Motorcycle Tires/Tyres - What brand & type do you use?

[gsJack]

All of the major tire mfgs have fitment charts available at their websites showing exactly which tires they recommend for fitment to your bike. You can easily check these for yourself.

They all recommend the 150/70/17 rear tire for your bike which appears to be the OEM size. Fitment of the 150/70/17 tire on the 3.5 inch rim is as wide a tire as anyone would recommend for your rim. I see no question here of using any size except the 150/70/17 rear and that would be my choice. The OEM size 110/80/17 would be the choice for the front or possibly a 110/70/17 is recommended when the tire mfg doesn't have a 110/80 to offer in the tire line they are recommending.

You can get a good set of bias ply or radial ply tires online to fit your bike for a little over $100 to a little over $200 for a pair. These are matches sets, same tire front and rear. I have no problem using different brand tires front and rear when buying a single tire but I almost always match them when buying a set. A little judgement is required when mixing tires so why not just match them if you can. Just don't mix bias ply with radial tires unless you know exactly what you are doing.

And I did point out but maybe not clearly that Avon recommends the 150/70 size AV46 tire for your Kat and not the 140/80 although their tire charts don't show this fitment as being generally recommended.

The Avon Roadrider tires just came out and I haven't found them listed yet with any of the online suppliers but am looking forward to trying them if available next year and if the price is right. I am currently using their AM51/52 tires which I got delivered to my door for $125 including shipping for the pair. Very good tires for the price.

[eugeart]

Who do you reccomend ordering from to get the best price?

Looking around online gets to be a bit tedious after a while though I did find this site that was promising- shipping was only $9.95 a tire too.
http://www.sporttour.com/index.htm

I'm going to look at Jc Whitney but have little confidence.

[gsJack]

There are many places to order tires online, I have bought from both of these and got good service as well as good prices:

http://www.americanmototire.com/

http://swmototires.com/

No shipping charge from Southwest on a pair so add about $20 a pair to the AmericanMoto prices to compare.

[oldnslo]

I ordered my last set of Bridgestones from motorcycle accessory warehouse, they shipped out of San Diego, I think, and the price was good. Worth a look.

[Relsek]

Help us out. We are going to be constructing a Motorcycle Tire/Tyre Guide (like we do for our 2004/5/6 models) for all our visitors at Total Motorcycle and would love your help.

What Motorcycle Tires/Tyres - What brand & type do you use?

Do you like Bridgestone Spitfire S11? or maybe Pirelli Demons?

Why we ask is so we can have standardized categories and brands to easliy navigate the Guide.

Thanks for your help,

Mike.

I have Michelin Pilot Powers on my Hayabusa. Compared to the stock Bridgestones they give the bike a more nimble feel. I can't tell you how long they last because I keep getting nails in them before I get 1000 miles on them. If I ever get a chance to wear one out, I'll let you know.

Kevin

[oldnslo]

I use Bridgestone BT45V on my Seca, used BT020 on the CBRXX, Michelin MEZ4 on the BMW, which cupped tires in a big way, like in 1700 miles, Metzlers on every Suzuki and Kawasaki. Avons are very popular on the CBRXX board I still lurk on.
With so many of us riding older bikes, tire selection is limited at best. Tires for newer bikes can be bought anywhere, but it gets stickier the older the bike is, worse if it has odd-sized wheels, 18" front and rear, for instance.
When the only brand left making tires for my bike is Ching-Shen, I will sell or trade it rather than run them on it.

[Mintbread]

I can't tell you how long they last because I keep getting nails in them before I get 1000 miles on them.

I HATE it when that happens. I have had a couple over the years, but the last one I had still amazes me. I always park in the bike shed at work but this one day everyone rode so there were no spots left, so I had to park near where we eat lunch. I was sitting there admiring my bike (as you do) when I noticed a nail head sticking out of the back tyre. I gave it a little tug and heard the familiar hiss of air so I pushed it back in and limped up to the local bike shop for a new tyre. I never would have noticed it till it started to lose pressure flatted out completely at an inopportune moment.

[Relsek]

I can't tell you how long they last because I keep getting nails in them before I get 1000 miles on them.

I HATE it when that happens. I have had a couple over the years, but the last one I had still amazes me. I always park in the bike shed at work but this one day everyone rode so there were no spots left, so I had to park near where we eat lunch. I was sitting there admiring my bike (as you do) when I noticed a nail head sticking out of the back tyre. I gave it a little tug and heard the familiar hiss of air so I pushed it back in and limped up to the local bike shop for a new tyre. I never would have noticed it till it started to lose pressure flatted out completely at an inopportune moment.

I didn't notice one once until I got to about 110 and noticed the bike was not as stable as usual, I slowed thinking it was the high wind. After stopping at the next gas station I noticed the nail.

[gsJack]

I use Bridgestone BT45V on my Seca, used BT020 on the CBRXX, Michelin MEZ4 on the BMW, which cupped tires in a big way, like in 1700 miles, Metzlers on every Suzuki and Kawasaki. Avons are very popular on the CBRXX board I still lurk on.
With so many of us riding older bikes, tire selection is limited at best. Tires for newer bikes can be bought anywhere, but it gets stickier the older the bike is, worse if it has odd-sized wheels, 18" front and rear, for instance.
When the only brand left making tires for my bike is Ching-Shen, I will sell or trade it rather than run them on it.

Ya got me curious with all the great new tires available for bikes like yours. Bridgestone sez a 83 XJ900R came with 3.25/19 front and 120/90/18 rears and suggests use of their BT45s in 100/90/19 and 120/90/18 sizes.

Besides BT45s, these sizes are available in their S-11s, Dunlop's expanded D404 line, Avon's brand new Roadrider line, Metzeler's new Lasertec line, Maxxis Promaxx, Kenda K657, and Pirelli Sport Demons to mention a few I have handy reference for without searching.

You mentioned 18" front and rear and if this is the case, all the above mentioned tire lines also come in 100 and 110/90/18 sizes. Choices of tires have never been better for the early and mid 80's bikes, better tires than you could get back then.

Your are a long, long ways from ChengShins, John.

[oldnslo]

I know, Jack. I use 80 series tires on my bike, in spite of the narrower 90's being the specified ones. More bikes use the 90's than the 80's, but I am used to the 80's and will use them as long as somebody makes them. For example, I use a 130-80/18 on the rear, and a wider 80-series front than called for. The bike corners very well, not that my old skills would probably know the difference if the bike had 90's on it.
Last time I bought tires, the place I bought them from had both front and rear in the sizes I wanted, which made the deal for me. The V-rated tires are probably unneccessary, but what the heck, they work great. The bike looks a bit better to me, too.
The 80 series seem to be slightly less available than the 90's, but it depends on where you shop.