Need new tires.... suggestions?

[Leather]

Hey All !

Rare spare moment tonight and cruised thru.  Reminded me I need new tires with spring coming.  I have great tread but the dreaded side cracking.  Not the motto guzzi guy you guys are... so my bike sits around alot off the wheels under cover.  Simple old age thing (and mannnn, I can relate)

Anyway, new tires for a V?  Was simply going to go down to local shop and take what they recomended.

Whats better (and or cooler)

Look forward to any recomendations! (thanks in advance).


Of course.... after seeing the cool $200 Vision post.... I'm wondering why  the rubber should cost more than the bike !?!       But ... it is.... what it is!


WORDS OF WISDOM FOR THE SPRING

{after reading a few posts reminded me of some previous wasted time (spark?) of my own}


#1: At the sign of ANY engine problem change  (or simple clean) the spark plugs.  I know, I know..... but while testing TCI modules once (for that FAQ) my bike started running hugely bad and I thought... now what did I do?  Well,  (long-short-later) simply had fouled a plug bad while running the bike on 1 cylinder.  Plugs are usually bullet-proof.... but you just never really know.

NOW...... this of course  (changing the plugs)..... is a total pain if you have the stock front fairing. Which brings me to thought #2.

#2.  Make sure you change the front plug occasionally.  I let mine go too long once... and, froze into the block (and did NOT come out in one piece).  That's a nightmare I'd like to forget.



Can't wait for spring !

- Cheers

[h2olawyer]

Leather -

Tires:  Many here have like the Avon Super Venoms.  Metzeler Laser 33 front & you have a choice of a couple rears but I'm finding it hard to locate a Metzeler rear tire in either a 110/90/18 or a 4.00/18.  The new Metzeler Lasertec looks like a good tire as well.  Available in correct sizes front & rear.

I'm also looking into tires and have found one that really looks interesting.  Want to find out more about them but the Pirelli Sport Demons are supposed to give radial type handling on bias ply equipped bikes.

Great words of wisdom.  Was out earlier this week getting new oil & filter and decided to get plugs while I was at it.  Figured it had been a few years since they were changed & new ones are cheap preventive maintenance.

Happy Tires to you . . ..
H2O

[Kevin]

I use anti-sieze on spark plugs, exhaust bolts etc. For tires we are using Maxxis Promaxx. ordered from Dennis Kirk. They are a copy of the Battlax. We rode up to Davenport Ia. to the vintage ralley last summer, 300 mi in the rain, the tires did fine.    kevin

[ProfessorRex]

For tires, I'm in between the Avon Super Venoms and the Pirelli Sport Demons, I can get a better deal on the pirelli tires and I think that's what I'll go with.  I'll report my feelings about them when I get them (whatever I get).

As far as the $200 V goes, I changed my motor oil today to Belray Full Synthetic (I'll make a post about my findings soon) and mobil sythetic gear oil.  At $12 a quart for the Belray, and $11 for the mobil that's nearly 10% of what I paid for my bike!

[gbranche]

Not knowing any better, I replaced the old, cracking, Bridgestones with IRC DuroTour tires last year. I was not aware that they like to track the infamous California rain grooves in the freeways out here. Next time, I'll look for something with non-longitudinal sipes (like the ME33's mentioned earlier).

Greg

[Brian Moffet]

Greg,

Let me check my tires.  I think I run ME33, and they track the rain grooves as well.

I'll let you know this weekend on what I have.

Brian

[Brian Moffet]

I have a Metzler ME-33 on the front, and an ME-55 on the back of my Vision.  The front does track the rain grooves in CA.

Unless they've changed the tread pattern, I think it's going to track the grooves.  Other than that, they grip well.

Brian

[Rob_OS23]

what does it mean when you say they"track the rain grooves?"

[Brian Moffet]

Rain grooves in CA run along the lanes in the freeway, and they wiggle quite a bit.  The tires will actually follow and wiggle along with the rain grooves because of the way the tread is done.

It's like riding with a random shimmy, not bad if you're a belly dancer, but annoying for a motorcyclist.

Brian

[Rolle]

Hi there!
For me I got Michelin A49 100/90 - 18 in front and Michelin Macadam 50  120/90 18 at the rear. They was almoust new when I got the bike last summer. On pavement they work all right but if there is any rain groves or so they like to follow them, they are slippery on the white roadmarks in wet but OK in the dry. On gravelroads they are almoust dangerous sliding all over the place(at least it feels like that)

What tires was on the Yamaha 550 when new from factory?
What pressure do You recomend in front and rear tires? (Never mind the instruktionsbook, Youre own experience I like to hear)

Roland in a wintery Sweden :'(

[h2olawyer]

The tires that came on most - if not all - XZ550s in the US in 1982 were Bridgestone Mag Mopus.  The recommended air pressure varies, depending on the weight the bike is carrying & the type of riding you are doing.  Unfortunately, I'mnot at my own computer yet today so I don't have the pressure info to pass along.  I think I remember it, but don't want to get it wrong.

From 65 deg.F yesterday to 20 deg.F + 6 inches of snow today Ft. Collins, CO -
H2O

[jasonm.]

Having 2 V's I have had more than one type of tire at a time. Avon Super Venoms are great in corners(STICK like GLUE) and are a bit quicker steering than most. Yet stable on the highway. Metzelers are a good all around tire ME33 ft. ME55 rear. Some folks are like Bridges BT45's . They are much less $$ than most. I have not tried them. Most of us use a 100/90 on the front. Question is whether you use a 110 or 120/90 on the rear?

[Rolle]

Hi!
Thank You for the reply`s.

I got Michelin Macadam 50  120/90 18 at the rear, at least it is the text at the side of the tire. I don`t like them so much, I feel unsafe with them....  But at the other side I  have not ovn another bike so I can not compare them at all!

It`s still kold temperatures like 35F at daytime and down to 14F at nighttime and snow everywhere :'(
So we have to wait for the bikeweather to show up!!!

Roland......

[Extent]

Factory pressures for high speed riding were 28/32 I belive, I ran those for about 4.5k miles till I found out that Avon recomends much higher pressures for their tire on this bike.  I emailed one of their reps and got a pressure range chart for the tires.  I'm running 34/36 right now (per their recomendation) for the last couple hundred miles or so.  It's not a night and day difference, but I'm still too new a rider to be all too picky with it.

[Superfly]

I put a pair of these on my bike 120 r - 110 f:


I know some folks don't like the dunlops, but I have really liked these.  They handle well.  I do not fear that I am going to have the bike slide out from under me in a hard turn.  They were not to bad on the wallet either.

[Walt_M.]

Those do look similar to the Dunlop Sport Elites that I had very good luck with, good mileage, handling and traction. Same size as you are running. What is not to like?

[thekid]

I currently have dunlop sport elites on my Vis, and as far as traction goes, theyve been great. Last years bike week in Laconia we did a lot of mountain riding..... High speed mountain riding (love those twisties!!!!) and the bike kept up around the corners with all the newer bikes with those big ol tires.
  one bad thing though, theyre starting to crack a little on the sidewalls >:(

[Kevin]

one of my riding buddies just sent this to me, he said this was the best he had seen

http://arizonamoto.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=SWMT&Category_Code=Dunlop

kevin

[h2olawyer]

Arizona Moto Tire prices are great.  However, you do need to be somewhat careful ordering tires, especially when you are going to have them mounted & balanced at a shop after you receive them.  Most shops charge a premium for mounting tires you did not buy from them.

Amazingly enough, the Yamaha dealer here is not much higher priced than Arizona Moto Tire.  ($10 - $15 per tire) When you add the premium for mount & balance, it is actually less expensive to buy from the dealer.  The Yamaha dealer here charges an additional $20 per tire for mounting tires you bring in.  Most other local shops that I checked also charge extra - ranging from $15 to $25 per tire.  If you have to add in shipping as most tire sellers charge, (not sure about Arizona Moto), the "savings" are eroded even further.

If you have access to the equipment to mount & balance your own tires, shopping for price makes sense.  If you are going to have a shop do the work, find out what they charge before you send for the tires.

H2O

[MotorPlow]

SW Moto Tires (http://www.swmototires.com) does not charge shipping if you order 2 tires.  My local shop charges $10.00 a tire if you bring the wheel to them.

Just thought I would bring up my tire supplier.
Chris F.