My 85 K100RT is in need on new tires.

The old tires are a set of Michelin Macadams

100-90/18 and 130-90/17.

I'm retired so I can't afford a lot so any recommendations?

Also my speedo reads 5mph slow with these macadams.

Woud diffeerent tires fix that?

Gerry

Brookhaven, PA

I have been using a Bridgestone BT45 on the front and Michilin Macadam on the rear. It has been a good combination for me.
Some of the guys here in Oz have been using Perilli Sport Demon and are getting good miles from them. I think in the long run it's a personal choice and a ballancing act of how you ride, what you can afford and does it feel right to you.

Best deals on good tires on a budget, IMO, are the Bridgestone Spitfires. Around $70 ea.

Our experience is:

Bridgestone BT45: Great
Pirelli Sport Demon: Great

Metzeler Lazertec: Poor
Shinko (anything): Poor

The Bridestones and Pirellis cost us about the same.

Your speedo would only read differently if the diameter of the tyres is different - smaller tyres turn more for the same distance, making the speedo over-read, larger tyres turn less, meaning under-reading and a speeding ticket.

The manual specifies 100/90 18 front, 130/90 17 rear.

I also meant to say that inside the speedo there is a trim pot to adjust the speed reading and also the odo. There is a small program called Karamba that you can download here to put on a laptop and plug into the speedo to give you the correct pulses for what size of tyre and what bike. Karamba is available from the download section (Crazy Frog will give you a password if you haven't got access) and have a search around for speedo type threads to find the picture of the trim pot and where it is.

Pic of the trim pot

Gerry, read this thread before you decide...
http://k100rt.aforumfree.com/t2662-new-tyre-time?highlight=New+tyre+time

My 88LT had a very square macadam rear and a sport demon front. I went with the pirelli sport demon wider & lower profile tyre per the advice in that thread and I am thoroughly delighted with the improvement in the handling.
88KE

Hi Gerry I have Avon Roadriders front and rear fitted to my LT, up to now they have given me no reason to complain I chose them because they where a reasonable price and where adequate to my not too over enthusiastic riding style, They also suit the UK climate by being sure footed in rain as well as shine.

These tyres where also recommended because they where produced for older style bikes so giving them tyres with modern materials and patterns with original sizes, hope this is of some use.

BIG D

pirelli sport demon on the front is a winner idea ...so far 15000 k and still many more kilometers to come...sticks well

Tyre life depends greatly on the road surfaces you encounter. In Australia we have hard chip surface roads, or in some places, only a gravel surface. The smoother surfaces would not be that tough on rubber. I run Bridgestone BT45s and am happy with them. I do tend not to use the edges too much as corners don not exist where I live.

ainsjac wrote:Tyre life depends greatly on the road surfaces you encounter. In Australia we have hard chip surface roads, or in some places, only a gravel surface. The smoother surfaces would not be that tough on rubber. I run Bridgestone BT45s and am happy with them. I do tend not to use the edges too much as corners don not exist where I live.

There is so corners I know of one on the road to Bourke

Well, in September 2010 I was on the west coast of Sardinia near Alghero and there was one of the best bike roads I ever saw. Practically no straightaways for more than 40 miles. I was driving a Fiat Panda and kept getting passed by Ferrari's, Lambo's, and a large number of BMW's and Transalps.

Kinda like the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia or some of the roads in the Rocky Mountains in Montana and Wyoming.

BIG D wrote:Hi Gerry I have Avon Roadriders front and rear fitted to my LT, up to now they have given me no reason to complain

I would recommend researching Avons prior to purchase. There have been rumors of quality problems with Roadriders resulting in tread splitting in the rain grooves. I have Roadriders on my K100RT and love the feel of the tire; however, I have noticed the beginnings of a tread separation on the front in one place. I can't tell if that is road damage or a build quality problem but it concerns me.

Hey,

Thanks for the heads up.

Everything helps.



Gerry

OK K Freak, there is ONE bend out this way..I concede that.

i wouldnt be too hasty to throw out the idea of a "shinko" on the rear of an rt .....mine has served me well for the last 14,000ks ...and no sign of slippage at all ... wet or dry ......yes its buggered now ...all the tread fell off in the middle .... grin .....but for under $90 aussie shekles fitted ...its all good
i have this feeling ....that unless its a big name brand ...its just not acceptable, i believe the shinko guys purchased the "yokahama" motor cycle branch of tyre manufacture which carried a verry good reputation .


"tourmaster" is the model 130 x 90 x 17 ..and was a good match for the pirelli "sport demon" on the front which speaks volumes in itself ...if you stop to concider this for more than a second or two

just my opinion

Pardon me for buttin' in here, but I have personally witnessed from behind, that Shinko of Charlie's shinko-ing round some pretty tight, rough, wet, dry, and bumpy turns in the road, and arrow straight roads too, with nary a wiggle or squirm, a knackered old shockie out the back holdin' things up, and squared-off tread you could rest your stubbie on at the side of the road, so flatttened off are they that they'd be ideal for a sidecar, and did he ever once complain? Nuh! I reckon perception and attitude are worth more than half of the negativity towards a product.

Just my opinion.

robmack wrote:I would recommend researching Avons prior to purchase. There have been rumors of quality problems with Roadriders resulting in tread splitting in the rain grooves. I have Roadriders on my K100RT and love the feel of the tire; however, I have noticed the beginnings of a tread separation on the front in one place. I can't tell if that is road damage or a build quality problem but it concerns me.

"Jeez" Thanks for the heads up on that rob, I will inspect mine with a fine toothcomb.

BIG D

I run Bridgestone BT45s they need minimum of 39 in the front around 40 in the rear . They are a good compromise for town and country squirts wet or dry but you can get them to light up when giving it thru twisty sections or power slide on high speed bends . PO said he had never encountered any of these conditions so probably my riding style . I want to try a set of Michies next

Toto_jp wrote:I run Bridgestone BT45s they need minimum of 39 in the front around 40 in the rear . They are a good compromise for town and country squirts wet or dry but you can get them to light up when giving it thru twisty sections or power slide on high speed bends . PO said he had never encountered any of these conditions so probably my riding style . I want to try a set of Michies next

Do your tyres wear out quickly Tony

Not sure yet they had 4 month reprieve with my broken ankle and I'm working my way back up to real riding .. found more neutrals in the last month than ever before thats going up and down

hope its getting better tony ....thumbs up mate !!!

Well chaps, yesterday I fitted my new Sports Demon on the rear to match
the front, and what a surprise. It doesn't fit. The centre stand rubbed a fair bit of rubber off the edge on a test run.
Anyone else have this problem? or a solution. Temporarily I'm going to block the stand from retracting all the way up ( not like I'm going to scrape it the way I ride), but I might have to get the angle grinder out. I must have a warped one.
Tks RT

hmm thats strange rt ....what size did you get ? 130 x 80 x 17 ??? or somethhing else ...i thought the round leg centre stand cleared that anyhow .......pics mate ?

Yes Charlie a bit of a mystery I got 140/18/17 as per TWB,s selection. I think Ulrichmeister has the same but his bike is later than mine. I'll break the camera out tomorrow, too late now.
Cheers
Bob

take the centre stand off, leave the side stand only, this will allow you do any mods..

take pics for measurement first rt ...

Here's the culprit, center stand rubbing. I checked the distance between both legs against an old one that K-Freak got me, and his was at least 1 cm wider.
I'm not sure if heat will bend it out without cracking the weld.

That is taken from the rear of the wheel.
I have managed to tighten the bolts on either side of the pivoting arm (the one behind the exhaust is a beast to get at) and that has
given me a very small clearance, at least without my weight on the bike. Here's hoping I can ride it at least. I better swap it over.
Sorry to take over this thread but it might be something to look out for. My centerstand is 10 1/2 inches from outside leg to outside leg, and it is definitely narrower than the spare stand. (so change it I hear you say. Ok Ok.)
RT

lol..... love the way you think aloud whilst posting bob ...

just a thought mate ....there is a huge spacer thingy on the pivot arm attached to the erm base of the stand bracket on the gearbox (pivot bearing)....you have tightened yours you say ...i wonder if taking it off and adding a couple of washers (body type with 8 mm holes and 16+ mm width on the muffler side ) ..might offset it another 3- 5mm and get the clearance you need ...might have to file the inside of other side to get it to moove accross though ....of corse after you change to the wider version on hand .....i found it kinda easy to do this adjustment to the stands by simply undoing the whole bracket off the bike ....by the 4 big screws and a jack holding the whole thing from falling over or a nice big tree to lean against ...

Ta mate
That's a good thought not much room under the muffler for maneuvering.
My hydraulic bike lifter would be handy but the chinese ram has collapsed,
I got a new one to replace but it failed as well. Ah well ,what can you do.
Cheers RT

RT wrote:I got a new one to replace but it failed as well.

Chinese too, I`ll guess.



BTW. Charlie`s suggestion washers/spacers is also used on the K1100LT, as it`s have other wheels and
stands a bit taller of the ground than the K1100RS.

Inge K.

I couldn't help myself, the sun was shining and my list of home jobs was growing so I did what any groan man would do. Packed up the bike and left.
50 klm from home I could smell rubber so had to stop and check out
my new back tyre, the stand was rubbing again.
Where I stopped was some truck tyre rubber ( the stuff that usually kills you ) and with my trusty pocket knife I sliced some off, cable tied it to the edge of my centre stand, giving me another couple of mm clearance and set off ona 900 klm round trip. Couldn't use my centre stand at all so created large amounts of smoke every time I parked, and made it home in one piece.
The reason for this rant is that my new tyres, now both Pirelli Sports Demons have made a massive differenc from my old Metzler
lazertecs. So finally I feel comfortable cornering.
Amen.

amen rt ...

Thanks for the heads up on the Roadriders! Might be taking those off sooner rather than later...


OG