Choosing Tires

[t84a]

Ok, so I read through the pinned thread and the links-very imformative. However, I guess I need more direction. I'm very active on the FZ1 forums and tire recommendations are all over tne place. How should I approach this decision? Taking cost and longevity out of the equation, how would you recommend I progress? My bike is a 2008 FZ1 with stock suspension, although I plan on putting a R6 shock on it this winter. This bike is ridden primarily for fun. Any distance trips/cruising is done on my Raider. Thanks

[faffi]

I'd go for sporty touring tyres or sport tyres made to last some. The extra grip from full sports isn't worth it on the road and your bike is not a race rep. All the big brands have good selections, from Dunlop you can get extra advice since there is an inside man on this forum and the school runs them. Most instructors are fine with street bias Dunlops for track instructions from what I can understand.

[bradvanhorn]

Dunlop Q2. Fantastic performance in wide variety of conditions - street or track, dry or wet. Probably the least expensive tire choice among comparable tires. They might ("might") not last as long as some comparable tires, but the fact they usually are cheaper offsets the potentially shorter life.

[Cobie Fair]

Yeah, you will get a biased opinion from me .

 

I just don't ride all the brands, compare (with a real apples to apple type of test).

 

That being said, the Q2's are simply amazing. The coaches are always looking for them when we have anything other than a nice day. Cold/wet, they are the one to have. Race tires don't warm up!

 

Last little point: one often hears of riders saying the life they got from a tire. The single biggest factor in any motorcycle's traction (aside from riding technique) is the tire! Keep good tires on the bike (nice bike BTW, like it), and replace them befor they are worn out. So maybe you could get another 500-1000 miles out of them, but is it worth it if you need really good traction.

 

Best,

CF

[aslcbr600]

I had Michellin Power Pure's on my 600RR and loved them....it had the harder compound in the center so you wouldn't flatten the tire out so easily when just cruising and the sides had the 2CT compound so it has that extra level of grip. Never had the chance to use them in the wet but they got great wet ratings and reviews.

 

Before those I had Diablo Rosso's, they were a good tire but very slippery when new so it took me a good 100mi or so working into lean angles before they got broken in and the wet traction wasn't very confidence inspiring to say the least. The Power Pure's didn't have a hard fought break in, I was a little nervous to try adding more speed and lean on tires that had maybe 40-50mi on them but they impressed me!

[warregl]

Hi Ken,

 

I was in a similar position when I had my K1200R a few years ago. It came with sport touring tires however the way I was riding it I was getting too much slide out of the rear. While the bike was built for sport touring, I was riding it like a sportbike. Once I admitted my problem ( ) the answer was clear, buy the right kind of tire.

 

Then it comes down to which one. And that is really a personal choice as to how that tire feels for you as a rider (and how much you want to spend). I have ridden the Bridestone, Michelins, and Dunlops since I got into track riding and I prefer the Dunlop Q2s as my bike does dual duty (street & track) and the Q2s are the most predictable (and a good value).

 

But again that is a "feel" thing. My advice is to pick a tire with solid reviews from people that ride like you do. And realize that you may need to try a few sets before you find the one you like best.

 

Good luck,

Carey

[DUNLOP-RTS]

What type of riding are you wanting to do primarily? Street performance, sport touring, track days, racing?