I replaced my worn out Pirelli rear tire with an Avon Storm ST in OEM size, 180/55/17.
I'd heard mixed reviews about the Avon Storm ST: some loved it, some didn't. Well, I agreee with the DO NOT LIKES! After riding the bike on dry pavement for over 1000 miles, I was initially pleased with the dry performance, but on a recent ST trip from Savannah, GA to Knoxville, TN, where I crossed the Applachain Mtns, in the rain, I got bad vibes from the rear tire. 42 psi is max and I was running 40 psi. While rounding a corner at a very conservative pace, the back end broke loose. Having ridden off-road for years, I was able to keep the bike upright. I was surprised, as it had been raining long enough to wash the road grime off the road, I was not cornering hard, was neutral on the throttle and I was not in the center of the lane where road grime builds up. After 28 years of street riding, and longer than that off-road, It surprised me enough that I rode like and "old grandpa" the remainder of my trip. Like I stated earler, the dry performance was great, but the traction in the rain was terrible. I called the 800 number for Avon to ask a Technician about my choice of tire pressures, but after three calls and three messages left on Vmails, they have yet to return my call. BTW, did I mention my first Storm ST had a huge lump in the sidewall when the shop mounted it and put air in it? Apparently, the QC process missed it and we found a pencil eraser sized area that had no rubber on the inner portion of the tire. Doesn't take me too long to figure out what NOT to buy, so Michelin Pilot Road 2s are going on next time.
