the great tire debate

Ok, time for new sneakers on the 77 LTD 1000, it has Dunlops on it now, I got good life out of them but was looking for opinions on new tires.
Thanks

I have bought tires from Metzeler, Michelin, Dunlop, Avon, Bridgestone and probably a couple I've forgotten about. In all honesty, I've never been disappointed by any of them. The worst "problem" I recall is having a certain model of Dunlop wear flat in the center of the rear tire on one particular bike (Concours). I have tended toward Avon and Dunlop because I generally get the best price on them from my local dealer.
My theory is, buy name brand tires appropriate for the bike and the style of riding. Keep them inflated to the tire manufacturer's recommendations. Be happy.

Avons....they look killer on these old bikes...Otakar turned me onto em and now i notice when i'm at the Quail lodge classic show each yr,the bikes that are bad to the bone...old ducks,commandos,tigers,ect,,ect,have avon roadriders...they make V-rated high performance -classic profile in 19 and also the can be ordered in 19x 2.50 or 19 x 110 ect....16-18 rears also come 120mm or 4.00 so it is easy to know what it will fit like...

oh and they wear great and handle like the old metzlers on the kz.....

click on pic to enlarge and see the side where the tire transitions from road surface to side wall...the avons have a cool little rib that runs there and dresses up the bikes ends..imo

my prices for my sizes and shipping were decent too..

tape on weights are 3.00



Item 1
Product ID: 0306-0052
Product Name: ***5730 TIRE ROADRIDER MT90-16 Rear
Product Price: $87.00
Quantity: 1

Item 2
Product ID: 0306-0072
Product Name: *** 5704 TIRE ROADRIDER 100/90-19 Front or Rear
Product Price: $70.00
Quantity: 1

SubTotal: $157.00
Shipping: $24.00(Regular Shipping)
Handling: $2.00
State Tax: $12.17
Country Tax: $0.00
Grand Total: $195.17

Bridgestone Battlax are getting rave reviews for a good tire that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

I had Bridgeston Battlax's on my rs warrior. I was not very impressed by them. If you ride alot, and I mean alot, you do not want these. They are a soft compound tire and will wear out fast. If you are just going to burn it up every now and then they wouldn't be a bad choice. They are just not that great for everyday riding. They look cool!

Yes, I have been running Avons on my bikes since 1979 and would never turn back. I also started putting them on my Jaguars back in 98. I get fantastic life on them and they grip better than any other street tire I have used. I guess what I like about them is the Performance, Life, Selection, and Low relative price. Hay, if they are good enough to be the OE tire on all Rolls-Royce cars, they're good enough for me.

www.avon-tyres.co.uk/motorcycle/

Ive been running the battleaxe BT45s Vrated and love em
They are dual compond on the rear and boy do they stick in the corners.
I got about 9000km out of my last rear tire the front was still pretty good but I replaced both anyway
I like em a lot

I've been getting about 12K mi. out of my Avons, but they still have tread on them when I change them, because they are getting a bit dry by then. That seams about double of the Battleaxe and about the same price. Hay Jeffasaki, take a look at that tire and let us know where it is made. I'm curious if it is actually made in the States or Japan. I have never liked Japanese Rubber. It has a habit of drying out very fast. At 6000Mi, I would be installing a new tire more than once a year. I've put 1300mi on my bike since mid October alone.

Made in Japan
Yeah I change em once a summer
All depends on how you ride Never had a tire dry out before I wore it out.
Ive been a bridgestone fan for a while
I really like the dual compond on the rear
Just my 2 cents
Back in the day I liked pirrelli phantoms Still have a old set.

The 12K mi. takes about two years depending. The tire should not even be close to drying out in a single year. Because of my lay-off in April 2009, it has taken longer than normal to put the 12K mi. on my tires. I used to average about 10K mi./Yr on my bike when I was working at the old place. My tires would last about 1.5 seasons. Because of the extreme temperature variations here in Chicago which I ride in, from as low as 25f to 100+f, tires do have a tendency to dry out a bit faster. I now use my rubber rejuvenatory on them and they last a bit longer. My tires now are three years old and they are still good. Now with my new job, I will only be commuting about 7500mi/year to and fro work each year on the bike, so I should be able to get two seasons on a set of tires.

The Batlax tires wear depends on which model you have. I've got the Bridgestone Batlax 021 sport touring tire on the rear of my bike it's a 160/60-18 W (168 mph) rated and I have got about 25K of mostly city and highway miles on it. It's a dual compound and has been a great tire. It's getting about time to replace it and I'll definately be getting another one. The front is a 100/90-19 Baracuda that was on new on the bike when I got it and it's been getting similar mileage. But it doesn't have nearly the grip that the bridgestone has but is a decent performer as well.

WOW 25K on a motorcycle tire is unbelievable. Most guys are happy to get about 6K out of a tire, and I am very happy with my 12+K out of mine.