Have you tried these tires?

Bridgestone Spitfires? I'm thinking of mounting them to my 74 Z1. What are your comments?

Thanks

After having 2 sets of Battleaxes, and riding friends bikes with various makes of BStones on theirs i won't buy another set of them.....any of them. The handling is crappy, and the stick is not so hot compared to anything else I have had....

Doc

I've got spitfires. Some people think they're lame, but I can vouch for them, I've had my bike down so far that the chicken strips are very very small. I like them, very good value for money.

But what else is there Doc? I mean theres Dunlop GT501's but I cant find anything with better stick than the spitfires for the same price.

bt-045 bridgestones that is the last set i put on my 74 they are a v-rated tire so they stick well, seem to get decent mileage and they are realy good in the wet the front that will fit our bikes is 100/90v-19 and the rear is a 130/80v-18. ive used spitfires before they work so-so i'd put them on before a kenda or some thing like that but there is way better tires out there.i think the next tire combo i'll try is the michelin macadam 50 series tire they are a v-rated tire as well i've heard good things so i'm so i'm willing to give them a try.

Anyone try these...

OMR

Cutting-edge sport touring radial

• Innovative radial structure with two plies at 75 degrees (all front sizes and some rear sizes), bound by a longitudinal zero-degree crown ply. This compliant casing promotes comfort, consistent handling under varying loads, and durability.

• Versatile rubber mix with 100-percent silica reinforcing fillers, providing the ideal compromise between grip and mileage. The silica fillers replace the conventional carbon black fillers normally used to bind the rubber molecules. These silica bonds are more elastic than carbon, reducing internal friction and excessive heat, helping to combat premature tire wear.

• Sets new standards for wet grip and cold-weather performance, with impressive durability as well, thanks to the silica rubber mix. Compounds for both front and rear have been optimized to promote balanced wear on both wheels.

• Semi-elliptic profile provides progressive, stable handling on highways or backroads. The tread pattern has been designed for superb traction in wet weather while providing even wear patterns.

• Progressively tapered grooves channel water away from the contact patch. Meanwhile, a semi-slick tread pattern at the shoulder combines wet traction with reassuring feedback on dry roads.

i probably would but they don't come in skinny wheel sizes, may be for my new project but not for my old girl with stock wheel sizes. smallest rear 18" is 160/60zr-18.

I put a set of Spitfires on my KZ1000 last year and am happy with them. I don't road race so I can't comment on how they compare for aggressive riding. I think a lot depends on your riding style. They seem like a nice solid tire to me.

I like the michelen tires the best,, but havent found anybody who carries them anymore, I have dunlops on mow, like them so far.
I stopped buying cheap tires years ago, its my butt on the bike and I want to keep it there, besides, the savings vs life of the tire just never seems to add up for me

Which tire works best depends on the bike... a lot! If you have a 650, the best tire might be this or that. If have a KZ1000E1, as I do, you will want to use a tire with a high load rating. I use Dunlop 404s on my shafty and they work pretty well. I have less than 10K miles on them so I can't say what mileage I will end up getting but they seem to hold up well and handle pretty well, wet or dry. I like Dunlops. I use Hi-Max tires on my KZ900 carb test bikes as they hold up well and are CHEAP! I don't do a lot of sporty or distance riding and CHEAP is the criteria for those tires. On my 88 Voyager I use Avon Venom X which are a great touring tire and I would use them on the KZ1000E1 as well if they had the correct sizes.

I'm surprised the 404s will even support that KZ1000E heavy as it is. We've talked quite a bit about tires here and I seem to be in the minority in my dislike for the tire. On the KZ650 they turned rock hard after a few thousand miles. I can live with rock hard on summer days on dry roads, but hard in rain slickened or snow is no good at all. So it depends a lot the weather you ride in plus the motorcycle. I ride all winter myself.
Something I may not of mentioned before, not that it really matters probably, but tires of course have a load rating, speed rating and all that of course, but also on the sidewall it will tell you how many plies the tire is constructed of in the tread and sidewall. You'd think this would be universal, like in truck tires loadrange E is always a 10 ply tire. Motorcycles though they have the load rating and plys can vary. My old K591 Dunlop is load range B, 551 lb and 4 ply construction. The Dunlop 404 is still load range B 551 lb, but on the sidewall the plys were less. I threw the things away, but I think they said 2 ply sidewall and 3 ply tread. I could be wrong, but definately less than 4 plys. This may not matter, but you mount those 404s they are like a bicycle tire because they are so flimsy constructed. That's not particulary safe I don't think. You get a flat tire, you're basically riding on the rim where on a better tire it's much less that way because the sidewall and tread somewhat support you off the wheel. I'd assume, but can't say for sure that many of the cheaper tires are constructed in this manner. I don't know the spitfire so can't say there. If you figure the difference in cost of the best tires vs the cheapest, and figure it up over time, the difference is about a penny per mile. The best penny you'll ever spend.

I've had a set on my 650 for a few years now ( 130 on the back , 100 on the front) . For normal everyday riding they work great, and if I push it ,they seem to heat up enough also. I a heavy rider at 250lbs with gear!:silly:

MAC:)