Poll - Avon Storm Tire - Please rate + or - feedback

[Feejer/Weejer man]

Thought I would throw this out there, just to see what others are experiencing with this tire.
This poll stems from riders experience of the storm tire, as described in this thread.

Avon Storm AV55 Front, Very disappointed after only 500 miles

But it seems to me after observing most of his 1000 post, he is not happy with much. the Storms go on mine after the 45/46's are done which will be very soon. I love my Avons.

 

[Scab]

Thought I would throw this out there, just to see what others are experiencing with this tire.
This poll stems from riders experience of the storm tire, as described in this thread.

Avon Storm AV55 Front, Very disappointed after only 500 miles

But it seems to me after observing most of his 1000 post, he is not happy with much. the Storms go on mine after the 45/46's are done which will be very soon. I love my Avons.

If you are implying that Jeff is one of those 'negative' peeps that finds no joy in anything, let me testify to the fallacy of such a judgement. Jeff is as good a man as you will ever meet. He is the kind of friend we all wish we were fortunate enough to have and the kind of friend that our friends wish us to be.

Jeff is, however one of those rare individuals that can push the fjr to its limits and make it look easy. Where he lives, the road conditions and surfaces are "less than desireable." What he can reveal as a weakness in something like a tire is something that someone with my riding skill would never discover. He is just looking for his "perfect tire." Give the man a break.

I don't mean to go off on a rant or anything, but he is my friend. Making judgements about people on the internet is a tricky thing at best.

 

[FJRandy]

He is just looking for his "perfect tire." Give the man a break.Making judgements about people on the internet is a tricky thing at best.

Making one-sided judgements about an EXTREMELY well performing tire is even trickier.

You never know who will call you on it. I don't see this being any different than all those Z6 rants awhile back.

Some people will never be satisfied with anything, no matter what it is.

Maybe an R1 should be in skyway's future? Along with the FJR of course.

 

[Scab]

He is just looking for his "perfect tire." Give the man a break.Making judgements about people on the internet is a tricky thing at best.

Making one-sided judgements about an EXTREMELY well performing tire is even trickier.

You never know who will call you on it. I don't see this being any different than all those Z6 rants awhile back.

Some people will never be satisfied with anything, no matter what it is.

Maybe an R1 should be in skyway's future? Along with the FJR of course.

Where did you get that? This is a new tire with very little history. It may be a bit premature to label it as an "EXTREMELY well performing tire."

And, Skyway and Jeff are two different peeps. Skyway started this thread (I presume to gather info about this tire), and Jeff started the thread that he referrenced.

My only contention was the one post that seemed to paint Jeff in a negative light. Granted, I do not know the intention of the poster, but did want to clarify some personal experience with the man-lest someone else get the wrong idea about the man.

As for the tire, I don't know. I don't have them. I did run Azarro's and was pleased, but this is a different tire.

But I do see this as different than all those Z6 rants. There seems to be some foundation for questioning the front quality that some on the forum have purchased. This thread looked to me that Skyway was trying to gather more information about this tire so that perhaps this did not turn into Z6 rant redux. (Skyway can speak for himself and I don't not pretend to know his intentions)

But I will still defend the character of Jeff, whom I know personally.

Disclaimer: I am not mad. I am not upset. I am not trying to start a pissin' contest.

Please return to your regularly scheduled broadcast.

 

[sprint_st]

I've got less than a thousand miles on my Storms, primarily twisties and I love them. Don't know Jeff but I've seen his write ups on several things and he seems to be someone who checks something out in detail before he would issue a complaint. The only thing that I would like to add is that not every tire that comes out of the mold is exactly the same as all others of that brand that came out of the same mold. There are runs, batches and QC screw ups. It AIN'T hard to get a defective anything these days. All I know is I'm getting Storms until something better comes along.

 

[FJRocket]

Just got back from the Hooterville 400. Riding with Smitty and SkooterG puts ANY tire to the test. Although I don't have the balls to keep up with Smitty (don't try this yourself at home, unless you are upwards of a pro caliber rider), I DID put the STORMS to the test. In the rain at slow speed and high speed they were rock solid. I dumped the throttle on wet asphalt VERY hard and the tire grabbed extremetly well (yes, my AE WILL hook up very hard and fast). I can take my hands off the bars at ANY speed without any shake or wobble. In the twisties there's more tire there than I need. I nearly touched down a peg on many occasions and the tires didn't complain. Even over loose/fresh chip and seal the tires were fine.

All in all, after upwards of 3K on the tires I am VERY happy. Two thumbs up and I would buy these tires again in a heartbeat. Well, I shouldn't say "buy again" because I'm still riding the set I got FREE as a doorprize at WFO last summer. Alas, I think they will just be a fond memory when I depart for Park City this year.

I still have a Strada "E" to put on the back, too. I like the Pirelli's, too. I think we are pretty lucky in that there are lots of great tires for the FJR and most take a lickin and keep on tickin.

Of course, YMMV.

 

[MartyO]

He is just looking for his "perfect tire." Give the man a break.Making judgements about people on the internet is a tricky thing at best.

Making one-sided judgements about an EXTREMELY well performing tire is even trickier.

You never know who will call you on it. I don't see this being any different than all those Z6 rants awhile back.

Some people will never be satisfied with anything, no matter what it is.

Maybe an R1 should be in skyway's future? Along with the FJR of course.

Where did you get that? This is a new tire with very little history. It may be a bit premature to label it as an "EXTREMELY well performing tire."

And, Skyway and Jeff are two different peeps. Skyway started this thread (I presume to gather info about this tire), and Jeff started the thread that he referrenced.

My only contention was the one post that seemed to paint Jeff in a negative light. Granted, I do not know the intention of the poster, but did want to clarify some personal experience with the man-lest someone else get the wrong idea about the man.

As for the tire, I don't know. I don't have them. I did run Azarro's and was pleased, but this is a different tire.

But I do see this as different than all those Z6 rants. There seems to be some foundation for questioning the front quality that some on the forum have purchased. This thread looked to me that Skyway was trying to gather more information about this tire so that perhaps this did not turn into Z6 rant redux. (Skyway can speak for himself and I don't not pretend to know his intentions)

But I will still defend the character of Jeff, whom I know personally.

Disclaimer: I am not mad. I am not upset. I am not trying to start a pissin' contest.

Please return to your regularly scheduled broadcast.

I like the Storms but they do have head shake. That said, so did my Metzlers and Dunlops, just the Storms are worse. Just slowing down at speeds under 40 MPH so I keep my hands on the bars. At high speeds they are smooth, hands on the bars or not. I've had them to 142 MPH and they seem good. They see 100+ MPH daily and work good, really hook up in corners. I commute 130 miles a day.

I called the Avon guy from their web page and he says the head shake is an FJR thing because of ball bearing steering head bearings instead of tapered rollers. Anybody know something about this?

I've had my 06A for 13 months and have 29,000 miles. We are lucky to ride such a great bike. When you've owned some other bikes, you really appreciate the FJR, even with a little head shake.

 

[FJRocket]

I like the Storms but they do have head shake. That said, so did my Metzlers and Dunlops, just the Storms are worse. Just slowing down at speeds under 40 MPH so I keep my hands on the bars. At high speeds they are smooth, hands on the bars or not. I've had them to 142 MPH and they seem good. They see 100+ MPH daily and work good, really hook up in corners. I commute 130 miles a day.
I called the Avon guy from their web page and he says the head shake is an FJR thing because of ball bearing steering head bearings instead of tapered rollers. Anybody know something about this?

I don't know anything about this. I was certainly curious about the statement. I haven't ever noticed any head/bar shake with any set of tires, even the retreads that were WAY out of round that I dumped. No shake on EITHER FJR, ever. Now I'm not a major miler like some of you guys, and maybe I'm just lucky. But this head shake/Avon thing just got me curious. So I did some reading. I found it on the web, so you know it's the absolute truth (wink wink, nudge nudge). Anyway, don't want to completely steal the thread but would like to address "the problem". Are Avons getting spanked for bearing problems (and perhaps compatablity with tread design or profile? maybe?) or is it really a tire problem every time someone gets a head/bar shake?

I'll quote this little tidbit, then you can get back to your Storms debate. However, if someone who knows more and rides more would like to start a discussion about steering bearings, tires and head shake on another fresh thread, I would be greatful. I think this is a very interesting topic.

[SIZE=10pt] There is a rule in motorcycle suspension technology which says that problems in handling that occur under 40 mph are due to defects in front of the steering head, while those occuring at higher speeds are found in causes aft of the steering. It's a tried and true rule of thumb, and a decel wobble obeys the pattern. Many things can cause weaves and wobbles, whether on acceleration or deceleration -- tire wear is especially critical. But decel wobbles have their own special causes, and if the front tire isn't excessively worn or the wheel badly out of balance, the cause is almost always the steering bearings. But we're not talking looseness. We're talking about something that is not addressed in any service manuals, factory or aftermarket. Whether because the frame is made of softer material or what, the steering bearing races "walk" in the frame. That is, they shift in their recesses and become out of square with the steering stem, and out of parallel with each other. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]

[/SIZE] [SIZE=10pt]Modern motorcycle steering bearings tend to "worry" -- shift back and forth -- in their frames, especially on the heavier bikes. The resulting non-parallelness sets up torque forces in the steering which manifest themselves as attempts by the fork to correct itself, with the result: shimmy, shimmy. Again, the problem isn't looseness. Mere tightening fails to correct the problem. [/SIZE]

 

[Scab]

Interesting about the bearing thing. All that I know is that the fjr comes from the factory with ball bearings. I have some replacement roller bearings for mine but they have not yet been installed. Some members here have installed them already but I can't speak for them or their results. Some that come to mind include Smitty. Maybe he will chime in.

Don't know Jeff but I've seen his write ups on several things and he seems to be someone who checks something out in detail before he would issue a complaint. The only thing that I would like to add is that not every tire that comes out of the mold is exactly the same as all others of that brand that came out of the same mold. There are runs, batches and QC screw ups. It AIN'T hard to get a defective anything these days.

That's what I meant. Thanks for putting better than I did.

 

[GPRIDER]

Marty, sounds like the problem may be with the bike if you are experiencing head shake with three different sets of tires. I've also never had any head shake with my 04 FJR. That's with Metzlers, Pilot Roads, Avon Azaros, and Pirelli Stadas. The Storms are next.

GP

 

[Flyguy]

There is a tire consistancy measurement that is not usually discussed outside of tire QC circles. It is force variation loading. Not surprizing as it is an aggrevating area for most manufacturers. It is measured by preloading a cylinder ,like on a dyno wheel, with a static load of let's say 500lbs into a tire. Then the tire is slowly rotated and load variances are noted. Some visible things such as roundness would obviously have an effect on the readings but so would invisible things such as ply and especially belt overlaps. A belt is allowed to overlap itself slightly before being trimmed and in this area there are then 2 belts which makes the tire stiffer at that point. If another belt is added the builder tries to locate it's overlap exactly opposie the first. That keeps the tire in better balance and spreds out the "bumps". In the case of OE tires some manufacturers use a grinder to buff off tread rubber to compensate for any higher load readings whether they are caused by a high spot or a belt overlap. The fact that these "stiffer areas" exist is not a defect but can (if pronounced) be felt.

Very modern construction techniques allow belts to actually be woven right on the casing, omiting any overlap and its aggrevations. Unfortunately this is VERY expensive technology and able to be used by only the bigger mfgs.

Tires that have a seam down the middle but not radialy(clamshell mold) are much more difficult to maintain consistancy when building a tire , (Won't go into why right now) then the segmented mold that has radial seams. FYI - segmented molds cost many times what a clamshell one does. Look for these things when buying.

 

[Scab]

Would you by chance know the method employed by Avon?

 

[El Gordo]

I like the Storms but they do have head shake. That said, so did my Metzlers and Dunlops, just the Storms are worse. Just slowing down at speeds under 40 MPH so I keep my hands on the bars. At high speeds they are smooth, hands on the bars or not. I've had them to 142 MPH and they seem good. They see 100+ MPH daily and work good, really hook up in corners. I commute 130 miles a day.

I called the Avon guy from their web page and he says the head shake is an FJR thing because of ball bearing steering head bearings instead of tapered rollers. Anybody know something about this?

I've had my 06A for 13 months and have 29,000 miles. We are lucky to ride such a great bike. When you've owned some other bikes, you really appreciate the FJR, even with a little head shake.

I'm still on stones 020s and get a mild headshake about 70 km/h. Simple...don't ride 'no hands' at 70 km/h.

Now back to the tire thread that I'm avidly watching 'cause I'm going to have to decide which new tires soon.

 

[HaulinAshe]

There may be reason to suspect storage and handling as the issue with the Storms, not manufacturing or design defect. It's only hearsay for me, but would make sense why some of us have problem Avons, yet some do not.

Heidi/LuvToRide, who is just about the easiest person I know on tires, is also having an issue with her new front Avon Storm. She loves Avons and has been a long-time user of the Azaros. So there is yet another iteration of problems with the front Storm that warrants concern.

I'm sorry if my observations come across as ranting negativity. But like most everyone on this forum, I cannot afford to toss a brand new tire just because it pulled up a bit short of expectations. When you go through as many sets of tires in a year as I do, you really try hard to make every set count.

The absence of a local Avon dealer within less than one hour drive of home, makes the Avons a bad choice for me if there is ANY reasonable doubt of their consistency/quality.

I'll say it again, the BEST tire for you is the one that works for you. The best I can hope for is to save someone some $$$ by sharing what I know from personal experiences, before they go down the same path with a similar result. The forum has helped me make better buying decisions based on my personal needs and preferences. I'll continue to call it as I see it, mainly because it's the only way I know.

 

[Mike-H]

On the steering head bearings comments.....a dealer installed tapered roller bearings on my 04 to stop the head shake I got when I changed the front tire ....... that instead of believing me when I said it had to be the tire, because it hadn't shook with the previous front tire.....go figure.....& it was the tire....but hey... the dealer did it under warranty so no charge, no harm, no foul in my book....

 

[warsw]

There may be reason to suspect storage and handling as the issue with the Storms, not manufacturing or design defect. It's only hearsay for me, but would make sense why some of us have problem Avons, yet some do not.
Heidi/LuvToRide, who is just about the easiest person I know on tires, is also having an issue with her new front Avon Storm. She loves Avons and has been a long-time user of the Azaros. So there is yet another iteration of problems with the front Storm that warrants concern.

I'm sorry if my observations come across as ranting negativity. But like most everyone on this forum, I cannot afford to toss a brand new tire just because it pulled up a bit short of expectations. When you go through as many sets of tires in a year as I do, you really try hard to make every set count.

The absence of a local Avon dealer within less than one hour drive of home, makes the Avons a bad choice for me if there is ANY reasonable doubt of their consistency/quality.

I'll say it again, the BEST tire for you is the one that works for you. The best I can hope for is to save someone some $$$ by sharing what I know from personal experiences, before they go down the same path with a similar result. The forum has helped me make better buying decisions based on my personal needs and preferences. I'll continue to call it as I see it, mainly because it's the only way I know.

I hate to admit it after bragging how great the Avon storm's are but I now have witnessed the "JeffAshe Thump"

I just got back from a 1500-mile trip and about half way into the trip (3K miles on the tires) I started to feel the front tire thump.

This is the strangest thing. What would happen is that after I spent some time at higher speeds (80-90) and would slow down to a slower speed (30-35) I could feel the thump. As the trip progressed the thump got worse and I could feel it at higher speeds (45-50) but only after running for a time at 80+. If I stayed at the higher speeds long enough I could start to feel a vibration that would turn into a thump as I slowed down. The strange part was that if I stayed 65 or under, the thump would go away. It was almost like the tire was distorting from the higher speeds, be it the extra heat or the centrifugal force and then would go back to normal after I ran for awhile at slower speeds. Pushing hard in the corners seemed to have no affect, only high speeds. They are not so bad that I won't leave them on until they are worn out (which will be real soon. I have 4K on the tires and I am almost to the wear marks on the rear) but I will not replace them with Avons. I will switch to something else.

Putting more time in at these higher speeds may be why Jeff picked up on this so much sooner than most of us.

 

[Geezer]

I now have about 1500 miles on my Storms and I like them very much.

Cons:

• They have some trouble tracking straight during deceleration from about 50 mph on down.
• Both the front and back took over an ounce of lead to balance. If there was an indicator of the heavy spot it would be easier for me to match with the light spot on my rims, but I don't want to have to break the bead a second time to rotate them after they are on there.

Pros:

• I went across several metal bridges last weekend with them and they tracked better than any other tire I have used on the grating.
• They are sticky. At first I though the traction felt better because of them being a new tire. New tires always feel better at first, however, these still feel nice and sticky.

I haven't had a chance to ride in wet conditions yet. And the big factor about whether or not I'll keep using them is how long they last. If they last anywhere near as long at the Azaros did then then I'll stick with the storms.

 

[Flyguy]

Scab Wrote:

Would you by chance know the method employed by Avon?

No, I don't but if you like I can find out. I was trying to keep my comments generic as I have many years in the tire business as an engineer/technical trainer but only a year of FJR experience. For instance, I gave you the visible means of distinguishing one molding system from the other. Someone here may want to examine the storms or post clear close-ups and we will all know. I will tell you I long ago learned the value of extremely ROUND tires and believe me, many tires aren’t. While 30/1000ths run out is allowable and 50 not at all uncommon, I look for something around 10 and will remount a tire until I achieve it or determine it can't be done. Then I swap it with another. Having been in the business it is easier for me to accomplish this as none of my sources would argue with me. Now I buy only sectionally molded tires. Not because you can’t get a really good conventionally molded one, because the odds are much better. You can be assured the mfgs would not dish out the capital those molds require unless their was an overriding reason to do so. Is that a strike against the little guy trying harder - yep, but we are talking about what I consider the most important item on a bike - PERIOD. The engine dies, you pull to the side. The suspension is too sloppy; you go home and change it. The brakes fail, you engine brake. The tire goes; you pee yourself and hopefully are able to tell everyone. The area I see sorely lacking is in the service end of things. My dealer didn't know there even WAS a run out specification nor did he have the means to verify it. Dynamic balancing? Die . . . . WHAT? Many issues could be resolved before they start if there the service folks were highly trained. If a service manager has a trainee and a master mech at his disposal and in comes a carb sync job and a tire change, who's going to get which job? You get my drift.

I honestly doubt that there is such a wide disparity in performance from one mfg to another. As a matter of record I would say there is no "best" tire, in terms of performance. Quality and uniformity, yes. One of the problems with the internet is it groups our experiences all together. I talked to an FJR owner recently who had relocated to Florida from northern PA. He told me the OE Metzlers got 2-3,000 more miles on them than the Michelins he replaced them with. He was going back to the Metzlers. I pointed out to him that, brand aside, he may find the wear also disappointing as the pavement temps are probably 30+ degrees hotter in his new local and the shell surface brutal on tires. We cannot relocate all experiences to our own application or we will mislead ourselves.

Also understand that sitting on the Sport/Touring fence makes things even more difficult for the mfgs. It's like we are asking them to build a performance tire that wears well for our station wagon. An Audi Turbo Quattro wagon, but a station wagon none the less. Oh yes, and by the way, I'd like to run it on track day while I'm on vacation - without unloading the camping gear!?!? Oh really. . .

I will continue when I get back with some hard info if this stuff is interesting for you guys.

 

[warsw]

I will continue when I get back with some hard info if this stuff is interesting for you guys.

It is, Please continue.

 

[Wolfhound]

response deleted