I have a 1985 K100RT and do mostly touring, no sport riding.   I see lots of discussion on radials vs. bias ply.  Why would radials be better?   I can't find any radials that fit the stock wheels?

Stock Tires Size,  Front   100/90 V 18,    (100mm wide x  90mm  high),   Rear   130/90 V 17    ( 130mm wide x  117mm high).  

 I see many are using a slightly wider and lower profile tire;  

Front,  110/80  V18, ( 110mm wide x  88mm high), ( 4mm drop in Dia.,  2mm drop in height ).   Rear, ( 140/80  V17 ), ( 140mm wide x 112m high ),  ( 10mm drop in Dia.,   5mm drop in height ).


I've seen these as some of the more popular bias ply tires used;   Pirelli Sport Demon,  Bridgestone Battlax BT45,  Michelin Pilot Activ,   AVON AM26 Roadrider.   Any suggestions?

really depends on riding style and road surfaces

whats good out here may not suit your road conditions and surfaces ...weather patterns etc

but I find on an rt style   sport demons do the job for me ...light and active feel

many prefer the bridgestones ..and have great reports

good luck

flyinglow wrote:I've seen these as some of the more popular bias ply tires used;   Pirelli Sport Demon,  Bridgestone Battlax BT45,  Michelin Pilot Activ,   AVON AM26 Roadrider.   Any suggestions?

Like Charlie says - choice really depends on riding style and conditions (road and weather).

I have always used Avon Roadriders, but switched to try out a pair of Dunlop Street Smart tyres this year. I have had no problems with the roadriders and get pretty good wear out of them and good grip in wet and dry conditions. The Street Smarts were absolutely fine to begin with but after just 4500 miles, the rear is close to its wear limit and won me an "advisory" on my MoT (annual state inspection) - probably has another 750 -1000 miles left in it. Compare that with my usual 9500+ miles on a Roadrider rear tyre.

I'm too tight to fork out the extra for the sports demons of pilot activs - so probably will default back to the roadriders at the next change as they suit my riding well enough.

The rims are too narrow to get any benefit from a radial tyre. Yet they're a good upgrade concerning the lasting.
I 'm not sure that you'll find any radial tyre that would fit the dimensions of your K100 (maybe Contigo or Avon Storm?)
I found for the rear wheel of my K1100LT a trail radial tyre, that originally fits the F650GS, the Bridgestone BW502. Excellent grip on any surface, and dramatic improve of lasting. I've already rode 5000 km with it and it's almost new, whereas diagonal tyres I used hardly reach 3000km before they're out.

Good tyre wear is not unique to radial tyres. Back when the K100s were new and I used to do may kms a year, Metzeler Marathons would do 20,000kms front and around 12,000kms rear.

Currently my RT is on 100/90-18 and 140/80-17(radial rear only) Pirelli Scorpio Trails.  My bike does do some dirt roads so its worthwhile to me. Those are the sizes that were available or I would also have a 110/80 front.

The bike is light handling, agile and handles well.  Around 3000kms and wearing well so far.  Should be good for 8k or more. That said they werent expensive to begin with.

Al

I just replaced my Sport Demons with new versions of the same...$315(Aus)  a pair on the rim and balanced. I did not even look at other brands, so how expensive/cheap are the other types of tyres?

Hi all;
I run Pirelli Demons 110 on front and 140 on rear on standard Y rims....works great.

On my K1100LT I have been running radials Michelin GT Pilot Road 4's 120-70-17 front and have used and worn down a 160-60/18 (4.5inch K1100RS rim)Michelin Pilot Road 4 works great clears swing arm nicely and also on the original K1100LT rear rim Michelin GT Pilot Road 4 150-70-17 which is the smallest Michelin Pilot Road 4 available which I will be trialling to Tassie and back in October, expect even better results.

I have heard that a Michelin Pilot Road 3 140-70-17 works great on K100 rear will try that next time....although tempted to reallocate the 150 radial to the K100RS for giggles.
The joy of trying to wear your tyres out is the chance to try something new.

WARNING radial tyres that are not common are expensive....K100 and even K1100 sizes are not so common when even 250 Motorcycles run wider tyres than we do. LOL

Cheers KKlompy

If its just touring you'll be doing then make sure you get a dual compound tyre which are slightly harder in the middle for longer wear, like the Batlax BT-45. Steer clear of single compound tyres like the Sport Demon. They're a really great tyre BUT unless you're into hard cornering, they'll wear out very quickly.
There are some adventure/touring radials about that would give you good milage also but, just my opinion, I don't think you really need radials for cruisey type touring. Save your money and buy bias ply tyres.

Some tips for longer wear.

• Make sure you run slightly higher pressures than what's in the riders manual. 38 to 42psi rear seems to be what many here use depending on conditions and bike/tyre/rider. 3psi less in the front.
  
• Accelerate smoothly from lights etc
  
• Set yourself up for the corners. Correct line and speed going into a corner will mean little or no braking and will give you a smooth exit.
  
• Accelerate back up to speed while you're coming out of the corner so you use the side tread of the tyre instead of the middle.
  
• Enjoy the winding roads in preference to the freeway. 
  

I've managed to get 15,000km rear and 21,000km front from from a set of Sport Demons.
My personal best was 18,000km rear on a 140 Avon Azaro 45 radial and 28,000km a 120 Bridgestone BT-023 on the front. Both of these tyres are no longer available.
This was on my K100 naked.

I've heard good reports about Shinko tyres on Bricks they do a touring tyre and a sport touring tyre. And they are reasonably priced, apparently they bought the molds and technology of Yokohama. I'll probably get them on my next change.
Regards Martin.

The Shinko Osaka Story

Established in 1946, the Shinko Group began as a manufacturer of bicycle tires and tubes in Osaka, Japan that today has become a burgeoning manufacture of rubber products.
In 1998 the Shinko Group purchased the motorcycle tire technology and molds from Yokohama Rubber Co., and began production of these products under the Shinko Tire brand. With manufacturing based in South Korea and design based in Japan, the company has seamlessly combined Japanese engineering and design principles with South Korean production and quality control standards. Today Shinko Tires produces approximately 200,000 motorcycle tires per month.
In the United States Shinko Tires are imported by Western Power Sports, Inc. (WPS), with corporate headquarters in Boise, Idaho. With a strong foothold on the power sports market, and with warehouses located in Boise, Idaho; Fresno, California; Ashley, Indiana; Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania; Midlothian, Texas; and Memphis, Tennessee, Shinko Tires USA-in conjunction with WPS-is proud to bring you the Shinko line of Sportbike, Cruiser, Scooter, Off road, and Dual sport tires.
On going testing in the USA and R & D at Shinko Tire's factory means a continuous path of exciting tires to meet the need of today's riders. Shinko Tires and WPS are here to serve your needs.

Regards Martin.

MartinW wrote:apparently they bought the molds and technology of Yokohama.

Known to us in the Nineties as 'Yoko-teflons'. Completely non-stick in the rain.

Dai wrote: Completely non-stick in the rain.

That's why the company promotes them as exciting tires.

Dai I've never ran Yoko's but another Brick forum has heaps of members running Shinko's with excellent feedback on them. One would hope that technology has advanced since the 90's.
Regards Martin.

I didn't have a bad run from shinko roadmaster rear ...

there were far more other issues than tyres to worry about then

I put Shinko's on my 86 K100RS in the spring. I've ridden in pop-up storms varying from sprinkles lasting a few miles/minutes to torrential downpours with serious wind shear and gusts at surface. Haven't had a problem staying connected to the asphalt, although in the heavy rain, I tend to slow down significantly.

I have 28,000 miles of experience with Shinko Tourmasters on my K75RT.  I guess that the fact that I never worry about what my tires are going to do says a lot about them.  I make sure the pressure is at 38front/42rear and just ride.  I ride wet or dry in temperatures from freezing to 45C.

Normal life expectancy with a lot of slabbing is around 10,000 miles rear/13,000+ miles front.

I can get a set online for about $180 delivered.  I do my own mounting and balancing.

I just rode the scorpions and the 85 K100RS for the first time today.


L1059570 by unoh7, on Flickr

Fantastic on pavement, awful on any type of dirt.

that front tyre looks very much like a speed demon to me ....better go check


and they do inspire confidence indeed


cant see the rear

charlie99 wrote:that front tyre looks very much like a speed demon to me ....better go check


and they do inspire confidence indeed


cant see the rear

Thank You Charlie!!!

Sorry my bad, luckily I was reading the advice here correctly in the first place and I ordered Pirelli Sport Demons.

I have never been on pavement with any two wheeled vehicle that grips like them. But when I pulled off into a campground, wow, be careful front has zero grip on dirt. Worst tire of any two wheeled vehicle, for that LOL

yeah been there ....giggles

a few of us go bushwhacking into the hills on the "Karua River rally " hosted by the bmw touring club new south wales

always a good event for a meet up with friends and see some other machinery  outside our normal circle


but the shortest route to the campsite is over about 14 kilometres of thoroughly bush - dirt ] rocky - slime encrusted ...tracks

always interesting for the traveller geared up for road use only ....

perhaps next year I may have a dual sport type tyre to comment on ... but gaz and a few others have tried some nice looking stuff and reports are good


glad you like the "demons " on road at least ...grin  

have fun !!

charlie99 wrote:

yeah been there ....giggles

a few of us go bushwhacking into the hills on the "Karua River rally " hosted by the bmw touring club new south wales

always a good event for a meet up with friends and see some other machinery  outside our normal circle


but the shortest route to the campsite is over about 14 kilometres of thoroughly bush - dirt ] rocky - slime encrusted ...tracks

always interesting for the traveller geared up for road use only ....

perhaps next year I may have a dual sport type tyre to comment on ... but gaz and a few others have tried some nice looking stuff and reports are good


glad you like the "demons " on road at least ...grin  

have fun !!

Wait till it rains Charlie, then it get real enjoyable.

yeah did that same route in 2012  Al

was a wet one indeed ...I seem to recall attempting to light a fire 3 or 5 times ....luckless ...and rick g will be giggling his head off at the memory


the river crossing was big that year ...eh ?  the fire wood was damp ..to waterlogged  and the presentation ceremonies were attended by many raincoats  with mainly flat beers ...



this was just before frank s ? bike came across

and frank slowly pushing through



and rick g enjoying totally the fine weather

You can run radials on an 85 if you switch to the later 3-spoke wheels.  Then you can run a 110/80-18 on the front and a 150/70-17 on the 3x17 rear. (What I do with all of my older K bikes.)