Motorcycle tires - tyres

[scubascuba3]

3 hours ago, Hummin said:

Really ????

 

Some think tires is not important, and any tire cheap or expensive is same same, well I'm sure you guys all wear Lolex to, and believe it is the same as a real one! Good luck if you like to push it wet or dry conditions. 

I've ridden extensively in wet conditions up to a foot deep on my 550 baht Fujiyama Kickers and they're very good, but I'm sure if you search you can find a place that sells them for 1,000

[Hummin]

8 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

I've ridden extensively in wet conditions up to a foot deep on my 550 baht Fujiyama Kickers and they're very good, but I'm sure if you search you can find a place that sells them for 1,000

More important tell me what motorcycle you compare youre tires against. I got 4 bikes 4 different purposes, and each and one of them have different shoes for different riding purposes. 

[scubascuba3]

8 hours ago, Hummin said:

More important tell me what motorcycle you compare youre tires against. I got 4 bikes 4 different purposes, and each and one of them have different shoes for different riding purposes. 

Tyres have worked flawlessly as did my old stock ones, remember this thread  is about small bikes, scooters around town, not performance bikes round a track

[Kwasaki]

42 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Tyres have worked flawlessly as did my old stock ones, remember this thread  is about small bikes, scooters around town, not performance bikes round a track

That about sums it up what ever your happy with stay with it.

 

I got 3 bikes and i will put the cheapest on all of them if can find them. 

 

For my sports bike the cheapest ones i could find were in Bkk and a tyre i had not bought or used before and will buy again, other tyres i have used before were 4000 to 5000 baht more per set. 

[Hummin]

1 hour ago, Kwasaki said:

That about sums it up what ever your happy with stay with it.

 

I got 3 bikes and i will put the cheapest on all of them if can find them. 

 

For my sports bike the cheapest ones i could find were in Bkk and a tyre i had not bought or used before and will buy again, other tyres i have used before were 4000 to 5000 baht more per set. 

The question is, do you ride it like a sports bike? Or ? See you laughing on our posts earlier ????

[Kwasaki]

39 minutes ago, Hummin said:

The question is, do you ride it like a sports bike? Or ? See you laughing on our posts earlier ????

Well i don't put my knee down anymore,  and move around the bike like i did on track days. 

 

The Avon tyres are excellent road tyres for my Blade they give feed back just like the Bridgestones i liked did. 

Bridges and Pirelli have a good choice of sportbike tyres. 

Never liked bikes i rode with Michelin tyres on they seem to grip and grip and you went down no warning was my experience.

[The Snark]

20 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

Never liked bikes i rode with Michelin tyres on they seem to grip and grip and you went down no warning was my experience.

They do, or some do. Common Michelin all purpose tread really resists road variations and minor steering. They want to track dead straight and they do. So very little hint as to the break over point. BUT, they make a lot of different tread patterns and types of rubber which I have seen vary from country to country. Probably the most radical difference I've encountered was running a big rig. Michelins on the steering axle lasted 80,000 miles! Wot the heck? Similar Michelins on the rear tandem wore out faster than Goodyear. Same tread and profile but apparently different rubber.

 

As for people who say cheap tires are as good as name brand road grippers, it's the good enough, close enough crowd vs those who know their vehicles and demand maximum control. The same crowd that I've observed numerous times when working as a cop regarding maintaining lane placement - somewhere between the lines most of the time. If I felt like writing a ticket - burning some time before a 10-7, just follow them. An FTM is inevitable.

 

 

(Do cops profile drivers? Absolutely. On patrol we spend nearly the entire shift observing and profiling drivers. How they handle vehicles is as sure fire as fingerprints.)

[Kwasaki]

12 minutes ago, The Snark said:

They do, or some do. Common Michelin all purpose tread really resists road variations and minor steering. They want to track dead straight and they do. So very little hint as to the break over point. BUT, they make a lot of different tread patterns and types of rubber which I have seen vary from country to country. Probably the most radical difference I've encountered was running a big rig. Michelins on the steering axle lasted 80,000 miles! Wot the heck? Similar Michelins on the rear tandem wore out faster than Goodyear. Same tread and profile but apparently different rubber.

 

As for people who say cheap tires are as good as name brand road grippers, it's the good enough, close enough crowd vs those who know their vehicles and demand maximum control. The same crowd that I've observed numerous times when working as a cop regarding maintaining lane placement - somewhere between the lines most of the time. If I felt like writing a ticket - burning some time before a 10-7, just follow them. An FTM is inevitable.

 

 

(Do cops profile drivers? Absolutely. On patrol we spend nearly the entire shift observing and profiling drivers. How they handle vehicles is as sure fire as fingerprints.)

It's only my personal experience with Michelin I'm not saying there not a good tyre.

 

It's not like most bikers can test all types of tyres and makes in a lifetime is it. 

 

Fast bike Mag and Bike Mag did some good different tyre tests on different tyres and makes over the years independent of sales people.

 

A lot cheaper tyres manufacturers have caught up now with the new technology technics available these days. 

 

If someone finds a tyre that suits their riding style on or off track thats what they tend to stick with, as I do.

 

I have found Avon in Thailand for my Blade and they feel the same Bridges to me and cheaper so I'll stick with them. 

 

Oh!!  What's FTM got to do with driving/riding. ????

[The Snark]

3 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

If someone finds a tyre that suits their riding style on or off track thats what they tend to stick with, as I do.

 

I have found Avon in Thailand for my Blade and they feel the same Bridges to me and cheaper so I'll stick with them. 

I experienced the opposite. One of the few times I took my beloved over 100 mph (Vincent rules folks) and the forks felt almost uncontrollable. Felt like on the edge. That was the Avon the factory originally equipped them with and recommended. I swapped in a used Dunlop and it was night and day. Up around 115 and smooth sailing.

But admittedly Vincent was a whole different ballgame. That bizarre fork assembly that could confuse a geometry professor.

 

Failure To Maintain...

[Kwasaki]

21 minutes ago, The Snark said:

I experienced the opposite. One of the few times I took my beloved over 100 mph (Vincent rules folks) and the forks felt almost uncontrollable. Felt like on the edge. That was the Avon the factory originally equipped them with and recommended. I swapped in a used Dunlop and it was night and day. Up around 115 and smooth sailing.

But admittedly Vincent was a whole different ballgame. That bizarre fork assembly that could confuse a geometry professor.

 

Failure To Maintain...

With good pressure settings and front and rear suspension set up which is limited at 170mph max my Mia noi is as steady as a rock.

 

The AV79 and AV8 3D ultra sport have good reviews and for a Blade a excellent tyre

 

Don't know what Vincent you refer to but i would say there's is no comparison with a 1993 Fireblade.

 

Remember my Dad like the Vincent square four if i remember that correctly.

[The Snark]

4 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

Remember my Dad like the Vincent square four if i remember that correctly.

Ariel

 

4 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

Don't know what Vincent you refer to but i would say there's is no comparison with a 1993 Fireblade.

It's not got any real class if it doesn't have a reputation for hurling you over the handlebars when you kick start it. And the nifty using the engine as part of the frame. No down tubes or under engine frame. Not to mention the plumbers nightmare exhaust system.

[Kwasaki]

36 minutes ago, The Snark said:

Ariel

 

It's not got any real class if it doesn't have a reputation for hurling you over the handlebars when you kick start it. And the nifty using the engine as part of the frame. No down tubes or under engine frame. Not to mention the plumbers nightmare exhaust system.

Thats it Ariel so close ???? .

What Vincent model what year.

In my day it was BSA , Triumph mainly , Triton  ahd Honda.

Many years in uk fixed and serviced any bike.

[spidermike007]

Even back in the days of riding a PCX, always used Michelin. Now, with my new Forza 350, the Pirellis are like night and day from the stock junk the bike came with. That and the racing brake levers, and it is a totally different bike. Far safer and more responsive. 

[scubascuba3]

5 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

and the racing brake levers, and it is a totally different bike.

555 yeah really needed around town

[Kwasaki]

4 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

555 yeah really needed around town

Along with mich race tyres. ????

[spidermike007]

6 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

555 yeah really needed around town

Absolutely. Makes the bike so much safer and more responsive. I would guess most accidents happen around town.

 

Not sure about you, but I put a fairly high value on life and limb. 

[scubascuba3]

6 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Absolutely. Makes the bike so much safer and more responsive. I would guess most accidents happen around town.

 

Not sure about you, but I put a fairly high value on life and limb. 

Much more important is riding safely, i see too many dick farangs riding too fast past risky junctions 

[The Snark]

On 11/10/2022 at 11:00 PM, Kwasaki said:

Thats it Ariel so close ???? .

What Vincent model what year.

In my day it was BSA , Triumph mainly , Triton  ahd Honda.

Many years in uk fixed and serviced any bike.

Ariel square 4. Renowned for cooking the rear two cylinders.

I'm a Limey bike adherent. I don't care about the lightning acceleration and prefer the low C of G.

 

My tricked out Norton, 850 4 valve with the featherbed engine mounts was about as good as it gets for me. I once raced a Honda 750 up a winding mountain road. Strode away from me on the straights, I was right back on his butt on the corners.

 

My Vince was a 1952 Shadow. A love hate affair. 550 lbs with gobs of torque and almost 5 inches lower C of G than a Honda 4. But an unholy beast to start and the engine compression braking made revving the engine when downshifting mandatory if you didn't want the back end sliding out from under you now and then.

 

Other. Trumpet 650 Tiger. Gutless but sounded nice. 441 BSA. Vibrator with a motorcycle attached. Matchless 650 chopped. Waste of time and energy but looked interesting at night 50 feet away.

 

Ultimate cornering. Top pro racer on his BMW 250. Riding up a very steep mountain road coming at me. The bike tilted to around 45 degree angle, him standing up, one foot on a peg the other on the seat. Steering with one hand and smoking a cigarette. Never imagined a person could make a bike get up and dance like he did. He taught me about tires. On that bike he had tread-less gum tires. Good for 1000 miles or so. Tires make or break the ride as he put it.

 

 

 

[Kwasaki]

42 minutes ago, The Snark said:

Ariel square 4. Renowned for cooking the rear two cylinders.

I'm a Limey bike adherent. I don't care about the lightning acceleration and prefer the low C of G.

 

My tricked out Norton, 850 4 valve with the featherbed engine mounts was about as good as it gets for me. I once raced a Honda 750 up a winding mountain road. Strode away from me on the straights, I was right back on his butt on the corners.

 

My Vince was a 1952 Shadow. A love hate affair. 550 lbs with gobs of torque and almost 5 inches lower C of G than a Honda 4. But an unholy beast to start and the engine compression braking made revving the engine when downshifting mandatory if you didn't want the back end sliding out from under you now and then.

 

Other. Trumpet 650 Tiger. Gutless but sounded nice. 441 BSA. Vibrator with a motorcycle attached. Matchless 650 chopped. Waste of time and energy but looked interesting at night 50 feet away.

 

Ultimate cornering. Top pro racer on his BMW 250. Riding up a very steep mountain road coming at me. The bike tilted to around 45 degree angle, him standing up, one foot on a peg the other on the seat. Steering with one hand and smoking a cigarette. Never imagined a person could make a bike get up and dance like he did. He taught me about tires. On that bike he had gum tires. Good for 1000 miles or so. Tires make or break the ride as he put it.

 

Great post remember all those bikes the Pather was my first bike with a decompression lever so you could kick it over. 

Went Triumph bonnie when I got some money had that for years until to my dads horror chop it in for a CB750 which was a favorite bike of mine for years nothing went wrong. 

Other bikes were CB550 a Z650.

First Sports Tourer was a CBR1000F Which I chopped in for a CBR900RR when they first came out which a whole new scary experience to anything I had ever ridden. 

Kept the Blade for 12 years but my knock around bike to carry pillion riders was Suk Bandit 1200 and we're as reliable as time. 

 

I ride to CM tomorrow first long ride I've had for sometime. 

[The Snark]

@kwasaki Since you know your Hondas. Here in Thailand a friend had a 1974 CB 750 according to the registration book. Stock with dual overhead cams and dual front disk brakes. ????

 

[The Snark]

3 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

I ride to CM tomorrow first long ride I've had for sometime. 

Stay safe. Keep the safety zone!

[Kwasaki]

3 hours ago, The Snark said:

@kwasaki Since you know your Hondas. Here in Thailand a friend had a 1974 CB 750 according to the registration book. Stock with dual overhead cams and dual front disk brakes. ????

 

Perfect bullet proof bike I had a 1969 one.

[Kwasaki]

3 hours ago, The Snark said:

Stay safe. Keep the safety zone!

Thanks will do "ride to live" I don't go much more than 230 at any one time. ????

[In the jungle]

On 11/12/2022 at 6:34 PM, The Snark said:

@kwasaki Since you know your Hondas. Here in Thailand a friend had a 1974 CB 750 according to the registration book. Stock with dual overhead cams and dual front disk brakes. ????

 

1974 would be single overhead cam.

[The Snark]

And the vote is in, proof of the pudding. The boss tried out her bike with the new tires yesterday. -> "I don't like them! It's hard to steer!"

Duuuuhhhhh yups. Her first time ever riding on road grippers. Going to have to learn to shift her weight from side to side. How inconvenient!