TIRES?? What tires are everyone running on their FJR?

[RossKean]

I got every mile I could from this tire. I liked these tires so well I wore them out...
View attachment 5337

I confess that I have taken a rear tire almost to that point upon two occasions. The first time was completely inadvertent and was surprised (shocked) when I saw the belt starting to appear. Didn't leak and I was close to home so no drama.
The second time was on a 6,000 km "fly and ride" to pick up my new-to-me 2011 FJR in British Columbia. The (Bridgestone) tire was in decent shape when I left, but I spent two full days pulling a utility trailer behind the bike across the Canadian prairies in a strong cross wind. Extra weight plus the side force from the wind caused extraordinary wear rate. In Winnipeg, I was surprised at the evident wear and by the time I got to Ottawa, it was a concern. Long weekend and no open shops so I decided to do the last 1100 km home. Made it without incident, but I won't push it that far again. Belts showing but still holding air. Traction diminished for sure, but it was an easy conservative highway run.

 

[waynevb]

One reason for me going Darkside was that a few years ago I was crossing the Nullarbor in Australia on a Suzuki Burgman 650. It's a 3,000 Km trip and I was loaded up with lots of gear, tools and fuel. About 50Km from Ceduna in South Australia, I was leading the group of four and the second guy passed me and flagged me down. He was riding an FJR. He told me that something had flown off my bike and hit him. The Bridgestone BattleAx tyre had delaminated and a 6x4"section was gone. We rode into Ceduna slowly and it was a Saturday, our scheduled rest day. The tyre dealer said it would take days to get a replace,ent m/c tyre. I said that I'd heard about people putting car tyres on the Burgman and asked if he could look into it. By Monday morning, he'd fitted a car tyre and I rode on that sucker for another three years. Cost me $150 AUD fitted.

 

[vzhq16]

Just bought a second set of Pirelli Angel GT2 A-Spec. I started out with Michelin Road Pilot 5 on this bike, when those wore out I bought Continental Road Attack III GTs. Loved those things! Felt much better on the curvy stuff than the Michelins. I bought a second set of Continentals to replace the first ones but the front tire started cupping prematurely (IMHO) so the next round was the Pirellis. They were slower to break in than the Continentals and didn't transition from upright to leaning into a curve as smoothly as the Continentals but you get used to them pretty quickly. Overall the Michelins were best in the wet. The Continentals were the best handling in the dry and not far behind the Michelins in the wet. The Pirellis are very nearly a match for the Continentals with the previously noted transition warning. The Pirellis gave me the best mileage too.

 

[Prosolar]

Dunlop roadsmart 3. Great tire good mileage.

 

[torch]

My first FJR came with BT-020's. Special version just for the FJR, extra belt in the sidewall, IIRC. Loved them, went through a few sets. Mileage wasn't great by today's standards, maybe 10 - 12,000km on the rear, 15 or 16,000kms on the front IIRC. But they were discontinued and replaced by the BT-021. Didn't care for them at all. I think Bridgestone were trying to increase longevity, but it came at the cost of grip.

I switched to the Pilot Road series starting with the PR2. Loved the PR2, PR3 and PR4. PR5 --er, Road5 since they dropped the "Pilot" name -- was a good tire too, but I did have the rear slip slightly a few times in wet corners -- not heeled right over, but a distinct lean angle. Again, it may have been a compound thing, riding the transition zone between the harder centre compound and the softer outer compound. This was the first tire I ever found that consistently wore out fronts faster than rears. I'd get 23 or 24,000kms out of a rear, but "only" 17 or 18,000 out of a front. Still way better than earlier technologies!

The R6 is supposed to bring the same dual-compound construction used on the R5 rear to the front tire too. I put one of those on the front of Pandora just before I gave her to my son. The ride feel was about the same as the R5 front and the tire is still going strong, but he puts way fewer kms on than I do so I'm not sure what the mileage is on that tire now.

I decided to try a different route this time. I just put snow tires on Legacy. Honest to goodness mud-and-snow rated motorcycle road tires! The Dunlop Mutant is supposed to have comparable wet grip to the Road series and improved grip on loose surfaces. Time will tell but first impressions are good. Handling is quite neutral (the PR's tended to need more positive input at low speeds, especially as they wore). The flip side is the Mutant seems a bit touchy at really low stop-and-go speeds, although a full-lock feet-on-the-pegs turn is quite achievable. Based on the chicken strips, the rear runs out of tread just after the pegs start to fold up, but the front still has a solid 1/2" left. I thought the unusual tread pattern might cause increased tire noise, but if it did, I can't hear it.

The sidewalls are very stiff. So stiff as to make mounting a challenge, especially the rear. I had to use 3 clamps to squeeze the sidewalls together as I worked the rear bead around the rim (the front only required 1 clamp). PR series tires practically jump on the rims themselves by comparison. The stiffness may be the reason tire pressure does not rise as much as expected when rolling. Starting at 33 F and 36 R, psi only rose to 36 F and 39 R after a 50km jaunt down mostly highway. PRs would have been 1-2 psi higher under similar conditions.

I almost can't wait to try them out in the snow. Almost. Aw, who am I kidding -- I can wait.

 

[CWAAK]

hiya mate. I had the same question on this forum a while ago. I'm still running Bridgestone T31 rear and T32 front. These tyres have been great for confidence in all weather but the rear hasn't lasted me more than 3000k's and ready for change. The front is about 50% down - both were changed at the same time. My previous set looked like the top 3 sides of a pentagon after 3000k's (or so, it wasn't much) with nasty wear on cornering contact patch. Some one here suggested upping tyre pressure to 40/42 and wear is much more evenly distributed - lesson learnt. The rear isn't getting anywhere near the K's others suggest so I'm looking to change the next set.

What I love about this combo: grip! Hate: shit lifespan!

Ps, mostly 1-up riding with infrequent pillion. I've been keeping off the back roads trying to preserve these tyres and being gentle..cruisy. I now know it's not my riding style wearing these out so fast Some else replied similar. In Oz, these 2 tyres were about $700

 

[Whooshka]

To the OP an-guy....

Did you get your answer yet?

 

[RossKean]

Starting at 33 F and 36 R, psi only rose to 36 F and 39 R after a 50km jaunt down mostly highway.

Seems a bit low in terms of pressure. Do you normally run those pressures or does Dunlop recommend that for these tires?
Interesting tread - I wonder how they will last and how they will work on gravel or mild dirt...

 

[#Rocket]

Avon Storm 3D in front. Avon Azaro in back. Installed this spring. They have been great so far. No vibration, quiet, and better grip than what my FJR came with. I'm and old, not bold rider.

 

[Dan Cooper]

Avon Storm 3D in front. Avon Azaro in back. Installed this spring. They have been great so far. No vibration, quiet, and better grip than what my FJR came with. I'm and old, not bold rider.

Really, an Azaro in 180/55-17. I can't find that tire anywhere. I thought those disappeared when the Storms were released. I remember using Azaros way back when, but haven't seen one in maybe a decade.
Maybe there is a time change in Nebraska, is still 1978??

dan

expiring minds want to know!!

 

[#Rocket]

Really, an Azaro in 180/55-17. I can't find that tire anywhere. I thought those disappeared when the Storms were released. I remember using Azaros way back when, but haven't seen one in maybe a decade.
Maybe there is a time change in Nebraska, is still 1978??

dan

expiring minds want to know!!

The rest of the story. I bought an FJR Gen2 (with almost 20k miles and good maintenance history) a year ago at an estate sale for about half of KBB private seller price. There was not much interest in the FJR, maybe because I'm in Harley territory and it was missing aftermarket accessories: CB "headset stuff", obsolete Garmin GPS, and top trunk (felt good to remove superfluous mounts and wiring). The bike was in excellent electrical and mechanical condition; however, both tires were ready for replacement. As I recall they were Continentals with a cupped wear problem. The bike came with a "brand new" in the wrapper, never mounted, Avon Azaro for the rear. When I went to mount and balance, my motorcycle shop said the tire was discontinued (the tire date stamp indicated 2006 manufacture) and the most compatible tire for the front would be the Storm (manufactured in 2022). There are no cracks or signs of deterioration on the old/new tire and I've put about 5k miles on the tires. I've tested acceleration and braking up to engaging ABS and it seems competent and predictable. That is how I ended up with a discontinued new tire on the back. For now, it's working fine--but I do inspect frequently because the rear is an older tire. Would I get Avon again? Yes, but I should also look at Michelin per my motorcycle shop's recommendation.

 

[Mozey]

BT-023F on front and BF Goodrich Comp2 on the rear.

 

[torch]

Seems a bit low in terms of pressure. Do you normally run those pressures or does Dunlop recommend that for these tires?
Interesting tread - I wonder how they will last and how they will work on gravel or mild dirt...

As a rule of thumb, I adjust the pressures to see a 2-3psi pressure rise over cold in the front and a 5-6psi pressure rise in the rear as a guide to ensure the tires are warm enough for grip. The precise starting pressure depends on load and speed and wet of course, but in this case I was riding solo with little cargo, and as noted, the sidewalls are pretty stiff on these, so I estimated a slightly lower pressure than I would run the P5's to start (I rather err on the side of grip). After a longer jaunt the rear climbed to 41psi.

Next I'll bump the cold pressures up 2 psi and see how that does, but I must say I really like the feel of these where they are right now -- at least on dry roads. The forecast says we might get some rain tomorrow, which would be a good opportunity to try out the wet performance.

 

[RossKean]

As a rule of thumb, I adjust the pressures to see a 2-3psi pressure rise over cold in the front and a 5-6psi pressure rise in the rear as a guide to ensure the tires are warm enough for grip.

Seems to me to me that quite a large temperature rise would be needed to increase pressure that much. Grip would certainly improve but I would expect to the detriment of tire longevity.
I admit I have no experience dealing with pressures in this fashion. I usually do 40F and 42R (cold) and call it a day.
According to Wikipedia:

Cold Inflation Pressure - Link



A 10°C (18°F) temperature rise from 20 to 30°C raises the tire pressure by 1.5 psi (starting at 30 psi) or 1.9 psi starting at 40 psi.
They suggest a rule of thumb of 2% pressure increase for every 10 °F.

Do you use TPMS or an infrared temperature gun to assess tire temperature?

 

[an-guy]

Wow I had a bit of reading to do lol. Bit of engagement on the site is nice. Thanks to everyone who answered, my friend did recommend to me and is gonna try some T32 GTs on his FJR but yeah I've not heard nice things about the lifespan. Kinda leaning towards the road 6s... I just got a tire machine so that should free up some money to spring for them. I've heard they get about 10k miles, and that would be excellent. Plus cold weather grip...

 

[RossKean]

Wow I had a bit of reading to do lol. Bit of engagement on the site is nice. Thanks to everyone who answered, my friend did recommend to me and is gonna try some T32 GTs on his FJR but yeah I've not heard nice things about the lifespan. Kinda leaning towards the road 6s... I just got a tire machine so that should free up some money to spring for them. I've heard they get about 10k miles, and that would be excellent. Plus cold weather grip...

I am currently running the Bridgestone T32 GT and I have been reasonably happy with them. In the past several years, I have been mostly running Dunlop Roadsmart III. I have a set of the newer Roadsmart IV waiting in the wings...

 

[Sworch]

Finding pairs right now is hard. I ended up going mix. Battlaxe up front and Dunlap back. I set an appointment (had a two week wait) and they didnt have any mated pairs and couldnt find ones I wanted online mated either.

 

[torch]

Seems to me to me that quite a large temperature rise would be needed to increase pressure that much. Grip would certainly improve but I would expect to the detriment of tire longevity.
I admit I have no experience dealing with pressures in this fashion. I usually do 40F and 42R (cold) and call it a day.

Do you use TPMS or an infrared temperature gun to assess tire temperature?

Racers typically warm their tires up to 70-80°C with tire warmers for maximum grip, so I'm not too worried about overheating them ;-)

Google the "10 20 motorcycle tire pressure rule" -- a commonly used method of fine tuning tire pressure to suit individual needs. Basically, the recommendation is that the front tire pressure should increase 10% hot over cold, and rear should increase 20%. If the increase is less, decrease cold pressure. If the increase is more, bump it up. To use my cold numbers of 33 an 36, if I follow that "rule", I should see about 36 and 40 when up to temperature. After a longer run, my front is in the right zone, but the rear got up to 41, suggesting I should add a touch to the rear.

Now, I was lightly loaded. With gear on, I'm still under 200lbs and I was only carrying my overnight "go" bag and some rain gear. If I was 2 up and loaded for bear, I would expect to need higher cold pressures. Your 40/42 could well be correct for YOUR weight and load, but to verify that you should check them again hot and aim for ~44/50. If they don't get that high, then you are starting too high -- at least, according to the "rule". If your aim is to maximize tread life at the expense of grip -- a legitimate objective if your riding is primarily good, dry roads -- then accept less of a temperature rise.

This year I added a TPMS, and the pressure readings are pretty accurate. Way more convenient than a manual tire pressure gauge. The temperature readings are useless, IMHO. They are reasonably accurate (within 1°C) comparing to ambient temperature after sitting a few hours but more representative of the rim temp than the tire temp in use, and the rim is a giant heat sink spinning in free air. Internal sensors might be slightly closer, but again, at best they measure the internal air temperature, not the rubber temperature and the air is simultaneously cooled by the rim while heated by the tire.

A non-contact ("laser") thermometer or Thermal Imaging Camera can be more accurate -- BUT: for complete accuracy, one must compensate for emissivity of the object. A tire probably has an emissivity coefficient of around 0.90. If your thermometer/TIC is similarly compensated, great, you are good to go (well, assuming the thermal sensitivity and range are adequate). And in all honesty, even if it's off a bit, it's probably close enough for government work -- this isn't rocket science and we don't need the temperature down to 3 decimal places.

Yesterday morning, 10 minutes after a 2-1/2 hour ride, ambient air temp was up to 12°C, Front TPMS showed 14°C, Rear TPMS indicated 24°C and the TIC registered 26° and 27°C respectively.

 

[RossKean]

Google the "10 20 motorcycle tire pressure rule" -- a commonly used method of fine tuning tire pressure to suit individual needs. Basically, the recommendation is that the front tire pressure should increase 10% hot over cold, and rear should increase 20%. If the increase is less, decrease cold pressure. If the increase is more, bump it up. To use my cold numbers of 33 an 36, if I follow that "rule", I should see about 36 and 40 when up to temperature. After a longer run, my front is in the right zone, but the rear got up to 41, suggesting I should add a touch to the rear...

Thanks Torch. I will do some more reading on the subject but I expect I will continue with higher pressures for tire longevity - at least for the most part. I rarely find myself in a situation where I need my tires hotter and stickier.

I agree with your comments on tire temperature measurement. The only time I have done so is when I was experimenting with a car tire on the bike. First approximation was feel, but ended out playing with pressure and using an IR "laser" thermometer. (Not perfect, but certainly adequate since you are really looking for temperature change rather than absolute.) I suppose a contact thermocouple (with low thermal mass) would be more accurate...

I have never figured how anyone could get accurate temperatures with a stem-mounted TPMS sensor, but the internal ones are probably pretty reasonable. I don't have TPMS on my FJR, but probably should get one...

 

[Whooshka]

Geez this is getting complicated. Now you know why I groaned when I saw another tire thread. LOL

Remove valve caps, check pressures, are they 41/42? No?... adjust pressures. Yes?... install valve caps, ride away happily.