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If you’re new to the world of electric scooters, “solid tires” might sound like a contradiction in terms.
After all, when we think of tires, we think of the circular, black rubber three-quarter-hollow tubes mounted on wheels and filled with air. Everything from airplanes to cars roll on air filled tires.
Whether we're on a motorcycle, bike, or e bike, almost all the tires on two-wheeled vehicles are pneumatic. E scooters are, for the moment, one of the few two-wheeled vehicles for adults to offer the choice between pneumatic and solid tires.
So, why would riders choose a solid tire over a pneumatic tire? Well, there are good reasons, and we’ll look at them below.
But first – pop quiz, what’s the first word that comes to mind when you hear “tire”? If you said “flat,” you passed. Because, yes, that’s the biggest problem with pneumatic tires and the biggest advantage of solid tires. They never go flat....
Some solid tires are just crude plastic circles, the kind of thing you find on children's toys. Fully solid tires provide an unforgiving ride.
Fully solid tires are found only on cheap scooters made for kids and generally offer nothing in the way of shock absorption or damping. They are also more prone to developing flat spots, which can't be fixed and require a full tire replacement.
Premium solid tires use durable, high-grade materials that maintain their shape. They also tend to use a honeycomb or vented structure, with hollow areas to provide cushioning and absorb vibration.
You'll find solid rubber air pocket tires on high quality electric scooters for adults like the Unagi Model One.
The biggest advantage of solid tires comes from the fact that they require no maintenance, in contrast to the routine air pressure checks, tube and tire repairs, and flat tire anxiety pneumatic tires tend to provoke.
In fact, if you ride an electric scooter as a lightweight urban commuter vehicle on mostly well-paved roads, you might want to ride nothing but a solid tire scooter because of their ultimate ease of use.
Solid tires can be replaced. But they only occasionally need replacing if they develop flat spots or sustain damage that puts them out of round. Such events are rare compared to the frequency of pinch flats and punctures with air filled tires.
While it's a good idea to carry a small multitool with you when riding any small vehicle, a solid tire electric scooter eliminates the need to carry a full toolkit. You won't need to pack a repair kit, tire lever, extra tube, air pump, or any of the essentials needed for proper roadside pneumatic tire care.
Solid tires do not provide as smooth a ride as pneumatic tires. They can be more jarring and uncomfortable on bumpy terrain. Pneumatic tires offer better shock absorption than their solid counterparts.
Solid tires have less traction than pneumatic tires, which can be a problem in wet or slippery conditions.
If you regularly ride or drive a vehicle with pneumatic tires, it's generally recommended that you check the tire pressure once a week.
While checking air pressure weekly can be burdensome and unnecessary with cars, when it comes to the smaller, low-volume tires on bikes and especially electric scooters, this routine become much more important.
That's because most air-filled tires on small vehicles contain an inner tube, the part of the tire that actually holds the air, and inner tubes require a minimum pressure to stay inflated.
So-called tubeless tires (which, you guessed it, lack an inner tube), are standard on cars, motorcycles, and even high-end bikes. And they are becoming increasingly common as premium electric scooter tires.
Inner tube tires offer the benefit of holding the air inside the tube rather than the tire, which means that the outer tire can take a beating and the tire can stay inflated. But once the tube is punctured, it must be repaired or replaced.
Inner tubes, however, are relatively inexpensive compared to new tires, and most riders can learn to fix a flat tire themselves.
Tubed tires must be kept at the minimum recommended tire pressure because they are subject to what are called "pinch flats," the most common type of flat tire.
A pinch flat happens when the inner tube is literally pinched between the tire and the wheel rim, resulting in two tears that look like a snakebite on the inner tube.
Pinch flats happen without warning (if you don't top off your tires), no sharp objects required.
Next to pinch flats, punctures are the next most common cause of flat tires. All tires are subject to punctures from objects in the road, including broken glass, nails and screws, and other kinds of debris that can slice through the rubber and cloth of a tire.
Punctures in the tread areas of a tire can usually be repaired, sometimes while on the road. But if the sidewall is punctured, the tire will have to be replaced.
Many tubeless pneumatic tires are puncture resistant and even have "self-healing" properties, but no tire is 100% flat proof.
There are many good reasons to ride on pneumatic tubeless tires: with no risk of pinch flats, they can be run at lower pressures for more comfort, and they have superior puncture resistance.
At lower pressures, they also provide more surface area for contact with the road, leading to greater wet and dry traction (sometimes at the cost of more rolling resistance, i.e. slower speeds).
Tubeless tires are filled with sealant which keeps the air in at the rim, or "bead," where the tire meets the wheel. This sealant also rushes into a puncture and seals it up before much air is lost, leading to the description of tubeless tires as "self healing."
All tubeless tires have this healing property to some degree. Some use a layer of self-sealing compound inside the tire to provide additional protection.
Tubeless pneumatic tires have several benefits for the serious rider (no pro cyclist rides without them these days). They can also require a pro level of maintenance.
While the average rider can learn to change an inner tube on their scooter, mounting, sealing, and filling tubeless tires with tire sealant can be a herculean effort that is best left to mechanics.
Maintenance can be a pro or con, depending on how much you enjoy working with your hands. The advantages of pneumatic tires are many, but they require some level of routine care and special equipment (tire levers, spare tubes, pump, tire pressure gauge, roadside repair kit, tire sealant, etc.).
If you don't properly maintain air filled tires, the risk of flats goes up significantly. And if you don't want to end up walking your scooter home, you'll have to learn to fix a flat tire on the road.
The drawbacks of solid tires are improving, with foam filled tires that offer more cushioning and traction without the maintenance.
But the fact is that there are different types of electric scooter tires for a reason, and not all tires are suitable for all types of electric scooter or every kind of riding.
If you plan to ride off road, you should buy a scooter with knobby off road tires.
If you're commuting longer distances at speeds over 20 mph, and you routinely encounter bumpy roads and bad weather, you might be best off with pneumatic road tires.
And if you're primarily an urban commuter who travels a few miles a day at lower speeds on city streets and sidewalks, and who doesn't want to bother fixing flats, then solid tires can be the best choice for you as the only maintenance free option.
Overall, the choice between solid and pneumatic tires will depend on the specific needs and preferences of the rider. If a smoother ride and bad weather traction are top priorities, then pneumatic tires may be the way to go. However, if durability and low maintenance are more important, then solid tires may be the better choice.
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The only sure way of doing this is to refer to the approved recommendations of a tire manufacturer or your motorcycle owner’s manual.
All reputable tire manufacturers have their own list of approved tires for most motorcycle models. These lists may appear on websites, or in a booklet, and should be available at your motorcycle dealer or parts and accessory shop. Dunlop’s recommendations are available on our website Dunlopmotorcycle.com and in literature distributed at consumer events and at dealerships. The owner’s manual will include the original sizes and type of tire. In some cases, an alternative will also be included. Always make sure that the tires recommended for your bike appear in a written form. In other words, don’t follow someone’s personal recommendation. It is very important, and one rider’s preference does not necessarily suit another’s. Take the advice of the professionals: the motorcycle or tire manufacturer.
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Tires are composed of various types of material and rubber compounds, having performance properties essential to the proper functioning of the tire itself. These component properties change over time. For each tire, this change depends upon many factors such as weather, storage conditions, and conditions of use (load, speed, inflation pressure, maintenance etc.) to which the tire is subjected throughout its life. This service-related evolution varies widely so that accurately predicting the serviceable life of any specific tire in advance is not possible. Tires which have been in use for 5 years or more should continue to be inspected by a specialist at least annually. It is recommended that any tires 10 years or older from the date of manufacture, including spare tires, be replaced with new tires as a precaution even if such tires appear serviceable and even if they have not reached the legal wear out limit.
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Many Dunlop motorcycle tire patterns have “reversed front patterns” compared to rear, because different forces act on front and rear tires. We test all Dunlop tires for satisfactory wet performance in the direction as indicated on the sidewall. It is important to always mount the tire in the correct direction of rotation as indicated by the arrow on the sidewall.
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You may not be able to entirely avoid cupping. Tire cupping or irregular wear is a somewhat common occurrence on all vehicles. On a four-wheel vehicle, you are advised to rotate your tires periodically to even out wear. Unfortunately, you do not have this luxury with a motorcycle because front and rear tires, unlike those on most four-wheel vehicles, are not interchangeable.
However, there are steps that can be taken to minimize cupping and uneven wear on a motorcycle: Maintain your motorcycle and particularly your front and suspension. Avoid hard braking whenever possible. Braking causes the tire to grab and wear in one direction. When braking is applied to the front tire, the load transfer over-flexes the tire and increases the tendency for cupping and uneven wear. Maintain your tire pressures. Under inflation and overloading of motorcycle tires are significant causes of cupping and uneven wear, particularly in association with hard braking and/or trailer use.
Once a tire begins to show signs of uneven wear, even following these steps may not improve the condition.
Tire companies can, and are, helping to minimize cupping and uneven wear but you, the rider, must do your part. Following the aforementioned guidelines will help avoid uneven wear.
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When new tires are fitted, they should not be subjected to maximum power or hard cornering until a reasonable run-in distance of approximately 100 miles has been achieved.
This is necessary for a number of reasons. Replacements for worn tires with different patterns and construction will not react the same. Also, a new tire is stiffer than an old tire. The new tire has a rounder tread profile, different contact patch and “lean-over edge” than the worn profile of an old tire. The new tire will also not react the same in combination with its remaining tire.
Carrying out the required run-in will allow you to become accustomed to the “feel” of the new tires and tire combinations, so you are better able to achieve optimum road grip for use in high speed, high acceleration and handling situations.
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Nitrogen is not widely available and provides the same rolling resistance as tires filled with air. Scientific tests on the effect of the use of nitrogen in tires and changes in tire physical properties are inconclusive. In testing, nitrogen tires lost 2/3 as much as air-filled tires, so the benefits are minimal. If you want to maintain the nitrogen, any refills will need to be with nitrogen, not air. That means maintaining your tires becomes less convenient and more costly. The most important tire maintenance function is ensuring correct tire inflation pressure, which is easier using air than nitrogen.
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Bias and radial tires have significantly different dynamic properties. They deflect differently, create different cornering forces, have different damping characteristics, as well as other differences. In order for radial tires to be introduced into the two-wheel market, it was necessary to change certain characteristics of the motorcycle. The introduction of the radial tire led to such things as modified frames, wider wheels, new steering geometries and suspensions. Therefore, it is recommended that a motorcycle be used with the type of tire construction that it came with originally. If a change is to be made, then it should only be done if the motorcycle or tire manufacturer has approved the change. Above all, do not mix bias ply and radial tires on the same motorcycle unless it is with the approval of the motorcycle or tire manufacturer.
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This is possible in some cases, but again, it should only be done with the approval of the motorcycle or tire manufacturer. When considering wider tires, you must factor in clearance for width and diameter, the effect on stability and handling, along with whether your rim is wide enough. If wider tires are approved for a motorcycle, it is usually permissible to increase by only one size designation. When fitting a larger tire, always allow for some tire growth from the new to used situation. All tires increase in size after they have been inflated and are run for a few hundred miles. In some cases, putting a wider tire onto the same wheel will actually give you less “rubber on the road”, by changing the profile and reducing the contact patch.
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No. The design of automotive tires and motorcycle tires are very different. The profile of automotive and motorcycle rims are different with a different bead seating area. An automotive tire will not seat properly on a motorcycle rim, making it more susceptible to problems such as rim slip, which can cause balance problems.
Motorcycles are designed specifically with a unique tread profile for leaning over when cornering. Under emergency or extreme maneuvering conditions, an automotive tire on a motorcycle may not allow the bike to handle as it was intended, which can lead to accident, injury or death.
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Motorcycle tires are designed to work together in front or rear applications due to loading, steering and braking forces. Unless specially designed, you can only use a front on the front and a rear on the rear, following the directional rotation arrows.
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Every time you change your tires you should use a new, properly installed valve stem for a tubeless tire or change the tube for a tube type application.
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This varies on the model of tire, track conditions and temperature. If tire pressures are adjusted for track use, always remember to reset the inflation pressure back to the recommended street inflation pressure before you leave the track.
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In answering this question, we must first make sure that we are comparing apples to apples. When you think of it, the vast majority of motorcycles are high performance vehicles compared to most cars. Consider that you rarely see a motorcycle with less than ”H” speed-rated tire. By comparison, the vast majority of cars ride on tires with lower speed ratings. Power-to-weight ratio and speed are big factors with respect to tire wear. Unfortunately, when many people compare mileage, they do so with a family sedan and a much higher-performance motorcycle.
Another significant factor in this comparison is the size of the tire contact footprint. In the case of a car, the footprint is much larger and there are four, not two tires contacting the pavement. You must keep in mind that virtually the entire width of the relatively flat tread of a car is in contact with the road all of the time. A car remains upright, even when cornering. This results in a much smaller contact footprint for a motorcycle tire. High power-to-weight ratio, speed, size of footprint and other aspects explain why motorcycle tires wear out quicker than car tires.
To obtain the best mileage from your motorcycle tires, observe the following guidelines: obey the speed limit; avoid quick acceleration and hard braking; maintain recommended tire pressures; and do not overload your bike or tow a trailer.
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Use a mild soap solution to clean your sidewalls, white striping or lettering, and rinse off with plain water. Never use protectants, cleaners or dressings to enhance your tire appearance. These may degrade the rubber and remove the inherent ozone cracking/weather checking resistance.
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Maintain tire inflation and load in accordance with your motorcycle owner’s manual, tire information placard and restrictions molded into the tire sidewall. The pressure noted on the sidewall of the tire is a maximum for that tire and may not match the recommended pressure for your motorcycle. So always follow the tire manufacturer’s or motorcycle manufacturer’s inflation pressure recommendation.
All pressures should be set cold—that is, before the bike is ridden.
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Yes. Under most riding conditions, the pressure will increase due to heat build-up from the tire and from environmental conditions. This is normal, and the pressure should not be adjusted while the tire is hot.
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No. Air expands as it gets warmer and will raise the tire air pressure. Do not adjust the pressure down while the tire is hot or has been ridden recently.
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Checking tires regularly is the most important maintenance function you can perform. At least once a week, and daily when on a trip, check and maintain the correct inflation pressure and visually inspect the tire all the way around for any signs of damage.
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A good quality gauge that holds its reading, is easy to use and you will use often. Gauges do wear out and should be checked annually to ensure accuracy.
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The D404 is not meant to be used on Harley Davidson motorcycles. In many cases the D404 does not have the load carrying capacity for use on Harley Davidson motorcycles. Most D404 tires are intended for lighter, cruising motorcycles and are constructed for use on those bikes. D404 tires are bias tires, not bias belted, and do not have additional supporting plies.
Motorcycle tires differ from each other in their size, their load carrying capacity, internal construction and the intended type of use. For example, tires for sport riding compared to tires for long distance touring may have different compounds, constructions and tread patterns.
Always fit the correct tires to your motorcycle, and for Harley Davidson motorcycles, never fit a D404.
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Off-Road Sponsorship (All Amateurs – youth/adult) Submit request for consideration through www.Hookit.com for the appropriate discipline. Canadian residents can now also apply.
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No. Dunlop does not sell seconds or blemished tires. Dealers are free to set their own pricing.
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Always remove the tires from service before they reach the treadwear indicator bars (1/32 of an inch tread pattern depth remaining). Worn/unworn tire combinations and worn tires used in wet conditions can result in deteriorated handling and can lead to accident, injury or death.
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Yes! Use the different models of tire for different off-road conditions and riding preferences.
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