New Rear Tire Ordered

[Lotsokids]

I tried searching for topics on a good rear tire (mine is wearing thin on the center only - not sure why :biglaugh. The search function does not work well for me. Anyway, I have a drag race event in a couple weeks and needed to get it replaced. I made the decision today to purchase a Metzeler ME 888. It was the equivalent of $164 + about $7 to mount and balance.

It will be installed on Thursday, so burnout on Wednesday! :eusa_dance:

 

[davesax36]

Shinko tourmaster.... Stickier. Metzeler makes a great tire, too. It'll probably last longer unless you just drag on it a bunch.

The best place to start a search like this is in Technical 85-07 -> Wheels and Tires. You'll find lots of info on pretty much everything that's been used and what works for what situations.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

 

[eggohead]

That's a pretty good price, is the install at the shop you ordered the tire thru? I cheapest I find here is $25 and you pull the wheel.. I will be buying a new rear 880 for the bike I won, it does spin when the bike hits boots in 1st gear...lol My 90 has Avons on front and back, I have felt it spin a little too but they have been great tires.

 

[DMAN999]

I agree with dave,
the Shinko Tour Master 230 is a better choice for drag racing but the ME 888 will last a lot longer.

 

[VMax-Mike]

If you are a hooligan you will only get 4000 to 6000 miles out of the center of any tire. dont matter what you put on. The only thing a Metzler is good for is rolling burnouts. It will allow the bike to spin the rear tire up at a roll if you are not going to be spinning the tire at a roll the only thing the metzler will help with is if you are not a hooligan the tire will last a little longer. Show us a pic of your tire before you go to the track because if it was me and i had enough to get a track day in i would run on the old tire and get some good seat time in and put a new Shinko on after the track so i could enjoy the high speed handling in the twisty the new shinko will also give's you. The price of a shinko is also alot less so i always buy a set the first time around and the new front shinko will get you through 2 or 3 rear tire's. If you can take the bike to the track the way it is and than put shinko's on and go back when the rear shinko is getting wore out and than see how the bike goes through the 1/4 mile. If you need a tire asap than put the shinko's front and rear on and a pcw or dd clutch spring in and go enjoy the bike for 3500 mile's or so and than take it to the track and see what you think. Unless you are planning on putting nos or about $3000 or more into the motor you wont get much more out of a good tuned stock motor. If and when i get another stock gen 1 vmax it will be shinko's for tire's and dlkevic ss slip-on's no head pipe for the exhaust and a dd or a pcw clutch spring. Stock air box stock v-boost and the best tune you can give the bike. This is my opinion after spending a'lot of money on a good tuned gen 1 and running it against other Michigan hooligan's on stock bike's with not much money in them..

 

[Lotsokids]

...is the install at the shop you ordered the tire thru?

Yes. I'm pulling the wheel and bringing it to him.

And V-Max Mike, I would run this current tire at the track, but it's a 4.5 hour ride away. That's too much risk. There is a slim chance I can get a trailer and pull it there, but nothing firm. The race is just around the corner, and I felt I needed to get this done.

 

[VMax-Mike]

Just so you know if you put a shinko on and go to the track you can get away with not doing a burnout to warm the tire before you race. If you do a burnout it will get a little better traction but not much more. If you do a burn out every time you race down the strip you will kill a brand new tire. It will get flat in the middle and not corner as good and your tread life will not last very long. That's why i like to hit the twisty's on fresh tire's and the drag strip at the end of the tire life. If i was to race on a new shinko i would do my best to keep the tire clean and i would not do a burn out. I would launch at 2000 to 2500 rpm.

 

[eggohead]

I didn't need to do a burn-out at the track with the Venoms on, did one. Big mistake. Back tire wanted to spin not grab... That happens on my hill sometimes also.. You'll have the front end come up and then the back end start sliding...lol

 

[Lotsokids]

While we're on the topic of new tires... I've been riding on the street for 31 years. The first and ONLY time I went down was the day following installation of a new rear tire on my Suzuki GSX-R 750, back around 2008.

Worst timing possible:
- While teaching a sport bike class (in the USAF) in front of about 10 students.
- In front of the Wing Commander and Chief of Safety.
- Media people were there documenting my class. Thankfully nothing about this was recorded or mentioned.

I later learned you can scrub off the layer of new tire "slippery stuff" with a rag and brake cleaner.

 

[Dragmaxster]

While we're on the topic of new tires... I've been riding on the street for 31 years. The first and ONLY time I went down was the day following installation of a new rear tire on my Suzuki GSX-R 750, back around 2008.

Worst timing possible:
- While teaching a sport bike class (in the USAF) in front of about 10 students.
- In front of the Wing Commander and Chief of Safety.
- Media people were there documenting my class. Thankfully nothing about this was recorded or mentioned.

I later learned you can scrub off the layer of new tire "slippery stuff" with a rag and brake cleaner.

I cannot tell you how many guys i have seen leaving the motorcycle shop with new tires and crashing on the FIRST turn.:bang head:

 

[DMAN999]

I later learned you can scrub off the layer of new tire "slippery stuff" with a rag and brake cleaner.

Good Tip.
I've used that trick myself a time or 2.

 

[VMax-Mike]

lotsokids let us know what kind of time's you get at the track. Is it 1/4 mile?

 

[Lotsokids]

lotsokids let us know what kind of time's you get at the track. Is it 1/4 mile?

Will do. Yes, it's 1/4 mile. My best is 11.69 @ 115.88 MPH.

 

[Lotsokids]

Tire is replaced. But had some fun with the old tire prior to pulling the wheel.

Here's a screenshot of the video. The video will be posted later.

 

[Lotsokids]

And yes, using brake cleaner and rag works very well. The new tire has not broke loose yet on the maiden ride to work and lunch.

My high-speed wobble seems to be minimal... but it's still there. The normal bumps on the road in a couple 70 MPH corners on the way to work normally induced a "white-knuckle gripping the bars" event. But today was not as bad. But it's doing very well what it's designed to do - earth moving, short, straight blasts.

 

[sdt354]

I cannot tell you how many guys i have seen leaving the motorcycle shop with new tires and crashing on the FIRST turn.:bang head:

+1, they are slick and should be ridden 50 miles or so to break them in. Also, make sure they are seated before blasting down the highway. Don't trust anyone, because mistakes happen. Inspect tires and check the ridge on the tire to make sure it is uniform distance from the wheel edge, all the way around.

 

[Miles Long]

+1, they are slick and should be ridden 50 miles or so to break them in. Also, make sure they are seated before blasting down the highway. Don't trust anyone, because mistakes happen. Inspect tires and check the ridge on the tire to make sure it is uniform distance from the wheel edge, all the way around.

++1
....and check for proper mounting rotation as well.

 

[eggohead]

Gonna have to remember that for the front tires... I usually clean the back with a little front brake and twist of the throttle in the drive way.. and give it a small rocking to the left and right... My issue is keep forgetting to burn up the old one before getting it changed out..