Motorcycle tires

[GilaMinumBeer]

I've a 2004 Honda Shadow Aero 750 with almost 11K miles on it. I helped the tech break open the crate on this bike. From day one I've put little more than maintenance into this machine and it's done me well.

However, it's on factory Bridgestone's and they are nearing the end of their useful life. I consider myself a easy rider, not that this bike has enough of anything to be aggressive with, and the tires still have a couple more thousand miles before the belts start to show but, I figure it's time to start looking.

I've never bought motorcycle tires and I am not familiar with teh nomenclature or differences.

So far, it appears that Bridgestone, Dunlop, and Kumho and the more common brands available for this bike. I cannot recall the size.

Is there THAT big a difference between brands (aside from price)?

Is there anything I should be looking for to avoid?

 

[motobrewer]

bridgestone, dunlop, michelin, pirelli all make good motorcycle tires.

at least, good racing tires / slicks.

 

[wildwest450]

If you can get the stock size Michelin's are excellent(especially on sportier bikes). Although Bridgestone and Dunlop will serve that bike well.

One thing I never skimp on is bike tires, you can't afford to lose one. If you got that many miles from the stock tires, i'd be tempted to throw the same ones back on. I would only get something different if you ride/corner aggressively.


_

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

If you can get the stock size Michelin's are excellent(especially on sportier bikes). Although Bridgestone and Dunlop will serve that bike well.

One thing I never skimp on is bike tires, you can't afford to lose one. If you got that many miles from the stock tires, i'd be tempted to throw the same ones back on. I would only get something different if you ride/corner aggressively.


_

I forget the model name, but I haven't seen them anywhere online. No, I am not an agressive rider AT ALL. In fact, even after 8 years of riding, I still get nervous leaning hard in a turn or curve. :cross:

 

[motobrewer]

i just reread the OP. 11k on a set of tires! that makes me giggle.

when i was track riding we got a few days (<400 miles) out of rears, maybe an extra day out of the fronts. some racers would change out after the day.

 

[thepartsmancometh]

I don't have any experience with cruiser tires, but i also hear good things about Continental.

I know all about their car tires (we are a conti dealer afterall) so I'd expect their bike tires to be good quality as well.

 

[static]

For that bike i would look for Michelin's (if you can get them) or Metzler's.

I run the Michelin PP3's on my FZ year round. I get 8-10k miles out of a set here in the NorthWet comuting. The flipside to that is if i were in CA it would only be 4-5k miles. The hotter road temps and the prolific use of chip seal eats up the softer rubber compounds. Sport tires are usually softer than standard/crusier/touring tires.

I run the Metzler 880's on my Roadstar 1700 and they hold up really well.

2004 stock tires? I'll bet they are hard as a rock. Getting new shoes is like adding power steering

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

2004 stock tires? I'll bet they are hard as a rock. Getting new shoes is like adding power steering

Are you reffering to the compounds used in 2004 or just a matter of ageing making them dry and harder?

 

[landshark]

On my Indian, about 8k miles is where a set of good tires will last, but I ride hard. It is a heavy cruiser as well. I stick with Dunlops for my bikes any more.

I've run Avons, HORRIBLE, would never buy again.
Perelli's Ok but not great. For the cost not worth in IMO
Continentals, Great tire but hard rubber, I sold the bike these were on with 6k miles on the tires and they still looked new. Was a light 600 though.

Dunlops are what I stick with now, whether a Super Sport or Cruiser, I keep Dunlops on the ground.

Motorcycle tires are rated by speed and weight like a car/truck tire. Check the weight of your bike with you before purchasing just the cheapest tire you see. The tire may not hold the weight of you and the bike. (most tires probably will, but think about this before you buy a cheap tire, it is you and your SWMBO's life's that are on the line)

Here is a chart
http://www.webbikeworld.com/Motorcycle-tires/tire-data.htm

Higher the weight class the more expensive the tire generally.

 

[IXVolt]

I'm a casual daily rider. I have a Honda 650 Nighthawk and about 4k miles ago I replaced the dunlop's I had with Shinko's. I was skeptical, but the reviews were outstanding. I've been very happy with them so far, good traction in the water, some gravel, hot/oily roads. All in all, I will buy them again when I burn through this set.

I went with the tour master, due to my riding style and terrain.

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/3/31/401/6188/ITEM/Shinko-230-Tour-Master-Rear-Tire.aspx

Hmm, looks like i can't link directly to the tires.... stupid aspx urls.

 

[allenH]

I've run a few different tires on my Harley, but now that I have the big aftermarket wheels I am stuck with either Metzeler marathon 880's or Avon super venoms. I would average about 8-9k on a rear Metzeler and about 18k on the front. They held up great, but they always felt greasy when downshifting or accelerating hard. After talking to some people I bought a set of Avon's. Worst tire ever. The rear is showing through with a little over 4k miles. I wish I could go back to the factory Dunlop, they had great grip and lasted 10-12k miles.

 

[static]

Are you reffering to the compounds used in 2004 or just a matter of ageing making them dry and harder?

Age. Your on an 8 year old set of rubber. Night and day difference with new rubber.

Get new shoes and ride.

 

[IXVolt]

When you can put finger nail impressions in the rubber.... its fresh

 

[riverfrontbrewer]

I've always ridden the factory Dunlops on my 2000 Heritage....I'm on my 9th rear and 4th front...I'll need a new rear by Sturgis.

I had a Swift w a 300 rear end that I had to change once (Metzler)...holy **** was that spendy! Had to go to about 5 shops to find one that could even do it w their machinery!

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Turns out, the ries I have are Bridgestone Excedra G701's, H rated.

Which are available. Except many places are just calling them "G701 Max Biased."

Comparing sizes, I find that some brands don't have the exact same size specs in width. For example, a Dunlop I looked at did not have 160/80 but did have 150/80 or 170/80.

Any reason why the wider tire would not work? Except for maybe frame/fairing clearance?

 

[allenH]

The 80 refers to the aspect ratio, so the sidewall height is 80% of the tread width. If you have the clearance, they will work, but effect things like your speedo and overall gear ratio. 160 to 170 is not that big of a difference, but sometimes it matters

 

[static]

A wider rear can affect your turn in, little harder to get it laid over in the corner. This is more noticeable on a sport bike than a cruiser. On your Shadow i doubt you will notice. You're more likely to notice if you went to a narrower tire than wider. Like AllenH said 160 to 170 isn't really that big of a change.

 

[IXVolt]

If in excess, wider tire while keeping the same rim, can make it hard to mount the tire. Can't seat the bead of the tire.

 

[user 574]

When you figure it out, www.jakewilson.com has great prices. No tax (most states IIRC), free shipping

 

[user 574]

I've run a few different tires on my Harley, but now that I have the big aftermarket wheels I am stuck with either Metzeler marathon 880's or Avon super venoms. I would average about 8-9k on a rear Metzeler and about 18k on the front. They held up great, but they always felt greasy when downshifting or accelerating hard. After talking to some people I bought a set of Avon's. Worst tire ever. The rear is showing through with a little over 4k miles. I wish I could go back to the factory Dunlop, they had great grip and lasted 10-12k miles.

Not that I do not like your post but I clicked the thumbs up in its new locale and there it is. Looks like Tex is giving us a new interface today

 

[landshark]

A wider rear can affect your turn in, little harder to get it laid over in the corner. This is more noticeable on a sport bike than a cruiser. On your Shadow i doubt you will notice. You're more likely to notice if you went to a narrower tire than wider. Like AllenH said 160 to 170 isn't really that big of a change.

If in excess, wider tire while keeping the same rim, can make it hard to mount the tire. Can't seat the bead of the tire.

I jumped 2 sizes last time I did my Indian, 130s to 150s. (No idea why it came stock with a 130) Anyways, 150 was all I felt comfortable with due to it would make it a lot closer to the belt and pulley, causing the tire to rub the belt and/or the bolts holding the fender on (I lowered the rear 2" a while back). A 165 may have been possible to fit, but would be just too close for me.

 

[Zuljin]

IRC Grand High Speed - First tires. Lasted about 13,000 miles. Good tires.

Dunlop 404 - Second tires. Lasted about 14,000 miles. As good a tire as the Grand High Speed IRC.

Metzler 800 - Present tires. 7,000 miles and plenty to go. These tires are great. Really. I got them and could feel the improved handling. They made a bigger difference than I thought a set of tires could.

My riding is mainly solo commuting with light bags. I spend a good deal of time at 65-75 mph on the highway, some (and sometimes more) stop and go traffic The roads here are torn up, under construction and some of it is grooved. Temps from 40s to 100+. Sometimes rain.

 

[Zuljin]

IRC Grand High Speed - First tires. Lasted about 13,000 miles. Good tires.

Dunlop 404 - Second tires. Lasted about 14,000 miles. As good a tire as the Grand High Speed IRC.

Metzler 800 - Present tires. 7,000 miles and plenty to go. These tires are great. Really. I got them and could feel the improved handling. They made a bigger difference than I thought a set of tires could.

My riding is mainly solo commuting with light bags. I spend a good deal of time at 65-75 mph on the highway, some (and sometimes more) stop and go traffic. The roads here are torn up, under construction and some of it is grooved. Temps from 40s to 100+. Sometimes rain.

 

[jmendez29]

...I've run Avons, HORRIBLE, would never buy again...

I would have to disagree with this. I understand it all comes to personal experience, but when I had my RS Warrior, I put a set of Avon Storm 2 tires on it and it was incredible. I had almost 5k into them before they showed any kind of flat spot with plenty more meat to go until I'd be worried about excessive wear. I'm not a typically hard rider, but I had a few moments.

They're a little more spendy than most tires, but I would recommend them.

 

[allenH]

I wii agree with the horrible comment. They have excellent dry traction, questionable wet traction and bad life expectancy, in my experience on a really heavy, pretty fast, hard ridden touring bike. **Individual results may vary**

 

[static]

Avons and Shinkos are a the bottom of my list. Love Pirelli Diablos but they just don't last, Michelin's come in second and last much longer so i watch for sales on them, Dunlop's are ok, they fall in the middle for me. YMMV.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

When you figure it out, www.jakewilson.com has great prices. No tax (most states IIRC), free shipping

Thanks for the link.

After much comparisons I think I am going to stick with the OEM Bridgestone Excedra G701. They have served me well thus far and I am used to the profile of them (not sure if that really matters).

Additionally, they are actually cheaper at my LMTS including tax than on that website and installation is cheaper since I would be buying them from the same shop.

 

[snccoulter]

I have Dunlop 404s this set will be my last on this bike though it is an 83 Yamaha Venture. I don't see the bike lasting as long as this set of tires. I have been really happy with them. I am not a real aggressive rider but then The bike is not intended to be an aggressive bike.

 

[user 574]

Thanks for the link.

After much comparisons I think I am going to stick with the OEM Bridgestone Excedra G701. They have served me well thus far and I am used to the profile of them (not sure if that really matters).

Additionally, they are actually cheaper at my LMTS including tax than on that website and installation is cheaper since I would be buying them from the same shop.

That's cool on the local price. For me, nothing is cheap at the Harley Stealership.

 

[wildwest450]

T I think I am going to stick with the OEM Bridgestone Excedra G701.

I put the Excedra max's on my warrior, seems to be a decent tire so far. And shame on you for going so long on the original tires, not wise.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I put the Excedra max's on my warrior, seems to be a decent tire so far. And shame on you for going so long on the original tires, not wise.

Never occured to me. I get on , turn the key, push the button, and go.

This bike doesn't have a fuel guage so I keep the trip odometer on all the time and guage fuel needs by mileage since last fill. Only reason I have ANY idea how many miles is on the bike is because my fat finger fumbled the reset button and it went off trip.

This bike is garage kept except at work, and is kept on the shaady side of the house under a heavy duty cover through the off season. The only time these tires see any UV is when I am on it. Despite their age and mileage I still have a fair amount of treat through the middle section, no cracks, and can leave an impression with my fingernail.

I don't exactly neglect this machine but I don't come any where close to abusing it either (save the one time I laid it down).

 

[landshark]

That's cool on the local price. For me, nothing is cheap at the Harley Stealership.

No joke. I use a local Accessory shop for as many parts as I can. The worst part though is when I want something and go into the shop, they don't have it, and I watch them look up the part in JPCycles for a price, then ad their 5-10% to the price. Um... No. (Was in a local hot rod shop and watched them open a Summit Catalog then add 10% once)

 

[static]

Thanks for the link.

After much comparisons I think I am going to stick with the OEM Bridgestone Excedra G701. They have served me well thus far and I am used to the profile of them (not sure if that really matters).

Additionally, they are actually cheaper at my LMTS including tax than on that website and installation is cheaper since I would be buying them from the same shop.

I always shop around. I've gotten some good deals from Jake Wilson, Cycle Gear, Motorcycle superstore and the local dealer. Just FYI Jake Wilson and Cycle Gear run tire sales a couple times a year, usually spring and fall, with smokin deals on tires. I go through a couple sets a year so when i start to get down in the tread i start watching them for the sales.

 

[allenH]

I wii agree with the horrible comment. They have excellent dry traction, questionable wet traction and bad life expectancy, in my experience on a really heavy, pretty fast, hard ridden touring bike. **Individual results may vary**

Just a update on my Avon...RIP @ 4300 miles



I do admit that I ride hard, big up shifts, big down shifts, but 4300 miles it stupid. Went back to the factory Dunlop on the stock 16" wheel. At least I know I will get good mileage out of it.

 

[riverfrontbrewer]

Dude! That's crazy...do you do alot of burnouts?! I changed the rear dunlop on my 00 FLSTC before heading to Sturgis and it had 9k on it.

 

[allenH]

No burnouts at all, I was told to expect a little less mileage out of the Avon, didn't expect that much less.

 

[IXVolt]

Just a update on my Avon...RIP @ 4300 miles

View attachment 71677

I do admit that I ride hard, big up shifts, big down shifts, but 4300 miles it stupid. Went back to the factory Dunlop on the stock 16" wheel. At least I know I will get good mileage out of it.

The bottles are a nice touch, 4300 miles seems really pathetic.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

13,736 miles on these stock Bridgestone Excedra G70's. Bike was bought in 2004 and the tires were stock. Still have plenty tread on them too.

Rear tire blew out on teh way to work. Didn't feel a damned thing. All I heard was a an odd sputtering noise (like a stock Civic with one of those funky exhaust cans), I thought my exhaust was the issue. As I pulled over THEN the back wheel felt soft. Had to ride the shoulder at 15mph for about 5 miles to get to work at a reasonable time.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Went with Metzler ME880 Marathon Touring. $255 for Front and Back with tax and free 2 day shipping from Motorcycle superstore.

 

[static]

The Metzlers are a decent tire. Nice soft rubber and decent mileage. Fairly popular with the cruizer crowd.

I gotta look for a new rear again.