Tyres... Function or Fashion ?
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- Опубликовано: 6 июл 2024
- I often read all kinds of tyre related woes on social media and struggle to decipher the genuine comments from the out and out bullshit.
So here's my take on tyres and how I go about choosing them. 
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My Street Scrambler came with Tourance tyres which I had no issues with until Winter came and I had a couple of "moments" on cold wet roads. With that in mind I switched to Pirelli STR's when when the Metzelers were around 3/4 worn and I'm happier with them. Maybe I was just unlucky and it was a bad road surface or an oil patch or something but when I lose confidence in a tyre I find it hard to regain it. My enduro bike has full on (road legal) knobblies which I fully expect and accept to give poor wear and grip on tarmac, especially wet but I'm prepared to sacrifice that for the gain in off road performance. On my ZZR, a heavy bike with huge power and torque I want good grip wet and dry plus decent life expectancy. Standard rear on that is a 190/55 but fitting a 200 is popular with some owners, both for the look and the bragging rights. Really!😂😂 I like to think that manufacturers know what they're doing when they specify a particular tyre size on a machine they've spent ££££££ developing.👍
You're right (in my opinion) about the manufacturers having a bit of a clue, when it comes to fitting stuff to their bikes.
I have also heard of Street Twin owners complaining about the standard fitment Pirell Phantoms, which is what I'm currently running on the rear of my Scrambler!
I just don't get it?
But maybe riding style plays a part?
You are very right about size and shape of tyre profiles. I don't think people always understand why lightweight bikes on 120 tyres go around corners so much faster than heavier bikes with 180s. There are other reasons too, a narrower, pointier tyre just doesn't need to lean so much to shift the CoG laterally to achieve a given cornering rate. What do you think about sports v touring tyres? I am about to put a touring tyre on my GSXR. because I tend to be doing longer distances on it these days. Had some naysayers but they way I see it, if a touring tyre is safe to crank over to the edge on a 250kg tourer, then what's the issue on a 190kg GSXR? You can only lean so far before you end up 'underground' (no pun intended).
I don't see any reason why a touring tyre wouldn't work on a sports bike, assuming it has the relevant speed rating.
Your biggest problem is likely to be answering all the people who see it and ask why?
@@mond56r89 😄 Yeah, exactly my thought. Still ZR. Just will last twice as long and cost half the price. Is the idea of sports tyres to show off that you are going to take it on to a race track? All strength if people do that, but mine's for every day use. Roads are so bad in UK that leaning a GSXR to its limits is virtual madness. Who knows what pot hole and gravel strewn road you will find? Got to stay fairly sensible about riding fast bikes on UK roads.
Fitting a wider tire than the rim is designed for will curve the tire in a way that it wasn't designed to do. The tire and bike designers know what they're doing.
That's right, although the difference in shape of the idendically sized Pirelli and Metzeler on my Triumph, is noticeable!
@@mond56r89 True, I've noticed the same thing. Each tire has a slightly different handling characteristic. Experience has taught me that vehicles are pretty well optimized from the factory. Fitting non-standard parts is more likely to make it worse than better.
who the fuck says tyres are fashion?
Quite a few people on the various Scrambler pages.
They think it looks cool apparently?
If you have to try to be cool, well you're just not cool !
@@mond56r89 ah explains it. they dont ride lol