Tires of choice for roadster

[eugene]

what is your tire of choice on the roadster and best place to buy tire? Have Metzeler ME880 on now, will need new in the near future.

 

[Nat67]

Opening a can of worms there Eugene,
Personally I love the Avon Cobras !

 

[Idaho Red Rocket 3]

AVON COBRA is the best tire for handling and they last quite well. Rocky Mountain ATV is the place to buy. I just purchased a set from them.

Front 140/75R17 67V ($106.88 April Sale Price) Avon Cobra AV71 Front Motorcycle Tire | Tires and Wheels | Rocky Mountain ATV/MC
FYI: This front is the one size smaller than standard size for better handling and better turn in. RMATV does not offer the standard size in a V rated tire. They only have it in H rated.

Rear 240/50R16 84V ($203.88 April Sale Price) Avon Cobra AV72 Rear Motorcycle Tire | Tires and Wheels | Rocky Mountain ATV/MC

 

[barbagris]

BUT - you should be aware - there ARE reports of rear AVONS bursting. This is NOT a new thing. The number if incidents is NOT high but it's happened and is not confined to a batch of them. This is not to PANIC but simply to state the facts. It did not put me off testing them.

Much of the whole tyre thing depends a bit on the rider and where he is. If it is cold/cool where you live - I'd suggest you think about staying with ME880's.

Avons handle better - yes. But they have to be properly warmed up OR they are skippy if it's cold/cool. Do not expect them to simply grip from mile-0. And they shred just as happily if you push them.

Metzlers will even grip ice - just. But they do NOT like being pushed hard for hours on end at 35-40°C - not here in Spain anyway. They are a simple but VERY over engineered tyre.

IF - and I mean IF - you have no issue running non-standard sizes - then I'd suggest there is a mass of evidence to support the Bridgestone E-Max rear 240/55VR16 - @1olbull has documented the restrictions for non-standard use on ABS bikes. But ime like the Avons - they need warming a bit.

There is also a Metz 145/75R17 and (in Europe anyway) also available in Z rating.

 

[1olbull]

what is your tire of choice on the roadster and best place to buy tire? Have Metzeler ME880 on now, will need new in the near future.

 

[Tal]

Here In NZ I get good mileage from Bridgestone Exedra Max on the rear and Metzler on the front...About 10000kms from the Bridgestones on asphalt surface.

 

[Nat67]

BUT - you should be aware - there ARE reports of rear AVONS bursting. This is NOT a new thing. The number if incidents is NOT high but it's happened and is not confined to a batch of them. This is not to PANIC but simply to state the facts. It did not put me off testing them.

Much of the whole tyre thing depends a bit on the rider and where he is. If it is cold/cool where you live - I'd suggest you think about staying with ME880's.

Avons handle better - yes. But they have to be properly warmed up OR they are skippy if it's cold/cool. Do not expect them to simply grip from mile-0. And they shred just as happily if you push them.

Metzlers will even grip ice - just. But they do NOT like being pushed hard for hours on end at 35-40°C - not here in Spain anyway. They are a simple but VERY over engineered tyre.

IF - and I mean IF - you have no issue running non-standard sizes - then I'd suggest there is a mass of evidence to support the Bridgestone E-Max rear 240/55VR16 - @1olbull has documented the restrictions for non-standard use on ABS bikes. But ime like the Avons - they need warming a bit.

There is also a Metz 145/75R17 and (in Europe anyway) also available in Z rating.

Would be interested to know just how many of the Cobras have failed ? I know there was an issue with splitting on earlier batches but have heard no reports of that in quite a while . I am not saying it hasn't happened , but have never heard of a catastrophic failure either. Are there any facts and figures on this worrying subject ?
Myself and 5 other rocket owners I sometimes ride with all use Cobras , a couple of the guys from day one and have never experienced any problems whatsoever , and all ride the cahoonies off their bikes ! It may just be that they really suit British roads and weather , I don't know ?

 

[sonny]

Our choice of tires for the Roadster suck. Ran the Avons front and back and really was not that impressed with them. Nice tire but the Michelin Commander grips better and last longer. Even the Dunlop Elite Three Handles better than the Avons and last longer. To bad neither company makes tires for our bikes what a shame. It would be nice if they did. On previous bikes I have always used front and back tires made from the same company,to me that was just common sense. That is why I tried the Avons after the cheapo stock tires wore out. Just not really impressed with the Avons. Just wish we had better options to choose from.

 

[Mike188]

I have the Bridgestone Exedra Max on the rear with a Dunlop Elite 3 up front
Miles better than the Metz and personally prefer over the Avons

 

[sonny]

Dunlop Elite three up front and car tire on back. Thinking about the Exedra max next time around .