new tyres :)

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Dazza2910
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Re: new tyres :)

Post by Dazza2910 »

Not surprised it's knackered after 2000 miles if you run the pressures that low. A few psi at most for road riding, but that's way to low!

You're definitely going to go through tyres quicker on those pressures, especially the rear as it's much lower relative to what it should be. Must be like riding with a puncture!
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KermitLeFrog
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Re: new tyres :)

Post by KermitLeFrog »

Dazza2910 wrote: Wed Dec 12, 2018 5:49 pm Not surprised it's knackered after 2000 miles if you run the pressures that low. A few psi at most for road riding, but that's way to low!

You're definitely going to go through tyres quicker on those pressures, especially the rear as it's much lower relative to what it should be. Must be like riding with a puncture!
In the KTM manual OEM tyre pressures are 29psi front, 29psi rear.
"I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I squandered" (George Best, RIP)
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sirch345
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Re: new tyres :)

Post by sirch345 »

KermitLeFrog wrote: Wed Dec 12, 2018 1:24 pm
sirch345 wrote: Tue Dec 11, 2018 8:02 pm
KermitLeFrog wrote: Sun Dec 09, 2018 5:58 pm Interesting question that. I use BT016 and run 29 front, 28 rear. What do others use?
Did you mean 28psi in the rear tyre Ian :?: as that seems rather low to me as well,

Chris.
Yup. 28psi in the rear. It seems to work OK for me. In many ways, for me, tyres are just round black things. There are a couple I've tried that seem to slide under the least provocation but most of them do the job fine. They are, of course, wonderful when they are new, and crappy when they have worn. Sometimes, on a certain bike/tyre combination, the front wears out before the rear but mostly it's the other way around.

I'm currently running 28 28 on the little KTM 390, still on the original OEM tyres but the rear is now shot at just over 2000 miles. Can't be arsed to change it at the moment as my abba stand is holding up the swingarm-less Storm.
Amazing, thanks for confirming :thumbup:

Chris.
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Dazza2910
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Re: new tyres :)

Post by Dazza2910 »

That is mental. Never heard of that low before. If it says so in the manual though, then you can't argue to much!

Thought you were meaning in a firestorm!
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KermitLeFrog
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Re: new tyres :)

Post by KermitLeFrog »

Dazza2910 wrote: Thu Dec 13, 2018 4:46 pm That is mental. Never heard of that low before. If it says so in the manual though, then you can't argue to much!

Thought you were meaning in a firestorm!
I used to run 10psi front and rear in my little Yamaha enduro but that's a bit different. Used to get a few punctures and did the rest of the check with zero psi. Not a problem if you went fast enough and easy enough to whip a new tube in. Things changed with Bib Mousse but they never felt as nice as air.

Sorry for the digression.

Just checked the Storm. It's in the lounge at the moment being fettled. 29.5 front, 28.5 rear on my supa digital gauge. Tyres look nicely scuffed with no abnormal wear. I would probably put them up by a couple of psi if I went out in this weather as it's cold outside. They are relatively warm at the moment. I've tried higher pressures but OEM pressures feel horrid to me.
"I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I squandered" (George Best, RIP)
felix barrao
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Re: new tyres :)

Post by felix barrao »

But..
My VTR manual says 3bar rear and 2,5 bar front, ( this is 43,5 psi rear and 36,25 psi front) are yours different?
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MacV2
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Re: new tyres :)

Post by MacV2 »

felix barrao wrote: Thu Dec 13, 2018 5:43 pm But..
My VTR manual says 3bar rear and 2,5 bar front, ( this is 43,5 psi rear and 36,25 psi front) are yours different?
Squisher air back then, 20 years ago...You have to allow for global warming making the air denser you know... :lol: :lol:

Seriously I thought it was a range F...28 - 32 R ...35- 42..been running mine in the middle in the summer & a bit harder in the winter...














I know Iknow technicaly cold makes air denser so global warming would have the opposit effect...
Making up since 2007, sometimes it's true...Honest...
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KermitLeFrog
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Re: new tyres :)

Post by KermitLeFrog »

Modern tyres with better carcasses need less pressure. My Aprilia (not a particularly modern chassis) specifies 33 36 and it's a heavier bike with a lot more horsepower.

Also, these specifications are for the worst case scenario. There is no real HARM running these higher pressures as the tyres can take them but you will not get optimum feel and grip.

Also, my Storm pressures, currently hovering around the 29 psi mark are lower than I normally have them for road usage. When I get it back on the road I'll put another couple of psi in them.
"I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I squandered" (George Best, RIP)
tony.mon
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Re: new tyres :)

Post by tony.mon »

I run Dunlop Sportmax (changing to the TT variant next time) which has a design which allows them to run slightly lower pressures.
However, although rears seem ok at 32-34 (solo), the front, running at 30- 32 have developed a "saw-tooth" pattern. Plenty of tread left, but the uneven wear means that I'll be changing it over the winter.
I think the reason is that the rear gets acceleration as well as braking, evening-out the wear patterns, whereas the front gets braking only, so the "sawteeth" are in one direction only, so are more evident.
If I have lots of luggage on I try to run them both +2 psi over the above, but when heading home from a forum run, for example, I tend to leave them at the lower pressures as I'm too lazy to head for a garage to pump them up a couple of psi.

Great grip, though, so I'm not complaining.
And they don't steer like they're under-inflated.
Last edited by tony.mon on Tue Dec 18, 2018 2:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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felix barrao
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Re: new tyres :)

Post by felix barrao »

I will test lower pressures, I feel comfortable with the " manual specified " ones, but actually I haven´t tested
different ones.
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jackson7715
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Re: new tyres :)

Post by jackson7715 »

Started looking at some new tyres. Had Pirelli's on a previous bike. What seems to go well on the VTR?
VTRsquid
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Re: new tyres :)

Post by VTRsquid »

Yeah, im in the market for new rubber, picking my vtr up tomorrow. He says it has "brand new" tyres on but they're not. Mismatched brands and worn in by someone elses naffy riding style, its like holding someone elses rock, i always like to put new tyres on when i buy a used bike.
So anyway, i can get good price on (in order of price);
Dunlop Roadsmart ii
Bridgestone BT023
" " T30 evo
Pirelli Angel ST

Anyone have experience with these?
They range from 350 - 380 aud

Current model tyres are all around 500
tony.mon
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Re: new tyres :)

Post by tony.mon »

This very much depends on your riding style and usage.
Firstly, do you ride frequently, currently?
If you do, chances are that you need good street tyres that warm up quickly.
Do you just want tyres for a track day? Other end of the spectrum.
Use your bike for sunny day rides?
Sticky stuff is fine.
Use your bike for commuting?
You need something harder, as you'll spend most of your mileage upright and so will probably need a harder centre band.

This is a very general question, and impossible to answer.

Never mind the price, as the right tyres will keep your butt from the ground and your bike from the scrapyard, cheaper tyres may save you some cash in the short term.

EDIT
Just seen that you're not UK, so disregard most of the above, I was basing it on UK temperatures.
Last edited by tony.mon on Sat Mar 09, 2019 2:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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KermitLeFrog
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Re: new tyres :)

Post by KermitLeFrog »

New tyres are the best. They always feel soooo much nicer than old tyres.

I've always been happy with Bridgestone BT-016 on the VTR. An old design and (possibly) quite cheap now. But, they have always worked well for me.

Get fresh ones. Check the date stamp.

edit. £138 for the pair at Demon Tweaks
"I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I squandered" (George Best, RIP)
thelens
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Re: new tyres :)

Post by thelens »

I was running Michelin pilot 5s on the Triumph st. They are the best wet tyre by far. They have a pretty well V shape as the bike both turned and dropped very quickly. Stick rather well on nice days and allowed me to drop the bike on its ear. Not so sticky on cold days. As I’ve had the rear starting to slide out, way before it was on its ear on a number of occasions. The slides are also rather sudden but not too bad and easy enough to control. They wear really well, but hard to tell when on legal limit. Went out on bike... tyres seemed fine. When back home I found the rear tyre was down to the material about an inch wide white stripe lol

Tried Metz roadtech 01s on the bike.
These have a rounder profile. Turn in is very smooth indeed, but much slower turn in than the pilot 5s.
However.... once over, they stick better than the pilot 5s. They did not slide even on cold days. It is possible of course that the gradual smooth turn in could possibly be the reason. As the pilot 5s were more aggressive.

Since the VTR turns faster than my ST1050, my choice for new tyres will be the Metz roadtech 01

My VTR is currently on bt23s. Only just had the bike really so hard to judge them. Previous owner had new front tyre on. I will replace the back to another bt23 as not to waste money. They are not a bad tyre at all but need more time on them to make a worthwhile final judgement. For now I will say they grip well with plenty of feel and the bike turns in pretty quickly. Unless they show a weakness anywhere I could very well stick with them. :)
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