So I'm looking at replacing

[alke46]

my rear tire on the GS and want to ask the members here for your opinions. With cost NOT being the deciding factor, I am looking at tires from American Moto Tire. Size is 130/90-17 and here are the options.

Continental Conti Go $103.64
Avon Road Riders $115.59
Bridgestone BT 45 $118.22
Pirelli Sport Demon $137.84

I would like to get a tire that will be very sticky in corners and also provide a lot of overall mileage. In other words, a good sport touring tire that will outlast the current brand. I currently am running Shinko 230s but after about 6K miles, I find it is no longer suitable for aggressive cornering.

TIA for all your input.

[nejeff]

my rear tire on the GS and want to ask the members here for your opinions. With cost NOT being the deciding factor, I am looking at tires from American Moto Tire. Size is 130/90-17 and here are the options.

Continental Conti Go $103.64
Avon Road Riders $115.59
Bridgestone BT 45 $118.22
Pirelli Sport Demon $137.84

I would like to get a tire that will be very sticky in corners and also provide a lot of overall mileage. In other words, a good sport touring tire that will outlast the current brand. I currently am running Shinko 230s but after about 6K miles, I find it is no longer suitable for aggressive cornering.

TIA for all your input.

Seriously Larry, how long are you expecting a tire to last? Thats a testament to the 230's right there! Just replace with the same, 1/2 the money. You think any of these other tires can hold sticky at 6K, no way. They are all good, except seen too many Avon RRs cracked to recommend, but after 5-6,000 you can't expect premium cornering.

[storm 64]

I usually like the Avon Road Riders. They were a great tire on my 850 and 1000. They would last about 10,000 miles, pushing it. However when I switched to a 18 inch rear wheel on the 1000, the two Road Riders I had on it split in the center tread. I'm thinking about trying a softer tire for next year. I'm anticipating not riding the 1000e as much as last year.

[bonanzadave]

Posted here about a year ago...

Metzeler Sportec Klassic: $260
Pirelli Sport Demon: $242
Michelin Pilot Activ: $225
Bridgestone BT45: $213
Continental GO!: $199
Avon AM26 RoadRider: $195
Shinko 230: $132

[wacky941]

In the past Avon was a good tire but, the last set I had cracked within a year. On my bike right now I have the Pirelli Sport Demons and am extremely happy with them.

[glib]

Bonanzadave included the Michelin Pilot Activ which I just bought. Any reason it wasn’t on your list? The Pirelli Sport Demon is my 1st choice but I didn’t even get 3000 miles out of the first two and I saw a number of reviews that said that the Michelin was a second choice to the Demons for stickiness and wore better so I bought one. After a 170 mile hard ride where I was pushing to keep up with some sport bike riders—enough that my mileage dropped to 25mpg, I saw little wear at all. The Pirelli wore so fast that I became tentative on the throttle if I was going straight because the middle would wear out way before the sides. My “chicken strips”show that I was getting over just as far on the Michelin’s. I do think I could feel the difference but I’m not skilled enough to describe it to you. I’m happy with the tire and plan on buying another for my other bike. Still love the Pirelli’s. They instill confidence. Wish they could do the dual compound for better wear in the middle.

[alke46]

Seriously Larry, how long are you expecting a tire to last? Thats a testament to the 230's right there! Just replace with the same, 1/2 the money. You think any of these other tires can hold sticky at 6K, no way. They are all good, except seen too many Avon RRs cracked to recommend, but after 5-6,000 you can't expect premium cornering.

My issue with the Shinko is this, after around 4k miles in the Ozarks of Missouri and Arkansas, I am sold on the cornering of the tires but with slightly more than 1k in my area without curvy roads, I now have a
3 1/2" flat spot in the center of the tire.
I guess I just want something that is going to hold a better profile overall than the Shinko is giving me. Maybe I am asking for too much IDK. I just know that the Avon radials I am running on my Honda seems to wear less in the middle than the Shinkos. They normally last around 14k.

[Sandy]

I used a number of Dunlop GT501's on my GS1000 but found although they stuck like crazy the mileage wasn't great. Since I used a set of the Bridgestone BT45's on my 750 I found they stuck very well and the rear being a dual compound tire I got what I thought was really good mileage, I'm hard on tires so the 6,000 miles I got on them is considered really good for me, your mileage may or probably will vary. The 1000 is in need of tires so I'm probably going try the BT45's this time, not that there's anything wrong with the other tires you listed, just what I'm comfortable with.

[Steve]

I just know that the Avon radials I am running on my Honda seems to wear less in the middle than the Shinkos. They normally last around 14k.

Not sure you can accurately compare apples and oranges there.

Radial vs. bias-ply is enough of a difference, but they are likely different sizes and different loads.

I enjoyed the Dunlop Elite 3 tires I had on my Wing. Got well over 20k miles on three sets. The only problem with them is that the edges sawtoothed, making them noisy on anything but a straight road. Even leaning enough for a lane change made them sound like Monster Mudders. Tried two sets of Michelin Pilot GT, then they were discontinued, so I went back to Dunlop E3.

I have heard that the new Elite 4 has a dual compound, but it's not available in a 17" rear. I am planning on mounting E4s on our bikes for our trip next year, as I don't plan on changing tires while on the trip. Yes, I do have a 16" wheel ready for my 850 and my son's 1000. Fortunately, the height of the 16" E4 isn't that much less than the 17" Shinko 230.

.

[alke46]

I'm thinking about trying a softer tire for next year. I'm anticipating not riding the 1000e as much as last year.

Norm this sounds an awful lot like you may be planning on another bike in your stable. Did that new Yamaha you looked at recently bite you?
See you in Bedford. Uncle Lar.

[alke46]

[QUOTE=glib;2442279]Bonanzadave included the Michelin Pilot Activ which I just bought. Any reason it wasn’t on your list?

Nope, I just missed that one when listing the others. I like your review of this one. It has now gone to the top of my list.
Thanks for your input.

[alke46]

Not sure you can accurately compare apples and oranges there.

Radial vs. bias-ply is enough of a difference, but they are likely different sizes and different loads.

I enjoyed the Dunlop Elite 3 tires I had on my Wing. Got well over 20k miles on three sets. The only problem with them is that the edges sawtoothed, making them noisy on anything but a straight road. Even leaning enough for a lane change made them sound like Monster Mudders. Tried two sets of Michelin Pilot GT, then they were discontinued, so I went back to Dunlop E3.

I have heard that the new Elite 4 has a dual compound, but it's not available in a 17" rear. I am planning on mounting E4s on our bikes for our trip next year, as I don't plan on changing tires while on the trip. Yes, I do have a 16" wheel ready for my 850 and my son's 1000. Fortunately, the height of the 16" E4 isn't that much less than the 17" Shinko 230.

.

Yes, I know, guilty as charged. I knew when I made the comparison of radial to bias ply that I was setting myself up for this.
I just want the best of both worlds.