Sport Demons vs Roadriders

[Turtleface]

Righto, after my ride on the 25th, I'm going to be needing some new tires. What sort of mileage is normal for Pirelli Sport Demons? How about Avon Roadriders? I've narrowed it down to those two so far. Also, what's the recommended size for an '82 GS 1100 EZ, assuming factory wheels?

[tkent02]

From what I've heard, Road Riders last about twice as long, and they ride nicely to the end.
I like them.
Have not tried Sport Demons myself yet.

[Turtleface]

From what I've heard, Road Riders last about twice as long, and they ride nicely to the end.
I like them.
Have not tried Sport Demons myself yet.

How many miles are you averaging on a set?

[tkent02]

I haven't kept any bikes long enough to find out, but with several thousand miles they still look almost new. The bikes I put the most miles on have other tires.

[Joe Nardy]

BWringer is the foremost authority on mileage regarding the RoadRiders. I think he gets 6-8k miles from a rear and keeps the same front for two rears. He rides hard and puts on a lot of miles. I have tried both Sport Demons (several sets) and RoadRiders. I personally like the Sport Demons more than the RoadRiders. They are definitely stickier and handle perfectly for my riding style. The RoadRiders have a different profile and hanlde differently than the Sport Demons; not bad, just different. I just like the feel of the Sport Demons better and haven't been able to get 100% comfortable with the RoadRiders. The Sport Demons definitely wear much quicker than the RoadRiders. I get 4-5K out of a rear and always change sets. I am pretty tough on front tires and the Sport Demons seem to cup more than the RoadRiders. The Sport Demons are also more expensive than the RoadRiders

My opinion is this: If you want the best, stickiest tires you can get for these bikes, aren't concerned with mileage, and can afford some extra $$$, get the Sport Demons. If you are okay with something just a bit less sticky, want higher mileage, aren't concerned about different handling characteristics, and want to save a few $$$, you can't go wrong with the RoadRiders.

I want to be clear that I'm not slamming the RoadRiders in any way. They are great tires and lots of people ride very hard on them. I have a mental block if I don't have complete confidence in my tires and for some reason I haven't been able to get past that mental block with the RoadRiders. For me it's worth the extra $$$ and less mileage to have confidence and peace of mind.

Thanks,
Joe

[TheCafeKid]

I havent tried the Sport Demons myself yet either, but my understanding of the wear characteristics is pretty much whats been said. However, I happen to really really LIKE the roadriders. But, recently, I found a combo that I absolutely LOVE. Im running an Avon RoadRider rear with an Avon Venom X front. The combo is, in my opinion, outstanding. Nice feedback from the road, great stickiness, and I got a whole season out of the rear, and plus on the front. I tend to change in pairs as well, but I wouldnt hesitate to use the VenomX for two rears worth of mileage. Its not cupped, or worn in any goofy way, and, even with 10+K miles on it, it still rides just as good as new. Its a bit stickier than the RoadRider, which I like on the front, as, IMO, it helps keep the bike from plowing. My 1100ES handles better than any GS i've ridden, in part because of these tires. I will likely continue to use the combo from now on. Just my .02...

[tkent02]

My 1100ES handles better than any GS i've ridden, in part because of these tires.

It's because it's an '83 ES. Huge improvement in handling over previous GSes.

[bwringer]

I get a consistent 6,000 miles out of each rear RoadRider and 12,000 from each front. I think I'm on my sixth rear and third front on my bike, and I've installed a buncha RoadRiders on other people's bikes with excellent results.

Al has gotten similar mileage with RoadRiders on his 850GL, and normal people will get even more miles than we do.

I think the Avons remain more consistent than the Sport Demons as they wear. And yes, they do feel different than the Pirellis -- like they have a pointier profile. They turn in so easily that it's startling. Once you get used to it, it simply feels like the bike lost about 100 pounds.

With all that said, if you're doing a track day and don't care about the expense, a fresh set of Pirelli Sport Demons is the cat's ass. They are ultimately a tiny bit softer and stickier when things get nice and hot out at the ragged edge. The difference is 99.5% vs. 100% -- far beyond what you can use with a GS.

If you're riding on the street and if expense and longevity are concerns at all, then the RoadRiders win hands-down, IM(ns)HO.

Joe has had the handling sorted out on his 1100E for several years and many miles, and he's understandably reluctant to make any changes to the magic formula. So he prefers to stick with the Pirellis. Plus, his GS isn't (ab)used as daily transportation like mine, so expense and mileage aren't big factors.

Oh, and I believe the correct sizes for the 82-83 1100E are 100/90-19 front, 130/90-17 rear.

[Steve]

Man, if I had to change the tires on my Wing every 6-8000 miles, I would give up riding.

After all, that's a new set of tires every other month.
(I have logged over 16,000 miles since May 21.)

The expense would be bad enough, but the labor to change them is prohibitive. Obviously, I don't have the same riding style as some of you, even though the chicken strips are not very wide on my tires, but I have gone through three sets of Dunlop E3s in the last four years, and they lasted 21-23,000 miles each. Not sure how they would stand up to Bwringer's style of riding, but they certainly did not hamper mine. Unfortunately for you, the E3 is not available in a 17-inch rear, so you don't have the option of trying them.

On my wife's 850L, we got about 14,000 miles on a set of Cheng Shin Hi-Max tires. They have been discontinued, so they are not an option, either. Some have tried the Shinko 230 Tour Master, but have not heard any feedback from them other than initial impressions. They say it's not a bad tire, especially considering that you can get a set for between $125 and $150.

.

[tkent02]

Man, if I had to change the tires on my Wing every 6-8000 miles, I would give up riding.

After all, that's a new set of tires every other month.
(I have logged over 16,000 miles since May 21.)

The expense would be bad enough, but the labor to change them is prohibitive. Obviously, I don't have the same riding style as some of you, even though the chicken strips are not very wide on my tires, but I have gone through three sets of Dunlop E3s in the last four years, and they lasted 21-23,000 miles each. Not sure how they would stand up to Bwringer's style of riding, but they certainly did not hamper mine. Unfortunately for you, the E3 is not available in a 17-inch rear, so you don't have the option of trying them.

On my wife's 850L, we got about 14,000 miles on a set of Cheng Shin Hi-Max tires. They have been discontinued, so they are not an option, either. Some have tried the Shinko 230 Tour Master, but have not heard any feedback from them other than initial impressions. They say it's not a bad tire, especially considering that you can get a set for between $125 and $150.

.

http://www.goldwingowners.com/

[Steve]

http://www.goldwingowners.com/

OK, I clicked on the link.

Was there a particular thread I was supposed to see?

.

[Turtleface]

Thanks for all the responses. Bike is used for the daily commute, in the city, but I usually get out of town every few days to unwind from city living. Since I'm not really pushing the bike terribly hard, I'll probably check out the Roadriders. Next set will be the Sport Demons, just to compare.

Any word on the sizing for an 82 GS1100 EZ? Would any sort of oversize be beneficial, of does the "pinching" effect happen immediately? And what size should be stock, using metric sizing? All the sizing I've seen in my manuals doesn't readily transfer into metric sizing, and I don't have any formulas for that sort of thing.

[49er]

I can't compare the Roadriders with the Sport Demons. I do know that the SD's on my 850 are super sticky and consequently wear quicker than most.

What price do you put on your life? Surely it's better to have a decent safety margin helping avoid mishaps/crashes.

My front SD's last 1&1/2 rears before cupping is too severe to safely continue using them. My last rear lasted 8K kms. This one is half worn at 4k kms. It won't see 8K as it has to endure a track day in 3 weeks time.

[Turtleface]

What price do you put on your life? Surely it's better to have a decent safety margin helping avoid mishaps/crashes.

And that's another thing. Having the added safety margin afforded by the SD's would be nice, especially since I'm still learning to ride this thing. Money's not much of a worry, I'm willing and able (no credit cards, no debt, no wife, no kids, no house) to spend coin on things for the bike. It's currently the focus of my fiscal system right now, after I have living expenses taken care of, it gets the most disposable income allotted to it. Maybe I will go with the SDs...either way, I'm going to get whatever I don't get this time around, for my next set. Just to see for myself how I like both sets.

Back to scrubbing. After my valve cover gasket gets here, (hopefully thursday) my bike won't have any more leaks. So it's me, a wire brush, and a gallon of Simple Green. She sat in California for at least a few years. I figure that a grease caked engine won't shed heat nearly as well to boot. Could cleaning be considered a performance mod?

[posplayr]

Back to scrubbing. After my valve cover gasket gets here, (hopefully thursday) my bike won't have any more leaks. So it's me, a wire brush, and a gallon of Simple Green. She sat in California for at least a few years. I figure that a grease caked engine won't shed heat nearly as well to boot. Could cleaning be considered a performance mod?

Get a spray bottle and a gallon of WD-40 with a plastic bristtle brush. That will work very well to cut the goop. Then degrease with the WD-40. Lose the wire brush.