Topic: Tire opinions- kenda vs avon, also a tire mileage thread

[ofreen]

[Good analysis Greg. Ignore our newest Troll, he doesn't know what he's talking about, but he desperately craves attention, so he'll say stupid things to elicit a response. He's like a bad smell that just won't go away............... (but we'd like him to)  

I know, was just having a little fun.  And the OP deserved a better answer than the first one he got about Metzelers. 

[ Yeah thanks Terry. Appreciate it. In fact, I'd appreciate a lot less attention, and some adult behavior from others.

The title of thread says tire opinions. I gave my personal experience direclty, and then my opinion because of it.
 Then 2 or 3 others had a #$%* fit.

What you wrote in your post in response to the OP was "Metlzer sucks."  Not "some Metzelers suck," or "this particular individual Metzeler sucks." 
Of course you are entited to your opinions, no matter how unsupported, but you are not entitled to never have them countered.  The OP should have better information about Metzelers than you provided.  Nobody had a "#$%* fit". You must be having a bad day to have that perception.

[750resurrection]

 I said what I had, what condition they were, and my conclusion.  Can't get much simpler than that.
 
 I am so sorry it didn't fit standards, which are, go frikking bonkers.

 Of course completely ignoring all the words except Metzler sucks works for everyone.

 Then claiming I needed to provide more info works too.

 If anyone here had a frikkin brain, they could see where I got my conclusion.

 I made it perfectly clear.

 People here ignore information and go on attack.

 Thank you everyone.

 Obviously I have the only Metzler in the Cb world that has ever cracked.

 It's up for sale for $1,000.00 since it's an extreme oddity.


 

[ncstatecamp]

Um so can OP (me) get some numbers/details?

So far I've got (maybe) metlzers don't like to sit (or was that troll)

People like road riders (that wasn't in this thread

Nothing solid on Kendra's

There some other Chinese brand (that my gut tells me I won't like)

I just want a tire that'll hand moderate curves, is steady in the wet, and will get atleast 10k miles? (I put in 8k in 6mo on a 250 hyosung as my first bike)

[seanbarney41]

I mentioned earlier that I have not ever got much more than 8k miles out of any rear tire (cheng shin, dunlop, metzler, continental...)I think the Metzler Lasertec did the best mileage wise and I'm pretty sloppy with tire pressure and like to ride hard on jagged surfaced roads that are in my area...from riding buddies reports the Kenda's are reasonably grippy for the money, forget about cheng shin's...they no longer sell street tires in the U.S.  All we can really do is report on any specific tire model...any given tire brand might have 3 or 4 different tires to fit our bikes  and they all might have a different compound.  Harder tires last longer, soft tires grip better, more expensive tires generally do both better to a certain extent...like most things in life, you get what you pay for

[scottly]

I've had the Kendas on my bike for about a year and a half now; they seem to be a decent tire, especially for the money.

[750resurrection]

 Just a heads up... might want to check the country manufacture code of your Metzelers

http://harleytechtalk.org/htt/index.php?topic=42341.0

[lone*X]

I'll throw my two cents into the ring.  On the long gone 750 and current 550 I have personally worn out a bunch of tires.  Sorry, no Metz's, so I am staying out of that.  Loved the ride and grip of the Dunlops with 8K to 9K about tops for the back.  Which to me is OK, I like soft sticky tires a lot more than hard high mileage tires.  Also like the Battleaxe's.  Have them on my heavy VTX and they are lasting about 10K on the back.  Ran Avons on the Norton and had no complaints either.   Bottom line is there are a bunch of good tire brands out there, so it boils down to how you intend to ride the bike (compound and profile) and how much you have to spend.  IMHO if you are on a budget, a new set of inexpensive Chinese tires beats a worn out or old set of Avons or Stones.  They do get harder with age.  And is mileage really a big thing?  Probably 90% of the bikes owned by members of this form will not see 4 thousand miles a year (there are exceptions) so if it lasts two years or more, you got you monies worth, even with more expensive major brand tires.  Good tires are cheep insurance.

[ncstatecamp]

I'll throw my two cents into the ring.  On the long gone 750 and current 550 I have personally worn out a bunch of tires.  Sorry, no Metz's, so I am staying out of that.  Loved the ride and grip of the Dunlops with 8K to 9K about tops for the back.  Which to me is OK, I like soft sticky tires a lot more than hard high mileage tires.  Also like the Battleaxe's.  Have them on my heavy VTX and they are lasting about 10K on the back.  Ran Avons on the Norton and had no complaints either.   Bottom line is there are a bunch of good tire brands out there, so it boils down to how you intend to ride the bike (compound and profile) and how much you have to spend.  IMHO if you are on a budget, a new set of inexpensive Chinese tires beats a worn out or old set of Avons or Stones.  They do get harder with age.  And is mileage really a big thing?  Probably 90% of the bikes owned by members of this form will not see 4 thousand miles a year (there are exceptions) so if it lasts two years or more, you got you monies worth, even with more expensive major brand tires.  Good tires are cheep insurance.

See this is exactly the thing I was looking for. You said the mileage for everything but the avon's, any enlightenment there? I road 8000 miles last year (6-7months really) on my first bike (a little 250) before it started having issues. I enjoy riding more then driving and it's usually much more economical.

[BobbyR]

We all have different riding styles and roads we ride on. I am very hard on the rears since I love acceleration. I am on curvy country roads going up and down hill. The roads can be great or crappy. If I rub a peg it usually at low speed waiting for a car to go by so I can tun behind him without stopping.
If you cruise on smooth roads probably any good tire will be fine. I see people defending riding on very old tires which is stupid. Any new tire has to be better than a 20 year old tire. I change every 6 years.
I have had a rear flat at over 70 which I documented. It was nothing much. I also documented a front flat which is a life changing experience.
Buy the best tire you can afford, I and others like Battleaxe, but that is what I am used to. I use Metzler natural rubber tubes also.
I had some cheap Chensing on a KZ440 I had. It developed cracks between the treads. 

[cb650PK]

 Just a heads up... might want to check the country manufacture code of your Metzelers

http://harleytechtalk.org/htt/index.php?topic=42341.0

I had no idea that Metzler now manufactures tires in Brazil ( those seems to be experiencing the problems ). Shame on them, really, I will take Avons and Bridgestones from now on. I did have sidewall cracks develop on a set of Battleaxes some 10 years ago but I believe that to be anomaly.

[Stev-o]

+1- Bridgestone BT45 BattleAxe tires are excellent.  I just put them on my K4 this year so don't know how long they will last. 
Another good tire I have on two bikes is the Dunlop 404. 

BTW, Bridgetones came on a lot of these bikes originally, not sure what model.
I tend to purchase tires for my bikes and cars from major manufacturers that i know and trust.

Who makes Kendra and where?

[lone*X]

.

See this is exactly the thing I was looking for. You said the mileage for everything but the avon's, any enlightenment there? I road 8000 miles last year (6-7months really) on my first bike (a little 250) before it started having issues. I enjoy riding more then driving and it's usually much more economical.

To answer you question, the Norton 850 was shod with Avons when I got it and I just kept using them since they worked well on that bike, no need to change.  That's been a long time ago so I can't say for sure what the mileage was but I was young and the Commando could eat tires with the best of them.   No chicken strips on that one.  I was probably changing tires fairly often, but due to riding style I always kept good tread on the ground.   Best guess?   Maybe 5 to 6k out of the Avons on the Norton.  But remember, that was my riding style and on a high performance bike and not running them till slick.   A different bike with a more moderate riding style and the mileage would probably have been as good as the Bridgestones.   Dang, now you've made me nostalgic for the 850. 

As I said in my first post, mileage is over rated, and takes a backseat to grip and wet weather handling.   The two most important safety features you have going for you are good brakes and good tires.  Can't skimp on safety.

[Terry in Australia]

+1- Bridgestone BT45 BattleAxe tires are excellent.  I just put them on my K4 this year so don't know how long they will last. 
Another good tire I have on two bikes is the Dunlop 404. 

BTW, Bridgetones came on a lot of these bikes originally, not sure what model.
I tend to purchase tires for my bikes and cars from major manufacturers that i know and trust.

Who makes Kendra and where?

Ha ha, Bridgestone tires were OEM on our bikes "back in the day" Steve, and they were schidt. The first thing any self respecting biker would do was buy some Dunlop K81's (which weren't much better, as I discovered) or much better still, some Conti's, which were excellent.

If you find a mint Bridgestone tire from "back in the day", give it to a pooncey Sandcast owner so you can laugh at him when he throws his over-restored two wheeled money pit down the road first time it rains.

Kendra is a girls name, "Kenda" is a tire made in, (you probably guessed it) China. Cheers, Terry.  

[Retro Rocket]

Terry, you forgot the Pirelli Phantoms , they were pretty good tires....

[Terry in Australia]

Terry, you forgot the Pirelli Phantoms , they were pretty good tires....

Yeah mate, they were fantastic, but I didn't see them until the early 1980's. I'd sold my CB750 by then and was riding a Z900. Cheers, Terry.

[Retro Rocket]

Terry, you forgot the Pirelli Phantoms , they were pretty good tires....

Yeah mate, they were fantastic, but I didn't see them until the early 1980's. I'd sold my CB750 by then and was riding a Z900. Cheers, Terry.

You know that Pirelli are making them again, but i think only in 17's, same tread pattern....

http://www.pirelli.com/tyre/ww/en/motorcycle/sheet/phantom_sportscomp.html

[Terry in Australia]

Well they were a great tire then Mick, so I can't see why they wouldn't work on modern bikes too? Interestingly though, "back in the day" Pirelli changed the design of their front tire to make the central water channel straight after there were some stability issues associated with the original design, but it looks like they've gone back to the old design for the modern tires? Cheers, Terry.

[TwoTired]

I've experimented with motorcycle tires since 1975.  Continental outlasted 3 sets of Dunlops.  But, they are kind of a hard compound for extreme cornering.  Really good wear, though.  Once I tried out Metzelers, I stopped shopping for different brands.  They wear well and grip well.  That was 20 years ago, and I have yet to see any of them crack.  I've worn some out.  But, never had any sort of problem with them cracking.  I also don't apply exotic chemicals to them (that can leech out the bits that keep them from cracking), either.  I leave the mold release on the sidewalls and let that wear off naturally.

They are my go to brand of tire for MCs.  My race days are over.  But, from past experience, they provide more traction than the bike can handle.  Meaning, can I scrape bits of bike in turns before I lose tire traction.  That's only important to me now in case I need to do some emergency avoidance.

My last Metzeler purchase was two years ago for a 550.  I went out and checked it just now.  Yes, made in Brazil.  And, it has no cracking on it at all.

I still recommend Metzeler.  And, they still make them in the inches sizes for the SOHC4.

Cheers,

[dave500]

the sport demons have been made in brazil for a long time(me love you long time?)ive used heaps of these and i mean heaps,, and they are #$%* hot value,,if you want to steer on a 500 and dont care for looks run demons,,ive also run bt45s and used heaps on 500s,,last longer and just as good but just not quite as good steerers,i rate them as ever so slightly less than equal though,those chunky treads are rubbish these days seriously,i know these are an old bike with limited handling but modern tread patterns really help them in this reguard,,anyone who wants chunky treads with a square profile and likes them and swears by them is a #$%*ing idiot!!!insert popcorn here.

[ofreen]

 Just a heads up... might want to check the country manufacture code of your Metzelers

http://harleytechtalk.org/htt/index.php?topic=42341.0

There is no code.  The country of manufacture is spelled out in the molding on the sidewall.  All the Metzelers I've had in the last 7 or 8 years have been from Brazil.  I remembered I had a thread about it a few years ago and actually was able to find it -

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=32652.0;topicseen

All of the Metzelers I have had over the last 7 or 8 years have been made in Brazil.  No cracks yet. 

I looked at the link supplied and am skeptical.  Just a few unsupported claims and me-toos.  Nothing documented.  This kind of stuff is all over the internet.  If Metzelers were having frequent sidewall blowouts, I doubt it would be very quiet.  I've had a few flats at speed and they are hairy enough.  A sidewall blowout would be catastrophic.

[HondaMan]

+1- Bridgestone BT45 BattleAxe tires are excellent.  I just put them on my K4 this year so don't know how long they will last. 
Another good tire I have on two bikes is the Dunlop 404. 

BTW, Bridgetones came on a lot of these bikes originally, not sure what model.
I tend to purchase tires for my bikes and cars from major manufacturers that i know and trust.

Who makes Kendra and where?

Ha ha, Bridgestone tires were OEM on our bikes "back in the day" Steve, and they were schidt. The first thing any self respecting biker would do was buy some Dunlop K81's (which weren't much better, as I discovered) or much better still, some Conti's, which were excellent.

Did you know that there were (are still?) 2 types of the K81/TT100? One was made in Japan Dunlop, the other in Britain. My first K81 set was Japan Dunlop, wore it out in one racing season and almost didn't buy the second set. I did for lack of another TT100 profile, purely by accident getting the Brit version and HOLY COW what a difference it made! I rode those for 30k miles, only gave them up after they started cracking. They were track-capable, gripped thru rain like it wasn't there. I then tried the 'other' Dunlops, and several others I won't name (not worth it), stumbled onto the Avons, left for Continentals, came back, and stayed.

[Terry in Australia]

G'Day Mark, the K81's I bought in 1977 were from England. The compound was super hard, and they were frightening in the rain. They were still on it (my shiney new F0) when I sold it with only around 6000 miles on it (maybe 3000 on the K81's) so I've no idea what they were like long term, but they certainly weren't confidance inspiring.

My next CB750 (a K1 I bought in 1979 and restored in 1980) I fitted with Conti's, and it was like night and day, they didn't follow rain grooves like the K81's, and they were great in the wet. The only reason I'm not using them now is because Continental's are really hard to get here in Oz.

I need some new tires for my "Hog" (my CX500 Custom) and it turns out that Pirelli don't make a 130/90 - 16 so they're out, Continental have 3 different tires for the CX, but I don't know where to buy them, and Bridgestone make the "tried and true" BT45's in 130/90-16 or 150/80-16 (for the rear) and 100/90-19 for the front, so as much as I'd like to try something else just for a change, I'll probably just buy the Bridgestones again. Cheers, Terry.

[dave500]

here you go terry.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/PIRELLI-SPORT-DEMON-130-90-16-Rear-Tyre-Motorcycle-Sports-Touring-Cross-Ply-Tyre-/150814530046

[Terry in Australia]

here you go terry.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/PIRELLI-SPORT-DEMON-130-90-16-Rear-Tyre-Motorcycle-Sports-Touring-Cross-Ply-Tyre-/150814530046

Well Fcuk me Dave, I went to the Pirelli website and punched in the tire size, and got nada! Fcuking useless Pirelli website! Thanks mate!

[dave500]

they are here.
http://www.pirelli.com/tyre/ww/en/motorcycle/sheet/sport_demon.html