Newb trying to buy tires...

[efjay_62]

So, I have decided that I know nothing about motorcycle stuff. I'm generally speaking a total motorhead and a boat mechanic by trade, but being that my recently purchased '79 GS750 (I posted a thread freshly after purchasing in the Owners section) is my first bike \\/, my experience with these things is nil. Currently the bike is partially torn apart and the head is being rebuilt, but that is a thread for another day. I'm trying to get everything else in order while it's down so that when I get the head back and all together it will be ready to ride. And before everyone flames me, I did search, but it is such a "generic" topic that I could read old threads all night trying to find what I am looking for.

Before this thread gets too long and you all leave out of boredom before reaching the main point, it needs new tires. I have been looking at the big retailers online and at this point I'm looking at the Bridgestone Spitfire S11's. They are very affordable, at about 120 bucks or so for the set from Dennis Kirk, and seem like a good fit for the bike. One site even said "a well matched tire for bikes from the '70s and '80s". My question is, as a rook, might there be any other tires, reasonably priced, that may be better suited? Maybe some first hand experience with what y'all are running? And on the same topic, I'm planning on a 120/90-18 out back, essentially the metric equivalent to the stock size as I understand, but could I go any wider, and how much?

Thanks,
efjay

[Steve]

Oh boy, another tire thread :shock:

but thanks for asking.


You will get just about as many opinions as posters in this thread, but you asked for alternatives, so here goes...
We just changed tires on my wife's 850L. She had the Cheng Shin Hi-Max tires on it, and we got about 14,000 miles on them. She is not an aggressive rider, but we have heard good reports about these tires from the peg-scrapers, too. They work decently in the rain, too.

You don't want to go any wider on the tires, unless you have a 90/90 up front. Most of our speedometers are a bit optimistic, and a 100/90 tire on the front helps to correct that. Putting a wider tire on the back will actually reduce your contact patch, because the rim is rather narrow and will pinch the wider tire into a tighter profile.

.

[chef1366]

Dennis Kirk has really good deals on tires right now. I like the Dunlop GT501. Sticky and dependable. Not much life out of the rear though but if you like to ride hard like me I feel confortable with them.

[Nessism]

Those Spitfires are fine. Some people claim they cup after a while but others do fine with them.

The GSR forum value leader for tires is the High Max as Steve mentioned. Can't go wrong unless you plan to ride hard in the twisties - in that case, get some Avons or Pirelli's.

Good luck.