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Longest Wearing Tires for Old Bikes?
- bountyhunter
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PROBLEM: I only get maybe 6k miles out of the rears very consistently in city riding. Are there some reasonably priced tires in this size that give better mileage?
1979 KZ-750 Twin
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- Skinthead
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The Avons actually feel better to me handling wise, but the tire size range is a bit on the terse side. The Metzlers are a far cry wider in size range.....
Try www.ronayers.com for tires. Cheapest place I have found anywhere, and even after paying shipping to my door the savings is still significant.
Doc
81 CSR 1000, 81 KZ650, 83 GPz550
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- BSKZ650
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77 kz650, owned for over 25 years
77 ltd1000, current rider
76 kz900, just waiting
73 z1,, gonna restore this one
piglet, leggero harley davidson
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- timebomb33
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1973 z1 2-1974z1-a,2-1975z1-b dragbikes1015cc+1393cc, 1977kz1000,1978kz1000,1981kz1000j, 1997 zx-11, 2000 z12r,1428turbo nitrous pro-mod and a shit load of parts thats all for now leader sask.,CANADA
I THINK MY POWERBAND BROKE
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- OKC_Kent
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By the way I never have any problems with this brand, they wear well and traction is just fine. Rain is handled well too.
Oklahoma City, OK
78 KZ650 B2 82,000+ miles
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- Skinthead
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6k on a rear tire is not bad, I have a set of dunlops on now, they seem fine so far, also if you get something that may last longer its going to be a harder tire, and may not give you the ride you have now, ie scare the hell out of you in the rain
I ride in everything year round, and rode last week in the rain. The Metzlers never let up short of the deep runoff on the sides of the road where even a car looses traction. I recommended both tires in my other post because 1) I have found them to be excellent wearing and seem like a good value for the money spent 2) reasonably priced 3)I have owned and ridden many bikes with both these tires in use as well as others and have found them to be excellent in every other way conceivable 4)they are not Bridgestones. the only downfall I have found with either of these is panic stops. If you have to lock them down the compound is hard enough that you won't get alot of stick. I have had to slide mine to a stop a couple of times this month alone from idiots in cars cutting me off. While I can handle any of my machines like a dirtbike if need be, a little more stick in really hard braking would be nice. Then again, the lack of it might be what kept me from highsiding.....who knows.
I don't care for the 045 BS tires, or any of the others one that they make. I have found them to loose traction at much lower speed in corners, and wear unevenly, ride harshly, and handle badly.
Dunlop makes tires that fit of course, and you can run them f you wish. Keep in mind, in the tire sizes you are talking about you are going to find that the tread pattern and compound have not been kept up to date and these will offer 70's/80's handling for the cost of a newer design tread pattern and compounded tire.
Run what you like, I offered an opinion. You know how you ride better than anyone else. Shop around and try a few different tires over time. Eventually you will find one you like. I got 8K out of the original battleaxes on my Bonnie, and have yet to wear the tits off the metzlers with almost 5K on them.....
Doc
81 CSR 1000, 81 KZ650, 83 GPz550
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- OKC_Kent
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Other 650 riders over there are using the Hi-Maxx and getting 13-15k miles too.
It seems Cheng-Shin is a popular tire over there, other guys are running the Barracuda and Marquis with good mileage and handling reported. A Dunlop 501 user is getting 6k from his.
See this link.
forums.kz650.info/index.php?topic=1913.0
Oklahoma City, OK
78 KZ650 B2 82,000+ miles
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- timebomb33
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1973 z1 2-1974z1-a,2-1975z1-b dragbikes1015cc+1393cc, 1977kz1000,1978kz1000,1981kz1000j, 1997 zx-11, 2000 z12r,1428turbo nitrous pro-mod and a shit load of parts thats all for now leader sask.,CANADA
I THINK MY POWERBAND BROKE
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- Skinthead
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6k on a rear tire is not bad, I have a set of dunlops on now, they seem fine so far, also if you get something that may last longer its going to be a harder tire, and may not give you the ride you have now, ie scare the hell out of you in the rain
I ride in everything year round, and rode last week in the rain. The Metzlers never let up short of the deep runoff on the sides of the road where even a car looses traction. I recommended both tires in my other post because 1) I have found them to be excellent wearing and seem like a good value for the money spent 2) reasonably priced 3)I have owned and ridden many bikes with both these tires in use as well as others and have found them to be excellent in every other way conceivable 4)they are not Bridgestones. the only downfall I have found with either of these is panic stops. If you have to lock them down the compound is hard enough that you won't get alot of stick. I have had to slide mine to a stop a couple of times this month alone from idiots in cars cutting me off. While I can handle any of my machines like a dirtbike if need be, a little more stick in really hard braking would be nice. Then again, the lack of it might be what kept me from highsiding.....who knows.
I don't care for the 045 BS tires, or any of the others one that they make. I have found them to lose traction at much lower speed in corners, and wear unevenly, ride harshly, and handle badly.
Dunlop makes tires that fit of course, and you can run them f you wish. Keep in mind, in the tire sizes you are talking about you are going to find that the tread pattern and compound have not been kept up to date and these will offer 70's/80's handling for the cost of a newer design tread pattern and compounded tire.
Run what you like, I offered an opinion. You know how you ride better than anyone else. Shop around and try a few different tires over time. Eventually you will find one you like. I got 8K out of the original battleaxes on my Bonnie, and have yet to wear the tits off the metzlers with almost 5K on them.....
Doc
81 CSR 1000, 81 KZ650, 83 GPz550
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- bountyhunter
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Good to know.On the kz650 forum Rob (rstnick over here) is getting over 13k on Bridgestone Spitfires.
Other 650 riders over there are using the Hi-Maxx and getting 13-15k miles too.
OKC_Kent wrote:
It's popular at my house as well. I ran them for about 20 years but the rears averaged about 5 - 6K in city driving for the ones I got.It seems Cheng-Shin is a popular tire over there
1979 KZ-750 Twin
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- bountyhunter
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I ran Avon Roadrunners back around 1980 when they were different than now, but they did give good mileage.
1979 KZ-750 Twin
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- wiredgeorge
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wiredgeorge Motorcycle Carburetors
Mico TX
www.wgcarbs.com
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