| Author | Message | ||
     Joey |
Pirelli tires tend to be the stickiest choice we Blast!ers have, but the Avons may last longer, and I have this feeling that they would be more than adequate for stickiness once they warmed up. I guess I'd have to do it twice to see! Did I just butt-in on someone else's conversation? | ||
| Ezblast |
Naw Joey - its cool and you are totally correct - I'm sure 5 to 10 laps would warm up the Avons just fine - when I was running them - usually about 5 miles out of SF and entering wine country they started warming up well and then they were as sticky as the Pirelli - its just that I live in cold SF,CA - and I could never get them warmed up when commuting - by the time I got to work - they were ok, but by then I had no need - lol - the Pirelli need very little to no warm up time to stick - lol Got Thump?! Just Blasting on the Dark side! EZ  | ||
| Spooky |
Does anybody know where to get some Maxxis V1 tires at online? Eric  | ||
| Mikej |
http://www.realtyres.com/prod.htm Maxxis: US subsidiary of Taiwanese manufacture, Cheng Shin http://www.maxxis.com/ http://www.jpcycles.com/shop/productline.asp?PLID=16&DPID=246 | ||
| Spooky |
Thanks Mike I sent a email to Maxxis to help me in finding a dealer close by. Eric | ||
| Swampy |
Whats the final opinion on the Kenda? I got a part number for the Kenda 671 Cruiser 140/70H-16, which is not listed in the 2003 Parts Unlimited. Part number K671-29, or through Tucker Rocky, 28-7365. Thanks | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
I dont know about 'final' opinion. It fits. Looks good.Cheap.Its a true 140mm wide.The tread goes up the sidewall more than you can use.You can definitely feel the added weight of the tire and when used with the 110 Kenda(front) its seems to feel okay straight up or leaned over, but a little squirly in between. IHMO I think I will go back to the Pirellis. Note: I haven't pushed them hard.(others have). I think the 100 Kenda would be a better fit because you dont gain much width with the 110 size(the 100 may handle better). | ||
| Ralphthe3rd |
Another Fat Rear tire option, this one from Pirelli. Yes, it's the same size/rating as the Kenda- 140/70P-16. And YES, these are (P) rated "Scooter" tires ! But these are the only bolt-on tire options of a wide rear tire for the Blast. Here is a photo of the rear thread pattern for the Pirelli "GTS" /24 in size 140/70P-16.  | ||
| Ralphthe3rd |
Back to the Maxxis tire thread... I've been in contact with "Maxxis Tire" lately (nice folk). And even got them to change some specs on their website, as the info on the Maxxis V1 in our rear size 120/80-16 was incorrect. Anyway, I want to say that this is a Very premium tire...abeit still Bias Ply. But it is NOT V-rated....it's only S-rated ! This tire is extremely hard to find out here on the east coast, but it can be ordered if you try hard enough. BTW- this tire ISN'T cheap in Price either ! At least as costly as the stock OEM Dunlop...be advised. | ||
| Ralphthe3rd |
EZ or other moderator, please delete the above post on the Maxxis tire. It is SNAFU info. Latest word from Maxxis is, they F'd up again.... they don't make a REAR V1 Tire in our blast size = 120/80-16. They only make a Front V1 tire and the website guys screwed up ! And you CANNOT use THAT Maxxis V1 Front tire on the REAR of the Blast....very dangerous...if someone has mounted it....PLEASE advise to remove ASAP ! Below is my most recent email from Maxxis : Dear Ralph, I am sorry but this tire is still not made for the rear of your motorcycle. Apparently our web guys added this size to the front V1 section of our website but failed to remove it from the rear section. (for this I am sorry). They have been busy building a new website for the company that is due to launch in the next month or so, hopefully they can do a better job of getting specifications correct on it. Harry is very knowledgeable on our motorcycle product, and is correct in telling Lost Creek that this is a front tire only. We can not recommend using a front tire in a rear tire application. I am sorry that there are not many fitments out there for Blast owners, and hopefully in the future this will change. I will go and get our web guys to correct the website ( once again). Thanks again, David Presten Specialty Tire Division / Maxxis International Motorcycle Sponsorship Coordinator http://www.maxxis.com _________________________________________________ | ||
| Ezblast |
I would never Ralph! - these two posts together show your good side - lol - and you can use all the good PR you can get - I'm sure anyone researching the topic will see all the posts and a sincere effort by one person to find the truth of a topic. Thanks for the report though - do you think the wide Pirelli is as sticky as the Pirrelli in the stock size for the Blast? - Just wondering - GT - JBOTDS! EZ | ||
| Ralphthe3rd |
EZ, beats me as to how sticky the Pirelli- "Scooter" tire is ? I was just gonna ask Carcass how his rear Kenda is holding up....but mine seems to be sticking GREAT....but then I'm no lightweight ! And I actually think if it didn't stick so good, that would mean it was a HARDER compound ? Which is what I'd prefer....*sighs* | ||
| Carcass |
Ralph, I'm loving this tire. I see no reason to ever switch brands. Read this towards the bottom: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/20164/33179.html?1058681853 RJ and I both have them, and we ride pretty nutty.  It's a good compound for the weight and speed of the Blast. You can order it from any shop the buys from Parts Unlimited.  To answer your question; it's holding up very well! So for under $60, try one and see if ya like it!  -Mark | ||
| Swampy |
Thanks for the report Carcass! I have been pricing Kendas, all coming in around 75-85 bucks using the Parts Unlimited pricing. | ||
| Ralphthe3rd |
Carcass, LOL... I do have that tire on my rear now....and had posted to you about that- off on the California SLO ride string. Read my comments there, if you haven't already. P.S.- I was "Fairwetherbiker" is disguise in those old posts you linked to  | ||
| Ralphthe3rd |
Swampy....your dealer is ripping you off... mine came thru "Parts Unlimited" and only cost me $65 or something close ?! | ||
| Swampy |
Got the Kenda, looks great! What do I torque the rear axle nut too? Total price was $82 including mounting and balancing. The store I deal with is just horribly backwards. It was supposed to be done Monday, so when I went to pick it up Monday it wasn't ready and it was 20 minutes to closing and they started whining, so I told them I was planning on being out of town till Wednesday. My plans change and I call today(Tuesday) and they start whining about how I said I wasn't going to be in town till Wednesday, of course I told them they said it was supposed to be done Monday. All I can do is sigh! I take every opportunity not to do business there, but just this one time I figure what the heck, one more try. They have no clue about delivering more than they promise. BTW this is a Yammi, Victory,Polaris, SkiDoo shop only 5 miles from my house. I bought 3 Skidoos at different times from other dealers even one 8 hrs away because I couldn't get the time of day from them. Go figure? Thanks for the rant. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Someone on e-bay is selling a Blast with a 140/80/16 Metzler on the rear (120/80/16 on front). Though I'm guessing he had to modify the swingarm to get it on, the tread does not seem to run halfway up the sidewall like it does with the Kenda 140. I'm gonna e-mail him and ask! Raised front fender & rear shock moved 1/2" forward with swingarm mod-as expected!Looks good.He says it handles better. edited by gearheaderiko on April 14, 2004 | ||
| Swampy |
The Big Kid calls me today and says the new Kenda is chunking out! When I get home I find that there are 3 spots an inch or so long on the tire that look like it was ruffed up about 1/32 or so deep! I asked him how hard he stopped today and he claims he didn't use the back brake at all, he only did a couple of noseys in the parking lot. Go figure  | ||
| Carcass |
Swampy- My first Kenda did something like that too. (See earlier posts) But as the tread wore, the marks went away. I think I caught some rocks/pebbles or something. Now on my second tire, I've had no problems whatsoever. -Mark  | ||
| Java |
How much do y'all pay to have a rear tire put on? I went to the local dealer today and asked how much the labor would be to r&r and balance a rear tire on a Blast, and he said $92! In over 20 years of riding, I've never paid even half that much. Did he just see me coming in a shirt & tie, and think "ignorant RUB", or do all HD dealers bend everybody over like that? | ||
| Ezblast |
You learn that there are certain things you don't allow your dealer to do - just because they charge too much - that and services are the main ones, there will be other little things you may run into doing that is just cheaper to do yourself, or farm out to a general shop - accurate dyno's has been another in my experience - though there are a few notable exceptions to this rule - lol - my dealer would charge close to $400.00 for tires, balancing , mounting, etc. - a local mc tire shop charges 25 per tire for everything - minus the cost of the tire - and they usually have really good tire prices as well - at least for the Blast - KC Engineering. Look around and ask around - I'm sure you will find simular popular shops in your area - I've only ever used my dealer for warrentee issues and to fix a screw up of my devising that I either didn't want to spend time on fixing or couldn't figure what was wrong - '...damn carb...'mumbled in the back round - lol - Got Thump?! Just Blasting on the Dark side! EZ | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Concur w/EZ. Dealers usually give you the Bro deal(Bend Right Over) on that stuff. Local indy shop charges $17 mount & balance each,if you buy the tire from them, mounting is free, $7 only for balance. (a friend paid $28 for R/R the rear wheel off the bike,R/R the tire and replace the tube!!This not even on a bike as simple as the Blast)!!! | ||
| Swampy |
I found out why the Kenda was chunking out, there was plenty of clearance when things were static but at speeds, I believe the tire grew and rubbed on the shock mounting bracket on the swing arm. I did some body work on the shock bracket, repainted things and will try it again in the morning. I also found that the pulley side wheel bearing was loose in the hub. I put some pin pricks around the hub and some blue locktite on things, and now will pay real close attention to it. I paid $20 to have the tire mounted and balanced at the above mentioned shop. What is the torque for the rear axle nut? For your viewing pleasure:   edited by ezblast on April 24, 2004 | ||
| Java |
Alright, thanks guys. I discovered that way back in another lifetime, I used to work with the guy that is now the general manager of this Harley dealership. I guess if that price is SOP at an HD dealership, rather than storming into his office and calling in a favor, I'll save it for something else. (like if I decide to buy a Firebolt or something.) The Suzuki dealer 2 miles from my house, (who I ordered my new Avon from) says he'll do it for around $30, if he can get the wheel and that big pulley on his balancer. That sounds a lot more like what I'm used to paying. Thanks again for the imput. Have Fun, Tom | ||
| Ninja250 |
Hi all... I am picking up a Ninja 250 soon which uses the same tire sizes as the Blast. I am looking for opinions on the Avon AM51/52s and Pirelli MT75s from people running them; specifically what are the pros and cons of both - what do you like about them, not like, etc. I am kinda leaning toward the Avons as I have had great experiences with Avon radials on an SV650 and they totally transformed the handling of my V65 Sabre - but I am not religious about any particular brand, just looking for the best tires for me. I guess I should mention, my slant will be toward aggressive riding - not track days (at least not yet) but a major purpose of getting this bike is to work on my sport riding skills - and it will be commuted on too, probably around 50-60 miles a day. Also... Browsing through your archives, I have also noticed a question or two about fitting the 130/80 Dunlop K630s that come stock on the Ninja... I can tell you, those tires are universally hated in the Ninja 250 community because they don't grip very well, or last very long, or feel very good, and their breakaway is sudden and without much warning or feedback. Definitely not worth modifying your swingarm for! Thanks in advance for any info on the Avons and Pirellis, Rob | ||
| Ezblast |
Avons last a bit longer, but will need time to warm up, the Pirrelli is sticky from the go - almost. Both are still our top choices. Got Thump?! Just Blasting on the Dark side! EZ | ||
| Ninja250 |
Thanks EZ... what's typical life expectancy for back tires on Blasts (for both brands of tire)? Given that I live in Phoenix where it's over 100F for about 9 months out of the year I am not too worried about warm up - how different is stickiness between the two once they are both warm? And how about differences in how they transition into a lean, does either one steer quicker than the other? The profiles look quite different in the pictures. Thanks, Rob | ||
| Ezblast |
The Pirrelli are stickier ,but the Avons are almost a 1000 miles longer lasting (life of a Pirrelli lasting between 2000 to 3000). They feel very simular warm, but you wait for the Avon to warm, and I've had the Avon break away in a few corners that never happened with the Pirrelli's, but again I don't think the tires where warm and Twin Peaks is no fun on cold tires - lol - in your area that wouldn't be much of a problem except on cold rainy days - not too many of them there - ehh - lol - but if I was doing a track day and wanted to garrentee grip - it would be the Pirrelli - its all I'm running on both bikes right now. Rain handling is very good - oh yeah - not really a concern there - jeez - someone with even better riding weather than me - that sucks! - lol Got Thump?! Just Blasting on the Dark side! EZ | ||
| Mmelvis |
Ninja250, EZ hit the nail on the head. The Pirelli tires are a dream and do hold up very well with hard riding. You can get 2 full trackdays out of a set and still use them on he street for another 6 or 7 hundred miles. |
