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Tires for your street SM

407K views 764 replies 299 participants last post by  BlackPanther 
#1 ·
#726 ·
Anybody running S20 of BT016 on a 5 inch wheel?

Could you measure the actual width for me? (160 and 150 tire)


Any difference between these tires? I read that the S20 are supposed to be better, still a lot of people i know prefer the BT016..
 
#727 ·
Question on Metzeler tires

I really like the tires (I'm sure every brand makes them) that look to be slicks, or close to it, that have those notches (for a lack of a better word) every 3-5 inches apart. I know they aren't DOT approved but most sumos aren't DOT approved lol. How difficult is it to ride those tires on a very clean, well paved street? Anyone have experience riding those on a street on a SM?
 
#728 ·
I really like the tires (I'm sure every brand makes them) that look to be slicks, or close to it, that have those notches (for a lack of a better word) every 3-5 inches apart. I know they aren't DOT approved but most sumos aren't DOT approved lol. How difficult is it to ride those tires on a very clean, well paved street? Anyone have experience riding those on a street on a SM?
I think most I've seen are Michelin or Maxxis/Goldspeed. I imagine they'd work fine but, as race tires, they'll likely be soft enough to wear out VERY quickly, need heat to start to work well, or both.
 
#729 ·
New tires for my 660 SMC preferably not conti attack sm

Hi guys

I want to try something other than the Continental ContiAttack SM's any recommendations?

I want good grip like the conti attack but am tired of using about 5 rear tires and 2 front tires/year.

Take note that I live in Denmark (Europe) so only few months with warm weather

Please help me out here.
 
#730 · (Edited)
Hi guys

I want to try something other than the Continental ContiAttack SM's any recommendations?

I want good grip like the conti attack but am tired of using about 5 rear tires and 2 front tires/year.

Take note that I live in Denmark (Europe) so only few months with warm weather

Please help me out here.

I live in Holland, so basically the same climate as you :D

Still don't know which tires to choose..

Thinking about these tires:
Heidenau K80
Bridgestone BT016 (pro)
Bridgestone S20 (evo)
Bridgestone BT090 (because these are specifically for lighter bikes)
Michelin PP CT2
Michelin Power Pure SC
Metzeler Sportec M5
Pirelli Diablo Rosso II
Dunlop Q2



The reason i list these tires above is because they are less then 100 euros (mostly below 90 euros) Thats like less then $120 for a rear tire.
Leaning towards the K80 or BT090 as they are especially for lighter bikes / supermoto's..



I had these tires before:
Maxxis Prese M6119 (superior grip, also offroad. But the were worn within 1000km in the summer)
Contiattack SM ( dont know exactly why, but i really dont like these tires much, although they are extremely populair among my friends... )
Michelin Power One ( very grippy race tire!!! unfortunately they dont make these any more in 150 or 160 sizes )
Pirelli Supercorsa Dragon ( good tire, really grippy but pricey )
Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa (very good tire, but again, really pricey... )
Metzeler Sportec M1 ( takes a bit long to warm up, but a pretty good tire, not really suitable for supermoto in my opinion )


Hopefully someone can give me some advice. I dont want sport/tour tires, more like sport/racy tires! I ride really hard with some trackdays. When i'm not on the track i'm still riding like i'm on the track :D
 
#732 ·
I've had my DRZ400SM since the Spring of this year and where I live on Vancouver island we have a lot of roads with gravel/shale sides and a lot of this gets moved out onto the road surface from large lumber trucks and tourist mobiles especially in the mountain roads which can be narrow and very twisty. What I have been doing every week is picking sharp shards of stone out of my rear stock tire with my pocket knife. It's only a matter of time before I pickup a shard large enough that cuts through the case so I have been looking at the Heidenau K73's which because of the block tread pattern might help with this. Also the pattern is tight so the ride will be fairly decent I think. The tires have silica compounds and rated to be excellent in the rain which we have a lot of out here in the PNW. The bike shop I deal with has installed them on other DRZ's and the 160 rear has no problem with clearance. |
 
#734 ·
This is an update with the K73/MS on my DRZ400SM. The ride is a little harder than the stock Dunlop's but I got used to it pretty quick, the amount of inflation is higher than the stock tires. The profile of the tires is just perfect for this bike. With the stock Dunlop's I had to force it into the turns and if not careful would occasionally come out wide. The K73's are a delight as they allow the bike to literally fall into the turn and just stay there no matter what speed your doing, I love them for that. The wet weather performance is excellent and very noticeably different than the stock tires, great traction. The only downside for me is that the lower profile though wider has my speedo reading 6 km higher than actual speed where as the stock tires read 4 km higher and my revs are up a notch as well so I will switch out the rear sprocket from a 39 tooth to a 38 just to get the revs back to where I like to cruise in top gear. I don't know about wear at this point but the difference in performance is so nice I'll be buying these again when I need new rubber. If you have a DRZ400SM you won't be disappointed with these tires.
 
#733 ·
Well I just ordered up a 120/70 and a 160/60 Heidenau K73 set for my 690smc. They look pretty sweet and I've been reading about guys getting 5-8K out of a rear, and my buddy seemed to like his on his Husky 610 on a 1000km gravel and highway rip last fall - we were riding fast and they did get a fair bit of wear, but he was railing those dirt turns. My recent Q3 rear is down to the belt so I'm thinking that it was about that time to get a new set and I'll possibly get another set for the summer heat. I'll miss the crazy drifts with our recent cold weather and my lack of rubber, but the fact that my rims are tubeless and I'm down to the belt is beginning to make me a little thoughtful, like how much rubber is on the inside of that belt keeping things nice and pressurized lol... I'll let you guys know how the K73's are
 
#735 ·
Wow long time ago for my posting something here :D

But i decided to go with Michelin (mainly because of the prices here in my country/region).

Michelin Pilot Power 2ct 160/60 in the rear - a bit harder than the front, but still warm up quick, goog grip and feedback.
Michelin Power one 2CT 120/70 up front - nice soft compound and warm up really quick!

Wish that the Power one's were still available in 160... Unfortunately the smallest are 180 now..
I saw that the Shinko Stealth tire has the same thread pattern which i like! Not sure about the quality of the tire though...
 
#736 ·
Will I be happy going from a sport tire such as the regular Pilot Power, to a sport touring like the Road 4? My DRZ is mostly a backroads commuter, and I'm having trouble justifying a sport tire based on the longevity and lack of 150 series options. Can't find Pilot Powers or Power 3 in 150. Don't want shinkos or q3. Diablos Rosso III in 150, Pilot Power in 160? Road 4 in 150? It seems like the 150 options are dwindling.
 
#740 · (Edited)
Just kind of wondering if anyone has tried the Michelin Power RS yet? I know they are new. I am looking for tires now so just thought I would ask.
Thanks
Jack
I came to this thread to ask the same question.

Once the 150/60 is back in stock in Canadaland, I'll be buying a set for the WR450.

But.. I don't live near many twisty roads, nor do I go to a track.

So my opinion of them will be pretty much useless.

They look awesome, and the reviews seem good on sport bikes, so might as well... I liked the Pilot Power 2CTs I had on my DRZ and on my Husaberg 550, so I'm sure the Power RS are even better.

EDIT: I ordered some anyway, $280 Canadian Pesos for the set, replacing 10 year old Pirelli Diablo Rosso tires.. they sat in a garage for years, came on the wheels I bought last year, they make me quite uncomfortable.
 
#739 · (Edited)
Hi guys,
I put a set of Heindenau K73's on my 690SMC a few weeks ago and like probably everyone else in North America, we've had some weird cold weather recently. I've been commuting on them (aggressively) and I just did an hour on the highway today, and it was 2 degrees above freezing, with a touch of windchill... these tires are awesome, I'd recommend them, especially right now, or off road. Here's some moments worth mentioning already:
-went out to the shop and admittedly there was salt and sand on the streets, but I was on bald Dunlop Q3's that were just sliding everywhere, I mean like down to the belt and just drifting lane changes, and when I rode out of the shop they gave me the standard take it easy on the new tires for the first 100km, well, after the first left/right they were far far stickier...
-on my ride in the other day I took a corner a bit late and came in a bit, well, way, too hot, it was like morning rush, went for it kind of thing on a yellow, but was on the brakes so hard leaning it over left, foot skimming the pavement, just starting to tighten up downstairs as I suddenly realized that I was coming in Really Hot,one of those life flash before you moments, and as I stayed hard on the front brake and just kept leaning it over more and more I felt the slipper clutch step in as I started sliding sideways through the turn kind of crossing it up to complete it, this was in the shadows with air temp at 2 degrees above freezing, the tires were glued to the street. awesome. I might buy another set of something more oriented for the summer heat, but then again, the tires are cheap, and my buddy with a 610 and my other buddy with a XR650R both have them and they're seeing at least 5000km out of a set through the summer, and they look great
-rode home at 9 the other night and there was some other guys out for a ride, suddenly realized that I was totally glued to the road compared to them
-did my first highway rip on them today; 2 degrees above freezing, highway 99 which is a twisty coastal mountain highway north from Vancouver, I had a lot of layers on. glued the whole way; there are some tight sections, it felt like I was riding in June heat. Explains why I got those funny looks from the guys on the bikes the other night, I realize that they're all old or on cold numb hard old dead rubber. My front end got a little light cresting a hill one time, not sure if it was the tire, but throttled back, slid forward and it was sorted, these tires are really confidence inspiring, a bit stiff through the carcass but in a planted sort of way, they really fall into a turn quickly but in a way thats really predictable all the way to the limit and I wasn't hesitating too put a foot down if needed, or hang off the bike if needed, it was a good rip. I just felt that planted.

Not something that you'll regret trying, basically I was told that they're a rain tire pattern with street rubber 120/17, and 160-60.
 

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#742 ·
Thanks everyone for the info on here, as I just purchased and installed a new set of tires for my SM. I decided to go with the Metzeler M7RR since I've been hearing that they are a great street tire with pretty good life, and they are decent on the track. On top of that, there is a $40 rebate program going on right now. Unfortunately there wasn't a ton of rider feedback on 'em on the internet regarding use as a supermoto tire, so as I get some mileage on them I can give my impressions if anyone is curious. I took them for a quick spin on some local twistys just now, and I am pretty impressed, but that may just be due to the fact that my old tires were Dunlop D208 SMs from 2008... I wouldn't usually run a tire that old, but the wheel set I bought already had them mounted. We just got some good rain here on the California Cental coast, so there was mud, rocks, wet tar snakes and everything you wouldn't want to see on the road in my way and the tires stuck over everything. Looking forward to taking these to a kart track at some point and really seeing how they stick.

Just to note, the 150 width M7RR is about the same overall width as the 140 Dunlop that it replaced.
 
#745 ·
Please help me find street tires

Hey everybody im still new to this supermoto stuff and i just bought a 1993 honda xr250l so i need some help on where start looking for street tires and rims that would fit my bike, also if anybody has some that they would like to sell please let know!
thanks
ps also looking to buy on the cheaper sdie of things so not looking to spend more than 500
 
#746 · (Edited)
Hey everybody im still new to this supermoto stuff and i just bought a 1993 honda xr250l so i need some help on where start looking for street tires and rims that would fit my bike, also if anybody has some that they would like to sell please let know!
thanks
ps also looking to buy on the cheaper sdie of things so not looking to spend more than 500
Welcome
Doing it for $500 is going to be tough.
I sent a set of hubs from my 93 XR250L off and had a set of new hoops laced up so I could run Avon Disstanzas.
I'm still having trouble with PB, but there's more than one way to skin a cat.[emoji106]
 
#750 ·
I've never tried them but I seem to remember that they are a true rain tire for the track. If I remember correctly people loved them on the street as they are sticky but they had an extremely short life on the street or in dry conditions as they weren't designed for that environment or to have longevity. The Heidenau K73s physically look pretty similar but have more of a street oriented rubber compound which wears much much better. I love my set but I'm considering that new Power RS for the summer heat and saving these for the fall
 
#752 ·
What kind of tyres would you boys recommend for me? 100% on road. Want something pretty sticky. 5k miles on a set would be nice, but I can go lower if it's the right tyre.

Not for track use, just goonin' the burbs, smashing twisties, doing wheelies, jumping stairs. All that nonsense. Don't want something that I've gotta ride the balls off to keep warm.

I see so many people picking supermoto specific tyres. Can you run sportbike tyres on a supermoto as long as you can find the sizes? Or is there something I'm missing?

I was thinking maybe S21s or Rosso 3s or something but I don't see many people running them.

What tyre sizes would you recommend for an XR650R? I think I'm running a 4.25 in the rear, but I can't remember, so I'll probably stick with a 150.

Cheers
 
#758 ·
I see so many people picking supermoto specific tyres. Can you run sportbike tyres on a supermoto as long as you can find the sizes? Or is there something I'm missing?
Yes you can run sport bike tires on a SM. The reason people buy the SM specific tires is that the rubber compounds are generally a little softer on the SM specific ones due to the fact that they're designed to be on a bike that's generally about 100 lbs lighter than a 600cc sport bike, and ridden at slower speeds.

If you want a good commuter tire with long life get something designed for a sport bike; feeling-wise, the rubber will generally be a little cold, so you have to work it a bit harder to make it sticky on warmer days, where as supermoto specific tires like my K73s are 'hot' right off the line, you can just hang the bike around corners immediately. I'll get back to you on lifespan lol in the summer heat, but they were great in the spring when it was around freezing.

on a hot summer day there's not much of a difference, but when the sun drops in the evenings or its a cold spring or fall day you'll feel the difference more.
 
#753 ·
I have Rosso III and only been riding street. They seem really grippy and I'm able to hit it hard after a few minutes on the road. I tone it down when it rains, but it seems to do pretty good when wet.

I would've gone Q3 because I liked them when I had my sport bike, but I wanted to try something new and more "road oriented".
 
#757 ·
Try the Michelin Pilot Road lineup. That's your best bet for grip and getting anywhere near 5000 miles from a set. I usually get about 1200 miles from the Pilot Powers.
https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle...-trail-tires?gclid=CI7ho6PrmdQCFYY2gQodaFAFVA
Not interested in PR4s. I've got them on my SV.

They're alright. They do the job. Great in the wet, great mileage, but I probably won't buy them again. People report getting 12-15k out of them and I just don't need that, not on my commuter and especially not on a sumo. I do like 5k miles a year split up between loads of bikes and my commute is like 3 miles each way. I'm totally ok with changing my tyres every year or two years, so I'd rather go for something a lot stickier.

I'll never wear my PR4s out before I sell the SV, but when I buy a supersport to replace it, I'm probably gonna put S21s on it or Rosso 3s.

If I had a long commute, I'd buy them again in a heartbeat.
 
#762 ·
New tires

What tires are you running on Husqvarna sm610 2008? i need some "good for all " touring-sport or just sport tires that i`ll be using in the city most of the time,and in case of some raining,i want my bike to hold the stability (radial ones).I thought of Michelin Pilot street,Pirelli Diablo,Pilot Road 2 or 3,maybe some Metzeler.If you encountered some issues,or have to express your pros on these tires,i`ll be glad to hear.Anyways,i`m open to all suggestions.My riding style is normal,no wheelies,at least not yet.
 
#764 ·
Hey guys has this thread officially died?? How wide are these k73's in the 160 will they work on a 4.25 inch wide rim? I also found a similar tire called a Dunlop sportmaxx mutant that comes in a 150/60r17. It seems they are no longer available in the US. Seems to be in stock in the UK but I need to look into shipping. I currently have worn out distanzias and don't really want to go with the trail riders as of yet. Any help for a "rain tire" I can get in a 150/60. I ride back roads, trails, and dirt nothing wet just dry dirt. Probably 75/25 street vs off road. I dont put on a lot of miles on so I don't care about tread wear. Bike only has 1500 miles in three years
 
#765 ·
I think there's more action over in the Tech/Setup area for this sort of thing. But sure, you can get a 160 on a 4.25. There's plenty of argument as to why you shouldn't, and I won't go into all of that here, mostly that at the edge your tire isn't really supported too well by the rim, and that the profile kinda gets weird, and for me I'm pretty sure I'd get some chain rub on my 05 KTM EXC 525. It's a shame the Mutant isn't available anymore. If you can fit a 160 I'm a fan of both the k73s and the Pirelli MT60RSs, even though they're a little old tech at this point. In 150 you're pretty limited for rain tires in sticky compounds. I'm looking for something to replace my rear Distanzia at some point this summer, soo let me know what you went with and how it worked out.
 
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