Modern Buddy

I see that Scooterworks is now selling a new (for them) line of tires.

All purpose tires
http://www.scooterworks.com/Vee_Rubber_ ... _P9919.cfm

Sport tires
http://www.scooterworks.com/Vee_Rubber_ ... _P9911.cfm

$29.99. Would this be a good example of 'you get what you pay for?'

Has anyone tried them?

Don't know, but they're made in Thailand. Here's the website: http://www.veerubber.co.th/web/home.html

Haven't tried them, but I'm liking what I see.
Hey, Kaos! The 3.5x10 VRM 228 racing tire is P rated!
...And $35!!

Cheshire wrote:Haven't tried them, but I'm liking what I see.
Hey, Kaos! The 3.5x10 VRM 228 racing tire is P rated!
...And $35!!

!!! Nice catch Cheshire! I might have to... Um... "Demo" a set

I've heard they wanted me to test them, but I'm no tire expert, and I ride like a wuss, so if someone has experience with a variety of scooter tires and also has writing skillz, PM me with your credentials and I'll see if I can get you a set to review for MB and 2strokebuzz.

Bb.

illnoise wrote:I've heard they wanted me to test them, but I'm no tire expert, and I ride like a wuss, so if someone has experience with a variety of scooter tires and also has writing skillz, PM me with your credentials and I'll see if I can get you a set to review for MB and 2strokebuzz.

Bb.

How about someone like Bonegirl?

My biggest expense is tires due to the amount of tires I use. I'll talk to Bryan. Thanks, Lagerhead.

Well, that's a no-brainer! Bonegirl for the trial. (WTT?)

BoneGirl wrote:My biggest expense is tires due to the amount of tires I use. I'll talk to him Thanks, Lagerhead.

Yeah, tires and oil are my biggest costs as well Least its not gas

They have a Winter tire?!

Vee Rubber tires are cheapy quality tires.I had them come from the factory on my Derbi.They are near the bottom for quality.I havn't ever found anyone happy with the V-Rubber performance.Their a hard long wearing tire but the long wear comes at a cost you wouldn't like.Think of a children's tricycle tires.

BoneGirl wrote:My biggest expense is tires due to the amount of tires I use. I'll talk to him Thanks, Lagerhead.

What're you at now Bonegirl? I just passed 20k yesterday, and celebrated by adding 200 more

BuddyLicious wrote:Vee Rubber tires are cheapy quality tires.I had them come from the factory on my Derbi.They are near the bottom for quality.I havn't ever found anyone happy with the V-Rubber performance.Their a hard long wearing tire but the long wear comes at a cost you wouldn't like.Think of a children's tricycle tires.

Anyone else heard of this about the Vee rubber tires? I'm looking for new treads and I want something sticky. Statements like this give me pause.

BL, can you give any more details or insights?

Lostmycage wrote:

BuddyLicious wrote:Vee Rubber tires are cheapy quality tires.I had them come from the factory on my Derbi.They are near the bottom for quality.I havn't ever found anyone happy with the V-Rubber performance.Their a hard long wearing tire but the long wear comes at a cost you wouldn't like.Think of a children's tricycle tires.

Anyone else heard of this about the Vee rubber tires? I'm looking for new treads and I want something sticky. Statements like this give me pause.

BL, can you give any more details or insights?

I've got a few 1000 miles on mine now, look for the write up on <a href="http://www.voodoo-buddy.com">Voodoo Buddy</a>

Long story short they stick like super glue and seem to be wearing well. I'm very pleased so far.

They do well in the wet (knowing you and where you're at, I can probably guess the answer to that, lol)? How are they wearing?

/side note: big updates on the VD site, well done!

Kaos wrote:

Lostmycage wrote:

BuddyLicious wrote:Vee Rubber tires are cheapy quality tires.I had them come from the factory on my Derbi.They are near the bottom for quality.I havn't ever found anyone happy with the V-Rubber performance.Their a hard long wearing tire but the long wear comes at a cost you wouldn't like.Think of a children's tricycle tires.

Anyone else heard of this about the Vee rubber tires? I'm looking for new treads and I want something sticky. Statements like this give me pause.

BL, can you give any more details or insights?

I've got a few 1000 miles on mine now, look for the write up on <a href="http://www.voodoo-buddy.com">Voodoo Buddy</a>

Long story short they stick like super glue and seem to be wearing well. I'm very pleased so far.

Some very different experiences with the Vee brand. Is it possible that we are talking simply radically different grades of quality ie some lower-grade OEM stock tires vs. higher grades after-market tires also being available? I hope so since today I ordered the Vee Rubber 351 from Scooterworks.

I can second Kaos's experience. 2000 miles so far and it's looking like they're going to last as long or longer than the Pirelli I had before.
I've only tried the 134 so far, but I'm happy with it.

Cheshire wrote:I can second Kaos's experience. 2000 miles so far and it's looking like they're going to last as long or longer than the Pirelli I had before.
I've only tried the 134 so far, but I'm happy with it.

Good to read that.

How well do Vee Rubbers grip the road, handle bumps, ride smooth?

I did an Internet search and some British motorcycle riders on a blog were bashing Vee as being fine for a warm climate but bad for the cold wet climate of Britian. I'm of course thinking Portland from October through Spring being cold and rainy.

EDIT: I did another Internet search and came across another blog of Britsh motorcyclists and this time a few of the posts were very supportive of Vee Rubber.

Has anyone ridden on their Vee tires in colder wet weather?

Cold, they're fine. Wet, they're fine. Cold AND wet? Ask Kaos. Our first major cold snap just hit this week and it hasn't rained on me since the mercury plummeted. (Thank goodness for night showers!)

How do they grip the road? Umm...let's just say I have no chicken strip.
They take bumps well, though I only recently got comfortable with standing slightly through things like speed bumps. Rough pavement isn't nearly as squirrelly or jarring as it was on other tires, though, and they hold pressure wonderfully.

Cheshire wrote:Cold, they're fine. Wet, they're fine. Cold AND wet? Ask Kaos. Our first major cold snap just hit this week and it hasn't rained on me since the mercury plummeted. (Thank goodness for night showers!)

How do they grip the road? Umm...let's just say I have no chicken strip.
They take bumps well, though I only recently got comfortable with standing slightly through things like speed bumps. Rough pavement isn't nearly as squirrelly or jarring as it was on other tires, though, and they hold pressure wonderfully.

Thanks Chesire. This will be our first winter test-run of the Vee Tires.

Lostmycage wrote:They do well in the wet (knowing you and where you're at, I can probably guess the answer to that, lol)? How are they wearing?

/side note: big updates on the VD site, well done!

They do awesome in the wet and cold, after a minute or two they seem to grip like it's dry. So far I've got over 2000 miles on them and they've got no noticable wear. Like Cheshire said, they seem to be wearing slower than the Pirelli Diablo's I had on there before, and grip every bit as good.

Ha, nevermind. Their selection of 13" tires is... limited.

Gonna take a look at the Heidenau tires now..

For 13" tires Shinko has just about the best selection:

130/60-13
130/70-13
140/60-13
150/70-13 (my favorite!!! TALL sidewall!!)

We have had good luck with the Shinko tires. When their SR567/568 were released they sent us a set to try out and we have NOTHING to complain about.

glad this got posted, I found a nail in my rear tire and started looking into which tire to buy. From what i've heard these Vee Rubber tires sound like they're worth a go.

Here's a question: if I replace just the one tire, will there be any ill effect on my scoot's performance?

UnionZac wrote:glad this got posted, I found a nail in my rear tire and started looking into which tire to buy. From what i've heard these Vee Rubber tires sound like they're worth a go.

Here's a question: if I replace just the one tire, will there be any ill effect on my scoot's performance?

Depends on the tread paterns. If they're different styles of tire they can have ill effects. Both sport tires etc. you should be fine.

Kaos wrote:

UnionZac wrote:glad this got posted, I found a nail in my rear tire and started looking into which tire to buy. From what i've heard these Vee Rubber tires sound like they're worth a go.

Here's a question: if I replace just the one tire, will there be any ill effect on my scoot's performance?

Depends on the tread paterns. If they're different styles of tire they can have ill effects. Both sport tires etc. you should be fine.

Right now my tires are stock. If I replace the rear w/the Vee Sport tire, am I in the clear.*

(*in your humble, and non binding opinion)

UnionZac wrote:

Kaos wrote:

UnionZac wrote:glad this got posted, I found a nail in my rear tire and started looking into which tire to buy. From what i've heard these Vee Rubber tires sound like they're worth a go.

Here's a question: if I replace just the one tire, will there be any ill effect on my scoot's performance?

Depends on the tread paterns. If they're different styles of tire they can have ill effects. Both sport tires etc. you should be fine.

Right now my tires are stock. If I replace the rear w/the Vee Sport tire, am I in the clear.*

(*in your humble, and non binding opinion)

I'll give you a "probably" Its been a long time since I've had stock tires on my Buddy, and I forget what they feel like. I know they're semi-sport patterned, so I would think you'd be ok though.

I've raced mini-motard motorcycles with guys that have tried the 12" vee slicks and they had a de-lamination problem in the center of the tire. I'm sure they were pushing the tires a little beyond street duty but de-lamination wasn't very confidence inspiring.

ScooterNews wrote:I've raced mini-motard motorcycles with guys that have tried the 12" vee slicks and they had a de-lamination problem in the center of the tire. I'm sure they were pushing the tires a little beyond street duty but de-lamination wasn't very confidence inspiring.

Ryan,

When did this event happen as in how long ago? I'm getting the sense that Vee Tires may go the range from bad to very good. I too have come across some harsh criticism (online) of Vee from motorcyclists.

so i'm at the shop right now having the tire put on. big of confusion, hopefully someone will read this...

The correct tire size for the Vee on a Buddy is 100 90-10 yes?

UnionZac wrote:so i'm at the shop right now having the tire put on. big of confusion, hopefully someone will read this...

The correct tire size for the Vee on a Buddy is 100 90-10 yes?

Yes.
I run 100/90-10's all of the time. My Buddy came with 3.50x10. The Maxxis whitewalls that came on the internationals were 100/90-10.

yes.

Lagerhead wrote:

UnionZac wrote:so i'm at the shop right now having the tire put on. big of confusion, hopefully someone will read this...

The correct tire size for the Vee on a Buddy is 100 90-10 yes?

Yes.
I run 100/90-10's all of the time. My Buddy came with 3.50x10. The Maxxis whitewalls that came on the internationals were 100/90-10.

yes.

Just to extra confirm this. Yes. Thats correct.

thanks! once they put it on it stopped looking mysteriously wide. Pretty excited to try these out.

The Derbi scooter I used to own came with V-Rubber brand tires.I didnt care for them,they were a hard,unforgiving tire on the road.After I switched the V's to a name brand,the difference was day and night.Just my experience.

BuddyLicious wrote:The Derbi scooter I used to own came with V-Rubber brand tires.I didnt care for them,they were a hard,unforgiving tire on the road.After I switched the V's to a name brand,the difference was day and night.Just my experience.

Apparently the V's that come stock on bikes and the aftermarket V's are night and day from what I've been told. Mine stick like glue and are lasting well.

How many miles do you have on yours, Kaos? I've about worn out my rear tire at 3,500 miles. That seems to be what I get out of any rear tire to date.

Cheshire wrote:I've about worn out my rear tire at 3,500 miles. That seems to be what I get out of any rear tire to date.

I'm on my second pair of Shinkos. The rear lasted 6,000 miles. Best yet.

Cheshire wrote:How many miles do you have on yours, Kaos? I've about worn out my rear tire at 3,500 miles. That seems to be what I get out of any rear tire to date.

I've got about that on them now, maybe closer to 4k. They're still doing great. Plenty of tread.

Cheshire wrote:How many miles do you have on yours, Kaos? I've about worn out my rear tire at 3,500 miles. That seems to be what I get out of any rear tire to date.

That's better than I've been getting on my rear tires. 2,500 on a Heidenau K58 and 3,000 on a K61. 4,000 on the stock tire.

Any recommendations for my next tire? Vee Rubber???

rondothemidget wrote:Any recommendations for my next tire? Vee Rubber???

I got another for mine. Lasted a little longer than the Pirelli I had before and about the same as the stock tire, grip and performance was much better. I'm happy with them.

I'm currently examining my riding habits again...kind of a self-eval thing. I do use my rear rack frequently. Most of the time it's been my blacksmithing tools in their toolbox strapped on. I think I remember reading others say that top cases and constant rear rack cargo can cut into rear tire life. I might give the rear rack a rest for the next tire and see what that does for lifespan.

Are you a shoe’er?

A co-worker of mine is a farrier; he pulls a trailer with all his equipment, in a 4X4 Bronco. His anvil alone must weight as much as a Buddy – you must be pulling wheelies all the time, do your front wheels even touch the ground with carring around large tools

Motorcycle Superstore has the Michelin S1 for the same price as Scooterworks has the Vee Rubber (with shipping). Would you still go with the Vee Rubber? Any comments on the S1?

rondothemidget wrote:Motorcycle Superstore has the Michelin S1 for the same price as Scooterworks has the Vee Rubber (with shipping). Would you still go with the Vee Rubber? Any comments on the S1?

I've never tried the Michelin tires, but the Vee is rated for a higher top speed(75mph vs the Michelin's 62MPH), so I'd go for the Vee still.

Great! Thanks for the info. Looks like my next tire will be a Vee Rubber.

rajron wrote:Are you a shoe’er?

A co-worker of mine is a farrier; he pulls a trailer with all his equipment, in a 4X4 Bronco. His anvil alone must weight as much as a Buddy – you must be pulling wheelies all the time, do your front wheels even touch the ground with carring around large tools

Hehe. Nope, just a craftsperson/artisan. I'm wanting to do more of the decorative-but-still-utilitarian direction. The equipment doesn't weigh too much so far: couple 3 lb hammers, some chisels I made, gloves and glasses. We're getting far enough into learning and projects I'm having to take the car more often for days I'm working on larger stuff. Thankfully, I can use all the tools available at school. Keeps me from having to purchase/haul a bunch of stuff from the beginning.

Kaos wrote: Apparently the V's that come stock on bikes and the aftermarket V's are night and day from what I've been told. Mine stick like glue and are lasting well.

Sounds right. I asked my shop about Vee's and they were pretty negative; said when a scooter comes in with Vee's as stock tires, one of the first things they do is swap 'em out.

I've had a Vee tire on my rear wheel since last Thursday. Thus far it feels great. I will say, yesterday I had a really close call (I don't remember swerving I remember picturing myself going over the hood their car) with a left hand turning cager, and I was able to break and swerve (they stopped halfway into my lane) w/o incident. So thus far imho i'd say it seems like they're holding up.

Kaos wrote: Apparently the V's that come stock on bikes and the aftermarket V's are night and day from what I've been told. Mine stick like glue and are lasting well.

I have over 600 miles on my Vee Rubber tires now (front and back) and I am quite happy. Previous setup was the Heidenau K58 on the front and K61 on the back. As stated by Kaos, the Vee tires do stick like glue and are extremely smooth at low and high speeds. The new Vee tires made me realize how horrible the K58s were - rough and bumpy at slow speed figure-8-type tight turns and slightly unresponsive at high speeds. If I get at least 4,000 miles out of them, I'll be a long-term customer.

rondothemidget wrote:

Kaos wrote: Apparently the V's that come stock on bikes and the aftermarket V's are night and day from what I've been told. Mine stick like glue and are lasting well.

I have over 600 miles on my Vee Rubber tires now (front and back) and I am quite happy. Previous setup was the Heidenau K58 on the front and K61 on the back. As stated by Kaos, the Vee tires do stick like glue and are extremely smooth at low and high speeds. The new Vee tires made me realize how horrible the K58s were - rough and bumpy at slow speed figure-8-type tight turns and slightly unresponsive at high speeds. If I get at least 4,000 miles out of them, I'll be a long-term customer.

I've got just shy of 6k miles on mine now, and they've still got a fair bit of tread left. I'm calling that good tire life

rondothemidget wrote:

Kaos wrote: Apparently the V's that come stock on bikes and the aftermarket V's are night and day from what I've been told. Mine stick like glue and are lasting well.

I have over 600 miles on my Vee Rubber tires now (front and back) and I am quite happy. Previous setup was the Heidenau K58 on the front and K61 on the back. As stated by Kaos, the Vee tires do stick like glue and are extremely smooth at low and high speeds. The new Vee tires made me realize how horrible the K58s were - rough and bumpy at slow speed figure-8-type tight turns and slightly unresponsive at high speeds. If I get at least 4,000 miles out of them, I'll be a long-term customer.

BTW, I know a few people who don't like the K58s. Jess from MV had them on his first leg of the Cannonball and I think he ditched them for the K61s, which he likes. I'm still a big fan of the K61 too.

Interesting to hear about the Vees. I posted to Twitter asking for any feedback and got a very mixed bag of responses but it sounds as if the quality varies quite a bit depending on which tire you use.