time for tires

[ryan]

its time to get a new tire on my 2002 kawi zx6r. everyones telling me to go with the Dunlop 208, but Dunlop apparently does not make a 120/65zr17. Yet, they do make a 120/60 and a 120/70. What are the pros and cons to going to a slightly bigger or smaller tire, just to keep the Dunlop name?
Otherwise, I heard the Metzler M1 was a decent tire, and they come in the 120/65 size.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

Ryan

[rybo]

Ryan,

I just went through this decision making process for my bike. I have a 748 and it originally came with a 120/60....at the first tire change I went with a 120/70 on front for a couple of reasons.

1. There were more tires available in that size, so my range of choices was greater.

2. The bigger tire provides a little more protection for your rim in the event that you hit a speed bump, road damage etc. with a little too much speed.

One disadvantage is that the bike will sit slightly higher in the front end and this will slow down how quickly the bike turns in. I raised the rear end on my Duc to accomodate this change. You can do that or lower the triple clamps on your fork to get the same result. We are talking a small amount here, no need to go changing it by inches, centimeters will be plenty.

I'm on 208s now and think they're OK, I had Pirelli's before that and they were fine too. This time around I'm trying out the new Bridgestone, I'll put up a review after I get a few miles on them.

All in all it's going to be hard to go wrong with any of the high performance tires available out there today, they all seem to be pretty good. Check in with Barn about the Avon's he's running, he seems to really like them.

Scott

[ryan]

is it a problem to mix and match front and rear tread patterns? I know its prob a stupid question, on cars you can have 4 different treads as long as theyre the same size, but i dodnt know if bikes required something different.

Thanks

[GSXR-ATW]

You can mix and match tread patterns, its not like its going to cause the bike to crash, I know someone who has a dunlop on front and an M-1 on back and says he likes it but....., I think its better to keep both tires the same though.

[rybo]

Ryan,

It is possible to use different tires front and rear and there are some combinations out there that work well. It's not so much the tread pattern that is the problem with mixing tires as it is the profile of the tire. Some tires have very round profiles, the M1 sportec is an example, and others have a "pointed" profile. The most extreme example I can think of in this area as the Pilot Race. These pointed profile tires are designed to make the bike very easy to turn in and have maximum contact patch while leaned over. Mixing the two profiles will make the bike handle strangely.

I think it's worth the peace of mind just to change both tires at once if you are considering changing brands or models. If you are thinking of just changing one I would just replace it with the same model.

That being said, there may be folks here who have done more experimenting with this than I have and have good recommendations for you regarding which tires will work well together.

Scott

[bulldog]

its time to get a new tire on my 2002 kawi zx6r. everyones telling me to go with the Dunlop 208, but Dunlop apparently does not make a 120/65zr17. Yet, they do make a 120/60 and a 120/70. What are the pros and cons to going to a slightly bigger or smaller tire, just to keep the Dunlop name?
Otherwise, I heard the Metzler M1 was a decent tire, and they come in the 120/65 size.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

Ryan

I've been using Metzler's for my last few set of tires. I like them :up: They are great canyon riding tires, but will wear out fast if you are just going to use them to commute. I get about 4,000 miles out of a rear and 6,500 from the front; give or take a few, but I mainly just ride twistie canyon roads.

I tried a Dunlop 208 one time and didn't like it. It slide around too much for my liking, but I've heard people say they like them :dunno:

I'm thinking of trying the new Michelin Powers next time. I guess it depends on how much they are compared to a Metzler.

[Dr. Joe Siphek]

Schellinger said he'll sell me a set of powers for $270 installed next time!

My Damn sig and avatar aren't working b/c photobucket is down or something!!!

[Feathered upstart!]

Did Schellinger say when he could get the tires?