Front tire choices

[Hendog]

I have decided on the Shinko 705 150/70/17 rear tire.

As for the front, it's between the Pirelli MT60 or Avon Distanzia. Looking for a 80/20 set up.

I just wished there was more choices for the 120/70/17 size.

[Sprocket]

I'd suggest the Pirelli Scorpion Trails instead, they come in stock sizes and suit the bike better.

[invader]

Continental TKC 80 or Trail Attack: 120/70-17 front and 150/70-17 rear.

Shinko's 705 will self-destruct on the highway, especially when hot and loaded.

[Mt. Versuvius]

I've had an MT60 on the front for 5k miles. Still got some life in it. About 1k of those miles was on coarse gravel, the rest on pavement or dirt. Fantastic tire. I pair it with a Scorp Trail in the back, but there's lots more choices for the back.

[colodak]

I've had the Distanzia's on front/rear for about 1,000 miles so far and definetly enjoy them compared to stock

[Versystole]

I sure like the Distanzia on the front- I've paired it with both the Scorpion Trail and the Tourance EXP, and it worked well with both, dry and wet. I may try it with the Fullbore M40 as well, which is similar to the 705...

[fasteddiecopeman]

Originally Posted by invader

...Shinko's 705 will self-destruct on the highway, especially when hot and loaded.

X 2 - I've written a few times about 705s 'throwing the treads'.

My experience also showed that the 705s get VERY hot, in comparison to other tires, which are merely warm. I had a 705 on one end of my KLR and a Kenda K270 on the other which is where I noticed that!

[Hendog]

Originally Posted by fasteddiecopeman

X 2 - I've written a few times about 705s 'throwing the treads'.

My experience also showed that the 705s get VERY hot, in comparison to other tires, which are merely warm. I had a 705 on one end of my KLR and a Kenda K270 on the other which is where I noticed that!

Was it the new radial or old bias. They no longer make the bias version because of that issue.

[fasteddiecopeman]

Don't remember whether bias or radial....

[WallCrawl]

+1 for scorpion trails. 4k miles on and I love them, IMO perfect for the V!

[kvman50]

I'm gonna put Heidenau K73 Supermoto tires on front and rear soon. Supposedly long lasting, great traction especially on wet and also great price. And they look awesome!
Dave

[Kawa007]

Originally Posted by kvman50

I'm gonna put Heidenau K73 Supermoto tires on front and rear soon. Supposedly long lasting, great traction especially on wet and also great price. And they look awesome!
Dave

http://www.kawasakiversys.com/forums...497#post218497

I think these tires have awesome qualities (they don't just look great!), but I don't expect them to last very long (so much grip and soft compound comes at the price of longevity)...I'll keep you guys posted once I put a few thousand km on them

[drdiesel1]

Currently running a BT-016 and have the BT-003 on order.
The 016 worked good on my 08 CBR1K, but it will slide when pushed, so I'll try the 003 and see how it works.
I use a Metzler K3 on the front of my BMW S1000RR, but they're overkill on the V

[Streeter]

I just mounted up a Distanzia front and Shinko 705 rear this weekend. So far, I only have about 15 miles on them. They are much taller than the worn stock tires, I can only barely tippy toe now.

[Versystole]

How is this combo working out for you?

[twowheels]

Originally Posted by fasteddiecopeman

Don't remember whether bias or radial....

Mixing bias and radial is not a good idea safety wise. Radial on the rear and bias on the front will work OK but the opposite, bias on the rear and radial on the front is dangerous. You'll have better feel if you stick to stock sizes and profiles in radial tires.

[Tgoods]

Originally Posted by invader

Continental TKC 80 or Trail Attack: 120/70-17 front and 150/70-17 rear.

Shinko's 705 will self-destruct on the highway, especially when hot and loaded.

When I bought my used Versys it had Shinko 705s. I put a couple thousand miles on them before the rear was gone. When I replaced them we saw large cracks in the rear.

[Streeter]

Originally Posted by Versystole

How is this combo working out for you?

Overall, the Shinko 705 rear and Distanzia front are working out fine. I do have the radial rear. I have about 1500 miles on them so far and see practically no wear. I did feel the rear "step-out" about an inch or so 2 or 3 times during spirited riding. One time I know there was something slippery on the road, the other times I'm not so sure. I haven't got as much confidence in that tire as I'd like.

That rear tire is really, really tall. The Versys with the stock tires is tall, with the Shinko I'm way up on my tippy toes. Next time, I'll spend the money and try a Distanzia on the rear, too.