Tyres again

Colin Irvine wrote:

[snip tyre stuff]

*sigh* I guess interminable tyres threads are far better than
interminable mobile phone and/or GPS threads.




) BTW.

 

They can wear you down quicker.

 

OTOH, there was a Michelin recco (and standard fit) Macadam for the
Bandit 1200. "Specially strengthened sidewalls" or some such was the
reason given. They felt like an 020 did in the wet when it was dry, and
inspired as much confidence in the wet as Cheng Shins.

 

Standard fit on the Blackbird for regular sphincter exercising
moments ...

The only tyre i've ever binned halfway through its life, all the
others being run down to the canvas ..

Paul.

 

The place that swapped mine for a shiny pair of 020s (on 9/11, yes, that
9/11 as it happens) gave me fifteen quid back for the Macs as they'd be
able to flog 'em on, there was so much tread left. Later that
afternoon, I dropped the bike for the first time, doing a U-turn on damp
overbanding.

 

Pip posted:

I do not miss those OEM Michelins - Macadamias, I called them, as
you'd have to be some kind of nut to like them - although they lasted
about 8000 miles, and wore out simultaneously. When I switched to
Avon Azaros it was a revelation; it's currently running on Avon
Storms, and feels very good indeed.

 

DR wrote:

I'm trialling some Avon Viper Sports on my Versys at the mo, a full
report will be submitted as and when.

 

Can you test some conti road atacks next please? I'm thinking of them
for the ZRX.

 

I'm trialling some Qualifier RRs when I'm on holiday, do you want a
report on them as well?

 

Not unless they're something that's good on lardy sports tourers, and
give comparable mileages to your favourite old Avon Azaros.

 

Still placing price above performance then?

 

On the ZRX, of course. What's the point of putting the sportiest
rubber on something that weighs 222 kilos and has 28,000 mile old twin
shocks? More important is grip from cold, and longevity.

 

I could be wrong but I was sure you were the one suffering from lack
of grip when it started to rain coming home from Chimay.

I'm confident I'd have been getting better levels of grip from a
completely fucked 'decent' tyre than you were experiencing.

 

Yep but it wasan't so much outright grip as a horrible floaty
aquaplaning feeling from the front everytime I went near standing
water, I suspect due to having a squared off front with marginal tread
left down the centre. All my fault as I should have replaced it
sooner, but had forgotten about how worn it was until I was in France
already.

I doubt you'd have made the mistake of letting them get as worn as I
did, then ignoring the bike for months. In hindsight it was fucked at
least 1000 miles before I swapped it.

This is why there's now a new front on the 10R, even though I might
just have got away with the old one for 2500 miles or so.

 

I decided against the Contis in the end: got Pilot Road 2s instead.

Road the two miles back to work, then it rained before setting off for
home.

No dramas.

I managed to ignore the new Quill pipe egging me on, too.

It's stock quiet at idle, and at a constant low speed, but has a
lovely howl under acceleration. All for £72.

 

Ah they should suit your bike to a T. I think you will appreciate them
in wet city commuting.