Bought some new tires today !!!

Well, it is that time again to buy new tires. I decided to stay with the Pirelli Diablo's since I really do like them. The OEM tires were the Bridgestone Hoops and I replaced them last year with the Diablo's. The Diablo's lasted for 9,500 miles so far and I think that is pretty good. The Hoops had 10,500 miles on them and could have lasted a couple of thousand miles more.

The front tires on the previous tires were all in pretty good shape but I like to replace my cycle tires all at the same time. The Diablo's are also cheaper too.

Hoops Front tire: $78 Rear tire: $92

Diablo Front tire: $67 Rear tire: $72

I think the Diablo's "stick" better in wet weather and I have read that most think the same. I am going to take some pictures of both tires and I will post them in this topic. The rear probably have another 2,000 miles, and the front probably about 4,000-5,000 miles. The thing that I'm more concerned with is that the side walls seem more worn then the last set. Maybe I haven't been diligent enough with checking the air enough. I tend to forget to do that sometimes.

JeffR wrote:

Well, it is that time again to buy new tires..

I received and assembled my No-Mar Cycle Hill Tire Changer today.
So if you bring them here I can install them

Hey Bill,

Do you travel??? When do you think you will get to use your new toy? Since you are putting more miles on your bike in a shorter amount of time how many sets have you gone through?

....Or you can come to my little shed and use the coates 220 tire changer. Bring cookies. Actually I haven't changed a tire as small as the Swing on it yet. I will when I wear this set out. Dick

JeffR wrote:

Do you travel???

When I am not

JeffR wrote:

When do you think you will get to use your new toy?

It came yesterday and I assembled it last night.

JeffR wrote:

Since you are putting more miles on your bike in a shorter amount of time how many sets have you gone through?

Gone through
Front: 1 Bridgestone - currently Bridgestone
Rear: 2 Bridgestone and 1 Sumitomo Darkside (debris gash) - Currently Sumitomo Darkside

I may experiment with other front tires ;-)

When my scoot was in recently for the wheels to be powder coated, I needed a new rear tyre, but alas the dealer couldn't get me metzelers which I wanted to try, (front and rear) and neither was he able to get a Michelin pilot sport to match the front. All that was available was a Bridgestone hoop...

Anyway I didn't really like the bridgestones, these were the tyres on the scoot when I got it just over a year ago. They were prone to white lining and tramlining, that is they tend to go off your chosen line if they encounter raised road markings or tears/fault in the road surface.

The dealer didn't change the front tyre as there was loads of tread left and said I should try it first before having a bridgestone hoop on the front. So....

I've now got odd tyres on my scoot. A Michelin Pilot sport on the front and a bridgestone hoop on the back..... And would you believe it, my S'wing now handles the best it ever has! Even better then when I had a Michelin pilot sports on the front and back... It's more like riding on marbles or spheres than hoops... Am well pleased as the bridgestone is also quite hard wearing, and seems OK in the wet (some of its better points)

And no problems with the disconcerting white lining. So I am well happy. I chatted to the bike dealer and he said that this wasn't uncommon and that many racing bikers have odd tyre choices.... (not that I race!!!) Mind you he also added that some combinations where the tyre's profiles don't match can add up to a bad ride....

Anyway, I thought I'd share this info here..... and can recommend that a good combination is a Michelin Pilot Sport on the front and a Bridgestone Hoop on the rear.

And now its snowing hard in southern and eastern UK, several inchs of snow, and would you believe resports of cars being abandoned and drivers being rescued! Studded tyres are illegal here as are snow chains So no scooting for a while then.....

Thank god for the Mrs 4x4 Subaru Forrester.....

Happy Riding

Bernardo:
Thanks for the tire review - that is very useful information. However, you stated:

"I chatted to the bike dealer and he said that this wasn't uncommon and that many racing bikers have odd tyre choices.... (not that I race!!!) Mind you..."

Well, I saw the manner in which you ride (sometimes) on the videos and based on my observations the main reason you don't race is nobody else can keep up with you when you "ride like a Hooligan" as you say... :lol!:

That was interesting. On my other scoot I had Dunlap. I put two new tires on at about 8k and the back only lasted a year. It was bad at about 4k and I made it to about five to the next oil change and the core was showing! One of the guys noticed it on a ride and I went home back roads good and slow. I switched to Bridgestone after that to see if they would wear better. I sure want good tires all the time.
Not sure what is on the new Wing.

The Scootist wrote:

Bernardo:
Thanks for the tire review - that is very useful information. However, you stated:

"I chatted to the bike dealer and he said that this wasn't uncommon and that many racing bikers have odd tyre choices.... (not that I race!!!) Mind you..."

Well, I saw the manner in which you ride (sometimes) on the videos and based on my observations the main reason you don't race is nobody else can keep up with you when you "ride like a Hooligan" as you say... :lol!:

Glad to help!

Did you see those videos on the forum here, or somewhere else? I can't remember if I posted links to them here or not? If I haven't already then will post some links here aswell...

I think the videos show that a Silver Wing can hold its own on the back roads, even if it doesn't handle quite aswell, or go quite as fast as similar size bike. Being in the right gear all the time has its advantages!

Happy riding!