Tyres

[epicfail]

I bought my first big bike in April - 2018 SV650. I have done 3.7k miles on it since.

Just had it serviced and was told that the front tyre was on the limit and the back was 2.5mm. The tyres are Dunlop Sportmax 2 and were brand new when I got the bike.

Not having any previous experience of such things I'm a bit surprised that I haven't got more miles from them. Is this a normal rate of wear?

I have seen good reports about Michelin Road 5's - would these be a better bet?

[Krikkit]

Were the tyres new when you bought the bike? It sounds like a quite high wear rate on the front but about right on the rear. That said the type of tyre makes a big difference.

As a benchmark with my Monster I've had 2x front and 3x rear Diablo Rossos (very old design and not hard wearing tyres) in 9k miles, and the tyres on it were half worn when I bought it.

[epicfail]

Both tyres were unused when I got the bike. It took me a while to get the red band off the front.

[trickywoo]

The standard fit Dunlops on those are a dreadful tyre.

Surprised you’ve worn the front more than the rear though.

Road 5 are a good tyre and will give you loads more mileage.

Price per mile they are probably as good as anything.

Rosso 3 suit the bike and can be had cheaper but won’t do as many miles.

[bolidemichael]

I have the new pilot road 5 and they're the latest technology and excellent to boot.

[black-k1]

Road 5, Road 6 and Metzler 01 SE will all give great grip, wet or dry, and will last for many more miles.

[underwhelmist]

I concur with M'learned colleagues above, Michelin Pilot Road.

[bolidemichael]

Perhaps I was wrong and have the road 6. Whatever, get the latest ones, they're great.

[KTMsm]

Some bikes are fitted with tyres with less tread that are specially made for them to cut costs

That still seems poor wear on the front though unless you're heavily breaking all the time

Might be worth measuring or posting up a pic of both

[Marquezs Stabilisers]

Are you running the manufacturers recommended pressures? Have you compared your gauge to another one, and are you doing them cold?

My Impreza ate a set of tyres as my gauge had gone off...and as a full time 4WD car, I had to do all the tyres at once

[hiccy18]

bolidemichael said:

Perhaps I was wrong and have the road 6. Whatever, get the latest ones, they're great.

I assumed that was a typo, you said Road 6 in your VFR thread.

[SteveKTMer]

I would write notes on how the tyres feel when you use them. All the top tyres are fantastic for grip and even mileage but they do feel different and a certain feel will suit you better on one bike than another.

I really like the plush feel of the M9RR but the Roadtec 01 felt harsh and Michelins feel quite soft, but on your bike they might feel different.

[mikey_b]

trickywoo said:

Surprised you’ve worn the front more than the rear though.

Depends how you ride - fronts wear out quicker on my Tiger. I think it’s all the town work I do with commuting - lots of steering and braking, but acceleration is often quite gentle as I can’t necessarily outpace cars. Less tread on the fronts, too.

[KTMsm]

SteveKTMer said:

I would write notes on how the tyres feel when you use them. All the top tyres are fantastic for grip and even mileage but they do feel different and a certain feel will suit you better on one bike than another.

I really like the plush feel of the M9RR but the Roadtec 01 felt harsh and Michelins feel quite soft, but on your bike they might feel different.

I agree in general with making notes on things but with tyres, unless you have have a few to change over and try on the same bike, in the same condition on the same road, I fail to believe it would be an accurate reflection particularly as most are removing an old worn tyre and fitting a fresh new one

Perhaps people are better at testing than I, because I disliked the Street Triple R and liked the Mt-07 until one day taking them to MOT tests one after the other, I realised the Street Triple R was better in every way !

It's just a last time I rode it I'd got off a Speed Triple R so it seemed to lack torque

[Mr_Megalomaniac]

I just put a new set of Road 6's on the other day and they're great so far, definitely a +1 recommendation from me.

[SteveKTMer]

KTMsm said:

SteveKTMer said:

I would write notes on how the tyres feel when you use them. All the top tyres are fantastic for grip and even mileage but they do feel different and a certain feel will suit you better on one bike than another.

I really like the plush feel of the M9RR but the Roadtec 01 felt harsh and Michelins feel quite soft, but on your bike they might feel different.

I agree in general with making notes on things but with tyres, unless you have have a few to change over and try on the same bike, in the same condition on the same road, I fail to believe it would be an accurate reflection particularly as most are removing an old worn tyre and fitting a fresh new one

Perhaps people are better at testing than I, because I disliked the Street Triple R and liked the Mt-07 until one day taking them to MOT tests one after the other, I realised the Street Triple R was better in every way !

It's just a last time I rode it I'd got off a Speed Triple R so it seemed to lack torque

If you have the memory of a goldfish then take notes at different levels of tyre wear. Some tyres feel horrible when worn but some like the M9RR, feel fantastic all through their life and don't even start tramlining.