Tire Question..

[afterburn]

Anyone here try sports tires on their FJR, like the Michelin Pilot Power? I need to replace my tires soon and I love these tires on my VFR. I do not use ST tires, period. So no need to sugges the 020's. They just don't give me the confidence and grip that I want. And being very smooth, tire wear isn't much of an issue either.

Anyway, does anyone know how they handle a big bike like this and if there are any instability problems?

 

[deanw]

Anyone here try sports tires on their FJR, like the Michelin Pilot Power?
Anyway, does anyone know how they handle a big bike like this and if there are any instability problems?

Hunt down a Michelin rep, and see what they think. There have been issues in the past with tires meant for lighter bikes not dealing well with the FJR's weight. A certain well-known FJR enthusiast's encounter with a set of Continentals comes to mind...

Short version: If they make a variant with sidewalls designed to hold up to what the FJR weighs, hey, it's your money.

 

[user 213]

Take your pick of any of the sport tires. Contrary to what some well known vocal poster has said about the Conti Road Attacks, (a ST tire, btw), I still have my front one on at 16k and it's doing very well, thank you. No issues whatsoever. The rear got swapped out after about 10k, but that's pretty normal.

You're not concerned about tire life, so it won't matter that you'll get significantly less mileage from the pure sport tires, just go with what you like. If you do panic stops you may or may not notice some squirm. Plenty of FJR riders have been using sport tires already w/o issues. Some front only, others both ends. Not my cup of tea, heck I have a set of Me-880s in the garage waiting for the current tires to wear out.

 

[afterburn]

****, the 880's are hard like brick. I'd be flat on face with those after 2 corners.

I think I will contact Michelin and ask them about it. As the Pilot Sport does come recommended for the FJR, and the load figures for the MPP are the same as for the MPS, I think it will work just fine, but still.

For what its worth: I can get 5000-6000 miles out of a sports tire on my VFR and still give the best of them on lighter and faster bikes a run for their money, just by being ultra smooth with my style. That means 2 sets of tires per year for me, which explains why life isn't such a big issue for me.

 

[markjenn]

My $0.02 is that the Powers will be Okay, but you'd paying more $$$ and a shorter tire life for grip that you'll never use. Even if you're seriously fast, with the FJR's weight and cornering limits, a sport-touring tire will work as well or better than a pure sport gumball tire.

- Mark

 

[user 213]

@Afterburn - The 880s I have in the garage are anything but "hard like a brick". I'm a pretty smooth rider too, but don't hoon about on the street like some do.

For my riding, call it Sport-Touring , I'm pretty sure the 880s will do just fine. I will post a tire report eventually, but don't expect anything soon as I'm still wearing out an Avon rear and the hard to kill Conti front.

Oh, and I'm not the only FJR running 880s or planning to run them. Others are already doing it with good results.

 

[Windjammer]

From what I've seen on various threads about fuel mileage and tire wear, I'm thinking there is a pretty huge range of riding styles among the FJR owners out there. What some people consider "fast" others would consider "slow". So the amount of wear you desire relative to the amount of adhesion you want available to you is almost totally subjective. Tires are the only part of the bike that touches the ground when riding (we hope), and are the most important insurance policy you can invest in, with the possible exception of ABS. Pick what you're most comfortable with for your riding style and use it. If you take a lot of risks and ride on the edge, sticky tires are cheap insurance. If you ride two-up and the old lady hits you every time you "lean over too far", then they're probably a waste of money. My .02

 

[user 213]

Allan Pratt said it best:

"That's the great thing about a situation with few facts: you can speculate endlessly based on any little tidbit of observation."~ Allan Pratt

 

[SpeedyR]

I have a set of diablo corsas on my FJR right now. I'm just over 3500 miles with them and they are probably due for replacement soon. I just did another 600 miles on them the past two days and really nice feel. turn in is VERY quick. Most of those miles (probably 2/3) are two up and the bikes been on the track twice. two up.

so there are other options. I'm pretty light myself (170lbs) and my fiance is light so the weight isn't much of a problem. I've not noticed any instability that you might find with some tires. but i've probably not had it over 130 yet (at 125mph on the track she starts to squeeze me that she's had enough). but for now they are good.

I have a set of diablo strada ready to mount up and I think taht's a better option for the FJR. shoudl still be plenty of stick (like drag stuff sticky) and should last a bit longer. But still I got about 6k out of the 020's, probalby about 4k out of the diablo corsa so I figure the strada will give me what I want performance vs. durability..

 

[GunMD]

I don't know a thing 'bout this tire, but the price seems decent for the set...

Click here for cheap tires

 

[radman]

Ahhhh, Road Attacks. A favorite of several highly placed techno-pros on this very forum! Read the well written comments and praises here-

https://www.fjrowners.ws/discus/messages/9/...html?1090797176

 

[Bike Effects]

When I bought my FJ1200, it WAS a sport bike, and I used sport tires. The FJR weighs no more, so why not?

 

[afterburn]

I had a look around more, the MPP's are actually certified by Michelin Germany for use on the FJR. And those Germans they are very strict about these things (non-certified tires mounted = not being insured).