Ride quality on country roads

[defscoot]

What I do love about the scooter with CVT is that there isn't much engine braking so you can roll off and it free wheels, then you can apply power again and it's really smooth. This is useful over bumpy areas.

With my CB125F over bumps I seem to not be able to control the throttle very well so I surge back and forth with the engine braking/accelerating etc.

Really dents my confidence on the manual geared bike when I am jerking along the road!

[Ralph]

If you are gripping the twist grip with your hand try putting your hand on top of the twist grip with fingers over the brake leaver and just your thumb round the grip, you can then get very good throttle control, it may not work for you but it does for me.

[defscoot]

If you are gripping the twist grip with your hand try putting your hand on top of the twist grip with fingers over the brake leaver and just your thumb round the grip, you can then get very good throttle control, it may not work for you but it does for me.

I'll try it, thanks!

[XP500FUN]

You may have read elsewhere I`ve really struggled with my silverwing 600 on our terrible small C roads and I will tell anyone that then fitting a Michelin City Grip rear tyre in May this year it has been a revelation.

Its not only seems to really absorb bumps so much better, but that in itself seems to really improve the handling as well.

If you can actually get near to one for your bike loose sit it on the floor and press it down and see how soft etc it is, and even sort of feel the tyre sides.

On a Silverwing they are amazing, but if you ride much in the wet they can feel a little vauge.

They don`t last as long as say a Hoop but are far more comfortable.

Not sure if it comes with those on already though, but if not really very well worth a punt.

Best Mark.

[muddyfox]

My 2014 X Max 250 came with City Grips as standard. I have a mate who's 2016 X Max 125 came with Dunlop's. Had a ride on his and I think I will be staying with the City Grips.

[MrGrumpy]

Yes, the ride quality is affected by tyres, though it can be hard to tell what works before buying!
I had an awful time on the mk4 Tmax with the B.stone SC-Ecos, but switching to Michelin Power Pure SCs produced a limo like ride. The Pilot Road 4s were somewhere between. I had a Metzeler on the front the mk1 Tmax briefly, and that seemed pretty good ridewise.

[Data]

It all depends - its not so much the sort of scoot and size of wheels, but the design of the specific scoot. Large wheeled scoots are claimed to offer better ride on bad roads, but on the two I've owned, I've never found this to be so.
In theory, the bigger scoots with bike like chassis (with engines mounted to the chassis rather than the swing arm) should be much better. However, whilst many small scoots do have hideous ride quality out of town (Burgman 200, Bev 350) big scoots aren't necessarily better! I used to own a Burgman 650 - I found that it was pretty appalling on bad bumpy country roads (and as for cobbles......) - in fact, as much of my riding is on country lanes, the bad ride and general cumbersomeness was what drove me to sell it. The Burger's twin shock rear suspension really isn't that good IMHO.
What you need is something more sophisticated, and Yes, I'm a Tmax fanatic, but the suspension and chassis are well designed. I'm not saying that the Tmax is always a paragon of comfort (and they do vary between versions), but the suspension does work reasonably competently and keeps the scoot reasonably stable on bad surfaces, and saves you from the really harsh jolts and lurches that small scoots serve up.
Its also possible to play with after market shock absorbers and fork inserts, though in many cases whilst these increase the quality of the suspension, they tend to be more sporty handling focussed than on ride quality.
btw I recall reading that smaller Xmaxs do have quite a hard ride.

What Grumpy says above! I mostly agree with this.

My Burgman 400 had 14" front and 13" rear wheels and it was pretty good on the bumpy bits, Yet my GTS300ie Vespa has 12" wheels front and back and amazingly is again very good over the bumps. This is due mainly to the front suspension using a trailing link type of setup. Bumps are not sent direcetly up the front forks. The Michelin Citigrip tyres are also a consideration regarding how good the Vespa is over the bumps and the bikes overall very stiff and strong monoquoc steel body construction. It's two and a half times as stiff as a trelliss steel frame on a maxi. So there are quite a few factors involved. Your Xmax is reputed to have a firm ride over the bumps, and it's still quite new. As the miles go on it may improve a bit over these bumps.

[defscoot]

If you are gripping the twist grip with your hand try putting your hand on top of the twist grip with fingers over the brake leaver and just your thumb round the grip, you can then get very good throttle control, it may not work for you but it does for me.

Tried this today, works great, thanks for the tip.

[defscoot]

Thanks for all the other comments regarding tyres and wheel sizes etc.

The scoot already has Michelin City Grips on, I checked earlier.

[Ralph]

I find it gives more control and is less likely to move on rough roads