Need feedback on tyres

[Fred H.]

I think I have narrowed down my replacement tires to two choices. Michelin Pilot Roads or the Avon ST45/46 combo.

I am mainly looking for long life. Would like to hear folks opinions on both the Avons and Michelins.

I have always liked Michelin tires and am leaning that way. I am a bit leary of Avons after seeing problems with some of them on other brands of bikes, but they seem to get good reports.

So lets hear it. What tires do you like?

 

[SkooterG]

I am a big fan of the Avons. I have gotten between 11,000 and 14,700 miles on the rears. Up to 18,000 on the front. I have never tried the Pilot Roads. From reports, they sound like a great tire too.

Moving this thread to it's proper section.........

 

[radman]

Moving this thread to it's proper section.........

Thats why my post went into the nether world. As I was saying---They're both good. I run the Avons, and they've done very well, but I wouldn't hesitate to use the Mickeys, if they were priced better or more available than the Avons at time of purchase.

 

[vectervp1]

Avons are great tires. Never ran the Pilot Roads but may after this set of Strada's. I've heard good things about them, so I'm thinking of trying them out myself.

If your doing your own balancing, the fact that the Avon's dont have the heavy spot marked is a bit of a pain.

 

[Bounce]

I've run with both. I got between 9k and a little over 10k miles on 2 sets of PRs. I am just finishing up a set of Avons and it looks like I'll get abou 8k miles from them.

The avons turn in quicker. The PRs ignore roto-milled surfaces a little better.

 

[Fred H.]

Do you think you could move this thread three or four more times for us. Sheesh.

 

[HIGHLANDER]

Doesn't anyone use the friggin SEARCH button anymore? How many tire threads does it take to fill up the board ? Do tire / oil threads waste more space than post whore threads ?

Yeah I'm grouchy today so what !

 

[SkooterG]

Do you think you could move this thread three or four more times for us. Sheesh.

Well, it would help if you started it out in the right section in the first place. This was the second one of yours I moved today.

Now, I moved it to Parts & Accessories, cause I always try to give a thread like this a chance. There might be some good info exchanged. But usually it turns into the same old tire drivel, and headed to NEPRT.

Looks like another admin wasn't as lenient as I, and banished it off to NEPRT from the get-go.

C'est la vie!

 

[Fred H.]

Sorry, I will try to be more careful about posting in the right topic. Some topics are easier than others to decide where to put them.

I realize that tires and oil get discussed ad-nauseam, but digging up old posts doesn't give me the latest info on what is good now. Tires that used to be thought great, may no longer be so, and I was looking for current information on two specific models.

 

[HaulinAshe]

FredH,

Personally, I feel the frequency and content of your contributions, far outweighs any shortcomings of your searching ability. Like you, I am often after current feedback, not archived.

No experience with Avons here. Just about to finish out my first set of Michelin Pilot Roads. They balanced beautifully and handle better than the OEMs. Life, on the other hand, does not appear to be significantly longer. Looks like around 6-8,000 on the rear, definitely more on the front. Damn flat terrain!

:angry2:

Picked mine up on Ebay from this vendor:

RideNow Online

Noticed they don't seem to have the rear in stock at the moment.

 

[quicksilver]

My gripe with FJR tires is not the rear.

It's the front.

The OEM Stones cupped badly in front.

At 8K, the front needed replacement worse than the rear.

Next set went to a BT-010 (replaced by 014) front and 020 rear.

Loved just about evrything about it. Extremely confident in corners.

Chicken strips were gone in 72 hours, and I was scrapping peg for the 1st time.

Front wore at same rate as the rear. And it wore smooth withour cupping.

The big minus was the side walls let go and went skinny at 110mph.

A bad time for the front end to get loose.

Next set went to Avons.(45/46)

Totally awesome wet traction.

Great a high speed.

The rear sometimes gets a little Rossi loose in the corners, but fun.

But,......... at 7K mls....I can't let go of the handle bars.

It would put me in the ditch.

I suspect, minor cupping combined with scallop center tread seems to be a bad combo.

But, since they still have 2 or 3 K left, my next set will still be avons.

Even old, they get it done when my toes are on the peg.

And as long as my hands stay on the bars, triple digits is always solid.

There ya go.

Never ending feedback. h34r:

 

[twowheelnut]

Luvs my Dunlops...

J/K Love the 'Vons, but these Pilot Roads I have on now are making me think of a divorce from Miss Avon.

And if you run around Texas spelling tires, T-Y-R-E-S, you're gonna git yer *** kicked, bo-eee! :lol:

 

[Rickster]

Fred -- what came stock on the bike (BStones|Mezzeler?), and what other tires (tyres) have you ridden on the FJR?

 

[FJR Gary]

Ok, am I the only one who's happy with the Roadtec Z6s? I had them on my Bandit 1200 and was getting 8-9K miles on them. The original set on my FJR lasted 8K miles, and could have gone a little more. I have a couple of trips coming up so I replaced them a little early.

May try Pilot Roads next time, but the the Z6s have treated me well.

Oh, and I have my asbetos jockey shorts on if anybody wants to flame away

Gary

 

[afterburn]

How do you guys get 8,9, 10k miles out of a tire anyway? I have never in my riding life gotten anymore than 6k out of a rear tire. Not even on my old 1977 CB400F with Conti bricks of that time on there.

 

[SkooterG]

How do you guys get 8,9, 10k miles out of a tire anyway? I have never in my riding life gotten anymore than 6k out of a rear tire. Not even on my old 1977 CB400F with Conti bricks of that time on there.

Don't know what to tell you.

There has only been ONE rear tire in all the bikes I have ridden (no sport bikes) that has gotten under 6000 miles of life.

 

[vectervp1]

The only real information I have to contribute to this is to use the proper sport touring tires on the FJR. Just because you can mount sport tires to it doesn't mean you should. Keep in mind the bikes 600lbs when considering a tire designed for a bike that weighs 400lbs wet. When I hear of people running Pilot Powers, BT-014, or Diablo Corsairs it makes me wonder if I'll be hearing about some sort of tire failure or accident. There is a reason these manufactures make a sport touring tire and a sport tire. You wouldn't mount a set of tires designed for a Corvette on a full size truck and expect it to still be able to handle a fully loaded bed would you? Why do it on your bike.

 

[afterburn]

Vector: the load ratings on sports tires are identical to st tires. The difference is not in the load they can handle, its compound, profile, shape, stability.

 

[twowheelnut]

Don't know what to tell you.

Yes you do. Lots of straight lines (little side loading), lots of continuous running (less heat cycles) and once the rubber does go those steel and Kevlar cords can go for miles and miles and miles... :grin: