Best mileage tire for FJR-1300

[Lew]

Since I have to commute each day, I need a long-lasting tire for my
2004 FJR. I take the bike out in the mountains often, but, alas I
must use it on the interstates just about every day.

The original rear tire is gone at about 8,000 miles.

Recommended to me so far are Conti force, Conti force max, Conti road
attack, and Pilot Road.

What would be the difference in mileage for the three Conti tires?
Which of these three would last the longest on the interstate?

Do any of you experts have any other suggestions for a long-lasting
tire that still sticks well enough to have some evening or weekend fun
in the hills?

Please, no comments about getting a Gold Wing. I have one. The ride
to work is a lot more fun on the FJR, even on the interstate.

Thanks for any info,

Lew

[Ari Rankum]

Post by Lew
Since I have to commute each day, I need a long-lasting tire for my
2004 FJR. I take the bike out in the mountains often, but, alas I
must use it on the interstates just about every day.
The original rear tire is gone at about 8,000 miles.

Did you get the Metzlers or the Bridgestones? Some on Micapeak have
said the Bridgestones last a little longer. 8000 miles is well to the
high end of what's being reported for mileage.

Post by Lew
Do any of you experts have any other suggestions for a long-lasting
tire that still sticks well enough to have some evening or weekend fun
in the hills?

If you want stick in the hills, then you're not going to be happy with
mileage - especially if 8000 miles is not enough. As a frequent peg
scraper on my FJR (the pegs really are too low for sporty, but a real
treat for tour), I am more than willing to pay to have excess stick no
matter what suits my fancy on any given ride. Given the choice of
buying brand new tires or suffering whole-body road rash, or worse, I'd
buy the tires every time. These sorts of choices seem obvious in the
aftermath - butt loads of pain are never worth 3 or 4 hundred dollars.
Trouble is, most of us believe we're never going down, so we might as
well economize where we can.

[Rob Gill]

snip<<

I am more than willing to pay to have excess stick no matter what suits
my fancy on any given ride. Given the choice of buying brand new tires
or suffering whole-body road rash, or worse, I'd buy the tires every
time.

snip<<

But if you don't get road rash you won't have stories to share with the
grandkids.

[Ari Rankum]

On Tue, 09 Nov 2004 13:11:08 GMT, Ari Rankum

snip<<

I am more than willing to pay to have excess stick no matter what
suits my fancy on any given ride. Given the choice of buying brand
new tires or suffering whole-body road rash, or worse, I'd buy the
tires every time.

snip<<

But if you don't get road rash you won't have stories to share with the
grandkids.

Having met Satan at the crossroads, once (and married the bitch), I'm
not hurting for stories.

[B. Peg]

Pilots seem to wear long time according to BMW fanatics. I have some grippy
Roadtec Z6 Metzies but they worn out at 3500 miles. I do favor grip over
distance though. Just wish Metz would put more tread on their frickin'
tires. Seems they cut down the depth of the Z6 over the Z4 by a millimeter
or two. :o(

Heard Pirelli was supposed to come out with something new too for the ST
crowd. Loved their old Dragons MTR 23/24 series when they were around.
Virtually no road noise transmitted through the bars. Very smooth running
tire.

B~

[Beardg]

Subject: Re: Best mileage tire for FJR-1300

Beardg>>Try Avons new sport touring tire. My personal favorite is the Conti
Force tire, great all around radial good mileage and superb pricing...
A BEARDG pick!

[John]

Post by B. Peg
Pilots seem to wear long time according to BMW fanatics. I have some grippy
Roadtec Z6 Metzies but they worn out at 3500 miles. I do favor grip over
distance though. Just wish Metz would put more tread on their frickin'
tires. Seems they cut down the depth of the Z6 over the Z4 by a millimeter
or two. :o(
Heard Pirelli was supposed to come out with something new too for the ST
crowd. Loved their old Dragons MTR 23/24 series when they were around.
Virtually no road noise transmitted through the bars. Very smooth running
tire.

Wore out the Z6s in 3500? Eek. I've got over 4000 miles[1] on mine.
Plenty of tread left. What bike do you have them on? They also have
a 180/55ZR17 M/C (73W) TL Roadtec Z6 B rear for heavier bikes such as
the FJR1300.

I've been quite pleased with the Z6s to the point of likely buying
them again.

[1] Seems like yesterday.

--
John, '02 FZ1, '73 RD350

We are not made of sugar.

[Mark Olson]

Post by John
I've been quite pleased with the Z6s to the point of likely buying
them again.

<ghostly spectral voice>

....whooo...ooooo....pirrrelllliiii....diAAAABloooossss...

</gsv>

[John]

Post by Mark Olson
<ghostly spectral voice>
....whooo...ooooo....pirrrelllliiii....diAAAABloooossss...
</gsv>

<makes sign of Holy Pushrods>

--
John, '02 FZ1, '73 RD350

We are not made of sugar.

[Ari Rankum]

Post by John

Post by Mark Olson
<ghostly spectral voice>
....whooo...ooooo....pirrrelllliiii....diAAAABloooossss...
</gsv>

<makes sign of Holy Pushrods>

Likely better than the sigh of holey pistons.

[Mark Olson]

Post by John

Post by Mark Olson
<ghostly spectral voice>
....whooo...ooooo....pirrrelllliiii....diAAAABloooossss...
</gsv>

<makes sign of Holy Pushrods>

Are you sure you're feeling quite right, John?

To be honest, based on past experience, if anyone around here is likely to
go bonkers and buy a CG125 it's probably going to be me rather than you.

[John]

Post by Mark Olson

Post by John

Post by Mark Olson
<ghostly spectral voice>
....whooo...ooooo....pirrrelllliiii....diAAAABloooossss...
</gsv>

<makes sign of Holy Pushrods>

Are you sure you're feeling quite right, John?
To be honest, based on past experience, if anyone around here is likely to
go bonkers and buy a CG125 it's probably going to be me rather than you.

http://ukrm.net/clues/kotl/GHPOTHUF.html

Ahh, so that's what that's all about. I was merely trying to ward of
GSVs.

And no, I do not believe I'll be running out to get CG125 anytime
soon. I've the RD for potting about. The poor, lonely, neglected RD.

<sniff>

I'm a bad, bad man.

Too busy tipping over on the other bike, really.


--
John, '02 FZ1, '73 RD350

We are not made of sugar.

[moto]

Lew ...
Good tire mileage is one thing, but it sounds like you need a little
sticky too.
I'm wondering if anyone is gonna tell you to sacrifice a little mileage
for a bit of extra traction.
IMO, good tire mileage is up to you, and how you take care of those
tires.
If just one time you need some extra 'Grab' and you have high mileage
harder rubber on the bike instead, again IMO, it just ain't worth the
tradeoff.



moto


Warning: Objects in the mirror appear smarter than they are.


'05 750 Spirit...
'02 750 Ace...
'01 750 Magna...
Hondas all

[Lew]

Thanks for the sentiment, but what I need are some specific
recommendations. What would you recommend for a tire that sticks well
and wears okay, and for a tire that lasts real well and sticks okay.

One guy at work suggested that any tire that comes in a size to fit
the FJR is going to be at least somewhat sporty. IOW, you can't get a
hard tire for an FJR.

Anyway, I have been getting lots of conflicting guidance. Most folks
say the Pilot Roads are good and last fairly well. Opinions on the
Conti tires are either strongly for or against!! Some guys swear by
them. Others say they tossed the tire after a few hundred miles.
Metz and Brdgstn are regarded as medium. Haven't heard anything about
a Dunlop alternative.

I need to get more than 7,000 mi of commuting out of the rear tire.

Post by moto
Lew ...
Good tire mileage is one thing, but it sounds like you need a little
sticky too.
I'm wondering if anyone is gonna tell you to sacrifice a little mileage
for a bit of extra traction.
IMO, good tire mileage is up to you, and how you take care of those
tires.
If just one time you need some extra 'Grab' and you have high mileage
harder rubber on the bike instead, again IMO, it just ain't worth the
tradeoff.

[Beardg]

Post by Lew
Opinions on the
Conti tires are either strongly for or against!!

Beardg>>The guys on the Triumph Trophy board have high regard for the Conti
Force tires....These aren't your fathers Contis...

[Beardg]

Post by Lew
I need to get more than 7,000 mi of commuting out of the rear tire.

Beardg>>The ONLY tire that will give you that kind of mileage is Metzeler ME
880s
And thats it..........Nothing else,especially on a big powerful bike like
yours. Performance with that kind of mileage will be fair to mediocre...You
can't have it all..

[Bownse]

Post by Beardg

Post by Lew
I need to get more than 7,000 mi of commuting out of the rear tire.

Beardg>>The ONLY tire that will give you that kind of mileage is Metzeler ME
880s
And thats it..........Nothing else,especially on a big powerful bike like
yours. Performance with that kind of mileage will be fair to mediocre...You
can't have it all..

Wrong.

See my previous post.

Even the OEM BT020 can squeek out 7k if you use extreme throttle
control. OTOH you can fry them in under 2500 miles if you don't.

[The Family]

If you're only getting 7K from a tire(assuming rear, but really either
front or rear), you're either hot-dogging or doing something else
to cause the wear.

My Valkyrie's initial Dunlop's lasted 8K, and that was after I learned:

. I used a very heavy hand on front brake. Perhaps your FJR has
an ABS/LBS system, preventing this?
. Hard 1st & 2nd acceleration was spinning the rear tire, although it
was not squealing. I just thought it might be some clutch slippage.

After I backed off of these issues, my next tire sets(Dunlop's) lasted ~12K,
and have increased from there. Although they'll never get to
16K probably. I've got to have some fun.

Also, are you sure the inflation is accurate?

Gary

Post by Lew
Thanks for the sentiment, but what I need are some specific
recommendations. What would you recommend for a tire that sticks well
and wears okay, and for a tire that lasts real well and sticks okay.
One guy at work suggested that any tire that comes in a size to fit
the FJR is going to be at least somewhat sporty. IOW, you can't get a
hard tire for an FJR.
Anyway, I have been getting lots of conflicting guidance. Most folks
say the Pilot Roads are good and last fairly well. Opinions on the
Conti tires are either strongly for or against!! Some guys swear by
them. Others say they tossed the tire after a few hundred miles.
Metz and Brdgstn are regarded as medium. Haven't heard anything about
a Dunlop alternative.
I need to get more than 7,000 mi of commuting out of the rear tire.

Post by moto
Lew ...
Good tire mileage is one thing, but it sounds like you need a little
sticky too.
I'm wondering if anyone is gonna tell you to sacrifice a little mileage
for a bit of extra traction.
IMO, good tire mileage is up to you, and how you take care of those
tires.
If just one time you need some extra 'Grab' and you have high mileage
harder rubber on the bike instead, again IMO, it just ain't worth the
tradeoff.

[B. Peg]

If you're only getting 7K from a tire (assuming rear, but really either
front or rear), you're either hot-dogging or doing something else
to cause the wear.

Not necessarily. Round here in the damn desert, heat will cut tire wear
down in half the time of those cool weather riders. Some rough road
surfaces too. Three weeks ago (still over 95 degrees) a Winger threw the
cords on his Wing. He thought he could get by on what little wear bar he
saw on the rear, but he wore down to the cord in 200 miles or so and it
de-plied -- or whatever you call it when it comes apart.

Oh, he survived the incident.

B~

[The Family]

Yes, you might, and probably are right. I'm certainly not aware of
the road conditions where you are.

But, I do know how frustrating it is to change tires that frequently.


Gary

Post by B. Peg

If you're only getting 7K from a tire (assuming rear, but really either
front or rear), you're either hot-dogging or doing something else
to cause the wear.

Not necessarily. Round here in the damn desert, heat will cut tire wear
down in half the time of those cool weather riders. Some rough road
surfaces too. Three weeks ago (still over 95 degrees) a Winger threw the
cords on his Wing. He thought he could get by on what little wear bar he
saw on the rear, but he wore down to the cord in 200 miles or so and it
de-plied -- or whatever you call it when it comes apart.
Oh, he survived the incident.
B~

[B. Peg]

Yeah, I hate changing tires too and turn the air purple every time I do it
outside on the back lawn. I keep saying I'm going to let the dealer do it
since our local Yamaha dealer changes tires for free (he charges extra for
balancing though) if you buy them from him and bring it in unmounted.
Still, I always end up doing it myself. Just some sort of sick fascination
with spending an hour cutting the mold nubbins off the tire and trying to
get the balance down to one penny in weight. Least I use a torque wrench
and don't mess up the threads like one dealer did.

They sure feel nice when new though. Just wish my rims weren't all beat up
from the tire irons over the years Bike has 93,000 on it now so rims are
looking pretty mangled. But damn, I hate buying them over...and over...and
over again. I still favor grip over wear so I am pretty much in tune them
wearing out quicker.

I do the same on the family car since I prefer less road noise there as well
and, to a lesser extent, grip. The trade off is, again, softer rubber and
more frequent replacement at 20,000 miles (Goodyear Eagles). I don't know
why softer rubber auto tires seem to cost more. Maybe more pricey "rubber"
compound?

B~

[Bownse]

Post by The Family
If you're only getting 7K from a tire(assuming rear, but really either
front or rear), you're either hot-dogging or doing something else
to cause the wear.

[slap slap]

er... HELLO???

An FJR ain't no way like a Valk. The power-to-weight ratio ain't even
in the same ballpark. Throttle control DOES require discipline to get
longer life from any tire. But the FJR is lucky to get 7k our of the
OEM tire under average use.

Just remember that the Dunlops in Wing (aka Valk) flavor wear like
iron and grip that way too.

[Tim Morrow]

Post by Lew
Thanks for the sentiment, but what I need are some specific
recommendations. What would you recommend for a tire that sticks well
and wears okay, and for a tire that lasts real well and sticks okay.
One guy at work suggested that any tire that comes in a size to fit
the FJR is going to be at least somewhat sporty. IOW, you can't get a
hard tire for an FJR.
Anyway, I have been getting lots of conflicting guidance. Most folks
say the Pilot Roads are good and last fairly well. Opinions on the
Conti tires are either strongly for or against!! Some guys swear by
them. Others say they tossed the tire after a few hundred miles.
Metz and Brdgstn are regarded as medium. Haven't heard anything about
a Dunlop alternative.
I need to get more than 7,000 mi of commuting out of the rear tire.

Good luck. That's a very powerful bike that is putting a LOT of torque to the
ground, and the rear tire size is one that, as has been pointed out, is not
likely to be available in a super hard, long distance, touring compound.

That said, do your own research. Each tire maker has a webpage in which they
describe their various models of tires, what their strengths are and what
purposes they are designed for.

You can also subscribe to motorcycle magazines, they invariable have a tire
comparison test once every 12-18 months, plus they report on the tire life of
the long term test bikes that they almost all run.

Anecdotal reports from a sprinkling of newsgroup contributors is almost always
going to contain good info and crap info.

Try finding and joining an FJR special interest group; at least then the tire
results that people report will be germane to your specific model of bike.

Tim
--
'04 FLTRI Road Glide
'99 955i Speed Triple
'72 TR6RV Tiger

[Bownse]

Post by Lew
Thanks for the sentiment, but what I need are some specific
recommendations. What would you recommend for a tire that sticks well
and wears okay, and for a tire that lasts real well and sticks okay.
One guy at work suggested that any tire that comes in a size to fit
the FJR is going to be at least somewhat sporty. IOW, you can't get a
hard tire for an FJR.
Anyway, I have been getting lots of conflicting guidance. Most folks
say the Pilot Roads are good and last fairly well. Opinions on the
Conti tires are either strongly for or against!! Some guys swear by
them. Others say they tossed the tire after a few hundred miles.
Metz and Brdgstn are regarded as medium. Haven't heard anything about
a Dunlop alternative.
I need to get more than 7,000 mi of commuting out of the rear tire.

Post by moto
Lew ...
Good tire mileage is one thing, but it sounds like you need a little
sticky too.
I'm wondering if anyone is gonna tell you to sacrifice a little mileage
for a bit of extra traction.
IMO, good tire mileage is up to you, and how you take care of those
tires.
If just one time you need some extra 'Grab' and you have high mileage
harder rubber on the bike instead, again IMO, it just ain't worth the
tradeoff.

Tire wear is DEFINITELY a function of the rider on the FJR. Right
wrist control is where it's at. So actual mileage WILL vary. All you
can do is get someone to report what life they saw out of a tire
you've also used, compare their results for a different tire and then
extrapolate.

For example, I got the BT020 as my OEM tire. I had serious cupping of
the front at under 4K miles and squaring of the rear by 4k miles. I
was able to get 6k miles out of the before the needed replacing. I
ride to the wear bars and not to the belts popping out. If that means
I have to swap early before a trip, then I do.

Pilot Roads have gotten me down the road through 3 sets. The first 2
at 6k miles or more with significant tread left but with a trip of
over 3k miles coming up, it was prudent to change them in town where I
had control of pricing. The 3rd set got me to 9.2k miles and could
have gotten me to 10k miles but again, a trip of over 1k miles was
looming so I swapped them.

I am now on my first set of Avon 45/46 ST's. Initially their mounting
(more weight to balance them than the PRs) and slow speed squirm put
me off to them. A steering head bearing service
(http://www.bikes-n-spikes.org/maint/shb/shb.html) and a little time
adapting to their different feel now has me pretty much considering
them on a par with the PRs. Once I know their longevity it may turn
out to be a choice between the type of handling I want at any given time.

PR: Straight line stability, low balance weights, consistent QC, and
"smooth" transitions in the curves.

Av: Some twitchiness in slow speeds and straight lines[1], higher
balance weights, variable QC, quick(er) transitions in the curves.

[1] I suspect as a function of their responsiveness to rider input.
Coming from a tire that expects to be told what to do a little more
firmly, it takes a while to adapt to a tire that requires less rider
input.

[John]

Post by Lew
Since I have to commute each day, I need a long-lasting tire for my
2004 FJR. I take the bike out in the mountains often, but, alas I
must use it on the interstates just about every day.
The original rear tire is gone at about 8,000 miles.
Recommended to me so far are Conti force, Conti force max, Conti road
attack, and Pilot Road.
What would be the difference in mileage for the three Conti tires?
Which of these three would last the longest on the interstate?
Do any of you experts have any other suggestions for a long-lasting
tire that still sticks well enough to have some evening or weekend fun
in the hills?
Please, no comments about getting a Gold Wing. I have one. The ride
to work is a lot more fun on the FJR, even on the interstate.

http://p083.ezboard.com/ffjr1300ownersassociationfrm1.showMessage?topicID=2637.topic

and


http://p083.ezboard.com/ffjr1300ownersassociationfrm3.showMessage?topicID=1300.topic

for more info.

--
John, '02 FZ1, '73 RD350

We are not made of sugar.

[Reassembler]

Post by Lew
Since I have to commute each day, I need a long-lasting tire for my
2004 FJR. I take the bike out in the mountains often, but, alas I
must use it on the interstates just about every day.
The original rear tire is gone at about 8,000 miles.

8,000 is a LOT. However, my 919 came with Bridgestone tires that are tougher
in the middle, and stickier on the sides, and they are wearing very well. They
are called BT56.

Reassembler