17" Standard Rear Tires Not standard anymore

[gnevelesx08]

Okay call me lazy, call me whatever. I really dont mean to start another tire thread but I need help. I have looked for matching brand tires for my 80G. Seems 1981 XS1100H was the last year 17" rear wheels were used I guess. The 1982 XJ1100J parts calalog from Yamahamotors.com does not say what the size of the tires are front or rear. It only says Bridgestone. Any way I have not had any luck finding a MATCHING BRAND 19" for the front and 17" for the rear suitable for weight of the bike or that are quality tires. Why has Bridgestone and others abandoned this classic! Please help me if you are an xs1100 standard owner or know where I can get quality matching brand tires. I have read the threads on tires and know the opinions on what tires are best. Most of the threads are older and some of the tires are not manufactured anymore. I think I found IRC had tires for front and rear but dont know the quality or load ratings. My bike currently has a metzeler marathon on the front and a dunlop elite gt on the rear. I don't like the way the metzeler rides the grooves on the pavement and the dunlop is bald down the middle and breaks loose sometimes on damp painted crossings. IS THERE A TIRE SITE THAT LISTS TIRES BY SIZE LISITNG ALL BRANDS AVAILABLE? Dunlop fitment chart is no help for XS1100G. Please help!

[skippy344]

Tires, my opinion

tire matching

I have used this site to buy my Metzlers. I run an ME 33 Laser up front and the MATCHING ME880 Marathon on back.

These tires are designed to work together. And work together they do! I stick to Texas pavement like velcro. Any hint of moisture on the road, and you will slide down here with other tires.

I had the laser up front, and had not yet replaced the rear, had a Cheng carcass on the rear, and it didn't handle well at all.

After replacing the rear with the ME880, the handle improved dramatically. I can take twisties down to the pegs and I would swear I was on rails.

Dunlops gave me great distance, but not so good stick. Bridgestones just didn't work for me at all. I have run Metzlers for years, and have been thoroughly satisfied.
They are a little softer, and you will be replacing them between 3000 to 5000 mils, but its worth it.

greg

[DiverRay]

I run Bridgestone tires on Daily Ride. I tried the Metzlers, and they didn't do well on the road I commute on. A little bit of water, and they acted as if I was on a frozen lake.
Most of you local motorcycle supply stores should carry, or be able to order, any tire you want. The big thing is look at the weight rating on the tires. The XS is a heavy bike, and needs the proper tire.
Ray

[gnevelesx08]

Greg,
Thanks for the great link to motorcycletires.com. They let me search just as I asked, by tire size and give all brands they carry.
I will need to check the manufacture sites to get load ratings and hen choose based best guess for type riding and road conditions I deal with in the Pacific Northwest, mainly asphalt blacktop, and of course wet conditions.

Ray,
I know what you mean about slick when its wet on the Metz! Greg rides an SG and I know the Standard and specials ride different, I have even read on here that same models ride different from each other, so I still have to decide best guess and then try again if I have to, to get the best ride.

My 80G is currently stock except rear trunk. Took the vetter off and rode a bit, thought my head was gonna become a backseat passenger so I reported on another thread I would put the vetter back on. I still have not made that happen yet and won't until I get Ebaybe fully stock again. Once I have all stock parts including grab rail and front turn signals Ill have to decide if Ebaybe stays stock or not.

Later

[strom]

Bridgestone BT45 should fit. 100-90 R19 front and 130-90 R17 rear.
I have Avon Venom front and Avon Roadrunner rear currently. It's a good - weird tire. A bit dodgy in wet tho... if a wheel looses grip, both wheels will at the same time, but the bike keeps the previous line in a turn... no matter what you do. White road markings are a disaster with this tire... in wet that is. So you have to plan your turns in advance. However there is no feedback and knowing when will the tires let go. In dry conditions... comes the weird part. They just won't let go. They stick to the road as if they were nailed to it. Grooves in the road and such have almost no effect on them. Definetly XSivly good tire for the XS if you're into dry twisties... no problem scraping pegs/exhaust/engine guards/boots. I will try BT45s next - could use a bit better wet handling for touring - and if I'm not happy, I'll go back to avon.
I had metzeler tires on my 85 GPz 600R (ZX600R). They were... crap. Changed to dunlop arrowmaxes... a bit better, OK wet handling, OK dry handling... but nothing phenomenal. They didn't like the grooves in the road.
A friend has some other metzelers on my ex guzzi.... see the link:
http://www.motosvet.com/tabla/index....=post&id=60077
Didn't test it in wet yet, but dry conditions... total madness.... did some twisties 10-15 mph faster than on my ex ninja or friends VFR... or my XS for that matter. Didn't even realise I was going so fast till I checked the speedo. Can't wait to get it back together and go to through my favorite route a couple times. Don't know whether it's just me.... I go bout 100 km for a cup of coffee almost every day in the summer. Maybe it's the road.... coffee is nothing special... at a gas pump. But this is a tire thread.

Anyway, now I want coffee

LP

LP

[rneal55555]

You could try www.mawonline.com they have em in Dunlop K491 Elites plenty of load capacity for an XS.