Author Topic: tires, what do you recommend? (Read 109804 times)

troy_mclure · « **on:** August 16, 2013, 08:51:02 pm »

i normally buy metzler tires for my bikes.
my daily commute is 40 miles of 65-70mph interstate, 55 miles of 35-65mph country highway, and 5 miles of city traffic.

my current shinkos kinda suck, and i expect to be swapping them in a few months.

what do you guys use?

J6G1Z · « **Reply #1 on:** August 16, 2013, 09:36:44 pm »

I'm currently running Avon Road Riders & I'm pleased with the performance.

I do not have much experience with other tires other than the old Dunlops that were popular in the late 80's.

J.

tdub73 · « **Reply #2 on:** September 04, 2013, 04:01:18 pm »

IMHO...I like to keep the flat track look and am going to get the Vee Rubber VRM 163's..same size on both ends.

J6G1Z · « **Reply #3 on:** September 04, 2013, 05:59:24 pm »

Quote from: tdub73 on September 04, 2013, 04:01:18 pm

IMHO...I like to keep the flat track look and am going to get the Vee Rubber VRM 163's..same size on both ends.

That's a gnarley looking tire! How well does it ride on the street & through the turns?
http://veerubberusa.com/motorcycle/viewsize.php?Pname=vrm163

J.

Dougie · « **Reply #4 on:** September 15, 2013, 01:21:08 pm »

The look is great but in the link it says the compound is suited to High mileage = slippery?

I chose a similar looking tyre in the Avon Distanzias. got the look but not the grip.

Last a long time and can't wait till they wear out, can't bear to just remove them.

J6G1Z · « **Reply #5 on:** September 15, 2013, 02:50:29 pm »

It also mentions that the design is intended for ice studs.

Extra gnarly!

J.

J6G1Z · « **Reply #6 on:** November 09, 2013, 10:12:13 am »

I've been reading about tires on some other vintage bike type of forums & the Avon Road Rider keeps popping up as a great modern tread, sticky, tire for vintage bikes & wheel sizes. I recently started riding an FJ1200 that has some Metzelers on it. I can't recall what model of tire off the top of my head, but I'm guessing that they are intended as a sports/touring tire with the priority on touring & long tread life. They are not near as confidence inspiring in the corners as my Avon Road Riders. I've had the rear end slide a few inches on me on a couple of occasions. They don't stop as well either. Of course the bike is much heavier when it comes to stopping.

The other tire that I hear about often is the Bridgestone Battleaxe. I have never ridden a bike with these tires yet, so have no experience.

Another trend that I'm seeing... Is the return to narrower tires vs. as wide a tire as you can fit. Many folks are even running one size narrower than the OEM recommendation to reduce rotational weight (improve throttle response & braking) & improve initial turn in on the corners.

J.

thumperdh · « **Reply #7 on:** November 09, 2013, 09:54:20 pm »

I actually stumbled on these in the new Tucker Rocky catalog last week, they are the new Continental, Conti classic attack tires

http://www.conti-online.com/www/motorcycle_de_en/themes/motorcycletires/conti_classic_en/classic_attack_en.html

It's a brand new radial tire designed for classic bikes, offered in 100/90-19, 110/90-18 and 120/90-18

Quote

Extraordinary light handling with outstanding grip and curve stability

Exceptional control of riding performance and optimal feedback

Perfect grip under all weather conditions, also in wet and cold

Excellent mileage due to up-to-date compound technology

Innovative tread pattern design for even wear and good water dispersement

Improved radial carcass construction for easy handling and high stability

0° steel-belted construction, front and rear, guarantees excellent stability at high speeds

I haven't been able to find any reviews on them apart from one on a BMW forum and one from Motorcycle News

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/newsresults/First-rides-tests/2012/June/jun2212-radial-continental-tyres-tested/
http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/showthread.php?68862-Classic-1977-R100RS-With-New-Technology-Conti-Radial-Tires

J6G1Z · « **Reply #8 on:** November 10, 2013, 12:08:00 pm »

Interesting tread pattern. Looks like a good tire appearance wise. Nice to see someone else building a modern tire for vintage bikes. I had a hell of a time trying to find an 18" rear tire for an FZR400 wheel. I ended up with a Battleaxe BT-45 & hope that I like them. It will be a while before that bike hits the street yet as it is a long term project.

Thanks for the heads up. Any idea what these tires will cost?

J.

thumperdh · « **Reply #9 on:** November 27, 2013, 10:58:09 pm »

Okay, picked up a set of those Avons last week for around $140R/$130F.
I'm coming from riding Shinko 712 (I think they were).

First impressions? Wow. It actually feels like I can take a corner now.

Second impression? Damn, these are pricey for vintage tires.

I've only put about 50 miles on them so far but I have to say I am impressed. The bike feels more planted through corners, where I was taking highway on ramps at 35 before, i feel comfortable taking them at 45 now. Braking distance is significantly shorter as well. I'll write back in a few more weeks and provide more updates as I go along.

J6G1Z · « **Reply #10 on:** November 28, 2013, 10:18:53 am »

Quote from: thumperdh on November 27, 2013, 10:58:09 pm

Okay, picked up a set of those Avons last week for around $140R/$130F.

Are these the Road Riders?

What tire pressues are you running? I usually run 28psi in the front & 32psi in the rear. I've found that the Road Riders get stickier after you put a few miles on them. I think they come with some type of mold release, or preservative, on them when you first buy them that needs to be worn off before they really start to work well.

I think that you will like them overall... I don't know how long they last though.

Good luck
J.

thumperdh · « **Reply #11 on:** November 28, 2013, 11:26:00 am »

D'oh my mistake, I got the conti classic attacks, not the Avon roadriders. Continental is using a new type of mold release on the tires that claims to make them "pre-broken in"

J6G1Z · « **Reply #12 on:** November 28, 2013, 01:33:29 pm »

I don't think that is a bad price for a new to the market RADIAL tire. I believe that most of the tires in that price range are bias-ply construction.

I'm very interested in hearing any future riding impressions.

Thanks
J.

thumperdh · « **Reply #13 on:** November 29, 2013, 07:28:33 pm »

Here are some pics of the new rubber

So far so good.

huskyfrk · « **Reply #14 on:** November 30, 2013, 10:27:52 pm »

mold release problems area a thing of the past. if you still have some deep seated fears, take a small piece of scotch brits and do a quick scrub. i have used avons and they work really well. currently have pirelli's on my SRX-600. love em. You have to remember that the mfg doesn't sell as many bike tires, so cost per unit is gonna b high. some of the tires available years ago are no no longer mfg'd. i would stay away from the stinko's. sponsored pro's have quit riding them, in racing. seems to b the same feeling on the street tires. odd as the mother co. is yokahama...

johnnymot1 · « **Reply #15 on:** January 17, 2014, 12:03:46 am »

Glad to see this, as I'm a new FT500 owner (5 actually now as I've been on an FT500 binge), but for the nicest/ride-able one I'm going to actually ride while I work on the others, I'm looking/searching for a decent 50/50 dual sport tire...Maybe a 30/70, as I live right in the middle of some epic canyon riding territory, but also have access to miles, and miles of BLM improved dirt roads I'm thinking of taking her on too.....

What's anyone's favorite dual sport more oriented to a little off road riding? Are we limited to the stock listed sizes or do we have some variance in size as well?

J6G1Z · « **Reply #16 on:** January 17, 2014, 10:29:18 am »

Quote from: johnnymot1 on January 17, 2014, 12:03:46 am

Glad to see this, as I'm a new FT500 owner (5 actually now as I've been on an FT500 binge), but for the nicest/ride-able one I'm going to actually ride while I work on the others, I'm looking/searching for a decent 50/50 dual sport tire...Maybe a 30/70, as I live right in the middle of some epic canyon riding territory, but also have access to miles, and miles of BLM improved dirt roads I'm thinking of taking her on too.....

What's anyone's favorite dual sport more oriented to a little off road riding? Are we limited to the stock listed sizes or do we have some variance in size as well?

Welcome to the Ascot world. Are you able to post up some pics of your collection?

There has been talk from a few new Ascot owners of trying to use the bike as a Dual-Sport bike, but I can't recall anyone actually doing so. Even though the Ascot looks like a Flat Tracker dirt bike, it's really designed to be a street bike & is a bit heavy for dirt riding. If you have a real clean Ascot, you should probably keep it on the street instead of dinging it up out in the dirt. They are fairly rare bikes, plus the oil sump hangs down kind of low. Keep your eye open for a Honda XR/XL type of bike, or a Suzuki DR, etc. I think you will be much happier.

If you're determined to put Dual-Sport tires on the bike, I'm afraid that I can't really help you. I run Avon Roadriders as I've found that the Ascot makes a much better Canyon Carver/Wannabe Sport-Bike than you would expect. There was a thread on the Yahoo Groups VT500FT Forum on dirt tires recently & you might try scrolling through that to see if there is some good info. Here is the link to their site: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/ascotvt500enthusiasts/conversations/messages

Good luck & please let us know what you end up doing.
J.

johnnymot1 · « **Reply #17 on:** January 17, 2014, 11:45:37 pm »

Thanks for the information. I'm still at the starting point of being "all over the map" about what I want to do, but yes, definitely one of the bikes, possibly two are going to go the original route. My thoughts on one are more of a "naked tracker" that I'm less worried about dinging up.

Luckily, I have 2 DR's to play with (a 400 and a 650) so the more road oriented route makes a bit more since as well... All have the varying degrees of neglect so I'm starting with the best example, and going from there....Tires, the essential mods (great article on here by the way for a newbie!) and have some fun and play with the others.....The two that are running (I use that loosely) have a horrific starter noise, so I'm sure I'm about to enter the world of starter pinion diagnosis and beyond....

Pics to come soon........The awesome canyon lined roads around here are begging to be carved, so I may start looking the sticky route on more road oriented tires!

J6G1Z · « **Reply #18 on:** January 18, 2014, 10:22:32 am »

Here's a link to the Yahoo Groups FT500 Ascot Starter Problems Files: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/honda-ascot/files/Starter%20Issues/
This is the most information that I know of on FT500 starter problems.

Have you seen this bike yet? http://ascot500.com/index.php?topic=15.0

Good luck
J.

johnnymot1 · « **Reply #19 on:** January 18, 2014, 08:55:40 pm »

Interesting bike....I like the mechanical end of it, but the graphics just aren't quite my style. I bet it's a blast to ride though.

I think it's google images that has that same bike with someone actually on it riding. Nice pic of it too. One of my "left over" FT500s may end up with a similar build. There are certainly some nice varied examples out there to draw ideas and inspiration from!

J6G1Z · « **Reply #20 on:** January 19, 2014, 10:06:10 am »

The paint scheme is not my favorite either. I think it's supposed to resemble the type of vision tests that determine if your color blind or not. Somewhere on the I'net is a picture of someone riding that bike at near full slide. It's a very clean machine that has been stripped to the basic essentials.

J.

thumperdh · « **Reply #21 on:** March 15, 2014, 01:37:23 pm »

I'd just like to post an update on my Conti Classic Attacks

I've got about 1500 miles on them right now and I really couldnt be happier, the comparison between these and the Shinko tires I had on before is black and white.

I would highly recommend these to anybody looking for a performance oriented tire for the FT.

blubro · « **Reply #22 on:** April 16, 2014, 01:31:58 pm »

I ride on Shinko Trailmasters. I live in the high desert, and we have some nice canyon roads, and about a million miles of powerline roads and dirt backroads.
I run the E705 up front for more pavement control, and the E700 in the rear for a better bite in the loose stuff.
I'm way past my peg grinding days, and never was much for motocross type riding, so this setup is pretty comfortable for me.

J6G1Z · « **Reply #23 on:** April 16, 2014, 02:28:01 pm »

Quote from: blubro on April 16, 2014, 01:31:58 pm

I ride on Shinko Trailmasters. I live in the high desert, and we have some nice canyon roads, and about a million miles of powerline roads and dirt backroads.
I run the E705 up front for more pavement control, and the E700 in the rear for a better bite in the loose stuff.
I'm way past my peg grinding days, and never was much for motocross type riding, so this setup is pretty comfortable for me.

You're riding your FT offroad? How's it do, out in the dirt?

I keep mine on the street & treat it like a sport-bike. I always kind of wondered how well they would do offroad, as compared to an XL500.

Thanks
J.

blubro · « **Reply #24 on:** April 17, 2014, 01:29:33 pm »

I ride 60/40, roughly, and I like to be able to explore up & down the dirt roads out here. The old girl is willing to do what's asked, you just have to respect that she's from a different generation. She's no Moto Monster, but as long as you stay loose in the saddle and use the right wrist freely, she does fine.

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Author Topic: tires, what do you recommend? (Read 109804 times)