Tires Question...and yes i already did a search on the forum

[blackbullet]

Another tire question, which i know there is plenty if you search the forums like I already have. I know there is different opinions for every tire, but i know each case is different for every person. I'm due for a new set of tires. I have an 09 busa that is basically stock. I do mostly highway riding for commuting to work but everyone once in a while i go on a weekend trip. I hardly ride in rain and I dont do track days. I got 6000 out of my stock set of tires and they absolutely need to be replaced now so I've been trying to read reviews on different tires but there are so many of them. I ride pretty moderate for the most part but somedays i do get on it pretty hard. I guess im just trying to find the best bang for my buck on tires that will have good grip and decent mileage. I could sacrifice a little grip for mileage since I dont do track days but I would still like to have a pretty good grip for street etc. Any input is greatly appreciated and thanks for your time.

 

[skydivr]

Q2 front and Roadsmart rear. Great combination of grip and rear mileage. Usually cheaper than Michelins.

 

[jacob123]

your gonna get ten different people who like their brand 5 people who really like their brand and 3 who would ab solutely never use a different tire even if it was free. for your riding style any and every tire will be just fine, so go find a nice deal and buy. p.s. i ride similar basically commuting and ive never rode a tire that wasnt desent for how i ride. just dont put a car tire on like that last guy. ha ha

 

[MoNoXiDe]

My question would be, did you like the stockers? If you did, just get them again. 6k is alot of miles imo. I really enjoy the Pirelli Angels. I ride to work and hit deals gap. So far so good, Good Luck with your purchase.

 

[blackbullet]

This might be a dumb question but who makes the roadstar tire? I googled road star tires for motorcycles and all its bringing up is the yamaha road star motorcycle forum. Another question that I have also is do most people run a Z rated tire? I dont necessarily go that fast but every once in a while i do get up to pretty high speeds...

 

[blackbullet]

My question would be, did you like the stockers? If you did, just get them again. 6k is alot of miles imo. I really enjoy the Pirelli Angels. I ride to work and hit deals gap. So far so good, Good Luck with your purchase.

They weren't a bad tire, just opening my horizons though to see if I can get a better bang for the buck if I'm having to shell out the money. If i could spend $50-100 more for a total set and have a lot better tire I would definitley do it.

 

[skydivr]

This might be a dumb question but who makes the roadstar tire? I googled road star tires for motorcycles and all its bringing up is the yamaha road star motorcycle forum. Another question that I have also is do most people run a Z rated tire? I dont necessarily go that fast but every once in a while i do get up to pretty high speeds...

Roadstar? Do you mean ROADSMART? (Dunlop)...

Yes, all decent tires for your busa are z rated tires.

 

[blackbullet]

That would make sense, no wonder I couldn't find it haha

 

[1busa]

Metzeler Sportech M5 are a good tire IMO and decently priced all around tire that held up well over 5k miles for me

 

[HillbillyTom]

In general, any sport touring tire will do what your wanting to do They grip well enough to have plenty of fun in the twisties, get good wear mileage, ride smooth, and perform quite well in 2 up or loaded touring type riding. Some do slightly better in some areas than others, but all are within the same parameters. The Dunlop Roadsmarts (there is now a Roadsmart 2) you we looking for are very good tires, as are the Michelin Road 2. Lot of folks like the Bridgestone BT-023s and the Pirelli versions. Find a good deal on a set (avoid overly cheap brands like Shinko though), and go with them.

 

[dadofthree]

In general, any sport touring tire will do what your wanting to do They grip well enough to have plenty of fun in the twisties, get good wear mileage, ride smooth, and perform quite well in 2 up or loaded touring type riding. Some do slightly better in some areas than others, but all are within the same parameters. The Dunlop Roadsmarts (there is now a Roadsmart 2) you we looking for are very good tires, as are the Michelin Road 2. Lot of folks like the Bridgestone BT-023s and the Pirelli versions. Find a good deal on a set (avoid overly cheap brands like Shinko though), and go with them.

I just got a Michelin PR3 rear for $177 TMD. Suppose to grip well , handle the rain, and go for 10K miles. A guy that rides harder than me has been through two sets and is on his third and swears by them.

 

[HillbillyTom]

I just got a Michelin PR3 rear for $177 TMD. Suppose to grip well , handle the rain, and go for 10K miles. A guy that rides harder than me has been through two sets and is on his third and swears by them.

They're good, a Road 2 with more little grooves for better rain grip.

 

[oeballer50]

I've heard good things about the Avon storm 2's I think they're called

 

[pack mule]

Just about any of the sport touring tires will work for you. Most people don't have the skill to out ride the newest rubber anyway. That's unless you are doing something stupid. A good friend did a track day in the fall on the conti motions, which is at the very low end of prices for new tires. He knew what he was running, had a good time and went home in one piece. He wasn't shooting for any records just working on his riding skills. Could he went quicker on Q2's, of coarse. My point is, if you are riding within YOUR limits any sport touring tire will work for you.

 

[Fastfrog007]

Just about any of the sport touring tires will work for you. Most people don't have the skill to out ride the newest rubber anyway. That's unless you are doing something stupid. A good friend did a track day in the fall on the conti motions, which is at the very low end of prices for new tires. He knew what he was running, had a good time and went home in one piece. He wasn't shooting for any records just working on his riding skills. Could he went quicker on Q2's, of coarse. My point is, if you are riding within YOUR limits any sport touring tire will work for you.

+1 on this

Your ability and riding have a lot to do with finding the proper tire for your machine.

 

[lankeeyankee]

Michelin Road III's
few members here have seen 13,000 miles from them and others say they have drug a knee with em, best of both worlds why settle for anything less

Another tire question, which i know there is plenty if you search the forums like I already have. I know there is different opinions for every tire, but i know each case is different for every person. I'm due for a new set of tires. I have an 09 busa that is basically stock. I do mostly highway riding for commuting to work but everyone once in a while i go on a weekend trip. I hardly ride in rain and I dont do track days. I got 6000 out of my stock set of tires and they absolutely need to be replaced now so I've been trying to read reviews on different tires but there are so many of them. I ride pretty moderate for the most part but somedays i do get on it pretty hard. I guess im just trying to find the best bang for my buck on tires that will have good grip and decent mileage. I could sacrifice a little grip for mileage since I dont do track days but I would still like to have a pretty good grip for street etc. Any input is greatly appreciated and thanks for your time.

 

[02BusaMark]

Where are you located? That will tell us more about the type of riding that you do every day. Are you planning any 1000+ mile trips? Or just communting? From the information you provided, these guys have given you great options. +1 on sport touring tires. Alot of fans of the PR2/PR3's. Offer a good combination of grip and mileage. Probably the next set I put on my busa.

Ran a set of RoadSmarts on my GSXR1000 (with a 190/55 rear) for a 3000 mile trip. They were a good all-around tire. Was surprised with the manners and only slight signs of flat spots. Alot of meat on that tire even after the trip. Probably had 4000-4500 miles on the set when I sold the bike. Would have been surprised if I didn't get 6000+ on the rear.

 

[The Big Red One]

Q2 front and Roadsmart rear. Great combination of grip and rear mileage. Usually cheaper than Michelins.

Yep my latest motorcycle mag rated the Dunlops as the best bang for the buck Those will be my next tires if I ever ride my bikes enough to need tires again

 

[Tufbusa]

If you put 6000 miles on the stock BT0 15's you are pretty gentle on tires. The BTO 15 is a good tire and has been replaced by the BTO 16 and now the latest version the S20. So you have better choices if you choose Bridgestone.

Here is my view on tires:
When you buy tires that give more mileage, you get less grip. That's just the way it is in the world of motorcycle tires and there is no exceptions. Since the front tire is the control point of the bike I am reluctant to install a high mileage touring tire up front. You may say "I don't ride the twisties nor do track days so why should I need a sticky tire up front"? My response is "If I have to throw that beast on it's lips in order to miss a car, deer, etc. etc. or if a vehicle pulls out or turns in front of me and I have to brake hard enough to lift the rear tire I want that puppy to stick.

On my busa I run a Performance tire up front and a touring tire on the rear. Right now it has a Dunlop Q2 front and a Roadsmart rear. Great combination that has good tire life and gives me confidence that the bike will behave properly. Many on this forum do the same Sport/Front Touring/Rear. I have also run a Bridgestone BTO 16 front and BTO 23 rear which I liked as well. If you choose this combination I'd suggest staying with the same manufacturer for both tires. Don't buy a Dunlop Q2 front and a Michelin Pilot Road III rear. Both front and rear tires should be from the same manufacturer.

Just a little food for thought when making your choice of tires.

 

[HillbillyTom]

Here is my view on tires: When you buy tires that give more mileage, you get less grip. That's just the way it is in the world of motorcycle tires and there is no exceptions. Since the front tire is the control point of the bike I am reluctant to install a high mileage touring tire up front. You may say "I don't ride the twisties nor do track days so why should I need a sticky tire up front"? My response is "If I have to throw that beast on it's lips in order to miss a car, deer, etc. etc. or if a vehicle pulls out or turns in front of me and I have to brake hard enough to lift the rear tire I want that puppy to stick.

On my busa I run a Performance tire up front and a touring tire on the rear. Right now it has a Dunlop Q2 front and a Roadsmart rear. Great combination that has good tire life and gives me confidence that the bike will behave properly. Many on this forum do the same Sport/Front Touring/Rear. I have also run a Bridgestone BTO 16 front and BTO 23 rear which I liked as well. If you choose this combination I'd suggest staying with the same manufacturer for both tires. Don't buy a Dunlop Q2 front and a Michelin Pilot Road III rear. Both front and rear tires should be from the same manufacturer.

Just a little food for thought when making your choice of tires.

I use a Q2/Roadsmart 2 combo too. Like the feed back and feel of the sport front tire more. Have used several different ST pairs on different bikes, and the fronts always feel numb. I have never been able to do the "2 rears for 1 front" thing a lot of people talk about, with any combination of tires, so the sport front/ST rear also wear more evenly as a pair.