Tires for 79 XS1100

[OMCC]

I found these tires I am about to order them

http://www.bikebandit.com/tires-tubes/motorcycle-tires/metzeler-lasertec-motorcycle-tire?m=138405

my question is about speed rating I can't find any mention of it it my manual I am planing on going with v for both

Any one have experience with these tires at this speed rating? Are these a good purchase does anyone have a better suggestion?

Also how much does a tire change usually cost at a shop?

Thanks!

[DiverRay]

Some of the riders like them, some do not... The BIG thing is the weight rating on the tire!!! These bikes are heavy, and the tires that work well are rated for at least 800lbs on the rear tire. If not, they will not last near as long, and will need to be kept at max inflation to do well.

[OMCC]

Some of the riders like them, some do not... The BIG thing is the weight rating on the tire!!! These bikes are heavy, and the tires that work well are rated for at least 800lbs on the rear tire. If not, they will not last near as long, and will need to be kept at max inflation to do well.

Good thing I asked first I'm a big guy (250lbs) I definitely want beefy tires What tires would you recommend?

[DiverRay]

It's a matter of what rear rim size you have. The 17" from the standard has few options, but the 16" from the Specials has a lot more. I just put some Shinko's on my '79 Re-do bike, and I like how they handle. Very stable on my two laps around the Laguna Seca race track. I only hit about 85 as I had carb problems, but the tires worked very well on the corkscrew. I KNOW they will only get about 5K miles, but I don't ride that one like I used to when we were both younger, so it doesn't matter.
The 16", I'd probably go for a good touring or sport touring bias ply tire. The big thing is match the front and rear tires so the handling is about the same. You CAN mix some tires and brands, but if you guess wrong, the bike will not handle well, and for me, that is a deal killer.

[OMCC]

It's a matter of what rear rim size you have. The 17" from the standard has few options, but the 16" from the Specials has a lot more. I just put some Shinko's on my '79 Re-do bike, and I like how they handle. Very stable on my two laps around the Laguna Seca race track. I only hit about 85 as I had carb problems, but the tires worked very well on the corkscrew. I KNOW they will only get about 5K miles, but I don't ride that one like I used to when we were both younger, so it doesn't matter.
The 16", I'd probably go for a good touring or sport touring bias ply tire. The big thing is match the front and rear tires so the handling is about the same. You CAN mix some tires and brands, but if you guess wrong, the bike will not handle well, and for me, that is a deal killer.

Ok so the tires I have on right now are mixed brands but here are the measurements

Rear (road rider) 120/90/17
Front(bridgestone spitfire) 100/90/19 M/C 57H

I'm a new rider so I would rather have better handling and grip above anything else

[DiverRay]

Tire size is 130/90/17 rear, and 100 OR 110/90/19 front. The 110 will JUST fit, depending on the tire brand. There have been a LOT of threads on tires, and if you search, you can find the opinions of a lot of members.
As I said, I went with Shinko's this time, and I DID go with the 110 on the front. My MNS has Dunlop E3's on it, as they are made in a 16". they DO last a while, and handle well, but they need to be replaced because of age. I will be putting Shinko's on it as well. My BMW, a "new" bike, uses the Michelin Road 3's, but they are radial and are NOT made for the rims the XS has.

[jetmechmarty]

I would recommend against a 110 up front unless you know for sure what you're buying. A true to size or larger tire will not clear the front fender. Many brands run small, and many others don't. Steering is also a bit slower with a larger tire.

[sail4free]

my question is about speed rating I can't find any mention of it it my manual I am planing on going with v for both

Also how much does a tire change usually cost at a shop?

===========
I'll ask you what somebody asked me with *my* last tire thread, "How much time do you plan on spending at 130 MPH+?" H-rated tires are good to 130 . . . V-rated takes you to 149 but I doubt there are many (any?) of us on this group riding that fast anymore -- even if we could. I took my '79 Special up to 125 when I was younger and dumber . . . started thinking about those little pinch bolts which grip on the front axle and the fun bled right out of it.
==========
If you pull the wheels, most shops charge in the $30 range to mount a new tire . . . not sure if that includes the balance or not . . . lots of guys are using the liquid flat fixer/auto balancer stuff anymore . . . called (?Drive On?).
JIM P.
==========

[steve scott]

laser tec tires

Bob Jones turned me on to these tires years ago.This is all I will buy. May be newer technology available but if it ain't broke why fix it. Just my simple opinion. I am no expert in this matter.

[OMCC]

I'm Thinking of going with the shinko 230 tour masters I found a set for a little over $130

Does any one have objections to these they seem to have a lot of good reviews

[OMCC]

===========
I'll ask you what somebody asked me with *my* last tire thread, "How much time do you plan on spending at 130 MPH+?" H-rated tires are good to 130 . . . V-rated takes you to 149 but I doubt there are many (any?) of us on this group riding that fast anymore -- even if we could. I took my '79 Special up to 125 when I was younger and dumber . . . started thinking about those little pinch bolts which grip on the front axle and the fun bled right out of it.
==========
If you pull the wheels, most shops charge in the $30 range to mount a new tire . . . not sure if that includes the balance or not . . . lots of guys are using the liquid flat fixer/auto balancer stuff anymore . . . called (?Drive On?).
JIM P.
==========

I'm not really looking for speed just a good all around tire I just wanted to make sure I got a matching pair and on bike bandit they only had a matching pair at the V rating

[OMCC]

Bob Jones turned me on to these tires years ago.This is all I will buy. May be newer technology available but if it ain't broke why fix it. Just my simple opinion. I am no expert in this matter.

Does he have an article about this? I was thinking of going with shinkos but if Bob's evangelizing metz then I'm torn.

[motoman]

===========
I'll ask you what somebody asked me with *my* last tire thread, "How much time do you plan on spending at 130 MPH+?" H-rated tires are good to 130 . . . V-rated takes you to 149 but I doubt there are many (any?) of us on this group riding that fast anymore -- even if we could. I took my '79 Special up to 125 when I was younger and dumber . . . started thinking about those little pinch bolts which grip on the front axle and the fun bled right out of it.
==========
If you pull the wheels, most shops charge in the $30 range to mount a new tire . . . not sure if that includes the balance or not . . . lots of guys are using the liquid flat fixer/auto balancer stuff anymore . . . called (?Drive On?).
JIM P.
==========

RideOn.........RideOn.com for those interested. Both my listed rides use it.
Majority of reputable bike shops use it, and now, will ask if you want weighted wheels as an option, not the other way around as used to be.

[Bonz]

Have a 230 Tourmaster on the front of the SG, been on for about 1000 miles. Looking good so far. Replaced the D404 that wore much quicker than I cared for.

Have a 230 ready for the rear later this summer when/if the Elite II wears out. Bought it last summer thinking the Elite II would be kaput by the fall, but still good life left. That tire is wearing like iron with grip and good manners.

Chose the 230's for the higher load rating and good price. Been running Shinko's on my ZRX 1200 for 5 years now, getting great mileage out of them (over 10k on the Raven 009 rear, over 12k on the front 009) perform flawlessly with, again, good pricing.

Tires these days are good, certainly the worst are probably as good as what was on the XS when it came from the factory as the worlds fastest production bike in 1978...

[MPittma100]

Metzler

Bob Jones turned me on to these tires years ago.This is all I will buy. May be newer technology available but if it ain't broke why fix it. Just my simple opinion. I am no expert in this matter.

I agree with you Steve. I knew that Bob had used these tires on previous builds and have seen them in pictures on some of his creations. Others have recommended them to me as well. I have the Metzler Lasertec in both the V and H ratings on different bikes.

"Newer technology" seems to wear out about the same - may get a little more wear for your money with the radials.