I noticed hyper sensitivity to tar snakes on the road surface and then saw that I'm nearly to the wear indicators on my front tire... time to consider something new.
This is for my 2012 Bonneville SE. Stock tire sizes are 110/70-17 front and 130/80-17 rear. I have a 140/70 in the rear now and I like it, will probably keep that size.
The tires on the bike are a Pirelli Sport Demon in front, and a Michelin Pilot Street Radial in the rear. I really like this tire combo even though it's not recommended. The front tire has worn faster than the rear; probably has about 7K on it and it's getting close to the end. The rear Michelin has a little too much slip for my tastes especially on the wrong-camber roundabout in my neighborhood that I literally have to ride on every single time I go out. But it is wearing about half as fast as the front, which seems odd.
I ride 100% on good pavement with this bike, almost never in the rain but I will ride through rain if I get caught out. If I anticipate gravel or bad pavement, I pick the other bike. I favor nimble and connected road feel over comfort. I don't ride fast, basically at the speed limit, and don't try to rip through corners. I don't care about looks of a tire, and I'm not averse to mixing brands or bias/radial. I'm probably putting about 3-4K a year on my bike, a lot of that in utility routes, which means just running to the grocery store etc. so I tend to wear the middle of the tire and don't get hard on the edges.
Any recommendations? I am currently leaning towards Michelin Pilot Road 5s or Avon Spirit ST. PR5s are available in the sizes I need, but with Avons I'd have to go with a 150/70 in the rear, which is not really recommended for my 3.5" rear wheel. The Michelins are just way more expensive. Maybe I should mix and match again.
This is for my 2012 Bonneville SE. Stock tire sizes are 110/70-17 front and 130/80-17 rear. I have a 140/70 in the rear now and I like it, will probably keep that size.
The tires on the bike are a Pirelli Sport Demon in front, and a Michelin Pilot Street Radial in the rear. I really like this tire combo even though it's not recommended. The front tire has worn faster than the rear; probably has about 7K on it and it's getting close to the end. The rear Michelin has a little too much slip for my tastes especially on the wrong-camber roundabout in my neighborhood that I literally have to ride on every single time I go out. But it is wearing about half as fast as the front, which seems odd.
I ride 100% on good pavement with this bike, almost never in the rain but I will ride through rain if I get caught out. If I anticipate gravel or bad pavement, I pick the other bike. I favor nimble and connected road feel over comfort. I don't ride fast, basically at the speed limit, and don't try to rip through corners. I don't care about looks of a tire, and I'm not averse to mixing brands or bias/radial. I'm probably putting about 3-4K a year on my bike, a lot of that in utility routes, which means just running to the grocery store etc. so I tend to wear the middle of the tire and don't get hard on the edges.
Any recommendations? I am currently leaning towards Michelin Pilot Road 5s or Avon Spirit ST. PR5s are available in the sizes I need, but with Avons I'd have to go with a 150/70 in the rear, which is not really recommended for my 3.5" rear wheel. The Michelins are just way more expensive. Maybe I should mix and match again.