Avon Storm AV55 Front

[HaulinAshe]

Geesh dude, after reading all these posts, I'm begining to wonder just how fast you do ride? Are you a real peg scraper? Have you had to replace the peg feelers because you regulary grind them down? Got spares in the tool box because they are a consumable item?

No way D! The only challenge I'm up to is challenging anyone to have more fun than I do.

I've been practicing (for a few months now) doing the anti-MX thing and throwing my weight inside to avoid the feelers. Other than the occasional realization that my head might be hanging over the doubles on a left-hand sweep, I'm managing to deprogram some dirt habits. But the need for good rubber is always there.

I told you man, if Kenda made smooth Feej rubber, then I'd be down with that!

You need to go ahead and mount those Avons you been sniffin'. I'm probably going to crawl back into my safe hole for a while until the multi-compound stuff hits the mainstream vendors.

 

[Scab]

Jeff, Did you use Scab's tire gauge? That will screw ya up everytime!! :glare:
JW

Uh, that shit ain't funny. I know where you live.

We need to do another ride soon. You guys are a blast to ride with.Jeff

Fine, but I REFUSE to be the entertainment this time.

 

[mdisher]

I *think* I may be coming down on the same side of the fence as Jeff.

I've had the Storms on now for almost 2k miles.

I'm not feeling the love, I don't feel like they have any more grip than my stock Metz's, in fact on the slippery stuff (white lines and tar snakes) especially when wet they don't seem to be worth a damn.

I caught some rain this morning and within 1/4 mile had two Oh-shits, one crossing a white line area changing lanes and also on some tar snakes on the road into the office. Twas not fun, nor confidence inspiring.

 

[HaulinAshe]

Warsw,Your thought is dead-on, and had it not been for the thump-thump-thump and decel wobble that quickly developed,

That thump and wobble has to be the problem. I'm glad you contacted the vendor and please keep us posted on the results.

Well TWN, I realize and freely admit that success with many products is "personally dependent". Personally, today I noticed that my rear Avon is below the wear bars. Which means that its life will probably calculate to be no better, if not shorter than the average Strada.

And to make bad feelings worse, my worn out spare Strada outperforms that brand new Avon front. So I am definitely done with Avons. I'm glad they work for some. They may even work for many. But they don't do anything for me except make me nervous.

The Avon rep is crediting my dealer for the tire, but they will not credit anything for removing the damaged tire and mounting my spare. So I'm out the $20 it cost me for mounting two tires, while I wait on a replacement to arrive. If I had dealt with the local Yami stealership I would be out $70!

Jeff

 

[skyway]

I also just mounted up a set of the new storm tires from Avon. Upon reflection, I should have taken the sage advice from SkooterG and ponied up for several sets of Azaros, while they were still around. (I know I'll regret agreeing with that bastard in public)

At first test ride around my neighborhood I didn't notice it, but after the trek north to Russell for my new seat, I will be removing these tires from my bike ASAP which were brand new before departure. There is something really wrong with the front tire. I ran mucho sets of the azaros and the wiggle when new was fine with me, but the new storm profile just seems plain wrong. Is it me, or does the tread profile look backwards compared to the direction arrow? The azaro low speed wiggle would settle down after a few hundred miles, but the iffy storm feedback is increasing. I'm guessing around 650 miles total for my road trip.

Anyway, to describe the front tire feedback. At speed there is a huge tendency for the bike to weave around, and get anywhere near the back of a semi and it becomes immediately apparent that something is all too wrong with this setup. It got to a point where I wasn't sure where the bike was going to track to next? I dare not take my hands off the bars for what might happen next. Never checked for the 50-45mph decell wobble either.

Upon return from the trip, what is now happening at slow speed and maybe every quarter rev(?) of the tire is a combination of a distinct bar wobble left and right (feels like a small bulge but the tire looks fine) and at the same time a sound like a tractor tire. I guessing that this is tread pattern related.

I just came off 2 prior sets of Pirelli Diablo Stradas, and while the rear tread bar issue bothers me, they were stable as a rock in a straight line from 0-Vmax. I will be calling the Avon rep on Monday for their feedback and hopefully a refund. Never thought I'd be saying this for an Avon product.

The FJR is a rock steady platform at any speed, so it has to be the tire?

I am now in search of a new flavor of tire. Bridgestone BT-21? Dare I say it - Michelin Pilot Road? :huh:

psst - FFS Avon, bring back the Azaro for the FJR.

 

[HaulinAshe]

...I just came off 2 prior sets of Pirelli Diablo Stradas, and while the rear tread bar issue bothers me, they were stable as a rock in a straight line from 0-Vmax. I will be calling the Avon rep on Monday for their feedback and hopefully a refund. Never thought I'd be saying this for an Avon product.

I don't want to directly quote the rep from SWMotoTires, but he did say that of ALL the tire brands they sell, Avon has the highest return rate.

I'm done with Avon.

NEXT???

 

[twowheelnut]

Welp, I just don't get it. :dntknw: My Storms are absolutely dead stable (unless I'm sliding on my side, then they are pretty much worthless) at all speeds and highway conditions. No wobbles or bumps at any speed, with or without hands on the bars. The wear is very, very even and at almost 5k, the rear is barely and I mean barely flattened in the center. They stick like glue, roll-in very nicely and add quite a bit to my confidence level in corners (when I take them properly, of course!)

Skyway and Jeff, are there production numbers on these that you two can compare? Maybe it is a bad batch.

 

[warsw]

I don't want to directly quote the rep from SWMotoTires, but he did say that of ALL the tire brands they sell, Avon has the highest return rate.
I'm done with Avon.

NEXT???

Jeff, You are our best tire tester :lol: so I am curious what tire you have decided to go back to? It sounds like Avon may have some quality control issues and I may have just gotten lucky. I will be needing new tires again soon and may want to give a different brand a try. Thanks.

BTW "Happy Birthday"

 

[skyway]

Skyway and Jeff, are there production numbers on these that you two can compare? Maybe it is a bad batch.

Yes there are. AT8B is the first string, not sure what this applies to, maybe internal tracking info? Second string 4806. The 48 applies to the week, 06 applies to the year. Not a good vintage for me.

 

[Grumpy]

I don't want to directly quote the rep from SWMotoTires, but he did say that of ALL the tire brands they sell, Avon has the highest return rate.
I'm done with Avon.

NEXT???

Jeff, You are our best tire tester :lol: so I am curious what tire you have decided to go back to? It sounds like Avon may have some quality control issues and I may have just gotten lucky. I will be needing new tires again soon and may want to give a different brand a try. Thanks.

BTW "Happy Birthday"

Warsw, you too could be a tester all you need to do is buy one of the Haulin' Ashe binary throttles......you know the one that has two settings......OFF and WFO. Happy Birthday, Haulin!!!!!!

jim

 

[warsw]

I don't want to directly quote the rep from SWMotoTires, but he did say that of ALL the tire brands they sell, Avon has the highest return rate.
I'm done with Avon.

NEXT???

Jeff, You are our best tire tester :lol: so I am curious what tire you have decided to go back to? It sounds like Avon may have some quality control issues and I may have just gotten lucky. I will be needing new tires again soon and may want to give a different brand a try. Thanks.

BTW "Happy Birthday"

Warsw, you too could be a tester all you need to do is buy one of the Haulin' Ashe binary throttles......you know the one that has two settings......OFF and WFO. Happy Birthday, Haulin!!!!!!

jim

:lol: :lol: I don't think that I could ever be as good as "Haulin' Ashe" at testing tires. He can test (5) tires to my (1). I think I will leave the testing to those that are really good at it .

 

[tontofjr]

I like twowheelnut am surprised that the your Avon Storms seem so bad . I took a chance last year and put a pair on for my winter riding . I was impressed with the level of grip with them .

I did have to change the rear at 7000 with a bad cut from glass that I just couldnt see being safely repaired and today I replaced the front with 10000 miles on it . On the way to getting it changed I had a fool pull out of a side road in front of me . the tires held for the emergency stop, the front squirmed quite a lot but with 10k on it I expect any tyre to do that. And yes from about 8k I had a wobble on the front but it was less than the 020 s did at 6k.

But then we all ride different and so need different tyres

 

[madmike2]

Have you guys (Skyway, et al) who are having "issues" tried raising the tire pressure a couple of pounds? They might be very sensitive to low pressure.

Y'all er heppin' my decision about mah neks tars. :blink:

 

[skyway]

Have you guys (Skyway, et al) who are having "issues" tried raising the tire pressure a couple of pounds? They might be very sensitive to low pressure.
Y'all er heppin' my decision about mah neks tars. :blink:

I'm at my usual rate of around 40 psi in the front. If'n this tire requires policing of pressure and particular suspension tuning to make it acceptable for my bike, then I don't want it.

I may allow Avon to ship me an entire new set of tires,(depends on how they handle this) cause I really wanted to see what their all about, as I was very happy with the Azaro setup. I'll be long gone if I got 2 bad un's in a row though. More justification of the tire changer I supose. :huh:

The tire threads live on. :dribble:

 

[madmike2]

I'm at my usual rate of around 40 psi in the front. If'n this tire requires policing of pressure and particular suspension tuning to make it acceptable for my bike, then I don't want it.
The tire threads live on. :dribble:

I was just wondering if 2 lbs more (42 lbs) would change the "feel" of the tires.

 

[twowheelnut]

I'm at my usual rate of around 40 psi in the front. If'n this tire requires policing of pressure and particular suspension tuning to make it acceptable for my bike, then I don't want it.
The tire threads live on. :dribble:

I was just wondering if 2 lbs more (42 lbs) would change the "feel" of the tires.

The Storms do like higher pressures over the others I've run - in my case, 42/44 (v. 40/42 for the PR's and 38/42 for the Azaros). I also backed off my compression dampening two clicks and pre-load 1/4 line up front. Whether or not you have to police the pressures - I do anyway as a matter of safety - and whether slight suspension tuning is required... well, that's pretty much par for the course when you change brands or models, IMO. But, if you're feelin' no love and are having bad juju, then yank dem beotches.

 

[twowheelnut]

Ian and Jeff,

Here's the tread and orientation on my front Storm. I'd really appreciate it if the bode-a-ya's kept us up to speed...

 

[skyway]

I did finally go read up on the Avon site and they call it an inverted tread profile. Made in Aus?

I'm not a fluid engineer, but I would assume that water would be directed toward the center of the tire upon forward rotation? How would water be dissipated away from the center of the tread with this inverted profile?

 

[Scab]

Hey, if you're not going to use all that tread, can I have it?

 

[Go Far]

Previous descriptions by Ian and Jeff are nicely stated.

I tried a set of storms to run back to to Daytona and back to Utah.

1-My set felt like I was on a cobblestone road at slow speeds. Stopped a couple of times to slide my foot on the surface to feel if it was indeed smooth.

2-A sharp wobble at 30 on accel and decel. Strong enough to shake the bars with a firm grip.

3-To the wear bars front and rear at 7k. I've never had a front go to the wear bars at the same time as the rear.

I'm done with Storms and I'm saving the front 'cuz it has such a wierd wear pattern.