Same same slightly different - Tyres

[shiftin_gear98]

Thanks for the input gents.

Red Herring, no offence taken. Yeah I know any tyre would do, and yes I know I'm not setting the world alight, but I'm not hanging around either.
As it's been dark, wet and cold since Oct, I gave up ridding my "fun" work commute down winding country lanes.
I tried the route a couple of times on the GSXR, but the combined new bike, more power, dark, icy, wet, gravel strewn twisty country roads with no street lights scared the **** out of me.

However summer is approaching, and I'm bored ****less of the A120 and A10 combo, to the point my speed is creeping up again. Something I'd like to stop. So I fancy going back to said winding route.

What I was kind of after, was personal insight.
Had anyone tried a tyre for summer fun and was blown away by the grip.
Had anyone tired one and though, nah i'm not buying that **** again, it breaks traction as the slightest input.

I've never had great confidence in the corners, something I'd put down to the SV's shoddy suspension as I often felt the front tyre slip when it really shouldn't have.
The GSXR loves corners, I'd just like to improve my confidence to enjoy them too. And no I'll never be a knee down rider.

I wish I was, but I also wish I could pull massive wheelies too.

[Red Herring]

Hi mate, glad you took no offence, it wasn't my intention to be rude, more to reassure you that there really isn't a bad tyre choice to be had providing you steer clear of track tyres.

If you really want to improve confidence and enjoyment in your riding then the most cost effective improvement you can make is to the nut that holds the handlebars....or the carbon interface in modern terms....... There's loads of rider training out there, and some of it is ridiculously cheap. Sometimes just going out one on one with a mate who you really trust and specifically focusing on riding technique rather than just who can be fastest down the road is all you need. If you want to keep it all private there are some great books, videos and blogs out there that can help you identify and work on particular aspects of your riding as well. Actually now is probably a good time to be doing that given we can't actually get out and practice much.....

[DJ123]

Confidence comes from 'knowledge' and feeling comfortable on the bike. The way to build that up is by using those countryside routes (even one way to work) and start to build on it. You'll soon start to build confidence in the tyres, bike, the feedback they both give you to tell you what's going on. It's pushing 'boundaries' slowly and making those baby steps that allow you to find the limit where you are comfortable - and you then have that as a mental note.
For me a good book on this is the IAM 'How to be a better rider' , which I got free after attending a Bike Safe course.
I commute on my bike most days, unless its very icy. And only got back on to one a year ago after 2 years out. its definitely taken me the best part of a year for my confidence level to build - I am on the same bike and tyres as I had previously, so I had some muscle memory of how the bike/tyres behave.
Adding in some weekend riding also helped, as on a commute you aren't really opening it up and enjoying the ride. It's a fluid ride, but not one where you are exploring for the fun of it. It allowed me to explore how quick the bike was, how well it cornered, how well it stopped and to engage with the bike. It gave me the ability to benchmark my upper confidence levels, so on my commute I know I've always got a lot more brakes, acceleration, grip etc than I'm using.

[Dave20046]

Originally Posted by Craig380

I've only had them on my SVs, but I really like Avon Storm 3Ds. I get 10 - 11K out of a rear.

They're an excellent tyre, my favourite in terms of grip... And last an appaulingly long time.

[Dave20046]

Originally Posted by shiftin_gear98

Thanks for the input gents.

Red Herring, no offence taken. Yeah I know any tyre would do, and yes I know I'm not setting the world alight, but I'm not hanging around either.
As it's been dark, wet and cold since Oct, I gave up ridding my "fun" work commute down winding country lanes.
I tried the route a couple of times on the GSXR, but the combined new bike, more power, dark, icy, wet, gravel strewn twisty country roads with no street lights scared the **** out of me.

However summer is approaching, and I'm bored ****less of the A120 and A10 combo, to the point my speed is creeping up again. Something I'd like to stop. So I fancy going back to said winding route.

What I was kind of after, was personal insight.
Had anyone tried a tyre for summer fun and was blown away by the grip.
Had anyone tired one and though, nah i'm not buying that **** again, it breaks traction as the slightest input.

I've never had great confidence in the corners, something I'd put down to the SV's shoddy suspension as I often felt the front tyre slip when it really shouldn't have.
The GSXR loves corners, I'd just like to improve my confidence to enjoy them too. And no I'll never be a knee down rider.

I wish I was, but I also wish I could pull massive wheelies too.

If it helps I've used Avon Storms 1 , 2 and the latest (forget it's name but I've put a review up on this site I think) on the track and been side by side with trackbikes.

I've also toured on them all weathers and use them for day to day. I've done a track day on a cold, wet November Saturday and kept it upright (just!).

The originals used to last less than 4k both front and back, the new dual compound ones last so much better but are still very sticky. They're sticky to the touch and get snot bubbles like a race tyre on the sides, which I think is testament to their stickiness...at least I hope!

[zsv650s]

Really liked my michelin road 5's very safe in the nasty weather and good grip and wear bit expensive though.

[gadget]

Pirelli road Angel's work good all round for my sv650s, they're black, round, reasonable money, last well, excellent dry grip, I have to push'em hard and use silly lean angles for the rear to brake traction, ok in the wet so far ( but I don't push hard in the wet tbh, too old for all that crashing malarkey now).
Don't know how a 1k would behave on them but on my little sv ... ticks quite a few boxes.

[SV650rules]

Originally Posted by Dave20046

If it helps I've used Avon Storms 1 , 2 and the latest (forget it's name but I've put a review up on this site I think) on the track and been side by side with trackbikes.

I've also toured on them all weathers and use them for day to day. I've done a track day on a cold, wet November Saturday and kept it upright (just!).

The originals used to last less than 4k both front and back, the new dual compound ones last so much better but are still very sticky. They're sticky to the touch and get snot bubbles like a race tyre on the sides, which I think is testament to their stickiness...at least I hope!

Had Avon Storm 3D fitted in March this year and more than happy with them. Local tyre place had a 'pair' deal for £152 ( run by a guy who rides a 1290 KTM Superduke, it is apparently his 'tyre testing bike' - at least as far as HMRC are concerned LOL ).

As said above give you great confidence and if they last a long time that is a bonus. Being dual compound for that price is amazing.

[Dave20046]

Originally Posted by SV650rules

Had Avon Storm 3D fitted in March this year and more than happy with them. Local tyre place had a 'pair' deal for £152 ( run by a guy who rides a 1290 KTM Superduke, it is apparently his 'tyre testing bike' - at least as far as HMRC are concerned LOL ).

As said above give you great confidence and if they last a long time that is a bonus. Being dual compound for that price is amazing.

That's a bargain. They used to be cheap but since the reputations gained I struggle to get them under £180 - paid over £200 for my last pair of the spirits (granted ,slightly different). They last an almost concerningly long time, so no worries there.