The Great Tyre Debate! (Not that great if I'm honest)
It's been way too long between posts, yes I know. Things got in the way, I now have a workshop (primarily cars, but I will fix bikes too) and I've been riding more than I've been restoring. Shameless plug but, if you do need a service or repair, Redline Service Centre in Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast is here to help.
But this morning, after the cyclone just ripped through the Gold Coast, I thought I'd write some spiel from an amateurs perspective on tyres. I've mentioned them a few times over the years, especially when fitting new ones, and hope some insight has been gained. I also see this question asked on Facebook groups a lot:
"Which tyres are best for my riding style?"
Hmm, that's a hard one. (Oo'er missus)
Well, after riding old, new, fast and slow bikes for the best part of thirty-five years, here's some insight, with examples on three particular bikes. But first:
- What's your riding style?
- What bike do you own?
- How long is a piece of string?
Those three questions will get us in the ballpark. Especially the last one.
Maybe affordability should come into this but, to be honest, you can get seriously good sports tyres on offer cheaper than many sports-tourer tyres anyway.
Which brings me into this little niche, and how I feel about it. Because I'm comparing sports bike tyres against sport-tourers. Many of you won't even need to continue because you wouldn't even bother to try such a foolhardy approach to longevity and good handling. And I don't blame you.
I, however, have tried multiple times to see if the manufacturers' claims, and also the claims of owners that have tried them, are actually true.
2006 Suzuki GSXR1000
Back in the day of the Michelin Pilot Road 2's, it was more about looks - I just didn't like them. Sports tourer tyres just didn't look particularly good compared to an out-and-out sports bike tyre. The Road 3's were a definite improvement so I put them on a GSXR1000K6. To be fair, and when new, it handled alright, although slower to turn, and probably did a reasonable amount of mileage. But the drop off when they started to wear was noticeable. And that for me spoilt the ride. With Pirelli Rosso II's fitted, she was back to her best.
Michelin Pilot III's on the left, Pirelli Rosso II's on the right.
The actual test bikes...
1996 Suzuki Bandit 1200
When I bought this heavyweight classic, my idea was that it's just for gentle riding around. Steady touring. Mellow... I checked the reviews for the best sports touring tyres and Dunlop Roadsmart III's hit the mark. Ron Haslam even used them on his CBR's at his race school. Obviously, you don't need anymore than this. It felt good (she's a heavy old tub) and they actually suited her really well.
But invariably, when you're out riding with others, sometimes the speed increases a bit and you start working harder to maintain pace. The Bandit would often lock or chirp its front tyre going down steep downhills on the brakes, or on changing road surfaces going into corners. Nothing outrageous, but you start to realise the weight of this bike pushes the tyres and more grip would be advantageous - to living if nothing else.
2002 Yamaha R1 Streetfighter
The idea behind this particular weapon was that it's lightweight (no fairing), and wouldn't put too much stress on the tyres. At this point I was still happy with the Roadsmarts on the Bandit so that's what went on. It was an improvement on the nasty old tyres which were fitted when I bought the bike as they would spin up under the slightest provocation. Indeed, the grip was unreal but they didn't do the classic sports bike real justice.
Dropping into corners was slow. It would get to a certain point where it would just feel uneasy. This I can only put down to the roundedness of the profile of the front tyre. A more triangular profiled tyre falls quicker into a bend, but then has much more edge grip too. A rounded profile is slow and steady and almost feels vague when leant over. Yeah, we're getting technical now; roundedness and triangular are our tech terms today. I'm not saying they would've let go, but they certainly didn't inspire much confidence.
I put up with them for a couple of years and was then gifted a pair of nearly-new Dunlop Alpha 14's. Alphas are amazing! The R1 now feels superb and goes to the edge of the rear tyre without even trying whereas the Roadsmarts always had a chicken strip. It's transformed and I'm happy.
Dunlop Roadsmart III's on the left, Alpha 14's on the right.
Which brings me to the point of this post.
Getting back onto the Bandit after the newly-shod R1 was odd. Yes, it's heavy. But now it felt vague and heavy after getting used to sports tyres again. Not only that, the front started to let go on more than just the odd corner. As we all know, once that starts to happen, confidence is all but done.
I double checked the tyre pressures - normal. Checked the front wheel bearings too - oops, slight play in the front. No wonder she was struggling. I figured if I was fitting new bearings, I'd change the tyres too.
Motorcycle Tyre Warehouse are my go to for tyres and a quick look online had a set of Bridgestone S21's on the way to me for $425.
This is the first time I've tried the S-range of tyres. The last Bridgestones I used were the BT-016 Pro's and they were brilliant. The S21's aren't the newest version out (we're now up to the S23) but got rave reviews at the time.
Now, you'd be well within your rights to say, "the wheel bearings caused that vague feeling issue, not the tyres". Possibly...
Yes, worn wheel bearings are horrible on a bike. It's an absolute confidence-dashing feeling old boy. But the actual problem here is how the front tyre, in particular, has worn. Bear in mind that the tyres are still legal and have plenty of tread. The rear has worn nicely with no squaring off and feels good all over. The front, however, feels terrible by hand. Almost like the sides have been sanded flat to make the profile into an arrowhead shape.
This is how they look just taken out of the bike, not too bad.
But when you look more closely, you can see that the sides of the front have worn into a concave shape. Essentially less rubber now touching the ground than ever before. The green lines on the bottom pic will help to show the amount.
So, as good as these tyres are, they are worn out. A new front would obviously cure a lot of this issue, but for me, it's the speed and feel out of a sports bike tyre that I want again.
With new SKF wheel bearings fitted front and rear (only one bearing out of the five was rough actually), it was time to mount the tyres. They balanced nicely and the tyres look great. The rims are in desperate need of stripping and painting but that can wait until another day.
This is after one short ride before the cyclone started to hit so I didn't get much chance on them. The Bandit is definitely back with a vengeance and even though she wallows a bit, it drops quickly on its side and exudes confidence. Being nearly thirty-years old, but benefitting from modern tyre technology, shows you how good the bikes from the nineties actually were.
Conclusion
Probably best to sum up your type of riding. Hell, there are people out there that fit car tyres to the back of their bikes and swear by them. If you do that, happy days; but you're not out there to try and keep up with sports bikes through twisties.
If you use your bike to commute and the odd ride through the mountains, sports touring tyres are going to be fine. If it feels iffy, you back off. Job done. It's a life choice.
For me, I'm not saying I won't try another set one day but, for now, I'm going to stick with proper sports bike tyres. Feeling the difference between a lightweight sports bike and a pretty heavy tourer, both fitted with Roadsmart III's, have helped in this decision. Both have benefitted massively in feel and ability. The R1 feels like it should - quick and capable, the Bandit feels better than it ever had a right to.
What does this mean for you?
Try not to be swayed by price. There are plenty of cheap deals on sports bike tyres. If you feel that you like to ride quickly, stick with the sporty stuff. They might not last as long, but they also won't hit the wall like a touring tyre. Wrong choice of words. They won't go off a cliff when worn halfway. Wrong choice again.
A sports-touring tyre tends to lose feel when there is still plenty of tread left. A sports bike tyre wears out quicker, but maintains its ability to the end, almost.
And what of the 'claims' we spoke of at the start? Well, as with anything nowadays, take them with a pinch of salt. Manufacturers are trying to sell them, current owners want you to buy them because they bought them (whether they like them or don't). I've said it before, we are spoilt with tyres nowadays. You can't really buy bad ones, but you can buy tyres that suit your style or speed.
Anyway, good luck out there and I hope to write more soon.
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