What came stock on yours? I got Bridgestone something 30s. Got 5100 miles on the bike now and I think the rear will be to the wear bars by 5500, though I could probably nurse them to 6k miles.
Tire wear varies so much by bike, riding style, time of year, area etc, that it's hard to compare people's experiences. I do know I just bought a pair of Conti Motions for $156 at Competition Accessories. At that price, I'll be happy if they last 3k miles, but supposedly they last longer than most ST tires. Had a pair on my FJR before I traded it in and the rear had 6k+ on it and it was showng threads when I left it off. Front tire didn't last as long as I changed it later and it too was looking pretty rough. FJR was horrible on front tires. The front on my Versys looks great at 5100 miles. I could see getting 8-10k miles out of it.
I run shinko ravens. Durable tires. I get around 8000 out of a rear. Did 7000 mile trip on a fresh pair. They did slip a little on the tar snakes at Beartooth pass, but otherwise great tires.
I've had good luck with pirelli angels. Dual compound so I hope to get good life out of them. Have been sticky enough for my and done well in the rain.
First set of PR3's i got over 10,000 miles they still had more to give but i don't take chances with tires. Second set of PR3's on the V i had over 7000 miles on them when i sold the bike they were in great shape. Were great in city,canyons,freeway and worked fantastic in the rain..I'm now on my second set of PR4-GT's on my FJR....
Michelin Pilot Road 4
Probably the best sport-touring tire for the rain.
Sticks very well on the dry as well. I've took it to the track, done some long-range touring, commuted in the city, rode in torrential downpours, in temperatures ranging from 0 to 35 centigrade (32-95F). The only thing they're not very good for is off road riding. If you ride on tarmac, they're absolutely fantastic in virtually all road conditions.
I've put it on after having the stock Dunlop Roadsmart II for 4500 km and hating how they performed in anything but perfect road conditions. When I took them off, the thread was nearly gone already (the tire shop refused to buy them off from me). I've made another 7500 kms on PR4s and they look great, still plenty of life left.
On my previous bike (Honda CBF 600) I've done 10 000 kms on PR4s and they looked like new when I sold it. When it's time to replace them (and it won't be for the next few thousand kms), I'm buying a next set.
I'm trying to decide what I want to put on before a 6,000 mile ride this fall. My current set are PR3's and they have been good (for the little comparison experience I have) but I don't think they will make it through the whole trip so I'm probably going to throw away a little good rubber and swap them out before I leave.
A friend of mine suggested Jake Wilson as the best price online. This is what I found
120/70-17 58W front and 160/60-17 69W rear
-Michelin PR4 set was $299 (-They didn't have the rear PR3)
-Bridgestone T30 set was $229 (CORRECTION - THESE ARE THE UPGRADED T30 EVO)
-Pirelli Angel GT set was $259
I thought there was a Bridgestone rebate going on too, but I need to check into that.
I hated my stock tires as far as traction goes. After 2K miles I put on Dunlop Roadsmart II. They have lots of grip, even when wet. After 2100 miles, the rear has lost 2/32", it came with 9/32". I run them 36PSI front, 40 rear.
Had I not heard more than one complaint about PR4 front cupping, I would have bought those. Plus the Roadsmarts were $204 for the pair after a rebate earlier this spring.
It's worth noting that the OEM Roadsmart IIs are, as far as I know, not the same thing you get if you buy them separately. The factory-installed ones are cheaper, single-compound tyres. I only have experience with the OEM ones and I never want to ride a bike on them again.
I think it might be universal that the stock tyres, whatever they might be, are cheap garbage and anything you replace them with will be an improvement. Even if they share a name with an otherwise respected model.
This is true of many oem tires. Brand and model same as aftermarket but oem version has some different letter codes and are spec'd harder. I slid the front and rear of the stock Dunlops and got rid of them early.
They are fine. To tell ya the truth, I haven't had much to complain about most modern tires. It does bug me that my 800 lb cruiser could get 10k+ miles out of its tires and sport tourers only get ~6k miles. And I could get along a twisty road just fine on the cruiser.
I just bought the Contis as they were unbelievably inexpensive...and I'm cheap!
Wow wish we could get prices like that here, the PR4's cost me $500 a set (for both bikes thats a grand just for tyres) and was quoted the same price for the T-30's.
Can't help you with mileage but like I said above impressed with the grip, very close to the PR4's IMO
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Kawasaki Versys Forum
507.6K posts
81.9K members
Since 2008
A forum community dedicated to Kawasaki Versys motorcycle owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, touring, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, adjustments, reviews, maintenance, and more!