Time for new tires, need something super sticky

[Red Duke Rider]

Time for new tires for my '01 Duke II. Finishing up installing a set of Marchesini forged aluminum wheels.

I used an Avon AV49 Pro Extreme Rain on the front in the past. It stuck like cat doo doo in shag carpet but it cupped and chewed up real bad. Got maybe 1000 miles out of it doing nothing but north GA mountains. Used every inch of the tire all the way to the edges and beyond. Ran an H rated Pirelli Diablo on the rear.

All ideas, opinions, suggestions welcome. Tried the Continental Supermoto's once but didn't like the lack of grip on the front compared to the Avon.

[dutch rc]

i to am in need of tires. i had on 03 r1, and an 04 rc51, was told go power pilots, have never looked back, so this time im going to try out the power pure, i believe it just comes down to what you like, everyone has there choice and some might say pirelli, conti's dunlop, got some milage out of them to

[Red Duke Rider]

I know what you mean. I know that Z rated tires used on the big sport bikes don't seem to work well on SM's. You have to drop the air pressure down to around 18-20 to get any heat into them.

RC-51 . . . . . Nice! I'm installing an SP-2 front end on my VFR800 right now.

[dutch rc]

thanks yeah the rc51 is gone, wish i didnt sell it but rocking the ktm since 06. i just went to continentals web site and there sm tire looks real good, im even thinking i might go with this one

[Roadrogue]

Believe it or not the Shinko 005 Advance rear tire worked quite well for pavement work but since it's a sport tire it's wearing out at 2000 miles. If I was going for another sport tire I'd probably get a Pilot Pure, but I'm sick of the poor mileage so I'm trying a Conti Road Attack on the rear this time.

It amazes me how a 60 hp, 350 lb. bike can kill rear tires so effectively.

[Red Duke Rider]

My theory on why Supermoto's, Duke's, etc eat rear tires at an alarming rate.

Let's say your Superduper single cylinder only puts out 50 hp. You have to realize that the 50 hp all comes in one "pulse" or "wallop" due to it being a single cylinder engine.

Compare that to a four cylinder street bike putting out 100 hp. It may be putting out twice as many hp's, but it is doing it in 25 hp "pulses" or "wallops". Plus the 100 hp street bike is probably going to be running a 180 rear tire.

I've never gotten over 1000 miles on anything I've ran on the rear of my Duke II.

[Mountain Goat]

Got Michelin Power Pures put on yesterday. (Plus Dynabeads for balancing.) It was like a whole new bike on the ride home.

Michelin figured out how to get by with 3 belts instead of the 5 in tires like the Bstone BT-016s I replaced, which I loved, saving 2 lbs/tire. Because of the location of this reduction of unsprung rotational mass, it's like shaving 6 lbs off each wheel or 8 lbs off each rotor.

Turn-in is definitely quicker. Changing lines was a snap, on the 40-mile ride home I was having a ball apex diving and clipping. Keeping in mind that they weren't scrubbed-in.

VERY IMPORTANT. If you get Power Pures, make sure they inflate them properly or the softer carcass will feel wobbly. Michelin recommends 36f/42r. The guys that mounted mine, 303 Cycle, (Great price, they do 'Net sales) I believe set mine at 36f/38r. Felt great.

This tire seems to be a no-brainer for those of you that ride less-powerful corner-bombers. Don't know what the wear will be like, I ground the shoulders off the old front BT-016 in about 1k.

[Sidewinder]

Here's the tires I recently had mounted on mine, couldn't be happier!

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/545/38...ct-Review.aspx

[kopfjager]

Originally Posted by Mountain Goat

Got Michelin Power Pures

VERY IMPORTANT. If you get Power Pures, make sure they inflate them properly or the softer carcass will feel wobbly. .

They....How about "you" make sure their inflated properly.

[Mountain Goat]

Originally Posted by kopfjager

They....How about "you" make sure their inflated properly.

Huh? I wasn't installing them. I think I can count on my buds at 303 to set them where they said they set them.

Anyway, scrubbed in the Power Pures today in the mountains. Their quick drop in reminds me of the Pirelli Diablos that came stock on the SDR. A small amount of input is needed to initiate cornering. But unlike the square-shouldered Pirellis adjustments in the corner are much easier, like the slope-shouldered BT-016s I took off. Best of both worlds.

After the canyon session I went to a local industrial park that has a nice oval drive that I use as my after-hours skid pad. Nearing the limit I noticed that the Pilot Pures seem to kind of "chatter" rather than slide, but I had to dive deep into crazyland to get them to misbehave.