I need new tires for the V7

[MMRanch]

 malik

Quote
I use Avon AM26 Roadriders - work well, better turn in than the Sport Demon & last me a lot longer. Also perform well on the all weather roads up in the Territory (regularly inundated) that plane the rubber off a lot of other tyres. 

OldLegs , said : Avon Roadriders on my V7 very pleased with them , had problems with 2 Pirelli sport demons. Steve.


I've tried a lot of tires over the last 50 years  and I run AM26 , AVON  ROAD RIDERS also .   They don't cost a lot , get great handling , and last two or three times as long as those cheep/soft tires while griping just as good. 

Something you might want to think about … That rear tire drives the speedometer , the speedometer shows 60mph when the GPS tells the bike is only going 56-57mph or so .    If ya go to a 130/90-17 then you'll find the GPS and your Speedometer will agree what your real ground speed is .   

you can expect  8,ooo to 10,ooo miles out of the rear and near twice that out of the front from the AM26's
and they are speed rated for up to 150 mph . 

[redhawk47]

Dan, the arrow is for the force being applied...in the rear the arrow should be in the direction of rotation because that's how the drive force is being applied.  Front tires exert force (braking) in the opposite direction so you'd mount that tire with the arrow going 'backward'.

Something else that adds to my confusion. At the bottom of this page on the Kenda website:
https://powersports.kendatire.com/en-us/find-a-tire/motorcyclescooter/dual-sportadventure/k761-dual-sport/
there are photos of a bike (it looks like a Grom, with small tires) with the front tire mounted "wrong?", i.e., the tread pattern pointed the same way on both tires; the front mounted in the direction of the arrow on my tire.

[KenB]

I replaced the Sport Demons on my '14 V7 Stone with Continental Road Attacks.  Handling is vastly improved!

[jpv7]

+1...Wow

[Toecutter]

As a daily mud, gravel and sand rider... I cannot say enough good things about my near 4000 km on my new Heidenau K60 tires. Pretty sure this is my lifetime tire from here on in.

Great off pavement, Great on. Good in the rain. Wearing like iron so far. Love them. Run the 110/80 up front.

[TimmyTheHog]

As a daily mud, gravel and sand rider... I cannot say enough good things about my near 4000 km on my new Heidenau K60 tires. Pretty sure this is my lifetime tire from here on in.

Great off pavement, Great on. Good in the rain. Wearing like iron so far. Love them. Run the 110/80 up front.

I got to try that after my next set of the tires...which might be a while as I am rocking Conti RA 3 right now...only put 5000Miles on it and it has well over 60% of the tread left...maybe more.

I was also looking at TKC80 but read that I have to up the size on the front wheel.

[Toecutter]

I got to try that after my next set of the tires...which might be a while as I am rocking Conti RA 3 right now...only put 5000Miles on it and it has well over 60% of the tread left...maybe more.

I was also looking at TKC80 but read that I have to up the size on the front wheel.

You won't find the 100/90 for the front, but the 110/80 fits perfectly, no issues with clearance at all. They "hum" a bit on pavement, but that's to be expected, and it's not that bad.

[redhawk47]

I am replacing my Trailriders with Kenda K761s and I have a question:

Which way to mount a 110/80-18 K761 front tire?

Usually a motorcycle tire has an arrow labeled "direction" or "rotation". This tire the arrow is labeled "DRIVE". If you mount the tire with the arrow pointing in the rotation direction the tread pattern is in the same direction as the rear tire. Most dual sport tires mount with the tread pattern in opposite directions. Also, I am told that tractor tires are labeled "DRIVE", and if you mount them on a non-driven wheel (front)you are told to mount them "backwards". What is the proper direction to mount this K761?

Dan

OK, I have resolved this, at least in my mind. Yes Peter, you are right.

The Kenda website identifies this tire as a Front tire (some other sizes are Front/Rear) This was part of my confusion. The Tucker-Rocky catalog, and several on-line retailers identify the tire as a Front/Rear tire. This explains why the direction arrow was labeled "DRIVE". (I have seen other F/R tires with two arrows, one labeled Rear and the other Front, This tire has no indicator of F/R besides the Drive label.)

So, I will reinstall the tire, with the Drive arrow pointing "backwards". This will result with the tread patterns pointing in the opposite directions, which is what "all" tires do.

PS: I have emailed Kenda USA and have been promised a response. I'll left you know what they have to say.

Dan

[benebob]

I am replacing my Trailriders with Kenda K761s and I have a question:

Which way to mount a 110/80-18 K761 front tire?

Usually a motorcycle tire has an arrow labeled "direction" or "rotation". This tire the arrow is labeled "DRIVE". If you mount the tire with the arrow pointing in the rotation direction the tread pattern is in the same direction as the rear tire. Most dual sport tires mount with the tread pattern in opposite directions. Also, I am told that tractor tires are labeled "DRIVE", and if you mount them on a non-driven wheel (front)you are told to mount them "backwards". What is the proper direction to mount this K761?

Dan

Dan you still around, would love to hear your thoughts on the k761.  My rear sport demon is ready for the trash and I was a little less than happy with 'em.  Every review I see about hte 761 says it sucks in the rain.  My question is how much as I feel so much more confident with my Shinko big blocks on my tiger then I ever did the sport demon on pavement.  Like the price as I can put 5000 miles on in a month or so if I get riding. 

[Bulldog9]

Guys in the V7 thread over on ADV are saying the Continental Road Attack 3's are the best tires that they've had on their bikes, including the most popular Avon, Pirelli and Michelin tires mentioned in this thread.

One Rider just compared back to back the stock Pirellis on his v7iii special to another bike set up almost exactly the same with the Continental Road attacks and said the Conti's were Superior. YMMV...

[kingoffleece]

I'm one of those guys.  Conti Road 3 vastly better IMHO than the stockers or Pilot Activ.

[redhawk47]

Dan you still around, would love to hear your thoughts on the k761.  My rear sport demon is ready for the trash and I was a little less than happy with 'em.  Every review I see about hte 761 says it sucks in the rain.  My question is how much as I feel so much more confident with my Shinko big blocks on my tiger then I ever did the sport demon on pavement.  Like the price as I can put 5000 miles on in a month or so if I get riding.

A couple of thoughts: After some more communication with Kenda I mounted the front tire so it rotates in the direction that the arrow points. I also realized that the tire has "chevrons" that point in both directions.
I am not an aggressive rider; no complaints about the handling. It doesn't rain much here, so I slow down in the rain because I'm not comfortable. The front has about 8000 miles on it and is starting to cup. It has enough tread for another 4000 miles but I'll probably change it along with the rear. The rear has 4000 miles on it and will easily go another 2000, maybe even 4000.
I like to ride dirt roads, so my current choice for replacements is Bridgestone Battlax Adventure A41. They are 90/10s, and radials! Bridgestone says they are very good in the rain.

Dan

[Chuck in Indiana]

I'm one of those guys.  Conti Road 3 vastly better IMHO than the stockers or Pilot Activ.

I'm a fan.. 
Tire threads are like oil threads..comma but
the performance of the Contis are not to be denied. I tried Conti Trail Attacks on Darth Quota when they first became available. As the old cigarette commercial said, "Try em, you'll like em.." The Road 3s transformed the MZ from a great handling bike to a fantastic handling bike.. The Mighty Scura loves them. The Kid put a set of Classics on his Spot and said they were his favorite tires of all time. YMMV of course, but mine doesn't.  I wish they were available for the AeroLario.

[mechanicsavant]

I too am in the Conti Ra3 camp . Come on, it’s the 21st century ,bias ply’s really?

[TimmyTheHog]

Conti RA 3 +1

Had them on my V7 before I sold it...it was such a grippy tire...made me feel like a track superstar with the twisties even tho I am no where near being one.

[benebob]

I too am in the Conti Ra3 camp . Come on, it’s the 21st century ,bias ply’s really?

Thanks guys.  Bias plys are so much better for off road and running low pressure.  What is the life of a RA3.  I can't justify 300 tires that I'm replacing every 3-4k for a rear.

[Andy1]

Nice to hear that everyone likes their NEW tyres......perhaps that is because they are NEW!  And they compare them with the worn out tyres they have just removed?
Andyb

[Vagrant]

3500 on stock rear 6000+ on conti. 6000 stock front i now have 6000 on conti front an it's not down more than 40-50% and i can't believe it either. All twisty mountain roads.

[mechanicsavant]

4K Mi.on my Ra3’s rear is just starting to square off, no chicken strips . Front has minor scalloping . I’m hoping to get another 4K on them. Oh, me about 100kg. W/gear & a heavy right wrist.
Did ya notice how much more economical tires are than plaster of Paris !

[Beowulf]

6000 plus on conti road attack 3. Love it. I think i might have another 5-6000 miles left in them.  will keep buying them.

[kingoffleece]

New tires fool the rider?  Not here.  We use the same circuit to test everything.  Lots of experience and we know what to expect.  The Conti performs quite well.

[Yukonica]

Comments about radials and spoked rims? Radials and tubes?

[fossil]

Comments about radials and spoked rims? Radials and tubes?

Yes, it is allowed to be used with tubes. In Germany we have something called "Reifenfreigabe" (tyre approval). http://www.reifen-freigaben.de/pdf/0883.01.pdf is Contis approval for the Small Block V7. "B1" means: on tube type rims to be used with tubes.

[Warren Rhen]

I can't help but believe everybody is missing the obvious here. To me it's a no brainer conti road attack 3 haven't had them on long enough to check mileage but they work sooo
much better than the oem and the pirelli replacements I had on

[fossil]

I can't help but believe everybody is missing the obvious here. To me it's a no brainer conti road attack 3 haven't had them on long enough to check mileage but they work sooo
much better than the oem and the pirelli replacements I had on

+1 for the no brainer part. As soon as my Dunlop Street Smart (much better than the Pirellis, and much longer living) have to be exchanged it will be the Conti for sure.

[Richard Tasmania]

I am surprised to read that people are getting 7-10,000 kilometres from the Sports Demons. I get 4,000😕.
I don’t really ride that hard, I am not young. Could it be suspension setting?
Thanks
Richard
Tasmania

[malik]

In my time I've had Sport Demons on the V7 - 5 rears & 3 fronts. On the rears I got between 8 -16,000km, and 18 - 28,000km on the front. Significant variations. The wheels have to be balanced, or they wear quickly - at least one of those 8,000kms came after a flat on trip that didn't get balanced afterwards. I get better wear if the  pressures are checked regularly - 36/36 psi seems about right, & 38/38 on trips. Suspension & settings are likely have an effect, but I don't know how you'd measure that reliably. I'm around 80kg & both V7s have after-market suspension.

I've now switched to the Avon AM26 Roadriders - better wear record & I find, better handling. In Tassie you want something that handles well - how many straight roads do you have down there? - only one? Well, maybe one & a half.

[fossil]

It is not the wear that I think is bad with the Sport Demons. It is the grip when it is cold and/or wet. Or grass…. The Dunlop Street Smart are so much better here there is simply no comparison. And the Contis are said to be even better in this regard. Plus they promise to be  much more exact.

[Richard Tasmania]

. In Tassie you want something that handles well - how many straight roads do you have down there? - only one? Well, maybe one & a half.

We got rid of that straight bit! Nothing but twisties now 😁🏍

[malik]

We got rid of that straight bit! Nothing but twisties now 😁🏍

👍 Must be time for another visit down there then. Just to check out the changes, of course.