I tried searching but I couldn't find an answer...about how many miles can I expect my rear tire to last me.  I looked today and the edges arer fine but the center seems to be really low...I can feel the tread bars already.  any help would be appreciated

If I remember correctly, I had about 4500 miles on my stock rear tire when it was replaced. I needed a new one before the delaer would let it pass NYS annual inspection. I was a bit skeptical, but it did show the "wear marks".  I could have miled it for a bit longer but figured I would need a new one eventually anyways.

Quote from: ckirtner80 on May 01, 2006, 07:15:09 PM
I tried searching but I couldn't find an answer...about how many miles can I expect my rear tire to last me.  I looked today and the edges arer fine but the center seems to be really low...I can feel the tread bars already.  any help would be appreciated

It really depends on how hard you ride and what type of tires you're using. Are you on the stock BT45s? I had about 7000 miles on mine before I hit the wear bars, I think. I got the bike with 5000 miles on it and replaced them at 7000. They could have been replaced before I bought it, but I don't think so. I got 4000 out of my last rear Sport Demon, but that was after I got comfortable with the bike, so I knew how to handle it better then.

If it's at the wear bars, replace it.

I think if you wear the rear tire out in under 5000 miles, you either:

a) Really know how to ride 
-or-
b) Really DON'T know how to ride 

Int he above cases, I think Alpha was more "A" whereas I was likely "B". Haha.

...Or you just have a crap tire?

I probably had 1k miles left on my stock BT when I changed it out for the Pirelli at 5k. It had a screw AND a nail in it at that point.

my 04 had the stock tires on, bridge stone's

i went till 11k on the rear and sill have the stock one on the front, they were well past the wear marks, but the belts were not showing.

I mean...it's not bald or anything...just my first bike and I guess I was thinking I would get more than 5-7k out of it. 

depends on how you ride...if you're hard on the tire then you can expect 4000~5000 miles.  If you ride like a cooter then you're very likely to have it forever.

Whoo Hoo!!!


I get to keep my tire forever!!!



oh... I'm sad now.

I'm not sure how people would define "pushing it", but I certainly don't ride like a Nancy and I'm at 4300 miles and the tires look great.

Dave

it all depends on WHAT tires we're talking about as each brand/model wears differently. Not eveyone has the bt45's. also, excessive wear in the center means you need to get yourself to some canyons QUICK! if thats the type of riding you do mainly, I'd suggest a sport touring tire so it will wear longer at the expense of stickiness (for spirited riding, for general use they're fine).

You say you found nothing in a search but there is TONS of info. Narrow your search to only those posts by gsjack. he has a log of all the tires he's used and how many miles he's gotten out of them, and has included notes as to how hard he'd ridden them.
here's a sample: http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?action=search2

QuoteIn the past, I have always used touring type tires on the back of my small bikes to gain max tire life; generally getting 25-30,000 miles out of them.  On the GS500 I replaced the OE's with stock size BT45's.  I then went Metzler ME33 front and ME88 rear followed by Dunlop GT501 front and K491 rear tires.  In both cases the 130/90 and MT90 rears were about 2" larger in dia than the OE's and raised the rear an inch. 

I was never happy with the 491 rear on the GS500 because it's limited traction no longer suited my GS500 induced cornering speeds and I was always on the edge of breaking loose.  This past season I went to Metzeler radials in a 110/70 Z4 front and a 130/80 Z2 rear.  They were great handling dry and excellent in the wet and I'm sold on them.  I never felt like pushing the GS beyond about 90 mph with the bias tires, but the little bike was quite comfortable at an indicated 110 max with the Metz radials this past summer.

Many on the gstwin.com board have gone to 140/70 and 150/70 wide rear tires on the GS and I believe it is mainly for appearance purposes.  The main reason newer bikes in general have wider and wider rear tires in lower and lower profiles is to provide traction for their ever increasing HP without the tires getting too big in dia.  A 130 wide rear will easily handle the power output of the GS500 and I believe give better handling than the wider tires will on it.

So far I have not used wider than a 130 rear, but if I ever try the Dunlop D205's or the Avon AV45/46's, I will use the 140/80 rears, which are the approved size for the 3.5" GS rim.  Metzeler and Continental approve a 150/70 for a 3.5" rim, but Dunlop and Avon do not.

The ME33, ME88, and ME55 are all bias ply tires, not radials.  they are slowly being discontinued and are being replaced by the newer ME330, ME550, and ME880 tires. 

The radials I used this year were the Metzeler MEZ4 front and the MEZ2 rear.  The Z4 rear does not come narrower than a 150, so I chose the older MEZ2 rear in a 130/80, which is still available and probably will be for a while.  It has a deeper 8mm tread, which gives it an H speed rating.  It has more rubber on it than any other of their radials.  I have about 13,500 miles on it and expect to get about 14,000 out of it when it hits the tread wear markers and it's been used hard.

Avon is coming out with a new Azarro GT AV45/AV46, which I think is going to give much better life than the AV35/AV36's that they replace, along with good wet and dry handling.  Its already available from a couple mail order places.  I'm thinking of using them this coming season if no bad news develops about them before then, otherwise I will use the Metz Z4/Z2 combo again that I was quite happy with this year.

Quote from: gsjack on May 01, 2006, 10:46:13 PM
For "old-skool" narrow wheels, I highly recommend the Bridgestone BT45's.  LOVED them on my K-bike.  Looked to be a 10k tire with very decent traction in wet or cold.

By comparison, I thought the Metzler Laser/ME55 combo sucked ass.  Really poor traction and only 5k life. 

For yet another comparo, I simply DESPISE metzler Marathons.  "Traction?  We don't need no stinking traction!"  Just plain ass and mileage no better than the BT45's.

Very interesting.  I replaced the OEM tires on my 97 GS500 with a pair of OE size BT45s.  Rear lasted 9500 miles.  Then tried a ME88 on rear that went 16,900 miles.  Thought ME88 traction was about as good as the BT45.

A second BT45 then was half worn out at 2000 miles when I installed a Z4 front Z2 rear combo spring of 02.  The MEZ2 rear lasted 13,900 miles.

The BT45's just don't seem to last very long for me when run hard.

I put a new pair of Z4/Z2 tires on this spring and the rear was cut after 4000 miles and replaced with a quickly available Avon AV36 rear.  The bike went another 5000 on that combo including a June trip to the Smokies till it was totalled 7-19 by a S10 pickup.  Just restored bike to service and replaced the Z4 front with a BT010. Can't wait to try this BT010/AV36 combo in warmer weather, it's not seen much more than 30-40F temps so far.

Bought a slightly used 02 GS500 in Sept that came with bias tires and have put another 4000 miles on those.  I'm planning on trying the new Avon AV45/46 tires on the 02 next season.  I liked that rear AV36 on the old GS, especially in the rain. 

After a 540 mile day long trip to Lake George last year with hard rain at least half the way at 80 mph freeway speeds, I'm completely sold on the radials even for a modest bike like a GS500.

I know my tire milages doesn't compare directly to the big sport tourers since I have a very limited amount of power scrubbing to accelerate the wear factor, but those BT45 don't seem to hold up for me when pushed hard in the twisties. Hard for me, anyway. I've always liked the ME88 Marathons, but haven't tried the ME880's yet.

and the best yet:

Quote from: gsjack on May 01, 2006, 10:46:13 PMTires I've used on the GSs so far and miles used:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v443/jcp8832/97GStirelog.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v443/jcp8832/02GStirelog.jpg

My ranking so far for my type of use:

1.  AV45/46 Avon ST radials

2.  MEZ4/Z2 sport touring radials

3.  ME33/ ME88 Metzelers for longer life with good handling.  Consider Lasretec/ME880 combo now for long life but gives very tall 130/90 or 140/80 rear tire.

4.  BT45

5.  AM51/52

6.  OEM Excedras

7.  K491 rear.  Very long lasting but too slick for GS500s handling.  Worked good on my previous old Hondas though.  <G>

The ME33 front was the most even wearing front tire I've had on the GSs, most other fronts wore very unevenly for me.  Main reason for my trying the Lasertecs, the front has same ME33 type tread pattern.

The BT010 front was put on the 97 because it was immediately available locally and the more responsive handling of this sport radial is quite noticeable over the sport touring radials.  If you ride less miles per year or have lots of tire bucks, you might enjoy the all out sport radials although the rear tire size will be a compromise on our 3.5" wheels.

not trying to be a smartass, just trying to help. I got this quickly but I knew what I was looking for. Hope this helps.

there was also some info in FAQ

I changed the stock "Excederas" at 6500 miles, possibly I could have gotten another few hundred but i was glad to be rid of them, BT45s fitted now, felt better straight away.

I put 7400 miles on my stock BT45s - then I bought a pair of pirelli sport demons (GSJack and I talked about tires a LOT) and I've put about 1K on them already. They're awesome tires, I'll never go back. I can't believe the difference.

Those gsJack tire log links above are obsolete and no longer work.  They've been combined on one log:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v443/jcp8832/GS500tirelog.jpg

thanks for the heads up. I will change the info in the FAQ since I added those to his thread on tires there.
pablo-

I just changed the rear (stock) tire at 16,000km (10,000 miles).

Probably do the front tire next spring.

I use the BT 45's, and i get 8000 miles from the rear and between 10,000 to 12,000 from the fronts. I do mainly highway riding with a minimun of 100 miles a day.

yeah i have about 4500 on my BT45's and while there is a small flattening in the middle of the tire from to much commuting and not enough twisties I believe they will go to at least around 8k before the rear needs to be changed.  When i change mine i will likly change both though.