My front tire is 5 years old and I want to replace it. I think it's a bridgestone. The rear already has been.
What do you guys recommend? Is it important to use the same model tire for front and rear?
Is there any benefit to upsizing?
How much is this gonna cost me? I guess I have to go to a bike shop right? I think I'll just pull the wheel myself, I'd do it all myself if I had the equipment.
My GF also needs tires for her Honda Rebel, I suppose it's not as critical on a small cruiser bike like that, plus she's broke.
Quote from: CentralCoaster on January 03, 2008, 12:27:55 PM
My front tire is 5 years old and I want to replace it. I think it's a bridgestone. The rear already has been.
What do you guys recommend? Is it important to use the same model tire for front and rear?
Is there any benefit to upsizing?
How much is this gonna cost me? I guess I have to go to a bike shop right? I think I'll just pull the wheel myself, I'd do it all myself if I had the equipment.
My GF also needs tires for her Honda Rebel, I suppose it's not as critical on a small cruiser bike like that, plus she's broke.
The dealership will rip you off !
If you have a garage, do it yourself. There are quite a few threads about making a 2x4 bead breaker. I personally have no problem with the bt-45's that were stock on my gs. Battleax or whatever they're called. They wear well enough (I'm on my 2nd set for 20,000 miles total) and I should be fine for another 4-5K. They provide good enough traction for _me_. YMMV.
The dealership will rip you off !
What kind of riding do you enjoy ? Twisties ? Commuting ? Just want a cheap tire to last a year or two ?
The dealership will rip you off !
You can buy from mawonline.com, or whoever you like, have it shipped, and then find a fellow gs'r to help out. Maybe both of you will learn a thing or two (or just have fun getting trashed) while you're at it.
The dealership will ri... you get the point.
Last I checked you can get a front and rear for <$200 shipped. You'll likely want to check your pads while the wheel is off, and possibly put a new chain on while you're at it. You didn't mention the mileage, so I dunno.
If you pay someone to do the install for you, check behind them thoroughly. Nothing like riding to work the next day and your rear caliper flogging your wheel because some jackass didn't put bolts in it. Lesson learned, won't happen again !
:)
Quote from: CentralCoaster on January 03, 2008, 12:27:55 PM
I guess I have to go to a bike shop right? I think I'll just pull the wheel myself, I'd do it all myself if I had the equipment.
That's what I do; pull the wheel myself, pay the shop's "off the bike" price for mounting the new tire, and remount the wheel myself.
Quote from: CentralCoaster on January 03, 2008, 12:27:55 PMHow much is this gonna cost me?
Hmmm ... there's no telling what shops in your area charge. A few phone calls should be all you need. (Don't forget to ask about WHEN they think they can get to it. This last time I paid a few more bucks because I could get it done the same day at a closer-to-me shop ... and I NEEDed to leave on a trip the next day. I know, I know ... poor planning. :oops:)
Best buy in name brand tires right now I think are the OEM G spec BT45 and the Avon Roadriders. My local supplier has the Avons for approx $140 a pair and the BT45s for $150 a pair in 110/70 and 130/70 OEM sizes. They are about the same price shipped from AMT:
http://www.americanmototire.com/
I've mixed a lot of tires on the GSs, here's a recent thread on the subject:
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=39214.0
I just put on a Roadrider front and got about 20-30 miles on it late Monday. Have a Roadrider rear with about 3k miles on it and right now I'm thinking I like the Roadriders best of the two, but it's been a few years since I've used the BT45 and they have been updated in tread compounds and tire profile since I used them.
Quote from: gsJack on January 03, 2008, 03:14:22 PM
and the Avon Roadriders. My local supplier has the Avons for approx $140 a pair and the BT45s for $150 a pair in 110/70 and 130/70 OEM sizes. They are about the same price shipped from AMT:
http://www.americanmototire.com/
I will second the Road Riders... I saw GSJacks thread about tires and was sold on the Avons... I LOVE EM! Great tire at an even greater price!
As far as mounting, I agree w/ above as well.. Take them off yourself and have the tire put on @ the shop off the bike...
I work at a Suzuki dealer and it costs $15 Each off the bike and close to $60-70 on.
:thumb:
I just happen to get tires mounted today, roadriders, 140/70 in the back. And yes the dealers are expensive and no tire shop I know of does bike tires. I considered doing it myself but after 20mins of struggling, decided I had no choice or patients. It costed me 66 dollars, so cosider that before your puchase. Maybe I should have gotten the radials for tread life. I also thought about cutting the old tires off, don't know if its possible.
I changed my own tires for years. Only needed one long curved lip tire iron, one large screwdriver, and an old Ford Escort. Toughest part of the job was breaking the bead to get the tire looose on the rim. I used the car jack as a bead breaker, put tire/wheel under side of car, placed jack base on tire close to rim, and jacked it up. Poped loose quickly every time and then tuned it over to break other side loose.
Pried the tire over the rim with the iron and stuck the screwdriver in to hold it there while I worked my way around the rim with the iron. I used liquid dishwasher soap on a rag to lubricate taking tire off and putting new one on. Did quite a few tires that way, never balanced them and never had a problem with them. Premium tires need little lead, the weights are mostly for the cast wheels. I left the oem weights on.
Gave up changing tires myself about ten years ago at age 65 when I thought I was going to croak changing one on a hot August day. I've carried wheels in since then and paid $20-30 per wheel in this area for mount and balance. Worth it. The place I get tires now if they have what I want charges $25 each for mount, balance, new valve stem, and old tire disposal and I live to ride again. :laugh:
Get an upgrade goto AVON av45St from 120/80 and 140/80 AV46ST .. youll never look back.
I used the 110/80 front AV45, other 17" AV45 fronts have been eliminated by Avon now. ;)
The AV45/46 have been replaced by the new Storm sport touring radials in the Avon lineup but 6 sizes of the AV45/46 remain in production including the 110/80/17 fronts and 140/80/17 rears.
http://www.avon-tyres.co.uk/motorcycle/?page=tyres&method=showspecs&id=18
Quote from: gsJack on January 05, 2008, 10:43:37 AM
I would and did use the 110/80 front AV45 but the choice has been eliminated by Avon now. ;)
I'm a little confused ... did you mean to say 120/80 here?
Quote from: Kerry on January 05, 2008, 11:29:12 AM
Quote from: gsJack on January 05, 2008, 10:43:37 AM
I would and did use the 110/80 front AV45 but the choice has been eliminated by Avon now. ;)
I'm a little confused ... did you mean to say 120/80 here?
No, I meant 110/80. Don't think they ever made a 120/80/17 AV45. Like my log says I used a 110/80 front and would recommend it over a 120/70 if there was still a choice. Think pbureau69 made a typo there, not sure whether he has a 110/80 or 120/70 front.
Only 2 Av 45/46 still made in a 17" diameter are the 110/80 front and 140/80 rears. See link above.
Here's what's confusing me...
Quote from: gsJack on January 05, 2008, 11:48:04 AMI used a 110/80 front and would recommend it over a 120/70 if there was still a choice.
But ... it sounds like that choice still exists:
Quote from: gsJack on January 05, 2008, 11:48:04 AMOnly 2 Av 45/46 still made in a 17" diameter are the 110/80 front and 140/80 rears.
I must be missing something. (http://bbburma.net/Smilies/headscratch.gif)
I'm even more confused. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
I revised my post above and hope it's clearer. I even dug up an old print of AV45/46 tire sizes. A 120/80/17 front was not made. The AV45 17" front tire sizes were 110/70, 110/80, 120/60, and 120/70. Now there is only one AV45 front and one AV46 rear still made in the 17" dia.
My choice was the 110/80 front but I recall others here using 120 wide ones. Don't recall which 120 they used. It wasn't 120/80.
I liked my AV45/46 tires and have recently considered another 140/80 rear next if I don't get the expected milage out of the Roadriders. If the Roadriders work out in the long run I may stick with them forever, or I might change my mind again and try a 150/70 Storm.
If I run another 140/80 AV46 rear or a 150/70 Storm rear it will be with a 110/80 Lasertec front.
Here's one guy cornering faster on his Roadriders than I expect to:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v443/jcp8832/avon-roadrider-am26.jpg)
I think I've got it now. Since the 110/80 is the only 17" option for the front, there is no longer a "choice". Whew ... thanks!
Say, that photo looks pretty darn sharp. Either someone used an ultra-high shutter speed with a correspondingly high ISO setting ... or that bike is sitting on its sidestand! :laugh:
Carry on....
It's sitting on sidestand in pic of course, my reference to his cornering faster than me was prompted by his lack of chicken strips.
Just call me "slow on the uptake" today. Sigh....
Quote from: gsJack on January 05, 2008, 10:43:37 AM
I used the 110/80 front AV45, other 17" AV45 fronts have been eliminated by Avon now. ;)
The AV45/46 have been replaced by the new Storm sport touring radials in the Avon lineup but 6 sizes of the AV45/46 remain in production including the 110/80/17 fronts and 140/80/17 rears.
http://www.avon-tyres.co.uk/motorcycle/?page=tyres&method=showspecs&id=18
well I just bought front and rear av45/46dt from cycle gear not 4 days ago. the dealer they have still has them, in stock... 2 days delivery.
check www.cyclegear.com to see if they have a store near you.
Hello folks,
Sorry to threadjack but I think I'm in the tyre issue too.
I need to replace both my rubbers ASAP (both Pirelli Sport Demons), the rear is *way* low on thread, and both are old. Got them with my bike --bought used in March '07 from a dealer-- , so this is my first tyre change.
I'm looking for a tyre as much as an all-rounder as possible.
I've heard many good things about the Sport Demons, but as a matter of fact I couldn't get much from them so far, I felt them hard and kinda slippery, maybe it is just because of their age. :dunno_white: or maybe it is just me :cookoo:
I'm very curious about trying Metzeler Lasertecs.
What do you guys think? :icon_mrgreen:
(Side note: Only sizes I can have installed are 110/70-17 54 front and 130/70-17 62 rear. Anything different is NOT street legal, according to my registration card, and I don't wanna have trouble with insurance companies, periodic DMV checks, local police, state police, highway police, military police, yada yada yada... :icon_rolleyes:)
On another side note, whats the shortest mileage you have had out of a set of tyres out of interest. On my ZXR i have dunlop sportmax radial tyres front and back, ive always stuck with them as they came on the bike and i replace them with the updated versions but have never changed brands. I too want to try a set of metzlers ive heard good things but my problem is my front tyre lasts through probably 3 or maybe 4 rears so i never get chance to change them both the metzlers. I am not kidding my bike eats rear tyres, shes got 160/60 17's on i believe ( i would have to check) and the recommended tyre from the garage i take it to (they race zxr400s) recommend the tyres i have fitted and they are high performance tyres, ive never had a wobble, never lost grip they are truely immense and are from the ultimate street range. However im lucky to 6000-8000 out of rear. Its rediculous. Whats everyone experience of performance tyres, which ones last better?
Kasumi i have just shy of 8000miles on my stock rear bt45 and is showing the wear bars. front is less than half worn. a guy i work with has a '06 zx6r he bought new last spring and he replaced his rear twice in about 6000 miles. we both ride pretty aggressive so that accounts for some of the excessive wear. i ride mostly flat straights but i have dragged the foot peg on several occations. hope this helps
Gary
Tire wear isn't a concern for me. I usually destroy my vette tires within 10K miles. Old hard tires are no fun.
Quote from: CentralCoaster on January 03, 2008, 12:27:55 PM
My GF also needs tires for her Honda Rebel, I suppose it's not as critical on a small cruiser bike like that, plus she's broke.
I forgot the 2nd part of your post. I'd go with Dunlop's recommended fitment for the Rebel, a 3.00-18 F11 front with a 130/90-15 D404 rear. Hard to beat for the price, should be able to get a pair from Chaparral for $130-135 including shipping.
I used those F11 fronts with K491 rear touring tires on my old Hondas for years and liked them. The D404 has the same tread pattern as the K491 but is a better balance between handling and tire life. Not as hard.
Quote from: simon79 on January 06, 2008, 09:58:18 AM
Hello folks,
Sorry to threadjack but I think I'm in the tyre issue too.
I need to replace both my rubbers ASAP (both Pirelli Sport Demons), the rear is *way* low on thread, and both are old. Got them with my bike --bought used in March '07 from a dealer-- , so this is my first tyre change.
I'm looking for a tyre as much as an all-rounder as possible.
I've heard many good things about the Sport Demons, but as a matter of fact I couldn't get much from them so far, I felt them hard and kinda slippery, maybe it is just because of their age. :dunno_white: or maybe it is just me :cookoo:
I'm very curious about trying Metzeler Lasertecs.
What do you guys think? :icon_mrgreen:
(Side note: Only sizes I can have installed are 110/70-17 54 front and 130/70-17 62 rear. Anything different is NOT street legal, according to my registration card, and I don't wanna have trouble with insurance companies, periodic DMV checks, local police, state police, highway police, military police, yada yada yada... :icon_rolleyes:)
I had a pair of Lasertecs on my 02 GS and really liked them. Thought they stuck almost as well as the Metz Z4/Z2 combo and the Avon AV45/46 radials I ran. The Lasertec front remains my all time favorite GS500 front tire. I never tried the Demons myself but they're supposed to be one of the stickier tires available in OEM sizes for the GS. I prefer the Lasertecs, got about 10k miles from my set.
Thread resurrection. :icon_mrgreen:
gsJack, thanks so much for your answer; sorry for not replying just after, but I decided to actually have my tyres changed soon after that.
Eventually, my choice fell upon a pair of Michelin Pilot Activ's, stock sizes both front and rear. I heard (well ok, read) many good things about them too, and decided to give them a try. If I'm not happy with the Michelins, I'll maybe go back to the Pirellis when it's time. :thumb:
Left my bike at the shop's this morning, it's already good to go but I'm going to take it home tomorrow morning. :thumb: