Tire Life?

[Herb Schonher]

Just wondering what kind of milage ya-all get out of your rear tires?Has anyone got an opinion on Bridgestone S11 Spitfire dual compound tire?I've run Cheng shin C907&C822(about 3500 mi.),Kenda K671(5000mi.),Duro HF261A(supposed high milage-<3500mi.)&Duro HF918(5000mi.).All were same size(130/90-17)&on same bike(1980 850L).Overall the Duro HF918 has been the best-still stable in the twisties even w/bald center!I'm not doing burnouts or wheelies,shift around 4K most of the time,cruise about 60-65mph & not hard on the brakes(most of the time).I know these tires are the inexpensive ones but I can't believe that buying something for twice the price is going to give me twice the milage! Thanks-Herb.

[Steve]

Had to re-read a couple times to find the bike in the middle of your message, but finally found it. You won't have to spend any more to get more tire life. My wife's '82 850L has finally worn out the Cheng Shin Hi-Max on the rear. She is not a peg-scraper and probably has not pushed it over 6,000 rpm, even when in a hurry. She commutes to work and does weekend- and week-long trips with the GoldWing group we ride with. 13,600+ miles and it's down to the wear bars. :shock: By the way, it took two years and a couple months for her to get that far.

In the same amount of time, I have only gone 32,000 miles on my Wing and about 4,000 on the Kaw Voyager that it replaced. My big bikes wear Dunlop Elite 3s and get fantastic mileage. The Voyager (1300cc 6-cylinder, 980 pounds) got 19,000 miles on the set, the Wing got 23,000 on the first set, I'm still working on the next set. 8-[


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[DanTheMan]

The best tires I've had for mileage so far have been the Cheng-Shin Hi-Max (10k), and the Pirelli Scorpion S/T (~11k). Dunlop I only got about 8k out of, and it got slippery at about 6k.:-D

[bwringer]

I'm very hard on tires, so you should understand that the mileages I quote are probably on the low end.

I was disappointed when I tried the Bridgestone Spitfire -- less than 3,200 miles, and they handled like crap for the last 1,000 or so. They handled well for the first 2,000 miles at least.

Dunlop discontinued the K491 Elite II, which was the mileage champion among tires available in 130/90-17 (MT90-17), as well as a nice handling tire. A bit numb compared to the newer sporty tires like the Pirelli Sport Demons, but I was at 12,000 miles when I changed my set. They easily had 4,000 more miles in them at least, but I was impatient to try the new Pirellis. Sadly, Dunlop no longer makes a touring tire in our size, although they do make the Elite III in MT90-16 for the L model folks.

Don't bother with the Dunlop 404. A decent handler at first, but my set evaporated in under 3,600 miles and the handling was atrocious for the last 1,500 miles. Again, more gentle riders would get more miles and be happier, but I'm just reporting my experiences.

If you're after the lowest cost per mile, you probably want the Cheng Shin HiMax -- I used up three sets of these, and got 7,000 - 8,000 miles from each set with excellent handling in the dry and in the wet. (I always replace front and rear as a set.)

As noted many other places, the Pirelli Sport Demons offer magical handling and feel, and reasonable life given their sporting mission -- my set was on the wear bars at 4,200 miles, but they handled flawlessly for every mile.

Currently, I'm experimenting with the brand-new Avon RoadRiders. Handling is just as nice as the Pirellis (a little different, not better or worse. They seem to have a pointier profile and turn in a little quicker, but they're just as neutral and stable as the Pirellis). I've got nearly 4,000 miles on my set, and they are holding up fantastically -- they will easily outlast the Pirellis by a wide margin, and are $60 a set cheaper to boot. They also handle very well in the wet -- for some reason, the GS850 seems to attract torrential rain.

Man, we do need a tire sticky...

[tconroy]

I have the s11's front and rear. I have over 10,ooo on the front and 6ooo on the back and still have lots of tread to the wear bars.As soon as it hits the wear bars Im getting new ones.Aways check your tire pressure and you will get more miles out of them also make sure they are properly balanced and aligned front and rear.

[Mark whiz]

I've found that tire life depends a lot on where you are located and what the road construction is in that area. Moving from TX to FL dropped my tire life expectantcy in half - apparently they use a lot more rough shell in the asphalt mix in FL and it just ate the tires.
Price usually works against you in this area - (with the exception of touring bike tires) the more expensive tires are the ones made for curvy, twisty work.............giving more traction but less treat life.
The Chen Shengs and the IRC DuroTours both have given me good mileage over the years, and my bike has basically been a commuter more than anything else.

[Herb Schonher]

Tire Life?

Thanks for sharing all the info.Sounds like a lot of you get good life out of the Cheng Shin Himax(wish I did).I just got 2 more tires(Duro HF918&Bridgestone S11 Spitfire).I measured tread depth on the Bridgestone & was surprised to see it was about .100" deeper than the Duro.Hopefully that will translate to higher mileage-we'll see!I always balance my tires & check tire pressure at least every 2 days but still can't get more than 5100mi. before threads showing(Duro HF91)!I come to upstate N.Y. every summer from Tx. to ride the twisty back roads.I probably won't put the Bridgestone on till next year w/fresh tire on front.Another tire I might consider(next yr.) is the Maxxis M6103 Promaxx.A friend says he gets good mileage/performance w/them.Anyone have opinions on those?One more thought-do any of you know if it makes any difference in mi. if using tube(I still am)?I see some manufactures reduce speed ratings by 15% if using tube.My logic says tube generates more heat & heat=faster wear?I'll try going tubeless next tire(any day now). Thanks-Herb.

[Steve]

A friend says he gets good mileage/performance w/them.

OK, what does he consider "good mileage"? If he is used to 3-4000 and got 6000 with them, yes, he would consider that "good". As mentioned earlier, the Hi-Max tires on my wife's 850 have 13,600+ on them and are down to the wear bars. I am looking to put on a set of Dunlop E3s on there, because I got 23,000 out of a set on my Wing. Yeah, they cost more than the Hi-Max, but they last a lot longer, too. I have not done a lot of hard cornering on the 850 to explore the limits of the tires, but we have not had any problems with grip on the Hi-Max, so we consider performance to at least be adequate, if not good. 8-[


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