Tires and Tubes, Tire Valves | Pacific Cycle HR7633 guide

C. Tires and Tubes

1. Tires

Scooter tires are available in many designs and specifications, ranging from general-purpose designs to tires designed to perform best under very specific weather or terrain conditions. Your scooter has been equipped with tires which the scooter’s manufacturer felt were the best balance of performance and value for the use for which the scooter was intended. If, once you’ve gained experience with your new scooter, you feel that a different tire might better suit your riding needs, your dealer can help you select the most appropriate design.

The size, pressure rating, and on some high-performance tires the specific recommended use, are marked on the sidewall of the tire. The part of this information which is most important to you is Tire Pressure.

WARNING: Never inflate a tire beyond the maximum pressure marked on the tire’s sidewall. Exceeding the recommended maximum pressure may blow the tire off the rim, which could cause damage to the bike and injury to the rider and bystanders. The best way to inflate a scooter tire to the correct pressure is with a bicycle pump.

CAUTION: Gas station air hoses move a large volume of air very rapidly, and will raise the pressure in your tire very rapidly. To avoid over inflation when using a gas station air hose, put air into your tire in short, spaced bursts.

Tire pressure is given either as maximum pressure or as a pressure range. How a tire performs under different terrain or weather conditions depends largely on tire pressure. Inflating the tire to near its maximum recommended pressure gives the lowest rolling resistance; but also produces the harshest ride. High pressures work best on smooth, dry pavement. Very low pressures, at the bottom of the recommended pressure range, give the best performance on smooth, slick terrain such as hard-packed clay, and on deep, loose surfaces such as deep, dry sand. Tire pressure that is too low for your weight and the riding conditions can cause a puncture of the tube by allowing the tire to deform sufficiently to pinch the inner tube between the rim and the riding surface.

CAUTION: Pencil type automotive tire gauges and gas station air hose pressure settings can be inaccurate and should not be relied upon for consistent, accurate pressure readings. Instead, use a high quality dial gauge.

Check inflation as described in you’ll know how correctly inflated tires should look and feel. Some tires may need to be brought up to pressure every week or two.

Some special high-performance tires have unidirectional treads: their tread pattern is designed to work better in one direction than in the other. The sidewall marking of a unidirectional tire will have an arrow showing the correct rotation direction. If your bike has unidirectional tires, be sure that they are mounted to rotate in the correct direction.

2. Tire Valves

The tire valve allows air to enter the tire’s inner tube under pressure, but doesn’t let it back out unless you want it to. There are primarily two kinds of scooter tube valves (actually, there are other designs, but they are seldom seen in the US any more): The Schraeder Valve and the Presta Valve. The scooter pump you use must have the fitting appropriate to the valve stems on your scooter.

The Schraeder is like the valve on a car tire. To inflate a Schraeder valve tube, remove the valve cap and push the air hose or pump fitting onto the end of the valve stem. To let air out of a Schraeder valve, depress the pin in the end of the valve stem with the end of a key or other appropriate object.

The Presta valve has a narrower diameter and is only found on scooter tires. To inflate a Presta valve tube using a Presta headed scooter pump, remove the valve cap; unscrew (counterclockwise) the valve stem lock nut; and push down on the valve stem to free it up. Then push the pump head on to the valve head, and inflate. To inflate a Presta valve with a gas station air hose, you’ll need a Presta adapter (available at your bike shop) which screws on to the valve stem once you’ve freed up the valve. The adapter fits the end of the air hose fitting. Close the valve after inflation. To let air out of a Presta valve, open up the valve stem lock nut and depress the valve stem.