Time for some new tires. What should I get?

[Anonymous]

Hello, its meterpig here. Both my tires on my gs750 are pretty much toast.
I need some new ones but here is my criteria:
1. No crap tires
2. High milage(race tires need not apply)
3. Good to great rain handling(I live in oregon)
4. no radials, and reasonable prices.
5. traveling at speeds 0-100mph

So, please weigh in, I will be buying soon.

Chris

[earlfor]

Re: Time for some new tires. What should I get?

I have pretty much the same criteria for my bike tires. (the rainy season in south FL is Hell :-) ) My choice was Metzeler. I got mine from Dennis Kirk and the front and rear came to about $240.
Considering performance, quality, handling and rain ability, I think the price is reasonable. But cheap theyre not? :-) But then, if poor traction causes you to drop the bike even once because of poor tires, it makes the Metzeler prices into a real bargain. Grab the Metzelers and run like a bandit, its money well spent.

Earl

Hello, its meterpig here. Both my tires on my gs750 are pretty much toast.
I need some new ones but here is my criteria:
1. No crap tires
2. High milage(race tires need not apply)
3. Good to great rain handling(I live in oregon)
4. no radials, and reasonable prices.
5. traveling at speeds 0-100mph

So, please weigh in, I will be buying soon.

Chris

[robinjo]

I agree completely with Earlfor, the Metzelers are great but a bit pricey but it's worth it.

[Anonymous]

What is the difference between Bias ply and Radials handling and durability wise. I'm going to be needing new tires soon also. Some of the places that I will be riding are a bit rough, and off road. I know GS's aren't off road bikes, but I work on a couple of ranches around here and it would be a lot cheaper for me to ride to work than drive. Also dirt roads and not very well maintained driveways, Mine.

Thanks for any help.

Moonshine550t

[Jeff Tate]

Hey MeterPig where in Oregon are you? I live in Milwaukie.
P.S. I love my metzelers!

[Anonymous]

Metzeler's are my first choice too. You can't beat them for handling, wet road grip and mileage.
Axel

[Anonymous]

Hey Moonshine,
For your kind of conditions you might look into some of the new dual purpose tires that come on bikes like the BMW GS1150 or 650. They work fine on the street but are made to hold up on dirt & gravel roads too. Check out Metzeler's Enduro 4, Tourance Dual Purpose, and Sahara 3.
Axel

[Anonymous]

Thanks axel I'll check those out.


Moonshine550t

[Dink]

I have run through two sets of Metzeler's on my GS1150 I really liked them, but I have just changed both tyres(tires for the yanks)to Bridgestone battleaxe dual compounds haven't got many kms. on them yet but they came highly recommended by several users of this site as well as others,I swapped because of the sustained high speed open road running I am doing up here,which absolutely chewed through the last set of Metzelers I had they were down to slicks in the middle but had plenty left at the sides.
Dink

[Anonymous]

Dunlop K491, both front and rear. Excellent all-around tire, long-lasting, good value for the money. Can't go wrong with these.

Nick

[Anonymous]

I have run through two sets of Metzeler's on my GS1150 I really liked them, but I have just changed both tyres(tires for the yanks)to Bridgestone battleaxe dual compounds haven't got many kms. on them yet but they came highly recommended by several users of this site as well as others,I swapped because of the sustained high speed open road running I am doing up here,which absolutely chewed through the last set of Metzelers I had they were down to slicks in the middle but had plenty left at the sides.
Dink

Dink:

I really like the Metzelers, too....I'm on my 4th set (Me33 Laser front, Me55A Metronic rear). However, also like you, my current rear tire (tyre?) is worn down near the center (centre?) at less than 4,000 miles, although I suspect my high speeds aren't as sustained as yours. I wish I could find a road that is all twisties so I can wear down the unused side treads.

Please let us know how the Bridgestone Battleax tires perform. Also, do you know if they are suitable for the narrower rim width (than modern bikes) that the '83-'85 GS750/700's have?

Simon

Simon

[Anonymous]

Simon,
I just put a set of the Battlax BT45 sport touring tires on my XN85, which has the same size rims as yours. I'm not too happy with the sizes, they're kind of skinny and has made the steering pretty light. The front's a 100/90 and the rear's a 130/80. The rear looks like it's made for a wider rim so it's pinched in a bit. These were the only sizes available in the sport touring compound. They also make BT45s in a high performance compound and include both a 120/80 front and 130/90 rear that may fit better. Have no idea how long they'll last.
Axel

[Anonymous]

Simon,
I just put a set of the Battlax BT45 sport touring tires on my XN85, which has the same size rims as yours. I'm not too happy with the sizes, they're kind of skinny and has made the steering pretty light. The front's a 100/90 and the rear's a 130/80. The rear looks like it's made for a wider rim so it's pinched in a bit. These were the only sizes available in the sport touring compound. They also make BT45s in a high performance compound and include both a 120/80 front and 130/90 rear that may fit better. Have no idea how long they'll last.
Axel

Thanks for the personal experience info, Axel. Nothing is better than first hand impressions. My tires (110/90-16 front, 130/90-17 rear) are already "1 oversize" compared to the OEM setup. Perhaps, I should stick with the bias-ply Metzelers. as I don't want to risk overly-wide radials on the narrow stock rims.

Simon

[Anonymous]

Simon,
Nice looking ES, I made the mistake of selling mine back in '85 for the new FZ750 Yamaha. I was racing then and had to have something faster. The original 750ES is the one old Suzuki I must have again, but they are really hard to find.
I also ran Metzeler's on mine but used the Comp K's. The compound is softer but they'll still last quite awhile. And the front 120/80 is recommended for a slightly wider rim but didn't seem to cause any handling problems.
Axel

[JJ]

I have Dunlop K491 Elite II's on my GS1100GKZ, and love them! Smooth, predictable ride, no twitchiness, and looks like they'll give great service.