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How do you guys feel about mismatched tires? The rear on my DRZSM is dead and the front is hardly even scrubbed in, most of my riding is just commuting.. and i'm poor. I don't really wanna put another D208 on there just so it can round off straight away and die in 3500km's. and two, I had always planned on a Pilot road 2 on the rear, and maybe a pilot power on the front. After looking around the Road 2 comes in 150/70 instead of 150/60, apparently its about 12mm taller(radius?) With a hard rubber and stiff sidewall i think it should be ok?
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Aug 20, 2009 13:59
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It's not a good idea to mix different brands of tyres and tyre manufacturers go as far as to say you shouldn't mix different tyres from one brand. Tyres are designed to work as a pair so running two different tyres can adversely affect the handling. That said, I know you can mix Pilot Roads and Pilot Powers without too much trouble. I've run an old Metzler sportec (M3?) with a BT-021 rear before and the bike was definitely less stable than when it was on Metzler front and rears or Bridgestone front and rears.
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Aug 20, 2009 14:09
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Dubs posted:How do you guys feel about mismatched tires? Modern tyres tend to be much more tolerant of mismatching than they were, say, 10 years ago. My only concern would be that you're talking about a SM - wide bars, high CofG, skittish. Certainly I've never had a problem with mismatched tyres in recent years. The only way is to try it out and see what happens. BTW, personally I'd put 400-specific rubber on that bike, e.g. BT090 or what I use on my CBR400, Dunlop Alpha 10s. I found using tyres designed for big sportsbikes on my old Duke II didn't work on the road - suspect the carcass was too stiff for a light, low-powered bike. If you want cheap, Maxxis do a supermoto style dual purpose tyre IIRC. Usually available on e-bay.
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Aug 21, 2009 11:45
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Dubs posted:How do you guys feel about mismatched tires? I thought I replied to this, anyways...I pretty much cover this in the OP. You'll be fine. You may need to run lower pressures than you would elsewhere to get good grip out of the tires. On the questionable use of tires like that on a "light" bike, my SV doesn't significantly outweigh a DRZ and is set up with super aggressive steering geometry without an issue. Z3n fucked around with this message at 15:26 on Aug 21, 2009 |
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Aug 21, 2009 15:24
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I found out that Dunlop have discontinued the D208 so i could throw a,uh i want to say GPRA100? on it or grab a new set. I think i'll just grab a set of pilot powers, or a set of battlax 021's/pilot road 2's when my tax cheque clears. Does anyone have experience with any of those? I know that on the BT021's only the rear is dual compound. Avons, Maxxis and continental are preety much unheard of around here as i asked today. vvvvvv Z3n posted:I'm not exactly sure what the GPRA-10 corresponds to in the US, but it looks like it's a track tire for smaller displacement bikes? I don't think we even get that out here... I looked it up. Its the GPR-100, its just a sport/tourer tyre. Dubs fucked around with this message at 17:08 on Aug 21, 2009 |
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Aug 21, 2009 15:44
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I'm not exactly sure what the GPRA-10 corresponds to in the US, but it looks like it's a track tire for smaller displacement bikes? I don't think we even get that out here... What sort of riding do you want to do? If it's more road stuff, I'd get the PR2s, if it's general hooliganery, I'd probably go with what you already have, if you like it. The first generation pilot powers are also a good tire that can be found for cheap, but be aware that they have a very triangulated profile and could make an SM feel unstable. Continential is just breaking into the US market, Maxxis is Cheng Shin, and Avon seems to be far more popular in Europe than in the US or elsewhere.
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Aug 21, 2009 16:52
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re:Car Tires on motorcycles. I saw this posted in the pictures/video thread a few months back. Too scary for me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaIj1XrmvLM
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Aug 21, 2009 17:16
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Does anyone in the motocross/dual sport crowd have personal experience with the TUbliss system, and if so how do you like it?
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Aug 22, 2009 01:06
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blugu64 posted:re:Car Tires on motorcycles. I saw this posted in the pictures/video thread a few months back. Too scary for me. It isn't the square profile that scares me, it is the fact that car tires are designed to last 20-80 thousand miles. That is some hard rubber. Even the sport tires are too hard. People who do this, especially in the videos, are those who are hiking boot wearing fools without any sense beyond the cent. I have no problem with using cheap tires (IRC) on my 12hp Derbi Supermotard as I physically can't over-power my tires. On my Honda 599 though, I have no qualms with dumping over a hundred bucks a tire. I can't fathom someone who has spent the monies necessary to obtain a Goldwing yet insists on skimping on tires. If you're cheap, be gentle on that blessed rubber you have.
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Aug 22, 2009 09:36
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Terminus Est posted:It isn't the square profile that scares me, it is the fact that car tires are designed to last 20-80 thousand miles. That is some hard rubber. Even the sport tires are too hard. People who do this, especially in the videos, are those who are hiking boot wearing fools without any sense beyond the cent. What amazes me is the people who insist that gardening gloves are as good as riding gloves when it comes to abrasion resistance. 
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Aug 22, 2009 19:17
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Z3n posted:What amazes me is the people who insist that gardening gloves are as good as riding gloves when it comes to abrasion resistance. That's probably true if you are gardening.
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Aug 23, 2009 00:26
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It's Motorcycle Tire Ask/Tell time! Tell me about Avon Gripsters. I ride a KLR650, and after a bit of a plop into a mudhole that required a good deal of wrenching to set right, am saving future off-road learning for when I pick up a light little 250 something. I want a tire that can handle your basic dirt/gravel roads, is competent on the street and lasts a while, and from what I've read the Gripster fits the bill. For reference, I'm happy with the crappy stock Dunlops, the TKC80 I have on the back now performs admirably but vibrates the rear end a bit at highway speeds (this may be due to poor balancing), but I'd like something that lasts a bit longer and don't really need a knobby. I am a rather conservative rider. Failing the Gripster, any suggestions? I'll need two tires before too terribly long.
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Aug 23, 2009 00:54
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Check out the Shinko 244s, just spooned a pair on the KLR and have about 500 on them, so far they seem pretty settled on the curves, especially for a knobbie. Anyway the price is right, I got the front & rear for $67 and threw in a tire iron that got it to the lower limit for free shipping. People seem to have had good luck with the Shinko 705's too
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Aug 23, 2009 01:09
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I've been looking to http://www.standoutnet.com/extras/mike/motorcycles/klr650/tires/ for advice about tires on a KLR. They speak highly of the Gripsters if you're gonna stick to street. They're on my list for street tires if/when I decide to go that route on my bike. I have a set of Metzler Enduro 3 Saharas on order to get me through some touring with offroad in the middle that I've got coming up. 
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Aug 23, 2009 04:10
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EvilDonald posted:Tell me about Avon Gripsters. I put them on my KLR, and for the riding I did on them I was happy. Noticeably better road grip than the stocks, felt reasonable in the gravel. Word on the nets is they poo poo the bed in the mud, so I never took them into any. Yes, the tread "arrows" are supposed to point in opposite directions on the front and back.
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Aug 23, 2009 05:59
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Question for you guys buying tubeless radials online: How are you getting them on your bike? Has anyone had any luck mounting with a set of tire spoons? I bought an '06 Z750S early this year and it's past due for tires. I've always mounted my own (all bias-ply tube-type tires) on my old CB750 and various dirtbikes but never tubeless radials on cast rims. I am very hesitant to attempt it mainly due the cost of the tires/rims and fact they most likely will need to be properly balanced. None of the dealerships will touch a tire you bring in for any price, you gotta buy from them. They claim it's for insurance reasons (convenient). I wouldn't have a problem with this if it weren't for the fact that most of the tires sold locally have at least a 50% markup over what I find online. P.S. - I know it's a longshot since most of you guys are on the west coast but if someone has a line on a decent shop in the Central, AL area that will mount bring-ins for a reasonable fee I'm all ears.
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Aug 23, 2009 09:06
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UFS207 posted:Question for you guys buying tubeless radials online: It's definitely possible, but it can be difficult. The biggest thing I'd be concerned about is breaking the bead, from that it'd just be careful slow going to make sure you don't destroy the rims. The dealerships are just making their money on tires like that...it's gougey as gently caress, and what some tend to do. I have a friend who did a set on his R1 with just hand tools. Thread here.
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Aug 23, 2009 15:34
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Z3n posted:The biggest thing I'd be concerned about is breaking the bead
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Aug 23, 2009 16:45
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I use a high lift jack and a car bumper to break the bead on my tires. Use a block of wood to keep the jack from slipping onto the rim and gouging it. It's worked for all my tire changes (4 so far).
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Aug 24, 2009 23:54
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UFS207 posted:P.S. - I know it's a longshot since most of you guys are on the west coast but if someone has a line on a decent shop in the Central, AL area that will mount bring-ins for a reasonable fee I'm all ears. Go register over at Alabama Sportbike. There are several members and shops who will install tires for you for either a discount or a six pack. I believe the dude in Hoover charges $40. They also have a shop review forum so you can find a decent place. Where in Alabama are you?
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Aug 25, 2009 15:12
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frozenphil posted:Go register over at Alabama Sportbike. There are several members and shops who will install tires for you for either a discount or a six pack. I believe the dude in Hoover charges $40. They also have a shop review forum so you can find a decent place. Will do, thanks much. I'm in Tuscaloosa. Also, thanks for the link, Z3n.
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Aug 25, 2009 19:09
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ranathari posted:It's not a good idea to mix different brands of tyres and tyre manufacturers go as far as to say you shouldn't mix different tyres from one brand. Tyres are designed to work as a pair so running two different tyres can adversely affect the handling. It is a LOT less of an issue these days as mentioned before. I've ridden over 30k miles with a knobbie (TKC80 or equivalent) on the front and from a more street orientated Ahnkee to a pilot road on the back with no real issues. This is actually a populat type of setup for DS bikes, especially heavier ones because it gives you the grip offroad that you need on the front but longer lasting rubber on the rear. There are also a lot of guys running different models and manuafactureres on the front and rear. It is about personalizing the performance you want from the bike. A lot of the combinations have a strong front tire and weak rear, or the otherway around. It isn't a bad think anymore, millions of miles each year proves it's a valid setup. They say it's bad so you buy their stuff, not because there is an actual problem with it.
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Aug 25, 2009 21:29
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blugu64 posted:re:Car Tires on motorcycles. I saw this posted in the pictures/video thread a few months back. Too scary for me. Darkside riders (their nickname) have been popular with the heavy bikes for a long time. Goldwings and harleys have been doing it it for a looong time. It's actually better these days with symetrical high performance tires than it ever was. I've ridden an FJR with a car tire on the rear and you get used to normal riding within a few miles. spirited riding is completely doable and safe but requires more steering input to get into it and hold your line. Nothing dangerous and very similar to the wide motorcycle tires so popular today with customs. The only complaint I've read about is making sure to slow down in heavy rain as you would hydroplane easier but considering more than a few Iron Butt competitors run them with no problems I don't see a real issue with them as long as you are comfortable with it. Here is another good video that shows it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQtlt-HFFoo I'd never put one on a sport bike because that's all about cornering, but for a heavy bike like a goldwing or similar it is actually a decent idea.
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Aug 25, 2009 21:38
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Tindjin posted:Darkside riders (their nickname) have been popular with the heavy bikes for a long time. Goldwings and harleys have been doing it it for a looong time. It's actually better these days with symetrical high performance tires than it ever was. I've ridden an FJR with a car tire on the rear and you get used to normal riding within a few miles. spirited riding is completely doable and safe but requires more steering input to get into it and hold your line. Nothing dangerous and very similar to the wide motorcycle tires so popular today with customs. I still wouldn't trust one to come back after a slide like a motorcycle tire. The more you lean it, the more it reduces contact patch. Dragging floorboards is a lovely way of judging lean and stick. The guy who wadded it into a wall on our ride on sunday had used nothing but the rear brake for quite awhile and hadn't had any problems with it, it doesn't make it a good idea. The tire isn't similar in the slightest to the wide tires you see on customs. It's using a much harder rubber compound, a different design for belts and plies, and is simply not designed for that use, not to mention the complete and total difference in profile. It's lucky for the people who ride these tires that their bikes don't lean over that far, and they can't ride off the edge of the tire...
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Aug 25, 2009 22:12
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I'm going to be needing new tires soon, and I have a quick question. I've read lots of good things about Avon Distanzias, but I have a strange front tire size. I need a 110-80R18, and that means I would need to mount a "rear" Distanzia backwards up front to fit. Someone on ADV has the same bike with the same setup and likes it, but I wanted to hear your take on it. As I understand it, using a rear in the front is ok as long as it's reversed to accept load (braking) in the correct direction, as the rear tire gets most of it's force directed forward and vice versa. The main pitfalls as I understand them are 1.) the tread is reversed, making it act strange in the rain* 2.) no dealership will mount one like that. For what it's worth, it would be Distanzias or the OEM replacement tires, which are Dunlop K505s. The bike is a 92 Nighthawk 750. *ADV guy says they're just fine in the rain ** ** I live in Portland
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Aug 27, 2009 06:41
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VeritableQuandary posted:I'm going to be needing new tires soon, and I have a quick question. I've read lots of good things about Avon Distanzias, but I have a strange front tire size. I need a 110-80R18, and that means I would need to mount a "rear" Distanzia backwards up front to fit. Someone on ADV has the same bike with the same setup and likes it, but I wanted to hear your take on it. Why not just buy a tire that actually comes in that size for a front? Are you going to be doing a bunch of offroading? Distanzias are popular because they allow you to trek off the beaten path and not be completely overwhelmed. With that in mind, it seems like ADV riders have their own contigent of squids who think that if a sportbike's tires touch dirt, the bike will immediately burst into flame. Up what most people consider dirt (fire roads and hard packed dirt), you can run just about anything up with some respect to the conditions. Hell, our very own Tsaven is running a virago down dirt roads like no one's business. The only tires I've ever run backwards have been track tires that have a design that allows them to run backwards without destroying the belts. If you absolutely had to, it's probably not the end of the world, but...why? Just run a tire that comes in the right size. Z3n fucked around with this message at 15:36 on Aug 27, 2009 |
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Aug 27, 2009 15:30
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The Bridgestone BT45 and the Pirelli Sportdemon both come in those sizes. Both would be better choices than running some tire backward.
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Aug 27, 2009 16:45
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UFS207 posted:Question for you guys buying tubeless radials online: I just mounted a 19" and a 16" tubeless on my bike with a set of 8" spoons last night. Some rubber safe lubricant was applied, and it wasn't so bad. You'll want a 2nd person, though, to keep it well in the drop zone while you're working the last 25%, though. I did use one of these to get the old tire off: http://www.wikco.com/images/mc200a.jpg Balancing was also pretty easy with one of these: http://www.marcparnes.com/Honda_Motorcycle_Wheel_Balancer.htm Has anyone heard anything about Dyna Beads? http://www.innovativebalancing.com/ I was recommended to use them by the guy who's garage I used, but I went with tweaking my existing wheel weight just a tad, and I haven't noticed any vibration up to 60mph yet.
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Aug 28, 2009 04:47
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UserNotFound posted:Has anyone heard anything about Dyna Beads? http://www.innovativebalancing.com/ I was recommended to use them by the guy who's garage I used, but I went with tweaking my existing wheel weight just a tad, and I haven't noticed any vibration up to 60mph yet. They do seem to work though, I've noticed that they sometimes take a second or so to balance out when accelerating, so you may have an instant of vibration before it smooths out. They say it's better to put too much in, as the excess will balance themselves around the tire, while not enough won't have enough mass to do the job.
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Aug 28, 2009 15:28
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Retarded Pimp posted:The biggest problem is that they're a pain in the rear end to put in and if you spill any, you're going to be picking up 1/2 mm beads until your back gives out because those little bastards bounce EVERYFUCKINGWHERE. Aptartment parking lot is where I do my work, so as long as I don't need what I spill, it's not a problem 
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Aug 28, 2009 17:46
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not sure whether to put this in the questions thread or the tire thread, but since it's a question about tires, I figure here's as good a place as any. My rear tire (tyre, I suppose, since I'm in the UK) is squaring off pretty nicely. I'm planning on doing a weeklong trip to France at the end of September that should be somewhere around 4000km (2500mi). Should I think about putting new tires on before I go, or just turning my OEM Pirelli Diablos (not Corsas) into cubes on this trip and replacing them when I get back? The tyres have about 6100 miles on them now and while the rear still has decent tread on the sides, the middle is getting pretty worn down (lots of highway commuting!) There's a shop with a really good deal on Avon Storm ST's and they sound pretty decent. I was thinking about Pilot Road 2's for the harder center compound, but they're hard to find in 110/70 17 for the front and are quite expensive compared to that Avon deal. What do you guys think?
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Aug 31, 2009 18:58
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Linedance posted:not sure whether to put this in the questions thread or the tire thread, but since it's a question about tires, I figure here's as good a place as any. Aren't the pilot road 2s like, 300 pounds for a set in the UK? Is your trip going to be more slab or more twisty? If it's more twisty, I'd consider springing for the Road 2s, but if it's gonna be mostly upright stuff I'd get the Avons. You shouldn't have any problems running a 120/70-17 on your front tire, if you wanted to get the roads. From everything I've read, the Storms are very popular sport touring tires over there, and if they're 50% of the price of the roads, even if you replace them before the road 2 you'll still be saving quite a bit of money.
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Aug 31, 2009 19:29
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Nerobro posted:Bridgestone bT45's or perelli sport demons. Oh hey, just wanted to give a belated thanks - I got the BT45's installed last week, and have been really happy with them so far =)
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Aug 31, 2009 19:41
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Nerobro posted:Bridgestone bT45's or perelli sport demons. 
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Aug 31, 2009 20:18
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Mechanism Eight posted:On the subject of Sport Demons I've just been out for the first ride after replacing my GS500's squared-off rear tyre. My word, it's like it can actually handle again Yeah, I did my tires and my clutch in the same weekend, and it's not like riding a 27 year old bike anymore! I've also put about 300 miles on the tires so far, and officially have chicken strips, although I'm not certain that even if I put a peg down, they'd go away: another ride said I got 'pretty close', and there's no sign of wear the last 3/4" on the rear tire. It's nice though not to have to balance on the squared off corner in a turn now, it just tracks true all the way through the lean.
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Aug 31, 2009 20:24
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Z3n posted:Aren't the pilot road 2s like, 300 pounds for a set in the UK? Most of the big distance will be upright. My manual lists 120/65 as an alternative front size, but the Road 2's don't come in 65 profile. I don't really want to mess with the stock sizes too much, because I enjoy the way the front handles now. In any case, I found another shop that sells a set of Road 2's for just over £200 in my size (£210 shipped). So roughly £50 difference between the Avons and Michelins for a set. I'm leaning towards the Michelins, for fairly arbitrary reasons. Both seem to have good wet and cold weather grip (high silica content rubber), just not sure about the wear on the Avons and if they'll square off as bad as my Pirellis compared to the Michelins. I read some very positive reviews of the Avons, but from FJR1300 riders and that's a completely different beast compared to my Pegaso.
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Aug 31, 2009 20:38
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I'd go with the roads at that price, honestly. I thought they'd be more expensive. You can run the 120/70 and probably won't notice a difference from the size difference, just the difference from the PRs profile and construction. I don't usually notice the difference because I'm changing tire compounds/brands as well as size.
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Aug 31, 2009 22:38
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Alright someone link me to a good set of tire irons. I just tried to put that Metzler rear I bought on the KLR, and after a ton of swearing I finally got the tire on the rim - only to find out that I destroyed the tube in the process. The tube held air long enough to seat the bead, but let all the air go by the time I could find my air pressure gauge. I blame both my incompetence and the gigantic tire irons I picked up at Harbor Freight. Anyway, the wheel is coming with me to work tomorrow, and I'll try to find someone to slap a new tube in it over my lunch break.
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Sep 1, 2009 05:07
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Motion Pro tire spoon http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/4/65/4482/ITEM/Motion-Pro-Spoon-Tire-Iron.aspx I'd recommend one of these too, a bead buddy, it hooks onto a spoke and keeps the bead inside the rim while you're getting the rest of the tire in. http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/4/65/4458/ITEM/Motion-Pro-Bead-Buddy-Tire-Tool.aspx Retarted Pimple fucked around with this message at 13:40 on Sep 1, 2009 |
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Sep 1, 2009 13:37
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sklnd posted:...and after a ton of swearing I finally got the tire on the rim - only to find out that I destroyed the tube in the process. Check this page out. http://www.ktm950.info/how/tire_change/neduro_tire_change.html
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Sep 1, 2009 17:30
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