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New Tire Choices (Read 3423 times)
Dave
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New Tire Choices
11/20/15 at 04:03:34
 
This thread is being created as a tool for members to know what tire choices they have, and what other experience has been with the tire.  It will eventually become a thread in the Tech Section or a Sticky - so that new members can find their tire options easily.  For the moment it is limited to tire "pairs"....where a matching front/rear tire set can be purchased.  (Most likely mounting different front/rear tires will not cause any issues.)  Tire prices will be taken from Motorcycle Superstore Website just for comparison - prices will certainly change and I will not be constantly updating them.

Input from Forum Members who have experience with these tires is welcome and will be used to determine how these tires perform on the Savage.....and obviously the folks who have thousands of miles on the tires will have a better review than folks who mounted a set last week.  (That is one of the problems with the reviews on Bike Bandit and Motorcycle Superstore....when you buy something from them they send you an email 2 weeks later and want you to post a review).

Once you members have provided reviews and comments on these tires - this first post will be revised and posted as a "Tire Recommendations Guide".

I should also include a comment somewhere in here about the larger 140/90-15 size changing the gearing and slowing the engine down a bit and changing the speedometer accuracy, slowing the handling down a bit, and perhaps having a clearance issue with the saddlebag bracket bolt heads.


Shinko 712

This tire is the most affordable.  It comes in the stock front tire size - the rear tire size has to be increased to a 140-90-15.

Reviews for this tire are good - a few comments suggest the tire wears faster than other brands/models.

Front 100/90-19 - $ 48.95, Rear 140/90-15 - $ 66.40




Shinko 230

This tire comes in the stock front tire size - the rear tire size can be either be a narrower 130/90-15 or a larger 140/90-15.

This tire is reported to be a good bargain tire with performance equal to more expensive tires.

Front 100/90-19 - $ 56.99, Rear 130/90-15 - $ 66.40 & 140/90-15 - $ 74.99.




Kenda K657 Challenger

Front 100/90-19 - $ 54.99, Rear 130/90-15 - $ 65.99 & 140/90-15 - $ 72.88



Kenda 671

I don't know anything about this one - online reports are pretty good.  The Kenda description states this tire is for Cruisers and Sport Touring bikes, and RYCA sells this tire for use on their Cafe' conversions.  Sport Touring tires tend to be a bit softer to allow more aggressive cornering than a dedicated Cruiser tire - but I can't confirm that is true for this tire.  The rear tire is the slightly narrower 130/90-15 tire or the larger 140/90-15.

Front 100/90-19 - $ 63.05, Rear 130/90-15 - $ 67.99 140/90-15 - $ 69.56



Kenda 673 Kruz

Front 100/90-19 - $ 62.99, Rear 140/90-15 - $ 89.99




Pirelli Route 66

I don't know what our members like/dislike about this tire.  This tire comes in the stock front tire size - the rear tire size can be either be a narrower 130/90-15 or a larger 140/90-15.

Front 100/90-19 - $ 78.95, Rear 130/90-15 - $ 87.49 & 140/90-15 - $ 99.99.




Dunlop D404

This tire comes in the stock front tire size - the rear tire size can be either be a narrower 130/90-15 or a larger 140/90-15.

This tire is reported to be a a bit slippery feeling, and it a bit expensive for the performance and life it provides.

Front 100/90-19 - $ 79.99, Rear 130/90-15 - $ 90.99 & 140/90-15 - $ 106.99.




Michelin Commander II

This tire is the most expensive - but does offer the longest tire life of any that are available.....20,000 miles is not uncommon.  If you buy this tire you need to be riding more then 4,000 miles a year so you can wear it out before the rubber becomes hard and the tire doesn't stick to the road well anymore.  The front tire can be the stock 100/90-19 size, the rear has to be increased to a 140/90-15, and it is a big looking tire on the Savage.

Front 100/90-19 - $ 105.99, Rear 140/90-15 - $ 122.99.





IRC GS-18

This tire is the original equipment tire and is not too bad - but there are better tires that cost less.

Front 100/90-19 - $ 111.05, Rear 140/80-15 - $ 129.79.



Metzler ME880 Marathon

This tire appears to be the highest cost option.  The rear tire is available in the stock 140/80-15 size, and the larger 140/90-15.  The 140/90-15 rear has the known clearance issue with the saddlebag bracket bolts if you have them.  Serowbot says they have a lot of rubber on them and are heavy - and that deep tread can make for a large flat spot in the center of the tire as the tire gets worn.

Front 100/90-19 - $ 84.92, Rear 140/80-15 $162.95,  Rear 140/90-15 - $ 147.99.







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« Last Edit: 04/24/18 at 04:35:28 by Dave »  

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stewmills
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Re: New Tire Choices
Reply #1 - 11/20/15 at 06:44:54
 
I have the Dunlop 404 front (stock size) and Pirelli Route 66 rear 140/90-15. Both purchased as it was what they had on the shelf that was a decent tire for my needs.

I don't hot dog it around very aggressively or put a lot of miles on my bike (5000 miles in 3.5 years) nor do I ride in the rain by choice. So, I can't tell you much about stickiness or longevity.  However, they are both nice and round (man, I hate those square tires  Grin) ride smooth and quiet and I have no complaints.

I do have rear saddlebags and mounts, etc. and have never had an issue with the larger Pirelli rubbing the fender or mounting bolts.

I did notice in the front that there was only about 1/8" clearance to the front fender versus the stock IRC having about 1/2" (maybe just because it was new and less worn down), but from consulting the forum this is fine and I have never had an issue with rubbing or stuff sticking between the front fender and tire.
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2008 | 152/52.5–Air Mix 3/4 | RT6 w/Redline | Seat Lift w/Sheepskin | Speedo Rattle | Rear Pulley Shim | 140/90-15 Rear | Kaw Front Pulley | Relocated Rear Signals

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Matt_greatlakesstate
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Re: New Tire Choices
Reply #2 - 11/20/15 at 07:29:07
 
I just put a kenda 671 140/90-15 on the rear. Nice tire for the price. Got it off amazon for like 64$. Good handling so far. I like to push it around corners sometimes. Haven't had a chance to ride in the rain yet. Looking like it would more likely to get caught in snow soon enough though  Grin
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Re: New Tire Choices
Reply #3 - 11/20/15 at 07:52:41
 
Matt_greatlakesstate wrote on 11/20/15 at 07:29:07:
I just put a kenda 671 140/90-15 on the rear. Nice tire for the price. Got it off amazon for like 64$. Good handling so far. I like to push it around corners sometimes. Haven't had a chance to ride in the rain yet. Looking like it would more likely to get caught in snow soon enough though  Grin


Check the size on your Kenda.....I can't find a listing anywhere for a 140/90-15 Kenda K671.  I can only find a 130/90-15.
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Re: New Tire Choices
Reply #4 - 11/20/15 at 07:59:48
 
Kenda Kruz where on the '96 when I got it.
Seemed fine but most of my riding is commuting.
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Re: New Tire Choices
Reply #5 - 11/20/15 at 08:05:45
 
Metzler 880  140/90-15  $147.99    110/90/19  $128.89

High mileage tire...

High mileage has it's price... expensive, heavy, and tread is thick, this will likely wear a bigger flat spot in the canter before tire life is used up, so it's a better highway tire than a canyon cutter...

I've never owned one,.. but my buddy did.
They will go 20k miles, but do wear square...
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Re: New Tire Choices
Reply #6 - 11/20/15 at 08:23:26
 
Serowbot wrote on 11/20/15 at 08:05:45:
Metzler 880  140/90-15  $147.99    110/90/19  $128.89

High mileage tire...

High mileage has it's price... expensive, heavy, and tread is thick, this will likely wear a bigger flat spot in the canter before tire life is used up, so it's a better highway tire than a canyon cutter...

I've never owned one,.. but my buddy did.
They will go 20k miles, but do wear square...


I use Metzler.  I tried Perelli Route 66.. once.  They slid on downhill dry pavement and put me in the ditch.  Pulled them off and sold them, put Metzler back on.   Yes, I know it probably was more a case of me not knowing what the tire would do than the tires fault.  Maybe I will try some other brand someday.

Why do you say the center will wear quicker on a Metzler?   I think that is true of any tire, unless you spend all your time in curves and on the edge of the tire.
To get the money's worth out of the expensive Metzler, you have to ride quite a bit.  If you don't, the tire will start cracking from age before the tread is worn enough to replace.
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Dave
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Re: New Tire Choices
Reply #7 - 11/20/15 at 08:23:54
 
I will add the ME880 and Kenda Cruz.

It doesn't appear the Kenda Cruz is available in the stock 140/80-15 rear size.

It is a shame the Sport Touring Tire technology doesn't bleed over to the Cruiser tires a little bit.  It would be nice to have a rear tire with the dual compound tread that has a tough rubber compound in the center for good wear - and a softer compound on the edges for good cornering traction.

For the High Mileage Michelin Commander and Metzler ME880 - what should be the miles per year that this forum suggests you ride so you can wear them out before they get too hard to be safe anymore?  If you can get 20,000 miles out of them in 5 years....that would be 4,000 miles a year.  (I realize riding style is likely to have an influence on tire life and safety.....I have been riding on 12 year old IRC's with 4,000 miles on them - they came on that project bike I bought a few months ago.  The tires work just fine in the dry at moderate speeds - if i really push them in the corners the rear will slip easier than a fresh tire would....they could be really slippery in the rain, and I likely will never find out as they are coming off this winter and a new set of Shinkos will probably go on).
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Re: New Tire Choices
Reply #8 - 11/20/15 at 08:45:09
 
youzguyz wrote on 11/20/15 at 08:23:26:
Why do you say the center will wear quicker on a Metzler?   I think that is true of any tire, unless you spend all your time in curves and on the edge of the tire.

I don't say it will wear quicker...  I'm saying that a tire with thick tread will eventually wear a flat spot in the center, (as all MC tires do),... but being that the tread is thicker, the flat spot will be bigger.

Imagine cutting a straight slice from a round cheese...
The deeper the cut,.. the flatter the spot... Wink...
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Re: New Tire Choices
Reply #9 - 11/20/15 at 08:55:34
 
Michelin Commander II 100/90 -19 front   140/90 -15 rear  2500 miles / 5 months .  Excellent wear (nibs still on center of tires @ 350 miles) Stiff carcass (reduced spring rate by one notch improved ride) No clearance issues with 200 pound rider, saddle bags / supports.  Mostly long stretches of high desert two lane, but enough twisties in the mountains to get over/down to 1/2 inch "chicken strips" . (At which my advanced age and sense of mortality takes over.)      
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« Last Edit: 11/21/15 at 14:31:48 by old.indian »  

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Re: New Tire Choices
Reply #10 - 11/20/15 at 08:56:36
 
Dave wrote on 11/20/15 at 07:52:41:
Matt_greatlakesstate wrote on 11/20/15 at 07:29:07:
I just put a kenda 671 140/90-15 on the rear. Nice tire for the price. Got it off amazon for like 64$. Good handling so far. I like to push it around corners sometimes. Haven't had a chance to ride in the rain yet. Looking like it would more likely to get caught in snow soon enough though  Grin


Check the size on your Kenda.....I can't find a listing anywhere for a 140/90-15 Kenda K671.  I can only find a 130/90-15.


My bad I just looked it's a Kenda 657 140/90 15
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Re: New Tire Choices
Reply #11 - 11/20/15 at 09:08:11
 
IRC GS-18
I had the stock IRC tire set.  My experience with the GS-18 is they are okay for fair weather riding but groove wander and tramlining can be a problem.  They are outright dangerous in any other weather condition.  I would caution anyone who rides in wet conditions against this tire choice.

Shinko 230
I recently changed from the stock IRC set to the Shinko 230 set with the wider, larger diameter rear 140/90/15.  At this point my impressions are very good.  Stability, handling, and traction are as good as any other tire I've ever used.  Tramlining is not an issue.  Performance in wet weather is excellent.  Highway riding is much more comfortable in part because of the design and in part because of the size.  The excellent traction of these tires is confidence inspiring on any road surface. The value for the money is unbeatable IMO.
WARNING:  This tire will not clear the stock saddlebag support bolts.  I replaced mine with M8 carriage style allen bolts.  
See my full commentary here: http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1447063661/15

Size Matters
Changing from the 140/80/15 to the larger diameter 140/90 does change the dynamics of the Savage/s40 in a lot of ways.  The steering dynamics are the most noticeable change.  The steering of the Savage/s40 on the stock IRC tires is overly sharp IMO and the Shinko 230 dampens that to some degree requiring a heavier hand to drop into a curve or make hard course changes.  Also immediately noticeable is the reduced rpm at any speed.  The motor labors less to achieve higher speeds and now hums along at speeds that used to cause engine chatter and vibration.  The reduced vibration leads to increased comfort which is an added bonus.  This comes at the cost of reduced acceleration.    The reduction in acceleration is very minor and almost unnoticeable, but if you ride it like you stole it then you will notice a slight loss.  To me acceleration just feels a little smoother and more natural, but that is due mainly to making the final gearing taller with this tire.  The taller gearing is also responsible for achieving higher top end.  My final top speed is improved by a few miles an hour, but YMMV based on variables such as rider weight, mods, etc. and really doesn't matter much because we don't spend much of our time WOT at top speed.  The power band will be increased in the rpm range slightly, which is fine as our bikes have a large power band to begin with.  Fuel economy is increased.  I'm getting a few more miles to the gallon, but again YMMV based on your variables.  Finally, riding posture is also improved slightly.  The slight change in riding posture makes it more comfortable to ride longer distances for me.  It's worth mentioning that many people report the stock speedo being overly optimistic and changing to the larger diameter tire corrects this.  In my case my speedo was spot on and now reads lower than my true speed.  Just be aware that changing to this tire will have an effect on the correctness of your speedo.  I have a GPS speedo so for me it doesn't matter at all.  At the end of the day, I highly recommend the 140/90.  the bike feels like it was meant to have it.  The handling, stability, quieter engine, traction, fewer gear changes, top end, and comfort make it a natural upgrade from the stock Savage experience.
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Re: New Tire Choices
Reply #12 - 11/20/15 at 09:18:24
 
Serowbot wrote on 11/20/15 at 08:45:09:
youzguyz wrote on 11/20/15 at 08:23:26:
Why do you say the center will wear quicker on a Metzler?   I think that is true of any tire, unless you spend all your time in curves and on the edge of the tire.

I don't say it will wear quicker...  I'm saying that a tire with thick tread will eventually wear a flat spot in the center, (as all MC tires do),... but being that the tread is thicker, the flat spot will be bigger.

Imagine cutting a straight slice from a round cheese...
The deeper the cut,.. the flatter the spot... Wink...


Got it.  Mis-understood what you meant the first time.
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Re: New Tire Choices
Reply #13 - 11/20/15 at 09:40:07
 
http://www.amazon.com/Kenda-K657-Challenger-Street-Tire/dp/B00570XH1W
Found it! 140/90 15. Good cheap tire. No clearance issues with bag supports. Speedo is about 5 mph off. No big deal.
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Re: New Tire Choices
Reply #14 - 11/20/15 at 10:30:51
 
IRC rear was worn to canvas after 6 or 8 thousand miles and made the bike track and wobble in rain groves or repairs on black top, changed to a Conti Blitz, no longer made and did wear out the middle. I now have Michelin Commander 140/90 rear and Michelin Pilot Active front I'm happy with this arrangement. I was never happy with the IRC in the wet. No bolt issues with the 140/90 rear.
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