Tyres

[SlingVTR]

Been away from riding...stop it at the back....for 12 years, what tyres are any good, i looked today and its all changed and prices are mucking fental....looking for a good road tyre, im not a trackday brown bottom...saw some michelin ones 390 a set im looking at around 270 do they exist

[tony.mon]

You could check out Maxxis, people seem to like them, and they wear well, apparently.

[SlingVTR]

Thanks i will

[fabiostar]

Iv had several different makes on Dori over the last 6/7 years . maybe im an old duffer now but iv yet to run outa grip on any of them, current set is ST angels and they are lasting well and grip good enough to deck the belly pan, paid £250 fitted

[sirch345]

Did someone mention tyres

If you're not looking for full-on sticky sport tyres, then ST (Sport Touring) tyres should suit you and last longer. Sport Touring tyres have moved on a lot in the last 12 years meaning they perform well in wet and dry road conditions.

I like the Avon ST tyres, and is what I am using on my Storm, also reasonably priced IMHO, you should be able to get a pair under your suggested budget,

Chris.

[MK_WF]

I don't know, if you have online tire shops available in the UK.
In Germany mopedreifen.de is an excellent source and they also offer service partners to do the mounting/balancing work.

Currently they offer Bridgestone S21 for 204 Eur a set.
Dunlop Roadsmart 2 for 198 Eur a set.
Metzeler Z6 also for 198 Eur a set.

I've had the S21 on my own bike and it's a good sport tire with acceptable lifespan (around 5000 km).
The other two are sports touring tires that should match your needs, too.

[SlingVTR]

Well bit the bullet and bought a Michelin Road 5 for the back, only because it has one on the front half worn, no riding experience on them hope its better than the Angels i had on 12 years ago...they felt awful and were done in 2.5k.

[Pete.L]

They’re great.
They warm up quickly and stick like glue. Since I’ve moved over to them I’ve been converted. Sports touring is the way to go. I get about 6k out of a rear whilst previously I’d only get 3 to 3.5k out of a sports tyre.
They feel a funny at half lean due to the tread pattern but once you are through that they are on rails. I’ve just had two new ones fitted Monday in prep for going to Scotland, didn’t bother with the Road 6. Road fives were £70 cheaper.

[RodneyT]

Ive got a set of Pilot Road 5's on my Sprint ST and they have. peculiar wear pattern on the front (see pic) after about 10,000km (~6K miles). Most of those miles were a trip from Darwin to Melbourne through the middle of Australia where the temp was 30-35deg C during the day. I check pressures every week and run 36F 42R on these tyres. Have just started riding the Sprint again after a 6 month lay-off (registration is too expensive for multiple bikes) and noticed it's reluctant to turn in, despite correct pressure, and feels like the tyre is very soft. Am going to try another 2-3psi and see if that helps
I've also had the same wear pattern on the VTR with the same tyres on long trips but not as bad. They were fine for a couple of track days, though, and I had no problems with grip or turn in. When new, they're great.
Interestingly, a mate with a BMW R1200R running the same tyres on the same trip also had the same wear pattern - maybe it's the heat in combination with the softer rubber on the outside of the tread.

[Pete.L]

Looks like you like pushing it through right hand bends more than left
I have similar tread wear on most of my fronts over the years. It’s quite normal if you like having fun

[RodneyT]

I do like having fun on the bike but the times these tyres have been on any twisty bits is very minimal. There's not many corners between Darwin and Melbourne until you get to Victoria and on the main roads/motorways even that is pretty straight. Only thing I can think of is the tyres heating up excessively in the heat and cruising at 130-140kph in the outback.
The rear is pretty flat in the middle, as you would expect from long straight roads and I would have expected the front to be much the same. Think it's time to try a different brand. Have recently put Bridgstone T32 GTs on my BMW R1150R and they have been great so far (5000km)