View Full Version : Rear Tyre choice?
Squashed_Fly
10-08-11, 10:04 AM
Need a new rear tyre.
Have a dunlop sportmax on the rear at the moment which has been awesome, absolutely tons of grip, combined with the Avon Viper Extreme on the front.
Front has lots of life still in it, and there is another one available from the same place when it does go, but no rears so loking for a decent rear, that will be sticky/grippy enough to enjoy the remans of the summer, but also give some longevity and wet weather grip to go through winter. I'll switch back to stickies again next spring/summer.
Anybody had good/bad experiences with anything that fits that bill?
Squashed_Fly
10-08-11, 10:47 AM
Had a quick look around on the t'interweb, and Dunlop Roadsmarts seems to be getting good reviews everywhere...
jonnydangerous
10-08-11, 12:07 PM
avon viper or storm if you want a bit more mileage, superb tyres and the storms seem to last forever, good grip and excellent in the wet!
id go with the storm, have used them on the GSXR and theyve been good.
wiltshire builders
10-08-11, 12:53 PM
Think i'm going to give the roadsmarts a go next time.
I've used Roadsmarts on the 10 since last June, certainly had no grip issues at any time. The rear lasted a year and even when on the verge of replacement it still gripped plenty in very wet Wales at the end of June.
Sticky tyres on a road bike? Total waste of money - on the road you can never get them hot enough to really work properly and you can't ride hard enough on the road to need more grip than something like Roadsmarts offer anyway.
Bridgestones all the way!!!
Dunlop sportsmarts are worth a look . There a very good sporty road tyre
I always go for a matching pair.
I dont know if its just sales talk but I've been told several times never to mix different manufacturers tyres on a bike.
I had Avon Storm 2's on my CBR1000 which I thought were brilliant and on my new bike a VTR1000 I've just had a BT023 Batlax fitted which seems fine but in fairness I've only done 100 miles on it. They certainly don't get anywhere near as sticky as the Avon's did.
Something you might want to check out if you are considering Avons is the guarantee they offer - I cant remember the conditions but if you get a puncture you can, subject to various conditions, get a new tyre free of charge from them.
Squashed_Fly
10-08-11, 05:38 PM
Nikki - I've been running mismatched tyres for the last 8000 miles with no issues on this bike. Have done 2 trackdays on them, plus learnt to get knee down, lots of fast road riding, commuting for work etc and no issues.
Also used to get different tyres on my older bikes with no probs.
Tyre dealers say that to try and get you to buy into their brand. But ultimately it doesn't matter - if you feel safer for it, then placebo or not it makes you ride better and more confidently.
I guess it would be easier to ask if there are any to avoid completely as everyone seems to have different views on what's good. Avon Storms or Dunlop Roadsmarts seem to have equally good reviews, but seen some quite bad ones on some of the bridgestones so will leave well alone...
wiltshire builders
10-08-11, 05:44 PM
Running a k1 front and k2 rear race tecs at the moment purely because I get them cheap off of the Vicar who, so I was told last night, might be doing the TT next year. Always good to have a local to cheer on.
Just managed 2600 on the rear on mixed roads. I know a lot of you will baulk at that but that's actually pretty good.
Nikki - I've been running mismatched tyres for the last 8000 miles with no issues on this bike. Have done 2 trackdays on them, plus learnt to get knee down, lots of fast road riding, commuting for work etc and no issues.
Also used to get different tyres on my older bikes with no probs.
Tyre dealers say that to try and get you to buy into their brand. But ultimately it doesn't matter - if you feel safer for it, then placebo or not it makes you ride better and more confidently.
Yeh my other half has a mis-match of tyres on his bike and hasn't had any problems.
BladeTriple
10-08-11, 09:20 PM
I've put a BT021 on the back matched with a BT016 (I had that in the garage from a tyre deal I got for my GSXR1000 18 months ago and needed to use the tyre) on the SP3, granted it's no sports bike but it's doing its fair share of miles and its a great combo nice and grippy.
I think they say the only mismatch should involve if you're using different compounds that the harder compound goes on the rear, softer to the front... I may be wrong tho :)
Again like everything it all comes down to tyre preference, from ones you've had good experience with in the past... I loved the Avons on my Blade and every other bikes had Bridgestones on, Didn't like the original Metelers on my SP3 when I got it tho .
bobf279
10-08-11, 09:22 PM
storms
HensonA
11-08-11, 01:53 AM
Just put my second pair of Avon Storm 2 Ultras on my CB1000R.
(£233 fitted on ride in / ride out service by Steve Lynham Motorcycles on ind estate next to Swindon crematorium).
I've found them to be an excellent tyre and with the harder compound middle section I got 8,500 miles out of first set. [smiley=thumbsup.gif]
I used to run mis-matched tyres on the Sv. Never had a problem.
If I remember, the general rule is not to mix'n match different ply's of tyre i.e radials, crossplys etc. I believe these are straight MOT failures as well. I would also suggest its prudent to make sure the general tyre tread is at least similar in pattern. As an example I would not match up a "Dual Sport tyre" with a pure "Road" tyre even if they are the same type of construction.
There is another thing to consider at your own risk. If you have an accident and there is any way your insurers can get out of it by suggesting you had the wrong or mismatched tyres on your bike - they will. They will go straight to the manufacturers and find out what are the recommended tyres for your bike i.e size, construction, pressures etc., even brand if your bike manufacturers specifies those as well (mine does).
Personally I never mix'n match tyres. They are perhaps the single most important thing on your bike and you put your life on the line with them every time you go out. Those and your brakes. Its your choice.
Squashed_Fly
11-08-11, 09:16 AM
So long as you let your insurers know you don't have OEM tyres, then they can't wriggle out. My manual does list 2 types of oem tyres, but they are just that - a recommendation (probably paid for by said tyre company!)
I let mine know everything non standard - can, screen & tyres. Didn't make any difference to my premiums and the lady was really nice and friendly when I called. MCE if anybody is interested?
Take your point about tyres being most important, but disagree about mix/match brands. Radials & styles yes, but brands not important. But as I said before, if thinking it makes a difference gives you more confidence, then do it. It doesn't matter if it does or not.
My currently mismatched tyres give shedloads more grip and feedback than the matched ones that were on there when I picked it up so I have tons more confidence to ride it. I should have made a note what the old ones were as they were AWFUL in the wet!
Its your choice at the end of the day. I have all my accessories logged on with my insurers too ... and pay the extra for it as they add another £3.5K to the insured value. I didn't say it was wrong to mix brands - I did say I wouldn't mix construction or basic tread pattern.
Did you actually tell your insurer you have non-recommended tyres fitted to your bike or did you just state the tyres you have fitted? If I were an insurer and you told me you have xyz brand fitted I wouldn't bat an eyelid. But if you told me that the bike is fitted with non-standard or non-recommended tyres my warning bells would go right off. Thats if I cared, because your insurer doesn't really care if you are legal or not. More profit for them if you are not legal as they can simply refuse your claim and take the profit from the premiums you have paid.
Also, don't think that by telling your insurers of your added bits and bobs then all is hunky dory and you are covered in the event of an accident. All the insurers are interested in at this point is the bike's value if it needs to be replaced, not whether anything might be a contributary factor in an accident. You are responsible for the legality and road worthiness of your bike not your insurer even if you have informed them.
All I'm saying is thats its your choice what you do with your bike its just always best to make it an informed decision and know the consequences before rather than when it's too late.
I tend to look at this way. If I'm standing (hopefully) at the side of the road after I have had an off or an accident, I don't really want to be worrying about whether my insurers are going to pick up the fact that I might have come off because of that high speed tank slapper I just had and I have a BT45 on the rear and a BTW53 on the front which the police are now taking a very close look at.
Squashed_Fly
11-08-11, 11:15 AM
I've told them they are not the recommended ones. They even sent me back the policy, re-worded to include the changes so they have been very helpful.
If they choose to provide cover knowing that infomation, then they can't choose not to pay out whether it's contributary or not. They can only do it if you haven't declared it. At declaration point they can then choose to increase your premium if the risk is increased, or decline to cover (if you fitted NOS that might happen!).
I've heard of claims going unpaid because of undeclared heated grips which is ridiculous, and a hard lesson to learn...
Back on topic though - In any case, I reckon I'm going to go with the Avon Storms. Rears on ebay for around £100 which isn't bad if it'll last me through to next spring...
SF, I don't want to go on about this ad infinitum, but I do believe you are wrong. It is your responsibility to ensure your bike is legal and roadworthy not your insurers. If, as a result of an accident, it is proved that your non-recommended tyres caused or were a contributing factor to the accident and would not have been caused had you had the recommended tyres fitted, it is irrelevant that you told your insurers that they were fitted and had them on the policy. They won't pay out. And if a third party is involved, and you're subsequently proved to be at fault, your insurers will throw you to the wolves.
If however, your bike is stolen, you are covered on your insurance based upon the replacement value of the additional items on your policy i.e your cans etc. Thats the point of having them on the policy in the first place.
This is my understanding of how it works based upon my dealings over the years with insurers and my own conversations about some of the accessories I have fitted to mine and registered on my policy so I have had this exact conversation myself with my insurers. Just because you have told them what's fitted doesn't make it legal or your bike roadworthy. I will gladly hold up my hands and say I'm wrong...if I'm wrong. So, for the insurance experts out there.......
Squashed_Fly
11-08-11, 01:34 PM
You are wrong.
Unless the tyre was proved to be illegal (ie bald, or a non road legal tyre), then it WOULD NOT hold up a payout. Declared or not. Otherwise we would see millions of bikers every day in the news not being able to claim insurance due to their tyres.
The tyres that are recommended for a bike, may not even exist anymore so your theory holds no weight. Unless of course you are sugesting if a manufacturer stops production of said tyre, or changes it in any way, that you should scrap the bike as any other tyre invalidates your insurance? You haven't thought this through really have you? ::)
Your missing the point SF. I suggest you read my posts again.... or just leave it. Its your decision what you do with your bike, I don't care. I would just suggest to others who may be reading this to make their own research, do their own due diligence and don't take for granted as gospel what you read on this forum over something that could be life changing in many ways. Full stop.
Try M&P for great offers
http://www.mandp.co.uk/productinfo/901218/Tyres/Tyre-Offers/Bridgestone/BT-014-Pairs?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campai gn=090811
Squashed_Fly
11-08-11, 04:29 PM
Thanks Caz - some good deals there!
Thanks Caz - some good deals there!
I spent ages searching the net for my tyres - the trouble is often by the time you've paid to have them fitted any saving you get from buying online is lost.
I got a great deal and service from Melksham Tyre Supplies when I had an Avon fitted on my CBR last month and brilliant ride in ride out service from Carson Tyres in Melksham with a Bridgestone tyre last week.
A round one , there the best to have ;) big stuff like yours has to be bridgstone i used to run 020,s on my zr7 loved then best tyre iv had , had mitchlin macadam on there after slid out on a corner lost all faith in it took it off next day and put a bridgstone back on .Tyres are personal choice no one rides the same way so there act differnt to everyones style ,and if your a dry weather weekend chap , then you can get away with ultra stickys ,but like me rode all year all weathers 020,s where tops for me ,i did rag the tits off the zr7 lol and the ware rate was very slow on the bridgstone. ;)Prolly no help to you wot so ever lol
Squashed_Fly
11-08-11, 05:37 PM
Cheers Wiggy. Think I'm gonna stick woth the Avon Storms for winter, then switch to Pirelli Diablo Corsa BSBs for the warmer months.
Hoping to get a spare set of wheels for next summer set up with wet tyres as well for track days, so I can get out on track a little more. The 3 days I've done this years has definately given me the bug.
ATM, I only have the bike, or Jens car, but will have company car again from Sept so should get longer out of the tyres as I won't be using them for commuting!
...I've just had a BT023 Batlax fitted which seems fine but in fairness I've only done 100 miles on it. They certainly don't get anywhere near as sticky as the Avon's did...
I have these too - partly because I don't have a clue about motorbike tyres so went for the closest to what Honda said mine should have (021s) and so far they're been fine.
But to be fair I'm riding a restricted bike so don't go *that* fast ;D
jonnydangerous
12-08-11, 08:03 AM
both of mine are "round and black" with some tread stuff on them.
mine are continental.....one was made in france and ones made in Germany, theyre both on "the continent" and therefore continental :-)
Cheers Wiggy. Think I'm gonna stick woth the Avon Storms for winter, then switch to Pirelli Diablo Corsa BSBs for the warmer months.
Hoping to get a spare set of wheels for next summer set up with wet tyres as well for track days, so I can get out on track a little more. The 3 days I've done this years has definately given me the bug.
ATM, I only have the bike, or Jens car, but will have company car again from Sept so should get longer out of the tyres as I won't be using them for commuting!
Had avon storm on the front was a good tyre ,got dunlop on now thanks to Jaadee ,but in thinking avon for the rear .All i used to run in the 80,s was avons ,supreams on small stuff roadrunners on everything else lol.
M and phave conti twists pairs for under £80 dunno if they have your size you will need to look , but thats very cheap . :)
It's really down to personal choice. I have now stuck with Metzeler, a great tyre and very forgiving. I tried Bridgestones on the MT-01 and the rear only lasted approx 2k miles
470four
12-08-11, 11:09 PM
I wish I had the money to have matching tyres on my bikes - as far as I can remember this has only happened 4 times in over 33 years?
Ceat knobblies (C70 field bike)
Metzeler ME22 (CD175 with a CB200 engine etc - about 3 foot tall and an EXCELLENT winter bike...)
Avon Roadrunners (400/4, approx 1998 - 2008, they were apparently made of mahogany / old russian womans wellies)
Avon Roadriders (400/4, 2008 - present day, purchased after I spotted the birthdate of the roadrunners, Roadriders are a very good tyre for older bikes, lots of 18" sizes etc?
For once, SF - I agree, as long as the tyre is suited to the bike & legal there will be No Problems with the insurers, nobody can be expected in these troubled times to be anal enough to dig out the "recommended" original fitment tyres, quite possibly by now horrifically sketchy & outdated?
Tyres? Fit a named multi-tread tyre and you wont go far wrong, I have always run a sticky track-tyre on the front because:
- if your front goes you will feel it, both physically and financially, tyres are cheaper than fairing panels & hospital time.
- in Winter, temperatures drop WELL below freezing... when this happens the tyres hardness will ALSO increase, meaning in some cases a normal road tyre will reach sport/touring tyre hardness, not good when you need it to grip under braking, icy conditions etc? A sticky sports tyre will reach normal road tyre hardness, so all good! Less wear & more grip than a normal tyre?
Tyre grip is EVERYTHING. One person will swear by one brand, one by another, very personal... I would ask what other riders of the same bike have tried on theirs??
Besides - new tyres are FUN. Remember to get a black one with a nice squiggly pattern & a good overlap on the sides so you can nibble it a little
Cheeky tip:
The new tyre will be covered in mould release agent - an oil that stops the tyre from sticking to the mould? Strange that.
:D
You can either:
Bimble around like a girl for the recommended 100 miles to scrub this off so you can ride properly, or:
Run a bucketfull of hot water with a good squirt of washing-up liquid in it and scrub the tyre when you get home before fitting it to the bike. Scrub the tyre, NOT the wheel (washing-up liquid contains salt...), rinse well and refit tyre.
Delubricated the tyre should provide sterling service right from the start?? 8-)
The point is to fit tyres suitable for the bike and application. I can still get recommended tyres for my 1980 Honda because the only thing stated by Honda was rim size and that they were tubeless. Still plenty of choice there and its much the same for modern bikes. OEM fitment is irrelevant to this discussion - for my GS every single tyre manufacturer who makes a 19" front is recommended, Dunlop, Metzeler, Conti, Bridgestone et al. If you fit tyres of the wrong size, wrong construction such as radial/crossply mixes, telling your insurers you have fitted unsuitable tyres won't suddenly make it legal. The same as an example in fitting HID's to a non- HID certified headlamp...it's illegal and telling your insurer you have them fitted and they add them to the policy won't make it legal all of a sudden. Although if your bike was stolen you could claim the value of the HID's on the insurance. That was my point, nothing to do with whether its a Bridgestone on the front and a Dunlop on the back. :)
Guys - do what you want just do it with knowledge of what you're doing:
An extract from the legal side of the things:
The laws require that in order to be legal a tyre must comply with a number of legal requirements.
These requirements range from what the manufacturer must be responsible for - relevant sidewall markings etc - and what the motorist should be responsible for - correct fitment and condition of tyre, tread depths etc.
It is recommended that tyres are checked on a weekly basis for tread depth, tread condition, inflation pressure, tread/sidewall damage, any signs of irregular wear. If in doubt seek the advice of a trained tyre expert who will be able to determine the suitability of the tyre for further use.
The penalties for having illegal tyres are currently up to a £2500 fine and 3 penalty points PER TYRE!
The following gives an overview of the relevant points.
There are two important Legal Statutes that Relate to Tyres:
The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986.
These regulations do not cover only tyre legal requirements but any area related to road usage and traffic. They include areas related to dimensions and manoeuvrability, brakes, wheels, springs, tracks, steering, vision, instruments, fuel, minibuses, power to weight ratio, protective systems, control of emissions, plates, markings, testing and inspection and conditions related to use.
Motor Vehicle Tyres (Safety) Regulations 1994
Which cover the requirements relating to the supply of tyres and areas such as E markings, Part Worn tyres and Re-treads.
The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986
Regulation Number Subject Area
Regulation 24 Indicates the types of vehicle covered and also temporary use spares
Regulation 25 Details tyre loads and speed ratings
Regulation 26 Stipulates the requirements for tyre mixing
Regulation 27 Details condition and Maintenance of Tyres
Tyre Mixing
Must NOT have radial tyres on the front wheels and cross ply tyres on the rear wheels, it is also illegal to have a cross ply tyre on one side with a radial on the other.
Squashed_Fly
13-08-11, 07:11 AM
I think you've made your point now Snowy. Thanks :)
What is a radial and cross ply tyre? Can anyone explain the difference?
last winter and for a bit of the summer i 'yused continental contimotion, a sport touring tyre, the pair were less than 160 but bugger me wet grip!hell yeah the best tyre iv used in the rain!and it wears well too, super tyres!
I think you've made your point now Snowy. Thanks :)
What is a radial and cross ply tyre? Can anyone explain the difference?
Google is your friend - its much easier and quicker. For the majority of modern bikes radials are the norm you just need to know not to mix them. Its more important in my view to have the correct size tyre for the rim as per the manufacturers specs and the correct speed and load rating if you want to stay squeaky clean. :)
Most tyre manufacturers have this sort of info on their sites. Try this:
http://www.conti-online.com/generator/www/de/en/continental/motorcycle/themes/faq/faq_en.html
470four
13-08-11, 10:06 AM
I think you've made your point now Snowy. Thanks :)
What is a radial and cross ply tyre? Can anyone explain the difference?
Radial & crossply refers to the build of the tyre, the direction of the layers (plys) used to build it? It's safe to safe most if not all modern tubeless tyres will be radial, so no error to be made on your bike! :) Older bikes using tubes will be mostly using crossply tyres.
Squashed_Fly
13-08-11, 12:33 PM
You learn something new every day!
Thanks :)
i run storms on my blade. much better than the battleaxe's. used to slide out on them often in the wet, storms have been great, only got a back end slide once so far, but i think that was due to the fact that most of the bikes weight was on my right foot peg and toe at the time. lol sticky as that brown stuff on a stick in the damp, cant go wrong with the wetter weather fast approaching. the fronts seem to wear a lot quicker than the rears tho
oh and something to add to your list snowy. the new rules are if your vehicle is running with 50% or greater of illegal tires (ie below tread depth minimum) than they can confiscate the vehicle. on our bikes thats like umm... one bold tire! lol. better keep those tires legal lads and ladettes!
Thanks Caz - some good deals there!
I spent ages searching the net for my tyres - the trouble is often by the time you've paid to have them fitted any saving you get from buying online is lost.
I got a great deal and service from Melksham Tyre Supplies when I had an Avon fitted on my CBR last month and brilliant ride in ride out service from Carson Tyres in Melksham with a Bridgestone tyre last week.
I have been quoted by Protyres £10 per wheel to have the tyres fitted :)
Thanks Caz - some good deals there!
I spent ages searching the net for my tyres - the trouble is often by the time you've paid to have them fitted any saving you get from buying online is lost.
I got a great deal and service from Melksham Tyre Supplies when I had an Avon fitted on my CBR last month and brilliant ride in ride out service from Carson Tyres in Melksham with a Bridgestone tyre last week.
I have been quoted by Protyres £10 per wheel to have the tyres fitted :)
Sorry to be blunt here but I wouldn't use Protyre if I was paid too. A very bad experience shall we say. :(
Squashed_Fly
15-08-11, 09:22 PM
Caz, my tyre fitter charges me that as well - seems to be the going rate. tenner or a kebab! lol
Rode a bike wi Dunlop sportmax qualifier tyres this weekend, the grip was brilliant, even in the damp. Very very impressed with them, felt really sticky and great feedback
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