Best tires

[crc1214]

What are hands down, the best tires I could put on my 78 550?

I'm looking for something sticky, but that will last more than 5,000 miles or so.

I've got brand new suspension components that are going on this weekend, and I need to get some tires that will compliment the suspension (I'm currently running Kings tires).

Thanks,

Chad

[Hoomgar]

Dunlop Sport Elites, GT501's

or there are Metzlers but I don't know what types.

I preffer the Dunlop GT501's

[Anonymous]

Bridgestone BT-45's are very good as well. I know several people who are racing vintage classes on them and are very satisfied.

Mark

[chuckycheese]

Dunlop

I also prefer the Dunlop GT501's. (Nothing "sticky" will last 5000 miles) :roll:

[bwringer]

What are "Kings" tires? 8O

Never heard of 'em, that's all.

Methinks I'll settle in for a good long read -- the tire debates can be nearly as lengthy as the oil debates.

I've been happily riding the snot out of Cheng Shin HiMax tires for a few years, mainly because I'm cheap. I've been saving my pennies and selling pencils on street corners for a while now, so I plan to mount up fresh Dunlops in a month or two just to see how the other half lives.

Metzelers also have a rabid camp of well-heeled devotees. To my eyes, they are brutally expensive, but many say they're worth it.

We have very few reports thus far on the relatively new Pirelli Sport Demon line of tires, but they could be promising. Be the first on your block!

Continental and Avon are popular with a lot 'o them furriners. You have to admit that, as a British company, Avon should know all about rain traction.

[crc1214]

How about the Bridgestone S-11 Spitfire's??

Does anybody out there run these and have good results?

[crc1214]

Kings tires are just some low-end tires that I put on last year. I was on a pretty tight budget. They're decent, especially for my bike that still had stock suspension, but they are by no means "performance tires". Let's put it this way........ I put about 8,000 miles on last year, and the rear tire is still in pretty good shape!!! The front shows no signs of wear. Granted, my riding style wasn't that aggresive, but I'm finally comfy with leaning a bit further into the curves than I used to be. I got some Progressive springs for the front, and Hagon shocks for the rear, and I need some good sticky tires so I can get the full handling performance out of this bike.

[GARYEIN1]

BEST TIRES

HAD IRC'S ON 85GS550L
HELD UP PRETTY GOOD
STILL HAD TREAD ON THEM BUT WERE CRACKING FROM SITTING
JUST PUT CHEN SING'S ON
WE'LL SEE HOW THEY DO

[earlfor]

I had Cheng Shins on the 750 once. I lasted two weeks with them before I got disgusted with the lack of traction and poor rain handling and replaced them. Thats been a few years though, so maybe they are better now. I dont intend to find out though.

I ran Bridgestone BT45 Battleax on the 1150. Handling and traction were fine, but I wore them down to cords in 1300 miles, so no more of them.

Michlen once. Not at all impressed. A lot of money for a french Cheng Shin as far as I'm concerned. No more of them either.

Metzeler most of the time. ME33 front and Me55 rear. A few 880's which give a little better milage than the ME55, but at the cost of a reduction in traction. Good milage and handling (880's) , decent in the rain. Good tire if extreme lean angles are not commonly used.

Me33/55 combo..........excellent in the rain., good traction, snooth tracking regardless of lean angle. Milage averages about 2500 miles if I take it fairly easy with the throttle.

Now have Pirelli Sport Demon on the 1150. I have about 1800 miles on it and very slight wear noticable. Traction for the first 200 miles was terrible. I almost dropped the bike a couple times in under 20 mph turns because the rear end went bye bye with no warning on smooth, clean, perfect asphalt. The traction is about the same as what you would have riding on bare steel rims. At 600 miles, the rear tire had worn enough that I considered it tolerable, but handling was still deplorable. Around 1200 miles, traction seemed to be improving. At 1800 miles, it is finally approaching normal. Its still not as good as a Metzeler 55. I probably will not buy another, regardless of how long wearing it is.

Luke posted that he loves his Dunlop 205. I probably will try that next.
If I dont like that one, I'll stick with the Metz33/55 combo and just resign myself to buying new tires every 4 to 6 weeks.

Earl

[feelergaugephil]

tires

Put simply........ Metzlers ME33 on front, 8 or 880 on rear.
Go as crazy as you want.

[kent]

I've had dunlop 501s on my 1100 for about 2 years now, and I've got to say it's been a good all around tire, and still wearing fine

[earlfor]

Youre still on one tire after 2 years? How many miles would that be?
The shortest tire life I ever got was a BT45. It was worn out in about 10 days. :-)

Earl

I've had dunlop 501s on my 1100 for about 2 years now, and I've got to say it's been a good all around tire, and still wearing fine

[kent]

I'm a pretty conservitive rider, all my antics are done in a straight line and the mileage is at about 2700 mi on this set

[earlfor]

2700 miles averages about a month for me. :-)

Earl

I'm a pretty conservitive rider, all my antics are done in a straight line and the mileage is at about 2700 mi on this set

[Hoomgar]

Your far worse than I am Earl but I can attest to going through at least two tires a summer or more depending on what they were.

So far, I have been impressed with these new GT501's. I can slam it pretty hard and hang with it like a softer tire would do but the wear on them is more like that of a slightly harder compound.

On my KZ550 I am easily going to get two years out of the rear (about 25k) and possibly twice that or more out of the front.

On my GS1000 I have not run the GT501 on the front yet. I have a brand new one on it right now and that will be what I use this year. The rear however I did run a 501 on in 2003 before I tore the bike down for rebuilding and I got about 3k out of that tire and it still has a little tread left. I am not sure it would pass an inspection though.

Very nice tires those 501's. I wouldn't call them top performance tires but then again I don't calll my GS1000 a top performance bike either. I think they are quite possibly the perfect tire for my bike. Going to burn a few more of them off before I decide.