Help with tires

[embracethehorror]

Could use some help choosing tires. I have a 1994 katana 600. Am looking for a good street tire. Just wondered what you would reccommend?
Thanks

[iamgumby]

Let me get the ball rolling! I've had the Dunlop Qualifiers and liked them - very sticky - but don't last long. My current tires are Avon Storms. They are not as sticky as the Dunlops, they are a bit noisier than the Dunlops but they are lsating a lot better than the Dunlops. Buy good tires - they attach you to the road.

[jmonte35]

I like the qualifiers myself they have a really good amount of grip however it depends on how you ride if you are looking for longevity than buy some touring tires which will last you a good amount of time. If you need grip and confidence than go with qualifiers or pilot powers or even Metzler M3's.

[CB750F]

I just put a set of Avon Roadriders on my 500 Ninja. They are much stickier than the stock Bridgstones and hopefully wear better. They are more a sport touring / general puropse tire than a sportbike tire. I can see a set going on the Honda eventually.

[super32]

Hi all.

I just recently replaced my rear tire with a Dunlop Qualifier (stock size)... I still have my Dunlop D220 tire up front.

What I'm experiencing is that when the tires finally warm up (say after 5-10 miles), I can feel a HUGE difference in the way the rear reacts to weaving (practice, that is).

It seems as though the rear is much more "slippery" than compared to the front. It's just the feeling I get, I'm not 100% confident that it is in fact more slippery. I'm not riding on wet cement; riding environment is quite normal (weather, asphalt, tires health, etc), with the exception of the new feeling I get when the rear tire gets warmed up.

So my questions are...

is this increased "slippery" feeling normal with a Qualifier?
is it a bad idea to have 2 different types of tires on a bike? (should I just a same front tire too?)
do i run any risk of having this tire setup?


BTW, some things I can vouch for w/ the Qualifier that's been mentioned...

more confidence... Yes, I feel I can go into a turn more confidently
more grab... uhh, not sure, maybe this is what that "slippery" feeling is



If my term of "slippery" still confuses you, read on, otherwise, this post is done...

when I say slippery, i really use that term loosely, because my bike is not just fishtailing or sliding side-to-side when I weave, instead I guess a better word for it is "loose". The rear seems more loose or responsive or easier to move when I perform the weave exercise.

I'm weaving on a long straight away on a back road, so I can get to different speeds without worrying too much about other traffic. I feel the same sense at 30mph, 40mph, and 50mph.

I'm mainly curious if the behavior I'm feeling from the tires are normal, positive, or negative.
thanks anybody who can help.

[jmonte35]

That is large in part by the profile of the tire. New tires turn in much easier and give you the "loose feeling" when in reality that is how tires are supposed to work. You have probably been riding on a worn tire which has been squared off. The bike will now handle much better and dive into corners much easier. Nothing to be concerned with.

As for matching tires....yes and no. I've always liked to use matched tires after all they were designed to be used together....however its not completely neccesary. When I used to ride street a lot I would usually wear 2 rears before a front. It's been about two years since I've rode the street....got into club racing and the rest is history but when I go to the track I always match tires and make sure the manufacture date is within a year believe it or not fresh tires are important. If you let soft tires sit for year they turn into hard tires so if you plan on buying race tires for the track those are some things to look for.

[iamgumby]

Super32: Try some small (2 lbs) adjustments to the back tire air pressure and see if makes a difference.