Tyresafe offers scooter safety advice

TyreSafe is providing Scooter riders with free advice and tyre maintenance tips, designed to ensure that they remain safe on the road, whatever the conditions.
“Due to their low cost of ownership and their congestion-busting ability, scooters have become an increasingly popular method of transport in recent years,” explains Stuart Jackson, chairman, TyreSafe.

“However, very often owners have not ridden any other kind of motorcycle so they may be unfamiliar with the considerable demands being placed on their tyres and the need for proper and regular maintenance.”

In order to get the best performance from their tyres, including handling, braking, acceleration and lower fuel bills, TyreSafe is recommending riders make three important weekly checks on their tyres:

“Firstly, riders should check that their tyres are inflated to the correct pressure, which can be found in the scooter’s handbook. Under-inflated tyres will wear out quicker, provide less stability and are at greater risk from overheating and suffering a rapid failure.

“Riders should also check the condition of their tyres, looking for any cuts, lumps or bulges. The tread area should also be inspected to see if any stones, nails or other objects have become embedded. If the tyre shows any of these signs, it should be checked immediately by a qualified tyre professional.

“Finally, to ensure proper grip, especially in wet conditions, riders should check that their tyres have sufficient tread depth. Scooters with less than 50cc need to have all of the grooves of the original tread pattern visible whereas those over 50cc must have at least 1mm of tread depth across the central three quarters of the tyre with visible tread on the remaining quarter.”