New Rubber

Scrubbed in a new set of Diablo Strada's today and I bloody love 'em!!

Cos of ****ty suspension I never knew an SV could feel properly planted, but today it was planted! Silly lean angles feel completely secure and apart from being a tad slow to tip in they just give piles of confidence. You end up adding extra speed through corners or being happy when a bend tightens up, 'cos you just know it easily can go through faster.

Of course I've been riding on a wierdo tyre combination for 6 months so the difference for me is bigger, but even had I realised how much better decent tyres were than the oem Dunlop D220's, I'd have had them swapped before the bike was even ready for collection. If your spending 4 grand on a new SV, spend another 180 quid on decent tyres and get the most out of it!!

Tyres were from C&J Wilson in Broxburn who trade on ebay as "bikespeeduk". £65 for front and £82 for the back, pick them up in person and get ebay prices without the delivery charge. An extra fiver gets them fitted to loose wheels, but ride in ride out a silly price, £50 quid! So they were fitted by Tyred and Exhausted in Airdrie for £25 quid. So all in all a new set of Diablo Strada on the bike for £172 quid.

can you tell I'm like this today

Right, nobody contradict Ralph, it'll only confuse me. That's what I'm going to do. No shopping around, no searching the Org, just that.

Nice one

I searched various tyre polls on the org about six months ago and the Diablo Strada/Mezeler Roadtec Z6 (same tyre apparantly) was the favorite at the time. Something else might be the new favorite now, but if it was good enough six months ago it was good enough for me.

If you need/want really really sticky rubber and don't care if it only lasts 2500 miles go for something else. If you haven't got money to burn and need them to last longer I can't fault the strada.

Front - ebay item 260092861737
Rear - 260092861767

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

apart from being a tad slow to tip in

Just don't go hairing into corners as soon as you've scrubbed them in, or you'll be on the other side of the road or surfing through a hedge. You need to get used to countersteering just that wee tad earlier as there's a slight delay, but the result is good.

Great price for the tyres, does anyone know what sort of millage you would expect to get from them

i have just replaced my rear tyre at about 4000-4500 miles it was a Pirrellie Dragon MTR02 and i have now got a strada (i think) if that helpls.


So ralph with the new tyres you will be even further into the horizion

First thing I did with the SV was get stradas on them. (Also have them on my m reg CBR).

Agree on the lean angles... (I have no poof hoops on mine at all) but I dont think they turn in slower. Must be your weird combination that was doing that. Compared to the dunlops I found them slightly quicker.

Colin....I know you couldn't get up there but next time (and anyone else)...save yourself a shed load of time and hassle. Ride in ride out at Strathearn Tyres cost me £160 for the Stradas.

Originally Posted by stuartyboy

I have no poof hoops on mine at all

Be careful Stuarty!

Your starting to reduce the surface area of the contact patch with the road, and Strada's are harder touring tyres not sports tyres so will let go a bit earlier. As Northy was saying to me and Duck-Man in Glasgow, lean off the bike a bit more so your don't have to lean it as far.

Sorry, I don't mean to preach or owt , but I just wouldn't like to see you traversing a left hand bend on your **** towards a big oncoming truck!!

I'm guilty of the same thing (poof hoops about 5mm) I only lean off if I'm being c*k*y and I've if I've really pasted it hard into a corner. I tend not to do that too often as too much lateral G force in corners (when you feel the suspension compress hard and the rubber really biting in), gives me the heebie jeebies . I think about it afterwards and I makes me think I'm pushing my luck and my tyres a bit too far. I don't like the thought of being returned to my wife in a box!

Mine were de-hooped at a Honda track night mate - not on the road. Different bike and suspension as well (CBR). No intention of taking them to the edge on the road.

I'm on my 3rd set of stradas now so I know them pretty well. They're much stickier than the dunlops and warm up much quicker. Still have the cartwheel dunlops in the garage.

Hardly scientific...but I rode both CBR & SV on the same tyres all year and the SV hoops were double that of the CBR. Stradas are on the stickier side of sport/touring tyres though. You'll be surprised how well they grip and under general riding you can get them near the edge (10mm) without too much difficulty.

Mind you if you got yours to 5mm having just scrubbed them in then that's brave.

Originally Posted by Tiger 55

Right, nobody contradict Ralph, it'll only confuse me.

Originally Posted by stuartyboy

Colin....I know you couldn't get up there but next time

*fingers in ears* la la la la la la I'm not listening la la la