Aussie Tyre Recommendations

Hi All,

I need new front and back tyres for my XJ900. What would you recommend I look at? The bikes apart, so I'll just drop the wheels off wherever I can find the tyres.

Also, I'm based near Penrith and drive into the city for work and to the northern beaches every now and then. If you can recommend any retailers I'd appreciate the lead as well.

Cheers,
oby

 

hi there oby, i also have an xj 900f 85 model. i run a michellin macadam on the rear (120 width) and a dunlop arrowmax on the front (100 width) i find these work very well together. im down on the vic/nsw border so i cant recommend a dealer though. by the way how wide a tyre do you run on your rears?...

 

G'day oby_2 & ozxj900
100/90 18 Front and 120/80 18 Rear.I'm running Dunlops GT501 Arrowmax at the moment and I'm pretty happy with them.
Heard good things about Michelins in the past and I ran a set of Avons on a GSX 750 that I was pretty happy with a few years ago.The Avons lasted real well from memory.
There not real popular sizes nowadays so you might have to order them in before hand.
I moved up to Qld about 15 years ago so cant help you with a dealer but I tell you I miss living near the blue mountains,absolutely great riding country!
Dont miss Sydney at all.
Hope this is of some help.
Glenn
Riding an 83 XJ750RL same as the 900 but got a little short changed in the cc department.

 

I've been running Perelli Sport Demon's on my 900... got about 14000kms on my last back tyre and I found them just as good in the wet or dry.

 

i found a guy in the states on ebay that will sell/ship tyres to aust, for the price of 1 tyre you can buy a pair landed here, depending on what brand you want. search ebay for moto_race and check out the store. you should find something to your taste. greg

 

ozxj900 - I'd like to have the tyre as wide as possible, but I'm not interested in cutting into the swing arm like some mods have done here. I just want something reliable that will fit the standard frame/wheel/swingarm.

truckerbikes - how hard is it to put on your own tyres? Is it like a pushy tyre but with a little more elbow grease?

oby

 

hi oby, its not hard at all to do your own tyres, as you said just like a pushy but a little more elbow grease will be involved.
just a word of warning when fitting them, make sure you have the tyres heading in the right direction and on most new tyres you will find a coloured dot on the side wall of the tyre. this should align with the valve to help with the balancing and in most cases if done properly you wont need to balance them unless you are going to cut loose on some lonely black top. good luck champ. greg

 

hi guys i just stuck a 130/80/18 on to the rear and it fitted with no problems. checked all the clearances and the took it for a lap. boy has it changed the way the bike rides. better cornering straightline behaviour and no tracking through any of the wheel tracks or tears in the roads . go the michelins yehaa

 

Hi Guys
How about an update on tyres ?
I,ve just come back from a 5000km ride & have to look for new tyres. I'm running Bridgestone Battleaxe,s.
Cheers Andrew

 

I'll chime in here and say I've tried a couple of different brands but now I've got Bridgestone Battleaxes on front and rear and I love them. Good around the curves and not too bad in the wet given the narrowness of these tyres on the XJ900's.

 

I had Batlax's front and back, still got a BT45 on the front, the rear didn't last long at all. Running a Dunlop D404 on the rear now, little bit heavier but looks like it's in for the long run compared to the Batlax. 99% of my riding is fast commuting so tyre life is a big thing for me.

 

Truckerbikes RU still getting tyres from the US?

Also are you still running a 130 tyre?

 

Is a 130 width the largest that will fit on the rear? Also anyone know where to get Avons in Brisbane? Mine's a 750 but it's a 900 frame, as built.

 

Hi
I run BT45 on my 750/900 at 140 wide & I have read of guys running 150 wide on their bikes.
No one in Oz stocks 150 wide so I'm going to buy some in from the states , a company called Rocky Mountain ATV & Motorcycly will ship to Oz'
Cheers

 

Same as Alive Pirelli sport demons on my 900 find them very confidence inspiring in comparison to the GT501's Dunlop arrowmax that I was running think I will stick with them.

 

To add to th brand names ..I like my Metzler Lasertec's, on th bitumen and off th bitumen. However, i don't play in th rain these days so i can't comment on wet roads.

 

I use Bridgestone BT45 on the front, Michelin Macadam on the rear, 32psi front and 34psi on the rear.

The tyres might be a bit low inflation wise, but I ride over very bumpy roads! The michelin Macadam lasted me 16000kms.

XJ650RJ, 1982.

cheers

 

?? I didn't think you could get a 100/90 for the front in the Pirelli sport demon range?

 

Adrian you made me get up and go outside to check its cold out there,Definately 100/90.
http://www.pirelli.com/tyre/ww/en/motor ... aram0=road

 

Have to shift house again, will be out of town a bit so back to commuting on the bike everyday. Due for new tyres front and back, currently got a Dunlop D404 120 thinking of going to a 130 whats around, does it really make any difference? Just putting a new tyre makes a bike ride like new, so will a new 130 make it ride like an R1 ? :lol:
PeterN

 

It's already red how fast do you want to go? :lol:

 

I run BT45's & have heaps of fun rideing the twisties fast. I also run a 140 on the back.
The R1's etc may be quicker in a straight line but I'm always there in the twisties. :lol: 8) :lol: 8)

 

Ok so i'm guessing 140's are easy to get and fit ok without rubbing. Sounds good, i wasn't overly impressed with the last BT45 i had, just didn't last long. The Dunlop 404 on the rear gets a bit "slippery" now and again under brakes.
I see your a far rider, the GTR i borrowed the other year belongs to "The Grey Gentry", it's up for sale at the moment, he's got a ZZR1200 to replace it. He did an SS2000? the other day with some Finland tourists just to keep them company. In IBA rides i think he's only got NT left and he'll have all states done @2000K's. Mad keen. Him (Ron) and Marl's do most of the Far Rides.
PeterN

 

The BT45's now have a silica compound in the centre tread so they wear better. Did a ride to the Gold Coast in Jan rode up Thundebolts Way, Waterfall Way, Summerland Way & Lions Road & even some dirt the BT45s coped & handled well. 8)
Yes I've just got into the FarRideing group but love doing big trips & its a good challenge.
The Choppers Australia guys are are riding from SA & Vic to Mildura near the end of March, if I can get a day off work to meet up with them, Might be able to say Hi to you as well.

 

Looked up the Bridgestone website, a 120/90/18 is 673mm closest i can find is a 140/80/18 at 680mm which is a BT45V. What is the one you are running? Would rather go bigger than smaller, to drop the rev's.
PeterN

 

Had a quick look tonight and there's heaps of room for a 140 in the swing arm but it would jam on the disc brake locating rod? How did you get yours in, did you modify the rod?
PeterN

 

8O It just fitted straight in with plenty of room even to the point I am looking at going up to the 150, but they dont seem to be availailable here in Oz :?

 

I run matched Shinkos on my '84 model. Front is a Tour Master 110/90-18, and the rear is a Tour Master 130/90-18. The bigger rear tyre knocked the revs down by about 250rpm at 100kph.

They are going well and cost, if I remember right, about $200 total.