Avon Storms or not?

[ricky]

in need of a new back tyre for the bike very very soon, problem being is i dont want a tyre thats going to square off easy as i do 50 miles a day on the motorway.

i know most will say avon storms which is what i might be going for but what are they like for people like me that use the bike on motorways most of its life...

[Biker Biggles]

I know its last years tyre,but the Z6 lasts for ages doing motorway work and keeps its shape well too.

[yorkie_chris]

Alright, I use mine for a fair bit of Mway and they keep their profile. But if that's all you use it for why not a full on touring tyre?

[Stig]

For motorways I'd plum for the Z6. It has no centre tread pattern so you can run it down further than most other tyres before it is deemed illegal.

I run the Avon Storms though as I think they are a fantastic crappy weather tyre. And can still have good fun on the roundabouts between the straight bits.

[Dangerous Dave]

Avon Storms are great tyres for commuting or touring, the Avon Azaros will last a tad longer but only a little mind.

[Stig]

Avon Storms are great tyres for commuting or touring, the Avon Azaros will last a tad longer but only a little mind.

I thought the Azaros were phased out. Obviously not.

[Dangerous Dave]

No not completely, some people are under the impression the Avon Storms replaced the Avon Azaro's, they didn't. Despite both tyres being sports touring tyres they still actually sit side by side in Avon's product range, but because the Avon Strom is/was the new kid on the block it is in more demand are stocks are more sufficient.

[Luckypants]

There are no Azarros left in 160 fitment AFAIK, so for an SV it has to be the Storms. Azarros are hard to find in 180 fitment to. Shame as the Azarro was an under rated tyre IMHO, I liked it a lot. I know a man who buys them up whenever he gets a chance to keep a 'stock' for his bike.

I like the Storm very much and in answer to the OP, they stand up very well to a lot of straight line work. Last rear on my Viffer did 6000 odd miles and a lot of that was touring - i.e. straight lines a lot of the time.

[Dangerous Dave]

There are no Azarros left in 160 fitment AFAIK
Speak to Avon, they still make them and they will tell you which dealer has them in stock. I had a brand new pair fitted to the 800 three weeks ago, doing a back to back comparison with the Storms.

I like the Storm very much and in answer to the OP, they stand up very well to a lot of straight line work.
+ 1

[Stig]

The last Storm I had fitted to the Dullsville barely made 5k. However I am quite sure the badly repaired puncture did not help with this so have gone with Storm again to see if I can get better mileage out of it this time. The front has now done around 6.5k and still looks respectable.

[Nobbylad]

Stoopid question on tyres 'squaring off' - this might help others btw....I assume that squaring off (usually as a result of driving on the same part of the tyre for the majority of time i.e. in a straight line on the motorway), means that the tyre squares off as per the left hand illustration, whereas 'new' or equally worn rubber would be as per the right?

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a161/nobbylad/Squaredoff-1.jpg

My stock Dunlops have done around 5,600 miles and don't appear to be squaring off at all (and have plenty of tread left)

[Dangerous Dave]

Can't see the pictures but you are right in that a squared off tyre is when a single section of the tyre is worn more than the rest. This will be the centre of the tyre on long motorway journeys for example, the profile becomes squared off rather than a constant smooth curve where the sides of the tyre have had little use when compared to the centre section.

[dizzyblonde]

yup. Storms stand up well for long distances. I agree with Dave and LP that the Azaros were better, it peed me off when I got a puncture in a barely worn azzaro rear a month or two back, but it was just a little more worn than the depth needed for a completely free replacement..grrr, but got a storm put on, as thy are compatible with each other

so..for the OP, theres another reason for the Storms..Avon offer a free replacement if you get a puncture under 1000 miles or a tread depth that they tell you is required, the amount comes with the blurb on the guarantee

[Bibio]

cant comment on the longevity of the storms but what i can tell you is they are very gripy indeed... even if they don't give you quite the mileage you are looking for.. if it were a choice of high mileage or grip, i will choose grip any day, for that exact reason i changed the standard dunlop tyres on the sv for avon storms after about 300 miles

[Stu]

What are Avon Azaros? Are they AV36A or AV40? So they are good Sports touring tyres? Do they have Silica? are they good in the wet?
Many thanks

[yorkie_chris]

Storm ST is the replacement for the azaro 3.

[Dangerous Dave]

what are avon azaros? Are they av36a or av40?
Azaro are AV45/AV46, they are a sports touring tyre and the Storms are not the replacement for the Azaro. Both tyres are excellent in the wet, I have full confidence in both the tyres and my bike and still drag my knee....

[Stig]

cant comment on the longevity of the storms but what i can tell you is they are very gripy indeed... even if they don't give you quite the mileage you are looking for.. if it were a choice of high mileage or grip, i will choose grip any day, for that exact reason i changed the standard dunlop tyres on the sv for avon storms after about 300 miles


The Storms are meant to be a long life tyre. I specifically went looking for something I could drag up and down the motorway every day as part of my commute to work and back. They were recommended by my local tyre supplier. The wet weather performance was an added bonus which means I can still 'play' with them too.