And tires...

Another issue I need to consider is the rear tire, it's close enough to balding (like me) and I want safety so I need to get a new tire.

I believe the Maxim has a smaller rear tire, if so, I might like to have a larger one on it for the interstate runs I will be making frequently. I don't mind sacrificing some acceleration if it will make the engine run slower & will give me better gas mileage. Is this correct & doable?

So that's one question, another is I want a grippy tire that does not wear away like the money in my bank account.

Idears?

Thanks

 

Don't know if your XJ650 takes similar tyres as the XJ700 Maxim X? If it does I can heartily recommend the Avon Venom X.
Originally got recommended them from all the Harley boys in my bike club & now all the cruisers, chops, bobbers & Harleys in the club are using them as they are great in all conditions, especially the wet as sometimes that's all it seems to do is rain here in England!! Must be pretty reasonable as everyone in the club universally think they are the dog's danglys
Hope this helps 8)

 

if you want to get better mileage while sacrificing acc. then you should regear your sprockets. im running bridgestone s11 spitfires front and rear on my 550 and i love them so far after about 800 miles. the set shipped was like 120 something plus change from bikebandit. very, very cheap and a good quality tire. only problem i have is with the continuous center groove on the front. next change i'm going to get a front that doesn't have that since we have a lot of rain grooves around here and handling gets squirrely on those roads.

 

The continuous center groove issue is an important one if there are a lot of rain-grooved roads in your area; it is a major factor in my tire choices.
Dunlop D404s, Avon Roadrider AM26s, and Bridgestone's BT45 Battlax do not have a continous center groove in the front.

 

He can't change sprockets as he has a shaft drive 650.

 

Dunlop GT501

 

GT501 has a straight continuous center groove in the front tire; as mentioned they tend to grab at rain grooves and make for squirrely handling.

D404 doesn't.

 

fitz, glad do hear you recommending the D404 as I just ordered them for my 550!

 

My favorites so far (by far) have been the Avon AM 21/22 Roadrunner's I had. Long lasting, spectacular traction, very stable.
I'm told the AM26 Roadrider's are the replacement for the Roadrunner line - no direct experience, but looking at them I'd buy them.
I've got Bridgestone S11 Spitfire's on my bike that the moment - so far I've been happy - can't comment on the longevity of them, but performance wise they've handled everything I've ever needed from them. Although the front does have the centre groove, I've never noticed it causing handling issues on grooved pavement.

 

I've only got 1400 miles or so on my set of Avon Roadriders so all I can tell you is they are really grippy and work very well in the wet.

I've just about worn out the D404's on the other bike, and have been very pleased with them as well, although they aren't as "sporty" as the Avons.

 

Another vote for the Spitfires here, put a set on last year, and broke them in during a week of rain, not 1 slip.....
Very happy with them.....

 

LOL @ the two above avatars!

 

Ditto

And I just broke in a set of Battlax BT-45's in the rain also. Great grip, not a slip at all and good handling on the rain grooves.

 

+ 1 on the Avon’s I even noticed a difference just pushing the bike around the garage. When I push the bike off the center stand I can slow the bike with the front brake. My old tire would slip.

 

I will go with the D404 great tire good in the rain and slush as well as dry pavement.


1982 XJ1100 max

 

i have heard great tales of grip and wear performance on the metzeler laser tec tires, about 130 american a tire on bikebandit.com, as for greater speeds with lower rpm from what i've read in other parts of this site you an swap to the xj700 or xj750 rear wheel assembly