hello guys,
i've got about 7k miles on my V and my stock tire is completely worn out. it's time to change it. what kind of rear tire would you guys recommend? i'm thinking of michelin or pirelli? anything else i might consider?
thank you

Do a search on tires and you will find a ton of info

For street riding, I really like my new Michelin Pilot Road 2 tires. The Avon Distanzas are a great choice for some dirt/gravel roads.

Tires are pretty individual in taste. Me, I am always pretty happy with Pirelli Strada's and Avon Storm's. Both seem to hold the road better than the stock Dunlop and also ride pretty comfortably. I don't care for Bridgestone's, though some swear by the BT021 (me, I swear at it!:mad:).

I figure to try one of those when I need a new set, though I have heard a lot of good things about the Dunlop Roadsmart tires and may give them a try...

Hi Pensionera_gmp,

Yup, tires are like shoes. Some like Reebok, Nike,etc

I like my BT021. I will like try out BT016 next. My take on BT021, they suit the warm and humid climate in Malaysia. I am a 100% road rider.

What I gather is many V's prefer Dunlop's Roadsmart for the road/highway. Like anyone, tires will have to suit your riding style and for road/offroad. Too many variables I think to really say which are the best. Well, mixing tires makes and models also work for some.

One can be sure that the OEM Dunlop does not suit the V.:badidea: Too twitchy in the wet.

:goodluck:

I have Diablo Stradas and I really like them, but have also heard good things about the Pilot Road 2. I was glad to get rid of the stock tires, but have talked to several people that thoguht they were fine.

Try this site... http://www.motorcycle.com/buyers-guide/buyers-guide-to-motorcycle-tires-33369.html

There are lots of thoughts/experiences on the forum and lots of reviews on the internet.

hello guys,
i've got about 7k miles on my V and my stock tire is completely worn out.

How in the heck are some of you guys getting 7K out of the stockers??

I'm at 3300 miles and well into the wear bars on the rear.

Front may be good for another 1500-2000.

I do have a set of Roadsmarts waiting in the basement,,,,,,

I also agree that tires are an individual choice. However, you have to figure out what you need the tire for. If you're after a long lasting tire, or a sticky one. Sport-touring ones, from almost every manufacturer will do. Some prefer Avon, some Metzler, some Michelin, some Bridgestone, some Dunlop, etc. Bottom line is that each of the higher end sport-touring double compound tires will be a good compromise between longevity and grip.

If not on a budget, I'd suggest to change the front at the same time. Again, this is my take on tires, others go 2 rears for one front or whatever other ratio. I see it as a safety issue, so when the rear is shot, the front goes too.

Tires wise on the V, I had the OEM changed at 7,000km, the Micheline PR2s after almost 16,000km ( the front was down to the wear marks and the rear almost to the cords). Now I have BT021. Mixed feelings about them, they grip less in rain vs PR2, and have to see how the front will last. But I like them better for how they turn.

I don't ride in the rain, and only ride on the street.

I always felt a little wary in the corners, particularly coming in a little hot, with the stock.

I put on the Bridgestone BT016 and I am very happy. They are plenty sticky for me, and inspire way more confidence in the corners. Can't speak about durability, I've only got a 1,000 clicks.

Riders on the sport bike forums around here rate them on par with the Michelin CT's.

I put roadsmarts on a couple of weeks ago. Very nice improvement over stock & they're dual compound, so they're supposed to last longer than stock. I can tell you first hand, they're stickier & more comfortable...

I put roadsmarts on a couple of weeks ago. Very nice improvement over stock & they're dual compound, so they're supposed to last longer than stock. I can tell you first hand, they're stickier & more comfortable...

I put a pair of those Roadsmarts on my St1300 and really didn't get the wear I expected before I sold the bike. I think the ST1300 at almost 800 lbs loaded is a bit much for those tires and for the Versys they should work great. That's probably my next tires for the Versys. I just bought a Shinko rear to get by until the front one is ready to replace and I'll do both at the same time.

I put roadsmarts on a couple of weeks ago. Very nice improvement over stock & they're dual compound, so they're supposed to last longer than stock. I can tell you first hand, they're stickier & more comfortable...

A friend of mine just got 9100 out of a Roadsmart rear on a GSXR-600, and he's a fairly agressive rider....they should last a lot longer than stock if you don't abuse them.

I have 17,000 miles on my V now and I'm on my 3rd set of tires. My last two sets of tires were the Dunlop Roadsmarts. They give you about twice the mileage of the stock tires and work great in the rain. I got caught in a downpour of rain on Saturday and they never lost traction.

At 8,150 miles, I'm STILL on the OEM Dunlops.
Ed

siyha,

I don't know, good luck?

I've got about 6,500 miles on my OEMs and they look like they'll be good for another 6K!

Of course that could change tomorrow.

Monte

I just installed Pirelli Scorpion Sync's tonight. I'll let everyone know how they fair after my +1k mile trip I'm heading out on this coming Wednesday. :D

Hope they're as good as I've heard.

PS - I got 5k out of my OE rear, the front still looked good but I always change them in pairs.

my stock rear tire is shot at 4600kms i would like to know whats a good rain tire .and still get descent wear

I just installed Pirelli Scorpion Sync's tonight. I'll let everyone know how they fair after my +1k mile trip I'm heading out on this coming Wednesday. :D

Hope they're as good as I've heard.

PS - I got 5k out of my OE rear, the front still looked good but I always change them in pairs.

I was looking at the Sync's. They look like a good tire. Keep us posted how you like them.

So far, so good. I put 200 miles of sunny twisty riding on them today and really like them so far. Once I got them scrubbed in, they hold the road great. We shall see with rain & longevity over time. Far better than the stock tires for sure!

I just ordered the Pirelli Diablo Stradas, they sound good on paper! Should be better than the stock which have performed just fine.

I like mine! They grip better than the stock tires. They work very well in the rain.

I just put on myself a set of Shinko 005 Advance's. 120 front and a 170 rear. Reviews had them runing a little flat and skinny so the over size squeezed them into shape real nice. They are sticky as all hell and cheap. Had them shipped to Canada from Motosport.com for $286.76 CDN. That included the tax, shipping, duty and brokerage fee. Real happy with them. I think you can get them in the US for around $185 shipping included. Cheers.

I just put on myself a set of Shinko 005 Advance's. 120 front and a 170 rear. Reviews had them runing a little flat and skinny so the over size squeezed them into shape real nice. They are sticky as all hell and cheap. Had them shipped to Canada from Motosport.com for $286.76 CDN. That included the tax, shipping, duty and brokerage fee. Real happy with them. I think you can get them in the US for around $185 shipping included. Cheers.

How were they shipped, and how much was the brokerage fee? Did you also balance them yourself? Did they need more weights? Which country were they made in?

How were they shipped, and how much was the brokerage fee? Did you also balance them yourself? Did they need more weights? Which country were they made in?

They were shipped through FiftyOne to Canada Post Express. Ordered on a Sunday on-line and they were here from New Jersey on the next Tuesday. Tires were $222.49, shipping was $53.03, duty and taxes was $11.24. No surprizes and an e-mail on-line traking system.

I used a home built static balancer and took care to find the heavey spot of the rim without the tire. Then it was a matter of making sure the light spot of the tire lined up with it. It was about an inch away from the valve stem so I'm glad I checked. No wobbles at all. I'm sure my balancing is not dead on but I'm not going 150mph on the V and there is no noticable shake in the tire.

Shinko are made in Korea from what I can find. They purchased the molds, tech and tooling from Yokohama. The tires are pretty damn good and the tread is deaper than what it looks like in pictures.

I'm at 3,200 miles and I'm well into the wear bars on the front and the rear. I just ordered a set of Bridgestone BT21's. $280 plus tax mounted and balanced at my local dealer. I wanted more of a dual sport tire but I don't think they would last from what I read. The Bridgestone's are a dual compound so we'll see how they do. If I get 5,000 miles out of a rear tire I'm happy.

the shinko 009's sound interesting, but distanzias or sync's are still at the top of the list..then again, the contiforce supermoto....