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what tires are you running?

9K views 30 replies 21 participants last post by  tanked402 
#1 ·
so i'm going to be replacing my tires, probably when i get to fallon nv, and was wondering what you guys were using for tires on your 900's. i put shinko 230's on my kz, and they did pretty fabulous in the wet last friday night on my way home from work(least fun ride ever!). so i'm seriously considering them for my vn900. they are one of the top recommended tires on the gs resources forums.
 
#2 ·
I can't recommend anything, but I can say to avoid the metzler 880s. I replaced the stock Dunlops with them and I much preferred the Dunlops.

I should say that the metzlers did take me on a 3700 mile journey from Florida to washington state safely; riding from everything ranging from sandy, gravel, wet and icy conditions. But there is something with the overall feel of them. The bike just doesn't feel as stable in turns and are easier to lock up with hard braking.
 
#3 ·
I went with the Michelin Commander 2 170/80 on the rear, taller than the stock Dunlop 180 tire and almost as wide. The taller tire corrected the speedo issue. I will get twice the milage that I got out of the Dunlop. Stock dunlop was bald at 6k miles, have 9k miles on the Michelin and still lots of tread left. Happy with the handling, i am a fair weather rider so I can't comment about how well it works in wet conditions.

WB
 
#6 ·
I run the stock Dunlop 404's, but in the 170/80/15 rear 10-12k miles
130/90/16 front 13-15k miles

Less than $300.00 delivered, mounted, balanced,tubes,installed
 
#12 ·
Metzeler me888, ultras. Did a lot of research and installed these sweets about 2 months ago. Went with the taller tire on rear, which dropped the rpm's slightly. Took a weekend trip with friends, about 700 miles, few weeks ago and found it to be a smoother ride (don't feel those small bumps as much), doesn't track on groves, and handles same if not better in cornering. Biggest improvement for me, is a little less "buzz" in seat and hands while cruisen' around 65 - 70. As far as wet roads, got caught in rain last weekend, gripped well, but didn't try to push it. Good luck in your selection.
 
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#13 ·
Avon Roadrunner 230 in rear, Factory Dunlop 404 in the front, but its very worn, going to go to a 90 tire most likely Avon to match the front.
 
#14 ·
Went with the Kenda Kruz on the rear. I can check but probably 1500-2000 km on it. 1000 km last week alone. Better ride. Seams to handle good. Haven't had rain so I'm not sure, but the reviews speak highly of wet traction also.
 
#16 ·
Bridgestone's WW
 

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#18 ·
Me?? Mustang Day Tripper. Super comfy.
 
#19 ·
I've been doing a diy seat mod on my seat, since I don't want to get a seat and have the one size fits some happen. I'm rather lacking when it comes to the backside. gotta love having a boney frame:serious:
 
#20 ·
For my 09 vulcan 900 custom. I asked a shop for replacement tires. The quoted me the following. For Dunlop tires. 225.09 both tires. Not sure if install is included but he said 90 each tire for install and balancing. For the dealer tires its 392.57. Are these prices decent of are they robbing me

Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk
 
#21 ·
$90 is exactly what my dealer charged me to replace the tires on my 900 classic. I bought ME-888's from Dennis Kirk when there was a $50.00 rebate deal in effect. I'm very happy with them (especially the WWW's) but they do not have the same grip that the stock tires had.
 
#22 ·
i live in scotland which is a land of almost constant rain. what are good rain tires with are also good for touring? i wont be swaping right now but once my current stock tires wear out, i will swap them
currently when wet my rear tire will spin around 4k rpm
 
#24 ·
I've tried several different tires.
The first set was OEM Dunlaps. They handled good wet or dry but only ran about 7,000 miles.
Second set was Dunlaps also. Only got about 5,000 miles. Really crappy tire. Sidewalls collapse in sharp turns causing the back end to feel loose and sloppy.
Third set was Metzler 880's. Comfortable ride and got about 13,000 miles out of them. (These are my favorites. Unfortunately, hard to find)
Fourth set was Pirelli Night Dragons. Pretty much same as the Metzler 880's. Just a little softer ride. Got about 12,000 miles out of them.
Fifth set was Pirelli Route MT-66's. They handled well and have a moderately soft ride. Great mileage also. About 16,000 miles.
Sixth set was Shinko TourMasters. They were too soft. They handled really well but only got about 5,000 miles on a set. I could see them leaving rubber behind just pushing the bike out the garage. Run-out on the front tire was pretty bad also. Shinko said it was with-in limits. It was bad enough it rubbed the finder. They also took a lot of weight to balance. If you want a tire that sticks to the road though, they are the ones you want. They stick like glue.
My last and current set are Metzler 888's. They have about 12,000 miles now and should go another 3 or 4,000 more. Handling is good but really firm. You feel every pebble in the road. They need to be on a heaver bike.
Like everything there's a trade-off. You want a tire that's best for your riding style. If you ride in the rain a lot, the softer tires grip better. If you ride 15 to 20,000 miles a year like I do, mileage and soft ride is important. And for the Dragon Tail, a firm sidewall like the Metzlers are a nice touch. My next set will probably be the Pirelli Route MT-66's. Moderately soft ride, good mileage, reasonably priced, and handling is as good as others. They do get a little loose in the turns riding 2 up on the Dragon Tail but not enough to notice unless your looking for it. Not nearly as bad as the Dunlaps.
 
#26 ·
i do ride in the rain when i am going to and from work or just need to go from a-b but most of my riding is done when its mostly or is dry and the like 90% of the roads here are nice and twisty exept from the motorways what about michelin commanders?
 
#27 ·
I too have been looking for tires. I narrowed it down to 3 choices, the Michelin Commanders, the Shinko 777HD (because they don't offer the size I want in the non HD version) and the Pirelli MT66. I have heard lots of great things on Commanders about life (a guy I ride with has them on his 1700 Voyager and got 23k out of them, twice) but they give up some grip. The Shinko 777HD has very good reviews, but there are not many reviews out there. Average life is in the 10-12k range and they stick like glue. The MT66 also has very good reviews and most say they stick well. Life is about the same as the 777s. The 777HD and the MT66s are about $10 difference in price. The Commanders are about $100 more then the other two. I don't do a lot of twists and turns on the bike, but do ride in the rain from time to time. I also only put between 3-5k miles on the bike a year. Trying to work out the best value for the money, grip, and life. Also need to figure on mounting costs.

BTW I am still on the factory tires so they need to go.
 
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