98 ZX-9R tyres?

[ninjaboy]

Howdy

For any 98 ZX-9R owners out there, what tyres are you guys using??

OEM or different?

Curious,

Dan.

[mrmina]

I'm currently using the dunlop 207 which are stock. But i've riden a few bikes and you cant do better than Bridgestone 012SS or Perilli (Metzler is made by perilli under different company name but still same factory).

The bridgestones are awsome and i've riden a bike with them and they stick like glue.

[aardvark]

I tried the Dunlop 207's. They are crappiest tyre I have ever run on my bike. The 208GP's were exceptional in comparison!! But then, that's to be expected.

I have also tried the Bridgestone 010's and their replacement, the 012's. They are, IMHO, far superior to the Dunlops. Give them a try.

The only problem with the 012's is that you'll probably only get about 5,000 kays out of them. If you want something that will last about 7,000 to 9,000 kays, give the 020's a shot.

Jason

[mrmina]

I have had a mate who put the 012ss on his bike and i've been monitoring them closely and his gotten 8000k's out of them so far and i think they probably got another 2000 or even 3000k's more in them.

Pretty soon i think the 012 will be superseded by the 040 i've been told or a similar model and the compound is slightly harder so you can get more out of them but they are still suppose to be as grippy as the 012.

If you from melbourne give a guy called TIM at Bob Jane T-Mart (Motorcycle Tyre Centre) in the city on elizabeth street a call or even go see him. He knows what he's talking about and he's alright to chat too.

A lot of the new bikes these day are also going to bridgestone 012ss. I know the Gixxer and the Blade are already there but dont know about the rest.

[aardvark]

8,000 kays out of 012SS'??????????? Either you guys have the smoothest bitumen in the country or they are actually 020's?

Or maybe I'm just a little bit harder on tyres than your mate.... Nah, couldn't be that! ;o)

Find out how they manage that, and let me in on the secret.

Jason

[ninjaboy]

I've been riding on the Bridgestones BT012 fronts with BT010 rear.

I ride pretty hard on the streets, and fairly reasonably hard (always try for the best shift just pre-redline!! ) - I've so far done about 6000km's, and the centre is almost gone (can just make out the tread pattern that used to exist in the centre) with approx 2-3mm left on the sides.

It still manages to hold very well now (just re-adjusted all my suspension settings again, so feels even better).

My mechanic recommended a brand of tyres called Shinko: same manufacturer as Yokohama (the new and improved - after the Kobe earthquake burnt the old Yokohama factory in Japan a few years ago). He says the tyres are really cheap, but they're bloody good. I'll try them out and let you guys know how they feel.

Dan.

[MickLC]

I've run Metzler Sportec M1's and got around 9,000km from the rear and 13,000km from the front. I was pretty happy with them as far as stability and grip goes, and they seemed to warm up pretty quickly. I couldn't complain about the mileage either...

I've currently got some Pirelli Diablo's which are meant to be pretty similar to the Metzlers but I'm not as happy with them. They seem to take longer to warm up and the front feels like shite...even after I got my dodgy fork seal fixed

Next time I'm looking at trying something with a more triangular profile, possibly the new Pilot Powers.

[aardvark]

I've currently got some Pirelli Diablo's which are meant to be pretty similar to the Metzlers but I'm not as happy with them. They seem to take longer to warm up and the front feels like shite...

Thats the problem with sports tyres. The sportier you go, the longer they take to warm up. The Dunlop 208GP's I had on my bike at one stage were the same. Great once they warmed up, but no being silly until they had done so!

I fit a brand new 020 on the back yesterday. My old 012 was down to the canvas, so the new tyre feels amazing by comparison. I was going to go for a ride today to test it, but it's raining and I spent 4 hours cleaning my bike on tuesday..



Jason

[ty]

I've run Metzler Sportec M1's and got around 9,000km from the rear and 13,000km from the front.

More kays out of the front tyre than the rear? That's opposite to most I think - myself included.
Strange.
Although maybe that's just a difference between the 900+ bikes and the smaller ones...
ty

[aardvark]

I always get more kays out of the front than the rear. The rear wheel is where the power gets sent and as such should be a little bit harsher on the tyre.

Or maybe it's all the time I spend on the back wheel in comparison to the front?

[ty]

Maybe it's riding style.
I wear out the sides of my front's well before the rear needs replacing.
So maybe I don't do enough fast take-off's or wheelies
And too many twisties perhaps? nah - no such thing
ty

[mrmina]

8,000 kays out of 012SS'??????????? Either you guys have the smoothest bitumen in the country or they are actually 020's?

Or maybe I'm just a little bit harder on tyres than your mate.... Nah, couldn't be that! ;o)

Find out how they manage that, and let me in on the secret.

Jason

i stand corrected not the 012ss just the 012. i didnt think there was a difference but supposedly there is!

[ninjaboy]

True, I always seem to be wearing out the rear tyre before the fronts.

That would be logical, wouldnt it, if the rear wheel is the driving wheel - imagine all the forces placed on the rear wheel on take offs, etc.

Also the sides of the front tyres wear out faster than the centre, unlike the rear - centre wears out before the sides.
(I try to not turn the front wheel when the bike is stationary).

But once i notice a pattern starting on the wheels, I start top change riding positions/styles to compensate (eg, if centre worn out, start to take faster corners and accerlerate harder whilst exiting a corner rather than accelerating off a straight).

Dan.

[aardvark]

[quote="mrminai stand corrected not the 012ss just the 012. i didnt think there was a difference but supposedly there is![/quote]

Yeah, the SS is a track tyre and soft as shit.... They are awesome but take a while to warm up. Once they do, they are extremley grippy... But you really need to keep them warm.

8,000 kays out of a standard 012 is still pretty amazing tho!!

Is that running it down to the wire?

[MickLC]

Maybe it's riding style.

I think that's it. One of my mates wears his fronts out quicker than his rears and I've noticed that the difference in our riding styles is that he brakes into the corner and then coasts around it on a steady throttle, whereas I brake before the corner then accelerate through it.