I am about to purchase another set of tires to put on the bike right after the neXXt.....

Need advise.

Plain and simple....I want a tire that is going to last the longest. I am not so concerned with how stickie they are, how grippy they are...

What would be your opinion for a LONG LIFE TIRE.

I believe someone ???(Hook)??? told me they got 15K out of a tire ?

BT somethings ?


Thanks

I got 10k out of the BT010's on my 929. I just put a new set of BT020's on the XX. I'm hoping to get at least that out of these. Were those the ones you were talking about?

Dave, I would still go with the 45/46 combo. The front has 4mm depth left on it with a little over 400 miles and no cupping.

The rear was determined to be a "test" tire, that's why it wore out so fast, and also that's why Avon wanted the whole tire back not just a piece cut out of the tire with the DOT number. I have around around 500 miles on the rear and some of the nubs are still on the tire.

I am just changing mine after 21,500 miles on them :shock: .

BT57's. People say they suck, but I didn't notice anything wrong with them (until they ran out of rubber).

The BT20's would be your best bet Dave (if you go Bridgestone). That is their ST tire. BT 10's are the next softest (considered sport tire) then the BT012SS for the track.

MaXX

Please tell me how you get 10k,I run those on the rear of my 954 and get about 3.5k.Yes I ride somewhat hard but even if I putted around I don't think I would get even 8k. Must be doing something wrong. Jeff

Dave, I have ran BT's for years,if you are looking at long life I would advise agaist them and go with avons. On my gpz1100 which is similar to the XX best I could do is 5-6k (rear-front) Jeff

I ran the stock pressure, and used the bike mainly for sport-touring.

[quote="
The rear was determined to be a "test" tire, that's why it wore out so fast, and also that's why Avon wanted the whole tire back not just a piece cut out of the tire with the DOT number. I have around around 500 miles on the rear and some of the nubs are still on the tire.[/quote]

My avon is about shot at 5k,do you have a number for me to call ? I wonder if I have a test tire,Cal would like to know two since his is shot also with like mileage. Thanks,Jeff PS Can someone tell me how to properly use the Quote feature? I"m shot today after a 450 mile ride on the 954 yesterday.

No offense anyone...I don't like the avons at all. I have 3Kon them and very little tread left. I am actually not riding alot because I don't want to have to change them before the nexxt...So I won't be doing Avon again.

Mabey they just aren't right for my riding style.

SO BT it is....do they still make the 57's ???? If not I will give the Sport Touring BT20's.

Thanks guys...I appreciate the quick feedback. I am going to order them from the tire place everyone recommends !

Dave

I got 13k out of my first bt057 front and didn't REALLY have to ditch it.

I got 8.5k out of my rear bt057 but got a nail in it, would have gone 10k easily.

Be sure to get the oem bt057 though, www.parts411.com gots them for cheap :grin:

after trouble with a front bt010 and a front bt020, I went and got myself an oem bt057 to run with my bt020 rear, works fine and only paid like $78 for it!

trade off is the handling pretty much sucks.

Thanks Dave....

Dave

Dave, You must have gotten a "test" tire or something. I got 6500 out of my Avon 36 and I did probably half of that with Kathy on the back. The Avon 46 is suppose to give even more distance. You obviously got a test tire or ???? I've got a little over 3K on mine and the tires are not even close to half worn. If it's strictly mileage that you want, make sure that you get a touring tire of some sort.

My personal jury is still out on the Avon 45/46's. I still haven't mounted my new FREE rear. It is still waiting at the dealer. Been raining for like 15 days now haven't been rideing. :cry:

The front at 4k miles is down only 1/32nd and no cupping. :grin:

Dave, get the 45/46 combo.
Although the BT 57's are cheap at 411. I had them on my 1000f and liked them alot.


CBR-RR-XX-ESS, call the AVON 1-800 number off their site. Speak with a guy named John in customer service. I don't have the number on hand, or i would post it. Sorry.

Is it just me or does it seem that Avon has some sort of quality control problem. All of these issues on "test tires", whatever that is and why would they release something like that to the public. G2 had an out of round one. Carlos had a funky one. Sounds like their customer service is great though, and handles the problems, but jeez awful lot of stuff.

I've got just over 2k on my AV46 now, with the whole tread used up the first day, as well as 12 runs down the 1/4.

I didn't measure the tread, but I can't see any noticeable tread wear in that distance.

Dave, you've followed me before, and you know how I ride. If this tire is lasting this well with my riding, then I don't see why you wouldn't get similar wear.

Just to note, the 46 is not as sticky as the 36, IMHO, and I'd stay away from the Bridgestone's for cupping reasons.

I am just weary about Avon's now...especially now with all of the returns.

I ordered the 020's. 200 beans delivered with moto tires.com.

Just wish I could find a place to install them for less than 100 bucks.

How the hell am I gonna do that ?

Shit...I would have shipped them to you....

Hey...anyone willing to pay the shipping of my new tires to Joes house.....gets to keep my 1/2 used Avons.

My Avons have 2K or about on them. 1/2 tred life gone.

Front...Looks new.

Seriously...After I get home from the neXXt....25 miles.

My AV46 was fully worn in the center at just over 7200 miles. That included a lot of commuting and long straight rides (3200 miles for Cody, plus others). Of course, I may have done "one or two" top speed runs in there... The AV45 front is still going, I'm guessing it will be good for 14k or so.

I really do like my Pilot Road Sports - I now have about 3k miles on them with 75% of that in commuting, and the tread is still significantly there! They stick as well as most tires in the wet, and they're quite stable and sticky when it counts...

:grin:

My 90X rear got a flat at about 14,000 km[had tread for another 1,000km] and I replaced it with a Pilot Road. Now that it is scrubbed in, it feels better than my 90X tire. Any idea how long these last?
TimXX

Dave, you old fucker, How are you? They still make the BT 57's. The 20's are softer, but don't last as long as the 57's. I got 10k on the front and 8k on the rear and they are still going strong. And you know I run high pressures and still hang in the corners :wink: I've got the same tires that I had at the Hoot. Go with the BT 57's. They ARE MADE for the XX :!:

Michelin Pilot Roads mileage. I currently have 7800 miles on the Roads. The rear is approaching bar marks pretty soon so guessing 8200-8600 and they will have given their all. The front is still good, but no way will the Roads do 1 front for 2 rears, front is as least 2/3 gone. Excellent ST tire w no cupping or uneven wear both front and rear, 1st time for me. I noticed the grip has degraded just a bit during the ILL River Run during the faster sections, but very close to new scrubbed in feel. Performance degration over mileage is definitely less than other tires i've done.

For reference, the oem BT57 rear had given it's all plus some at 7700. The front BT57 was just over 1/2 gone at same mileage. I replaced both at the 7700 mark.

I ridden the Roads faster and harder :sex: and liked them considerably better than BT57s, esp. the grip and smoothness. Never ridden BT020 or Avons, so can't compare. Already have another set of Roads on order.

My $.02

I read these tire posts and I wonder if the numbers are being grossly exagerated. how on earth are you people getting so many miles out of your tires? I commute on my bird and have about 30 miles of twisties each day. I don't do burnouts, wheelies, or drag racing, but even so these are the mileages I have gotten with my tires:

BT57 - 3300 miles
BT010 - 1800 miles
D207 - 1700 miles
BT56SS - 3600 miles

As I write I have side wear bars front and rear on the BT56SS and will likely throw on some BT012SS tires tomorrow. So, what am I doing so different to trash my tires up to four times faster than some of you (7000+ on BT010???????)

Air pressures? Hard acceleration from stops? Particularly rough tarmac in your area?

It's really too bad that you're getting sportbike tire mileage out of your sport touring tires.

I ride mostly on expressways and highways usually exceeding the posted speed limits so I never get any wear on the sides of my tires. Usally keep 41 or 42 lbs in both tires.

BT57 - 8,545 miles
MEZ4 - 8,320 miles (removed with almost 3/32nds of tread still remaining because I had a set of Pilot Roads that I wanted to mount while I had the bike 1/2 apart anyway)

Yo, mbdean, the only ST tire you ran was the 57. The rest are sport or super sport.

207
56SS
010

Try: 220
020
46
etc.

You will get better mileage.

Let us know how you like the BT012SS tires.

Get Michelins. The Pilot Roads have been excellent for me. I've had them to Americade, the Hoot, the track, and all my riding around home here. I considered changing them before the nexxt until I took one look at em.

Did your Michelins have a dot to align with the vavle stem. My son just got the sports and they didn't. Since I mount my own tires, this is important to me.

Well, it's not very hi-tech but after putting the tire on the rim, I put the wheel on the bike without the caliper or chain. Spin the wheel and watch where the vavle stem stops. Spin it many times and if it stops at different places, your good. If it seems to stop at the same place, then I tape a small weight opposite side. It takes time but I have found that Dunlops tire to be almost perfect in balance. I have run my bike up to 175mph (on the speedo) with never a hint of unbalance.

Well, that explains it. Thanks for all your responses. I realize now that the reason I don't get better mileage out of my tires is because I am a big guy on a big bike but I ride it as though I am a lightweight on a light bike. In other words, I ride it like a sport bike and dragging knees and sliding rears is just part of my normal riding. Just don't tell my bird she's too heavy for the kind of riding I do. I wouldn't want her to get self conscious.

Anyway, I will post my impressions of the BT012SS tires once they are fully scuffed and dragging pucks or pegs. Supposedly they are the replacement for the BT56SS which I liked better than any tire I have used so far.

Come to think of it, I wonder how the Blackbird WOULD do as a sport tourer. Afterall, there have been some IBA Saddlesore certifications earned on this bike. My biggest day yet has been 450 miles and aside from it being a huge loop with lots of twisties I felt pretty good at the end. 1000 miles in 24 hours? How about in 12!!!!!?????

HUH????

In 1997 a Blackbird took 2nd place in the Iron Butt Rally
In 1999, took 7th place
In 2001 took 3rd place and made it to Prudhoe Bay, AK

They've also been ridden in numerous shorter Endurance Rallies covering far more than 1,000 miles in 24 hours.

So... they actually do make a reasonably decent sport touring mount :grin:

BT57 - 3300 miles
BT010 - 1800 miles
D207 - 1700 miles
BT56SS - 3600 miles

Sounds like low air. Maybe side drag caused by alignment concerns, or a little of both. I got my worst mileage this past week-end with the BT 57's.
9027 miles on the rear and 11,337 on the front. My last set went over 15K on the front and over 12K on the rear. The 57's love hi air pressures. 45-46 PSI front and rear cold. I just went over 36K on the bike.

The blackbird makes a great long distance sport touring bike. For me at 5'9" 175 lbs, the seat/bar relationship is good. You just firm up the springs and reduce the compression damping, throw on some soft luggage, and ride. If you don't fuck with the jetting, you can usually go 200 miles between fuel stops. Actually, I can't think of a better use for this bike. It's to heavy to run with the latest sport bikes, (assuming equal riders) and it's serious overkill for a commuter bike. Yeah, it eats tires. It's heavy, has lots of power, and most owners ride them pretty hard. I stick with the sport touring style tires, and usually get around 4-5,000 on my rear tires, and 6-9,000 on the fronts, no matter what the brand.

:shock: just don't tell my SO that, that was my primary justification that got me final clearance to do da bird, hehehehehehehehe ...

:pointup:

He he. That's how I justified keeping my Bird, and getting a Suzuki TLR "commuter" bike.