Ordered new dual sport tires for my 1982 GS450T for cheap!

[Guest]

I ordered a set of dual sport tires at http://www.denniskirk.com for $117 shipped! Excellent sale going on. Just wanted to pass that along. I also bought some tire spoons and balancing beads on Amazon. Still under $150 and am replacing old tires from 2001! I guess I get to learn how to change my own tires finally

 

[grcamna2]

Will you ride on dirt/country roads with them ?

 

[Guest]

Yep. Mostly hard pack or gravel. No mud or sand. Plus, I think they look kewl

 

[LAB3]

Hah! Those are the exact tires I ran last year, the rear went all the way to 6500 miles before hitting the chicken strips. It still had some meat left at close to 8k but knowing I'd be on the road all summer I swapped it out and went with a shinko 705 a couple weeks back. The front still had a lot of meat left but was making a lot of road noise, just yesterday I swapped that out for a shinko 777 since I was able to get one locally at a decent price. It feels like a whole nuther animal now! The Kendas will do OK on dirt roads but are pretty worthless on mud, wet grass and wet pavement. The front is going to be awfully close to the fender diameter wise, you're going to need to push up on the fender after loosening the bolts or else it'll hit as the tire "grows" with speed. I've had the front tire lock up after running in some gumbo clay then gravel after that, took a bit of time and a stick to clear it all out. The 777 on the other hand looks like it belongs on there diameter wise, I haven't been on dirt/gravel just yet. Also, the rear on the Kenda is wider than the 705 and I would occasionally bottom out along the outside edge of the tire where it hits the fender. Overall the Kendas did well and I'm not going to complain but for 10-15 dollars more a set, I like the shinkos better (so far) and really should have followed my gut last winter and went with 777's on both ends. Time will tell on how well they wear.

 

[LAB3]

Kenda K761 fitment

 

[Guest]

Yeah. I knew the fitment was gonna be close. I ran Kenda's about 5 years ago on my ninja and it was tight as well. I'll make sure to raise the fender a smidge (already notched the front fender mounting area so I can raise it). Thanks for the pic tho.

I guess now would be a good time to pull the forks and replace the oil. They are super spongy about nearly bottom out over the smallest bumps. Looks like I've got a busy weekend ahead!

 

[jboge123]

Like that you're exploring the backcountry roads.

I put TKC 80s on my 550 L and constantly find myself grinning down some dirt road in PA farm country