Different tires?
#1
#2
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Colonial Beach, Virginia
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Hey Skip, I'm about 90 miles south of you here in Colonial Beach, I got 18,000+ miles out the front Dunlop and 16,450 out of the rear one. The new Michelin Commander II on the front only has 1,500 miles on it so the jury is still out. The Michelin is made in Thailand and my red, white and blue blood kinda boiled when I discovered that, too late of course. It's a nice looking tire and it's growin on me.
#3
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Frozelandia, Minnysota
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I put Avon Venoms on one of my sportsters last year, would never put another Dunlop on, they're that much better. Both of my sporties (883 and 1200C) tended to follow tar strips and irregularities in the pavement pretty bad, hardly notice them on the one with Avons. The 1200 needs tires, and the Avon Cobras (couldn't get a Venom that fit one wheel) are already in the garage; both wheels are off and front bearings replaced, hope to have the rest done by the weekend. I know, shouldn't take a day, but I seldom get a whole day for bike work. The Avons I got say made in England. Avons don't last as long as Dunlops from what I hear, but I'm not looking for the most miles for my buck, I'm looking for best handling, best stopping, best wet traction; when you hit one of those situations where every inch counts, I want the best I can get in that inch. Old man, not a racer, need all the help I can get...
#4
Just put on a set of Commander IIs, after 2 sets of Dunlops. Diffrence in handling is like night and day! Highly recommend. I've also installed a fork brace, new swingarm bearings, RK air shocks, adjusted the steering head bearings, new engine mounts, replaced the fork oil and loosened the belt. The tires were the final piece of the puzzle and 'enabled' all the other improvements, which were worthless without the new rubber.
#5
Check out the Shinko 777. You will not be able to tell everyone how much you spent on them. Instead tell them how much better traction, wet and dry, performance is.
Just about any tire will be better than stock though so any choice will be a great choice. Only real advice I have is contact the people who make the tires you do get for psi information. Do not use the psi on the frame. I was told by Shinko to run my 90/90 21" front at 37. Even 7psi over the frame psi it rides soooooo much better than stock tires at 30, and the bike has forgotten what a tar snake or groove is.
Just about any tire will be better than stock though so any choice will be a great choice. Only real advice I have is contact the people who make the tires you do get for psi information. Do not use the psi on the frame. I was told by Shinko to run my 90/90 21" front at 37. Even 7psi over the frame psi it rides soooooo much better than stock tires at 30, and the bike has forgotten what a tar snake or groove is.
#7
Highly recommend the michellin commander II's. got my bike with 600 miles on it..changed tires at 700 (sidewalls were cracked on the old dunlops) due to the bike sitting for a while.
I now have 11,700 miles on it and I'm showing little wear on the rear tire. Turning is a HUGE difference with these tires. Especially for the price.
I now have 11,700 miles on it and I'm showing little wear on the rear tire. Turning is a HUGE difference with these tires. Especially for the price.
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#8
#9
I put Avon Venoms on one of my sportsters last year, would never put another Dunlop on, they're that much better. Both of my sporties (883 and 1200C) tended to follow tar strips and irregularities in the pavement pretty bad, hardly notice them on the one with Avons. The 1200 needs tires, and the Avon Cobras (couldn't get a Venom that fit one wheel) are already in the garage; both wheels are off and front bearings replaced, hope to have the rest done by the weekend. I know, shouldn't take a day, but I seldom get a whole day for bike work. The Avons I got say made in England.
#10
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Frozelandia, Minnysota
Posts: 27,064
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Just put on a set of Commander IIs, after 2 sets of Dunlops. Diffrence in handling is like night and day! Highly recommend. I've also installed a fork brace, new swingarm bearings, RK air shocks, adjusted the steering head bearings, new engine mounts, replaced the fork oil and loosened the belt. The tires were the final piece of the puzzle and 'enabled' all the other improvements, which were worthless without the new rubber.
Cobras have recently replaced Venoms, for our Harleys. Some Venom sizes are still available, but the sizes we mostly use are now Cobras. They are an English firm, named after the River Avon, but owned these days by Cooper Tires. I've been using them on my Harleys since the 1970s!