XTX rear tyre.
 

Hi all, I'm another convert to the XT. I've only had it a month and done about 500 miles. The back tyre is showing serious signs of wear. I didn't buy it new but it looked fine at first.( Pirelli MTR02).
I'm not a racer, just like pottering around the country lanes. What tyres would you recommend ? I would like a few more miles out of the next one.
Cheers
Tony

Try the Avon Distanzia's

http://www.avon-tyres.co.uk/motorcyc...isttyres&cat=5

Tough enough for larger capacity Supermoto bikes, the Distanzia’s distinctive tread pattern is designed to provide excellent performance in both on- and off-road conditions. It’s nimble through corners, stable on the straights, boasts top-class roadholding in the dry and the wet, features good traction in the dirt and gives excellent mileage.

And ploughing too!!

Alan I have a feeling that as agricultural as they may seem to you that deep down, you are very interested in trying a set of these, just to see what the fuss is all about. I guarantee you that if you do try them you will not regret your choice. After all more than 20 people in this forum have gone for them and have been raving about them too.

Slim could have done with a set yesterday, he could have gone across the field to avoid the van!!! Seriously, I have ridden a bike with Distanzas fitted and I didn't like them, too much front end patter, if the are meant as a dual purpose tyre the must be a compromise for the road, now, where did I put the keys to my tractor???

@AJT660 When you say front end patter do you mean the wobbles at high speed? That's what I get when going over 80 mph. I have to loosen my grip on the handlebars or the wobbles get dangerous. I didn't get this wobble problem with the original Pirelli Dragons but they wore out too quickly. I do like the grip the Distanzias give and can say I've had a few slips with Pirelli tyres but the Avons stick really well.

I'm getting another Distanzia fitted to the rear this week just because I like to keep matching tyres but when that's dusted I'll be trying some Continentals as I've heard good reports on them.

I give Pirelli Dragons 6/10. (wear too fast and lack grip. Rear squares off too quick).
Avon Distanzias 8/10 (Last 50% longer but getting the wobbles).

Patter, a judder on the front during cornering, didn't like it, but i am fussy about tyres, I loved the original pirelli mtr 01/02 combination, superb grip and stability, if I could find a set I would buy them now!!!! Infact, as most others seem to hate them, if anyone has a little used set, send them to me!!!!

But Fran.......only 20 or so out of how many members???

But seriously what is it exactly that users do not like about the original tyres that the bike came with from new?

Apart from durability I can not see a problem....................

Pressures I think is rubbish.....I happened to check mine the other day and only had 21 and 23 psi in them..................didnt seem to make too much difference.

Well Ricky since you've asked I tell you what it is about these tyres I personally don't like...


Don't forget that, with all due respect, to both you and Alan, whilst you two really are "occasional" riders of these bikes i.e. you only use them randomly for the purpose of a fun day out, which is fair enough to you, however the majority of us do use them as our commuting tool as well as leasure, but when you wake up in the middle of the winter at 5am and the roads are cold and wet you need some tyre with an almost immediate grip and one that will heat up pretty quick, which is not what the Pirelli are like.

I remember getting my bike out of the garage in those cold conditions with the original tyres and be victim of many many slip offs becase those tyres and the torquey nature of these bikes in my view are a very bad combination. Yeah they are ok once you manage to get them to temperature but they are ****e from the word go.

And you and Alan say they are great in cornering but, frankly you guys hardly go out on them unless the sun is shining and the roads are dry, so if you were to try the Pirelli's in a series of twisty roads in the miserable weather conditions same as I am forced to go out on, you two will also realize the pirelli don't cut it in the real world. The bike is too snatchy and torquey in the wet to live with the original tyres and many people have kissed tarmac in realization of this.

I've tried nearly every tyre on the market for these bikes and apart from the Avon the only other suitable tyres to me were the Maxxis although their sweet spot is short lived and they wear out like cheese on toast.

People have complained about the wobble they get from the Avon and the Maxxis but it is easily eliminated once these are set at the correct inflation pressure.

I think you have summed it up perfectly there Fran, what you are saying is, if you want a good all-purpose tyre for cold/wet/commuting, get some Avons, if however you just blat around in the sunshine they will be a compromise(as I have said in a previous post).

I like the "cheese on toast" comment Fran. :rofl[1]:

Excellent description. :thumbsup:

Looks like I'll have to do some more playing with pressures then. Can't fault the Avons for grip. Just want to ride at 85 mph without the bike nodding it's head.

Next time we meet I'll let you try mine and you will see there is no wobble at all on mine.

you wanna get a car mate for those long winter mornings

Alan......did you write this?? or was it one of you employees?

Exactly!!!!!

Hang on, I'll check, no, there is no dribble on the keyboard, it must have been me!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers Captain. I look forward to the day.

Cheers.

While we are on the subject of tyres and pressures, what tyre pressures are you using Guv?

Also, can anybody recommend a good tyre pressure gauge as I've just checked mine on someones car tyre and it reads 6 psi difference to his gauge. Mine is an electronic keyring thingy and the make has scrubbed off. I did check out what other people thought about the pressure gauge before I bought it and it got 10/10 and 1/10 :confused3:. I'm looking for something I can put in my pocket, not something like the size of a brick.

28psi on the front 30 on the rear

Here is southern Spain many of us also noticed slip offs in town when comming back from a ride, probably caused by the tyre not behaving well when it got too hot. Roundabuts became a challenge after a long ride. That, and the fact that they did last less than 3000km, are the main reasons I did not like the oem tyres

Hmmm. That's what I'm running. Maybe it's my tyre pressure gauge showing incorrectly.

I guess your weight and riding position might have an influence.

It does. When I sit back a bit it reduces the wobbles.

I've just moved the bars back a bit to see if there is any difference. The wobbles were still there but not as bad until I hit the rev limiter in top gear then it wobbled like mad and I've now got brown pants.

I have noticed that it wobbles more when I have an empty tank. Also if it wobbles at a ton and I put my left hand on the tank then the wobbles stop. It's got to be something to do with wind hitting me and starting an ossolation. Maybe a fairing would help but apart from that, I'm stumped for ideas.

Strange never really thought about it until now but mine wobbles more on windy days (head wind), running the original front and a Conti rear, 30 and 31 respectively.

strange cause you can't fit the wrong spacers (they are different) from one side to the other and the only other thing I can think of is if the hub bearing are worn, but if they were you would hear a racket when braking. Worth having it re-balanced, and I hate to think that the muppet that replaced it, put a wrong tube in it. (sounds a bit like it, you never know) See this is why you should never use a cow-boy, and the mistake that the RAC man did is thinking your other tyre was tubeless as it does say so on the casing but didn't realize it wasn't because of spoked rims need tubes otherwise they'll leak and probably attempted to plug your tyre with one of those widgets, which only work on really tubeless tyres.

No racket when braking, thankfully. What do you mean by wrong tube?

RAC did try to use the rubber/sealent thingy, didn't work first time so tried again, still went down, rung the dealer (Poole Yam) who gave me the bad news. You live and learn ;)

Got RAC to take bike to the nearest large bike specialist, no loacl Yam one could help in less than 3 days. Cut a long story short 3 days later :) I got my bike bake after going to pick it up twice with it not being ready and a trip to work and back on the train due to having no bike, should have gone to JT's the Yam dealer and hoped they could have got it fixed earlier, (moved to South Wales since I got the bike).

wrong tube as in wrong size, either smaller or bigger it can't be good