Author Topic: Tire recommendations (Read 169639 times)

johnny · « **Reply #75 on:** April 30, 2016, 07:41:24 AM »

greetings...

tiors may not have any yeeeeehaaaaa as they nears cords... and they aints worn out till you see cords...

those claiming 10+ thou miles... i suggest you take a photo of the set of tiors and your odo the day you install them...

then do the same on the next set... do the odo math... 10+ thou... really... you whack...

its 37 degrees and sunny in the chee on this last day of april... no rain till the afternoon... im going motobricking on brand new shinko podiums...

j o

F14CRAZY · « **Reply #76 on:** April 30, 2016, 09:40:22 AM »

Well that's true Tim. I'm not running the tread quite that shallow. I figure since I ride in rain I should leave something there

bocutter Ed · « **Reply #77 on:** April 30, 2016, 12:39:53 PM »

http://

johnny · « **Reply #78 on:** April 30, 2016, 12:46:58 PM »

negative miles... caint trust a canadicans math as reliable... just saying...

bocutter Ed · « **Reply #79 on:** April 30, 2016, 12:58:15 PM »

all my records are in a Filemaker database ... american software ... dont have to mathamicate anything :hehehe

motodude · « **Reply #80 on:** April 30, 2016, 07:16:36 PM »

Maybe they ride backwards in Canadia?

Quote from: johnny on April 30, 2016, 12:46:58 PM

negative miles... caint trust a canadicans math as reliable... just saying...

voodooskin · « **Reply #81 on:** June 20, 2016, 11:54:17 PM »

Hmmmm... Avon Azaro 140/80zr-17 radial no longer seeing available on my usual tire vendors. Might be no longer available. That's it, moving to Canada.

I might try a 150/70-17 PR3 or 4 but can anyone address if it's more difficult to install on a stock K1100LT 3-spoke? If so I'll consider paying someone to do it because just doing the stock rear in the correct size challenged my atrophied limbs.

Thanks y'all

beemrdon · « **Reply #82 on:** June 21, 2016, 08:39:12 AM »

Howdy Johnny.

I got 10,000 miles on both my front and rear and I do not use them down to the cord. The tires I had on were F-Michelin PR2, R-PR2, 110/80/18 and 150/70/17.
I now have the PR3 on front and the PR4 on the rear. I have photographed them just after installing and will photograph them as they are used up. I also measured tread depth just after installation with a gauge and documented everything in my K1100 log book... I will update this post as these tires wear out with facts and fotos.

beemrdon · « **Reply #83 on:** June 22, 2016, 11:13:09 AM »

After writing the above comment I went outside with my tire tread gauge to measure the remaining tire tread on the (rear) Michelin PR4. It has been on there approx. 5K miles now. First off, the tire started life with 5 mm of tread. It now has almost 4 mm left. See the pics below.

koapono · « **Reply #84 on:** July 04, 2016, 02:34:06 PM »

just installed a new PR4 on the LT. The old one has nearly 8,000 miles on it and there's easily another thousand left in it. The front tire has same mileage and still has many miles left, going to see if I can complete the trip with it. I am about to depart on cross-country tour and thought it best to leave with new rubber on the rear rather than arrange a tire purchase/install somewhere "out there". I am very happy with performance of the Michelins and will continue to use them for as long as they're available.

F14CRAZY · « **Reply #85 on:** July 09, 2016, 09:53:22 PM »

I guess I need to switch to radials...the best bias tires don't last nearly that long

restinthesun · « **Reply #86 on:** August 07, 2016, 11:11:59 AM »

Hey all,

I'm buried in all this tire info. Thought I'd just arsk you informed folk for a rec. Maybe that'll settle it. I ride up in Vermont—mostly commuting and the occasional 400-600 miler south, but sometimes on dirt road/twisties. Any magic bullet for such a mix?

I was leaning toward Metzlers but hear a lot of chatter about the BT-45s or Spitfires. Thoughts?

restinthesun · « **Reply #87 on:** August 07, 2016, 11:26:50 AM »

@Laitch, What do you ride with? You're probably riding the same roads... what would stick on VT dirt but handle well on longer schleps around the country...?

Laitch · « **Reply #88 on:** August 07, 2016, 12:07:47 PM »

Quote from: restinthesun on August 07, 2016, 11:26:50 AM

@Laitch, What do you ride with? You're probably riding the same roads... what would stick on VT dirt but handle well on longer schleps around the country...?

I've used Metzeler Lasertecs because they handle wet and dry pavement so well, but they're blasted costly and my ~30% riding on gravel wears them down in ~6K–7K miles. Metzeler has developed a Klassic line with a different tread design that fits our bikes.

Tim Tyler rides a lot of miles on forest roads and slab with Shinko 712s and F14Crazy gave a good review of Shinko 720s so I'm leaning their ways. I've got to get a couple of something this month. It's difficult for me to change what works for me even though Shinko's price is 30%–50% less than Metzeler's.

My opinion is that riding gravel roads enjoyably with road bikes and any road tire is down to the skill of the rider and the set up of the bike, but the differences among us shrink when those roads are rain-soaked or muddy. Then the ability to dead-lift iron can come in handy.

restinthesun · « **Reply #89 on:** August 07, 2016, 12:52:59 PM »

That's some good info, Laitch. Appurciate it.

I've had B-stone S11's on her for the last year or so that I've had the bike (6000-ish miles and now bald), but think I'll splurge for the Metzlers and see how we do.

Martin · « **Reply #90 on:** August 07, 2016, 01:23:57 PM »

BT 45's grip well but you don't get much mileage out of them, I only got 9000 K's out of the rear, front still going. I'm now running Michelin Pilot Actives grips a bit better than the BT45's. On the good reports will probably try Shinko next.
Regards Martin.

restinthesun · « **Reply #91 on:** August 07, 2016, 01:41:16 PM »

Thanks, Martin. I think I've convinced myself to give Metzlers a try then if the money don't match the miles, I'll head down the scale...

koapono · « **Reply #92 on:** August 24, 2016, 02:38:47 PM »

greetings all, results from an unscientific tire test.
In July I mounted a new PR4 rear tire on my LT at 78,400 miles.
I left on cross-country odyssey on 20 July and returned home on 21 Aug.
Mileage on odometer when I got home was 86,349.
total trip mileage was 7,949.
About 5,000 of those miles were 2-up, fully loaded luggage and traveling on Interstates. The remaining miles were cross-country solo ride w/loaded luggage via interstate.
The only twisty roads encountered were a couple of rides up and over the rockies in colorado, montana and alberta. these were sedately done as spouse was on board and she doesn't enjoy excessive lean-angles and scraping of scoot parts on asphalt.
Encountered about 5 days of rain over course of trip with one absolute downpour, tires performed flawlessly.
I'd say I still have a few thousand left on the tire and have been quite happy with performance.
I was a bit OCD regarding tire pressures, maintained 40 PSI rear and 34 PSI in front, checked and adjusted each morning to compensate for changes in temperatures.
i'd recommend the PR4 to anyone considering a tire change.
attached before and after pictures with odometer readings for the nay-sayers.

restinthesun · « **Reply #93 on:** August 24, 2016, 08:43:37 PM »

That's some good science, koapono.

TaosBrick · « **Reply #94 on:** September 01, 2016, 06:20:18 PM »

Ok folks, I see a number of you rating PR4's quite highly, but what sizes are you running?

I have a K75 with stock 2.5" Y spoke front, and a 3" three spoke rear... I note that the sizes for radials that Duck recommends for 2v simply don't seem to be available in the PR4. In fact, it would seem that only ONE size of 18" front tire is available - 120/70. Will this work with my whip?

And... as my bias rear tyre is fairly new, I'll not be replacing it just now. I have heard that it's ok to run a radial in front and a bias rear, but not the other way round. Trying to get it all safely sorted. :dunno2:

beemerphile · « **Reply #95 on:** September 01, 2016, 08:13:20 PM »

Quote from: TaosBrick on September 01, 2016, 06:20:18 PM

Ok folks, I see a number of you rating PR4's quite highly, but what sizes are you running?

You might check the size availability in Pilot Road 3's. I think there is a 110/80-18 in the PR3. On my K11RS I use a PR4 front in 120/70-17 but have to scale back to a PR3 to get the 160/60-18 I need for the rear.

beemrdon · « **Reply #96 on:** October 15, 2016, 11:41:30 PM »

Tire Update: I have been running my rear michelin PR-4 at 42 PSI since new and I now think that it was too much pressure because the very middle of the tire is about 1/2 mm + lower in tread than just about 1/4 inch to the sides. I just measured it with a tire tread guage (see above pics) at about 6,200 miles wear. I ride solo and weigh about 170, so not a lot of weight.
Also, the tire is cupping...I don't know if that is the right word for it but the height of tread is now a different height on either side of the long diagonal rain channels.
I am changing the tire next week because I am going on a 3,000 mile trip to Las Vegas from the Boston area and I don't want to chance running a low-tread tire on the trip. I always seem to pick up sheet rock screws when my tread gets low. I could conceivably get another 2,000 to 3,000 miles out of it but I don't want to have it in the back of my mind while cruzing x country.
Also, I'm not really happy with the "cupping" and had the same thing on my previous Michelin PR2 rear which was so bad that the rear tire thumped when rounding corners...but that was at 10,000 miles and was the reason I changed it...it still had tread. This tire is not thumping but looks like it will at some point. I don't know if it has anything to do with cupping but my suspension is pretty stiff.

REGerlach · « **Reply #97 on:** October 17, 2016, 10:58:44 PM »

Has anyone tried latest generation Continentals?

beemerphile · « **Reply #98 on:** October 18, 2016, 06:25:47 AM »

Quote from: REGerlach on October 17, 2016, 10:58:44 PM

Has anyone tried latest generation Continentals?

I just received a set for my 92 R100RS but haven't mounted them yet. I have heard great things. Hopefully they will be easier to mount than the Pilot Activs I have been using.

kris · « **Reply #99 on:** October 26, 2016, 05:01:12 PM »

Thought I'd share a tire story I heard last night. Some guys from my area did a trip to the southern States in July. With the exception of one guy on a Triumph Dayton 1200 the other guys were all on Harleys. All experienced riders. All have done this, and similar, trips over many years. So the victim in this story (a Harley guy) thought his rear tire was OK for the trip. Tread mostly gone but he thought it should get him through. Tire to be changed upon return. WRONG DECISION! His rear tire blew on a curve at 60 mph. Bike fish-tailed, rider thrown. Bike was last seen cart-wheeling down the highway. Rider survived. The Harley was donated to the tow truck guy along with the ownership (pink slip). Our bike tires wear pretty quickly and are, it goes without saying, the only thing between us and God only knows what. Bike tires aren't cheap but they're a lot cheaper than a hospital stay or funeral. When in doubt swap 'em out, guys. And don't ride old, apparently decent, looking tires either. We are all worth the extra dough.

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Author Topic: Tire recommendations (Read 169639 times)