the front end (under sidestand mount) and the wheel is in my kitchen.

Unfortunately I will have to drop off wheel after work tomorrow and hope I can get it back the next day. I already miss riding--yesterday's errands and riding to work would have been much more pleasant on my little gray scoot.

Just bad luck I guess.

P.

I got a rear puncture at 400km. I bought a plug kit, some Green Slime and repaired it.

I am now replacing that tire after 14,000 km. I could probably get another 3 - 4,000 km on it, but will replace it and get it patched for a spare.

My motto - Puncture, repair and ride.
Cut, replace.

indeed , here in europe , when we have a flat tyre, we go to the tyredealer-repair and we have the hole filled with a plug and drive

If you have a "Steel Belted" tire, repair is ok, but for Bias Ply, with fabric cords, replacing the tire is the safest way to go. There are very few Steel Belted scooter tires on the market. Michelin makes the Pilot Sport in a SB version, but only in the 14" size.

right on Paul. Let us know how it goes.

Actually, it is quite easy to remove and replace the tire yourself.

You can purchase teflon coated tire irons or wrap several layers of plastic sheeting around the ends of a couple of large screwdrivers. You can break the bead by walking around the rim a few times. Once the bead is broken, a little dish soap will ease the removal. Clean up the rim and you're ready to go.
Installation, just reverse the operation.

I've done this for several buddies. The only thing they had to do was take the wheel to a tire shop for balancing. Once I get a Mark Parnes balancer, they won't even have to do that.

Quite a while ago, my front tire went flat on me while I was racing down a hill with a 45% incline. I freaked out. I balanced the scoot with my left foot down until I came to a stop. During this time my heart was racing so fast I felt like it was four inches out of my chest. I started seeing things in black and white and in slow motion. The while time I remembered how bruised and bloody I got from the one one only prior time that I went down. I had to sit down for 15 minutes before I could get up again because I was panting for air.

I feel safer with with a new tire, especially on the front.

Here's the end of this story--called my dealer (newport vespa) and they were very nice and accommodating. I will bring my wheel in tomorrow and they will either repair or replace the tire--I am leaving it to their discretion.

So far, good people to deal with.

Still madly in love with the bike.

P.

IF you are plugging a punctured steel-belted tire make sure your plug kit says it is for steel-belted tires. If not, the steel cords around the hole will work on and destroy the foam rubber plug and then........WOOPS! You're toasted.
Plug kits are for temporary emergency repairs really. I replace the tire at the first opportunity.