NBT: The old keeper is going, meet the new one!

[Taipan]

It'll make a handy snow shovel

If I could wheelie backwards at a very steep angle, then maybe, just maybe, it could! For now I'll stick with cup shelf as its secondary function, but am open to other suggestions...

[Skub]

The hideous Dunlops on the bike were brand new when it came to me and I'd decided to suffer them for the winter and replace them in spring, if they last that long. I've never liked Dunlops and always found any of them bordering on dangerous in the cold and wet, but as the bike has a rain mode I thought i'd see how I get on. However, I must admit, as I have a puncture I'm kinda tempted to use that as an excuse to just ditch them and get something else on there! I'm hoping to plug thetyre today but if it doesn'ttake for any reason, I'll be looking for a mobile tyre fitter that cover sarf Essex?

Financial considerations aside,it makes no sense to me to suffer crap tyres. The bike costs thousands,tyres are a few hundred. Tyres are everything.

Dunlop tyres are ok,but the ones they put on new bikes are not the same tyre. I only ride in the dry,but I ditched both the stock 214 things long before they were done. Best move ever.

[weeksy]

Financial considerations aside,it makes no sense to me to suffer crap tyres.

100% this... as i said to Mofo in his post who was struggling with the handling on his GSXS, however he then had to fit a new tyre and it's 10X better lol... Why people stick with rubber to save a few quid absolutely bemuses me.

[Supermofo]

Financial considerations aside,it makes no sense to me to suffer crap tyres.

100% this... as i said to Mofo in his post who was struggling with the handling on his GSXS, however he then had to fit a new tyre and it's 10X better lol... Why people stick with rubber to save a few quid absolutely bemuses me.

Cos I'm a tight arse Actually that's not strictly true, I just don't generally believe in not getting use out of something cos wastage is a bit, well wasteful.

But yes it is indeed a different bike with the Road 5s on. Realised the other night that since I'd owned it I'd not really hooned it right over into a roundabout, just cos the 'feel' wasn't there. On Sunday I was attacking roundabouts rather than riding around them and it was a massive difference.

So yes Taipan, if you're not weird like me with the wastage thing, ditch em.

[mangocrazy]

As standard Aprilia Falcos came with a set of Metzeler MEZ3s, and they were truly awful. No-one had a good word to say about them and I only did about 300 miles on them before junking them for something decent (Dunlop Roadsmarts, I think). I have nothing against Metzeler tyres (the M7RRs on the Duke were excellent), but those MEZ3s were lethal.

[weeksy]

As standard Aprilia Falcos came with a set of Metzeler MEZ3s, and they were truly awful. No-one had a good word to say about them and I only did about 300 miles on them before junking them for something decent (Dunlop Roadsmarts, I think). I have nothing against Metzeler tyres (the M7RRs on the Duke were excellent), but those MEZ3s were lethal.

Weirdly, i used to trackday on them

[Skub]

Cos I'm a tight arse Actually that's not strictly true, I just don't generally believe in not getting use out of something cos wastage is a bit, well wasteful.

I'd look at that another way,keeping tyres you don't like is wasting the bike. That's proper wasting.

[KungFooBob]

Or... if you have less confidence in the tyres, you don't ride the bike as hard. Meaning less fuel used and reduced wear and tear

[Skub]

Or... if you have less confidence in the tyres, you don't ride the bike as hard. Meaning less fuel used and reduced wear and tear

And the misery is prolonged.

[Taipan]

The tyres aren't a financial consideration. I just don't like Dunlops, at least historically speaking I don't. That said, these haven't been bad in this good weather or they'd already been in the bin by now. As they weren't doing bad I was going to stick with them thinking they'd probably be worn out by the start of winter and I'd change them then. The puncture has just brought the issue forward.

It's a more basic consideration of I can't physically get the wheels off, or drive them anywhere if I could. The last time I looked I couldn't find a tyre fitter who would come out and change them on the drive, well actually I did find one, but he was £100 call out and £40 per tyre change on top of the price of the tyres.

Another problem for me is I haven't really liked Michelin Pilots when I've had them before. In the past I've always liked Bridegestones, ever since the legendary 010front/020rear combo. But as I change bikes so frequently its been years since I've bought new tyres and I'm not really sure what to get lol!

[mangocrazy]

As standard Aprilia Falcos came with a set of Metzeler MEZ3s, and they were truly awful. No-one had a good word to say about them and I only did about 300 miles on them before junking them for something decent (Dunlop Roadsmarts, I think). I have nothing against Metzeler tyres (the M7RRs on the Duke were excellent), but those MEZ3s were lethal.

Weirdly, i used to trackday on them

Really? That does surprise me. Unless it was a 'manufacturer special' that Metz concocted for Aprilia. But all the Metzelers I've used before or since have been excellent. The MEZ3s on the Falco were a real outlier in my experience of Metzelers.

[Count Steer]

Q? This lack of confidence in tyres, does it arise because of incidents where they've actually given cause for alarm or is it 'feel'? I have had the 'feel' thing, assumed it was just that and pushed them harder (without disaster) and ridden bikes with the early Japanese Dunlops and Bridgestones on - which appeared to be made of cheese and have all the traction of Bambi on ice. Might be worth pushing eg the modern Dunlops a bit harder as some people seem happy with them, they can't be fundamentally not fit for purpose.

[mangocrazy]

Q? This lack of confidence in tyres, does it arise because of incidents where they've actually given cause for alarm or is it 'feel'? I have had the 'feel' thing, assumed it was just that and pushed them harder (without disaster) and ridden bikes with the early Japanese Dunlops and Bridgestones on - which appeared to be made of cheese and have all the traction of Bambi on ice. Might be worth pushing eg the modern Dunlops a bit harder as some people seem happy with them, they can't be fundamentally not fit for purpose.

There is often a big difference between aftermarket (i.e. replacement) tyres and those fitted as OE by manufacturers, to the point where they might as well be entirely different tyres. Manufacturers are keen to shave costs wherever they can, and doing a deal with a tyre manufacturer like Dunlop for tyres built down to a price (but ostensibly premium) is commonplace.

[Taipan]

So yes Taipan, if you're not weird like me with the wastage thing, ditch em.

I am probably like you as I don't like wasting anything, but, if the tyres had restricted or spoilt my riding, they'd be long gone! But even as a disliker of Dunlops, I have to say they didn't.

FWIW, I just looked and they are Sportmax Roadmax rear and RoadSmart front. Dunno what type of tyre they are, or how people rate them? Although, in all honesty, I'm never going to exactly challenge a tyre anyway, so I'm not sure who i/m kidding here!

[Skub]

Q? This lack of confidence in tyres, does it arise because of incidents where they've actually given cause for alarm or is it 'feel'? I have had the 'feel' thing, assumed it was just that and pushed them harder (without disaster) and ridden bikes with the early Japanese Dunlops and Bridgestones on - which appeared to be made of cheese and have all the traction of Bambi on ice. Might be worth pushing eg the modern Dunlops a bit harder as some people seem happy with them, they can't be fundamentally not fit for purpose.

It will largely depend on the type of riding you do. My experience of the Dunlops which come with a new bike shows me a tyre that works well enough on a warm,dry road. Because I don't ride in the damp/wet unless I'm caught out,they were good enough for the purposes of running in,etc. The times I was caught out in more variable conditions,they left me in no doubt I'd better not push my luck. They were skittish and unnerving. At no time did I feel I could forget about tyres and just ride,the trust required had been broken by too many moments.

I too remember the horrors of 70s original 'rubber',the Dunlops are nowhere near as bad as in those days,but comparing them to today's selection,they are pretty poor.

Remember,these are not the same tyres as you would buy aftermarket,they are a cheap version of those.

[Taipan]

Q? This lack of confidence in tyres, does it arise because of incidents where they've actually given cause for alarm or is it 'feel'? I have had the 'feel' thing, assumed it was just that and pushed them harder (without disaster) and ridden bikes with the early Japanese Dunlops and Bridgestones on - which appeared to be made of cheese and have all the traction of Bambi on ice. Might be worth pushing eg the modern Dunlops a bit harder as some people seem happy with them, they can't be fundamentally not fit for purpose.

@me? I'll answer for me anyway. It comes from personal experience. When I was younger and a lot more carefree with my throttle hand, I always found Dunlops, and to a lesser extent Avons, to be quite frightening when cold and in wet conditions. It would be really easy to lightly up the rear wheel, even inadvertently, when it was shod with a Dunlop. Had a few too many near misses with them on wet roundabouts with both front and rear wheel slips.

Heres 59bhp of Triumph Speedmaster overpowering an Avon!

[Supermofo]

It's a more basic consideration of I can't physically get the wheels off, or drive them anywhere if I could. The last time I looked I couldn't find a tyre fitter who would come out and change them on the drive, well actually I did find one, but he was £100 call out and £40 per tyre change on top of the price of the tyres.

If my tyre matey hadn't of broken his back I'd have seen if he'd have come out your way. He charges £75 call out but that's it, that includes the fitting. He's out of action till Dec. If that works for you I can chuck you his number?

Q? This lack of confidence in tyres, does it arise because of incidents where they've actually given cause for alarm or is it 'feel'? I have had the 'feel' thing, assumed it was just that and pushed them harder (without disaster) and ridden bikes with the early Japanese Dunlops and Bridgestones on - which appeared to be made of cheese and have all the traction of Bambi on ice. Might be worth pushing eg the modern Dunlops a bit harder as some people seem happy with them, they can't be fundamentally not fit for purpose.

The Dunlops on the GSXS 1000, Z1000, Z900 were D214's. These were OE tyres on those bikes and couldn't be bought off the shelf. In the warm/dry they were OK, but I'd say that's as good as it got. They didn't give me any moments but I never got any feedback or confidence from them. They also made the bike feel like it was going to run wide in slow corners and within 1k miles started tracking road imperfections which is pants on B roads. Finally with just under 2k miles on they started to flat spot. I really shouldn't have stuck with them. I did mainly due to the wastage thing and also cos I thought it was gonna take me a while to get the hang of the handling after riding something a lot lighter and slower for years so wouldn't be too bad in terms of wasting the bike. I think I was wrong.

The change in confidence to the Road 5s is massive. In terms of grip they might not be that much different but the difference it's made to my head is chalk/cheese.

I don't think Dunlop are shit, although both Dunlops I've used weren't good, I just think Suzuki/Kawasaki asked them for the cheapest tyre they could make. I've heard in the past that Japanese manufacturers would ask tyre companies to make OE specials, same look and name as the aftermarket version but with less tread and different compounds etc. So really a totally different tyre.

[Taipan]

It's a more basic consideration of I can't physically get the wheels off, or drive them anywhere if I could. The last time I looked I couldn't find a tyre fitter who would come out and change them on the drive, well actually I did find one, but he was £100 call out and £40 per tyre change on top of the price of the tyres.

If my tyre matey hadn't of broken his back I'd have seen if he'd have come out your way. He charges £75 call out but that's it, that includes the fitting. He's out of action till Dec. If that works for you I can chuck you his number?

I'll see how it all goes and MSG you if I need it. Cheers!

[Skub]

The last time I looked I couldn't find a tyre fitter who would come out and change them on the drive, well actually I did find one, but he was £100 call out and £40 per tyre change on top of the price of the tyres.

Does he get many takers for those inflated prices?

[Taipan]

The last time I looked I couldn't find a tyre fitter who would come out and change them on the drive, well actually I did find one, but he was £100 call out and £40 per tyre change on top of the price of the tyres.

Does he get many takers for those inflated prices?

ISWYDT! That wasn't recent either, but it was fitting them in the car park in central London. Thinking about it, I don't actually know anywhere to get tyres fitted in sarf Essex? Normally do my own...