Tired of tires yet? Here's more....

We've beaten the tire thing relentlessly...but here's more.

I'm right at 50k miles on my 2009 R3T. I've gone through a couple sets of Metzler 880s, and a couple Dunlop Elite 3s. I have a Michelin Commander II on the rear just because the shop had it in stock and I was replacing an E3 with a nail in it at only 3k miles.

So, with the front E3 cupping at over 10k miles, I started shopping for a new set. I read through all of the tire threads (or is it treads?) to see what's working for my fellow R3T riders.

I'd pretty much narrowed it down to Avon Cobras, Dunlop Elite 4s, Bridgestone Exedras or even the Shinko Tour Master. I won't go into the sizing availability issues...but I settled on the Exedra Max. In the San Diego area, it's about $500 for the tires, install and balance. And there's almost no way of getting around that unless you buy them online and install them yourself. And I won't.

The tire shops have countered the online prices by adding a premium if you bring in your own tires. For example: I used to buy the E3s online for $275 a set delivered. I'd then have them installed and balanced locally for $65. Then it went to $75. Today, that same shop charges $115 plus tax plus a disposal fee.

There's a 15% discount if I buy the tires from the shop. And many are doing that now. Basically, they're gonna get your money one way or the other.

I found a local guy who installs and balances tires for $100 out the door. He also offered me online (eBay) prices for the Exedras. I ended up paying a total of $465 for the two tires, installation, balance and tax.

Not entirely pleased, but that's just the cost of riding, I suppose. And it's only a once in 10k mile event, so there's that....

OK, rant over. Ride safe, everyone.

I hear ya.... and about what I paid for my Avon's installed in Las Vegas. Good thing my girl is more than just a phenomenal ride... she's my "Road Therapy"...
-MIG

I just recently installed a Bridgestone Excedra max to the rear of my Rocket. NZ$325.00, US$235.00 fitted.
Four months ago I had fitted an Avon Cobra 145/75-17 to the front, that was NZ$259.00, US$187.00 fitted.
The rear tyre I kept, am building a stack of them, front tyre was disposed of by the shop.

Paul Bryant said:

I just recently installed a Bridgestone Excedra max to the rear of my Rocket. NZ$325.00, US$235.00 fitted.
Four months ago I had fitted an Avon Cobra 145/75-17 to the front, that was NZ$259.00, US$187.00 fitted.
The rear tyre I kept, am building a stack of them, front tyre was disposed of by the shop.

Click to expand...

Is there a particular reason for your ever growing tyre mountain Paul ?

Necklacing!.

Nat67 said:

Is there a particular reason for your ever growing tyre mountain Paul ?

Click to expand...

If Paul says he is using them as Willie rings he better post some pictures

Man what a racket. I paid 165.00 for a exedra max rear 240/55/16 10 dollars to mount (I bring the wheel. Plus the price of a sack of balancing beads for a semi trator wheel. I weigh the beads out and get about 4 rear changes and a couple fronts out of one sack. No tire disposal fee because I bring mine home for combustion reasons

dandiego said:

We've beaten the tire thing relentlessly...but here's more.

I'm right at 50k miles on my 2009 R3T. I've gone through a couple sets of Metzler 880s, and a couple Dunlop Elite 3s. I have a Michelin Commander II on the rear just because the shop had it in stock and I was replacing an E3 with a nail in it at only 3k miles.

So, with the front E3 cupping at over 10k miles, I started shopping for a new set. I read through all of the tire threads (or is it treads?) to see what's working for my fellow R3T riders.

I'd pretty much narrowed it down to Avon Cobras, Dunlop Elite 4s, Bridgestone Exedras or even the Shinko Tour Master. I won't go into the sizing availability issues...but I settled on the Exedra Max. In the San Diego area, it's about $500 for the tires, install and balance. And there's almost no way of getting around that unless you buy them online and install them yourself. And I won't.

The tire shops have countered the online prices by adding a premium if you bring in your own tires. For example: I used to buy the E3s online for $275 a set delivered. I'd then have them installed and balanced locally for $65. Then it went to $75. Today, that same shop charges $115 plus tax plus a disposal fee.

There's a 15% discount if I buy the tires from the shop. And many are doing that now. Basically, they're gonna get your money one way or the other.

I found a local guy who installs and balances tires for $100 out the door. He also offered me online (eBay) prices for the Exedras. I ended up paying a total of $465 for the two tires, installation, balance and tax.

Not entirely pleased, but that's just the cost of riding, I suppose. And it's only a once in 10k mile event, so there's that....

OK, rant over. Ride safe, everyone.

Click to expand...

The Exedra Max w/V rating is what I chose for first replacement of the OE Metzlers on my 2014 R3T, which (Metz's) were the lousiest tires I've ever experienced in decades of riding... they were scalloped (front really badly) and awful by 7,500 or 8,000 miles, but, I suffered with 'em to 9,000+ out of frugality (they weren't bald, but had ridden and handled VERY POORLY since minimally half that mileage), before replacing w/the Ex. Max's, and I'm now just gearing up to replace those at 12,500+ (speedo/odometer, probably not "actual") miles. (BTW, I'm an even more conservative rider even after 45+ years of riding, not hard-accelerating from stops or hotdogging the curves, so I most probably will get a little better mileage out of ANY brand of m/cycle tire than some others would, but STILL had problems w/Metzlers.) I've ranted on here, prior, about the OE Metz's being so sorry that Triumph shouldn't use them, btw. HOWEVER, the Bridge. Ex Max V-rated improved the handling and ride of the bike by minimally 50% when I went to them (even compared to when the Metz's were new... it was "pleasantly shocking", the difference), and that improved handling and ride lasted for the better part of 10,000 miles, and they were STILL "way better" at that mileage (though exponentially getting more bumpy/scalloped/noisy, now, at 12,000... i.e., every m/c tire I've ever had on whatever bike, seem to hit a "wall" at a certain mileage where the just "go bad exponentially fast", like when you're in middle of a road trip, etc.) than the Metz's were at 8,000. I'm seriously just thinking of having another set of Br. ExMax V's put on, now, w/out further consideration. I've read all of the "I've tried Avons on my R3T and think they're best" comments, and am sure they're tellling their stories accurately, but my best guess is that Avons would offer NO IMPROVED VARIATION OF PERFORMANCE overall, over the Br. ExMax V's.

EDIT, "PS" - I have studied every thing I could find online, anecdotally, about virtually every tire set made for the R3T, plus any tech notes, etc. One of the problems you've no doubt discovered is that the front tire size on the R3T apparently isn't as common as some others, and many mfr'rs. might make ONE of the tires for this machine, but not BOTH... that being said, IF MICHELIN MADE THE COMMANDER FOR BOTH FR. AND REAR OF OUR TOURING's (they don't make our front size), I'D WAGER THEY'D OUTPERFORM, at least by some margin, ANY OF THE BRANDS WE ARE CURRENTLY SPEAKING OF, including the Br. Ex Max V-rated.

"For what it's worth"...

I mounted my last set. A Excedra max bias ply rear 170 tire up front and a Yokohama Envigor V rated 160/60 16 for the rear. The stock Metzlers were toast at 4000 miles. I have 6000 on this current set and they still look new.

After the stock tires went south I tried a set of Avon's. Better handling but cold weather handling and traction sucked. Went dark side for a while but did not like the way it handled around town. Now we have the exdra max rear and a scorcher II 140 up front. Handles great and good traction.