Need tires and I have some questions.

The only major concern will be if you happen to lay the bike down 6 hours from home. No one plans on that happening but it's possible, so for something that far away trailering might be your best bet. Even if you keep it shiny side up something might break so you still have to get home.
Like Merc said ATGATT, check out what the minimum is for riding on the track and then try to exceed it!

 

Iron Pony has the following tires...

Bridgestone BT45 Battlax (Great Tire)
Front 100/90-19 V Rated $102.99
Rear 130/90-16 V Rated $118.99

Bridgestone S11 Spitfire (Good Tire)
Front 100/90-19 H Rated $92.99
Rear 130/90-16 H Rated $113.99

The Kenda Challengers were $61.99 Front and $80.99 Back (Would not recommend Kenda for various reasons)

 

Thanks guys for all of the input the Metzlers should be here and mounted on my bike either Sunday or early next week. You're right maxim x that's a good idea. Better safe than sorry...

I personally dont want tires that are just "alright" which is why I opted for a more expensive option. I considered the Spitfire but read conflicting things. The fact that the Metzler has come HIGHLY praised from 3 people so far is a good sign to me. I'll post pictures of them up and let you guys know how they do once broken in.

I'm seriously excited to see how she handles with better tires.

 

Glad to see the comment "Broken in" in your post Ryan. Lots of people don't know that brand new tires need to be "scuffed" or "broken" in. My friend Mark, an experienced rider that has been on bikes for decades made a newbie error with a new set of tires. He'd had the tires installed over the winter months all ready to go for the upcoming riding season, the local weather took a really nice turn so he got the bike out and figured he'd go for a "SPIN" around the block. Spin turned into exactly what happened, he went out the end of his driveway and gave it just a little gas and WHOOP! he was down. He spun out the rear tire on his beutiful 78 Honda 750 and ended up with a scratched up bike, loss of dignity, and a broken ankle that kept him off the bike for about three months.
If you do take them off the bike to go to the shop, make sure to put a piece of masking tape on each rim that shows the direction of rotation and check them before you pay and leave the store, it happened to me and had to have the tire taken off and re-installed. I made sure they showed the tire to me before they put it back on to make sure there wasn't any bead damage.
I think you made a wise choice.

 

You're lucky the weather is cooperating in your area. Lots of Black Ice here keeps me from taking a ride.

Make sure you scrub off any residue from having them mounted and balanced before heading out for a ride.

Be safe. We're looking forward to your evaluation.

Tony

 

we just got six inches in 12 hours....

 

Foolber you in St Louis? and yeah it got really nasty here. Lots of accidents and lots of stuck cars. My 94 Accord went on like a champ! It did take me 2 hours to make a 10 mile drive though. People in Stl don't know how to drive in snow or rain...

 

Where are you at with the rear shocks and the forks? If the bike has over about 8K miles, chances are the original rear shocks are all done. Front forks really benefit from an upgrade to new springs.

Rear shocks especially will make quite a difference in handling if you need new ones.

 

I could probably use new rear shocks on the 550 also. I've noticed sometimes when I push really hard into a turn the bike will set a line and then at some point past 1/2 the way through it will slip out of the line with just a little 'shimmy' of over steer. I've performed the rear swim arm test and it seems fine, although that test seems woefully inadequate to simulate entering a sweeping 100 degree turn at 70mph-how is a person suppose to simulate that much lateral force with their hands. My Dunlop rear tire is about 70% gone also-but I got a replacement this week.

My shocks are likely original and the PO was over 300lbs so I'm betting they are needing to be replaced. So two questions: best place/kind of rear shocks to buy and is there a better test for the swing-arm?

Not trying to threadjack as I think these questions are relevant to this one as well.

 

Mercury man don't feel like you're thread jacking! Hop on in!

Fitz the forks are rebuilt but no new shocks. I have actually considered replacing the rear. The bike has around 18k miles. May not be a bad idea to throw some new ones on there.

 

Looks like your turn for snow. Good thing it's raining here now and helping to melt what's remaining of the 3 Feet of snow we got in a 24 Hr. period during the Blizzard two weekends ago.

As far as upgrading to new shocks, I have mine set up with progressive's on the rear and they work great. It also helps that I switched to a standard Maxim wheel, as it shaves nearly 4 lbs. of unsprung and rotational weight, making a big difference in suspension response and acceleration.

On the front I installed the progressive springs and added 15W fork oil. I kept the spacers at their stock length but moved the fork tubes up 3/4" for a lowered ride height. That was done to retain the full travel offered. However, doing that altered the rake and trail making for quicker steering response, with the trade off being that it does reduce straight line stability slightly. I also played with the air pressure preload and settled on 7.5 PSI. Overall this combination suits my personal tastes, and reduces brake dive as well.

If you can afford to do an upgrade to progressive springs and shocks it's well worth it. Keep in mind that one will never be able to make a true sport bike out of a Maxim X, but the engine sure makes it feel like it wants to be one.

Tony

 

My bike right now seems to take bumps pretty hard which is probably due to the older OEM shocks. It looks like to do front and rear replacement I'd be in the $400.00 range?

What type of feel difference would I notice? is it worth $400.00?


tires get here today having them put on after work. But i probably won't get a chance to take out for a week or so. Looking pretty cold and rainy here but I will give you guys my opinion when they're on and broken in.

 

What you're aiming for is a firm ride with control when you want to have some fun, but not so harsh that it beats you up. The Progressive springs and shocks help to strike a good balance between the two.

The front springs are not that expensive, and you could stick with the recommended 10W fork oil and experiment with the air pressure. That will help in erring on the side of more compliance for a softer ride. I used the 15W on mine, as I tend to prefer a bit more control.

It's the rear shocks that can set you back a bit and you'll have to decide if you want to spend the money. They do offer a softer initial compression (easier on the tail-bone) and firm up when hitting large bumps and dips.

The combination of the Progressive suspension, coupled with a great set of tires like you're putting on, will bring new life to your old bike. If you plan on keeping your bike for a while, I think it'll be money well spent.

Tony

 

New progressive suspension fork springs can be had for ~70$

WAY worth it. I think I've said this to you multiple times in the past, Its WORTH it.

As for rears, progresssive also makes nice setups, thats whats going on my maxim when i have the money after i finish re-building my seca.

 

I also used 15w fork oil with the new springs and stock spacer, great combination.

 

Mtnbikecrazy I know! I was actually digging through my older threads trying to find your posts. So I appreciate you reposting for me. Any link on where to get the proper one? Or does Chacal have them?

 

Here ya go dawg:

http://www.progressivesuspension.com/pr ... odelID=520

Cant find em cheaper than here:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Progressive-For ... 72&vxp=mtr

 

last year i got a set of progressive shocks for 50$ on e bay, n.i.b., they are 1/2 inch longer than originals and must be a oddball size because nobody bid on them. once i sit on the bike my fat butt determines the length. keep that in mind and you might find a bargin

 

I'm assuming it's safe to do this in steps? Like do the two in the front forks then the rear when I have some spare cash? Would I be better off handling wise doing the front first or the rear?

 

Also as far as the suspension goes.... Its part number: 11-1128

Is this a universal part? It doesnt say anything about length or anything. Just use the stock spacer? Install as simple as removing the cap. Removing the spacer. Pulling out the spring. Oiling the new one and dropping it in?