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Author Topic: I know this has been done to death, but..  (Read 2061 times)
Texas Jimbo
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Spartanburg, SC


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« on: September 13, 2013, 12:43:34 PM »

I put Metzeler ME880's on 6/12.  Have been very vigilant about pressure (40PSI) and mostly ride one up, but it's almost all twisty curves.  That's why I was surprised that I'm already bald in the center of the rear!  Side tread is still very meaty, but it's like Professor X in the center. 

Probably put about 6K miles on in that time. 

What exactly am I missing here?  That's not many miles for the price of these suckers.

Also, anyone know of a smokin' deal for a rear going on right now?  (Dunlop/Avon/Metzeler)?
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hubcapsc
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upstate

South Carolina


« Reply #1 on: September 13, 2013, 01:07:29 PM »

I put Metzeler ME880's on 6/12.  Have been very vigilant about pressure (40PSI) and mostly ride one up, but it's almost all twisty curves.  That's why I was surprised that I'm already bald in the center of the rear!  Side tread is still very meaty, but it's like Professor X in the center. 

Probably put about 6K miles on in that time. 

What exactly am I missing here?  That's not many miles for the price of these suckers.

Also, anyone know of a smokin' deal for a rear going on right now?  (Dunlop/Avon/Metzeler)?

All that sounds about right... I guess it is the back you're talking about... maybe go up a little in pressure 40 <-> 45...

I get about 6-8K per rear tire on the twisty roads around here...

It might be that Dunlop is harder and might last longer, but there's funny things some
people say about Dunlops ("wouldn't ride to the mailbox on a set of Dunlops"... stuff like that  coolsmiley )...

6-8K wears out Avons and Metzlers on the back on our local twisty roads...

-Mike
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Texas Jimbo
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Spartanburg, SC


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« Reply #2 on: September 13, 2013, 01:30:20 PM »

I just ordered a Bridgestone Exedra Max from Jake Wilson for $150 shipped.  Now I gotta find a place to install.
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JC
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The Beast

Franklin, TN


« Reply #3 on: September 13, 2013, 01:42:29 PM »

Metzelers are sticky and soft. Best I ever got out of a rear was 8K, even running 43PSI. They handle great but that soft rubber disappears quick. That's why I'm on the darkside now. Been running an 880 on the front and still only get 10K out of them. I've just mounted a D404F on her now and hope to see 12-14K before having to replace it.
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CASABROKER
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« Reply #4 on: September 13, 2013, 02:56:09 PM »

That's went I went darkside, got tired of change out tires so quickly.
 
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old2soon
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Willow Springs mo


« Reply #5 on: September 13, 2013, 04:31:13 PM »

As was mentioned by a couple others-Dark Side.  cooldude 23000+ on my D/s and gonna get 2 or 3 G more. RIDE SAFE. P S-my D/S was less than $85.00 to my front door.  coolsmiley
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Today is the tommorow you worried about yesterday. If at first you don't succeed screw it-save it for nite check.  1964  1968 U S Navy. Two cruises off Nam.
VRCCDS0240  2012 GL1800 Gold Wing Motor Trike conversion
Hoser
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child of the sixties VRCC 17899

Auburn, Kansas


« Reply #6 on: September 14, 2013, 05:46:17 AM »

I just ordered a Bridgestone Exedra Max from Jake Wilson for $150 shipped.  Now I gotta find a place to install.
Put it under the back fender!  Sorry, too good to resist  Grin  Hoser  cooldude
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signart
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Crossville, Tennessee


« Reply #7 on: September 14, 2013, 06:10:10 AM »

I just ordered a Bridgestone Exedra Max from Jake Wilson for $150 shipped.  Now I gotta find a place to install.
Put it under the back fender!  Sorry, too good to resist  Grin  Hoser  cooldude
That there was funny Grin
Seriously, we all need to learn how to mount our own tires. I know I'm going to have to, you just can't trust anybody's work these days. Plus the maintenance drill I have been studying on this forum proves you can't leave this to non Valk nuts.
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old2soon
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Willow Springs mo


« Reply #8 on: September 14, 2013, 08:39:26 AM »

I just ordered a Bridgestone Exedra Max from Jake Wilson for $150 shipped.  Now I gotta find a place to install.
Put it under the back fender!  Sorry, too good to resist  Grin  Hoser  cooldude
That there was funny Grin
Seriously, we all need to learn how to mount our own tires. I know I'm going to have to, you just can't trust anybody's work these days. Plus the maintenance drill I have been studying on this forum proves you can't leave this to non Valk nuts.
    I realized that shortly after my Valkyrie adopted me. Not only do the Honda shop get a large hourly fee the head mech wanted to know what a Valkyrie was.  crazy2 Been doing all my own service since. RIDE SAFE.
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Today is the tommorow you worried about yesterday. If at first you don't succeed screw it-save it for nite check.  1964  1968 U S Navy. Two cruises off Nam.
VRCCDS0240  2012 GL1800 Gold Wing Motor Trike conversion
Bone
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« Reply #9 on: September 14, 2013, 10:01:47 AM »

Texas Jimbo I've never ran that soft tire you are running. I have always reduced air pressure if the center was wearing fast wanting the tread to flatten out. I may have been doing it the wrong way. I usually didn't have a bike long enough to run several tires to compare.

JC I've been running the D404 F 150/80 since buying my 98 Tourer. Copied the mileage from my maintenance log. Couple of the lower numbers I changed the tire early before a cross country trip. I now run 36-37 lbs in the front with a CT on the rear.

18129
16644
13256
14838
14430


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NiteRiderF6
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Doug n Stacy

Mississippi


« Reply #10 on: September 14, 2013, 02:42:49 PM »

IMO that is too much psi in that Metz. I have Metz 880's on mine and I run between 32 - 36 I'm them and they wear pretty evenly. Metz tires are soft in my estimation.
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yelovalk
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« Reply #11 on: September 14, 2013, 03:40:56 PM »

So, as a newby to the forum, I have a question. Since the OEM Dunlop D206's seem to have been discontinued and the Metzler's wear so fast. Is the a consensus of the forum members as to what a comparable replacement would be without going to the "dark side"? The Avon Venoms or the Continentals or the Dunlop Elite 3's?  Sorry if this has been asked before, but I am faced with this decision today thanks to a nice cut in the center tread of my front tire.
Any suggestions would be great,  thanks in advance
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Hoser
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child of the sixties VRCC 17899

Auburn, Kansas


« Reply #12 on: September 14, 2013, 03:50:07 PM »

This is no consensus, but it usually gets me 15 to 20 thousand  per set.  D404F on front, American elite on rear. Both Dunlops. Hoser  cooldude
« Last Edit: September 14, 2013, 03:52:42 PM by Hoser » Logged

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yelovalk
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« Reply #13 on: September 15, 2013, 08:49:22 AM »

So no other opinions from the board?  I went thru all the reviews that I could find online for the Dunlop Elite 3's, Metzeler ME880's and both the Avon Venom's and Cobra's. The reviews seem to be pretty much split down the middle as far a praises and complaints on each one.....
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Len
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« Reply #14 on: September 15, 2013, 09:06:00 AM »

The best deal I have found for a rear motorcycle tire is the Rear Bridgstone for the 2000 Vulcan, 200/60R16....I run this size in the Cobra, but this tire cost much less. I have not used it myself, just a lower cost alternative in a tire (OEM) for a similar weight/power motorcycle.
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Hoser
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child of the sixties VRCC 17899

Auburn, Kansas


« Reply #15 on: September 15, 2013, 09:06:28 AM »

So no other opinions from the board?  I went thru all the reviews that I could find online for the Dunlop Elite 3's, Metzeler ME880's and both the Avon Venom's and Cobra's. The reviews seem to be pretty much split down the middle as far a praises and complaints on each one.....
The Elite 3 is not an American elite.  Biggest difference is the American Elite is bias ply, the E3 is radial.  May be a bit cheaper, also.  Hoser
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I don't want a pickle, just wanna ride my motor sickle

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JC
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The Beast

Franklin, TN


« Reply #16 on: September 26, 2013, 01:00:58 PM »

[quote author=Bone link=topic=59876.msg574117#msg574117 date=1379178107
JC I've been running the D404 F 150/80 since buying my 98 Tourer. Copied the mileage from my maintenance log. Couple of the lower numbers I changed the tire early before a cross country trip. I now run 36-37 lbs in the front with a CT on the rear.

18129
16644
13256
14838
14430
[/quote]

Now that's what I'm talking about!  cooldude
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Earl in Pensacola
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« Reply #17 on: September 26, 2013, 02:04:32 PM »

Texas Jimbo--  A couple of years & a couple of tires ago, I started reducing the PSI to a cold 38PSI in the rear to help get a little "fatter" footprint and there-by maybe a little more miles out of the rear tire AND I've increased the PSI in the front to 40 PSI cold, to curtail the cupping. There is a little more "road-feel" in the front and seemingly a little softer ride in the rear.  So far, there is no cupping on the front at 16K and the rear has 14K and still in good shape.  It seems to work as I usually get 18 to 20K on the rears and 28 to 30K on the fronts. For the last 8 or 10 years I've run only AVONS, first the Venoms and now the Cobras.  The Cobras have been giving the best milage and performance.  IMHO, it's not the "twisty" roads, it's the "twisty" throttle that is wearing out your rear tire so quickly, although I will say that my OEM Dunlops regularly delivered only about 6K on the rear and I'm sure that it was because both my Valk and I were both 16 years younger!!   
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Texas Jimbo
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Spartanburg, SC


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« Reply #18 on: September 27, 2013, 12:59:37 PM »

Texas Jimbo--  A couple of years & a couple of tires ago, I started reducing the PSI to a cold 38PSI in the rear to help get a little "fatter" footprint and there-by maybe a little more miles out of the rear tire AND I've increased the PSI in the front to 40 PSI cold, to curtail the cupping. There is a little more "road-feel" in the front and seemingly a little softer ride in the rear.  So far, there is no cupping on the front at 16K and the rear has 14K and still in good shape.  It seems to work as I usually get 18 to 20K on the rears and 28 to 30K on the fronts. For the last 8 or 10 years I've run only AVONS, first the Venoms and now the Cobras.  The Cobras have been giving the best milage and performance.  IMHO, it's not the "twisty" roads, it's the "twisty" throttle that is wearing out your rear tire so quickly, although I will say that my OEM Dunlops regularly delivered only about 6K on the rear and I'm sure that it was because both my Valk and I were both 16 years younger!!   

LOL!  Well...that might have something to do with it..  Roll Eyes

I'm getting the Bridgestone Exedra Max radial put on this evening.. Gotta be in top form for the fall color run 3rd weekend in October!
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quexpress
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Montreal, Québec, Canada


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« Reply #19 on: September 27, 2013, 01:10:23 PM »

The best deal I have found for a rear motorcycle tire is the Rear Bridgstone for the 2000 Vulcan, 200/60R16....I run this size in the Cobra, but this tire cost much less. I have not used it myself, just a lower cost alternative in a tire (OEM) for a similar weight/power motorcycle.

That's what I have on mine and am very happy with it.
http://www.directlineparts.com/product.asp?pid=5289&str=0&mdl=1539&mdy=2000
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yelovalk
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« Reply #20 on: September 28, 2013, 11:50:09 AM »

Well, for better or worse, I went with the Elite 3's, Similar pricing but the dealer that had these actually had hours that I could get the bike dropped off and picked up without having to get someone else to get it there for me. The mechanic that put them on (vs. the salesman that made the commission) seemed pretty impressed by them when they road tested it. Of course, just his opinion. I have 100 miles on them so far and it does seem to be stiffer in the corners. Will have to see how they work in rain or frosty roads.
Thanks for the help.
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Oss
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The lower Hudson Valley

Ossining NY Chapter Rep VRCCDS0141


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« Reply #21 on: September 29, 2013, 04:14:47 PM »

200 series bridgestone battleaxe MC tire

Dont think they still make them believe the exedra is the replacement

Like the cobra replaced the avon venom

Get 10,000 miles plus out of them and I like the big contact patch and the fact that all the NY ruts in the road have no effect on the tire, unlike the CT I ran (Toyo proxes)

YMMV
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Texas Jimbo
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« Reply #22 on: October 04, 2013, 11:21:25 AM »

Just spoke with tech support for Bridgestone.  Dude rides a GW, Ducati, GSX-R, etc..  BIG time rider..

Anyway, he said best bet for the Exedra Max is Max PSI - 2 lbs. 

Thought I'd share for any future Exedra Max buyers.

Have a great weekend!! cooldude
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