SuzukiSavage.com - That new tyre feeling!

IslandRoad

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That new tyre feeling!
01/17/18 at 13:02:10

I'm fairly new to riding, so I'm still experiencing routine maintenance changes for the first time.

I knew new tyres would improve the ride but, holy cow, I didn't realise just how good it would be.

I swapped the stock tyres, which were about three years old for a pair of Metzelers :

ME888 Marathon Ultra on the front 100/90-19
ME880 Marathon on the back 140/90-15

I was after a pair of 880s but the supplier only had the 888 for the front. He assured me they were compatible - same tyre, just a newer version.

With the stock tyres, when they were pumped high enough for handling well, I felt every bump in the road. When soft enough to smooth out the ride, they got a bit squirrely on the cornering. And they found every groove in the road that ran along the line I was travelling.

The Metzeler's have solved all these issues at once. I think the little bit of extra height at the back is an improvement too. It's like a different bike!

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S40, 2014, Dyna, Raptor, 52.5/152.5, spacer mod, sea level, cat-eye LED tail light, bullet style halogen turn signals, 'Superbars' with custom 40mm risers, modified stock seat, Metzeler tyres.

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MMRanch

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Re: That new tyre feeling!
Reply #1 - 01/17/18 at 13:59:30

Congratulations IR

ME888 Marathon Ultra on the front 100/90-19
ME880 Marathon on the back 140/90-15

I'm interested in what kind of millage you'll get out of them ?

Them IRC factory tires might be good when new , but they don't last very long.

I've been told the 880 is a long lasting tire by a fellow here on the forum that lives in Texas. So , I went to get a set for my Sportster a few years ago. I didn't find any 880 , but did find a pair of 888's . The rear 888 only lasted about 7000 miles so I'm guessing the 888's are a softer compound --- which is GOOD on the front ! Wink

Seems you lucked your way right into that one . So , once again : Congratulations' on your new tires ! Cool

I liked my front 888 too !

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IslandRoad Serious Thumper Offline It doesn't vibrate, it purrs! Posts: 1147 The Kiewa Valley, Australia Gender:	Re: That new tyre feeling! Reply #2 - 01/17/18 at 15:24:02 Thanks for the feedback MM. Yeah sounds like I landed on a good setup 😁😁
Back to top	S40, 2014, Dyna, Raptor, 52.5/152.5, spacer mod, sea level, cat-eye LED tail light, bullet style halogen turn signals, 'Superbars' with custom 40mm risers, modified stock seat, Metzeler tyres. IP Logged

jcstokes Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com is very useful Posts: 2119 Mauku New Zealand Gender:	Re: That new tyre feeling! Reply #3 - 01/17/18 at 19:21:01 I never cared for the rear IRC, all the symptoms you describe. I felt frightened in the wet. Michelins solved everything.
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MMRanch Serious Thumper Offline Evil flourishes if Good Men do Nothing. Posts: 5837 LYNCHBURG TN Gender:	Re: That new tyre feeling! Reply #4 - 01/17/18 at 20:02:54 JC Which Michelins did ya get ?
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IslandRoad Serious Thumper Offline It doesn't vibrate, it purrs! Posts: 1147 The Kiewa Valley, Australia Gender:	Re: That new tyre feeling! Reply #5 - 01/17/18 at 20:05:03 jcstokes wrote on 01/17/18 at 19:21:01: I never cared for the rear IRC, all the symptoms you describe. I felt frightened in the wet. Michelins solved everything. In my inexperience, I didn't know how well this bike could travel. I thought those symptoms were just quirks of an old-style cruiser!
Back to top	S40, 2014, Dyna, Raptor, 52.5/152.5, spacer mod, sea level, cat-eye LED tail light, bullet style halogen turn signals, 'Superbars' with custom 40mm risers, modified stock seat, Metzeler tyres. IP Logged

justin_o_guy2

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Re: That new tyre feeling!
Reply #6 - 01/17/18 at 20:54:24

In my inexperience, I didn't know how well this bike could travel. I thought those symptoms were just quirks of an old-style cruiser!

My stock tires on the 05 were scary. I rode them 5,000 miles, slipping through curves on dry pavement. Now I wonder how many
Parked and left to rot
Savages with three thousand miles on it are left to rot because of the crap stock tires.

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IslandRoad

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Re: That new tyre feeling!
Reply #7 - 01/17/18 at 22:39:23

I reckon you might be onto something there JOG.

I've loved the S40 since I first sat on one. However, recently, as I gained experience in riding, and started to push the bike a little more, I was starting to get disappointed with the handling - even taking into consideration the limitations of a cruiser.

The new tyres are a revelation!

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S40, 2014, Dyna, Raptor, 52.5/152.5, spacer mod, sea level, cat-eye LED tail light, bullet style halogen turn signals, 'Superbars' with custom 40mm risers, modified stock seat, Metzeler tyres.

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MMRanch

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Re: That new tyre feeling!
Reply #8 - 01/18/18 at 07:42:15

Thinking of how the S-40 handles :

I've run my old Savage through the Dragon many times keeping up with and sometimes passing the sport bikes that are up there regularly . But , I'd rather not go that fast all the time. I don't need any tickets or the inflated insurance rates that goes with those tickets ! Wink

But the fact is : In a short track environment , The Savage is capable of keeping up with ,even those 100+ HP machines .

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IslandRoad

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Re: That new tyre feeling!
Reply #9 - 01/18/18 at 09:06:57

MMRanch wrote on 01/18/18 at 07:42:15:

Thinking of how the S-40 handles :

I've run my old Savage through the Dragon many times keeping up with and sometimes passing the sport bikes that are up there regularly . But , I'd rather not go that fast all the time. I don't need any tickets or the inflated insurance rates that goes with those tickets ! Wink

But the fact is : In a short track environment , The Savage is capable of keeping up with ,even those 100+ HP machines .

That's kind of ironic! I started on a Ninja 250, but sold it after a few months for a couple of reasons. One of them being, I took to it's handling really quickly. And, I realised if I kept riding it I would, more than likely, end up in a ditch on the side of the road somewhere.

I switched to the cruiser to calm down a bit. I do enjoy the different kind of ride on the thumper - even though I do have a high-compression piston sitting on my bench awaiting an opportunity to do the swap. But it's a whole different story on the S40. The 'limitations' of the bike seem to work really well for me, especially when I include the mods I've made to the ergonomics. I like having the power/torque to ride assertively, without that constant 'race-ready' feeling of the sports bike.

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S40, 2014, Dyna, Raptor, 52.5/152.5, spacer mod, sea level, cat-eye LED tail light, bullet style halogen turn signals, 'Superbars' with custom 40mm risers, modified stock seat, Metzeler tyres.

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sjaskow - FSO Senior Member Offline Posts: 365 Frozen Tundra of MN Gender:	Re: That new tyre feeling! Reply #10 - 01/18/18 at 10:18:19 I got 14K+ on the IRCs on my '06 and, with the exception of some wet traction issues at the end, they were never that bad. I wonder if the weird handling is a side effect of the age of the rubber on the tires. After all, if you have a bike that sits a lot or doesn't sell, the tires are going to be get harder as they age.
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IslandRoad

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Re: That new tyre feeling!
Reply #11 - 01/18/18 at 10:56:07

sjaskow - FSO wrote on 01/18/18 at 10:18:19:

I got 14K+ on the IRCs on my '06 and, with the exception of some wet traction issues at the end, they were never that bad.

I wonder if the weird handling is a side effect of the age of the rubber on the tires. After all, if you have a bike that sits a lot or doesn't sell, the tires are going to be get harder as they age.

I had wondered that too. But the bike was only a year old, with 1500 kms on it when I bought it. The previous owner probably let it sit for a while. I think she tried riding but didn't really like it. But that's not all that much time.

I've put about 9000 kms on them. Maybe they were just more worn than I thought!

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S40, 2014, Dyna, Raptor, 52.5/152.5, spacer mod, sea level, cat-eye LED tail light, bullet style halogen turn signals, 'Superbars' with custom 40mm risers, modified stock seat, Metzeler tyres.

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Serowbot YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline OK.... so what's the speed of dark? Posts: 28668 Tucson Az Gender:	Re: That new tyre feeling! Reply #12 - 01/18/18 at 11:26:57 Just don't get too crazy for the first 100 miles until new tires/tyres are scuffed in... ... or you'll get scuffed in...
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IslandRoad Serious Thumper Offline It doesn't vibrate, it purrs! Posts: 1147 The Kiewa Valley, Australia Gender:	Re: That new tyre feeling! Reply #13 - 01/18/18 at 12:07:00 Serowbot wrote on 01/18/18 at 11:26:57: Just don't get too crazy for the first 100 miles until new tires/tyres are scuffed in... ... or you'll get scuffed in... aye aye Captain
Back to top	S40, 2014, Dyna, Raptor, 52.5/152.5, spacer mod, sea level, cat-eye LED tail light, bullet style halogen turn signals, 'Superbars' with custom 40mm risers, modified stock seat, Metzeler tyres. IP Logged

jcstokes Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com is very useful Posts: 2119 Mauku New Zealand Gender:	Re: That new tyre feeling! Reply #14 - 01/18/18 at 14:30:27 MM, Michelin Commander 2 140/90 15 rear and 100/90 19 Pilot Activ front. Re Sjaskow's comment, my bike was 2008 manufacture but not sold new to me until Sept 2010.
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