Motorcycle tires

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mtb1bkr

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Hello folks, I know this isn't a motorcycle forum, but I also know we lots of bike riders on here, so I'll ask it here as I don't go to any bike forums. I have a Suzuki V-Strom 650 that needs a new back tire. Now, Suzuki classifies this bike as a dual sport but it doesn't do the dual sport job around here. I use it as a daily driver to and from work on regular highways. The only time it goes off road around here is to park in gravel/dirt lots. I'm looking for what type of tire will give me the longest tread life. The stock tire has lasted around 11K miles, but it's a dual sport tire, so I'm guessing that if I get a touring type of tire, then I will be better off. But, I don't really know anything about tires to know what to pick. The fella at the bike shop said something about a 5/95 tire having the best life most likely but I don't really understand what that means. I just want a tire that will last as long as possible since it's nearly $350 for a new tire installed.

Thanks!

Bill
 
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You should be able to get a new tire for around 100 bucks. Do a google search and you will find lots of tires. You can install yourself or about any mc dealer or repair shop should be able to do it for $25 or so. $350 is crazy.
 
Metzler tires have served me well. Be careful before you order. Around my area most shops will NOT install your tires. I have bought from 2 local guys and paid fair prices and gotten great service.
 
Oh, but this is a motorcycle forum! And a bug forum, BBQ forum, vegetable forum, electronics forum, etc, etc!
 
I ordered tires for my Vulcan 1500 from Motorcycle Superstore. The Kawasaki dealer wanted close to $200 for installing. But if I took the wheels off the bike myself they only charged $25 each for mount and balance. I bought a motorcycle lift from Harbor Freight on sale for under $70. I think the $350 price quote you got was probably for a set of two new tires and installation, not just one.

For tire info and everything else about the V-Strom.... well... I used to own a V-strom. It was a real trooper. Sometimes my wife woud ride with me and we used helmet inter.com to talk.
 
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I used to always look at the big ads in motorcycle magazines. They might have monthly specials that will be cheaper than any of their prices online. Places like Chaparral, MAW, Dennis Kirk, etc.
 
Mtb1bkr: That quoted price is double of what it should be. Take a run up here to LV and enjoy yourself on what you will save having a new rear tire installed here. I also like the Metzler brand of tire. I was a dirt rider for years and now am limiting myself to the street. If you get to LV with your bike, PM me and I will give you the name of the very best shop where to have the tire installed. .......... Big Cholla
 
I like Metzler Marathon tires but I have heard good things about the Avons. Find a shop that will mount the tire for you if you bring just the wheel and order the tire from one of the internet sites. Some shops will not mount tires unless you buy them from the shop so ask around.
I've heard Ca. is high priced but $350, sheesh.
 
Choose wisely!
Tires that last a long time tend to have very hard rubber giving you poor traction. Tires with great traction will tend to wear fast. I always try to go the middle ground. I have a Harley Ultra Classic and it came with Dunlops. I can usually get about 16 - 18,000 miles out of them before they need replacement, and I do replace them with Dunlops. There are a few guys that I ride with that have bought the Metzlers and they get about half of the life out of them as I do from mine. Just let me add his fact: I am OCD when it comes to safety, and I check my tire pressure EVERY TIME I venture out on the bike. I keep an extra pound in he front and 2 extra pounds in the rear. I do believe that this might contribute a small amount towards tread life.

One other caution to be aware of............. sometimes a particular tire does not come in the exact size that the bike manufacturer calls for. Some tire salesman will tell you "don't worry about it, it's close enough. Well, maybe on a car you can get away with that logic, but on 2 wheels I would stick with the exact size the manuf. calls for. A lot of the Metzlers do not come in the exact size that Harley calls for, and I see guys using the "close enough" ones anyway. Not my style! I know you do not have a H-D but the same applies to any bike.

chief38
 
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FWIW I had a DL1000 and I liked the TrailWings that came on it a bit better than the Anakees that I replaced them with. The Anakees were a bit 'squrimy' as I leaned over, and I was never as confident as I was on the Wings. Both are dual sport tires, but lean toward the street. I ordered them online and had the local shop install them.
 
I have Metzler tourance dual sport tires on my 05 Bonneville. I really like them. They grip well on dirt roads and I can't tell any difference in the handling on tight curves at speed on the pavement. I will buy they again. They are expensive, but they are highly rated on the Triumph forums.
 
Most all brands make a 'high milage' touring tire as well as 'high pro' models. Shop around.

I have been riding for 46 years, and have NO IDEA what a 5/95 is. 5% dirt/ 95% pavement?????????????
 
mtb1bkr said:
The fella at the bike shop said something about a 5/95 tire having the best life most likely but I don't really understand what that means.
Click to expand...

The "5/95" is referencing the percentage of tire usage in terms of "off-road/on-road", for a dual-sport type bike. In other words, if you were using your bike 50% off-road/50% on-road, you'd get 50/50 tires...if you ride about 70% off-road/30% on-road, you'd get 70/30 tires...and so on (I'm not saying that every breakdown is represented, but you'd just pick the closest to your usage.) The more you lean towards off-road usage, the softer the tire, the less miles you'll get out of them.

While, generally speaking, it is true that softer tires that offer better grip will wear faster than harder tires...I still believe that the Avon tires offer about twice the life span while sacrificing little to performance. The fact is, it all depends on your riding style. If you generally are grinding your footpegs on a normal day, and/or if you occasionally do a track day, you might be happier with a more performance oriented tire. If you are content to ride more sedately, and just want to get from point A to point B economically, efficiently and safely, you might be happy with Avons.

I have Avons on my Triumph Sprint ST and my BMW R1200C, and I love them. I've never had any issues with a lack of grip, but I've always gotten over 20,000 miles per tire...double that for the front tire.

Good luck,
Tim
 
11K miles seems quite good to me. The low profile street radials on mine are lucky to make 8K miles. The problem with very high mileage motorcycle tires is that they will scare you to death with traction loss - especially when wet. I would not sacrifice traction to get longer wear.
 
I had Metzlers on my Honda, and they were good. I replaced them with Dunlops; D404 I think. Wait. Yes, I just ran out to the motorcycle shed, and they are D404. I put them on two years ago, and they have about 12,000 miles and they have a lot of tread left. They have very good traction on dry pavement, and I don't make it a habit to ride in the rain.

My Triumph also has Metzler Sportec M-1 tires. The rear tire wore twice as fast as the front tire. I just ordered a set of Continental Motion tires, recommended by a Triumph mechanic who has them on his bike. Talk to me in two years and I'll tell you how I like them. There has been a quantum leap in motorcycle tires and rubber technology in the last 10 years.

I don't know why you had to pay so much to put a tire on your rear wheel. Was the chain replaced? Rear brakes done? Do you have wire wheels on your bike, because if the spokes have to tightened or replaced then that could add to the cost.
 
I like Metzler , there is not even a close second . I take my wheels off on have the BMW dealer dismount and dispose of the old tires and mount the new . Don't wreck your rims , leave some things to the pros . Best $8.00 you will ever spend
 
Whew, thanks for all the great info folks. I am a relaxed rider, pretty much just use my bike to and from work on hardball roads. I don't accelerate hard and there's no curves to ride on. I have drug the pegs once on each side, and I didn't like it. If you know the V-strom, you'll know that it's a long way down to drag the pegs on it. As for rain, we get very little rain around here in the desert, but when it does rain, it comes down hard and fast and pretty much always floods. I have only been out in the rain one time and I just puttered along until I got home.

So, I'm looking for good tires that will get decent tread life riding about 99.9% of the time on the road. I don't want to sacrifice much traction as I hope to be doing some curvy swearvy driving up to the mountains and such soon.

As for the cost, it's $226 for the tire they were trying to sell me, I think it was a Metzler Tourance. Then they wanted $95 for the install. The problem with this place is, they are the only shop in town. They will not install tires I bring, only ones they order. I think I'm going to order a tire from the 2nd post in this topic, and get it installed in Palm Springs. I will save over $100 an it's only about 25 miles farther than the local shop.

Bill
 
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