Rear of scooter feels like its slipping/sliding help

Hi again,

SYM Jet 4 125cc Scooter

Recently, say the last 3 days riding my scooter I've felt my back end slipping/sliding mainly when turning corners. Now I don't ride at high speeds and have always slowed down when turning corners and this has never happened to me before.

It feels really weird and scary at times as I can feel the back end slip which makes my heart jump as it feels like the back end of the scooter its about to slip and give me a closer look at the tarmac...if you know what I mean.

It has been only a slight very brief slip/slide but more than enough to have me concerned.

I've checked the back tyre and its not loose, pressure and treads seem fine.

Any thoughts and what it could be please?

This happened to me a couple of times today, just farm stuff on the road. Ease off on the curves. Tyres aren't new are they? Also cooler temps mean tyres take longer to get warm up and get grippy.

It's that time of year. Especially if it's been dry for a few days. My 125 has been a lot less confident of late.

Had a lot of heavy rain in your area recently? When the road dries off it can get greasy

Check for oil leaks. Also wheel bearing and swing arm bushes won't always be obvious.

Even though you may have a fair bit of tread left on the tyre, it may have squared off........and are you absolutely sure that the pressure is ok? The roads are starting to cool down a bit, and overnight temperatures are dropping, which can affect the amount of grip.......have the slips happened close to home or work?......If so, the tyres may not have got up to temperature by then.....

Your engine and drive train are also acting as a swinging arm so grab the back wheel and yank it from side to side . If there is any movement or knocking then the wheel bearings or swinging arm bushes could be in need of replacement. Apart from that it could be as previously mentioned, the road is colder and damper than you are used to . Of course once it happens for the first time you are likely to tense up when cornering which may cause it to happen again .

Had a lot of heavy rain in your area recently? When the road dries off it can get greasy

I find that a lack of heavy rain combined with cold and damp conditions is what makes the roads greasy . In my opinion heavy rain washes the road clean of grease or , more probably, tyre residue .

Happens more on way home from work and could be right about the tyres not warming up but suppose it could also be grease on the roads in places, work in town centre so loads of traffic and construction vehicles about.

I'm thinking of taking it in to a garage so they can give it a full checking over. First MOT is due in December so may be worth having it checked before then anyway and make sure everything is as it should be.

Unsure if its slipping/sliding related but thought I was going to die on my way home this afternoon. Bloody wind blew me in to the oncoming lane, its like I had no control of the scooter what-so-ever when the gust of wind pounded me from the left side.

Little considered is the total mix of riding.

All the elements come together as you ride, the tyre condition, the pressure, the temperature, the suspension, the road surface, the grease on the road, loose particles on the road, each carriadgeway is different going to work and coming home, you may even be riding differently without realising it and it affects the journey now, plus an unnoticed tiredness after working all day.

Add it all together and an overall degredation of performance can happen with no obvious reason. You may never get to the bottom of this but it is likely to be several things all acting together. Try riding repeatedly over the road that causes the problem it may even be that you are taking a new line than you did before.

Even a change of a few inches in riding line can have a profound effect on handling depending on the road surface and whatever is on that surface.

We all know that ruts can spit you off and painted lines can make the bike step to the side, but some ripples in the tarmac are not clearly seen until you look for them.

I hope you get to the bottom of it.

I had this once (on a 'bigger bike') - It turned out that the FRONT tyre was low in pressure!

Could be a combination of things, not helped by you 'tensing up' as you are expecting it to happen!

I had this once (on a 'bigger bike') - It turned out that the FRONT tyre was low in pressure!

Could be a combination of things, not helped by you 'tensing up' as you are expecting it to happen!

Very good point indeed , a front end fault on a bike can very often feel like a rear end fault ( and vice versa ) So check front wheel bearings, steering head bearings and front tyre pressure as well .

Very true, a mate of mine had one of the original big Katanas.....the rear end was jumping about like a bast*rd.......turned out it was an airlock in the front ant-dive system that was causing it to "pump up" and suddenly stiffen the forks but it was felt through the back end. Took me a whole weekend to suss that one out.....