Which Tire is best?

My 82 XJ1100J maxim needs new tires.
The sizes are : front 100/90-19 and rear 130/90-16.
A few questions:
1) What tires are best in the rain?
2) What tires last longest?
3) Why are most tires bias ply? Cars gave up on bias ply in the 1970's.
4) I have been looking at the Dunlop 491's ( they're the ones on the bike now but they are dry rotted). I also like the Elite III and the 404.
I mostly just commute but am a fairly new rider and am afraid to
lean over very much so I pretty much ride like an old man wearing a hat.
( Mostly because I AM an old man wearing a hat[helmet])
My wife worries when I ride in the rain that I"ll crash ( me too).
I can spend a reasonable amount but they have to last.
So basicly I want super tires that stick like glue wear like iron and are free!

Any and all opionions are welcome.

Thanx!

 

I really like the Kenda Challengers. Sticky enough and seem to have decent tread life, I'm a pretty aggressive rider though.

 

Do you want them to made out of cotton candy too? And smell like fresh-baked cookies when they're warm? :wink:

Heehee... All kidding aside, the best tyres I've run were my Metzeler ME880's. They lasted forever and stuck to the road pretty good too. A little on the spendy side, but your tyres're what attaches your bike to the road so you should get good ones.

 

Well that and if they could self-install too...

 

I have used the dunlop 591's and the new gt501's and they both wore out within 3 to 5000 miles on the rear. Now I have the Continental conti tour's on the rear and well over 10,000, yup TEN thousand miles out of the rear with lots of tread left. Have taken it up on HWY 33 and had some fun. It hasn't slipped on me yet but then again I have never pushed it that far to drag knee with.

So far from a mileage standpoint, I am very satisfied. Traction.. well can't say that I have went on a road that I knew well enough to go racing speeds on. If I would have it might have been the track

 

I have a set of Perrelli "Route 66" on my XJ and XS. They ride and handle very good and best of all they were less than 200 bucks installed ( I think they were about 180 at Cycle Gear). I have a few thousand miles on them and they are holding up very well.

 

I have had her over enough to drag the foot rest with the kendas and felt very comfortable other than dragging hard parts! I like the kenda's enough that I think I'll put them back on.

 

I've had good luck with the GT501 tire... it gripped well, had good wet grip...

I didn't have as big a worry on wear life as I did grip... if I were to be doing a cross country tour for a month, then yes I'd sacrifice grip for wear. If I were to be using it only for twisty rides and not logging big highway miles, I wouldn't.

To put it in perspective - my front pilot on the cbr lasted only 5000km, before I wore it shapeless... I do ride the cbr harder than I rode the maxim, but not by much. I melted the gt501 tire in New York.

Now - I hear that the 880 lasts and handles..

Truth be told - I honestly believe you can pick only 2 of 3: wear, grip, cost.

 

Hey Woot...

Who in town has the best tire prices? I got my set for the scoot from RPM as they are really close

I'll probably need new tires on the Max in the spring, and since I just became unemployed (as of yesterday) I'll be a bit budget conscious

 

Moirs?

I normally get my stuff from Freedom Cycle -however - slinger cycles under the macdonald bridge (his name is mike) - well Mike offers good prices and really is a bike nut. I'd really try there first, as much as I personally love freedom.

I *think* he'd treat you well - I have a good vibe for him. He also does paint jobs for what it is worth. He seems to be sportbike orientated, but the maxim has a sportbike heart.

 

One word.....Metzler

 

Yep Moirs
Apparently I got caught on camera (Global) leaving on Friday

Slinger Cycles eh?, will have to check it out... used to live under the bridge many years ago, Maybe he can give me a good deal on clear coating my tank... or help me figure out how to preserve a good flat look.
Thanks for the tip, and we will definitely have to hook up in the spring...
Fall River Tim's run at least

 

Metzler ME33 on the front.(good wet tyre apparently), and i have a Pirelli Route 66 on the back also.(good lasting for upright riding).

 

"3) Why are most tires bias ply? Cars gave up on bias ply in the 1970's."
True for cars, but the technology in bias ply tires for motorcycles has not remained stagnant. It has improved over the years.
Also, the tire market reflects the design of the majority of bikes, and most bikes were designed for bias ply tire construction.

You might find this info from Dunlop interesting:
"Bias and radial tires have significantly different dynamic properties. They deflect differently, create different cornering forces, have different damping characteristics, as well as other differences. In order for radial tires to be introduced into the two-wheel market, it was necessary to change certain characteristics of the motorcycle. The introduction of the radial tire led to such things as modified frames, new steering geometries and suspensions. Therefore, it is recommended that a motorcycle be used with the type of tire construction that it came with originally. If a change is to be made, then it should only be done if the motorcycle or tire manufacturer has approved the change. Above all, do not mix bias ply and radial tires on the same motorcycle unless it is with the approval of the motorcycle or tire manufacturer."

 

I've been to the Fall River tims a few times... actually come to think of it I think I saw a 400 there once. I was chatting to a guy who'd done a nice restore/cafe on a 350 2-stroke.

You know my bike right? 600F4, red/black which is a bit ratty...

 

Haven't found ones that smell like cookies, but I was suprized these weren't put up already by anyone else.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar ... /712200370

http://www.kumhousa.com/pressrelease.do?newsId=156

It's only a matter of time before we could get them too, but I haven't seen a price anywhere...don't think they are for me.

 

That's as silly as serving a soup sandwich on a screen-bottom boat.

 

Woot, Was that cafe 2-stroke a '59 Puch with the Sears logo across the rear of the seat? If so, I was talking to that guy, parked in next to me and my buddy with the XT-225 If so, I was going to give you a call that day....was one of my first rides out with the old girl.

 

Could have been - next time you see a lost sportbiker that's probably me

I don't get out that much though

 

We'll have to fix that in the spring