Tire Vendors ?

[bonanzadave]

I'm in the Market.

Tires for my 1100EZ.

NOT Avon.

100/90-19 & 130/90-17

Where do you / I get em ?

[Nessism]

I usually buy from these guys...https://www.americanmototire.com/

Free shipping, and the tires typically are fresh.

Bridgestone BT46's, or Shinko's, seem a wise choice.

[Suzukian]

I usually buy from these guys...https://www.americanmototire.com/

Free shipping, and the tires typically are fresh.

Bridgestone BT46's, or Shinko's, seem a wise choice.

Never heard of that company, Thanks for the link. great selection.

[bonanzadave]

Thanks Ed.

Battlax's ordered $295.14

[Suzukian]

I just got a BattleAx front tire for my Suzuki, I finally found one, so now I have matched tires. I didn't like the shape of the Avon tire, the bike kind of felt like it was falling over. The 16" inch front tire is twitchy enough.

[LAB3]

After 20k miles on my xs1100 with the exact same sized tires I can honestly say that the Bridgestone BT46 gives you the best ride and handling but the same amount of tread life as the Shrink 230. The Dunlop D404 is actually a decent tire, especially in the gravel but doesn't wear for squat mileage wise. I've got a Shinko 712 going on the rear tomorrow since it looks like ponying up for anything more expensive isn't worth it, about four months is what I get out of a rear tire no matter how much I spend and with the Michelin Classic rear going for $210 they won't be seeing my money anytime soon.

As to price and getting it to you quick I highly recommend chapmoto.com

[45bpcr]

I'm going to be looking as well for my 83 GS1100E
100/90-19 front
120/90-17 rear.
Nearly new Dunlop D404's front and rear now and not really thrilled with them. (Came with the bike)

I have Conti Classic Attack's on my H-2 and KZ1000A
I really like them but it seems they're out of production?
Any suggestions for a decent sport oriented tire?

[bwringer]

Avon has stopped making motorcycle tires. Tyres. Whatever. Any you see in inventory are leftovers.


My top three rubber sources currently are as follows. All have stellar service, and pricing is generally identical or within pennies.

All seem to draw from the same network of warehouses (there's a sort of hidden underground tire network of drop shippers in play here), but it's often not clear until after you order how long it will take to get your tires. It's almost always within three days, and here in Indy I often get tires in one day.

https://www.americanmototire.com/ (Always a top choice, and access to all sorts of oddball stuff.)

These two have programs where you get 5% "store credit" on purchases. So it's a nice way to get a little something extra back

https://www.revzilla.com/ (You earn "Zillacash" with purchases.)
Of course, Revzilla has all sorts of other moto-gear as well.

https://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/ (You earn "RM Cash" with purchases)
Yes, they're mostly oriented toward dirt and dual-sport riding, but they do have street and vintage rubber. I end up ordering here quite a bit because I also ride a KLR650, and their warehouse in Kentucky almost always gets my goodies in-hand the next day. They also sell OEM parts, and they're the only place I've seen that shows stock status of OEM parts so you know what to expect. Before you place the order, you see which warehouse your goodies will be coming from, so you know what to expect before you commit.

Dennis Kirk also has great service, but prices are almost always a little higher. I haven't used them in many years. Chapmoto earned a spot on my "no" list years ago, but YMMV; most folks nowadays seem happy with them. Again, they're a touch higher, and for tires there's just no reason to pay a penny more than you have to.



As far as which tires to order...

For the past several years, I've put most of my miles on my other bikes, so I've ended up using the Korean-made Shinko 230 on my GS850G. I get around 3,000 miles from a set, but they work incredibly well, and stay consistent all the way down. (Normal people get far more miles from them, easily 5,000 - 6,000.) So basically, I end up with a fresh set about every year, which is nice to have. They're not as ridiculously cheap as they once were in the Before Times, but they are far less expensive than the competition. The Shinko 712 is also excellent but short-lived. Other than the 230's V rating, they're pretty much indistinguishable other than tread pattern, and I can't tell the difference from the saddle.

As noted above, Bridgestone's BT45 was a beloved classic, and the updated BT46 is excellent. Haven't tried them personally. The Michelin Road Classic is quite promising, but the pricing is an outrage.

Inventory is still a challenge, especially right now heading into fall. Sellers have always let their tire stock run a little short this time of year, and this has become much worse since "supply chain" became a household word, and is still an issue

The Pirelli Sport Demon (if you can find them in stock) is short-lived, but with excellent grip and handling; that's the one you'll see most often on vintage racers. The Continental Conti Go! has some fans, and Metzeler has an updated line called the "Sportec Klassic" that could be promising if they would actually make some and send them to the US.

IRC's Durotour is pretty good, too; they seem to have some of the skinnier sizes needed on smaller bikes, and seem to work well. Haven't tried them on my bike yet, but Shinko pricing has risen to about the same point as IRCs so they might be worth a try in the name of Science. IRC is a Japanese company, and their tires are made all over Asia. (All the tire companies have plants all over the world, so there's no way to tell where yours will be made until you have them in hand.)

If you have a model with a 16" rear, you have a greatly expanded lineup of tire choices; the Dunlop Elite 4, for example, is an excellent, long-lived choice.


Tires to avoid include:
- Dunlop 404. Short-lived, and they turn evil as they wear.
- Kenda Challenger. Absolutely horrid in every dimension. Cheap... but terrible. Dangerously bad traction, awful handling. I'd avoid anything Kenda, personally, but some of their newer tires are supposed to be better.
- Metzeler Lasertec. Overpriced, short-lived throwback to the '80s.
- Bridgestone Spitfire. They work OK at first, and have those retro-cool raised white letters, but they're a very old design, short-lived, and turn evil as they wear.

[storm 64]

I've been using Rocky Mountain ATV for a few years now. The prices are the best around and the customer service is EXCELLENT. I had a problem navigating Michelin's website to apply for my rebate. The lady at Rocky Mountain said "No problem, I'll do it for you". Now that's customer service!

[1978GS750E]

I use Rocky Mountain ATV most of the time for tires and OEM parts. I like that they will price match, so you can shop around for the best price.

And it helps that they are only a nice 20 minute ride away!

[unfocused]

Ebay - these were looked up for my '77 750. I've used Shinko's for over 10 years and have had excellent results.

If I've violated GSR policy, let me know and please forgive me.



tires.png

[Cipher]

Avon has stopped making motorcycle tires. Tyres. Whatever. Any you see in inventory are leftovers.


My top three rubber sources currently are as follows. All have stellar service, and pricing is generally identical or within pennies.

All seem to draw from the same network of warehouses (there's a sort of hidden underground tire network of drop shippers in play here), but it's often not clear until after you order how long it will take to get your tires. It's almost always within three days, and here in Indy I often get tires in one day.

https://www.americanmototire.com/ (Always a top choice, and access to all sorts of oddball stuff.)

These two have programs where you get 5% "store credit" on purchases. So it's a nice way to get a little something extra back

https://www.revzilla.com/ (You earn "Zillacash" with purchases.)
Of course, Revzilla has all sorts of other moto-gear as well.

https://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/ (You earn "RM Cash" with purchases)
Yes, they're mostly oriented toward dirt and dual-sport riding, but they do have street and vintage rubber. I end up ordering here quite a bit because I also ride a KLR650, and their warehouse in Kentucky almost always gets my goodies in-hand the next day. They also sell OEM parts, and they're the only place I've seen that shows stock status of OEM parts so you know what to expect. Before you place the order, you see which warehouse your goodies will be coming from, so you know what to expect before you commit.

Dennis Kirk also has great service, but prices are almost always a little higher. I haven't used them in many years. Chapmoto earned a spot on my "no" list years ago, but YMMV; most folks nowadays seem happy with them. Again, they're a touch higher, and for tires there's just no reason to pay a penny more than you have to.



As far as which tires to order...

For the past several years, I've put most of my miles on my other bikes, so I've ended up using the Korean-made Shinko 230 on my GS850G. I get around 3,000 miles from a set, but they work incredibly well, and stay consistent all the way down. (Normal people get far more miles from them, easily 5,000 - 6,000.) So basically, I end up with a fresh set about every year, which is nice to have. They're not as ridiculously cheap as they once were in the Before Times, but they are far less expensive than the competition. The Shinko 712 is also excellent but short-lived. Other than the 230's V rating, they're pretty much indistinguishable other than tread pattern, and I can't tell the difference from the saddle.

As noted above, Bridgestone's BT45 was a beloved classic, and the updated BT46 is excellent. Haven't tried them personally. The Michelin Road Classic is quite promising, but the pricing is an outrage.

Inventory is still a challenge, especially right now heading into fall. Sellers have always let their tire stock run a little short this time of year, and this has become much worse since "supply chain" became a household word, and is still an issue

The Pirelli Sport Demon (if you can find them in stock) is short-lived, but with excellent grip and handling; that's the one you'll see most often on vintage racers. The Continental Conti Go! has some fans, and Metzeler has an updated line called the "Sportec Klassic" that could be promising if they would actually make some and send them to the US.

IRC's Durotour is pretty good, too; they seem to have some of the skinnier sizes needed on smaller bikes, and seem to work well. Haven't tried them on my bike yet, but Shinko pricing has risen to about the same point as IRCs so they might be worth a try in the name of Science. IRC is a Japanese company, and their tires are made all over Asia. (All the tire companies have plants all over the world, so there's no way to tell where yours will be made until you have them in hand.)

If you have a model with a 16" rear, you have a greatly expanded lineup of tire choices; the Dunlop Elite 4, for example, is an excellent, long-lived choice.


Tires to avoid include:
- Dunlop 404. Short-lived, and they turn evil as they wear.
- Kenda Challenger. Absolutely horrid in every dimension. Cheap... but terrible. Dangerously bad traction, awful handling. I'd avoid anything Kenda, personally, but some of their newer tires are supposed to be better.
- Metzeler Lasertec. Overpriced, short-lived throwback to the '80s.
- Bridgestone Spitfire. They work OK at first, and have those retro-cool raised white letters, but they're a very old design, short-lived, and turn evil as they wear.

https://www.avontyres.com/en-us/

I THINK THEY KILLED UK PROD AND HEADEX EAST

[hank2]

I have used Rocky Mountain ATV many times in the past. I believe Rocky is one of the 3 motorcycle tire importers/wholesalers in the whole US. They seem to have really pared down listings in classic bike sizes, last I checked. My last couple of purchases were from Dennis Kirk, who seems pretty competitive on price. Years ago, they always seemed higher priced. American moto or Southwest moto has long been a go-to for many although I have never used them.

I bought a rear Bridgestone BT-46 less than year ago. Only tire left, it seems, in the proper 120/90/17B size for my bike. I've used many sets of BS S11 Spitfires and BT-45's over the last 20 years. Their big brag was the dual tread compounds on both models. Longer wearing centers and softer on the edges. When they went to the BT-46, there is no longer any mention of the dual compounds. Anywhere. They seem to market it as a rain tire today. My BT-46 rear has worn about 50 percent in 1500 miles. Definitely quicker wear than the BT45. Had to use an Avon Roadrider II on the front due to no BT46 available. NOT a good match with the BT46 rear. If I keep riding, I may try one of the Shinko rears next time.

When I bought my 650G 4 years ago it had Kenda's on it. New rear and a 50 % front. Couldn't get them off quickly enough!

[45bpcr]

(there's a sort of hidden underground tire network of drop shippers in play here)

There certainly is.
Thanks for taking the time to write that bwringer

I've talked to various automotive tire suppliers over the years.
Some months we'll cross the $50K line in purchases for Conti's and Michelins's.
Most Euro cars run those so that's what we install.
But, automotive tire suppliers can't get motorcycle tires, go figure.

I've spent time over the last few days searching manufactures websites trying to find the same brand and model for the front and rear.
I think I'll end up with the Bridgestone BT46 ones.

It's funny, these days most 120/90-17's are listed as a front tire with very few tires in that size listed as a rear.
Also, Michelin has their Comander 2, but it's listed as a 'Cruiser" tire and only has an S speed rating.
Seems like most of the offerings out there are geared towards Adventure bikes.

[hank2]

Ebay - these were looked up for my '77 750. I've used Shinko's for over 10 years and have had excellent results.

If I've violated GSR policy, let me know and please forgive me.



tires.png

Those Shinko 712's are true knocks off of the Bridgestone S11 Spitfire tread pattern. Come to think of it, if I remember correctly, the Kenda Challenger is as well. The S11 will wear longer than BT45 and especially BT46. The S11 rears will square off pretty quickly on much slab riding though.

I'm curious about the Shinko 230 Tour Master bias tires. They cost a little more than the 712. I wonder if the wear may be better? Anyone run a set?

https://www.denniskirk.com/shinko/230-tour-master-tire.pfp544683.prdf?fs=544696&rs=544707