Tire recommendations, please

[PJSALERNO]

Grettings all, Thanks for all the brake/carb responses. Ordered a bunch of parts, they're trickling in. Now for tires...................

78 XS1100E. 21k miles. Dont know how old these tires are, not cracked, but the rear is almost due, so I'm ready to put some new sneakers on 1/4 century old machine . What brands/models/sizes to you XS-ives like/recommend. Should I stick with the specs which are front: 3.25H19, rear: 4.5H17 or stray? Thanks...Phil

[Snow]

Oh boy, the dreaded tire thread reappears Some people run Bridgestone Spitfires, some run BattleAx, some run Dunlop K491 Elite II's, others swear by Avon, and others prefer the price of Chengo Shin. There are also Metzelers, which I want to get when I can afford it.

[Robert Haller]

I don't recommend Cheng Shin, they wear out fast and I suspect there are much better handling tires. Alot of people favor Dunlop K491 Elite IIs, but I have heard good things about Bridgestone Spitfires too (I'm not sure how they differ from the BattleAx). I'm interested in input as well since I'll be reshodding mine in the near future.

[NOMAD]

I just put new tires on my 80SG and used Maxis V that I got from J.C. Whitney. They have Kevlar belts, dual compound and the price was right. I gave about $170 USD for them including freight. I installed a pair of progressive (1 1/2" shorter) shocks at the same time. Now I'm waiting for my TKAT fork brace, soon I hope. I've only put a couple hundred miles on it so far but, I'm really impressed with the improved handling. If the fork brace makes as much difference as everybody says it will I'll be able to chase those little sport bikes around. Hope this helps.

NOMAD

[Dragonrider]

Nomad

Watch the Maxxis tires closely. I loved them for the milage and handling, but had cracks and premature failure. I never could get Maxxis or JC Whitney to make good on the bad tire.

Check out the story and pictures here:
Maxxis Tire problem

Keep an eye on them . . .

[NOMAD]

Dan,
Thanks for the info, I'll be sure to watch them closely. A freind of mine just put a set on his 98 Moto-Guzzi EV11, so we'll have to keep an eye on them too. I sure love the looks and handling though.

Thanks again,

NOMAD

[PJSALERNO]

Thanks Guys... I'm leaning towards Bridgestone BT-45H from motorcyclemart.com Front: 100/90V19 $70 Rear: 130/90V17 $82

Other threads I have read give the green light on stepping up the rear from the specs on the '79 XS1100E of 120/90H17 to 130/90V17 without issue.

I'm not making the purchase for about 2-3 weeks, so more suggestions are definetly welcome. Thanks again...Phil

[Jerry]

I run Dunlope 491 Elite II front and back on my '82 XJ. Also have SS brake lines, fork brace, Progressive fork springs, and stock rear air shocks running about 18 PSI. I also have a Windjammer III, sadlebags, and luggage rack mounted on the bike and I weigh around 260 pounds. I run 36 PSI front and 40 PSI rear. I do little commuting, mostly longer trips (200 miles is an afternoon ride) and frequently pull a small trailer.

2 issues with tire selection are: What is your riding style. i.e. long trips, twisties, rain, commuting to work, carry a passenger, and so on. Other is condition of your suspension.

Since we can't mount and unmount tires to do our own comparisons, we rely on the opinions of others. It hight help you to re-state your question with a few more details about your riding style and conditions and if you have any suspesnion mods planned or in place, then listen to those who ride in a similar fashion with similar bikes and suspensions.

Not that it will do a lot of good...everyone has and will express their opinion at the drop of a hat! But...when I first got my XJ on the road and was looking for tires, I noticed a majority of people at the first rally I attended (a lot of yearly high-mileage riders) were running Dunlops. I decided to go that way as well and have not regretted or second-guessed that decision through subsequent sets of tires.

Point is to try and listen to riders who come close to your situation and go from there. You really can't go wrong with any of the major brands, but some tires may work better than others for your application.

[PJSALERNO]

Good point, Jerry, thanks.

I've only been doing about 1k miles per season here in NY. It's sometimes hard to decide to go riding or take out the convertible (98 Vette).

Most of my rides are either on orginized bike runs usually with a passenger, or out solo for a blast on some twisties.

My 78 has stock suspension and I'm about 150lbs, passengers usually about a 110lb female.

You know how this bike handles (like a bull) and I just want a tire that I can feel comfortable with leaning it down a bit, not peg scraping, but havin some fun. A tire that would be comfortable for a nice 100mile highway run as well would be good. So I guess I want a good all-around tire.

Would the Dunlpop 491's fit this type of riding? Thanks.....Phil

[sixtysix]

Yes the Dunlop will do what you want.....I have chased (or been chased) by Jerry through the twisties in both AR and CO. We both run the Dunlops.

Read this tire thread all the way through:

http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1489