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Suzuki Bandit 1250 Sub-Thread: Tires

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So, reading through this entire thread, I have come up with this summary:

Places to buy - you can bet there are a million more.
http://www.americanmototire.com
http://www.swmototires.com
http://www.sportbiketrackgear.com
http://www.ronayers.com


* Original Dunlaps are not wearing very well.
* Conti Road Attacks wore well and were well liked. About $270. One person only saw 3000 on the rear and it was gone.
* Bridgestone BT021 also a good high mileage well liked tire.
* Michelin Pilot Road 2, although more money than the Pilot Road 1, they are a dual compound and expected to be a high mileage tire.
* Michelin Pilot Power was a great choice, but maybe only 4000 on the rear. $240 shipped to your door.
* Michelin Pilot Power 2CT is also on the list - I would guess for those looking for high lean angles.
* Metzler Z6 was liked, but needed a wear guage on the tire.
* Avon Storm St's got a very high recommendation outperforming the Attacks and the Z6.
* Pirelli Diablo Rosso came up - which may be the route I take being a Pirelli fan anyway. I believe these are new and are a dual compund tire.
* Pirelli Diablo Corsa III's came up and were liked.

That's all - just one guy's summary of this thread so far.
 
That's a really nice review. One of the hosts in the article echos what I was trying to explain (much, much more elequently) about the rigors that are placed on street tires by everyday types of riding.
 
I am ready to place on order for the Pirelli Diablo Rosso's. I found them Buymoto.com for $273 shipped to my door. This appears to be a new tire and not everyone is carrying it yet.

Anyone else looking for these and found a better shipped price?

Phil
 
Perhaps a change in plan....

My local dealer who sells tires at internet prices, is directing me toward a set of Pirelli Diablo Strada - thier extended wear tires. Anyone had any experience with these?

Phil
 
http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17255&page=60

these are BT-021.
i got about 3k out of front till it had to be replaced, here it is near wear limits.

img2785pi7.jpg


i ran the back as long as i could, about 5k, and replaced it with pilot road.

img3397kq1.jpg


i have been acused of having 'chicken strips' on my tires, and agree the rear had one from edge to edge at replacement time.
the front had most of its tread still available in the middle, but was bald on both sides at a 45 angle, worn into a V shape.

i have about 9k on bike now, pilot roads doing ok, i am sold on pirelli diablo rossa tire, next time around. their latest tire
http://www.motorcycledaily.com/18december07_pirelli_diablo_rosso.htm

its out to the garage to change the oil in the GSF,
be back later.....i've shown these pics before, just reposting them here, since the tire thread is buried in the giant original post, few want to wade thru.
 
I have 2k miles on a set of Pilot Powers and they are holding up really well on the big heavy bike. I did 500 miles up in the N. Ga. mountains on them brand new and the sides lost a little tread early on. I have 3.5mm tread left on the rear it started with 5mm total. I figure 4k miles easy on a rear. I like thes tires they stick great and work well in the wet. Two rears to 1 front is a not a bad compromise.
 
It's tire time again. My current AV56 Storm ST that went into service October 1st is at 6400 miles and for whatever reason, it's clear that it is not going to make it to the 7500 mile mark as the last 3 Avon's have done. Anyway, Motorcycle Pro Shop still seems to have the best price on Avon, 129.00 including shipping.:rider:

http://www.motorcycleproshop.com/detail.asp?product_id=0302-0120
 
kp600 said:
It's tire time again. My current AV56 Storm ST that went into service October 1st is at 6400 miles and for whatever reason, it's clear that it is not going to make it to the 7500 mile mark as the last 3 Avon's have done. Anyway, Motorcycle Pro Shop still seems to have the best price on Avon, 129.00 including shipping.:rider:

http://www.motorcycleproshop.com/detail.asp?product_id=0302-0120
Click to expand...


I know this is quite subjective, but, how do you like the wet/dry handling and the overall performance of the tire. Are you saying you got 6400+ miles on the AV56? I hear a lot of people getting 4 to 5K miles on the rear. What type of riding do you do and why are you buying the Avons?
 
PhilS said:
I know this is quite subjective, but, how do you like the wet/dry handling and the overall performance of the tire. Are you saying you got 6400+ miles on the AV56? I hear a lot of people getting 4 to 5K miles on the rear. What type of riding do you do and why are you buying the Avons?
Click to expand...

Quite right, Phil. It would next to impossible to actually try all the "good" tires out there. I guess we just find something we like and stick with it. I ran through a Metzler M1 and a Pilot Power in around 5,000 miles each. Some of the more experienced riders I ride with swear by the Avon's so naturally I gave them a try. The Storm seems to have as much dry bite as the "sportbike" tires and offers a much more confident feel in the wet. I started with the Azaro and then the Storm ST. Each has given me 7500 miles. My current Storm (3rd Avon rear tire) must have worn excessively when I picked up a nail on my way home from the hill country last October. It had to be losing air for close to 100 miles before it got the plug.
1518723533_60fdcdf0b8_o.jpg

After spending some time on the phone with Avon tech support,( 800-624-7470 ) I chose the stickier AV59 Viper Sport up front. I got 12k out of the 1st one and I'm at 10k on the 2nd. I really like the Viper / Storm combination.

As for my riding style, I guess I'm the proverbial 50yr old sport touring rider. I'd be considered too conservative by hard core sport riders but I'd be bored stiff on a cruiser. I'm just as likely to turn around and carve a section of twisted road a little faster the 2nd time as to just stop and take a picture of it. I'm always well below the redline but I'm always well above the posted number on the little yellow sign under the squiggled arrow. :rider: My 600 Bandit is a pretty good fit for the way I ride. It doesn't have the ground pounding torque of the 1250 but it can still clock an eleven second quarter. I measure my thrill of riding by calendar years and odometer clicks rather than lateral G's and MPH and if that causes me to get a few more miles out of my tires too, well it's all good. :thumb:
 
db said:
Good info on the Avons, thanks for sharing, Ken.
Click to expand...

Yep, good 1st hand info, thanks. I'm still debating between a Storm or another RoadAttack when I get done w/ the RA on there now...

trey
 
Thanks Ken - I just ordered my AV55/AV56 tonight - $275 total including tax. I got them from my local Suzuki shop http://www.ohiomotorcycle.com/custompage.asp?page=map.

They will get installed in a few hundred miles once it warms up around here and I am doing the rest of the 4000 mile maint stuff. They want $30 each to mount and balance - so $335 invested in new tires (I've paid less for 4 car tires - eeek).......and hopefully get better mileage compared to the stock Bandit tires.

Later.

:rider:
 
Local dealer hear said $75/tire mounted and balanced!!! :eek2:

I am buying a changer and balancing crap to do it myself. I did not balance the rear on my VFR and so far it's been fine. I never balanced a tire on my KLR and in 20,000 clicks I went through a fair amount of tires and never a wobble....well it was a KLR. :D
 
Why ARE motorcycle tires so much more expensive than auto tires? Is it simply sales volumes?
 
they always ask me if my bike is either red or black, when i go to buy tires, and i have found out the tires for black bikes cost more, because they are faster.

you might tell them you have a red bike and dont need the tires for black bikes, save you a few bucks, you know.
 
GregH said:
Why ARE motorcycle tires so much more expensive than auto tires?
Click to expand...

Ok, I know I'm gonna open a can of worms here but here goes anyway. When all the local bike stealerships went to $40 + to mount and balance a loose wheel I cried uncle! :suicide: I have a buddy in the automotive tire business who will mount my tires for free but he can't balance them. Here's my solution. http://www.innovativebalancing.com/motorcycle.htm
I've been using the Dynabeads in my bike tires for quite a while now on wheels that I KNOW really need balancing and they work. Don't ask me how or why they work but they DO work. :trust: :deal: :loco: :thumb:
 
bones said:
same as when we used BB's in our rockcrawlers or even golfballs.

they also make what is called Equal http://128.83.80.200/taco/Equal.html

next topic please, this gets ugly in the 4x4 world. :doh:
Click to expand...

Yes, I'm sure glad we're not in the 4 x 4 world here. I'll bet rock crawler tires present balance challenges that do not apply here. They must weigh close to 100 pounds each and could easily be a full pound out of balance. They probably weren't really designed to spin smoothly at highway speed anyway.

A Z-rated motorcycle tire should need less than 3 ounces of correction to balance perfectly.
 
I mount my tires at a buddies house he has a no-mar setup and marc parnes balancer shaft. Works great and its free,,or the cost of a lunch.:mrgreen:

I mount my own dirtbike tires using 3 motion pro spoons, bead buddy and a 5 gallon bucket:mrgreen:

Local dealer mounts the tires free if you buy them there but they are higher than online but not that much higher.
 
Yeah I want to buy a mounting/balancing setup better than the Harbor Freight setup, but not cost me an arm and a leg.
 
bones said:
Yeah I want to buy a mounting/balancing setup better than the Harbor Freight setup, but not cost me an arm and a leg.
Click to expand...

Actually we do use a harbor freight mount modified for shiny wheels but he has the no-mar mount bar, spoons and clamps which make the job so easy. I have another buddy up in N. Ga. who has the no-mar whole setup and it does not work any better than our HF setup.
 
Sorry, I meant to say, HF with upgraded no mar goodies. I was lazy and distracted my WORK!. d@mn boss!
 
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