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Message started by Brewbrother on 05/22/06 at 17:02:11

Title: Tires.
Post by Brewbrother on 05/22/06 at 17:02:11

Looks like my bike is running factory tires. IRC Grand High Speed. At any rate they are showing signs of dry rot. Anyone have any recommendations?? Good/bad experiences to relate.

Title: Re: Tires.
Post by red2k1 on 05/22/06 at 17:16:09

I like Dunlop Qualifier. Good grip, good ride.

Title: Re: Tires.
Post by Max_Morley on 05/22/06 at 18:19:34

My best experience so far has been an Dunlop K555 on the rear, stock size, OE fitment is honda PC 800 so it is rated slightly higher in load carrying capacity and has great tread depth, still running the Metzler on the front it seems to be lasting forever. almost 2 rear tires worth. Max

Title: Re: Tires.
Post by WD on 05/22/06 at 18:33:26

I have a ChengShin rear on mine. It's alright at best, even for a cheap Chi-com tire.

The Sumitomo (hey, they make Dunlops) Qualifier is not the same figure 8 tread it used to be. Now it is a sportbike tread. Oh, if it says Made in USA, France, or England on the sidewall, that Dunlop is past its service life.

If you get desperate, I have some Metzeler ME880s on special right now, 130/90/15, for $50. The stock 140/80/15 is kinda hard to find sometimes. And the 130s will turn a hair more readily.
-WD

Title: Re: Tires.
Post by lancer on 05/22/06 at 19:10:07

WD wrote:

I have a ChengShin rear on mine. It's alright at best, even for a cheap Chi-com tire.

-WD

I have one too, and I like it just fine.

Title: Re: Tires.
Post by Brewbrother on 05/22/06 at 19:33:08

WD wrote:

Your opinion on what riding style would benefit from that type tire.

Title: Re: Tires.
Post by Brewbrother on 05/22/06 at 19:34:43

WD wrote:

how long has that been??

Title: Re: Tires.
Post by Dynobob on 05/22/06 at 20:03:47

The best are probably Metzler ME880s followed by the Avon Venom. Either tire is great I hear. I'm running my original IRCs but when it comes time to replace them I'll go with one of the two I mentioned.

Title: Re: Tires.
Post by SeattleSavage on 05/22/06 at 21:16:09

I have an Avon Venom on the rear and a Metzler on the front. The Venom is hard for me to break loose even if I try. And the Metzler has been good so far. My front got a little slip slidy on some wet metal grating, but hey, it was wet metal grating.

Kev

Title: Re: Tires.
Post by 911radioman on 05/23/06 at 06:33:24

I just replaced the rear on mine and went back with the stock IRC. :o The reason I did that was because the front IRC was still good and when I replace I want a matched set. Next go round I will put two higher grade tires that match on it.

Title: Re: Tires.
Post by azjay on 05/23/06 at 06:45:10

i have dunlops on the suzuki and the harley, not as sticky as a metzler perhaps, but the life expectancy has more miles in them. everything is a compromise.

Title: Re: Tires.
Post by bentwheel on 05/23/06 at 12:47:56

Forget about ChengShin; IRC and those 70's retro tread Dunlops. When it comes to tires you really do get what you pay for. Get the Metzler ME880's and be happy.

Title: Re: Tires.
Post by Reelthing on 05/23/06 at 18:16:31

the me880's get my vote as well

Title: Re: Tires.
Post by MacAttack on 05/24/06 at 12:03:38

Cheng Sh*t? I always wondered how a tire could have such a hard compound AND wear out so quickly! I darn near crashed, due to that slippery thing. I will use 'em on dirt, in the rear, since my XR650 uses weight rather than knobs to get up tight trails.

Thanks for everyone's comments - I'll be in the market myself by September, I guess - since I pay the oil companies back every day I can, by consuming 2/3 less of their product ;D

Title: Re: Tires.
Post by WD on 05/24/06 at 20:58:57

How long has what been? Sumitomo making Dunlop? The length of time I've run D404s? The length of time I've had the ChengShin rear on the Savage?

Anyway, to answer, in order: Sometime in the mid to late 1990s, Sumitomo bought the rights to Dunlop. The Qualifier tread pattern changed in 2003 or 2004. I've run 404s on my Vulcan since buying the bike in September 2005, and yes, I have put 6+ thousand miles on it so far. The ChengShin was installed in summer 2000, it still has tread, is still pliable, is still getting swapped for a premium tire.

My cohort, Dale, put a set of Kenda Challengers on his FT500 Honda a week after I installed my Dunlops. He needs to change tires this week. We both ride 5-7 days a week. His tires are bald, mine still look new (and have no chicken strips).
-WD

Title: Re: Tires.
Post by Digger on 01/02/07 at 20:11:26

FWIW, when the OEM tires finally go on my Savage (see my signature), I'm gonna replace them with .......

OEM tires.

Why?

If I spend the big bux and get really good rubber (e.g. ME880s), I'm afraid they will dry rot before I wear them out. I usually ride my Savage less than 2000 miles per year.

An ME880 rear will last over 14K miles on my ST1100 (but it only takes me six months to get that many miles on that bike). I'm sure an ME880 would turn to dust on my Savage before I got 'er down to the wear bars.

Just my two cents worth:

If you don't ride the bike much, don't waste your money on the high mileage tires.