Tire recommendations

Just wanted to know any tire recommendations for those of us who ride three seasons in the PNW?

Also what is the going rate for install? My mechanic is stating around $500 for a new set and install...

Thanks!

Bridgestone T-31 GT's are my choice.

Zeb said:

My mechanic is stating around $500 for a new set and install...

Thanks!

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Wow… Seems very high. What tires did the quote include?

I ride Mich. PR2s and usually pay around $250 for a set, but then I spoon on the tires myself.

You are in an area with some really great forum members with tire changers. Perhaps you could go to a "Tech meeting"

and meet some great people and get your tires changed (Much cheaper)

Check this section out here for regional meets:Pacific Northwest - FJRForum

I've had great luck with Michelin PR 's. The new set has about 4K on PR5's purchased and installed at Moon's motorcycle in Issaquah. Consider 4 seasons in the PNW!! The last few weeks have required Metro bus rides to get to Seattle due to ice and snow, but the sunshine today was a great way to end February.

Thanks for the replies!

I am leaning towards the Michelin PR's (4 or 5's maybe)....in a general search on the forum I was seeing riders in the UK were recommending PR2's (similar climate to the PNW)....

I ran Pirelli Angel GTs for several years (and several sets of tires. The fronts always wore out before the backs, almost at a two to one ratio. Going to A-specs helped but only slightly. High pressure, low pressure, still the same. Thats 180 degrees the opposite of every other street bike Ive owned. I am a big guy and I do ride the bike pretty hard, love the twisties.

Bought a set of Michelin PR4GTs and they have performed significantly better wear wise and I feel like they handle as good or better too. They definitely do better in the wet, they just feel more stable. Im almost finished with the front, and the back has a bit more to go, but not nearly the two to one ratio like the Pirellis. I think they were sinoly a tad too soft on the edges.

Im sold on the PR4GTs. Need to buy another set before they phase them out for the PR5s. I wont try the PR5s until the PR5GTs are released. Again, big guy, big bike ridden hard. The GT part only makes sense.

How you ride, and how big you are definitely makes some difference on which tires will work good for you.

I change and balance my own and have for years. Last I heard the dealers wanted about $40-$50 per tire off the bike amd you usually have to make two trips... Not for me. It takes me longer to R&R the wheel than it does to change the tire, although I spend quite a bit of time getting the balance just right.

To each his own.

You did not state your weight. I am running Michelin Road 5 tires and like them better than the prior PR 2 & 4. If you ride one up and not a heavy guy you do not need GT's. I paid $364 for a set delivered last year. I paid a local shop $65 to mount them.

Just replaced my PR2's with Road 5's (very nice tire so far; I weigh 180 and ride solo so I don't anticipate any problem not waiting for the 5 GT's). I did my own mounting and balancing so no help with that but depending on whether you just drop off your bike and say change tires or bring your dismounted wheels/tires is going to make a pretty big (dollar) difference because of labor.

Well it's a tire thread (no pun intended) and it's in NERPT and it is Friday so might as well throw this in here:

Bridgestone rebates.

I used the T30 on the front with a PR4 rear and was all around very happy with it.

Ran the T30 GT's and now on a set of T31 GT's. Love them so far and have been a big Bridgestone fan (ran BT016,S20,S21 on my FZ1) and will buy another set of T31GT's once these wear out.

Like mentioned earlier, bridgestone has a mail in rebate for a set of tires... so you can get a set of T31GT's to your door for about $250, depending on sales tax. Throw in the $60 rebate and that's $190 for an amazing set of tires.

I have a No-mar tire changer so installs are free for me.

$500 for a set is robbery.

Reading this thread just cost me a few bucks. I too like Bridgestone tires so I just bought a set of T-31 GT's for $248 including tax with free shipping. That's before the rebate! The website I buy tires from was almost $100 cheaper than anyone else so I jumped on them before they realized it.

Get the round black tires, they are the bees knees.

Bugnatr said:

Get the round black tires, they are the bees knees.

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Coming from a member that wears out lots of tires this is gospel.

Trailrider57 said:

Reading this thread just cost me a few bucks. I too like Bridgestone tires so I just bought a set of T-31 GT's for $248 including tax with free shipping. That's before the rebate! The website I buy tires from was almost $100 cheaper than anyone else so I jumped on them before they realized it.

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Dude! Your a new guy, on the forum, you find a deal like that and you don't share after you have yours purchased of course? You also got me searching and found a pair at Rocky Mountain ATV MC for under $239.00 with tax. I'm not a Bridgestone fan but for under $180.00 for a pair of Bridgestone T31 GTs after rebate I'll suck it up and like them.

Edit

Spoiler alert! I think I plucked the last 180/55 ZR17 in the GT model. They are on back order until the 27th but the rebate runs until April 30th so you should be good.

Sorry Abercrombie FJR but I didn't post where I bought mine because I wasn't sure if I'd get flagged for breaking some rule but yes, Rocky Mountain ATV is where I purchased mine. I was even able to apply money from their cash back program that's a year or so old. Heck of a deal.

Trailrider57 said:

Sorry Abercrombie FJR but I didn't post where I bought mine because I wasn't sure if I'd get flagged for breaking some rule but yes, Rocky Mountain ATV is where I purchased mine. I was even able to apply money from their cash back program that's a year or so old. Heck of a deal.

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Hey, I was just kidding. There was no need for an apology but as long as we're all apologizing, I'm sorry about calling you the new guy when you've been around for a few years.

Bugnatr said:

Get the round black tires, they are the bees knees.

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Truth. It doesn't really matter. Round n black .

How long do the T31s last on your bike?

Zeb said:

Thanks for the replies!
I am leaning towards the Michelin PR's (4 or 5's maybe)....in a general search on the forum I was seeing riders in the UK were recommending PR2's (similar climate to the PNW)....

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The PR2s were and still are very good in the wet but each new version of the PR has been an improvement in wet weather traction. I ride in the rain a lot down here in South Louisiana and wet weather traction has always been my primary reason for staying with some version of the Michelin PR series tires.

YMMV

And since this is a Tire Thread and it is in NEPRT...

Buy the round black ones. They work the best. Be sure to change your air with the seasons. None of us want to contemplate the dangers of running Winter Air in our tires during the summer. The horror stories of what happens with Summer Air in a tire during winter...well let's not even discuss that.