Tires for handling curvy roads for a Valkyrie

[mchapman]

I'd like to know what your tires of choice would be for a Valkyrie on curvy roads. Which tires are the best combination for handling traction and longevity? Hoping some of you have found a great combination that works well. I'm currently running Elite III's  Traction seems to be fading after 10,000 miles on the tires.

Thanks,
Mike

[Jess from VA]

I'd like to know what your tires of choice would be for a Valkyrie on curvy roads. Which tires are the best combination for handling traction and longevity? Hoping some of you have found a great combination that works well. I'm currently running Elite III's  Traction seems to be fading after 10,000 miles on the tires.

Thanks,
Mike

Which tires are the best combination for handling traction and longevity?

You can have one or the other, not both (not counting rear car tires, which do give both).

The best handling tires in all conditions and rain are Metzler and Avon.  The Avons last longer.  The Metzlers have a relatively short life (and are my favorite bike tire).  I don't buy them for longevity.

No personal experience (on purpose), but from what I've read, your E3s are the longest lasting.  

[sandy]

The newer Avon Cobras are a dual compound tire. That's all I put on the Valk.

[big poppa pump]

Avon Cobra front and a CT on the rear. Love the combination, I can keep scraping pegs whole day long without any worries of losing traction.

[98valk]

The newer Avon Cobras are a dual compound tire. That's all I put on the Valk.

their site only states a triple compound for Goldwing tires. all tires get a 15k wear warranty.
http://www.avonmoto.com/products/cruiser-touring-custom/cobra

do u have another link that shows the other sizes to be dual compounds, I couldn't find one.
thanks

[hubcapsc]

all tires get a 15k wear warranty.

If you let a dealer install them...

I've never gotten more than 7 or 8 k, max, on a rear tire on the
Valkyrie... that's at least 10 tires...

-Mike "if only I'd let the dealer install them  "

[Valkorado]

Bridgestone Battlax BT-45 (rear) on front, Austone Taxi Tire on rear.  Both balanced with Ride-On.  This combo carves through the mountain twisties, and holds up to our chip seal roads much better than the Avons I was using.

[98valk]

all tires get a 15k wear warranty.

If you let a dealer install them...

I've never gotten more than 7 or 8 k, max, on a rear tire on the
Valkyrie... that's at least 10 tires...

-Mike "if only I'd let the dealer install them  "

WOT every gear? 

my results
oem Dunlop  13k
metzler  15k
E3 rear 18k still going
ContiGo rear on front 17k still going

[hubcapsc]

WOT every gear?

Nope. I can only figger it is the roads around here... chipsealed pig trails and
curvy mountain roads near where South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina
come together...

I fill the back to about 43, and check it regularly. If it is down to
40 or so when I check it, I put air back in...



-Mike

[Jess from VA]

My exp is the same as Mike's.  My rear Metz880 radials/not bias) (180s, not a 200 with less tread depth) gave me 8-9K of good miles, tire after tire.  I let one go to 11k once, but after getting badly sideways on an entrance ramp in heavy traffic, I never did that again. (Trying to get that last 1000 miles out of a bike tire is pure foolishness; those are not good miles, they are stupid miles.)

Now my car tires get 37K and I throw them away before the wear marks.  And I've never been sideways on a car tire either.  (Not that I probably couldn't if I really worked at it.  It's good to practice things like emergency braking, but I don't recommend practicing going sideways.)

[mchapman]

Where do I find the Austone Taxi tire and does it require fender modifications? Also thanks to all for your help much appreciated. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!!

Mike

[98valk]

Where do I find the Austone Taxi tire and does it require fender modifications? Also thanks to all for your help much appreciated. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!!

Mike

https://www.universaltire.com/dunlop-tires/dunlop-radial-tires/175r16-austone-taxi-black.html

[gordonv]

You just missed the free shipping, most likely will happen again at Easter time (unless there is another special US holiday).

[nogrey]

I have Michelin commander on my I/S. Currently have 10K and not even a flat spot yet. Check them out. They are the latest generation of motorcycle tire technology. The center of the tire is hardest, graduating to softer and softer rubber as you move away from the center of the tread. Great on curves, great on the long stretches. Awesome tires.

[Bighead]

I've never gotten more than 7 or 8 k, max, on a rear tire on the
Valkyrie...

This is where I am too Mike no matter the tire.

[mchapman]

Thanks for all the information very helpful

Mike

[Colin]

Avon for me and I ride mountain roads all the time. Our tarmac here in Spain must be more abrasive than in the US as I am lucky to get 10000 Kms out of a set of Avon's before they are down to the wear indicators both front and rear. I replace both as a pair as they seem to wear evenly.

[Kunkies]

I've had every imaginable tire made for our Valk's on my Valk, and hands-down the best tire for "curvies", "twisties", "sweepers", and "bumpies" is he Avon Cobra.

They don't last as long as the Dunflop Elite II's, yet longer than the Metzler 880's.  I have not tried the darkside and being a more mature purist, I'll stick with motorcycle tires.

[98valk]

WOT every gear?

Nope. I can only figger it is the roads around here... chipsealed pig trails and
curvy mountain roads near where South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina
come together...

I fill the back to about 43, and check it regularly. If it is down to
40 or so when I check it, I put air back in...


-Mike

most likely your tire gage is not accurate and u are using the incorrect tire pressures. all gages need to be recalibrated every few yrs.
I use a digital gage which self calibrates to atmosphere.

http://www.ghmeiser.com/about.htm  makers of Accugage
All of our dial tire gauges are ANSI Commercial Grade B gauges (meets ANSI B40.1 Grade B specifications). Unlike piston-plunger-type gauges, the bourdon tube movement is not affected by changes in temperature, humidity, altitude or air stream contaminants.

The mechanical accuracy rating is ± 2% from 30% to 60% of scale and ± 3% below 30% and above 60%.

[MarkT]

Ditto on the Batlax BT-45 bias rear tire on the front.  I'm running a Michelin Ice-X radial darkside on the back of Jade.  And really like this combo in the mountain twisties. Run 38# front, 34# rear. Went to Ride-On for balance some years ago.  And of course the metal stems.  I've been running the BT-45 for some time now on the front of Deerslayer and BluByU (1800 wing).  Last a long time and well behaved.  Running a Vredestein darkside Snowtrac on Deerslayer - looks very much like the Michelin and behaves very much the same.  That tire is out of production.  I've worn out several copies of every bike tire that fits the Valk.  I liked the E-3 a lot, didn't have any failure issues some others have reported.  I also wore out a lot of Avons.  The Cobras had the longest life of the bike tires and were well behaved and not noisy like the OEM Dunlops.  But they didn't compare in traction in the wet or mud to BT-45's front with a darkside snow type tire on the back. And still handle mountain twisties ridden aggressively. I like a good deep amount of rubber and plenty of siping/voids to rubber ratio.  Now that both Valks have BBT fwd controls I might slow down in the corners a mite.  The controls are vulnerable, hang below the crash bars - drop the bike or push the corners past the footpegs and the controls will be damaged.

[hubcapsc]

Now that both Valks have BBT fwd controls I might slow down in the corners a mite.  The controls are vulnerable, hang below the crash bars - drop the bike or push the corners past the footpegs and the controls will be damaged.

Frank Smoak dragged this little nubbin in a turn at one of Britman's Memorial Day rides a
few years ago and it was almost a real bad day. He shot off the road, nailed it, threw up a
giant rooster tail of dirt and came back on to the road and continued on... praying all the
way...



The last time I saw his bike, several years ago, this thing was half way worn off...

-Mike

[..]

We have little enough ground clearance. Why reduce it? 

I've once caught the side stand in a left bend hard enough to slightly remove pressure on the rear shocks. 

Nearly had the rear tire completely out of touch with the road surface.

My fault. Too much speed and lean into an adverse camber bend.

One of the club members I used to ride with got spat off his bike and busted up enough for a life flight on exactly the same bend a few years after my butt pucker moment. 

[hubcapsc]

Even though I wear out my footpegs from the top, I agree with Britman...
I hope I never regret dragging that hard part hanging down from the
forward controls, but I sure do like them...

-Mike

[MarkT]

Ditto on liking the fwd controls.  Worth it to me to lose a bit of ground clearance for the control and convenience of fwd controls.  I never lean it far enough to drag the crash bars anyway.  I don't have anything really stout - like Kury highway pegs - hanging below the crash bars.  Mine are mounted much higher than yours (in the picture), out of harm's way. I'm pretty sure the BBT fwd controls would get mangled before they would unweight the tires.  In any case, when the footpegs drag, that's as far as I push it.  On purpose, anyway. Going past that point, the next things to drag aren't made to, and don't flex.  The footpegs are "feelers" for me.

[8Track]

I've had Dunlop E3 and Avon Cobras on my bike, and I ride in twisty mountainous conditions about 80% of the time.

The Avon Cobras absolutely kill the Dunlops for grip and steering response.