Solid tires unsafe at high speeds? (Zero 8X question)

jelibert

Looking to buy the zero 8x from Rev Rides….they stated that they dont sell it because solid tires are dangerous during hi speeds. They offered to sell me the 10x because according to them its the better ride and they had it in stock. Is there any truth that solid tires are dangerous during hi speeds? I did a lot of research about solid tires on electric scooters and found nothing about them being dangerous during hi speeds. I feel like they used that as an excuse to sell me the 10x. Anybody have experience with solid tires ?

justin

They definitely used to sell the 8X. I would say riding any scooter at high speed is inherently dangerous (relatively small tires, scooter geometry, etc). Solid tires tend to be worse performing in terms of grip, especially in wet conditions. Bump dampening also tends to be worse. However, I’m not aware of anything special that happens on solid tires at high speeds compared to pneumatic ones.

Timotis

I just purchased a Hero X8 - Almost identical to the Zero 8X - The soild tyres I wouldnt say are any more dangerous than any other 8″ tyre, but as Justin pointed out they have a tendency to have less grip than air filed and even more so in the wet. I dont think its the fact that they are soild thats the major issue, its more the size and its inablity to act like a 10′/11′/12′/13′ tyre. Smaller tyres just cant handle conditions like larger tyres.

I’ve had the Hero X8 for a few weeks now and for me its more ajusting to the scooter im riding rather than the area/surface im riding in or on.

I’d say buy the Zero 8X, or even look at the Hero X8……. You wont need to worry about flats, which is a big bselling point for me and this type of scooter

I did as quick review/personal thoughts on mine -
https://forum.electric-scooter.guide/d/477-hero-x8-brilliant-little-scooter

HeroX

Solid rubber tires which don’t compress anywhere near as much as air are definitely more dangerous due to the fact that nearly all of the displacement from harsh riding surface irregularities or transitions have to be absorbed almost completely by the suspension. If you are not paying attention to your riding surface at all times, you are much more likely to lose your footing when riding a scooter with solid tires.

If you were/are a street skater, then you’re fine as reading the pavement at all times has become habitual for you. Anything that means big trouble for a street skater (manhole covers, road reflectors, drainage grates, brick roads, pot holes, etc) can also spell disaster for a solid wheel scooter rider at high speed.

All that being said, I love my modded (40 mph), solid wheeled Hero scooter.

Timotis

Same, I am liking my soild tires on the Hero X8 - They are firm, but I dont give them any other thought than that….

CENTURION

When I first looked at scooters I liked the idea of a flat free solid tire, but went with tried and true pneumatic tires. I like having the option of adjusting pressures for different riding conditions. I live in a climate that gets pretty cold, and have seen solid tires, or foam lined tires on pieces of equipment, get as hard as a rock in temps below 45-50 deg. F. The compounds have probably gotten better these days. It would be interesting to see the hardness over temp range on solid tires. Scooter manufacturers seem to have found a good application for the solid tires ( I see a lot of them), never seen them on bicycles, or other electric rideables.

GTRXRider

Also depends how you define solid tyre. Honeycomb? Just one piece of rubber? Foam-filled? Do you compare it to tubeless pneumatic or tubes? Also, you can have a pneumatic in front and solid in the back, to have less chance of a flat tyre and still have at least one pneumatic.