weapons of ground attack

[Lorenzo]

Having to replace the honourable PIRELLI Phantom on the RG, what do you reckon on the following:

DUNLOP Arrowmax Streetsamart

BRIDGESTONE BT45 R

AVON AM26 Roadrider

PIRELLI Sport Demon

MICHELIN Pilot Activ

Thanks

[Craig380]

I like the Avon Roadriders, very grippy tyres. They make an GT380 handle quite well, so they should be good for an RG500

[Lorenzo]

This are the pics of the relevant tyres, along with the blurb from manufacturers;

But, can we gather clues from the tyre sculpting?

[Lorenzo]

This as for the pics, they all come in the 110 90 16 V front and 130 90 17 V rear:



and this for the blurb:

DUNLOP Arrowmax

Combining classic looks with modern technology, the new StreetSmart is ideal for older or classic bikes. Innovative Silica compound offers longer mileage and better wet performance.

Key benefits:
Ideal for lightweight and classic bikes
Stylish design
State of the art performance
Innovative compounds with tailor-made silica optimise the balance between wet grip and mileage


BRIDGESTONE Battlax BT45 R

BATTLAX BT-45 is a touring type tire offered in both H and V rated speed symbols. BATTLAX BT-45 gives all-round street performance, with the emphasis on riding comfort, long mileage, wet performance, all designed by the latest tire developing technologies of Bridgestone. With the comprehensive tire sizes, BATTLAX BT-45 replace BATTLAX BT-35 and BT-17V.


AVON Roadrider

Ideal for everyday use on mid-range bikes
Ideal for mid-range bikes
Large contact patch for excellent grip at all lean angles
149mph/240kmh speed rating across the range
Central tread grooves to resist 'white-lining'
Comprehensive range of sizes - from modern to more traditional
Performance upgrade for classic and vintage motorcycles


PIRELLI Sport Demon Road

A x-ply tyre for motorcycles destined for touring.
Uniform and progressive performance in all riding conditions thanks to the rear multi-radius profile.
High grip on wet and dry surfaces with excellent mileage.
A safe and reliable tyre in all riding situations, with a particularly favourable cost/quality ratio suitable for Sport Touring motorcycles.


MICHELIN Pilot Activ

Grip and durability for mid-sized Touring bikes
For bikes like the Suzuki GS500, Kawasaki ER-5, Honda CB500, Yamaha Diversion and Jap/Euro classics
Upgraded performance and longer tyre life
A wide range of sizes
Excellent in all-weather conditions
Outstanding durability
A classic design that sublimates your bike

[Lorenzo]

as per my question: what could be gathered from visually inspecting thead carving, perhaps the question defeats itself, in a way that, if a particular thread was proven to be kind of optimal, why all manufacturers come out with different ones?

Perhaps we should concentrate on the actual compound, the tyre is made of?

[GT750Battleship]

Hi,very happy with Brigestone BT45's on my GT750A after having Metzelers fitted for last 12 years ! nothing wrong with the Metzelers,just thought I'd have a change,I don't think I'll get the same mileage out of the BT45's....but they are very "sticky", & the bike seems to steer a little better

Cheers,
Roger

[Lorenzo]

Unfortunately, I cannot give my impressions, since I just dumped a pair of 120 17 70 and 170 17 70 Metzelers, which equipped the bike, and I am stuck with the vintage Phantom of the "era" (no pun intended) flattened beyond any practical purposes;

[Suzsmokeyallan]

I have Metzelers on my CBR900 simply because of the 16 inch front tyre, They work well but I do not like the tyres edge thread profile, its a compound curve that falls away too quickly at the edge so you can never use that area of rubber. Lying the bike over until the footpegs touch you can see some of the edge thread never able to contact the ground. In effect you will always have about three quarters of an inch of visible 'chicken strip' even if you low side the bike for miles.

I prefer the Pirellis and Michelins for the feel they give and the shape of the edge thread profile. With the flared thread edge to sidewall shape you can 'feel' where you are on the tyre in the sharp corners.
Member Suzukidave was using Avons on his Bandit and reported he liked them a lot, maybe he will jump in and give his impressions.

I'm using Pirellis Angels on one Bandit and Michelin Pilots on the other, and both perform well. One Bandit had Pirelli Diablo Corsas on it previously which were ok considering they were on the way out. When the Diablos go out, they go out fast near the end, it looked like it was good for at least another five hundred miles when suddenly belting showed up all around just off the centre after around 60 miles of that assumption.

My RG has on Michelin Pilot rubber at present which I find works very well, very confidence inspiring on such a light bike. I've got the older GSXR750 rims on that bike with suspension upgrades so I'm not using the narrow RG stock rims.
I use Bridgestone Spitfire rubber on my Buffalos which tends to be a bit of a harder compound, but with such a heavy bike on skinny rubber it grips well enough and wears well too. Anything softer would wear quite quickly and more so with two up riding.

[Lorenzo]

I too prefer a rounded shape and not a flatter one which suddenly slopes kind of inward, towards the sidewall, giving you no clue till the moment your side stand scrapes the tarmac...;

to the more observant, I would like to point out that, alltough the original rear tyre size, is 120, a brief chat with a Suzuki Italia representative, gleaned the chance to employ the wider ( ) 130 plot;

[Suzsmokeyallan]

So how wide is that rim when measured in the central portion of it in between the bead shoulders.

[JFISHSOLEVIBE]

The battleax's handle very well! Not the longest lasting tire but sticky as all hell

[ozengines]

Alway been Pirelli for me on all my bikes, the stickier the compound the better. Pirelli are great grippers in the wet, you can lean over with confidence.

[jaycee69]

I used to have great Success with the Pirelli sport demons on my '83 GPZ1100. they are great tires in the wet or dry. Quite soft too i might add.

[joewillybob]

My experience with the Avons, wear like iron, grip just like it. Used a set on a Seca II. Very slippery.

[Alan H]

Put streetsmarts on the 550. Not had chance to try them out yet, but I always used Dunlops back in the day, and never had problems then. I always found Avons a bit squirrely especially in the wet, but I didn't hang around back then!


Hmm. Can't post a pic - 'Sorry, the board attachment quota has been reached.'