The U.S. has a lot going for it, but we, especially in my state of Michigan, have terrible public transportation. The cities are sprawling and walking isn't practical, but putting all that stop-and-go on your bigger machine isn't so much fun. Scooters are practical, even if they seem irreparably tied to hipsters. Be you hipster, non-hipster, or average Joe by day/hipster by night, Michelin makes tires for your scooter.
The Bopper tire is made for front or rear use. It features wide, sticky blocks and deep cut tread for wet riding. These are like furrowed slicks, so they provide excellent grip on the corners but won't send you sliding into the intersection if you hit a puddle.
Face it: you aren't going to be a speed demon on a scooter. These tires are made for speeds up to 62 mph, and that's probably more than enough for your 'round-town errands. According to Michelin, the tubeless Bopper will handle well on or off the road. I can only hope they mean well-packed dirt roads because I cannot imagine a little scooter bombing around with the motocross riders.
One thing you don't want to find on your little wear and tear machine is early rubber erosion. The Bopper has a reinforced crown, two carcass plies, and the price is in the middle of the road for dual purpose scooter tires.
Earlier, I mentioned the speed restriction for these J-rated tires. This means that those of you who have the beastly 650 cc scooters that can exceed 60 mph ought to keep shopping. Honestly, those huge "scooters" should have a different name to encompass their motorcycle/scooter half-breed nature.
Find this Michelin Bopper Tire:
Find this tire on eBay:
CURL error code = 6. (Could not resolve host: rest.ebay.com) |