Tyre Life

[Paulbde]

I'm sure these questions must have been asked before, but:-

On a typical GS, how many miles do you expect to get from-

Road based tyres

Knobblys ( TKC's etc)

And also, do you expect the front to last longer than the rear?

what is the top road tyre of choice?

 

[Clem]

Tourances are getting close to needing replacing, currently 8k miles.
Front is more worn than rear, but I think I'll replace both together.

 

[Shep]

Dual surface tyres (battlewings, anakees etc) i tend to replace both at the same time, even if one or tother has a few miles left in it, I get a bit paranoid about punctures and by my experience you're much more likely to get a flat with worn tyres.

Shep

 

[ELIMINATOR]

12k from a rear Tourance, can't quite be sure,but about 18k from the front. Totally dependant on riding style, me........ gentle.

 

[tufty1909]

12,000 miles from a rear motorcycle tyre I could not ever be anywhere near that, My present Bridgstone 020 has been on for 2500 miles and looks three quarters worn.

I do here of very good wear properties from the tourance especially if treated gently.

I am a spirited rider using a fair amount of the bike's power and torque.

 

[Noddy]

TKC's, two rears to one front. Four to six k depending on the off road roughness and the motorways between.

Norfolk flints and the Alps granite tears them to bits

 

[terayon]

Average about 12,000 miles out of a rear tourance but have to replace due to squaring off rather than using all the tread up. Get about 18,000 before they have to be replaced due to stress cracks.

Gonna try distanzia's next and I've used the tourances for the last 4 years, and avarage about 20,000 miles a year

 

[FLASH]

Tourances: 3000 miles rear, 4000 miles front

 

[Noddy]

Gonna try distanzia's next

Thats strange, just fitted a pair of them this afternoon. The road test starts in the morning

Been on TKC's the last two and a half years so this will probably feel very wierd to start with, although pushing the bike back in the barn was strange, just so very smooth.

 

[ahutcheon]

Tourances: about 6000 miles out of a rear, twice that from the front (i.e. replace the pair every other rear).

 

[Packer]

Tourances: 3000 miles rear, 4000 miles front

You must wring it's neck every trip in every gear!

I get 10,000-12,000 from a set of Tourances and always replace them as a pair. I like to get on the power early whilst well cranked over, it minimises the squaring of the rear. Scraped boots but no chicken strips for this rider/1150GS.

Try to be gentle on the gas away from a standstill, i.e. in low gears, and you'll see 10,000 miles from a set of tyres. I use any residual tread on the front to practise emergency stops and to test the limits of the ABS

 

[The Bede]

... Dunlop Trailmax 607 - 4700mls, grippier wet and dry than Tourrance 'standard', last 1000 miles the 'white-lining' was pretty bad though

... Tourrance - 9000mls, less grippy wet and dry than 607s but better on loose surfaces (I don't do off-road per se, unless it's the carpark at Waitrose), only in last 500 miles did they get skittery, despite starting to square off relatively early in their life. Front looked shot after 2000 miles, but then it just sat like that for the remaining 7000.

... Bridgestone BT020 - 4300mls just, shot to bits ... but oh what fun on the road, even the last 500 miles of squirrelling back-end. Too expensive for high mileage biking, plus you're back in the shop too often to replace them. But ... can I say it again ... OH WHAT FUN ... too much fun to square off even!

... I change front and rear together a) because I'm still trying different brands on the GS and I don't want a mis-match, b) because worn tyres are more puncture prone.

... Due to change the 020s when I get back home in a couple of weeks, I think I'm going to try the Avon Distanzias as I've got some 'hybrid' riding planned rather than pure road (and Waitrose ). Better price than Tourrance, or BT020, but should (based on forum gossip) last a thou' or two longer than the Dunlops which were actually pretty good for a 'hybrid' handling wise.

 

[vfxmark]

Rear Tourance down to the wear bars at 6300 miles...
front has a bit more but not much.

Riding hard and fast and not very politely... and a lot of extended high speed on hot (thermally) roads in Southern California.

Now that I have a good feeling for what the bike will do, I will probably get better mileage out of the next set...
...or not.

 

[Rhino]

just got 13,800 out of a front torurance and 12,800 out of the rear, an a GS12. Probably would have been the same front a rear but I picked up a nail in the rear at 950miles
I used to do a 40 mile each way comute into london each day so the first 30 miles was M1 with 10 miles in london traffic mode, so I dont hang about and the tireas are scrubbed al lthe way to the edge, but I have a failry smooth riding style.
Same went for the for brake pads, bikes is still on the original front pads, didnt even get an advisory when it was in last week for its 12k service, ( okay a bit late at 13,800and yes I do check stuff myself, don't just rely on the delaers to warn Me) but killed a pair of rears after 9k miles ?