Modern Vespa

I did a forum search for Vee Rubber brand tires and all the posts were a few years old, so I thought I'd ask again to see what you folks thought about Vee Rubber tires for the back of my GTS-good or bad. I have only gotten a little over 2000 miles on a Continental Zippy and never really liked the tire in dry or wet conditions. I don't ride in the rain that much, but the Zippy doesn't hold in the turns as well as my wife's Sava on her GTV. I can get a good deal on the Vee Rubber tire, but want to make sure it's a good tire that will outlast and outperform at least the Zippy. I have the stock Sava on the front that still looks brand new and about 8000 miles on the bike. Thanks for your thoughts.

I never even heard of this brand, so I cannot say anything about
them. If you were happier with the Sava than you are with the Zippy (unheard-of), then why
don't you get another Sava?

Well, my local Vespa shop is just starting to sell the Vee Rubber tires and he's offering them at a really good price. But I don't want to put on a tire that I'll be disappointed with in 100-200 miles-just because it's a great deal. I too have never heard of Vee Rubber and was hoping to get responses from folks that actually have used the tire so I'll know if it truly is a great deal.

Oh-and he doesn't have the Sava's in stock. Just called back to confirm.

Hey There,

No, I've never heard of Vee Rubber either, but I did just look them up on the interwebs... They say they are the pride of Thailand and they make regular moped tires and racing tires for Mini Moto, Pocket Bikes, Motards, and Pit Bikes...

Sooo... Sounds like you might be getting what you pay for in this case - kinda like the 'Chen Shin' bicycle tires that flooded the market 15+ years ago at $10 a pop, and you were lucky if they lasted a week of good hard riding.

My advice - look up the recommendations of others here and get a tire that is much more likely to meet your needs in a safer manner, even if they cost a little more... (There are a LOT of threads on tires, their performance, and their cost)

Good luck whatever your decision.

Desi B.

On the other hand (and yes, this could be risky from a safety standpoint...) - if your dealer just started selling them, why don't you see if they will put a set on your scooter for free to get some feedback from a local scooter rider? It never hurts to ask...

Desi B.

And I'm sure this isn't because he sold out of them...he probably is smart enough to know NOT to carry them...they suck...my OEM Sava front tire got bumps al l the way around the very center...it didn't corner as well as the Zippy I have on there now....I have used the Michelin's too and they are great...remember, the better the tire (usually means) that they won't last as long because of the softer components they are made from....the general consensus is that Sava's suck.

there are many better known and I am pretty sure better performing tires than these V-tires...who I think do big biz in the far east. One of the last places I will "go cheap" is on tires. Your call.

A friend of mine swears by the Vee brand tire,
He even drives his GTS in the snow.

I tried to get the Sava tire, But had to settle for the Pirelli GTS 23,
Not bad in the rain, But I don't trust it to not slip on painted lines or man hole covers.

I don't know what of the Savas is supposed to suck, but I, for one, don't agree with a general statement that Savas suck. They gave me 5000 good miles with the back tire and about double that with the front, with never a moment where I felt unsafe or regretted that I had these tires on. This just FTR.

That was in SoCal. Now, living in Utah, and remembering the last snowy winter, I could even see myself going back to Savas for the cold season. (Not really, though, as I won't ride on snow or even ice, if I can avoid it).

Vee-Rubber tyres are all the rage on clapped-out Vespa ET4s in London. In the wet, they have absolutely no grip, and aren't much better in the dry. I had one on my second hand ET; it came off within a week.

I had a Vee on the front of one of my ET4s for a two years - i can confirm that it was very, very durable. it was showing hardly any signs of wear when it came off, but it wasn't pleasant to ride - hard, and very slippery in the wet. i don't know if they make a better tyre for the GTS but it's not a brand i'd rush to buy.

Do not skimp on yer freakin' tires. They are your only contact point with the earth, and their characteristics are what allow you to do stuff like stop, go and steer. Everybody agrees those are pretty much the top 3 on the list of what your scooter does.

Do a search and see some reviews. Michelin, Continental, Pirelli, Heidenau (my faves), Sava (they really aren't bad, just that there are better tires out there) all make fine tires to fit your scooter. Some last longer, some are stickier, but all of them are well-made, well-engineered and safe.

Bargain tires are just rim protectors, quality tires are your best friend.

Don't forget in figuring your tire cost to add the cost of installation. If installation and balance costs you $30, then that $60 tire is only 1/3 more expensive than a $30 tire in the end.

I would like to think that my last though on earth won't be "I had to save $20 on those freakin' crap tir...."

P.

well. my derbi came with Vee rubber stock. got rid of them after the first year and got Michelin pilot city. those tires are great. stick to the road like you are on rails. not much difference in the rain..nice and grippy

the Vee you had to be really careful on corners in the rain.

but i will say that recently my rear michelin suffered a puncture and i had to replace it. the store did not have any mich in stock..only a Vee Rubber.
they may have improved their process over the last few years as this new tire seems to be equal to the michelin.
http://www.veerubber.co.th/web/morlist_html/119.html
the vrm119c model tire....its been 3wks now and i was at first going to change the vee to a mich asap but i havent had any issues so far.

as luck would have it i had to leave the bike over nite at the shop as the flat happened late in the day. so next day i get on bike with new Vee tire.. and of course it just had to rain that day so i was very very careful ..new tire in the rain.. and not just any tire but a vee rubber...but as i said. really havent noticed a diff btwn the two tires.

this new vee wasnt cheap tho. actually cost more than a new michelin.

Thanks for all the replies. I was actually at the Vespa shop yesterday to possibly get a new rear tire put on, when the dealer was really pushing the Vee Rubber tire. I had never heard of it before and felt safe for another couple hundred miles to try and research them.

As I said earlier, when I did a search here, the newest threads about Vee Rubber were in 2005 or so, so I thought I might see if the tires had improved in 4-5 years. I figured my friends across the pond had experienced just about every brand of tire out there-in every condition.

I promise I won't skimp on my tires. I know I'm pretty hard on tires just comparing my driving habits with my wife's, but I also don't want to ignore a recommendation from my local Vespa dealer who has always been phenomenal to do business with.

Thanks again for all your input. Bob

Another Sava failure to report here, Prego suffered rapid loss of tire pressure on front Sava doing 55. Reported the event to be very scary. While anecdotal the number of failures I am aware of seem far more common with Sava. Tried to use a 130/70 K58 on the front as a spare, but didn't like the way it tracked at all! Almost scary riding a 130 front in town at low speeds!

my et has been running on vee's since i bought it, I dunno how the bike handles with any other type of tyre but the handling is quiet good ,I was quiet a harsh driver and the rear was bald after a few months of ownership but the tyres werent new, the front is still rockin perfect, Did around 500 mi on the bald tyre before finally replacing it, replaced it with a vee i got off of the other et4 i own before i sold it to a friend who has a twist and go pk project on the go, this one punctured in traffic after a few days of me riding it, repaired it and hasnt missed a beat since