Centauro owners! What kind of tires do you like?

[JJ]

It has METZLER tires on it now...and they are a little "baldy", so I will replace as a next step to sorting the bike.

* Michellin Pilots?
* Bridgesones?
* AVON Road Riders? (had these on my 850 LM-III - they were great!)
* Pirelli Diablo?
* Others?

Please advise.  Thanks!

JJC

[rocker59]

It's a Spine Frame, so I'll relate my Spine Frame experiences:

The last set I used on my V11 Nero Corsa was the Michelin Pilot Road 3.  Really nice set of tires.  Good life, good in wet weather, nice handling.  A little noisy because of all the siping, but not a big issue.

For more touring-oriented riding, I used the Metzeler ME880.  10,000 miles tire life on the rear was nice, but they didn't feel quite as nice as the Michelins for turn-in and "feel" when riding hard.  Never any real complaints on them, though.  I used them when I was doing a lot of 2-up on the V11 Nero Corsa and they never let me down.

If you want something sporty and sticky, look at the Bridgestone BT-016.  Very sporty tire that feels good on the bike.  Tread life is not much, but how much will you be riding the Centauro?

Right now, my best all-around pick is the Bridgestone T30 sport-touring tire.  I'm using it on my Sport 1100.  Really nice all-around tire.  Good in wet, nice turn-in, nice feel when leaned over, good transitions.  A nice all-around sport-touring tire.  Not sure how many miles they will last, but with about 3,000 on the set, they're holding up really nicely.  And they've been ridden pretty hard.  So, I'm guessing 7,000 miles life out of the rear.

I order from American Motorcycle Tire, in your neck of the woods.  They always have good prices and quick shipping, and never send me "old" tires.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

You might consider the Continental Conti Motion. Inexpensive, but an excellent tire, probably the best "bang for the buck" in Centauro sizes.

[blackcat]

It's a Spine Frame, so I'll relate my Spine Frame experiences:

The last set I used on my V11 Nero Corsa was the Michelin Pilot Road 3.  Really nice set of tires.  Good life, good in wet weather, nice handling.  A little noisy because of all the siping, but not a big issue.

I have the Michelin Pilot's on the Daytona and they are near the end of their life which was fairly long. I like the tires, also have a newer version on the Norge.

[Chuck in Indiana]

I like Angels on spineys. Stick well in wet and dry, decent life.  Opinions vary.. imagine that.
Woo Hoo! A tire thread..

[Lannis]

I like Angels on spineys. Stick well in wet and dry, decent life.  Opinions vary.. imagine that.
Woo Hoo! A tire thread..

Centauro tire threads are sort of unique, though.    In the 35,000 miles or so I owned mine, I had the opportunity to try 10 different tires on it, and all of them acted differently.

Those with a calculator or slide rule will quickly divine that I averaged about 3500 miles on a rear tire on the Beast; compare that to (same rider, same load, same style) the 6500 miles I get out of a Stelvio rear tire, same (close) power and weight.

I tried one of every tire mentioned here.   Metzelers were the ones I finally settled on, as they seemed to have the best combination of mileage and grip .....

Lannis

[Guzzistaracing]

I have Michelin Pilot 3 and like them a lot.

[flangeman_70]

I like Angels on spineys. Stick well in wet and dry, decent life.  Opinions vary.. imagine that.
Woo Hoo! A tire thread..

d

What Chuck said 

[JJ]

Thanks to all who replied. 

Of course I knew I would get a lot of varied opinions on what to put on my '98 Centauro GT, but like a wise, old Japanese mentor / good friend of mine once told me:

"A garden with all the same color flowers...is boring!" 

I am thinking Pirelli Diablos, Michelin Pilots, or maybe the same Metzler Lazers that are on there now....Will let you all know.

[PJPR01]

Centauro tire threads are sort of unique, though.    In the 35,000 miles or so I owned mine, I had the opportunity to try 10 different tires on it, and all of them acted differently.

Those with a calculator or slide rule will quickly divine that I averaged about 3500 miles on a rear tire on the Beast; compare that to (same rider, same load, same style) the 6500 miles I get out of a Stelvio rear tire, same (close) power and weight.

I tried one of every tire mentioned here.   Metzelers were the ones I finally settled on, as they seemed to have the best combination of mileage and grip .....Lannis

 

Why does the Centauro model eat tires faster than others?  Is it the power delivery or geometry of the bike, or just that one tends to drive it very aggressively given the setup?  It's a damn good looking bike for sure...but not for the faint of heart from a repair / parts availability perspective based on feedback here.

[Lannis]

 

Why does the Centauro model eat tires faster than others?  Is it the power delivery or geometry of the bike, or just that one tends to drive it very aggressively given the setup?  It's a damn good looking bike for sure...but not for the faint of heart from a repair / parts availability perspective based on feedback here.

Never did figure that out.   Everything was aligned, it was carrying the same load that the Stelvio (which uses the same sort of tire although not the same size) carries.    Supposedly the Centauro had more of a 'rear-ward' weight bias than most bikes (I never confirmed this) but you wouldn't think it would make that much of a difference.   Some folks didn't (don't) get 3500 miles from a tire.  Just for comparison, I get about 13,000 miles from a rear Metzeler ME880 on my SP, and 20,000 from a front, so I don't just naturally eat tires.

Riding it more briskly?   I don't think so although that's pretty subjective.   The bike has lots of power and it may be peeling rubber off without me knowing it.

Maintenance-wise, the exposed drive shaft is a pain in the butt; over the long run, it's more maintenance hassle and potentially more long-term cost than a chain and sprockets, but that's true for any spine-frame, not just the Centauro.    The cam belts are like any other cam belt, they need to be changed at regular intervals and properly tensioned.

The only other maintenance pain is the oil pump - it's designed such that one end of the pump shaft runs in the alloy body with a sloppy clearance.   I'm sure the designers figured that since it was running in oil, it would be OK but it turns out that the savvy and breakdown-averse Centauro owner will upgrade the oil pump if he intends to keep the bike and run it as it was intended.

Other than those things, they're big solid motors and mine never gave me any trouble .....

Lannis

[PJPR01]

Thanks Lannis...very interesting!  NO doubt it's a gorgeous bike...looks amazing just sitting still in any color!  I suppose they could rename it from Centauro to "Mangia Gomma"...  :)

[Lannis]

Thanks Lannis...very interesting!  NO doubt it's a gorgeous bike...looks amazing just sitting still in any color!  I suppose they could rename it from Centauro to "Mangia Gomma"...  :)

Probably a lot like Hot Dog and Mustard EVs from the same year, or Honda GB500s of 1990.    They and the Centauros look gorgeous and are popular TODAY, but they sure caught a ration of grief when they first came out!!

Ugliest things on the market, they said, and they voted with their wallets.   A '98 Centauro MSRP was $13,995 as I remember, same price as a full-boat Wing or HD at the time.    Centauros sat on the floor for YEARS - it was easy to buy a brand new one for about $8500 in 2001/2002.    And one dealer told me that his cost was $10,000 ....

Lannis 

[PJPR01]

Not bad then...as they seem to sell for about 4500 today...holding their value reasonably well then!

[Ighani]

I've had good luck with Michelins. Got about 9,000 on Pilot Roads, and have the pilot road 3s on now and it's holding up well. Plus they're great wet or dry. I'm a big fan of Michelins for cars as well.

[Chuck in Indiana]

My Centauro ate tires, too. <shrug> I used to get them changed at the local Suzuki dealer and he'd just shake his head. Said, "It's just a low powered V twin.. and eats tires faster than a 'Busa. What's up with that?"  Dunno.
I'd get 5- 6K out of an Angel, though. Pretty good. Bridgestones flat spotted the rear and cupped the front.

[Stormtruck2]

My Centauro ate tires, too. <shrug> I used to get them changed at the local Suzuki dealer and he'd just shake his head. Said, "It's just a low powered V twin.. and eats tires faster than a 'Busa. What's up with that?"  Dunno.
I'd get 5- 6K out of an Angel, though. Pretty good. Bridgestones flat spotted the rear and cupped the front.

She still eats tires.   One set per year front and rear.   I have Angels on her now, and will be ordering her her yearly set of new shoes.

[JJ]

Probably a lot like Hot Dog and Mustard EVs from the same year, or Honda GB500s of 1990.    They and the Centauros look gorgeous and are popular TODAY, but they sure caught a ration of grief when they first came out!!

Ugliest things on the market, they said, and they voted with their wallets.   A '98 Centauro MSRP was $13,995 as I remember, same price as a full-boat Wing or HD at the time.    Centauros sat on the floor for YEARS - it was easy to buy a brand new one for about $8500 in 2001/2002.    And one dealer told me that his cost was $10,000 ....

Lannis

Speaking of the yellow color, what is the "official Guzzi name" for that color yellow?  You know, like at Ferrari, they called it "Fly Yellow."

[JJ]

After much research...and the standard "hand-wrining", I ordered a fresh set of Pirelli Angel GT's for "The Yellow Centaur."  They are sticky and will be fine.  

Not too concerned about mileage as I have two other bikes to rotate / ride.  Thanks to all Centauro owners for their advice / expertise.

JJC

[rocker59]