bias tires vs-radial

[slider]

are radial tires really needed on the valks..I rode one with bias  tires and there was a big diff.  quiter and smoother ride...Im needing tires soon and would like your opions,Is there a big safety factor That needs to be considered.Thanks

[3fan4life]

I haven't used bias ply on my Valk yet  but I am planning on going to them with the next tire change.

All of my other bikes have bias ply and I haven't experienced any issues.

It could be because the other bikes are smaller but the bias plys seem to last longer.

[old2soon]

I believe/think/that my Kansas neighbor Hoser be on bias ply tires. And then again I could be in error. RIDE SAFE.

[MarkT]

I have worn out several bias ply tires on the fronts of Deerslayer and BluByU (Valk & Wing).  Ride is softer, wear is longer, and can't tell on the traction but I think it's as good or better than radials. My past research was, the tread is also thicker and more aggressive for bias than radials. Thicker, don't recall if trhat's true with front tires, I didn't buy them anyway.  Matters to me, I'm on a clay/sand road (they call it gravel, but if it's wet, the pucker factor is 10+ due to slippery) and I need traction from a good tread. From my reading, bias is actually better for cruisers than radials, just the opposite of performance of this issue on cars.  I went to the darkside a couple years ago on the Valk, which is also better in the slop.  No handling issues with bias front radial rear, if anything it's better.  Stayed on Cobras on the back of the wing.  Front tires, both are Bridgestone Battlax bias rear tires.  I wore out a Dunlop K491 on the front of Deerslayer, got 23k out of it.  It was a bias rear, same tread pattern as the 202 (IIRC) only a tad thicker.  You can run bias at lower pressure, I run around 35 lbs.

[MP]

Hoser runs bias on both.

I am running bias on front, with my CT, and like it a lot.

MP

[saddlesore]

I noticed that once I went to radials I didn't have the squishy feel going over bridge grating.
Running on lateral cracks in the road don't bother me anymore.
The rain grooves cut in the road don't cause any problems either.
I run Avons and have been getting over 20,000 miles on them.

[PAVALKER]

I noticed that once I went to radials I didn't have the squishy feel going over bridge grating.
Running on lateral cracks in the road don't bother me anymore.
The rain grooves cut in the road don't cause any problems either.
I run Avons and have been getting over 20,000 miles on them.

Where and how are you riding...??  Glass smooth roads??? All straight highway?? I can't  get over 10k miles on a bike tire and am amazed that others speak of this extreme mileage. 

[saddlesore]

Most of those miles are on four lane freeway.  I like to cruise at 75 mph.   Sometimes more.  There are some curves on these roads that I like to lean into so I speed up for them.
The tires are set at 40 psi to 42 psi.
The higher tire pressure help a lot getting better miles out of them.

[PAVALKER]

Most of those miles are on four lane freeway.  I like to cruise at 75 mph.   Sometimes more.  There are some curves on these roads that I like to lean into so I speed up for them.
The tires are set at 40 psi to 42 psi.
The higher tire pressure help a lot getting better miles out of them.

Keep mine same pressure.  Must be your glass smooth concrete highways.  Here in PA we have roads that aren't level, smooth or without some kind of pot holes to dodge..... They are more like wash boards with occasional obstacles to swerve around.

[MarkT]

The most I've ever got from a rear radial was 12.5k.  That was a Cobra. The worst was a CT- a Yokohama Advan A048 racing tire, worn to the cords at 5050 miles - but it was soft rubber and very thin tread depth. I've run backs consistently at 42lb.  And worn out multiple copies of many of the MC tires that fit the Valk.  Dunlop EII's and EIII's, Metzelers, Bridgestones, Venoms, Cobras...  I'm forgetting something. Not Continental, Kendra, Michelin, Shinko or Pirelli.  I'm not sure all of them make a tire that fits the back. Fronts have always lasted longer by about 20%.  Going to bias rears on front mounts have increased life significantly as well as traction, sometimes with handling affected a little, I think from the thicker tread.  I've also seen scalloping more on those.