Tyre recommendations please...

On the back of my m/cycle, I have a Dunlop D401 (150/80) Not overly
impressed with the grip when accelerating on tight corners. Can anyone
recommend a better-gripping tyre that's affordable?

I'll also want to replace the front tyre at the same time. Also, if
anyone could point me to an online supplier with good prices, that
would be appreciated...

FD

 

PS,
I mainly commute on twisty country roads, and like to be sure-footed
on such things as roads that are banked the wrong way, and when
accelerating out of junctions and suchlike. Good grip on corners is my
prime concern. Price, and longevity of tyre are also a concern.

FB

 

Horses for courses. What fucking bike, wanker?

 

What bike?

Try http://www.blackcircles.com/bikes

I managed to get tyres from a local(ish) place for much the same price.
Other places locally wanted £40 more for a pair.

The UKRM FAQ lists some tyre places
http://www.ukrm.net/faq/Bike_Maintenance/Tyre_dealers.html

 

It's a 150/80 tyre, ergo, the bike is shite

--
Lozzo
Suzuki SV650S K5
Honda CBR600 FW trackbike
Yamaha SR250 Spazz-Trakka
Suzuki GSXR750 L
Suzuki TS50X
Suzuki TS50X

 

HD Sportster 883C 2005

Thanks for the leads,

FB

 

2005 XL 883C

Cheers,

FB

 

We snip in this ng.

I'll hazard Bridgestone BT020 but it still won't go round corners.

 

So sorry, as you were.

 

Yes, someone else suggested those.

Earlier Sportsters may have been poor on corners for other reasons
besides the tyres. My 1998 XLl was hairy on corners, and I think it
was the bike's geometry as well as the tyres, but this 2005 Custom,
seems a lot better - except for the slippy rear tyre. It's possible
the tyre is just be too old (3 yrs). I'm told the rubber hardens after
a while, and loses stickability.

FB

 

I doubt if 3 years is going to cause significant hardening. A lot depends
on the compound but the front on the LE has just been replaced after
30+ years and the rear is still OK. I would expect to see cracking on
the sidewall if a tyre has gone hard.

Check the pressure with an accurate guage, the recommended pressure will
depend on loading. Using the 2-up pressure while riding solo could cause
problems.

 

Thanks. Good comment about the pressure. It turns out I was running
the rear at a lower pressure than recommended in the manual. It
recommends 38psi. Mine was 30psi. Funny; I would have thought that
slightly too soft = more rubber in contact with road = more grip (up
to a point!). Now that I have corrected the pressure, I'll push the
envelope a bit, when I get a safe opportunity, and see if the
cornering grip is better.

Re the age thing: Yes, I can remember having quite old tires on my
earlier bikes, that had no problem gripping. On the other hand, I see
pencil erasers that go hard after a year or two, and stater slipping
on paper and it makes me wonder.

There is definitely no sign of age-cracking on my tyres. The
straight-line grip is excellent. In an emergency stop on a dry road,
the tyres seem almost impossible to make slip.

Whether it was the slightly low psi that caused the slip remains to be
seen. Personally I'm suspicious of the actual design of the rear tyre.
If you consider the cross-section, it seems that if you lean more than
about 45 degrees, there is (apparently) little rubber on the road;
you're kind of riding on the sharp corner between the sidewall and the
treaded part. That seems like a ludicrous situation, but I guess
Dunlop's tyre designers must know what they are doing. (??) I
suppose, its conceivable that the cross-section of the tyre has
changed due to wear. Perhaps it was more rounded when new. But I don't
think so, going by the tread depth, which is about 4mm everywhere on
the tyre.

FB

 

Perhaps the lower pressure allows the tyre to roll sideways more than is
expected, giving the feeling that it's slipping? Just a thought.

 

120/90-18 rear

 

*nods*

 

Tyres are normally black, aren't they?

 

Google yourself a nice Cheng Shin Barracuda or similar.

 

Maxxis Barracuda actually - same company but different branding.

--
Lozzo
Suzuki SV650S K5
Honda CBR600 FW trackbike
Yamaha SR250 Spazz-Trakka
Suzuki GSXR750 L
Suzuki TS50X
Suzuki TS50X

 

Is it? I stand erected.