Modern Vespa

Hi Guys
When I did the full restore on the scoot I got two new Zippy tires for the scooter that was 2600 miles ago and my rear tire is almost bald now. Perfect wear but 2600 miles I was hopeing to get more than that. Ok I have to replace it so any suggestion on a good tire that will be longer lasting My front tire is perfect hardly any wear on it. And just for the guys that are saying he must be leaveing rubber with it I'm not. The scooter is used every day and I live in Titusville Fl
Thanks for any help
EDM/N1MPR

im not to sure if 2600 miles is regular for Zippys but i do know that they wear fast. they grip very well, and to do that the rubber has to be soft. and soft rubber wears quickly. im sure some peeps will chime in and tell us how right or wrong i am.

What did you have it inflated to and how often did you check it. Was your gauge accurate?

most of the tire wear on a scooter is due to the tire leaving the ground on bumps. The engine as the swingarm means that the rear tire is very slow to react so the tire leaves the ground a lot if only for a moment. Not much you can do about it. When the rear wears out I move the front to the rear and put a new one on the front. This way you keep fresh rubber all around.

it's hard to rotate Zippys! the direction is opposite for front and back... it's so much easier to get a new rear than to split the rim....

I run the tire psI at 30 to 35 lbs on the rear 25 front . It may not be what the book has for the recomended psi but I like the way the scooter handles, as for the tire gauge I use several so what ever one my hand fine is the one I use and there all real good one's I drove 18 wheelers so I always had a real good tire gauge since tire psi had to be checked several times aday.
Hey guys this is Florida remember nice flat roads no frost heaves or pot holes but we do have road temps of over 100' so tire pis is high when driving around. What I need to know is 2600 miles normal and can I do better with a different tire.
EDM/N1MPR

Pirelli Tires are great tire without the big price. They came standard in the P's in the late seventy's and early eighty's.

They are a great long lasting tire for a great price "no hype".

I also will be swapping front to back. Makes sense.

I think you can do better with a different tire, yes. As was said, softer tires give more grippy grippy but they wear more quickly as well. I say go for a middle-of the road tire if you want to balance performance with longevity.

A lot of people hate them when compared to modern treads, but I think if you want a classic tread pattern Michelin S83s are very good (for a classic tread). I've been happy with mine so far, though I can't vouch for how long they last since I've only got ~100 miles on them. Pirelli SC30s look like they have good reviews as well for a classic tread pattern, might give them a try.

Most people will advise you go for a modern tread pattern, but I think the classic treads look so nice on an SS180 like yours.

I'm sure someone will chime in with the mileage they get on the various tires they've used

Buy yourself a set of Continental K62's. White or blackwall.

http://www.bikebandit.com/product/19544

True about the directional tires. I've gone back to Michelin S83s on my Lambretta. They may or may not have as much grip as the zippys, I ground the floorborads before either tire shows any sign of slipping.

+1 I'm actually over 3K with my conti WWs. Should be for fricking $70 each!

$40 more per tire because it's a whitewall?

We can get the whitewalls over here for £25 ($40) each....
First time I've seen anything really much cheaper over here!

http://www.mandp.co.uk/productinfo/504967/Tyres/Road-tyres/Continental/K62-White-Wall

Yes, you don't know how annoying it is that no one makes a 10x3.5 sport whitewall. And the Shinkos won't fit a P200.

Well after reaading everything here and looking over what is out there I'm going to put the continental on it K62 $41.95. I am going to put it on the rear too . Lets see if it gos furter than 2600 mile I will let you know in one year.
EDM/N1MPR

Running the lower tire pressure you state you run is going to cause any tire to wear quickly. As you stated you like the way it handles - on the other side of that you are giving up on the length of life of the tire. That is why guys racing bikes run the lower psi, so that it handles better in the turn - however they eat up tires very very quickly. Continuing to run a lower PSI will keep any tire at a low life cycle - if you do go with a white wall you will tear up the white wall with the lower psi as well. (not sure if you are going that route). On my sports bike I run 36R/35F if i commute on it - when im out hitting the twisties at high speeds im at 33R/31F - just that amount lower gives me all the handling I can throw at it - however I kill tires very fast - approx 2700 - 3k miles - and these are $180 a piece.

25 front 30-35 rear isn't low for a P200 at least...

5 lbs psi is a big difference - 35 is not low - 30 is quite low. I run low psi for the very same reason the OP does - it handles better - however it eats the tires up (30 and below) A front tire - even at 25, is not going to be eaten up too much, which is why he is running into issues in the rear.

I definitely hear you, I'm just saying that for a P-series, at least, the recommended rear tire pressure for a single rider is actually only ~26psi. 2-up the recommended pressure is 37. Struck me that 30 was pretty much in the middle of an acceptable range for everyday riding.

tyre , colour, etc

My set of Michelin S83s came in today for my original ss180. Nice classic tread design. They seem pretty solid.

A side note about Michelins (maybe other tires would fall into this category) My ss180 sat under a cover for 40 plus years. The original tires from the 1960s are still on the scoot as we speak. They are Michelins made in Italy. There is literally no dry rot on these tires. The front tire has a very small crack on the sidewall but the rear and spare tires are pristine. I am still replacing them nevertheless just for the extra bit of confidence while I'm riding but I am still amazed at how good these tires look after 40+ years of sitting there. Maybe this is just an odd occurrence but it could be a testimony to the quality and longevity of Michelins.

i'm surprised the originals were michelins, actually.

I was under the impression that most of the original bikes came with CEAT tires... and once in a while you'll see the 70's bikes with Pirelli's on it. ( i think most lambrettas had pirelli's stock )

Those might have been tires that someone put on way back in the late 60's / early 70's ... but not the ones that came on the bike ? I dunno. When they're that old they have no grip anyways.

I have trouble believing that there is no dry rot on 40 year old tires no matter where they were stored? And just because there may be no cracks in them the rubber compound surely has gone to shit. Anyone who rides on a tire over 5 years old is looking for problems. I bet all the moisture has come out of those tires and is now like riding on a brick. We just replaced the tires on my dad's 1995 Harley for the same reason. No dry rot or tread wear---- just a tire that now had a rubber compound that felt like a rock from being old. New tires cost nothing when you realize they are the only thing between your bike and the road. Cheap insurance to keep new tires on your ride. Replace those tubes and tires every 5 years to stay safe.

Good point. Now that you mention it, the old tires are pretty hard even though they don't have cracks in them. Doesn't make for a comfortable ride. I guess looks can be deceiving. As for being original tires, I'm not sure. The tires were made in italy and I was assuming they were stock with the bike when it was made but then again the scoot has over 3,000 miles on the odometer so they are probably not original. I stand corrected.