tire recomendations for a '81 GS450t

[Guest]

so i recently picked this bike up (first bike), noticed a little bit of rot on the tires so i want them replaced come spring. The recommended tire size for this bike is 90/90-19 in the front and 110/90 -17 in the back. The only company offering the back tire is IRC. ive never heard of them, but IRC doesnt make the size up front. so it looks like it'll have to be a mismatched set. my options up front are 2 different AVON roadriders (AM26 &AM20) BRIDGESTONE spitfire, Pirelli MT66, and Dunlop D401. Just curious as to what shoes everyone is wearing and why. thanks

[cowboyup3371]

Check out Motorcycle Superstore for your tires; I use Shinko tires on my 550 and like them

[greasyjonny]

Check out Motorcycle Superstore for your tires; I use Shinko tires on my 550 and like them

they come up with the additional option of a SHENKO 250 up front, but still only an IRC in the back. looking for info on the listed tires, which one will match up with the IRC best maybe?

[Steve]

You can safely go up ONE size on each.

Look for a 100/90-19 on the front and a 120/90/-17 on the rear.

Your options will increase considerably.

The 100 front tire will also remove most of the inherent speedometer error.

.

[greasyjonny]

You can safely go up ONE size on each.

Look for a 100/90-19 on the front and a 120/90/-17 on the rear.

Your options will increase considerably.

The 100 front tire will also remove most of the inherent speedometer error.

.

took a look, this option allows me to get a set of the IRCs. but nothing else is matched. putting in the 120/90-17 The IRC is the only thing that comes up as a rear tire, the rest are labelled front tires.
thanks for the info btw.

[greasyjonny]

also is there any benefit (other than fixing the speedo in the front) to wearing a wider tire? im pretty much set at going up to a 100/90 19 in the front but for the back i can find the original 110/90 17 or a wider 120/90 17 in the matched set IRCs. any benefit to for either? thanks

[yoshisakan]

Pirelli Night Dragons. End of story. Best tire i've ever owned.

[tkent02]

so i recently picked this bike up (first bike), noticed a little bit of rot on the tires so i want them replaced come spring. The recommended tire size for this bike is 90/90-19 in the front and 110/90 -17 in the back. The only company offering the back tire is IRC. ive never heard of them, but IRC doesnt make the size up front. so it looks like it'll have to be a mismatched set. my options up front are 2 different AVON roadriders (AM26 &AM20) BRIDGESTONE spitfire, Pirelli MT66, and Dunlop D401. Just curious as to what shoes everyone is wearing and why. thanks

I have the AM26 roadriders sitting in my shop in 90/90-19 and 120/90-17. look at more places, they are available and they are great tires. Fatter sizes make it handle like a truck instead of a sports car.

[gsheader]

I have tried Shinko brand and honestly they are good budget tires but if you are looking for a performance and trust worthy tires, get a Pirelli, Dunlop or Bridgestone etc. I believe these brands wouldn't stay long if they haven't produced great tire products.

[tkent02]

All of the tire companies make some poor tires, and most brands make some good ones too. Except Kenda. They all suck AFAIK. You need to be model specific when you recommend tires. Any recomendation is also useless if you don't specify what kind of rider and which kind of riding you do, how aggressive you are, etc. The Avon AM26 Roadriders have excellent handling and traction for the aggressive rider, new tech tires in our old tire sizes, they last quite a while, and they handle well until they are shot. The similar sounding Roadrunner is a piece of crap in comparison. Bridgestone and Dunlop don't make anything modern in our sizes I don't think. The Shinko 230 I have heard are about the same as the Avon AM26 except they don't last as long. Pirelli Sport Demons are maybe even a tad stickier, but they don't last as long as the Avons, they don't handle as well when they are well worn. A lot of tires like the Night Dragons don't come in sizes even close to what fits an old GS, and a lot of tires are still selling 1980s technology for top dollar.

The advances in tire technology in the last twenty years or so are phenomenal, it is silly to ride around on old tech rubber.

[greasyjonny]

thanks for the extra input, tkent. yeah pretty much the only options i have found for my wheels are the Avons and the IRCs. i wanted to go the with Pirelli MT66s until i realized that the 120/90-17s were in front tire only. so yeah its either Avon AM26 or IRC RS-310s.
and i believe Tkent has me sold on the Avons. And to answer tkent above my riding style is unaggressive city riding.

[tkent02]

IRC is Inoue Rubber Company, I don't think they sell any high tech new tires. Could be wrong, but I don't think so.

[Thumper88]

IRC is what I used on my GS450T

RS-310 100/90H-19
RS-310 120/90H-17

Good enough for around town.

[greasyjonny]

IRC is what I used on my GS450T

RS-310 100/90H-19
RS-310 120/90H-17

Good enough for around town.

For at least right now (with all the tires that are on sale) there's really no discernible price difference between the Avon Am26s and the IRCs. So I guess it's a no brainer to go with the Avons.

[GSX1000E]

For at least right now (with all the tires that are on sale) there's really no discernible price difference between the Avon Am26s and the IRCs. So I guess it's a no brainer to go with the Avons.

IRC makes some good hard rubber dirt bike tires. Not sure if they wouldn't compare to Kenda's street tires too (junk!). Go with those Avons.