Tyre choice for 2000 V11?

[Molly]

Didn't have any joy with the search facility so sorry if this is as common as an oil thread.

 

My bike's fitted with Bridgestone BT010r tyres and I think it's time for a change. I understand there are now dual compound tyres out there and wondered if anybody'd tried them. If not, is there a good compromise between grip and longevity anybody's aware of?

 

Many thanks.

[rocker59]

For Sport-Touring tires, the hot setup has been the Metzeler Z6 Roadtec. Dunlop's new RoadSmart is supposed to be really good, but I've not tried them yet...

 

How long do you want tires to last?

 

How sticky do you want them to be?

 

That will help determine your choice.

 

There are lots of good tires out there these days...

[Guest frankdugo]

rocker's right.many brands make good tyres for these bikes.don't think those bridgestones are one of them,though the newer ones might be good.the metzlers are excellent, well worth the price.

[Steve G.]

Tire threads are just like oil threads, which are just like apparel threads. Very personal. I can only tell you that the current Bridgstone BT021's are working very well on my early V11. I've gone to a 160/70/17 rear.

Yes, there will be others that scorn Bridgestone, or sport touring tires, that theirs will be better, stickier, longer lasting, whatever. Get the tire for the type of riding you will be doing.

Steve

[WitchCityBallabio]

I have been using the Pirelli Diablo Corsa III's on my V11 Sport Ballabio. I can't say enough about them. They work fantastic on my bike. Stick like glue and heat up quickly. I averaged about 7000 miles per set.

 

Currently, I have the Metz. Z6 Roadtec's that came on the bike when I bought it. They were nearly new, and after I wore out my last set of Pirelli's at the end of the season last year, I figured I'd throw them back on to finish out the season. It turns out that it was a mistake.

 

I find the Roadtec's to be about the worst tire I have ever ridden on. They take quite a bit longer than the Pirelli's to warm up and have caught them "stepping out" on corners when too much throttle is applied before properly warm (which seems to take forever). They probably last a long time, as the compound seems hard, but I'll never know, because they'll be off as soon as my next set of Pirelli's arrive.

 

I was at a Guzzi breakfast ride a couple of weeks ago and someone asked me how I liked the Z6's. I told them not much and he proceeded to tell me he found them so bad that he contacted Metz. North America to complain. Some may have had good luck with them, but I'm not one of them.

 

Good luck with your search.

[rocker59]

Depends on usage, for sure.

 

I liked the Pirelli Dragon GTS a lot for sport-touring use, but it was discontinued a few years ago. The Z6 has been the best "long-lived" tire I have found in the past couple of years that still had decent handling and good wet-weather performance.

 

I run the Bridgestone BT-014 on my Sport 1100. Great tire! Short life! Great feel, great stick...

 

I run the Z6 Roadtec on my Nero Corsa because it's set up as my "touring" bike. If Its primary purpose was trackdays and solo Sunday sporty rides, I wouldn't run them.. I'd probably be running something like the Michelin Pilot Power 2CT, Pirelli Diablo Rosso, or Bridgestone BT-014...

 

My next set of tires on the Nero will be the new Dunlop RoadSmart. I have this bike set up with Hepco+Becker luggage and my girlfriend loves riding pillion with me on the thing... I need a "sport-touring" tire that does well in the rain and will last more than one trip to New Mexico...

[Guest ratchethack]

Any tire of unknown or questionable age will suffler loss of performance. If the tire isn't new, it can't be expected to perform like it's new.

 

I'm on my 3rd Metzeler Z6 rear and second Z6 front. These are without question the finest tires I've ever ridden on in 40 years of riding. Tires are the most important component on my Guzzi, and have been on every moto (11 previous moto's, including my other moto). I never, ever skimp on tires, always do full due diligence on evaluating the best independent comparo testing available, and I always ride on only the very best regardless of price. The Z6 has landed on the very top, #1, or at least #2 of the most respectable Sport-Touring tire comparo evaluations I've seen since they were introduced (in both dry and wet conditions -- a moto first). Though I've ridden several Sport tires on the Guzzi that were slightly stickier, the Z6 gets double the mileage, and handles at least as well, if not better than the very best Sport tires I've ever run.

 

Until the post above, I've never heard of any rider (not one) regardless of riding competence or experience, who has ridden on these tires who had anything other than a stellar impression of the Metz Z6. Every long-time, competent rider I've spoken with who's had them has pretty much the same read I do.

 

BAA, TJM, & YMMV.

[jtucker]

Any tire of unknown or questionable age will suffler loss of performance. If the tire isn't new, it can't be expected to perform like it's new.

 

Soooooooo.... what you're telling me is that those old Avons that have been on my V11S for the 5 or so years it was on the bench should probably be replaced then, right?

 

Actually, I was planning to replace them - even though they do *appear* to be in surprisingly good condition still. I'm thinking about giving the Sportec M3s a whirl.

 

__Jason

[sullvarni]

Well here's my 2c,i've got the Avon storms on my 1992 GSX 1100 G and have been totaly blown away with there performance even more so in the "WET",i plan on putting them on my V11 LeMans at the earl'yist opportu'nity,they are the latest dual compound tire and seem to have great ware.

Stu.

[Slavomir Musilek (R.I.P.)]

I have just installed new set of Michelin Pilot Sport - Oh god, what a change of behaviour compared to stock BT020...

[Guest ratchethack]

Soooooooo.... what you're telling me is that those old Avons that have been on my V11S for the 5 or so years it was on the bench should probably be replaced then, right?

 

Actually, I was planning to replace them - even though they do *appear* to be in surprisingly good condition still. I'm thinking about giving the Sportec M3s a whirl.

 

__Jason

Jason, I wouldn't want to comment specifically one way or another because IMHO wot you're dealing with on a tire that old lies at least partially within the realm of the vast unknown.

 

However, as I've often whinged on ad nauseum hereabouts, in wot I consider The Golden Age of Moto Tires, when the leading radial offerings from all The Bigs are leaps & bounds beyond the performance of wot was available only a short few years ago -- and improving at faster and faster rates lately -- why limit your riding experience via the most important part of your moto, and ride on something that's unknown, when you can experience wot I consider the best thing that's happened to riding in decades -- and that's a SURE THING??

 

FWIW, I ran M1 Sportecs for awhile on the Guzzi. They were the best Sport tires I'd ever ridden on and I loved 'em, but by my experience, the Z6 gives up very little IMHO to them in terms of grip (and nothing in handling -- slightly the OPPOSITE!), and the Z6 gets double the mileage (or better). The M3 is the market target equivalent of the old M1. All the reviews I've seen on it are outstanding, but being a softer Sport tire, it's still ranked with the old M1 on expected mileage.

 

I tend to toot the Metzeler horn because I've used many other makes of tires, and I've had nothing but tremendous experience with Metzeler (in recent years, but going back half a century as well), but again -- any o' The Bigs ranked at or anywhere near the top o' the best eval charts lately are (likely) gonna be fabulous tires relative to a 5-year-old tire of any make -- and wot're you doin' reading my blather when you could be ordering the best available and gettin' 'em spooned on??

 

BAA, TJM & YMMV

[Molly]

Opened a can of worms there... Thanks for all the advice just the same.

 

I don't ride in the wet much if at all. I want long life but also need to feel confident in the bends (not that I'm a knee-down rider either - because I'm not).

 

The bike's coming back to NZ with me in a few months. Most of the riding will be on country roads (there aren't any highways really in the South Island). Don't know if that also affects tyre choices.

 

Thanks again everybody.

[Guest frankdugo]

Tire threads are just like oil threads, which are just like apparel threads. Very personal. I can only tell you that the current Bridgstone BT021's are working very well on my early V11. I've gone to a 160/70/17 rear.

Yes, there will be others that scorn Bridgestone, or sport touring tires, that theirs will be better, stickier, longer lasting, whatever. Get the tire for the type of riding you will be doing.

Steve

did not mean to disparage bridgestone.my bike sat in a crate 5 yr.with them on&only got 5th. which i thought was exceptional low.think that what rachet said about setting is right. ilove bridgestone! can't beat the durability of z6{opinion}

[zappa]

Opened a can of worms there... Thanks for all the advice just the same.

 

I don't ride in the wet much if at all. I want long life but also need to feel confident in the bends (not that I'm a knee-down rider either - because I'm not).

 

The bike's coming back to NZ with me in a few months. Most of the riding will be on country roads (there aren't any highways really in the South Island). Don't know if that also affects tyre choices.

 

Thanks again everybody.

 

Go for the Z6's. I've had 2 sets on my 2001 V11 and got aprox 10,000km out of each set. And thats on South Island roads.

Currently have a pair of Perilli Diablo's fitted which I like better but don't think they will do the same km's.

 

Cheers Zappa

[Molly]

Go for the Z6's. I've had 2 sets on my 2001 V11 and got aprox 10,000km out of each set. And thats on South Island roads.

Currently have a pair of Perilli Diablo's fitted which I like better but don't think they will do the same km's.

 

Cheers Zappa

 

 

Thanks Zappa. Nice to hear from somene back down there. There can't be too many V11s in the South Island. Shifting back to Christchurch in October. Looking forward to some of those rides out to Hanmer etc.

 

Cheers everybody.