vespa reifen SIP

Vespa breakdown: tires

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Things always seem to happen when you least expect them. Fortunately, this truism is relatively rare when it comes to punctures. Some road users drive hundreds, sometimes even thousands of kilometers without having a flat tire. Of course, it is best to provide directly and choose the right selection of tires. For all possible models and purposes you will find in the tire department of SIP Scootershop for sure exactly the right thing! Of course, the right rim must not be missing, so you will find the right pieces also in the SIP Scootershop under Rims, Wheels & Tubes.
Those who do have a flat tire naturally want to know the cause so that they can take preventive measures.

Here are the main reasons for a flat tire

  • faulty or damaged valve; only supposedly harmless is a missing valve cap; prevents the action of centrifugal force on the valve when driving fast. It can open slowly and the air escapes
  • sharp-edged objects (nails, shards, screws) on the road; they can penetrate the material of the tire and damage it. With tubular tires, the air escapes abruptly, with tubeless it still takes about 2 minutes until the complete loss of pressure;Tip: Caution at construction sites
  • Air pressure too low; possible consequences: higher fuel consumption, longer braking distance, tire tread may peel off at high speed
  • Minor damage to the tire; minor damage to the tire wall can lead to cracks in the long term
  • tire bead damaged; if there are small cracks or other damage between the tire wall and the rim, air can escape over time
  • Material fatigue; there is no legal regulation regarding tire material wear. Rule of thumb: After about 6 years, the material should be carefully checked; if you don’t dare to judge it by yourself, visit your Vespa dealer or another workshop
  • Potholes in the road surface; rushing into a pothole without braking may not be good for the tires.
  • flat tire due to prolonged standing; if the scooter is not moved for a longer period of time (a few weeks), this can lead to deformation of the tire (flat tire) and consequently to an irregular running of the tire
  • damaged rim; collision with a curb can damage the rim; the tire material can become minimally detached from the rim and lead to long-term loss of pressure
  • willful damage; someone intentionally punctures a tire or deflates it to harm the scooter rider

What to do in case of a tire blowout?

The most important rules:

  • stay as calm as possible
  • Do not make any brutal course corrections
  • do not start hard braking maneuvers
  • try to keep the lane with feeling
  • let the vehicle roll out
  • get off the road

So that we are not left with just the hope that a fall will go smoothly, we can take some preventive measures.

Precautions and safety measures

  • Regularly check tire condition
  • check for correct air pressure
  • wear protective clothing and sturdy shoes (There is a variety of protective clothing in the SIP Scootershop)
  • the feet/shoes are needed to maintain stability and grip (fall prevention)
  • do not ride with a flat tire: ‘He who loves his Vespa, pushes’.
  • If it must be or may be (residual air), drive only at low speed, go to the next gas station or workshop.
  • Immediately after the blowout, get off the busy street
  • in the absence of a warning sign, secure the ‘accident site’ provisionally
  • a puncture is classified as an accident if an object has been run over as the cause; a case for comprehensive insurance
  • If there is an object in the tire, leave it in; puncture spray and a mini air pump can be helpful in this case.
  • Who is in the lucky situation to possess a protection letter (ADAC, DA direct, ACE, HUK24 only as examples), which calls simply the breakdown service to assistance. Most of them operate nationwide service in Europe
  • often a Schutzbrief covers the motor scooter, if there is already a car insurance

Unfortunately, in practice, a flat tire only appears during the ride, when the scooter feels spongy and starts to lurch. Nevertheless, this is still the more favorable case.
If, on the other hand, it bangs loudly because the air suddenly leaves the tire, then it needs the “Vespa protection patron” who prevents worse. 
The only thing that is certain is that a flat tire always happens when you need it least. That’s why we prefer to leave statistics out of it, because they usually only represent half the truth.

Tip

We recommend tubeless rims. You are definitely on the safe side with this!

What can happen in the event of a tire blowout?

  • At least one fall, which, depending on the speed and external circumstances, can be serious or minor
  • other road users could be affected and put in danger
  • at high speed on the highway (and/or possibly wet road), a fall can have the most serious consequences and, in the worst case, cause permanent damage to health and even lead to death

Extra Tip

One of the leading mail order stores for scooters is www.sip-scootershop.com/en in Landsberg am Lech. They even have tires from their own production, which is very helpful at the time of international delivery problems. Just click in.

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