79 special rear tire

[XSive Okie]

Any of you guys have a favorite brand, that is mid-range in price, and wears good for a daily driver? I don't ride hard or "burn it off", mostly to and from work, and weekend rides with the wife. Any suggestions are appreciated!

[dbeardslee]

Oh no you didn't...

...another tire thread . Bridgestone Spitfire S11's - wear well, good and sticky and the price is right. Best place I've found to get them is Motorcycle Superstore - free shipping on orders over $75, and that includes tires.

[CatatonicBug]

Uh, oh... Here we go again...

Okie - two things that cause the most debate are tires and oil. Do some searching, and you'll find hours - no, WEEKS - of reading on the topic! Get some round rubber ones that fit your budget, and see if you like them. If you do, buy them again next time. If you don't, buy something different.

Personally, I run a Shinko 712 on the front, and a Dunlop Elite3 on the rear. The Shinko was because it was cheap, and what I could afford at the time, and the Dunlop is what I decided on after doing my own searching on this forum.

[crazy steve]

The dreaded 'which tire should I buy' thread.....

Really, you'll get nearly as many opinions as there are members. The upside is the 130/90-16 is an extremely common size and everybody makes multiple versions/lines of it. If cost is an issue, there been decent reports on the Shinko and Kenda. If mileage is more important, the Rocklop.. er, I mean Dunlop Elite 3 seems to be a fav...

'78E original owner

[XSive Okie]

Thanks, guys. Was thinking of going Dunlop, that's what is currently on it and it seemed to wear evenly, and although almost a racing slick in the middle, still corners great. I won't even ask about oil, though I know what I'll use for it. Thanks again!

[Pat Kelly]

You can buy a cheap tire (you get what you pay for) and buy another one in a few months (and maybe not have the $ at that time or worse, be stranded somewhere inconvient). Or, buy a good tire that will last a year or more. It can be replaced after that big raise when the economy bounces back .
A good tire on sale (why is it on sale? Check the date code) is always a bonus.
Ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Get the best tire you can afford for your riding style.
I've been happy with Dunlops and Metzlers.

[crazy steve]

While I'll agree you generally get what you pay for, more $$ doesn't always equal better value. I ran ChengShin Barracudas for years and was always very happy with their handling (sorry to see them leave the M/C market). They only lasted about 2/3 as long as 'name' tires, but cost less than 1/2 as much, so on a cost-per-mile turned out to be the better deal... for me anyway.

And let's face it; M/C tires in general are a rip-off. For what the average bike tire costs and how long it lasts, they're not a 'good deal'. For what you pay for a mid-price bike tire, if that were a car tire you would be extremely disappointed it it wore out in less than 40K miles...

'78E original owner

[WMarshy]

40K I wish I could get half that... even a third of that would make my day. 10K seems about average for the last two I've had.

[cywelchjr]

I'm running a set of Kenda Cruiser ST's right now and so far about 7 months in and about 5k miles later they seem to be wearing well, and they have handled everything I've thrown at them so far (this includes wet and dry and some pretty goat road as well).

I'll report back when they get close to worn out how they did and how many miles I get on them. I will say that I have not had them slip (loose traction) on me yet, and I've gotten the front wheel about as light as I'm comfortable with in both first and second several times. And yes, I have had the front wheel off the ground, but not with these tires, I did that actually with the D404 pieces of junk that came on the bike (if you want to know about D404's just ask Ivan, he can tell you have to get everyone to point and laugh)

[Ivan]

I won't tell you what to get.....


HOWEVER...

DON'T get the DUNLOP 404. They suck. They would make good swings for the front yard with a rope and a tree, but they would wear out in mid swing probably killing a youngster.

[MindWebs]

me too me too...

my 2cents worth...

79 special.... hee...heee...heee....

150/90-16 metslers, dunlop, and next i'm trying 150 michlins
the met's and dunlops fit our bikes, but they will take a little paint off
the inside of your swingarm... (oh well)

[fredintoon]

And let's face it; M/C tires in general are a rip-off. For what the average bike tire costs and how long it lasts, they're not a 'good deal'. For what you pay for a mid-price bike tire, if that were a car tire you would be extremely disappointed it it wore out in less than 40K miles...
'78E original owner

Hi Steve,
quote from a 1920's Sears Catalog "If our tires don't last for 8,000 miles we will give you the money back."
These days we expect car tires to last 50,000 miles or more or we sue the mfrs.
But darn me if bike tires still only last 8,000 miles on the back and 24,000 miles on the front.
Is it that bike tires have to be soft and quick-wearing in order to grip the road as well as they do?
Or is your rip-off theory more likely?

[DGXSER]

Is it that bike tires have to be soft and quick-wearing in order to grip the road as well as they do?
Or is your rip-off theory more likely?

That would be my theory Fred. I certainly am not a tire guru by any means. But I know on my Cutlass that is set up for street/strip, I use softer compound tires to keep the rubber planted on the pavement for street use. If I get 40k out of those it is an absolute miracle, partly because it is hard not to shred them with the torque the car makes.

Same thing for our bikes, we apply ground shredding torque through that tire. Some of us (in text anyway) love to go out and consistantly try to peel the back tire off the wheel on our way up to 100 and some mph. Or love to take curves at speeds well above posted and feel the rubber screaming at us trying to hang on. Well, try that in your car and see how long those 40k tires last, or the car if they let go because the compound is so hard. They just do not give you the option for that hard fo a compound in MC tires IMO.

[mstic2000]

I'd get the generic round, preferrably rubber.

[greatnw]

Check that born on date. My project bike sat with a great looking tire on it before I got it and sure enough, right at the time recommended time limit the sidewalls started cracking!

Got lucky, picked up a brand new Bridgestone Spitfire 11 off Craigslist for $20 with a two year old born on date!

If I hadn't found the Bridgestone so cheap I'd have put a radial on it.