So I'm going to be picking up a new RH from Scooterville in Minnesota today (hopefully) or tomorrow depending on the weather.
I'm curious if anyone can report on the performance of the RH/Black Cat stock tires on wet or gravelly (or snowy ) roads. I'd like to make this guy my commuter 9 months out of the year, but I'm prepared for disappointment if it just doesn't work.
I've read some of Gary Charpentier's "The Baron In Winter" blog where he rode his 150cc scooter for nearly every commute over an entire Minnesota winter, but it would be nice to get an opinion on that sort of thing from someone who isn't a badass ex-Marine sportbike racer.
On relatively ice free pavement the tires will do fine. It's when the snow and ice comes is when it's trouble. I ride in just about every kind of weather but snow and ice. The automatic transmission just likes to let loose and spin on snow and ice. I rode up until it snowed before thanksgiving last year and started riding at the end of march/early april, between thaws and snows. So, realistically it's an 8 month season. You'll still be outriding most that just ride about 3-4 months of the year. But if you want to ride 9, you may as ride 12 and get used to sliding in the snow at ever start and stop.
But for the RH I'd advise Michelin Boppeers or Raggaes. I don't buy that the knobbie like tread helps tracking on rough roads unless you ride in a lot of loose sand about 0.5-2 inches deep. Besides that I'd go with a street tread.
IceHouse wrote:Yeah, I figured snow and ice would pretty much be showstoppers. I'll just have to enjoy Metro Transit's finest accomodations at that point.
Are the michelin tires a marked improvement over the stock ones? How do the boppers perform on wet roads?
I don't know about the stock RH tires. I've just ridden the Boppers on a Yamaha Zuma. The nice thing about the Michelins is that their rubber compound is very pliable but durable, without being greasy. I'm just a fan of their stuff overall. Continental makes a nice scooter tire too. I think Bob can get just about any tire you'd like.
) roads. I'd like to make this guy my commuter 9 months out of the year, but I'm prepared for disappointment if it just doesn't work.