Bridgestone or Perelli ?

[xxxxxxRTL Rider]

I currently run Bridgestone Exedra G-series but was looking for a little more milage for the rear. I've narrowed it down to either the Bridgestone Exedra Max(new to the US this year) or Perelli MT 66. If anyone has had experience with either of these for the 900,comments on handling and tread wear would be greatly appreciated. I've done alot of review searches already, but havn't found much on the new Bridgestone Exedra Max. I ride the bike almost daily and run about 12,000 to 14,000 miles a year.Thanks!

[rhino200099]

i just ordered a set of the bridgestone exedra max tires front and back. i will probly have them mounted up in a week or two and ill let u know how they ride.

[Helek_52]

I installed the Pirelli MT66 front tires on two of my bikes over the winter. I can't say anything about mileage yet, but the traction is good enough for me. No complaints.

I'm running the Pirelli on the front and Darkside on the rear of my Custom. Although i don't drive it like a sportbike, i do seem to be more aggressive in the turns than some folks i ride with. I can scrape my pegs and feel comfortable with the traction of the Pirelli.

[diehard rider]

I installed the pirelli MT66 front and back last yr and i have a little over 6k and hardly showing any wear, i'm looking to get atleast 12 to 15k + miles from them. I got em from jakewilson.com for about $180 for both, but i think they gone up a few $. They were a big step up from the crap dunlops, You have more control of your bike, better handling in the curves and i haven't had any problems on wet pavement when i got caught in the rain. For the money i spent on them, i'm very happy with them.

[bass567]

Originally Posted by rhino200099

i just ordered a set of the Bridgestone Exedra Max tires front and back. i will probly have them mounted up in a week or two and ill let u know how they ride.

Rhino, can you share some experiences with the Exedra Max? How do they compare to anything else you have ridden on? (Or can anyone else comment too...)

I was torn between them and the Metz 880s for my rear rubber replacement and decided to give the Bridgestones a try.

It should arrive next week so I am really to see what to expect.

I got it from Motorcycle SuperStore, but I just found out that JakeWilson sells them for much less. Well, too late now - I will remember for next time.

[rick]

Had the 140/90/16 rt66 tire on the back of my 800 classic, mostly solo riding, only got about 7500-8000 miles out of them.

[Denis]

I've run through my 1st set of MT66 and just replaced them with another 3 weeks ago. Had the stock Dunlops on there before. Got 15,500 miles on my Dunlops and I got 21,700 on the Perilli's. I replaced them just slightly below limits.

I've found the MT66's to be very sound and a great $ savings. The 1st set seemed a little squimish in the wet ...but this set is rock on.

[bass567]

Originally Posted by Denis

I've run through my 1st set of MT66 and just replaced them with another 3 weeks ago. Had the stock Dunlops on there before. Got 15,500 miles on my Dunlops and I got 21,700 on the Perilli's. I replaced them just slightly below limits.

I've found the MT66's to be very sound and a great $ savings. The 1st set seemed a little squimish in the wet ...but this set is rock on.

This is a very interesting post.

First, it beats me how in the world could you possibly get 15+k miles out of the stock Dunlops. I ride very conservatively but I could not hot the 6k mark with the rear thread still in an acceptable shape. You either do mostly steady speed highway riding, or you must share the secret with the rest of us... (Was this on a 900?)

Secondly, it is interesting to hear that tow sets of the same brand/model tires perform noticeably differently.... I would not expect that.

[Denis]

I have the 900 Vulcan Classic Lt. A good share is outside city limits & small to large highways however I don't shy from city driving just prefer the less hustled and bussel avenues.

My Dunlops performed differently but were ok...what took me away from them was the fact that I was unable to get them anywhere else than through my dealer and $$$ wow! I do find the Pirelli's better.

My 1st set of MT's vs the new...can't say for sure. I suspect manufacturing. A dealer also had their hands on them but from the get go they didn't feel right. I wouldn't fault the tires...it happens. Instead of returning them I toughed them out. As a note, I now do my own tire change/balancing.

As for the mileage on tires my take is that it's very subjective. IMO - So many factors affect this...Rider riding style, weight (rider, gear, accessories, etc..), air pressure, environmental climate (hot, warm, cold, etc...), road surface (ashphalt, concrete, paved, etc...), speed, and the list goes on and on. That's why, for me, quoting #'s is subjective. Even tires...no two people drive the same/expect/want the same, therefore, not all tires are created equally and what works for me may not for others. Agree we should all get some decent average.

Before I bought the pirelli's I listened to what others had to say on this site. The talk then was MT66 and ME880. $ wise they are relatively close. One dealer told me to go MT66, another ME880. Both had there claims. At the time the big brother (VN2000LT Classic) sported Bridgestone. As always the a cost VS performability. Longevity and performance is a tricky trade off due to manufacturing styles and compound materials. Alot goes into a tire. Than theres looks...let's not go there!

In the end for me there is a good feel on my Pirelli's. They were good enough for me to go "2" rounds!

[MachU]

I have the Stock Dunlops on my 08 Custom, which has 14,000+ kms, and i purchased a set of Pirelli's for the girlfriends VS800, which now have over 13,000 miles on them, and i feel are good for one more summer.
The Dunlops, however, still have lots of tread, but, need to be replaced shortly due the fact that they are beginning to be slighlty weather checked.We just check the air pressure before every ride,keep them clean , and mostly, for us, its all highway miles.

+1 for the MT66's they have been a pretty good tire, and perform well on the wet roads also.