Tire Brand Reccomendations

[Baatfam]

Did anyone mention Avon Road Riders?

[posplayr]

Jim,
Lots of people run tires too wide for their wheels, but that doesn't mean it's recommended or even smart. The main issue is not clearance in the swingarm, it's sidewall support of the tread and the tread curvature profile - which will be overly rounded so to speak if the sidewalls are pinched in by a wheel overly narrow. Fortunately, tires are forgiving when used in a typical road usage application, which is good or there would be lots of dead cyclists.

Yes Ed,

I understand all that, However I'm answering primarily to the OP that the specific tire, ARR 130/80-18 seems to work well on a GS750EX-EZ stock wheel for sporty street riding up to 85 mph. I just don't push the GS750 any harder than that. I have run it pretty hard on Camino Cielo however and out on Hiway 130.

The ARR key benefit is that they have a very round profile, and support higher that normal inflation pressures so seem to have performance more like a modern radial tire of say 150-160 width. Durability is also much better than say the Sport Demon.

Of course if someone wants a flat profile for long haul riding then, they should probably stick with something closer to stock recommendation.

If it was not for the adjustment in front ride height, I would have probably put a 130/70-18 on the rear but figured that would be a litte too short.

Jim

[Planecrazy]

I'm on my second set of Pirelli Sport Demons, which literally transformed the performance of my fully dressed 1100G. Having said that, Brian Wringer (who is among the most "spirited" twisty riders I've rallied with) has run both the Demons and the Avon Roadriders, and says that the Avons perform almost as well as the Pirellis while lasting much longer. My plan would be to give the Avons a try next time around...

Regards,

Regards,

[srsupertrap]

130/80-18 is too wide for the wheel. A 120 is pushing it, 130 is definitely too wide.

A 130 is not the ideal size for a 2.15 rear wheel but the US GS1000E's came with a wider IRC 4.50V-17 on the back from the factory. Pretty sure the 4.50/5.10 equals a 130/90-17. The GS1000S came with a 2.15 rear wheel shod with a 4.00V-18 tire. It's probably safe to say those suzuki engineers ensured both tires were safe at the limit. So the 2.15 wheel width can accomodate different tire widths and it exhibits some compliance.

[KGB]

Dunlop GT501 is a nice tire.
Not a "rounded" type, more triangulated
does run a radial type tread pattern

I've run them on my S, and they seem to work well.

[sschering]

Avon recoments a 100-90-19 front and 120-90-18 rear..

I love the Avons AM26's on my GS1000

[bwringer]

AM26 = RoadRiders, in case anyone's watching.

Compared to the Pirelli Sport Demons, the Avon RRs have a "quicker" feel, probably from a pointier shape. On a GS, it feels like your bike suddenly lost 150 pounds. This is a good thing...

The Avons also last a lot longer (I get a very consistent 6,000 hard miles out of Avons vs. 4,000 for the Pirelli Sport Demons. YMMV, and will probably be a lot better), and -- this is the important part -- they remain incredibly consistent in feel and traction for the life of the tire. They still feel and work great even when well past the tread wear indicators.

For me, the Sport Demons are great for about 2,500 miles but turn evil as they wear. For the last 1,000 miles or so they're not much good at all.

Same thing only worse with the Dunlop 501 -- it's a very old design (meaning the way they are constructed, not the tread design), and they start out fine but end up feeling like crap as they wear. Heavy, heavy scalloping front and rear.

Metzelers in vintage sizes also suffer from being very old designs -- they feel positively wooden, they're expensive as hell, wear quickly, and don't age gracefully.

So: my usual recommendation is Avon RoadRiders for vintage bikes, hands-down.

If budget is a concern, you can save a good bit of cash with Shinkos (by the way, they're made in Korea, not China as many assume) -- the TourMaster 230 is an excellent tire at a bargain price. The 712 is also excellent.

Dennis Kirk or Jake Wilson consistently have great prices on the Avons, while Motorcycle Superstore stocks a huge variety of Shinkos at discount prices.

[srsupertrap]

AM26 = RoadRiders, in case anyone's watching.

Compared to the Pirelli Sport Demons, the Avon RRs have a "quicker" feel, probably from a pointier shape. On a GS, it feels like your bike suddenly lost 150 pounds. This is a good thing...

The Avons also last a lot longer (I get a very consistent 6,000 hard miles out of Avons vs. 4,000 for the Pirelli Sport Demons. YMMV, and will probably be a lot better), and -- this is the important part -- they remain incredibly consistent in feel and traction for the life of the tire. They still feel and work great even when well past the tread wear indicators.

For me, the Sport Demons are great for about 2,500 miles but turn evil as they wear. For the last 1,000 miles or so they're not much good at all.

Same thing only worse with the Dunlop 501 -- it's a very old design (meaning the way they are constructed, not the tread design), and they start out fine but end up feeling like crap as they wear. Heavy, heavy scalloping front and rear.

Metzelers in vintage sizes also suffer from being very old designs -- they feel positively wooden, they're expensive as hell, wear quickly, and don't age gracefully.

So: my usual recommendation is Avon RoadRiders for vintage bikes, hands-down.

If budget is a concern, you can save a good bit of cash with Shinkos (by the way, they're made in Korea, not China as many assume) -- the TourMaster 230 is an excellent tire at a bargain price. The 712 is also excellent.

Dennis Kirk or Jake Wilson consistently have great prices on the Avons, while Motorcycle Superstore stocks a huge variety of Shinkos at discount prices.

A very informative post, I have always wondered why tires in general get squirrely as the miles add up. I think this is true across all motorcycle tires? A ST1100 guy I know would routinely use the latest Avon radial tires and would rave about the performance, scraping the tip wings and keeping up with various VFR 750's. Several thousands (5000) miles later he would be looking for the latest and greatest set of tires.

Closer to us I can not understand why Metzeler discontinued the ME-99A Perfect, ME-33 Laser & ME-77 in favor of those replacement Lasertec's. I never used the Lasertec tires but have never read a kind word about them and the price is ridiculous. I personally used three sets of ME-99A/ME-77's through the 80's & 90's on the GS1000 with no regrets. I think metzeler moved the production to Brazil before ceasing operations.

Regardless I am looking forward to using a set of AM26 on the wider morris wheels.

[Mindless]

For you guys with modern wheels and suspension on your oldschool GS:

Dunlop Sportmax Sportsmart.

Seriously never had tires with better grip than these. Be it wet or dry, on the street or on the track - they deliver to 110%. They inspire nothing but pure confidence.

[7981GS]

Are the AM26's better than the BT45V's?
How so?
Anyone with experience with BOTH?

Thanks.

[tkent02]

I have run them both, but not on the same bike. While the BT45s seemed to be a really good tire, the AM26 seemed to be excellent. Glued to the road almost like a modern bike, through water, sand, gravel, broken pavement, slapping on the brakes while in a steep corner, whatever you do they are up to it. All around a great tire. They last quite a while, too. Others have said the great handling lasts as long as the tire, I haven't kept the bikes long enough to find out but they certainly remain good until half worn out. The BT 45s get a little funny when they're half gone...

[Billy Ricks]

For you guys with modern wheels and suspension on your oldschool GS:

Dunlop Sportmax Sportsmart.

Seriously never had tires with better grip than these. Be it wet or dry, on the street or on the track - they deliver to 110%. They inspire nothing but pure confidence.

I've always run Dunlops on my bike since the upgrades until the last set I put on. My first rear tire on the new wheels was a hand laid Dunlop D364 that I got from a Yosh rider. It was one of his qualifiers at Daytona. That was probably the sweetest rear tire I've ever run. It handled the same right up until the belts started showing. Now I've got a set of race compound Michelin Pilots that handle nicely. They'll probably last me through the middle of next year then I'll be looking for at least a new rear.

[cowboyup3371]

Possible Hijack? Do you treat your motorcycle tires like car tires in the sense that less than Lincoln's head showing in the tread change them out? I'm talking about ones that you put on. Or do you go strictly by mileage?

[tkent02]

It's not about milking the last penney's worth of mileage, it's about having the best bike you can at all times.
I run them only until they feel funny, or look a little worn out, or start to get slippery, or get damaged.
New tires are like a birthday present, sometimes it's better not to wait.
Old tires are like an injured rattlesnake, you know it's dangerous, but never quite sure when they it's going to strike.

[Billy Ricks]

The Dunlop D364 I just talked about handled great right up until the bitter end. It finally got slippery feeling on one of our Texas Hill Country rides when the belts started showing all the way around the tire. I had ridden over 300 miles to make the ride and about halfway through the hill country portion I started seeing a little of the belt showing through in a couple of spots. Even then it handled predictably and never gave even a wiggle. It wasn't until we got back to a gathering place that the belt was showing all the way around the tire. At that point it started getting hairy. I ended up leaving the bike at my in-laws and came back to pick it up in my truck. I don't recommend this but the tire was fine when I left home. It wasn't until 500 miles later the belt started showing. The D364 was nothing more than a hand cut slick with very little tread down the center even new. It kept its profile for the life of the tire which made judging how much tire was left a little harder than with most tires. I usually replace them when the center flattens out and the tread is gone from that area of the tire.