2 part question...what kind of tires should I get?

[Guest]

I'm hoping to make it to the spring with the Pilot Sports I have now but they have 5k on them and the rear is starting to look pretty bad.  I really like everything about the Pilots so I may just put them back on but I know there are better ones out there.  Does anyone have the Pilot HPX?  Pirelli?

Also, I'm going to need new front brakes...soon.  I had EBC "HH" put on the rear but 2 weeks later I went back to the stock because they were  just a tad too grippy, had that little problem with locking up the rear tire, i.e. dump truck incident  

  I was going to put "HH" on the front but I'm a little nervous about changing it too drastically.  

Any help from you guys/gals would be appreciated.

As always...thanks!

Kris  

 

[WWJD]

THE question.  Tires.  

  How YOU ride depends on what to get.   I have Pirellis on and they steer and grip GREAT.  Diablo street NOT corsa, since I only street ride for now.  I don't like the pirelli's high speed feel [over 130 or so]  they seem not as planted.    I absolutly hate the Dunlop "street" 208 and they never seemed to stick well at all - lost all faith in my Busa  :~(

For safety, I PERSONALLY recommend a sticky tire over a touring tire.  But it's MY opinion.  They wear out much faster.

BTW, I plan to go to the HPX after my Diablos wear down.  I don't expect to get more than 3000 out of ANY tire.

Can't help ya on break shoes.  Good luck!



<!--EDIT|WWJD
Reason for Edit: "missed a coma"|1070074837 -->

 

[Guest]

Thanks...I do just street riding for now though I plan on going to the strip in the Spring.  I spend my days chasing after an R6 and a ZX-12  

I have been thinking about the HPX tires also because I've been so happy with the handling of the Pilots, I don't mind getting less miles out of them.  But I've also heard good things about the Pirelli Diablo so...thanks.  One tire I'd never put on would be the DP 208...yuk.

 

<!--EDIT|busababe813
Reason for Edit: "my fingers were typing faster than my brain was thinking"|1070850990 -->

 

[WWJD]

I was young, and I needed the money!

[hangs head in shame]

 

[WWJD]

So... that's it?? *I'M* the best we could do here? Surely, OTHER people have personal views on tires. Come on, Team Busa lookin for two more cents here, and I'll stop calling you Surely

 

[MET]

Busababe,

If you are really happy with the tires you have stick with them. I have found the Pirelli Diablos the best I have used so far over BT 10.12 & 56. Straight line I would use the Shinko daimonds but anything with a curve i get lower with the Diablos.

Miles from the tires you are doing well. Maybe a little to well. You should have changed a bit ago. Mileage wise is the BT 20's but not the best for performance. The Diablos seem to be doing well with the milaage.

 

[†WÃ￾§†ëD]

THE question.  Tires.  

  How YOU ride depends on what to get.  

wrong, wrong, and wrong!

first off, I suggest you research the topic on tires and brakes thoroughly , to better educate yourself on the issue then ask Qs.

heres my take...
the surface you ride on determines which tire you use. if you ride on a wet surface, you want an ultra sticky rain compound, if you ride on a dry surface you want an ultra sticky dry compound. there is no substitution for "stick" and it may save your life some day. Grip is your "A number one" priority above all!

riders sometimes go down while trying to avoid collisions, resulting in tire failure, that results in an accident, bodily harm, damage to the bike, or both.

"say you are riding the speed limit in your lane entering an increasing left radius, no prob right? the traffic coming the other way is entering a decreasing radius, if unsuspecting drivers arent paying attention they could end up in your lane, (blow a decreasing right and you will always end up in the oncoming lane), what do you do? about all you can do is lean more and try to avoid collision, at that moment is your $$$ better spent on a tire that gets good mileage or a tire that sticks?

for the Hayabusa, Metzeler Sportec M1s, a non heat sensative ultra grip dry weather compound. enough grip to mod your stator cover!

as far as brakes go, they are a little like tires, some need to get up to temp to perform their best and some dont. typically the ones that dont need to warm up dont stop as fast and may fade after a bit. generally a harder brake pad is not as easy to control and may not be as sensative(not as much feedback as a softer pad) stock rotors like to warp because they are not developed for racing or high speed braking. anyone riding at the extreme levels really do need and aftermarket setup.



<!--EDIT|†WÃ￾§â€ Ã«D
Reason for Edit: "forgot to answer the brake Q."|1070236105 -->

 

[Revlis]

I would aim for a balanced tire.  Ultimate sticky rubber is cool unless you break them loose.  They tend to SNAP loose, where a less sticky performance tire lets you know your at the limit BEFORE it breaks loose and when it does the slightly less sticky rubber is more forgiving.  Just a thought.  But if you find a tire that you like and are happy with stick with it.  Unless you are working on becoming a junior road racer don't mess with success.

Brake wise, I have been wondering if you have allready put on stainless lines?  If not, I would replace the lines first then I would replace the pads with stock pads or an after market pad that offers a good balance of performance and longevity like the HH Sintered Pads.  Now that you have the stock pads back on the rear... stop relying on it so much.  

 

If you haven't replaced the lines the pads you use are not going to make much of a difference, feel is still going to suck.  Pads won't improve that...



<!--EDIT|Revlis
Reason for Edit: None given...|1070247796 -->

 

[busabullet]

Metzeler Sportec M1s are the best tires I have had on the Busa. There is no problem with the grip!!

 

[WWJD]

THE question.  Tires.  

  How YOU ride depends on what to get.  

wrong, wrong, and wrong!

wrong? If I TRACK ride, I buy TRACK tires. If I commute at 50 everyday and never 'race' it, I buy touring tires. Someone at the track will NEVER buy touring tires for the track and someone commuting at 50 may not enjoy swapping tires every 2000 miles. How you ride decides what you want.

Although, I am with you in that EVERYONE should have the absolutly stickiest tires they can get since cycles are wheel challenged.

All OPINIONS respected here in Hayabusa.orgland

 

[WWJD]

something to work from here:
http://sportrider.com/tech/tires/146_0002_street_race/

 

[†WÃ￾§†ëD]

WW, anyone that "races" at the track will use a tire that STICKS! plenty "ride" at the track on track days using touring tires, I see em go down all the time! and thats my point, it does not matter how you ride, you should always go for maximum grip under any condition for the reasons I explained. SAFETY! you cant put a price on human life can you? whats the price between the michilin highsiders or some other 10k mile compound and the M1s or diablos? not much right?

heres another tip, if some knucklehead pulls out in front of you and your only prayer is to stop before the T-bone to avoid collision, you need the most grip your $ can buy for that stoppie, at that moment getting the mileage you deserve from your highsiders should be the furthest from your mind? on 4 grip isnt essential, on 2 you need all the grip you can get, on 1 you'll need grip and some skill...

tire manufacturers, advertidsers, and magazine ratings often forget to ad the saftey variable when recommending tire compounds, but I cannot stress the importance of grip being the most important variable that keeps your bike up on two wheels. many a bike has been tossed into the ditch because of tire failure, these days we have many good sticky tires out there to choose from that will minimize that impact of that variable. I hope everyone chooses wisely.

 

[†WÃ￾§†ëD]

obviously I am not recommending a race compound for the street unless you're up for a barn burner :-). race compounds would not be the "stickiest" tire in a situation where you are not up to speeds to heat them. so if that is what you mean by "how you ride" your point is well taken, but you must realize when someone asks what tire they should use on the street, odds are they have no clue about racing compounds or thier characteristics, what they usually mean is, should they go with a 10k touring tire because they dont really go fast all the time on the streets, or should they go with a stickier tire that gets less mileage but better grip. my point is it doesnt really matter how fast you go on the street, grip is just like insurance, doesnt matter the cost you want it there in case you need it. whats the price for safety, a motorcycle, or medical bills? the reason I am so emphatical is because I dont want to see anyone go down, its a nightmare and a hard touring tire or some other tire that wont hold may be the primary factor that puts you down! plus the confidence a good sticky tire inspires is invaluable....

 

[WWJD]

I DEFINITELY love that confidence part! I agree and I wonder if busababe will repond back to this and let us know what she's looking at now?

 

[EAKbusa]

Yet another factor here to research before buying a tire, profile shape. Is it tall and oval, or is it round and low. If you plan on general riding on a busa then you will do fine on a low and round tire like the stock BT56's. But if you want performance in the twisties then you are better off with a tall oval tire like the Pilot Sport HPX's or BT001's as they turn in better (fall into a lean better) and have more grip surface in a lean than a more round profile tire like the BT56's. This also explains why these taller more oval profile tires like the HPX's are a little less stable at speed than the rounder profiles tires like the BT56's - they are taller and feel more "bouncy" sometimes while riding straight up.

I totally agree that too many go down because they were trying to save a few $'s on cheap tires. Not me, sticky all the way , but within reason. No race tires unless you are racing, that is a waste of money and they break loose violently compared to the soft slip of good high performance street tires.

There is no clear answer so do your research and then buy the stickiest tire that suits your style of riding and plan on replacing them every 3-4k miles. Otherwise buy a Goldwing.

My choice, HPX's all the way - excellent turn in, good grip. Second choice M1's - excellent grip, good turn in. I like to ride fairly hard in the twisties and want to trust my grip, damn the mileage.

Oh, for brakes, go with SS lines and DP-R pads, they rock (are strong and grabby - takes little force - I like). Otherwise go with full Brembo upgrade kit, well worth the $1200.

 

[WWJD]

Hey, EAK, how are the HPX's for high speed? i have Diablos which turn great, not so hot up high. I do more high speed over twisties... what you recommend for that?? that are still street but REAL sticky??

 

[BusaFever]

Ditto on the 208s sucking! I have always been a Dunlop man for years. 207/208s. I decided to grab some HPXs. There is no comparison. They do it all well. They have great turn in and high speed stability IMO. Although I have never ran the diablos, I suggest you try them and I seriously doubt you will be disappointed. If you want some good turn in, put a pilot race up front and HPX in the back. That is what I am running currently, and it fits my style of street riding very good. Hope this helps, Bill

 

[EAKbusa]

HPX's are pretty good at high speed.

Never thought about mismatching with a race front, hummmm. Actually sounds like a pretty good idea to me. Might try that. I assume this would be to provide a stickier front tire that has a less chance of pushing into a lowside. And after all the front usually outlasts the back, but if you went with a med-soft Pilot Race front they would wear about even with an HPX rear. But, I don't know you might lose wet traction seeing as the Pilot Race fronts do not have very deep channels. Hmmmmmm.

 

[Let 'er eat!]

"say you are riding the speed limit....

I need a realistic example  

 

[havoc]

i like the Bt010, cant beat the price,