Tire Advice

[vmax2extreme]

I'm behind the Shinko's too. I used to run the 170 on the rear rim and now I run a 180 radial made by Shinko. They are awesome so far!!!

 

[CaptainKyle]

shinko all the way, good rain tire, a good sticky tire for the stock rim if you like to go to the drag trip to.

+ 1

 

[VMAXXIMUM]

I'd like to thank everyone for taking the time to offer up their experience and advice. There's nothing like a bunch of passionate guys looking out for each others best interest.

Christian

 

[Samfish]

I like the Avon Venoms. I've had two sets already. Last time, I went up to a 170 on the rear. Fits fine without any washer swap needed. They have great grip, wear well, and I like the tread pattern on them.

 

[Biker Dash]

I like the Avon Venoms. I've had two sets already. Last time, I went up to a 170 on the rear. Fits fine without any washer swap needed. They have great grip, wear well, and I like the tread pattern on them.

^ what this guy said. I too went with Avon Venoms, same size as him in the back. Fitment was tight, as in I would not be able to go any wider without either getting a notched swingarm, or doin the washer swap. On the front, I went with the 120/90 size, and it now the front fender hugs the tire nicely.

Handling is excellent, with plenty of traction. I personally feel the only way to go better for tires would be to go to radials, but if you wish to stay with the stock rims, the Avon Venoms are the way to go I feel.

 

[frank5079]

I put Michelin Commander IIs stock sized front and 170 rear, reasonably priced, great handling both in dry and wet!!!

 

[VMAXXIMUM]

Many of you adamantly advise to stay away from the Brazilian Metzler's. I am curious why? The set of "German" Metzler's I ordered just came in and guess what they're not German they are the Brazilian ones. Before I send them back I'd like to know what the difference is.

Thanks

 

[customizedcreationz]

Metlzer is a hard tire. Hence the reason it offers good longevity. But when I had my 97 and my 99 vmax at the same time, one had Shinko's and the other had Metlzer's.

The 97 I bought and the day I brought it home I took it for a spin and almost dumped it twice. Once from a dig, I launched it and it just spun the tire and went sideways. The other time I was rounding a corner and mid way through the corner I gave it some extra juice and it started to slide.

The 99 with Shinko's would NEVER do that. Hence the reason I almost dropped the 97 twice in one sitting. The tires don't compare.

So here is the bottom line, if you want to ride hard, then Shinko's is your choice. If you ride like a baby girl and want to look cool but not act cool, then buy Metlzers. Obviously I am joking here, but I think you get my point. The Metzlers are good tires if you want to do rolling burnouts and stuff and want a tire that lasts longer than 5000-6500 miles. They are almost twice the price of the Shinko's, so you will be paying the same amount roughly in tire replacement, just doing it more often.

Shinko pros

Extreme traction in almost all conditions
Cheap price
Nice looks
Good quality

Shinko Con's
Longevity suffers for traction ( I ll take traction any day )


Metlzer Pro's
Longevity ( at the sacrifice of traction )
Good looks
Good Quality

Metlzer Con's
Lack of hard core traction
Expensive

Bottom line in my opinion is the Shinko's offer more safety at harder riding situations. If you just cruise around, the Metlzer will suit you fine. But if you ride hard in the corners and out of the hole, then Shinko's will probably suit you better.

 

[a113ycat]

I have run the Dunlop, Shinko, Michelin and Avons over the years. The best bang for the buck is of course the Shinko which until I actually tried them I was one of those guys the thumbed my nose to them. The Dunlops really suck no matter the bike you put them on. I had a set on my Harley and took them off quickly. For a heavy bike that gets ridden a lot I like the Avons they track good and wear slow. I didn't care for the Michelins at all either the compound was too hard for my liking. I'm not a fan of the rear tire losing grip in braking or accelerating through rolling turns. These are only my opinions tho based on my personal experiences.

I guess you need to ask yourself how much do you wanna pay and combine that with how much you ride and in what manner of speed. The prices of the tires range as much as the quality of the traction. Unfortunately more expensive doesnt necessarily mean better tire. IMHO of course

 

[VMAXXIMUM]

Guys I want to thank you all again. I appreciate the time you all take to really break it down and share your actual experiences. However I was asking specifically what the difference is between the German manufactured Metzler's and the Brazilian ones as many of you have warned to stay away from the Brazilian one's. I did some more research and discovered the reason. I'm not sure it still applies but in the past the Brazilian manufactured Metzler's had some separation issues with the tread. Metzler USA claims it's no longer the case and quality control is is same. They also pointed out that Brazil produces almost all of thier Bias ply tires and their German factories make radials meaning it's almost impossible to find German manufactured Metzler Bias ply tires. The Brazilian factory is working at full tilt and so from time to time they run them out of Germany but not consistently. This only applies to their Bias Ply tires. I hope this is informative and helpful.

 

[sdt354]

I read in Cycle Magazine a few years ago how Brazilian made tires were having issues. So, I stayed away from them. I always asked the vendor first before ordering. Once you get into radials the Metzlers are much softer, and wear fast too.