I need tire advice

[STrider]

Flatted rear (the tire, not to mention myself) on the pie run. Repaired (Thanks Tourmeister & John!!!), and made the rest of the run, about 300 miles on repair. The tire has about 750 miles left on it (guessing). The tire repair team noted several cuts (.5 to .75 cm) during the fix, but these were mostly worn off by the time I got home.

[kurt]

If you are talking about an inside patch, run it until it's worn out. If it is still a plug, either patch it or replace it. Strictly my opinion of course. This assumes you have no plans for a track day or similar high stress environment.

[Rocket_Cowboy]

I'm not a big fan of riding big miles on a roadside repair. Unless you do the combo plug/patch, there's that chance that the plug will come out, and fast sudden leaks are not alot of fun on two wheels. My personal view is that the roadside repair should last you long enough to get to a shop somewhere so you're not stranded on the side of the road, then you replace the tire.

Since you're estimating only 750 or so miles left on the tire, I don't think it'd be any big loss in replacing it now. It's a much tougher decision if you only had 750 miles on a tire that'll last you 9000 miles.

Just my $0.02 worth.

[Tourmeister]

:tab It is not just an issue of tread depth. You rode that tire at half the normal pressure for about 20-25 miles. That causes a LOT of heat build up in the carcass. Given the lack of remaining tread and the places where the rubber was coming apart because of the heat, I would go ahead and get a new tire. If you can get your tire and bike up here I'll be happy to help you change it. Be sure to have that HUGE wrench for the nut on the rear axle. I don't have one that big.

:tab Oh, get the Pilot Road, it is better than the BT020 ;-) My opinion of course...

Adios,

[STrider]

A Pilot Road is what you repaired. I really like it, also considering Avon. If I can figure a way to get the tire & bike (or tire and wheel, if I am feeling particularly brave), I will take you up on it.

[Tourmeister]

Hmm... Maybe I was delerious because of the cold... Thought it was an 020 for some reason... Might have been the fumes from the flaming rubber cement... :-P

Adios,

[bluedogok]

That is a 46mm nut on the rear of the Sprint ST and othe SSSA Triumphs.

[kurt]

That is a 46mm nut on the rear of the Sprint ST and othe SSSA Triumphs.

:shock: Leave it to the British to overcompensate. :-D

[wczimmerman]

Yeah-if your front is a still usable Pilot Road, then I would just get another rear Pilot Road and get it scrubbed in before the next meet!

[P-Ratt]

Don't fret 750 miles. Go ahead and swap it. If it had another, say, 5k in it, I'd go with the patch recommendations.

[buck000]

A Pilot Road is what you repaired. I really like it, also considering Avon.

I'm thinking of going with the AV 45/46 combo for my next tire (well, after I wear out the front Diablo, which means getting another rear one :-) ).

Do you have any add'l thoughts on the Roads? I'm mainly thinking about mileage and wet weather traction.

Man, I wish I'd known you were having troubles that day; I had a bunch of C02 cannisters in the topcase... :-(

[STrider]

Mileage is not as good as Bridgestone 020, but I am willing to take that trade-off in favor of the excellent (and VERY superior) wet weather performance they have delivered for me. Of course, there are others that will say the exact opposite. The Futura and Sprint are similar enough that I think tire performance should be similar, but of course a whole lot depends on the wrist.

[scratch]

I'm thinking of going with the AV 45/46 combo for my next tire (well, after I wear out the front Diablo, which means getting another rear one :-) ).

Do you have any add'l thoughts on the Roads? I'm mainly thinking about mileage and wet weather traction.



My 2 cents on the subject -
I've put @ 3,500 miles on my Pilot Roads now, and I can't honestly say that there's much difference between these and the BT 020 or Dunlop D220 in the rain, but I don't push it very hard when the roads get wet. Between those three brands, I think I prefer the D220, but only because of the way they seem to tip-in a little more predictably in slow speed turns. Otherwise, I guess I don't ride hard enough to tell a practical difference between any of them. :shrug: I've heard good things about the Avons, but haven't gotten around to trying them out yet.

[Squeaky]

I guess I don't ride hard enough to tell a practical difference between any of them. :shrug:

Well, there's a pic of you going through a turn in Arkansas that rotates through the banner images that begs to differ with this statement. ;-)

[scratch]

Well, there's a pic of you going through a turn in Arkansas that rotates through the banner images that begs to differ with this statement. ;-)

That's an imposter - I would never lean over that far! :angel:

Seriously, I don't regard myself as a particularly fast rider. I'm too chicken. ;-)

[gotdurt]

Considering the potential damage done by riding with the pressure so low and with an embeded foreign object, I would err on the side of safety and consider the tire's integrity compromised. It just isn't worth the potential catastrophic consequinces to squeeze out a few extra miles.

[buck000]

Seriously, I don't regard myself as a particularly fast rider. I'm too chicken. ;-)

buck000 remembers watching SVinAustin's and scratch's taillights quickly recede into the distance on one E. Texas ride

Yoiks, I'm way slower than even I thought! :shock:

That would explain the preponderance of side tread and ability to get 11K miles out of a front D220 and 5800 miles out of a rear one, though.. :-|

[STrider]

I can't honestly say that there's much difference between these and the BT 020 or Dunlop D220 in the rain, but I don't push it very hard when the roads get wet. Between those three brands, I think I prefer the D220, but only because of the way they seem to tip-in a little more predictably in slow speed turns.

Interesting. The Slipstone B020 scared me pretty good in slightly damp conditions, while the Pilot Roads have always stuck great.

Otherwise, I guess I don't ride hard enough to tell a practical difference between any of them

I scrubbed my chicken strips off during the mini-butt burner, and you were ahead of me :angel: !!.

[bluedogok]

Here is a review from a tire thread on TriumphRAT.net (http://triumphrat.net/) about the Avon tires (or would that be tyres). The guy has them on a Concours and lives in Kent, Washington (between Seattle and Tacoma) so I would guess he would know about wet weather performance.

TriumphRAT.net - Avon ST tire..Need feedback (http://triumphrat.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=Forum&file=viewtopic&t opic=15979&forum=20)
Member: Delta88
Location: The Holy City of Kent, WA, USA
Posted: 2005-02-01 22:16

I'm betting that you wanted someone with experience with Avons on a Sprint but, until they come along, I can tell you that I'm on my third straight set on my Concours in 2 years. The Connie is a heavy pig compared to a Sprint, (or most any other bike, I guess), and the tires are skinnier. Even so, I averaged over 13k mi. out of the first 2 sets. The rears would've gone a little longer in each case but I replaced both as a set for convenience's sake. I do some LD/endurance riding and I'm not the most agressive rider out there but there are only minimal "Chicken Strips" on my tires - mostly because the Connie's sidestand grinds before you can get at the extreme edges on the tires. Traction? The best wet pavement tire I've ever run on the bike. Better than the Metzler Z's, Dunlop 205's and Continentals. They absolutely transformed the bike on dry pavement. Very "planted" feeling and the profile of the front makes it turn in much faster in the twisties. As you might tell, I cannot recommend a tire any higher than I do the Avon 45/46. Hope this helps.

[P-Ratt]

I tried an AV46 on my ZX9R after hearing that it had been designed to be a sticky tire that gave good mileage while in use on high horsepower and torque bikes like the ZX12R and 'Busa.

It was a fantastic tire for the first 10,000 miles. Then it got a little hard. I burned off the last 4,000 miles on a trip to Utah and Nebraska last September. But I got almost 15k (14,7something) out of it in 7 months. That's nearly twice the mileage as the next longest lasting tire I have used, and three times that of others. I am still astonished at its performance. It was a GREAT rain tire. I ran it to the edge easily with no fret as long as it had some time to warm up. When cold, they squirm a bit, but not any worse than anything else I have ever used. But they did warm up pretty fast. I would wholeheartedly suggest the AV46 to all but the trackday riders. I never had a problem on the street at sane speeds, but would think that the track could be more than they could handle.

[Doc]

Go for the Pilot Roads.

I have used Dunlop 220's and 208's on my 900SS ... they were good until they neared their end, then they virtually shed rubber you could see. On the Arkansas run I checked them before we set out, looked to be about 1,000 miles left until cactus.

Within 30 miles we stopped and saw rubber balling itself off the now bare center tread. Lot's of slides that morning. :eek:

I grabbed some Pilot Track tires (all I could get to hit my rims up there in Harrison on a Friday night) and they have been fantastic (3,500 miles now, and looking good for 1,000 more although the center is thinner, as usual) ... I will on the performance of these go for the Pilot Roads without hesitation, and maybe get 6,000 out of them.

They grip like ... well I don't need this much grip is about what it amounts to. :hail