Can you advise on the wear on this Avon AM-52 -paging GSJACK? Demon advice?

[TheUnHun]

My new-to-me 1996 500ET has Avon51/52 tires on it.   The bike has 17,000 miles on the clock.  As a new rider, my only opinion of these is that they are round and roll .

Were these the OEM tire?  More likely replaced by some (unknown) owner?  17k seems too long for the originals.  Front still has deep tread.

Photos of the rear tire are below.  There is no visible wear bar, but my general impression is that it is somewhat flat-topped, and has maybe some very minor sidewall dry cracks near rim.  If anyone has a knowledgeable opinion on the state of this tire I'd love to hear it.

If I replace these it will be with Sport Demons.  Local roads are in bad shape with many cracks/holes.  I am considering doing either stock size or going up to 120/70 - 140/70 to have a little more width for Big Holes.  Is the upsize worthwhile, or am I dreaming?  $ are about a wash either way.

Thanks to all for the advice.

[manofthefield]

I've got an AM-52 on the back of my GS (and I've read a lot of GSJack's posts).  IIRC, mine is about 7 or 8000 miles old.  Not stock.  Better than stock, but not as sticky as the Sport Demon, or so I've heard.  The AM-52 has a funky profile (not very round, but look like they've been worn flat), like yours.  I can see all the original tread on yours, but can tell it has been worn down quite a bit

Stock was the Bridgestone Excedera, you can't find them anymore, but pretty much all the replacement tires you can find are better. 

My recommendation would be to leave this tire on for a little while (unless the cracking is bad... pic?) while you are learning the ropes, then maybe go to a different tire(s).  Personally, I stick with stock size tires, but plenty of others have put wider tires on the rear.  I'm not even sure a 120 would fit on the front though.  I don't think you'd gain much with a wider tire, but that's up to you. 

[foobar]

looks like someone has been doing burnouts 

I'd replace them ASAP, that thing looks done to me. If I recall from reading the tire threads, and the Wiki, upsizing to 120/140 makes little difference and 150 requires a different rim or modifying the brake arm.

[gsJack]

Naw, that AM52 doesn't look like it's done any burnouts or that it's done too many straight down the highway miles to square it off like that.  Avon made it that way and the one pictured above is shaped just about as they made it new although it's getting a bit low on tread life now.  Here's a picture of a new one being mounted and balanced and it has the same square shape:



The OEM tires were Excedras and mine lasted about 8k miles on my 97 GS.  I put the AM51/52 on my 02 GS and took the rear off at about 9k miles although it would have gone 10k because the handling became very annoying.  With 17k miles on your bike you've used up the Excedras and most of the AM 51/52s you pictured so you could milk a little more out of them or change them anytime your ready.

All of the new bias ply tires are better than those available when your bike was built, can't really go wrong with any of them; the Activs, Demons, Lasertecs, or even the newly improved BT45s.   I like the Lasertecs although many here like the stickier Demons better, but see no reason to put a 120 front on it.  The 110/70 and 110/80 tires fit the wheel and the bike better than the 120s do.  Would probably use a 110 front with a 140/70 rear in either the Demons or Avon Roadriders, I tried and liked the 150/70 rear with the Lasertecs I used.

[foobar]

why did they make the tire that way?

[RVertigo]

I think rounder tires are easier to ride...  When I changed from the squared stocky on my GS to a Sport Demon, riding was so much easier...  Leaning was soooooooo easy...  No ledge with a sudden drop-off.


Wow...  A tire that comes pre-squared...

[gsJack]

why did they make the tire that way?

From Avon.........."the HKM is the tyre for you if you regularly ride a mid-sized commuter bike and need a tyre with an exceptionally long life"

It was an attempt to make a low priced tire with good enough handling that would give long life for the price in commuter service and probably was quite succesful at it's target market.  It sold for about the same price as Chinese tires like the decent Kendas do, there will always be a market for economy tires for some users.  That flat surfaced rear tire gave a very large contact area in straight ahead service but any significant amount of leaning in corners was done on a narrow band with a small contact patch.  It only sold for a few years till Avons new nicely rounded Roadriders were ready for the market.

I think rounder tires are easier to ride...  When I changed from the squared stocky on my GS to a Sport Demon, riding was so much easier...  Leaning was soooooooo easy...  No ledge with a sudden drop-off.


Wow...  A tire that comes pre-squared...

I too like a very rounded tire so I can enjoy the twistiest roads I can find getting to where I'm going as fast as possible even though I'm rarely in any hurry to get there.   

Putting a tire on a narrower rim than the preferred rim width gives it an even rounder shape and I was/am quite happy with my 150/70 Lasertec and current 150/70 Road Attack as far as handling goes.  Very nice I think and although putting a wider tire on because it looks better is a poor reason, nothing wrong with a tire that performs well and looks good too.   


.

[TheUnHun]

Thanks to all for the seasoned advice, and especially to GSJACK for the photo of what a brand new yet already square tire SHOULD look like.

Keen eyed observers will also see how to build a straightforward wheel balancing stand in that same snap.

Jeffrey

[TheUnHun]

And what I just did do is order a set of 110/70 140/70 Sport Demons from Dennis Kirk for $209 delivered.  Done.

Jeffrey

[RobTheTyrant]

I've got Avon am26 roadriders in a 140/70 on the rear.  love it.  happy motorcycle!