Since there seems to be a problem with Avon Road Riders

[Road_Clam]

I love a good tire war ! It's been at least a month since I read the last techno tire argument....

I don't care weather you have a $400 set of Michlin sport Pilots, or a $140 set of bargain Cheng Shin's when it comes to the real world of constant hazardous street driven motorcycles the only difference between the two brands is $260 . I've tried virtually every brand out there, don't notice ANY substantial difference on the street.... (i.e when accidentally hitting a post rain sand wash through a blind corner) . However ya know what DOES make a big difference in the way your bike handles on the street ? CORRECTLY MAINTAINED TIRE PRESSURES . How come I never read continued arguments over what ideal tire pressure to run ?

Now i'll go back to chewing popcorn and sipping my brew....

 

[TheCafeKid]

I have to agree with all of the rider's living in the "rust belt". (Flat landers)
You guys REALLY KNOW all about those twisty roads with elevation changes.
Nothing at all like the FLAT cornfields and FLAT country-side that we have to ride through :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xum567bUuR8


I bet that those Avon's are just fantastic on ALL of those twisty/high speed roads that you all encounter daily.

Care to share ANY video's of those twisty roads that you all ride on???

(Some people have different ideas as to what a twisty road is, apparently)

Daniel

Have you ever been to southwest Ohio? Southern Indiana? Eastern Kentucky? There is this little mountain range here. Takes up most of the states from Ohio down to Georgia. West Va to Indiana. Called the Appalachians. Course they're little fingers of it.
I lived in Colorado. I live here. Been everywhere out west. Probably lived in more states than you. Seen a lot of miles of roads.

I can tell you this much. There are roads here that will cause you to suck seat up your ass they're so tight. I think I know a thing or two about twisty roads.

I love it when people assume that the Midwest is completely flat. It just shows how uneducated they are. The entire eastern side of the country is mountainous. Well. Except Florida and Mississippi. But we don't count them

 

[TheCafeKid]

I love a good tire war ! It's been at least a month since I read the last techno tire argument....

I don't care weather you have a $400 set of Michlin sport Pilots, or a $140 set of bargain Cheng Shin's when it comes to the real world of constant hazardous street driven motorcycles the only difference between the two brands is $260 . I've tried virtually every brand out there, don't notice ANY substantial difference on the street.... (i.e when accidentally hitting a post rain sand wash through a blind corner) . However ya know what DOES make a big difference in the way your bike handles on the street ? CORRECTLY MAINTAINED TIRE PRESSURES . How come I never read continued arguments over what ideal tire pressure to run ?

Now i'll go back to chewing popcorn and sipping my brew....

Do you ride like a old people screw then? Cause I can tell when I have crap tires on a bike before I get it off my street. If the steering feels tractor like, it's a bad start for it. From there we can assess grip, even if it hasn't rained. If your cant feel the difference you aren't trying hard enough.

And tire pressure is largely dependent on multiple issues, ie the type of tire, the expected load, the speed at which you plan to run, etc etc.
So theres no right answer there.

 

[Road_Clam]

Do you ride like a old people screw then? Cause I can tell when I have crap tires on a bike before I get it off my street. If the steering feels tractor like, it's a bad start for it. From there we can assess grip, even if it hasn't rained. If your cant feel the difference you aren't trying hard enough.

And tire pressure is largely dependent on multiple issues, ie the type of tire, the expected load, the speed at which you plan to run, etc etc.
So theres no right answer there.

Do you drive like an insane idiot on the street ?

I don't run "crap" tires on the street period. If you are pushing a bike to the point where it starts to exceede the capability of any brand of clean condition DOT tires, you have a date with the grim reaper in the near future....

 

[Big T]

Wow! You didn't have to dig all that up. I really appreciate your help.

Those Battlax bt-45's seem to be a good compromise between performance and price for my budget.

If I can scrape up the extra cash, I may still go with the Roadriders. We'll see how it goes.

The BT 45s are superior to the Spitfires and worth the money

That one Avon size is a front/rear tire, you don't see that much anymore. If you find one, you'll note that it mounts in one direction for the front, reverse for rear

I was a dedicated Pirelli man until I tried the Avons.

The only negative thing I can say about the Avons is that they run large. My 120/90 is more like a 130/90, my chicken strips are wider on the rear

 

[Guest]

having been riding last 35yrs owned kat1000, Gsx1135e, Gs1100g and my present
Gs1085S .
over the yrs tried pirelli phantoms, metzelers, TKV contis,mitchelins ,the Avon roads riders are the best i have had yet "wet or dry".
havent heard of any probs over this of the pond.

 

[shiznizbiz]

Ive owned 2 sets of bt45s. I absolutely love them. great grip in wet and dry. And they offer sharp responsiveness and a pretty good wear. I used to take my gs500 up in the knobs and thrash it pretty hard in the twisties. I could get all the way to the edge of the tires and not feel a hint of them wanting to release their grip on the road. I rode pretty hard in the wet too. I could take corners with out noticing and fron end wash or rear end squirreliness. I went through 2 sets only because of nasty road debris. Im awaiting my rear bt45 for my gs650 now. they come in 120/90-17 for an average price of $110 for those that need that size. about $100 for the front at 100/90-19

 

[1_v8_merc]

Perhaps the OP is worrying too hard about which tires to pick?

Just a thought....Because I know how it is when you start reading tons of different reviews. You start thinking too hard and soon enough, you can't even make a decision on what you want! lol

-----
What type of riding are you planning on doing?

Just going A to B on the highway?....Lots of back roads? Long distance riding?

Because I can assure you, Avons are nice tires, but I wouldn't put them on every bike in my garage. Because every bike in the garage is customized for a different purpose.
(twisty bike, cruiser bike, junker bike to beat up.....etc.)

 

[tkent02]

If you are pushing a bike to the point where it starts to exceede the capability of any brand of clean condition DOT tires, you have a date with the grim reaper in the near future....

That's what my Dad said forty years ago.
I outlived him.

 

[MadCapsule]

Perhaps the OP is worrying too hard about which tires to pick?

Just a thought....Because I know how it is when you start reading tons of different reviews. You start thinking too hard and soon enough, you can't even make a decision on what you want! lol

-----
What type of riding are you planning on doing?

Just going A to B on the highway?....Lots of back roads? Long distance riding?

Yes.

Because I can assure you, Avons are nice tires, but I wouldn't put them on every bike in my garage. Because every bike in the garage is customized for a different purpose.
(twisty bike, cruiser bike, junker bike to beat up.....etc.)

I only have one bike, so this one will be doing a bit of everything. If I can only get it running again!

I think I've decided on the bt-45's. They fit my budget and, judging by the reviews I've read and the input of members here, they seem to be a good all-around tire.

But by all means, keep the suggestions coming. I love learning about this stuff!

 

[JES_vfr]

Spit fires are about 20% the tire that the road rider is, it is like comparing apples to pianos.

Wow! You didn't have to dig all that up. I really appreciate your help.

Those Battlax bt-45's seem to be a good compromise between performance and price for my budget.

If I can scrape up the extra cash, I may still go with the Roadriders. We'll see how it goes.

It wasn't that hard Chris, I just went to one online vendor and plugged the tire sizes into their sizing app.

As for the Battlax's, the last time I used them, I was keeping my fraternity brother's new CBR1000 from gathering dust. He was called up for Desert Storm 1 and I needed a bike, so the deal was quickly struck. I got a bike to ride for almost two years and he did not have to pay for storage.
They were pretty good tires then and on the big CBR I did not hesitate to run them until they had no chicken strips.
They'd be a good tire for a gs today.

 

[JES_vfr]

Do you drive like an insane idiot on the street ?
I don't run "crap" tires on the street period. If you are pushing a bike to the point where it starts to exceed the capability of any brand of clean condition DOT tires, you have a date with the grim reaper in the near future....

Unless the tires in question are like the brand new 'DunFlops' that were OE on my VFR800.
They were utter crap tires from the factory.
I practically danced a jig when with only a little more than 600 miles, I found a drywall nail almost to the shoulder of the rear tire..
Off came the terrible 'Dunslides' and on went a set of Avons Azaros.
They were not even promoted as sport tires, instead they were listed as sport-touring tires, yet they were 100% better than the OE 'Dunjunk'

Since then I've had other bikes with Pirelli's to Shinko's.
Some have good grip, others were greasy and some were like polished steel.
It is very possible to find the limits of a dot tire without breaking the law.
But that is just proof that not all tires are the same.

 

[SVSooke]

Unless the tires in question are like the brand new 'DunFlops' that were OE on my VFR800.
They were utter crap tires from the factory.
I practically danced a jig when with only a little more than 600 miles, I found a drywall nail almost to the shoulder of the rear tire..
Off came the terrible 'Dunslides' and on went a set of Avons Azaros.
They were not even promoted as sport tires, instead they were listed as sport-touring tires, yet they were 100% better than the OE 'Dunjunk'

Since then I've had other bikes with Pirelli's to Shinko's.
Some have good grip, others were greasy and some were like polished steel.
It is very possible to find the limits of a dot tire without breaking the law.
But that is just proof that not all tires are the same.

The SV650S I had before this bike had Dunlop D220 (?) tires on it.Slow to warm greasy at the best of times.Never felt confident on them.I'm a slow ,cautious type rider not a speed demon.Put a set of Pirelli Diablos on it.Instant transformation.Has shaken my confidence in Dunlop tires to the point of not wanting another set again,rather a shame as I know they have some good ones.

 

[Guest]

The SV650S I had before this bike had Dunlop D220 (?) tires on it.Slow to warm greasy at the best of times.Never felt confident on them.I'm a slow ,cautious type rider not a speed demon.Put a set of Pirelli Diablos on it.Instant transformation.Has shaken my confidence in Dunlop tires to the point of not wanting another set again,rather a shame as I know they have some good ones.

I ride on the bridgestones on the street Battleaxes on the ZRX, and BT45's on the GS's , On the track I like the pirrellis or metzelers. I have run Dunlops and they seem to be a bit lose to me. They are a liked tire on the track for those riders whom like to back their bikes into the corners, they are able to get that 2 wheel drift going.I'm just not that good

 

[lurch12_2000]

I think it's reasonable to have doubts about purchasing Avon Roadriders based on feedback in this thread:
http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...0&postcount=79

This may be a handful out of a few hundred active forum members using Roadriders, but we haven't heard any feedback of cracking of Spitfires or Shinko 230's recently purchased. And looking at some of the pics posted in that thread, it's more than just small surface cracks for the new Avons! Since most of us would replace tires with this type of cracking on any GS we purchased then why would we overlook this on new tires and not question their quality. I'm not sure waiting for one of these Avons to fail while riding hard would be a turning point for making a decision. There also doesn't seem to be any attempt at resolution by Avon. Those who are happy with Roadriders and never had cracking will probably keep on buying them and still tout their virtues.
BTW, the set of Spitfires I have on my GS1000G (never bought them before and they were included with the purchase) have faired well for over 2k miles. No squaring off at all, tested fine in heavy rains and grips well on the corners without squirm. We're all prone to exaggeration so I measured my chicken strip at 1/8" and it may be at none if my exhaust and hwy pegs didn't scrape unweighting the bike. I don't ride on the track so for $135 for a pair I would recommend the Spitfires as a good alternative.
Most tires will square off if you do mostly highway riding, do burnouts and stoppies, or don't like to hit the corners hard. I've ridden Roadriders on my old GS1100E and liked them but wouldn't buy another set until someone tells me that other new tires have the same handful of similiar cracking issues and it's of no concern.
So let's hear of cracking of new tires on the others to arrive at a reasonable decision process...for me anyway.

I checked for a new set(2 tires) for my GS1000G:
Avon Roadriders, DennisKirk, $224 shipped
Bridgstone Spitfires, MotorcycleSuperstore, $135 shipped

 

[lurch12_2000]

update....

update....

At least from Dennis Kirk, Avon reseller:

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?p=1460482#post1460482

 

[MadCapsule]

Quick update for this old thread:

Finances decided for me. I ended up going with a Shinko 230 Tourmaster, 100/90-19, in the front and a Shinko 712, 120/90-18 in the rear.

I know they're not the world's best tires by any stretch. But they're sure to be better than the rock-hard Dunlop 404 that was on the rear and the old, cracked Cheng Shin that was on the front!

 

[Nessism]

Quick update for this old thread:

Finances decided for me. I ended up going with a Shinko 230 Tourmaster, 100/90-19, in the front and a Shinko 712, 120/90-18 in the rear.

I know they're not the world's best tires by any stretch. But they're sure to be better than the rock-hard Dunlop 404 that was on the rear and the old, cracked Cheng Shin that was on the front!

Why not a 230 on the rear? 230 is V-rated, but 712 is only H.

 

[MadCapsule]

The 230 rear looks squared off down the center and I wanted to go with a rounder profile.

My bike won't be seeing 149 mph any time soon, so the V-rating is of little concern to me. I'd be surprised if it could exceed the max H-rating of 130 mph.

 

[Nessism]

The 230 rear looks squared off down the center and I wanted to go with a rounder profile.

My bike won't be seeing 149 mph any time soon, so the V-rating is of little concern to me. I'd be surprised if it could exceed the max H-rating of 130 mph.

I don't know where you are getting the profile info from but the 230 is quite rounded.