Tyre advice please

[Malt]

Hi there,

I have recently purchased my first bike after passing my test last month. I have an SV650 K2 (curvy), which I love. But I want to replace the tyres...I think. I am very new to biking and to the SV650. I'm also a girl! So know very little. I currently have the BT020s which came with the bike, but I think there quite hard, and want something a bit softer, as I do a lot of town riding, rather than longer rides out.
One friend has recommended Avon Storms or ST's, another has mentioned Metzelers...
Any advice, specifically tyre related would be very welcome.

Thank you.

[rictus01]

perhaps a read through of the Tyre section (http://forums.sv650.org/forumdisplay.php?f=138) would be of help.

generally though, Z6's, road atacks,Strada's or Pilot roads are all good.

Cheers Mark.

[SV andy]

i'm on a k5 06 plate 650s and oe tyres were dunlop st220's....now they were hard!! 1 yr on swapped to bridgestone bt020's, my word they a good "older" tyre! 10 -20 mins riding and they warm...or at least feel it. for supreme grip in both wet & dry i very impressed with them. i ride to work every day...rain or shine and not had half as many scary moments with battlax as i did with dunny's!
also when ya can pass ya bro on a triumph speed triple 1050 on the left hander at the verander on tt course doin about 95-100 then you know ya tyres workin!!
think next it mite be pirelli diablo's, if not will stick with 020's....they are that good!

[somnus]

Hello malt and welcome
I have bt021`s on mine and only got them recently havin read reports on how good they were, to be honest I`m a little dispointed with them there good but not that good and kinda similar to 020`s
I`ve had bt014`s on another bike and I think they are the best tyre`s that can be bought for road goin use I`m sorry that I did`nt get them for my sv,
They dont last long mind cus there very soft but the grip is phenomenal, wet or dry
Thats just my 2cents worth anyway

[somnus]

Hello malt and welcome
I have bt021`s on mine and only got them recently havin read reports on how good they were, to be honest I`m a little dispointed with them there good but not that good and kinda similar to 020`s
I`ve had bt014`s on another bike and I think they are the best tyre`s that can be bought for road goin use I`m sorry that I did`nt get them for my sv,
They dont last long mind cus there very soft but the grip is phenomenal, wet or dry
Thats just my 2cents worth anyway

[Malt]

Thanks for all the advice guys, really helpful.

:D

[svgirl78]

I really rate Conti Road Attacks on my curvy. They have excellent grip in the wet, and have just come back from my 1st track day at Brands where they performed really well...still grinning:D

[Devil Biccy]

HiMalt, Welcome! Re: tyres I went from the dunlops to Avon Vipers and I'm on the second set, nice and sticky, warm up very quickly and very good in the wet too vs, dunlops. I've managed about 3,000 miles from the rear and front one is stll good!

[Raf]

Tyres are a very subjective topic, everybody has a favourite tyre and pressure because everybody rides a little bit different.

Check the tyre pressure to make sure they are correct, 33 psi front, 36 psi back are the standard pressures. However, you said you only passed last month and just got a bike recently so I'd give it a bit more time and wear the tyre out if you can. It so you get used to it and can better judge what a new tyre will feel like.

I used to run BT020 for a long time on the SV650. Never found them too hard, plenty of grip in the wet and dry. I found them a very predictable tyre.

However, I changed recently to Pilot Road 2s and they are a completely different tyre. I was quite enjoying the new tyre, they had plenty of grip in the wet conditions on AR07 and were quite nice in dry too. They do however turn a lot sharper than the BT020s and do give a lot more feedback.

These are just my personal experience on the tyres, I am sure other people will have other views on the subject.

[Alpinestarhero]

I have metzeler MEZ6's, which are really good tyres. They drop in a bit quickly, but once you adapt to hat (it'll take about 2 minutes) then you'll find them to be a really good tyre for the SV

Matt

[fizzwheel]

If you want good life, work well in all conditions, grippy tyres, then you cant IMHO go wrong with Metzler Z6's

If you want a more sporty, less longer lasting tyre, then IMHO get yourself a pair of Pirelli Diablo Corsa III's, but I dont konw if they come in SV sizes..

I've not found a modern tyre that I really strongly disliked, except for the Bridgestone 014 which I abosoloutly hated, they dont last long, they grip well when they are hot and you can ride fast enough to keep them that way, but if they're cold or the weathers unpredictable I found the bl**dy useless. I found they gave little or no feedback when cold / warm and they robbed me of all my confidence which took along time to get back again. IMHO stay away...

TBH tyre choice is such a personal thing, the only way you're going to know is to try a pair of what you fancy. Theres really no such thing as a bad modern tyre, its just that I personally dont get on with 014's thats all.

[amarko5]

I agree with Fizz it's a personal choice

after eating 2 sets of Z6's on my TDM (yeah i know its not an SV) i wanted something that would last a tad longer.

currently trying avon storm's and i must say they are brilliant so far and also wearing a lot better than the z6's without any loss of grip wet or dry (which is pretty amazing in my eyes)

there is a wealth of choice out there :D

[therealvw]

Very personal thing tyres. Different riding styles etc, not to mention your weight etc...
BUT I changed from Metzlers that were WELL SQUARED OFF, to Pilot Road(Michelin) and they are great. Turn in is a sharper and that does take some getting used to, but they do give you confidence, which is something a new biker (like myself) needs to build up!

Whichever ones you get I'm sure you'll be happy with them. BUT tyre pressures are worth checking before you get new ones. Or, go see the local garage and see what they say about the tyres, could be they are a HARD tyre or something else could be affecting the handling, etc...

ANYHOO, Welcome to the Forum of these MAD, but friendly bunch

[gettin2dizzy]

I'm also a girl! So know very little.
:smt041

[MOTO-TECH]

Hi, Michelin Pilot Road 2. Really good dry grip, brilliant in the wet, and will wear pretty well.
Brian
www.moto-tech.biz (http://www.moto-tech.biz)

[Spanner Man]

Good morning & welcome to the Madhouse.

As stated tyre choice seems to be very much very much a personal thing, but
In my experience you cannot go wrong with Continental Road Attacks, or Metezeler Z6's on an SV. for a good all round tyre. Pilot Road 2's are pretty good too, but very expensive.
Remember that a good sports tyre will not perform as well in the wet or in cold conditions. So if your riding consists of a lot of town use, & you're going to use it all year round go for one of the above.
I've supplied hundreds of Road Attacks, & never had negative feedback on them. They're best on price too.
I've had bad reports on the BT021 already. It makes one wonder why Bridgestone are the market leader.

Cheers.

[Essex of Essex]

Spanner Man can I ask what bad reports you have had regarding the 021? I've had these for the last 1500 miles and without reservation would reccomend them wet or dry. They are on my Sprint ST and I realise that this is a very different beast to my old SV but am interested nevertheless.

[Spanner Man]

Evening all.
I've supplied several pairs of 021's (at the customers insistence) & 3 customers with lighter bikes 2 bandit 600's & a Fazer 6 have said that they wish that they had bought something else un predicictable was the term used.....As always with tyres you get differing opinions, one mans meat & all that. I certainly wouldn't recommend them for a lighter bike such as the SV, unless the rider was around 20 stone:D
However Essex on heavier machines such as your ST, they seem to be fine, one customer with a ZZR1200 reckons they're the dogs!
I personally never been a fan of Bridgestone mind you I was riding in the 70's when all japanese tyres were woefull! And when taking all feedback from customers on all makes into account other tyres seem to offer more often for less money.

Cheers.

[Essex of Essex]

Spannerman thanks for the reply, they certainly suit me on my bike. It is as you say a personal choice and I can remember many years ago being very upset with a set of Continentals that a mate raved about.

Such is life.

[therealvw]

To add to my earlier post.
A good Tyre garage mechaninc will ask what sort of riding you are doing and will point you to the correct tyre. No point as , spanner man says, going for a Race Rep if all you are doing is commuting in all weathers.
The garage will know.

[Spanner Man]

Morning all.
Essex, I'm not suprised that you were hacked off with Continentals if you bought a pair a few years ago. I spent the thick end of a weeks wages on a pair back in the 70's & wished I hadn't!
Apart from their range of Cruiser tyres callrd Milestone, which are excellent, I've always felt that Continental were a 'must try harder' manufacturer when it comes to bike tyres. Hence I expected the Road Attack to be pretty average too.
As I cannot possibly ride every bike & tyre combination, I have to rely on picking the bones out of what customers say, & the Attack gets favourable feedback on the widest variety of machines. What really sold me on them was when I fitted a pair to my mates 900 Diversion, he's been dispatching for over 25 years & has in excess of a million miles under his belt. His verdict comparing them to the 020's he had previously, was better in the wet, warm up more quickly from cold, and they last longer. SOLD!!
If you're happy with the 021's then stick with them, for as I tell all my customers it aint cheap to swop brands, & then find that you hate 'em!

Cheers.