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So what's the best brand/model tires for the C10?
- Thread starter dano44
- Start date
slybonesjesse
Sport Tourer
Greg said:
Short answer is yes to Radials. Bias ply are old skool.
Short answer to Avons or BT45's its, its up to YOUR priorities. What is right for YOU.
Having said that I am probably sticking with BT-45's, a bias ply tire. Thinking of the same groups of tires I mentioned above and plotting them on a line I would put ME880 type Wing Tires on one end, with Avons on the other ened. I would put Pilot GT Wing Tires ( not longer available ) in the middle. Having personally used K700/701, ME880's, Pilot GT's, D205's and BT45's I would plot the BT45s down on the performance end near the Avons. I have not used the Avons, but I have used the D205 High Performance Z rated Radial tires. BT45's are down on this end if the spectrum. I would still give the edge to the Avons simply because they are Z rated radials versus V rated bias. But in the overall plot were drawing the BT45s are on this end right behind them versus down where the Pilot GT's are, and no where near where the ME880's are.
To that end, are you willing to spend a little more and slightly less tire life to push a bit further up the graph. Or is spending a little less and getting 1-2K better mileage worth being a bit lower on the graph.
For me I ride like an old grandpa so I can give up the slight performance loss to save money and gain a extra K or two before having to change out the short lived rear tires. An still use tires on this end of the spectum. -- I would consider going back to a Wing tire if there were any that matched up to the Pilot GT. This is where I draw the line on the graph. I will not go back to an ME880 type Wing tire. That includes Dunlop Elite 3 and a few others I have ridden on fellow COG members bikes. -- I wish I knew where the Avon Venoms were on that scale. I have yet to read a Venom versus GT comparison.
So for now its BT-45 for me.
And one more plug for the 17" rear. As this opens up a modern set of matched tires that pushes our scale we just made to a new level, with Avons ( Storm / Azaro combo ) no longer being head of the list.
dennisjohntom
Big Wheel
Well, for what it's worth... In July 2011...
When I went to get new tires, my dealership said the AVON STORMS were discontinued. His distributor recommended the AVON tire ROADRIDER, which I bought. The 110/80 cost me $136.00 and the 150/80 cost me $180.00. So far so good. Enjoy the Ride. Dennis 8)
When I went to get new tires, my dealership said the AVON STORMS were discontinued. His distributor recommended the AVON tire ROADRIDER, which I bought. The 110/80 cost me $136.00 and the 150/80 cost me $180.00. So far so good. Enjoy the Ride. Dennis 8)
I just mounted a Shinko 777 rear tire. I can tell already that it has more traction than the K701 it replaced and surprisingly the wiggle over rain grooves is gone. I always thought it was the front tire that caused that. I have only about 400 miles on it, but I can guess it will last as least as long as the Dunlop that I removed that was worn at 5K. It was very affordable too. I still have a K700 on the front and even though mixing radial and bias are supposed to be forbidden, the bike is handling great.
greg.m784
Street Cruiser
My new Avon's arrive today. I can't wait. I'm concerned i won't notice a difference.
However, yesterday's ride (290 miles of twisties) didn't feel right. I stopped and verified tire pressures even. The bike didn't feel sure footed at all. I have 700/701 (OEM's) on it, and they are at the TWI's. Front is mildly cupped, and on the 'lows', it is bald. I knew this was the last ride on the tires, and it grew into more of a ride (miles wise) than intended.
Will the Sport2/AV46 feel more stout in the corners? More confidence inspiring? I love the bike, and can't wait for next weekend's ride.
However, yesterday's ride (290 miles of twisties) didn't feel right. I stopped and verified tire pressures even. The bike didn't feel sure footed at all. I have 700/701 (OEM's) on it, and they are at the TWI's. Front is mildly cupped, and on the 'lows', it is bald. I knew this was the last ride on the tires, and it grew into more of a ride (miles wise) than intended.
Will the Sport2/AV46 feel more stout in the corners? More confidence inspiring? I love the bike, and can't wait for next weekend's ride.
slybonesjesse
Sport Tourer
WillyP said:
The same improvement in steering effort and light steering I got going from Pilot GT's to the D205's and BT45's is about the same improvement I got when going from ME880's to Pilot GT's. Back in the day before the GT's and ME880's were the thing for Wing Tars, people who went from the Avons to the 880's direction musta really been in for a shock.
Dude, they are going to feel so good you;re not gonna think you need to take it easy and break em in... but do give them a chance to get scrubbed in before you go completely nuts on em. I know you're gonna want to.Greg said:My new Avon's arrive today. I can't wait. I'm concerned i won't notice a difference.
However, yesterday's ride (290 miles of twisties) didn't feel right. I stopped and verified tire pressures even. The bike didn't feel sure footed at all. I have 700/701 (OEM's) on it, and they are at the TWI's. Front is mildly cupped, and on the 'lows', it is bald. I knew this was the last ride on the tires, and it grew into more Uh huh
Will the Sport2/AV46 feel more stout in the corners? More confidence inspiring? I love the bike, and can't wait for next weekend's ride.
So DFW has not changed much. I was on I 20 between DnF in 1976 the year I got my drivers license. It was my first drive in DFW rush hour traffic. That means you are either stopped or doing 85mph bumper to bumper. We were doing the 85 when a pot hole the size of a VW bug appeared in my lane. No way to miss it and not hit another car so woooopydooo. Hey I survived. Had another pot hole on the same stretch bust a rim a few years later. I gave up and moved.cra-z1000 said:
mach1charlie
Big Wheel
love my kenda kruse 160/80 110/90. have 9k on em, looks like they will go 12-15k. sure footed in the rain and I have leaned em over so far in the twisties, I wear the front "nubs" off the bags. About $150 for the pair.
06conrad
Road Bike
After 27+K in my first year and being down to first layer peal off (and with an inspection nearing with my 1st year anniversary) on my second set of Dunlop 700/701's I just placed an order for the Avon Venom AM41 and AM42 bias set. I wore the first set out in the middle rear and had lots of cupping on the front. Being a commuter in DFW I ran both sets down to nuthin!
The second set went on with MBREWS help and with dyna beads for ballancing. 1oz front 2oz's rear. I really like the beads and although the second set got much more aggressive action and 3 good distance runs they lasted about the same so I count that as a reccomendation FOR the beads. I did wear out much more of the sides both front and rear now that I am comfortable on the bike. I am soon to move to Texarkana as a great job opportunity has surfaced. My commute of 100 miles + daily across DFW will be transformed into a weekend dash to our Mansfield home (250ish 1 way) where Kitty will be finishing school for the next 10 months and a monthly run to Hot Springs Village to visit Mom. ( the main reason for a relocation) I hope to stay in the 25,000 mile yearly area but will add some twisted diversions to the mix! Better mileage and handling from the GL1500 sized Avons is my hope and the future will tell for sure! I will try and post thoughts on the Avons as I can.
(corrected yearly to 25,000) I am at nearly 25K since I got the bike Oct 25th last year.
The second set went on with MBREWS help and with dyna beads for ballancing. 1oz front 2oz's rear. I really like the beads and although the second set got much more aggressive action and 3 good distance runs they lasted about the same so I count that as a reccomendation FOR the beads. I did wear out much more of the sides both front and rear now that I am comfortable on the bike. I am soon to move to Texarkana as a great job opportunity has surfaced. My commute of 100 miles + daily across DFW will be transformed into a weekend dash to our Mansfield home (250ish 1 way) where Kitty will be finishing school for the next 10 months and a monthly run to Hot Springs Village to visit Mom. ( the main reason for a relocation) I hope to stay in the 25,000 mile yearly area but will add some twisted diversions to the mix! Better mileage and handling from the GL1500 sized Avons is my hope and the future will tell for sure!
I will try and post thoughts on the Avons as I can.(corrected yearly to 25,000) I am at nearly 25K since I got the bike Oct 25th last year.
Is there any news about the Avon Ultra Storm II being released in a 16" Connie size. I have a few friends waiting for that tire. I do not think there are any available tires in a dual compound radial that fit the stock rim.
slybonesjesse
Sport Tourer
BT45 rear is dual compound. And correct, its a bias ply tire.
06conrad
Road Bike
I just put a set on with help from a twt/cog wrench get together. I transfered the Dynabeads to the Venoms from the 2nd set of Dunlop 700/701 and at first the bike felt somewhat "bulkier" feeling but I mostly am commuting flatlander. I am in Texarkana now and will be riding around in the area as a "casual" rider. I went with the 1500 'wing size to get commute comfort and the Venoms to put a sport capeable feel to it. The more I ride it the better it feels. I was lucky to have a lift with a pull out rear tireplate. The tires are a bit 'thicker' going in and it may be tough just put on centerstands. A good heavy pull with some clutch slip and 2nd pulled the front off a bit while the Dunlops would have broken loose. :motonoises: I think... er.. I was told!
The two dunlop sets gave me 13.5K and 14K but I ran them to far end of thin. I hope for a bit more on these but the roads are a bit curvier and I may just spread the wear patterns out a bit. 8)
The two dunlop sets gave me 13.5K and 14K but I ran them to far end of thin. I hope for a bit more on these but the roads are a bit curvier and I may just spread the wear patterns out a bit. 8)
slybonesjesse
Sport Tourer
What Dunlops did you get? The original K700/K701 are like that to many. The D205's which were the hi-perf Z rated models, were generally a lot better in the handling department. I think they stopped making the D205 rear in the C10 size.
Not sure if these guys base their limits on some standard or not but they say an antique motorcycle is 35 years old or older. We are getting close but no cigar.
www.antiquemotorcycle.org
www.antiquemotorcycle.org
Metzler ME880 and Z6 in stock sizes. Mostly interstate droning in good (warm) weather. No commuting. Sticks well enough for my pace on unfamiliar twisties hundreds of miles from home. Wearing two fronts (edges) to one rear. Might try BT45 or Shinko next time, then again I might just stick to what i'm familiar with. Would love to try the Avons but I don't like the expense and inconvenience of new tires every trip. As a sportbike owner for two decades, I think back on all the trips I missed because I couldn't afford new tires and I could kick myself I still own a ZX10R but it never leaves the county I live in unless it's in the back of my truck.
I still own a ZX10R but it never leaves the county I live in unless it's in the back of my truck. 
Sirius Scratch
Moped
Seems the most relevant to post my comments here. Attached are pictures of the dreaded 880s that everyone speaks of disparagingly. :32: This was the rear tire I was on when I dropped the bike in a twisty at/under 20mph on a cold, dry day. Tires were hot, or at least warm, as I was traveling with a group on a set of twisty roads working on "pivot steering" techniques. I was third behind a guy on a new C14 and another guy on a sport bike. They made the curve fine. I did not. :-[
I ride in the Pacific Northwest where even your leisurely town ride is on a twisty road, AND, we have to contend with a significant amount of wet roads, acres of green bike lane paint, and more manhole/drain access covers than you could imagine which are deadly in the wet.
I would not recommend that you wait until your rear tire is in the shape mine is in. I have reached that age where close up observation is problematic without "cheaters", and I will attribute at least part of the condition of my tire to that issue. The pictures are the result of my discovery of the bad tire condition because I spent a lot of up close time with Connie changing oil this weekend. Since we have now entered the "dark days" of Portland living, I had about 400K candlepower going to light the way and provide warmth. The copious amount of light made the tire condition sort of jump out at me.
I've been noticing some squirrely handling lately..........no dang wonder!
Based on observations here, I believe I'll be getting the Avon combination, Azara rear first and soon!
I ride in the Pacific Northwest where even your leisurely town ride is on a twisty road, AND, we have to contend with a significant amount of wet roads, acres of green bike lane paint, and more manhole/drain access covers than you could imagine which are deadly in the wet.
I would not recommend that you wait until your rear tire is in the shape mine is in. I have reached that age where close up observation is problematic without "cheaters", and I will attribute at least part of the condition of my tire to that issue. The pictures are the result of my discovery of the bad tire condition because I spent a lot of up close time with Connie changing oil this weekend. Since we have now entered the "dark days" of Portland living, I had about 400K candlepower going to light the way and provide warmth. The copious amount of light made the tire condition sort of jump out at me.
I've been noticing some squirrely handling lately..........no dang wonder!
Based on observations here, I believe I'll be getting the Avon combination, Azara rear first and soon!
Attachments
au contraire mon frersmithr-scad said:
I reckon those guys can base their limits on any standard they want, after all, they're justa buncha yankees. ~duck~ >
But here in the great state of Texas (the capital of which Bob resides in :nananana: ) an Antique Automobile is any vehicle over 25 years of age. You can purchase ANTIQUE license plates for your C-10 over 25 years old, but there are restrictions to these plates. The purchase of antique plates gets you cheaper insurance and cheaper registration fees and taxes, but mainly because it also limits severely the road use of said vehicle. Here's the skinny.
Sport rider
Iron Butt
Yeah, that's pretty unusual based on my experiences. I've run 880s before and never had that problem. that sure is a nasty looking tire though. ???
rick4foxes
Mini Bike
The tires on the Connie I just bought are both badly cupped as well (Not as bad as those).
But mine are Avon Azaro tires. :-\
I'm not sure what I'll replace them with, but I know it WON'T be Avons. :
But mine are Avon Azaro tires. :-\
I'm not sure what I'll replace them with, but I know it WON'T be Avons. :
Tires are cupped because of poor maintenance and low tire pressure and never the fault of the very best tires you can put on a stock C10.rick3foxes said:The tires on the Connie I just bought are both badly cupped as well (Not as bad as those).
But mine are Avon Azaro tires. :-\
I'm not sure what I'll replace them with, but I know it WON'T be Avons. :
Daytona_Mike said:Tires are cupped because of poor maintenance and low tire pressure and never the fault of the very best tires you can put on a stock C10.rick3foxes said:The tires on the Connie I just bought are both badly cupped as well (Not as bad as those).
But mine are Avon Azaro tires. :-\
I'm not sure what I'll replace them with, but I know it WON'T be Avons. :
Wow! Now that's a ringing endorsement (opinion) of Avons.
Personally IMHO and after three sets of AVONS I can say they handled excellent. They have excellent wet weather grip. They have excellent dry weather grip. They are quiet and they wear out way too freaking fast! The rears (actual I've had four rear Avons) all have squared off to the point they are no longer safe, nor responsive and this after 5K mileage. Again this has been my experience and yours may have been different. And again IMHO the Michelin 100X were the best tire for the Concours. But regretable they are no longer made.
This being said. While I agree tire pressure has adverse effects on tire wear and potentially a contributing cause to the syndrome we call "cupping", there is certainly more to this condition than just low tire pressure.
In the attached link there is a nice article which addresses some of these "other" causes. http://www.rattlebars.com/tirewear/index.html
Again, I am not a tire expert and have never professed as such, but I really think the primary cause of front tire "cupping" is a combination of softer compound tire rubber, compliance to factory recommended tire pressures, a heavy front end and a weak front suspension.
My K700's cupped, my D205's cupped, my Avon Azaro's cupped and yes my Michelin 89X, 90X and 100X cupped. The latter three less than the former three, but they all cupped. Increasing tire pressures to 39-41 PSI depending on the tire have reduced cupping but never totally eliminated it. So far my "new" Roadsmart does not show signs of cupping with 3k on them (we'll see in a couple more thousand miles).
ChipDoc
Sport Tourer
I'm currently on my 4th Connie (there will be a fifth!) and I've run lots of different tires over the years. Choosing tires is an exercise in compromise and each of us picks the characteristcs which work best with our riding style.
I live in Florida (11 curves in 318 miles!) so tearing through the twisties isn't a big priority for me. In fact, having tires with great hold in the turns isn't an issue even when I head for the mountains, since my bike-handling skills aren't attuned to that sort of riding in the first place. What keeps me alive is knowing my limits and enjoying myself within them. That guy who wrote "The Pace" hit it right on the head.
But what I do is ride a LOT. The last car I owned is over ten years in the past; Connie is my basic transportation. What I'm looking for in a tire is LONG mileage; if I were getting five or six thousand miles out of a tire, I'd be replacing them every other month.
So I've experimented with lots of touring tires - Dunlop Elite2 and Elite3, Bridgestone Battlax, Michelin Pilot Road, and others I can't remember just now. The one which works best for me is the Metzler 880. They give me between twenty and twenty five thousand miles and feel great. That hard compound in the middle keeps the tires round right up to the end of their useful life. No problems with cupping on the front either, though this is probably more due to my habit of keeping them aired up. They stick well in the wet and are steady in tight turns. They work best for the type of riding I do.
I live in Florida (11 curves in 318 miles!) so tearing through the twisties isn't a big priority for me. In fact, having tires with great hold in the turns isn't an issue even when I head for the mountains, since my bike-handling skills aren't attuned to that sort of riding in the first place. What keeps me alive is knowing my limits and enjoying myself within them. That guy who wrote "The Pace" hit it right on the head.
But what I do is ride a LOT. The last car I owned is over ten years in the past; Connie is my basic transportation. What I'm looking for in a tire is LONG mileage; if I were getting five or six thousand miles out of a tire, I'd be replacing them every other month.
So I've experimented with lots of touring tires - Dunlop Elite2 and Elite3, Bridgestone Battlax, Michelin Pilot Road, and others I can't remember just now. The one which works best for me is the Metzler 880. They give me between twenty and twenty five thousand miles and feel great. That hard compound in the middle keeps the tires round right up to the end of their useful life. No problems with cupping on the front either, though this is probably more due to my habit of keeping them aired up. They stick well in the wet and are steady in tight turns. They work best for the type of riding I do.
2linby said:Daytona_Mike said:Tires are cupped because of poor maintenance and low tire pressure and never the fault of the very best tires you can put on a stock C10.rick3foxes said:The tires on the Connie I just bought are both badly cupped as well (Not as bad as those).
But mine are Avon Azaro tires. :-\
I'm not sure what I'll replace them with, but I know it WON'T be Avons. :
Wow! Now that's a ringing endorsement (opinion) of Avons.
Personally IMHO and after three sets of AVONS I can say they handled excellent. They have excellent wet weather grip. They have excellent dry weather grip. They are quiet and they wear out way too freaking fast! The rears (actual I've had four rear Avons) all have squared off to the point they are no longer safe, nor responsive and this after 5K mileage. Again this has been my experience and yours may have been different. And again IMHO the Michelin 100X were the best tire for the Concours. But regretable they are no longer made.
This being said. While I agree tire pressure has adverse effects on tire wear and potentially a contributing cause to the syndrome we call "cupping", there is certainly more to this condition than just low tire pressure.
In the attached link there is a nice article which addresses some of these "other" causes. http://www.rattlebars.com/tirewear/index.html
Again, I am not a tire expert and have never professed as such, but I really think the primary cause of front tire "cupping" is a combination of softer compound tire rubber, compliance to factory recommended tire pressures, a heavy front end and a weak front suspension.
My K700's cupped, my D205's cupped, my Avon Azaro's cupped and yes my Michelin 89X, 90X and 100X cupped. The latter three less than the former three, but they all cupped. Increasing tire pressures to 39-41 PSI depending on the tire have reduced cupping but never totally eliminated it. So far my "new" Roadsmart does not show signs of cupping with 3k on them (we'll see in a couple more thousand miles).
As much as it might scare Bob for me to agree with him ;D, I largely do on this topic. Avons are very excellent gripping tires in nearly all riding conditions and yes, they do wear a bit faster than anyone wants them to (most often grip IS closely associated to wear. When one goes up, the other goes down).
I also agree the Mac X100 was probably the best all around rear tire for the COnnie. It rivaled the Avon for dry grip, probably was BETTER in the wet, and outlasted it by about 50% in my experience.
And I too generally cup every tire ever produced that I have tried and I've tried a LOT of em of both bias and radial construction. Being a heavy trail braker I tend to mess em up quickly... and I ALWAYS ride on properly inflated tires cuz I hate to fall off any more than I already do. It's been MY experience that the worst cupping tires I've had have been the harder compounds I have tried. Like the OE Dunlops, the Dunlop 205s, Michelin Pilot Roads, etc. Maybe that's cuz they just last more miles. I rarely wear one of these front tires completely out simply because they get so nasty riding I pitch them with a lot of tread left. One thing I liked about the Avons was that I'd kill the front and rear pretty much about the same time so I replaced them as a set. Bad thing was that happened about every 3-4000 miles. I now have almost 6k on my Roadsmarts and they are still "ridable" and appear to have maybe 20% tread left. The front IS cupped, but not too horribly, the rear IS flatted, but I generally file them back into round anyway. I may get 7000 miles or even 7500 out of them which for me is amazing. Sadly, I'm just not sold on their grip, they DO NOT inspire confidence at speed so these will not be purchased again methinks.
In any case, 2linby apparently likes his tires like I do... between me and terra firma and thus I endorse his selctions and join him in lamenting the loss of the Macadam 100X rears... the ONLY Mac this boy will EVER endorse.
ChipDoc
Sport Tourer
Oh you read it correctly, Bill. The fault is mine for not being a bit more clear.wild man said:
I rode back in college in the 70s. I was a Fightin' Blue Hen from the University of Delaware where the weather was nice most of the year and the winters were miserable - cold and wet, but not really cold enough to snow most of the time. My college sweetheart and I got married, moved to Tampa, and raised a family and motorcycling was a pleasant memory. In a fit of midlife crisis (and once the kids were old enough to ride pillion) I decided I wanted bikes to be a part of my life again and picked up an 86 Honda Shadow VT1100 in August of 2000. The Shadow was a great bike, but after I'd put 80,000 miles on her it occurred to me that it wasn't actually designed well for the type of riding that I did and I started looking for something called a "sport-tourer".
I was looking at the BMW RT1100, the Honda ST1100, and such when a 2000 Concours showed up on consignment at my local shop. I bought her and fell in love. She was practically brand new and I rode the heck out of her until I encountered a 2001 Concours which was just TOO good a deal to pass up. I rode that one for three years, but when the odometer went over 100,000 miles I started looking for another. Since Connie was my primary (in fact, only) transportation, I really didn't need to be worrying about reliability issues.
So I started browsing through CycleTrader and found a really sweet 02 Connie in Florence, SC. In a nice bit of synchronicity, I happened to have a good friend who was also a rider living in Florence at the time. I called Steve and asked him to go take a look at this thing. It turns out the guy lived just three blocks away! So I took the train, Steve picked me up at the train station and we went right over. I took a test drive, gave him cash, signed the papers, and headed home down I-95 the next morning. That was in 2007 and I've been riding it ever since.
Well, until recently when I started to have electrical problems with her. So this past October I picked up an 04 Connie. I've just this past week passed the point where the 04 has has MORE THAN 100,000 FEWER MILES than the 02.
When I bought them, only the 02 had more than 10k miles on the clock. The 02 had 13k; the 01 had only 800 miles. So almost all of the miles any of those bikes had on them were ones where I was sitting astride. But it's taken me several years each to rack those miles up. I've ridden only about 300,000 miles in the last eleven years, so I suspect that I'm no real threat to Don Ricks' record. Particularly now that money's so tight - I haven't been able to take vacations for the past three years, so my yearly mileage is down to about 20k these days. At least the new bike will probably last a bit longer!
McJamie
Tricycle
First post, new guy.
Just bought a 99 with lots of miles, but well looked after. It needs tires. My brother ( from another mother, and fellow member of the Society of Motorcycle Loogans), recommended the Avons and a few other forums rate them pretty high too. Lots of not very nice things about the Metzlers, but what surprised me was the Bridgestone BT45's. I've used them on lots of other bike with great success, I just didn't think they came in the appropriate sizes for the C10. If they are, that seems like the most cost effective option, while still getting lots of grip. Although, they are bias-ply, not radials which may or may not be an issue. So who has the BT45's, and how long do they last?
Just bought a 99 with lots of miles, but well looked after. It needs tires. My brother ( from another mother, and fellow member of the Society of Motorcycle Loogans), recommended the Avons and a few other forums rate them pretty high too. Lots of not very nice things about the Metzlers, but what surprised me was the Bridgestone BT45's. I've used them on lots of other bike with great success, I just didn't think they came in the appropriate sizes for the C10. If they are, that seems like the most cost effective option, while still getting lots of grip. Although, they are bias-ply, not radials which may or may not be an issue. So who has the BT45's, and how long do they last?
slybonesjesse
Sport Tourer
I changed my BT45 front at 16K and it was not at the wear bars. However others report 14K for the front. So somewhere in that range. Aprox 10K typical for the rear of BT-45.
As for size get the BT-45 in the 110/80-18 for the front, and for the rear they stock 150/80-16. Yes the 110/80 fits the later model front. Its actually the right size, IE the proper fit according to the specs.
As for size get the BT-45 in the 110/80-18 for the front, and for the rear they stock 150/80-16. Yes the 110/80 fits the later model front. Its actually the right size, IE the proper fit according to the specs.
Has anyone experienced an Avon Azaro tire failure? I'll explain why I think I had one.
Thanks to Chip in FL for mentioning the Metzeler 880s. I've run those on my Beemers & they do last. HOWEVER, I bought my '01 in '08 when it only had ~1300 miles on it. When I replaced the original tires in Nov 2010, I got the Avons (Storm 2 Ultra on front, Azaro on rear). Unfortunately, the rear went flat on me a couple of weeks ago on my way home from a weekend ride. I'm convinced the tire failed internally rather than being punctured.
I don't know the actual mileage on the tire at the time, but they still looked virtually new (maybe 2k miles on them) & I checked the pressure before riding. I had ridden quite a bit of freeway the day before, then mostly curvy hills the next day until hitting the freeway for home. After about an hour or two mostly at 80mph the bike began to feel "wiggly" when I got into the backdraft of big trucks. It didn't occur to me I might have a low tire.
At a rest stop I just happened to notice how low the rear looked so I checked the pressure: 4.5psi! It took a long time to find the (first) leak, at which I could only see what looked like a fine silver "hair" sticking out of the middle of the tread. I've plugged tires before & it's usually tough to ram that plug into a small hole. In this case it went in like butter but didn't seal the tire -- neither did adding 2 more plugs. Then I located a 2nd leak between the 1st & the edge of the tread. At that point I knew I wouldn't be riding on that tire again.
I replaced it with another Azaro, but I talked with a friend who had had a tire (Bridgestone) fail on a freeway ride & he noted several tiny "hairs" sticking out of his in a line across the tread. In his case he said it was steel belt fibers. An Avon rep claimed he couldn't see evidence that my tire failed. (The store still had the carcass, but I live too far away to check it myself.) I'm convinced it did based on what looked like a fiber (Aramid?) sticking OUT of the tire, the looseness of the tire material around the tiny hole, and a 2nd virtually invisible leak on a horizontal line across the tire. No object was found inside the tire, either.
I hope it was a fluke & this Azaro lasts longer on the highway.
Ron
Thanks to Chip in FL for mentioning the Metzeler 880s. I've run those on my Beemers & they do last. HOWEVER, I bought my '01 in '08 when it only had ~1300 miles on it. When I replaced the original tires in Nov 2010, I got the Avons (Storm 2 Ultra on front, Azaro on rear). Unfortunately, the rear went flat on me a couple of weeks ago on my way home from a weekend ride. I'm convinced the tire failed internally rather than being punctured.
I don't know the actual mileage on the tire at the time, but they still looked virtually new (maybe 2k miles on them) & I checked the pressure before riding. I had ridden quite a bit of freeway the day before, then mostly curvy hills the next day until hitting the freeway for home. After about an hour or two mostly at 80mph the bike began to feel "wiggly" when I got into the backdraft of big trucks. It didn't occur to me I might have a low tire.
At a rest stop I just happened to notice how low the rear looked so I checked the pressure: 4.5psi! It took a long time to find the (first) leak, at which I could only see what looked like a fine silver "hair" sticking out of the middle of the tread. I've plugged tires before & it's usually tough to ram that plug into a small hole. In this case it went in like butter but didn't seal the tire -- neither did adding 2 more plugs. Then I located a 2nd leak between the 1st & the edge of the tread. At that point I knew I wouldn't be riding on that tire again.
I replaced it with another Azaro, but I talked with a friend who had had a tire (Bridgestone) fail on a freeway ride & he noted several tiny "hairs" sticking out of his in a line across the tread. In his case he said it was steel belt fibers. An Avon rep claimed he couldn't see evidence that my tire failed. (The store still had the carcass, but I live too far away to check it myself.) I'm convinced it did based on what looked like a fiber (Aramid?) sticking OUT of the tire, the looseness of the tire material around the tiny hole, and a 2nd virtually invisible leak on a horizontal line across the tire. No object was found inside the tire, either.
I hope it was a fluke & this Azaro lasts longer on the highway.
Ron
THey are a very grippy bias tire. I have run a couple of sets, prefered the Avons and went back to them. However, this set of tire will do a great job. Takes a few minutes for them to smooth out (warm up) but then they ride almost as good as anything out there. A soft compound makes them a bit short lived though. But they are a viable alternative for the C-10. I also have these on mama's Magna to be sure she has some stick. They make her cruiser vary capable in the twisties.Mickey said:
I use the Avons on my C-10. (AV-45 or Storm Ultra and Azaro AV-46)
Got a hell-of-a good deal on a new AV-46 Rear from Murph last week.
I know that Murph also has Avon Road Riders (AM-26) in stock. (Belted)
I looked at them. Look good! They appear to have the same tread pattern as the Avon Radials.
I have not seen the Roadriders discussed. Has anyone used these?
Ride safe, Ted
Got a hell-of-a good deal on a new AV-46 Rear from Murph last week.
I know that Murph also has Avon Road Riders (AM-26) in stock. (Belted)
I looked at them. Look good! They appear to have the same tread pattern as the Avon Radials.
I have not seen the Roadriders discussed. Has anyone used these?
Ride safe, Ted
holeshot308
Training Wheels
If I go with the Avon Viper venoms, what size fronr and rear will I need to fit an 06 model? Hate to sound like a dumdass but all I can get from the local shops around here is them pushing what they have in stock. Appreciate any info and also any suggestions on where to order them from. Thanks, Holeshot 308 :motonoises:
chuckersconnie
Training Wheels
I notice the BT45 has siping that runs aroung the perimeter of the tire. Has anyone who uses them ever had problems with the tires "hunting" in grooved pavement. The 205's did and they have much the same configuration. The Avon Storm doesn't twitch in this scenario at all.
I've used Dunlops for years, getting a lot of half-price deals and free mounting from shops. But when that went away I sprung(on sale) for Avon's. Broke them in on the Volcano run years back, great tires for the bike. As far as cupping I usually run at 38psi or so, the bike tends to cup even close to 36, quicker when below. True they wear in the middle some but if you keep the bike leaned over more the edges will scuff in in nicely. I'm waiting for Kar Tyre Dan to come up with a matched set so I can head down to Les Swab and get a set with Free Beef!
motonerd14
Street Cruiser
Mickey said:
I had a set of these in 2010. Lasted about 3500 miles and the rear was toast. Sticky, but headshake and poor mileage (bad wet weather issue was the Metzelers. My memory ain't what it used to be...) made me not go back.
So far, I've run the following:
D205s: liked them, shame they discontinued these...
K701/K700: Still like these the best. They just work for my riding style, I guess.
Avon Storm/Azaro combo: Had two sets, bike always felt like it was riding on marbles. The Azaro I just pulled from the rear had started de-laminating, and appears to have shifted a belt. Very poor quality, IMHO, which is a shame, because in the turns, they made the bike feel like it was riding on rails.
Metzler ME880s: Dangerous, slippery, JUNK! I had these for, I kid you not, 1000 miles, and took them off. Just terrible.
Shinko 777 rear with K701 front: Nice combo for the pinch I was in. Needed a rear fast and local shop had this. It worked pretty well. Rode all through Québec with this setup, I liked it.
Bridgestone BT-45V: Only had these for about 100 miles. So far, they feel a little squirrely, but that could be they're not fully scrubbed in just yet. Seem to ride better than any of the previous sets, with the exception of the D205. Smooth ride, less susceptible to bad air from trucks. They like to lean, best I can tell.
I either need to go the 17" wheel route, or look into a C14. Not sure about money just yet, so time will tell.
I've never had that many problems with tires. My 1st set was 701's. Ran a ton of 205's and 220's until about 90k and they have done fine, could always use more tire life but much better than 4k. Every now and then one has to look for a new tire because the manufacturers discontinue them. I do use all my tire when I get the chance to get it over. Washington has a cooler and wetter climate and I avoid straight roads. I am considering another set of Avon's if I don't find something better, running Pilot Roads on my FZ-1. I have another 1-2k to think it over.
motonerd14
Street Cruiser
chuckersconnie said:
I've now got 850 miles on a set of these, and I'm going to retract my previous statement that they like to lean.
They do, in fact, like to slip and then lean. That siping on the sides causes them to follow every groove, crack and rut in pavement. Never, in 40,000+ miles on this bike, have I had a set of tyres that I so adamantly hated.
Furthermore, I'd add that these are outright dangerous when very cold. Other night I had to run a few errands, decided to take the bike instead of the car. Just turning out of my complex I almost lost the back. This was at about 20mph, at the most, and less than 1/4 throttle.
My biggest complaint, and East Coasters back me up here, is I-78. A highway that runs across NJ and PA. The eastern part is mostly grooved super-slab. These Bridgestones hunt and peck all over the place. And heaven forbid you get behind a tractor-trailer, then you're blowing all over the place.
I've gotten so scared on these, I refuse to ride in the rain with them.
It's odd too, as I had a set of these on a Ninja 500 a number of years ago, and they were wonderful. Shame really, but I think these were designed for smaller sport bikes and standards, not our big sport-tourer.
I'm in somewhat of a pickle here too as I'm riding out to the National, and can't decide on what to replace these with: the Avons gripped the best, by far. The OEM Dunlops lasted the longest. I'd love to keep experimenting with different combinations, but to be honest, every time I have to dump another $300 on tyres, is $300 less I have toward a new C14, which I've been saving up for almost 2 years. I've still got another year or so to go (I'd like to buy mine cash, or at the most, finance only a small fraction of the price) and so this bike needs to last.
FWIW, over the past 40k miles, all the big trips I did, and all the best rides I went on, judging from my ride journals, were on the OEM Dunlops. I know many on here dislike them, but I can say that this bike rode like a Cadillac and handled like a proper sport bike with these and the suspension upgrades I've done (Sonic 1.2s, Progressive rear shock.) YMMV.
I had considered the Kosman or Mean Streak rear wheel, but to be honest, this bike has almost 65k on it. To spend that kind of money, knowing full well that some very big maintenance is right around the corner (going to need all new suspension bushings, timing chain (eventually), all new lines and hoses, brake caliper and carburetor rebuilds) the amount of money spent eventually becomes too much. Do I buy another low-mileage C10, and move all my good parts over, or do I keep saving and go for a C14?
Time, and finances, will tell. Sorry for the long-winded post, but I'm at my wit's end on this tyre issue. The few sets that are available are all some crummy compromise or another, and the alternative is to spend nearly half of what this bike is worth (if not more) on getting 17" wheels.
If you really want a C-14 shop for a deal on last years model and get some of the cheap interest rates and move on. I'm keeping my almost old 95(117k), just did complete maintenance on my 02 FZ-1 and it runs like new, I have been happy with Michelin Pilot Roads on that. Every time I need new tires on the Concours it seems you have to search for who is making a matched set anymore. That is a saving grace on the C-14, availability of new shoes. I wish it had the range of the old bike but it is a giant step to the future, if they would only raise the speed limits a bit.
I'm looking for a new set of tires and since I can no longer get the D205s I have used for the last 55K miles, I am looking for a new set up. I have checked into the Avon Storm/Azaro match up that is recommended and it seems to be a good set.
I have also noticed that Pirelli makes a 120/70-18 in their Angel line and a 150/80-16 in their Demon line.
I am thinking about giving this match up a try.
Does anyone have any experience running this Pirelli Angel/Demon match up?
I have also noticed that Pirelli makes a 120/70-18 in their Angel line and a 150/80-16 in their Demon line.
I am thinking about giving this match up a try.
Does anyone have any experience running this Pirelli Angel/Demon match up?
motonerd14
Street Cruiser
kap said:
The Angel is a dual-compound, radial tyre. The Sport Demon is a bias-ply. Could work ok, since I think those are also dual-compound. Not sure how the front will fit though, as our bikes have a 3" front rim, and that might be designed for a 3.5-4" width, so it may pinch it too much.
I would very much like to see how this works though!
On another note, I went back to the Avons. Nothing I've tried yet grips like these...
glenjj
Bicycle
I just had a set of K701/K700 added to my '06 and the 15 minute test ride left me very happy. I have had this bike for 1 year and put 4K on it for a total of 7K. I have to get some serious miles in them to know how they do for me but so far so good and definitely better than what little tire tread that was left on them.
I spent some time reading up on models/brands and wrote down a few from the forum when I went into the shop. He couldn't find many of the ones I listed (and upon further reading realized several of those models had been discontinued) and so I had to dig furhter into the thread.
I liked someone's idea about a tire vote or a recap post at the top of the pinned thread. So far so good and lovin' the forum!
Thanks Guys!
Glenjj
I spent some time reading up on models/brands and wrote down a few from the forum when I went into the shop. He couldn't find many of the ones I listed (and upon further reading realized several of those models had been discontinued) and so I had to dig furhter into the thread.
I liked someone's idea about a tire vote or a recap post at the top of the pinned thread. So far so good and lovin' the forum!
Thanks Guys!
Glenjj
Took the bike to work this morning, and as I was topping the rear off w/ air... I noticed DAMN.... this thing has about had it!
Just plunked down on a set of Avon Roadriders (AM26) in stock sizes. I feel inseam-challenged as it is w/o upping to wing-size. I elected to get a set instead of squeezing a few k more out of th PR front I have... I kinda hate wasting a tire in decent shape, but oh well.
Woulda bought from Murph... but alas... outta stock til June. Dennis Kirk says they'll be here by Friday :-D
Just plunked down on a set of Avon Roadriders (AM26) in stock sizes. I feel inseam-challenged as it is w/o upping to wing-size. I elected to get a set instead of squeezing a few k more out of th PR front I have... I kinda hate wasting a tire in decent shape, but oh well.
Woulda bought from Murph... but alas... outta stock til June. Dennis Kirk says they'll be here by Friday :-D
connie_rider said:
I did not go back and re-read this entire tread, so I may have missed the discussion on the AM-26 tires.
I did see that Murph was out of stock on them, so "someone" is using them....
What is the opinions on this tire?
Ride safe, Ted
dragonclaw88
Tricycle
wow this forum is going to suck away all my riding time..for a newby theres just so much STUFF to read and learn...
but anyways heres my can of worms..would love to hear your thoughts...just got my connie about a week ago..she has brand new stock size dunlops...and i do most of my driving on highways..year round...im no racer..i prefer just cruisein on my concours,,im def a lower RPM kinda guy..but wow 6th gear is spinning way up there at 70ish..so i plan on the 7th gear unit from sisf..but the real question is in the meantime has any one ran a stock size front and a goldwing rear?? since my tires are new and funds are limited..i could drop a few RPMs with that bigger rear tire without haveing to spend money on a new front tire...plus money for getting them both mounted
but anyways heres my can of worms..would love to hear your thoughts...just got my connie about a week ago..she has brand new stock size dunlops...and i do most of my driving on highways..year round...im no racer..i prefer just cruisein on my concours,,im def a lower RPM kinda guy..but wow 6th gear is spinning way up there at 70ish..so i plan on the 7th gear unit from sisf..but the real question is in the meantime has any one ran a stock size front and a goldwing rear?? since my tires are new and funds are limited..i could drop a few RPMs with that bigger rear tire without haveing to spend money on a new front tire...plus money for getting them both mounted
dragonclaw88
Tricycle
i am a member COG...im #10185... ^-^
so has anyone tried stock size tire up front and a goldwing on the back? any thoughts? problems?
so has anyone tried stock size tire up front and a goldwing on the back? any thoughts? problems?
voileauciel said:
I'm liking the BT45's myself , have almost 3000 on them . stuck like glue all over the Eureka Springs area , wore my chicken strips down to a nub . I did put the progressive springs in at the same time . Don't have too much grooved pavement here but honestly , I have never found a motorcycle tire that didn't follow grooves and they all slip when cold .
connie_rider said:
Yo Ted,
Thats what I had on my bike at the Wildflower ride. I mounted them up the week before. They must have handled pretty well, you remember when you said you couldn't keep up with me in the curves ? (ha-ha)
I like them so far, the ride is smooth, they track well, they handle good in the turns and they did well in the
little bit of rain we had that weekend.
pradsliff
Scooter
I just went through reading all the advice on the forum and then selecting, buying, and riding on my new Avons. The full story is here: http://meandmyconnie.wordpress.com/2012/05/14/new-shoes-for-myconnie/
Jim - what tire pressure are you running in your Roadriders?
I got the front mounted... rear tomorrow. I think. I hope. The downside about jack-stand balancing... its a bit time consuming
At least the 110 front went on w/o incident. I had a 110 Mac, replaced with a 110 PR, and it wouldn't seat. Took it to 2 dealers, and they couldn't seat it either. Had to go back to a 120.
I've seen 32f-34r, 34f-36r... some pressures as low as 28 in the front... all over the board.
The upside.. I've also seen reports of phenomenal mileage. Not being a big shredder... I have hopes
Thanks!
I got the front mounted... rear tomorrow. I think. I hope. The downside about jack-stand balancing... its a bit time consuming
At least the 110 front went on w/o incident. I had a 110 Mac, replaced with a 110 PR, and it wouldn't seat. Took it to 2 dealers, and they couldn't seat it either. Had to go back to a 120.
I've seen 32f-34r, 34f-36r... some pressures as low as 28 in the front... all over the board.
The upside.. I've also seen reports of phenomenal mileage. Not being a big shredder... I have hopes
Thanks!
slybonesjesse
Sport Tourer
Bias Ply versus Radial Ply....
You will get various opinions on this from "so what" to " your gonna die". The vast majority of the internet searching I have done yields site all saying the same thing. Much of it is dang near copy/paste, word for word. I have only seen 1-2 good articles that were motorcycle specific and from some tire experts not just retyping the same old line.
The general rule is dont mix bias and radial tires. However it should be noted that some M/C MFG's actually sell bikes right from the showrooom floor with a mix of tires. -- Then you have some that will say its ok to mix if you have bias front and radial rear. This is most common, but I have read a few that claim radial fronts and bias rears is the proper order.
Other general rule is if it comes with radials use radials, if it comes with bias ply use bias ply. Any swapping is dangerous bla bla bla.
A few data points as I understand them ( and learning more all the time, so subject to change without notice ), and General Rules not 100% cast in stone, and from the one good M/C article I read ( and cannot find right now ).
- Radials versus bias tires deflect load / energy differently, more flexible and generate less heat. ( I think this is 100% true )
- Radials last longer. In general motorcycle tire MFG's would give them softer compounds for better traction, and still have the same or better tire mileage than the old bias ply's had.
- All things being equal radials are supposed to have a harsher ride compared to the bias plys. Although not the case when comparing hard ass Wing Size bias ply tires to something like Avon radials. But they are intended for completely different needs. Hence the statement 'all things being equal'. -- Most articles I have read say the opposite. From the tire MFG's too. But I am wondering if it was car oriented. The one article I read saying M/C MFG making suspension inprovements for radials was an M/C specific article.
Given these things, from my fav article I have read Motorcycle MFG's have to make frame and steering geometry changes, and suspension changes to deal with radial tires and bring radials to the M/C market. this is pretty universal stated across the sites. What seemed to be different about the one M/C specific article was giving some detail on:
-- The article will tell people if you have an older M/C designed for bias ply tires, that going to radials has no benefit. Your bike's frame / steerning geometry will not make use of the radial ply nature, could make it worse. Odds are you just end up with harsher ride and no benefit. You spent more money for nothing unless you are willing to spend money on all kinds of other upgrades.
-- On the flip side when you have a bike designed for radials and going to bias ply, the response seemed to be 'why would you want to do that?'. I dont see the experts in the article saying your going to die, its more like 'how come'. Radials are better, why do you want to go backwards. I did not see all sorts of steering and suspension excuses like going from bias to radials. It was just a plain ole, WTF?
So MY conclusion is based on our poor choice of tire selection available for the C10 and the stock wheels. In our specific case the 'How Come?' is because they are a cost effective alternative, that handle well and have good traction, and in this case generally have slightly better mileage than the one existing radial pair we have.
How I understand it, subject to change w/o notice.
You will get various opinions on this from "so what" to " your gonna die". The vast majority of the internet searching I have done yields site all saying the same thing. Much of it is dang near copy/paste, word for word. I have only seen 1-2 good articles that were motorcycle specific and from some tire experts not just retyping the same old line.
The general rule is dont mix bias and radial tires. However it should be noted that some M/C MFG's actually sell bikes right from the showrooom floor with a mix of tires. -- Then you have some that will say its ok to mix if you have bias front and radial rear. This is most common, but I have read a few that claim radial fronts and bias rears is the proper order.
Other general rule is if it comes with radials use radials, if it comes with bias ply use bias ply. Any swapping is dangerous bla bla bla.
A few data points as I understand them ( and learning more all the time, so subject to change without notice ), and General Rules not 100% cast in stone, and from the one good M/C article I read ( and cannot find right now ).
- Radials versus bias tires deflect load / energy differently, more flexible and generate less heat. ( I think this is 100% true )
- Radials last longer. In general motorcycle tire MFG's would give them softer compounds for better traction, and still have the same or better tire mileage than the old bias ply's had.
- All things being equal radials are supposed to have a harsher ride compared to the bias plys. Although not the case when comparing hard ass Wing Size bias ply tires to something like Avon radials. But they are intended for completely different needs. Hence the statement 'all things being equal'. -- Most articles I have read say the opposite. From the tire MFG's too. But I am wondering if it was car oriented. The one article I read saying M/C MFG making suspension inprovements for radials was an M/C specific article.
Given these things, from my fav article I have read Motorcycle MFG's have to make frame and steering geometry changes, and suspension changes to deal with radial tires and bring radials to the M/C market. this is pretty universal stated across the sites. What seemed to be different about the one M/C specific article was giving some detail on:
-- The article will tell people if you have an older M/C designed for bias ply tires, that going to radials has no benefit. Your bike's frame / steerning geometry will not make use of the radial ply nature, could make it worse. Odds are you just end up with harsher ride and no benefit. You spent more money for nothing unless you are willing to spend money on all kinds of other upgrades.
-- On the flip side when you have a bike designed for radials and going to bias ply, the response seemed to be 'why would you want to do that?'. I dont see the experts in the article saying your going to die, its more like 'how come'. Radials are better, why do you want to go backwards. I did not see all sorts of steering and suspension excuses like going from bias to radials. It was just a plain ole, WTF?
So MY conclusion is based on our poor choice of tire selection available for the C10 and the stock wheels. In our specific case the 'How Come?' is because they are a cost effective alternative, that handle well and have good traction, and in this case generally have slightly better mileage than the one existing radial pair we have.
How I understand it, subject to change w/o notice.
slybonesjesse
Sport Tourer
In terms of Radials lasting longer than Bias ply tires. I have read on Michelin site that radials can last up to 50% longer than a bias ply. In the car world radial tires with 80K mileage warranties are not uncommon. These are generally H rated or less tires and not what I would think of as performance. Seems like they really do get some miles out of them.
In the bike world, why does it seem to me that radials are not getting all that much better mileage that bias plys. Sure they have better traction, but has the M/C tire MFG's just decided that we dont need mileage and that they will just make them sticker and sticker as technology improves. 10-15K is all you get. Live with it.
In the bike world, why does it seem to me that radials are not getting all that much better mileage that bias plys. Sure they have better traction, but has the M/C tire MFG's just decided that we dont need mileage and that they will just make them sticker and sticker as technology improves. 10-15K is all you get. Live with it.
With my limited knowledge and experience: My 2000 (new to me in 2010) came with old but not worn out Dunlops. I put on Avon Azaro/Storm combo and liked it. Low mileage outcome (5,500 miles rear, some life left in the front) great handling.
I ride one particular slab near my office a lot and it is grooved concrete. The older the Avons got, the more they danced. I switched to BT-045 Bridgestones (bias). No more dance (very little anyway), not quite as good in the handling dept. Same road. $100 less on a set. SLIGHTLY less confidence on a wet road, but I'm still not sure if that's in my mind or not. Not willing to push it to see.
I ride one particular slab near my office a lot and it is grooved concrete. The older the Avons got, the more they danced. I switched to BT-045 Bridgestones (bias). No more dance (very little anyway), not quite as good in the handling dept. Same road. $100 less on a set. SLIGHTLY less confidence on a wet road, but I'm still not sure if that's in my mind or not. Not willing to push it to see.
Ok Jim, (now that you outrode me at the National)..
What do you think of the Roadriders?
Were they as comfortable as your previous tires?
Ride safe, Ted
What do you think of the Roadriders?
Were they as comfortable as your previous tires?
Ride safe, Ted
geezerhead
Training Wheels
as a past road racer, avons are the way to go hands down. great feedback, tremendous traction in wet/dry conditions. Any kind of road surface. I will never run anything else. :great: :beerchug:
Sirius Scratch
Moped
After much reading here in the forum, I swapped my blistered, cupped, and otherwise hosed Metzler 880s for the bias ply Bridgestone BT45s front and back. I've put 220 miles on them so far, a mix of in town riding and Interstate cruising. Happy to report that the Bridgestones have plenty of road feel, lack the harshness of the Metzlers, and I experienced NO hunting in either of the riding situations, and besides the normal heavy truck canals on I-5 we have a plethora of heavy equipment surface anomalies on the local roads, enough to challenge any tire. I am running factory recommended tire pressures front and rear.
Sirius
Sirius
motonerd14
Street Cruiser
Sirius Scratch said:
I'm wondering if the Bridgestones are directly affected not just by air pressure, but also suspension settings. I have a very stiff and sporty setup on this bike, with Sonic 1.2s in the front and a Progressive 465 in the rear that has been dialed in for better handling than ride. Could it be that the stiffer suspension is partially causing the wander I experienced with these? It was only on roads that had grooves or truck ruts. On fresh pavement, they were wonderful.
At the National this year, Jim showed me how well the belted tires (AM-26's) worked for him. I was impressd!!
But I prefer a radial, as I think the radial gives me a tiny bit more grip/safety.
Eventually (if the tire choices continue to decrease) I will have to go to the belted tires,, find 17" wheels, and/or get a new bike.
Until then,, I'll be on radials.
See ya on the road.
Ride safe, Ted
But I prefer a radial, as I think the radial gives me a tiny bit more grip/safety.
Eventually (if the tire choices continue to decrease) I will have to go to the belted tires,, find 17" wheels, and/or get a new bike.
Until then,, I'll be on radials.
See ya on the road.
Ride safe, Ted
browny1963
Big Wheel
Hi all! My name is Bill Brown and this is my first post, nickname Browny!
My 04 is running Azaro rear and Storm II front. At four thousand miles the rear went flat at 90mph on I-75 heading home from work out of Miami at 4:30 am, leaving me a quarter mile shy of Sheridan Street. On the rim I rode to the first light heading east, parking it till I got towed. I had approx a thousand miles left on the rear. Competition Cycle showed me the puncture dead center which caused me my inconvenience.
Now, new Azaro, two thousand miles and the Storm II six thousand. My commute is a hundred seventeen miles a day, six days a week, rain or shine.
I like these tires. Heavy rain, hi speeds, cornering and most impressed with getting me off the highway flat!
My quest now is a 17" rear wheel due to the fact of dual compound.
ttyl, browny
My 04 is running Azaro rear and Storm II front. At four thousand miles the rear went flat at 90mph on I-75 heading home from work out of Miami at 4:30 am, leaving me a quarter mile shy of Sheridan Street. On the rim I rode to the first light heading east, parking it till I got towed. I had approx a thousand miles left on the rear. Competition Cycle showed me the puncture dead center which caused me my inconvenience.
Now, new Azaro, two thousand miles and the Storm II six thousand. My commute is a hundred seventeen miles a day, six days a week, rain or shine.
I like these tires. Heavy rain, hi speeds, cornering and most impressed with getting me off the highway flat!
My quest now is a 17" rear wheel due to the fact of dual compound.
ttyl, browny
motonerd14
Street Cruiser
Just 2¢ here, but I put that BT45 back on the rear when the Azaro wore out. Now running a half-worn Storm on the front and a fairly new (2k miles, or thereabouts) BT on the back and so far, so good. I see no reason why one could not run this combination, if that helps.
03mach1
Big Wheel
I went with the Dunlop K700 replacement. So far, so good. About 1000 miles on it so far and shows very little wear. You can see from the old one, it was overdue to be replaced. The guy inspecting it would not pass it. I am glad. It was an accident waiting to happen. It had almost 9000 miles on it! This is the 4th set of tires in 31K miles.
Attachments
What do you mean? ' The guy inspecting it would not pass it'
Are you saying you would have kept on riding on that bald ass worn out tire if the 'Guy' did pass it??
Wow! Do you know what a 'Wear Bar' is??
Are you saying you would have kept on riding on that bald ass worn out tire if the 'Guy' did pass it??
Wow! Do you know what a 'Wear Bar' is??
slybonesjesse
Sport Tourer
That old one looks like a BT-45 rear. Only 9K and down that far. hmmm... Maybe 8K to the wear bars? -- 8K to 10K sounds about right for them. A few have reported less.
I have 11.2K on mine as of yesterdays ride. Not on the bars yet. This is my best so far. 10K as been typical for me.
I have 11.2K on mine as of yesterdays ride. Not on the bars yet. This is my best so far. 10K as been typical for me.
Daytona_Mike said:
Now Mike. Go EZ. <grin>
As I recall your rear tire looked a LOT like that in Arkansas....
But,,, of course, yours only had about 2000 miles on it....
I can't imagine how it got so worn??? :sign0098:
Ride safe, Ted