tire for beginner/city use

[earlfor]

I had one set of Bridgestone BT 45's on my 1150, Never again. They were worn down to zero tread and slick in 1200 miles.

I tried a Pirelli sport Demon and the rear (mounted on the 1150E) would break loose and spin almost everytime I used any large amount of throttle. Traction was a quality it left me wishing for. Never again on that tire too.

Earl

[BentRod]

AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH

TOO many opinions, not enough info. and Com', 150 for a tire is not cheap. See, I like to eat every once in a while, so while I CAN and if i must WILL pay 150 for a tire, I'm kinda hunting around for that really good value tire that perfroms reasonably close to a premium tire, but doesn't cost as much. (I'm cuttig the ol food budget for this stuff. the beer budget is already spent, I'm not saying on what)

And on a side note. I have family in BC, and they are ALL weird. something in the water over there?

I need to know WHY you guys think a tire is good. obviously if you liked a tire you love that tire, cause ya bet your @$$ on it. I need some level of comparison. I realize most people haven't gone through 3 or 4 sets of tires, but for those of you who have, can you give me some referance?

Or what tires do you guys NOT like? Whats failed for you?

And I would ask if synthetic or Dynosaur oil is better, but thats pointless. everyone knows synthetic is the only way to go\\/

Thanks everyone!

BentRod

[cberkeley]

When I started out with my project, I envisioned only neighbourhood crusing and short errands in the immediate area with my GS650L. Now, Sundays can't come soon enough for me to cruise the highways, sometimes attaining 90 MPH. I've put Pirelli MT-66 Route tires on the bike back in February and I like them very much. Check cruisercustomizing.com they had good discount prices.

[80sGSfan]

Chen or King

AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH

TOO many opinions, not enough info. and Com', 150 for a tire is not cheap. See, I like to eat every once in a while, so while I CAN and if i must WILL pay 150 for a tire, I'm kinda hunting around for that really good value tire that perfroms reasonably close to a premium tire, but doesn't cost as much. (I'm cuttig the ol food budget for this stuff. the beer budget is already spent, I'm not saying on what)

And on a side note. I have family in BC, and they are ALL weird. something in the water over there?

I need to know WHY you guys think a tire is good. obviously if you liked a tire you love that tire, cause ya bet your @$$ on it. I need some level of comparison. I realize most people haven't gone through 3 or 4 sets of tires, but for those of you who have, can you give me some referance?

Or what tires do you guys NOT like? Whats failed for you?

And I would ask if synthetic or Dynosaur oil is better, but thats pointless. everyone knows synthetic is the only way to go\\/

Thanks everyone!

BentRod

Out of the two Chen Shin tires and two King Tires that I have I believe that the most expensive of them was the rear King tire at $80...about half the cost of the $150 you mention! I say they are "good" because they have decent tread life and decent grip.

[cberkeley]

cruisercustomizing.com
Pirelli MT-66 Route
90/90/19 Front $52.47
130/90/16 Rear $66.47
IMO Prices are good, and they stick to the road very well.

[Commodus]

AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH

TOO many opinions, not enough info. and Com', 150 for a tire is not cheap. See, I like to eat every once in a while, so while I CAN and if i must WILL pay 150 for a tire, I'm kinda hunting around for that really good value tire that perfroms reasonably close to a premium tire, but doesn't cost as much. (I'm cuttig the ol food budget for this stuff. the beer budget is already spent, I'm not saying on what)

And on a side note. I have family in BC, and they are ALL weird. something in the water over there?

I need to know WHY you guys think a tire is good. obviously if you liked a tire you love that tire, cause ya bet your @$$ on it. I need some level of comparison. I realize most people haven't gone through 3 or 4 sets of tires, but for those of you who have, can you give me some referance?

Or what tires do you guys NOT like? Whats failed for you?

And I would ask if synthetic or Dynosaur oil is better, but thats pointless. everyone knows synthetic is the only way to go\\/

Thanks everyone!

BentRod

Oh sorry dude, I thought $300 for a set of tires was a great price! Mind you, that's mounted, balanced, after taxes, etc. An "out the door" price - but I have to bring in just my wheels.

I like the BT45s because they grip very predictably, wear evenly and long (at least for me!), and hold very nicely in the wet. And, they're the cheapest tire that have all of these qualities, at least that I have seen. The Metzlers and Pirellis I have used and I like them, but they are not significantly better than the BT45s, and they are more expensive - in my market, at least.

[Mysuzyq]

It is insanely expensive to buy M'cycle tires locally (in Canada)...both you guys, check out www.imotorcyclestore.com (in the U.S.) and you will save about $150 at least on a set of decent tires....make sure you specify shipping with USPS...their default courier is UPS...you will be sorry if your items arrive via those scumbags (expect to pay them $80.00 for 'brokerage'). Also expect a 3week delay till your tires actually arrive, due to customs backlog etc. (the vendor usually mails the stuff out within 24 hours, but international parcels seem to take forever to get over the border via mail).

Tony.

[Commodus]

Well, looks like from them it would be $200, plus shipping, taxes, and installation/balancing.

I think I'll just buy them from my local dealer, heh. Maybe if I could change my own tires I would use that site.

[BentRod]

Local store

I called into a local shop, on their last day before holidays i might add, and they told me that if i buy a tire, they will mount and balance for FREE. the funny part is that it is a harly d shop. those guys do get good customer service. he told me he already had mich', pirelli, avon, and dunlop in stock. he wasn't sure if they could get a king in my size, but that he did have kenda. he's supposed to get back to me on a price for the bt-45.

I couldn't ask about the chengshin tires, cause either i couldn't pronounce it, or he couldn't understand me. I tried to spell it but some how that failed too.. oh well.. its a harly shop.

keep the advice coming, it is much appreciated

[Mysuzyq]

Well, looks like from them it would be $200, plus shipping, taxes, and installation/balancing.

I think I'll just buy them from my local dealer, heh. Maybe if I could change my own tires I would use that site.

IIRC, shipping to Canada is a flat $10.00 (free in the US)....there is no tax to speak of....except the Canadian Customs ' import duty'....the vendor thoughtfully underpriced the tire on the invoice so I paid a grand total of $10.00...installation/balancing are'nt in this equation....they remain the same , regardless of where you purchase the tire...looks like you will still save almost 1 bill...Pirelli Sport Demons worked out to about $100 cheaper per tire compared to the prices locally here in Ontario. Your choice....maybe stay with the local vendor if you prefer...I know I will never buy locally again.
Tony.

[Mysuzyq]

I called into a local shop,..... and they told me that if i buy a tire, they will mount and balance for FREE........ he's supposed to get back to me on a price for the bt-45.

Bent Rod, do shop around and compare some prices...maybe let us know where you find the best deal....if your bike is parked for the winter, there is plenty of time eh? They will sweeten the deal with free mount/balance, if they mark up the tires drastically to begin with, so shop around a bit.

Tony.

[Commodus]

IIRC, shipping to Canada is a flat $10.00 (free in the US)....there is no tax to speak of....except the Canadian Customs ' import duty'....the vendor thoughtfully underpriced the tire on the invoice so I paid a grand total of $10.00...installation/balancing are'nt in this equation....they remain the same , regardless of where you purchase the tire...looks like you will still save almost 1 bill...Pirelli Sport Demons worked out to about $100 cheaper per tire compared to the prices locally here in Ontario. Your choice....maybe stay with the local vendor if you prefer...I know I will never buy locally again.
Tony.

I would be absolutely stunned if shipping on two tires was $10. Yes, the import tax was the one I was referring to.

If I buy the tires from the local dealer, installation is free.

[BentRod]

ok.. going by tread, looks like the tire on the front of my bike is a Chengshin HiMax.. if i match on the back will that give a better performance over all? or would i still greatly benifit from say, a BF-45 or D404?

[Mysuzyq]

I would be absolutely stunned if shipping on two tires was $10.......

Apparently, it was (and still is) $10...

http://www.imotorcyclestore.com/cgi-bin/dpsmart/imcs.html?L+ims+jaxy3098+_DInfo_02worldwide_5fshipping_01

The difference in prices seems to be more marked on the premium tires (though they are selling a set of CS Himax's for $100 too)....ultimately, you will have to do a few sums and see if its worthwhile for you I suppose.

Tony.

[rickt]

More Tire Stuff

I've been putting tires on motorcycles for 35+ years and many of these posts with tire prices are I would say, entertaining. For years I have purchased tires from Motorcycle Accessory Warehouse and have never found anyone who could beat their price. e.g.
Cheng Shin 100/90 x 19 $31.95; 120/90 x 18 $38.95
Bridgestone BT 45 $71.95; $79.95
Pirelli Sport Demon $84.95; $91.95

The stories of spending $300-400 for a set of tires seems rather "unbelieveable." The local charge for mounting and balancing is ~$20-25 per wheel. I can't imagine a pair of top line tires mounted and balanced being much more than $225.

BTW - the manual says that my '78 GS750 should have a 3.25 x 19 on the front and a 4.00 x 18 on the rear. Are 100/90 x 19 and 120/90 x 18 appropriate replacement tires for this bike?

rickt