8 inch tyres for Vespa & Lambretta
- at SIP Scootershop
From the airfield straight onto the road. The wideframe and largeframe Vespa scooters of the 50s and 60s all rode and still ride on 8" tyres. Among them are such famous Vesps as the Faro Basso, the APE Calessiono or even the popular Vespa 150 VBB. We stock tyres with classic tread for original lovers and slicks for racing, winter tyres for cold days and sports tyres for the best cornering. We also have special tyres such as whitewall tyres or tyres with a high speed index.
Which 8 inch tyre suits me?
Tyres are the contact point of the scooter with the road and are decisive for grip, ride, handling, comfort and wear. There is the right tread or rubber compound for every type of use. There are scooter tyres for almost every application. We have tried to divide the different tyres into classes. We distinguish:
Classic tyres: These all-season tyres make the look of a classic car perfect! The classic honeycomb tread not only has a nostalgic look, but definitely also a good grip. These profiles usually have a long history or are based on it. The stars here are the MICHELIN S83, the CONTINENTAL Classic, the PIRELLI SC30 and the SIP Classic, which is unique in the segment with its approval for speeds of up to 150 km/h.
Whitewall tyres: Similar to the Classic tyres, the whitewall tyres also contribute to the retro look of the scooter. The flair of the 50s and 60s is palpable here. Whitewall tyres are not only available with the classic tread, but some also have a sportier or all-weather tread. Only a few manufacturers have mastered the art of ensuring that a whitewall tyre does not turn yellow in the sun. CONTINENTAL is the leader in whitewall tyres. But KENDA, MITAS, SHINKO and CST are also popular here.
Sport tyres: An absolute must for the sporty rider. The slightly softer compound compared to the classic or all-weather tyres gives the sport tyre an incredible grip on the road. Especially nice on tours when the next serpentine is calling! Tuned engines often need tyres with a higher speed index. Our most popular sports tyres are the SIP Performer, the HEIDENAU K80 and the evergreen MICHELIN S1.
Cross tyres: Rough off-road tyres that make a trip with the cross scooter into uneven terrain perfect. For optimal grip, there are different tread requirements depending on the terrain.
Special features in the world of 8 inch tyres
Wide tyres: Wide tyres are particularly popular in the Vespa scene. They are significantly wider than the original tyres and require special rims or conversion kits for a track-following and safe installation. On a 10" basis, the 100 tyres are possible at the front. At the rear, the 120 and 130 widths are the racers.
The SIP tubeless rims 11" allow even more blatant but stylish conversions. The 12" conversion kit was born from the SIP custom scooter Basterd and is the current end of the tyre spectrum for classic Vespas.
Complete wheelsThe tyre change becomes plug & play. The SIP complete wheels are pre-mounted tyres on rims. They are available with SIP steel or SIP tubeless rims for Vespa or Lambretta scooters. The tyres are ready to ride and are also perfect as spare wheels.
Tyre fitting service: Some customers want to combine other tyres and rims beyond our complete wheels. We are happy to do this work: provided the combinations fit together.
What does the tyre labelling on 8 inch tyres mean?
Example: 3 .50-8 59J (by inch designation)
3.50 Tyre width in inches (1 inch = 25.4mm)
8 Rim diameter in inches
59 Load index
J Speed index
What do the additional indications on the sidewalls of 8 inch tyres mean?
Dot number: The last 4 digits indicate the production date. So, for example, 4503 means 45 KW in2003
TL: Tubeless indicates use without a tube. However, this type of tyre can be used with an inner tube without any problems.
TT: This specifically indicates the use of an inner tube!
R, rf, XL or extra load: Reinforced refers to tyres with reinforced carcasses and thus increased load capacity.
What does the load and speed index mean?
The load index (also load index, load index or LI value) indicates the maximum load a tyre may be subjected to. The speed index (also speed index, speed category, speed class, SI value or GSY) indicates the maximum permissible speed of a tyre. The load index and speed index can be found on the side of the tyre.
Speed index | J | K | L | M | N | O | P |
V (km/h) | 100 | 110 | 120 | 130 | 130 | 140 | 150 |
Table part 1
Load index | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 |
Load per tyre (kg) | 136 | 140 | 145 | 150 | 155 | 160 | 165 | 170 | 175 | 180 |
Table Part 2
Load Index | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 |
Load per tyre (kg) | 185 | 190 | 195 | 200 | 206 | 112 | 218 | 224 | 230 |
Example: A tyre marked 120/70-12 51L has a load capacity of 195 kg at a maximum speed of 120 km/h. If the speed increases to 150 km/h, the load capacity of the tyre is reduced by 75 %, i.e. 146 kg.
If the speed increases to 150 km/h, the load capacity of the tyre is reduced to 75 %, in our case to 146 kg.
What manufacturers are there for 8 inch tyres?
From the abundance of manufacturers and brands, we have built up a range that, in our opinion, combines the best manufacturers, the most sizes and the widest range of use. The manufacturers are deliberately not the cheapest noname brands, but all companies whose decades of scooter and motorbike experience come into play in the development of scooter tyres:
SIP: Our house tyres are manufactured for us by well-known tyre manufacturers. The SIP Performance ty re has become one of the most popular sports tyres in the Vespa sector. The SIP Performance tyres and also the Classic tyres are approved for speeds up to 150 km/h. A must for tuners and unique for classic tyres.
CONTINENTALThe German traditional manufacturer provides a price-performance ratio for scooter tyres of all models and sizes that is hard to beat. The LB 8 tyre is the classic tyre and is also available as a whitewall tyre.
HEIDENAUMade in Germany is the name of the game at Reifenwerke HEIDENAU! They have the highest standards of production and quality. Due to the wide range of sizes and classes, Heidenau tyres are probably the most widely represented in the scooter sector. HEIDENAU is particularly strong in all-weather tyres.
MICHELINMICHELIN has a long history in scooter tyres. The S83 is a classic.
MITAS: The Slovenian tyre manufacturer MITAS is one of the leading producers of motorbike and scooter tyres in Europe and has been selling tyres worldwide with great success for almost 100 years now. Even whitewall tyres come off the production line there. MITAS also offers road tyres with a good price-performance ratio and popular semislicks.
KENDAKENDA was founded in 1962 as a bicycle tyre manufacturer. As a leading original equipment manufacturer for scooter manufacturers such as Peugeot and Kymco, KENDA tyres are produced under very high quality standards.
SHINKOThe Japanese SHINKO Company was founded in 1946. After the merger with the Korean SHIN HUNG Company, SHINKO tyres became high-impact quality tyres: manufactured with Japanese technology and superior Korean craftsmanship.
VEE RUBBER: Since 1977, the Thai tyre company VEE RUBBER has been manufacturing tyres for scooters, bicycles and motorbikes. Especially for 8" sc ooters, VEE RUBBER has some nice tyres in its range.
Safety: what tread depth should I pay attention to with 8 inch tyres?
According to the law, the tyre tread depth must be at least 1.6 mm, otherwise the tyre must be replaced. However, a tread depth of at least 1 mm is sufficient for bicycles with auxiliary motors, mopeds and light motorbikes. To make this easier to see, some tread grooves have small protrusions, the so-called TWIs = tread wear indicators. These indicate the remaining tread depth, which can vary depending on the manufacturer. A scooter rider who rides with less than 1.6 mm tread depth has fallen below the legal limit (StVZO §36: Tyres and treads, Article 2) and must expect a fine and points in the central traffic register.
If the tread depth is low, the tyre's grip decreases significantly in wet conditions. The tyres can no longer displace the water film. They lose contact with the road, and the vehicle can no longer be steered and braked. Therefore, do not wear tyres down to the legal minimum tread depth. Depending on the width of the tyres, replace them at the latest at 2 to 2.5 mm, winter tyres already at about 4 mm remaining tread depth.
Technical tip: Converting from 8" to 10" tyres?
Converting from 8" tyres to 10" tyres will significantly improve the chassis quality of your Oldie Vespa. Better ground clearance, more cornering ability, optimised straight-line stability, longer gear ratios and a much wider range of mountable tyres are the rewards of this conversion. In general, the change to a 10" base for front or rear produces a much more stable braking effect than the smaller suspension system. There are several possibilities for conversion:
PX engine and 10" conversion steering column.
Brake drum conversion kit from 8" to 10"
Conversion rims from 8" to 10
More information about tyres can be found in our technical blog Tyres.