What tires do you use?

[Montreux_Blue]

What kind of tires is everyone using and what kind of driving do you do? I'm trying to find some better handling tires, so who better to ask than people with the same bike! The Dunlop 491 is just not cutting it for me, I'm getting some rear wheel spin during acceleration, still has plenty of tread left. I just want stickier tires and I am finding out that I am limited with the rear 16" wheel. Any suggestions???

[Rasputin]

Pirelli Tour-am 140/90-16 77H. Sticks to the road like sh&t to a blanket. I love this tire, corners great. I have not done much rain riding with it though so I could get a suprise yet. The tire barely clears my 79 SF driveshaft but it has never rubbed yet. Unfortunatly I do not remember the mileage when i put it on so I dont know how many I have out of it so far.

[Rasputin]

Forgot to mention that the last tire I had on the 79SF was an AVON Roadrunner. Same size. Very impressive for sticking to the road and ultimate launches. Wore out quite quickly though and was pricey 6000km's if I remember properly. A fine tire if your bank account can handle the strain

[SFSPECBIKER79]

awesome tires

i use bridgestone spitfire.they are cheap and for high speed,awesome ,at 85 mph like smooth sailing on my xs special.

[mason79]

bridgestone spitfires as well quite good...

[Pat Kelly]

Dunlop K491's on the touring E.
Dunlop 501's on the sportier LG.
I haven't spun a tire yet. Either I launch like a wuss or I have the clutch feel right...... or both.

[TADracer]

I ride naked (no laughs please) and like to cut the turns alot on those small country roads we have down here in south Louisiana. I am running Metzler Lasertec front and rear. Front 110-90-V19 and rear 130-90-V16. I like 'em.

[egsols]

Bridgestone spitfires, grip, cheap, fit, last (I've been told)

[egleaves]

Metzler Marathon tires front & rear. Don't know anything about them except that they're round and seem to have good grip when it's dry out. Wet pavement can get a little tricky sometimes.

I haven't spun a tire yet. Either I launch like a wuss or I have the clutch feel right...... or both.

Pat, I'm the same way. I don't know who to blame, me or the tires.

[trbig]

There is tire threads aplenty to keep you busy for hours. If not concerned with mileage, the Avon Vipers and Metzler Lazertechs are good choices for "Sticky", although the Venoms dished out on the edges badly on me with good tread left.

Some would call my riding style... "Fun". Others would call it.. ummm.. something else entirely! lol. The Dunlop Elite 3 has been the best tire I have ever run. If you get into an area of road with a layer of just tar on top.. just about any tire is going to break loose. I tried a couple months ago in Texas on a visit to spin this back tire at a stop light and couldn't do it. I have felt the back end slide out a little after turning from a stop by the house here a couple times, but it was out on the edges of the tire leaned... could have been dirt/oil/etc on the tire though since it hadn't been on edge for a while and I ride through a bit of wet grass in the morning. What I do know though, is it has grabbed the best in the corners of any tire I have run. I know he can't speak here, but I believe Maximan has seen it corner better/faster than any bike this age was designed to do. I wasn't pushing it, but I rode @ 170 miles in the rain a couple nights ago and it never slipped a bit there.. even at 70+ with a semi passing and hitting you with a wall of water.

A tire that lasts any time with my riding style is pretty impressive. I have almost 8k on this tire with a LOT of tread left. Combine that with a VERY sure-footed feel.... I'm sold on them and can't say enough about them... obviously! lol


Tod

[dpotter58]

I switched up to E-3s on the last go round and will put them on the other bike when they are needed. The E-3s hold well, have shown good tread life ad the front tire runs through things like re surfaced asphalt and metal bridge grating without tracking in the grooves. It's a much better tire than the 501s and the E-2s.

[Montreux_Blue]

Originally posted by trbig
There is tire threads aplenty to keep you busy for hours.

I looked before I posted and only found a line here and there in some threads. Thought this would be faster to condense it all into one. I found a new set (correct sizes) of Bridgestone Spitfires on Craigslist for $250, doesn't seem like a good deal. I like the look of the Dunlop Elite 3 and if they last that long and are that good, I might get those.

Next question, what air pressure should I use front and rear? Currently I have 30 psi front and 35 psi rear. I am an aggressive rider (acceleration wise not so much top speed) and only weigh about 145 lbs.

[fredintoon]

And from way out in left field - - -

Hi Blue,
Kenda Challenger up front (whatcha got that's cheap & holds air?) TwinTire on rear because it's flat-sectioned and wears like iron and a Vredestein car tire on the Honda Civic rim the sidecar uses.
I'd go to an Avon sidecar triple duty up front for it's flat-section tread but it's speed rating is poor and it won't run tubeless.

[acof911]

dunlop touring elite 3

Hey trbig ,
I have about the same mileage on my set of elite 3s and I like 'em too. BUT, I am starting to get some cupping on both the front and rear tires that I am not too happy about. I had been running the yamaha recommended tire pressure but have since upped to front to 30-32 psi.
Have you or anyone else had cupping problems with the elite 3?
I do ride in a more "sport" style myself and found this bit of info from the Dunlop web site to be pretty interesting -

How To Avoid Cupping -
You may not be able to entirely avoid cupping. Tire cupping or irregular wear is a somewhat common occurrence on all vehicles. On a four-wheel vehicle, you are advised to rotate your tires periodically to even out wear. Unfortunately, you do not have this luxury with a motorcycle because front and rear tires, unlike those on a four-wheel vehicle, are not interchangeable.

However, there are steps that can be taken to minimize cupping and uneven wear on a motorcycle:
Maintain your motorcycle and particularly your front forks and suspension.


Avoid hard braking whenever possible. Braking causes the tire to grab and wear in one direction. When braking is applied to the front tire, the load transfer over-flexes the tire and increases the tendency for cupping and uneven wear.


Maintain your tire pressures. Underinflation or overinflation in motorcycle tires are significant causes of cupping and uneven wear, particularly in association with hard braking and/or trailer use.

Some of today's tires feature tread patterns and constructions that are less prone to cupping than the ribbed tires of old. The Dunlop 491, D401 and D402 touring and sport touring tires are good examples.

Tire companies can, and are, helping to minimize cupping and uneven wear but you, the rider, must do your part. Follow the aforementioned guidelines. How Much Run-in Should I Give a New Tire? When new tires are fitted, they should not be subjected to maximum power or hard cornering until a reasonable run-in distance of approximately 100 miles has been achieved.

This is necessary for a number of reasons. Replacements for worn tires with different patterns and construction will not react the same. Also, a new tire is stiffer than an old tire. The new tire has a rounder tread profile, different contact patch and "lean-over edge" than the worn profile of an old tire. The new tire will also not react the same in combination with its remaining tire.

Carrying out the required run-in will allow you to become accustomed to the "feel" of the new tires and tire combinations, so you are better able to achieve optimum road grip for use in high speed, high acceleration and handling situations.
-end-

Maybe I hosed my tires by braking too hard?

[trbig]

I seem to use more air in my tires than most. Between me and riding two up a lot, or at least carrying enough crap that the bike thinks I am.. I usually keep my rear at 40psi and the front at @ 35. I have @ 12psi in my front forks also with my dampener adjuster knob on 4 for the front and back. Probably a lot stiffer setup than most would prefer.

This being said... I did the same setup with the Avon tire and it cupped. I haven't run an Elite 3 on front, but I have no cupping issues "YET" with the Dunlop on the rear. As stated though, I am usually a lot more aggressive on my accel than I am on the brakes... but I still go through a set of pads about as often as tires???


Tod