Tire Recommendation

Got to work this morning and found a nail in my rear tire. Only have about 2000 miles on the bike. After reading some of the threads on tire repairs, I concur that it really isn't safe to rely on a repair. I use the bike exclusively for commuting. No weekend romps, track days, etc. I commute 60 miles/ day. Mostly 2 lane straight, flat (no pun intended), roads. Majority of the commute is back roads (paved) through a national forest. Speed limit is 55, but traffic goes 65. I generally do not exceed 80 mph. I am looking for something that is better than stock and does well in the rain, yet isn't terribly expensive. I use Metzlers on my dirt bike and like them, but this is a whole different animal. Are Bridgestones, Dunlops, and such really that different?

I haven't used a lot of different tires on this bike but it sounds like a dual compound may be best for you.(long straight roads) check out local pricing on the Dunlop Road Smart as I have found them to be a better dual compund than the Bridgestone BT-021 which is the replacement for the stock BT-016 you should have on there now.

Maybe you should look in the tire thread?

Each tire is a little different, but Continental Road Attacks, Michelin Pilot Road 2, and the Bridgeston BT018 seem to be the most popular for this bike right now for your style use.

I'm coming up on that time; my next tire is going to be the triple-compound Bridgestone BT-016:
Cycle Gear - BRIDGESTONE: BT-016 Street Motorcycle Tires, FRONT

I want to grind out the miles on the center and have some fun on the sides, and that seemed the best option.

For rain, I've found that round black tires with tread work best. It's more about the smooth than about the tire, for street riding.

Michelin Pilot Roads and Conti Road Attack are both good tires designed for longer life. They also have good wet traction.

I just picked up Pirelli Diablo Strada. High milage high grip tires. For you needs this is what you need.
They are good price, i just paid $254 with shipping included from kneedraggers.com website.
Here is the link.
Pirelli Diablo Strada - Front Tires - Read Reviews and Buy at KneeDraggers.com
Pirelli Diablo Strada - Rear Tires - Read Reviews and Buy at KneeDraggers.com
Am getting them installed next saturday at a local yamaha dealer. Nothing but best reviews these tires got.

I can't recommend the Michelin pilot road 2ct's highly enough....best wet weather tyre I have ever had in 25 years of riding bikes...rode all winter long on them last year in driving rain, freezing conditions, through twisty roads, up and down hill...and never had one single scary moment! Got nearly 10000 km's out of the rear too, more from the front, and both were still perfectly round when I took them off...simply brilliant.

They are not cheap, but worth ever penny I paid for them!
:thumbup:

So I had new Michelin Pilot Road's put on front and rear about 2 wks ago, and finally got to really road test them last Saturday! Put about 300 miles on them form Missouri down to Arkansas and back both straight line highway and mountain twisties, and must say I am very happy with the tires, less tracking on the highway in the grooves but smoother lean transitions in the corners and more than enough grip. I found my self pushing corners much faster then I ever did with the stock Dunlops. So if your thinking about tires I say they are diefinetly worh a look!


Vic

You can find a lot of info in this sticky, Motorrad (a well known German magazine) did a test and here are their findings.
I've had the Pilot road 2CT's for about 12000KM's now and they are showing very little wear and they are not misshaped in anyway. I love the way they handle too :thumbup:

Some Moderator really ought to move this to the Tire Tech Thread.

Also, just hit the search thread as everything that has to to with tires will pop up.

Just for your FYI.....When buying new tires, make sure that they are "Fresh" meaning that they have not been sitting on the shelf for a long time. Tires do have a shelf life, and should not exceed 3 years or so. Imagine your tires like lettece, over time, the lettece becomes to welt. Well, your tires are the same way. Over time, you may still have great tread, but you will not get the grip as you should be getting.

I have the Michelin 2CT's and have almost 12,000 miles on them with good amount of tread left in them. For these 2CT's, the right side of the tires, there is a date stamp indicating the week number and year it was manufactured. So I know exactly how old my tires are from the date it was produced. Mine sais 2007, meaning 20th week of '07, so my rear tire is almost two years old.

So if a place is offering a killer deal on tires, just be aware that they aren't having a fire sale on tires that have been sitting around for a while, even though they are new.

from your commute, I'd say Dunlop Roadsmarts. They get good reviews and stack up the competition very well! I run Qualifiers so it's a brand thing...but Bstones are next for my type of riding.

get a sport touring tire for you though

I really liked my Pirelli Diablos, great grip, long lasting, and comfortable too!

Keep an eye open at Cycle Gear for sale on that tire and others too, like the BT-16.

All EXCELLENT recommendations too!

Smart people here. : )

Qualifiers here, but they came on the bike. No problems with them at all, plenty of grip even in times when i'd think they wouldn't (still got sand on the roads here). When it comes time for replacement, i'll either get another set of qualifiers, roadsmarts or michelins, but thats a brand thing as well.

Another vote here for the Michy Pilots Road 2CT's. I even have a spare sitting in the shed waiting to go on the back when the time comes (got it on special). Yes, they are pricey, but well worth it. Got a Pilot Power on the front, best grip and feel the bike has ever had!!!
Wish I had got rid of the stock Dunlop's a lot sooner.

stumbles06 said:

Another vote here for the Michy Pilots Road 2CT's. I even have a spare sitting in the shed waiting to go on the back when the time comes (got it on special). Yes, they are pricey, but well worth it. Got a Pilot Power on the front, best grip and feel the bike has ever had!!!
Wish I had got rid of the stock Dunlop's a lot sooner.

Click to expand...

LOL...dave, we have the same tyre combo, power upfront, road 2 at the back...awesome combination of grip and wear...am definitely a "Michelin man"...in more ways than one!:rockon:

The Dunlop RoadSmarts are good in the wet as are the Pilot Road 2's. The Pilot Roads will still have around 2500km of tread left when the Dunlop rear is at the wear marks. The fronts are comparable for mileage but the Dunlop shape is not as good for leaning.

I have tried both tires in a very short time frame and similar conditions and definitely prefer the Michelin's for both mileage and ride. From memory, the prices were about the same anyway. Go the Road's I reckon:rockon:.

Cheers
Mike

oh yea...everyone talks this brand or that brand and that this is better or that is better....ANYTHING is better than the stock tire.

You're going to LOVE any other tire you choose after the stock one...and then when you match the front....you'll fall in love again. If you don't like it, use em up, switch brands...

Pilot Road 2, by far the best tire i've had on the bike after 10,000 miles. Great in the rain, and sticks well to the road during the summer days.

Sport/Sport touring tires that I would suggest:
1) Bridegstone BT-021
2) Bridgestone BT-016
3) Continental Road Attack Sport
4) Dunlop Roadsmart
5) Dunlop Qualifiers
6) Michelin Pilot Road 2 or original
7) Michelin Pilot Power 2CT

I agree with MarinaFazer, any of these tires other than the stock tire will change the way the bike handles. I've tried the Dunlop Qualifiers on a Kawasaki, and man, that tire sticks like glue (when warmed up)! Mileage-wize its OK though. Have fun with the tire search.

Well, here is an update. I just can't stand the thought of replacing these tires. They only have 2000 miles on them. They are stock (Dunlops). I took it to this motorbike place near my house and asked them to put a plug patch on it, from the inside. He said they don't like to do that, because some tires will still leak. He suggested putting a tube in it. I told him I thought that was a crazy idea, and he said they do it all the time. He convinced me it was better than a patch and cheaper than a new set of shoes. So I agreed. But I think I am still going to consider it a roadside repair, of sorts. I thank you for all the ideas. I think I like the Diablo Stratas, but I will wait for them to go on sale somewhere. The important thing is, I have someone who will mount the tires for me, even if I don't purchase from them. The Yamaha dealer says I have to purchase the tires from them, in order for them to mount 'em up. Is that unusual?