Tires... How many miles and what brands?

[tnman]

I now have 2,500 miles on my ST-P. The back tire is in good shape but the front one is almost bald on the left side. I have talked to several Officers here in the DFW area who have only gotten 3,000 miles out of the back tires. They work more freeways and do a lot more hard excelleration than I do. I am somewhat suprised that the tires are going away that fast. I expected the front left side to go away faster than the center or right do to all the turn arounds but I feel 4,000 - 5,000 would have been a better range for replacement.

Just currious how many miles others are getting and if they are switching brands to increase mileage, if it is working and by how many miles.

[EASt]

Since switching from the original Dunlops, I've been using Bridgestone BT020s. I generally run 'em about 10K miles, and could probably stretch them to 12K.

I'm guessing that for police work, though, you probably prefer a softer tire, you pound the snot out of them, and generally put them through wear and tear that the rest of us don't. Heck, I'd say that 5K miles would be good for you guys. :shrug2:

[Ray]

:policeST: I have been speaking to some of the motor officers with Beaumont PD and they said they average about 3,000 miles on their tires. On mine I am not sure how many miles yet. I have about 2500 miles on the front tire. It is still ok. On the left side of the tire it is wearing a little. My back tire does not have very many miles on it since I had to replace it because of a piece of metal I picked up during motor certification...ouch.. :sad:

[wjbertrand]

What pressures are you guys running? Does the police version have the same 42/42 F/R pressure specification as the civilian model?

[tnman]

What pressures are you guys running? Does the police version have the same 42/42 F/R pressure specification as the civilian model?


Same 42/42

[wmflewelling]

Just ordered a set of the new dunlop ROAD SMART. Hoping they will be better than the 220s. A little pricy but hopfully worth it.They are a duel compound like michelin. Time will tell. wmflewelling

[jdpfms]

:policeST: I have been speaking to some of the motor officers with Beaumont PD and they said they average about 3,000 miles on their tires. On mine I am not sure how many miles yet. I have about 2500 miles on the front tire. It is still ok. On the left side of the tire it is wearing a little. My back tire does not have very many miles on it since I had to replace it because of a piece of metal I picked up during motor certification...ouch.. :sad:

Wow, I'd be changing tires every other month at that rate. I'm not sure if you want to stay with an ST specific tire compound or not. I've had good wear with the Metzeler Z6 front and ME 880 rear. Some don't like them but I liked the BT 021s that I had too. Pilot Roads or the PR 2s may be worth a try even though the 2s cost more (maybe the dept. pays for the tires I assume).

JDP

[Ray]

(maybe the dept. pays for the tires I assume).

JDP

I have to equip the tires but they pay for it through my allowance.

[rbs]

Just ordered a set of the new dunlop ROAD SMART. Hoping they will be better than the 220s. A little pricy but hopfully worth it.They are a duel compound like michelin. Time will tell. wmflewelling

I'm interested! Where did u order them from?

[rbs]

Found them and ordered a set!

[Richard Lee]

I bought my used 2000 st 11 with the intention of riding the farthest, longest, and as best as I could using the original recommended D 205 Dunlops. I put on a new front and rear set 12,000 miles ago and still have 50% left...38 in the front 42 psi in the rear... and have the widest chicken strips in the state. At least 40% of the time I'm commuting in the rain and always try to accellerate and brake as smoothly as possible. Your professional demands are much greater and I would urge you to never skip or scrimp even if it means a set a month. Viva good law enforcement and please be careful out there.

[KLRCraig]

With my fleet of ST's I have had the best luck with the Bridgestones. We are getting 5-6K on the rears. Once I started using the fork bouncing technique when mounting front tires they now wear better and I see 6K to 8K on the fronts. I have a VP pal at Honda and he told me that they are now testing another set of tires and are having better wear longer. I will post the brand when I find out.
Craig

[jamesblaverty]

I just paid $430.00 to Dallas Honda for a pair of Dunlops Road Smart tires including installation which was $119.00. My old OEM Bridgestones lasted about 12360 miles. I could feel a big difference on the ride home but that's because the old ones were basically flat due to daily commuting.

DFW Honda in Grapevine wanted 450.00 + installation for an older set of of Dunlop 220s.

I'd rather buythe tires online and find a place to have them mounted and balanced. Anyone know of a reputable garage in the North Dallas area?

jim

[Tim Diener]

tnman,
I have been using the Metzler Marathon tire as a back tire. They are hard, probably not good for scraping bike parts off while cornering, but most of my miles are two up and I get something like 8-10,000 per tire.

[motorman35]

The reality, for what LE motor officers are asking of their tires, is low mileage...especially given our predisposition to spin to the left to catch violators. Our train of thought is that we will be replacing them often no matter which tire we run and our choice is whether we want them to last 1-1.5 K more for the loss of better handling characteristics (You can pick tires that wear like iron...but they handle like iron also). Getting 4-5 K from a set seems like excellent tire wear/longevity. The other fact that significantly lowers tire mileage is training frequency, especially with tight patterns.

We have run the stock Dunlops (won't ever again and don't know any regional agencies who slap the Dunlops back on after the first set. Several agencies take them off at purchase.), Metzler Z6 (mostly Beemer 1100/1150 pilots), Michelin Pilot Road or PRII (most of the Beemer 1200's seem to like them in the area), Bridgestone BT020's (pretty good tire really), but most Honda's in our area have settled on the Avon Storm ST's for their superior grip in both dry and wet. Mileage isn't as good as the BT's, but they sure stick to the road.

I think this brings up a good point, because the different bikes seem to prefer different tires (consensus after riding others bikes and unscientific rider trials) or maybe its a huge game of follow the leader with the "hot" tire to have...?

The Avon's seem to take longer to scrub in than normal, so beware as they are very slick for approximately the first 100 miles or so. The others you could go get them heated and weave/spin some circles to scrub them to the edge of the tread to completely remove all the sealant and you are good to go...not so with the Avon's as they seem to like to be scrubbed in over several heat cycles.

[motor2191]

I agree. I ran through my OEM Bridgestones in about 6k. We switched to Avons and I really like the ride quality, it's much better than the Bridgestones IMO. However, we do have a set on Dunlop RoadSmarts in waiting...And actually, we have a tendency to like harder compounds due to our high mileage use. I think that motorcops make better T&E guys than 99% of the factory guys anyways. Much like the riding gear issue, we are harder on equipment than most, but not out of abuse, but purely out of the daily use.

Funny story on that note, when we had Harley's I had a gentleman approach me and we began to speak. He seemed like nice guy and an avid rider type. It was good conversation until he asked me how many miles I had on it. At the time I might have been on that particular bike for a few months (we leased) and I had something like 8k on it. He was utterly flabbergasted!! His 93' Road King only had 25 on it. I said, "Thousand, right?", "No." he replied, "25 hundred"... H o w i n t h e h e l l can you own a motorcycle and ride it something like 20 miles a month??? He couldn't believe it when I told him I road home from Bristol,TN. in one day...LOL!

[okckeith]

I'm interesed in what tires you officers are useing on the hwy. Have you tried more tan just oem tires. Whats gives the best stability at hi speeds. What kind of mileage do you get.

[SoloTotoCoyote]

I now have 2,500 miles on my ST-P. The back tire is in good shape but the front one is almost bald on the left side. I have talked to several Officers here in the DFW area who have only gotten 3,000 miles out of the back tires. They work more freeways and do a lot more hard excelleration than I do. I am somewhat suprised that the tires are going away that fast. I expected the front left side to go away faster than the center or right do to all the turn arounds but I feel 4,000 - 5,000 would have been a better range for replacement.

Just currious how many miles others are getting and if they are switching brands to increase mileage, if it is working and by how many miles.

I service the ST's for about 6 different departments. We have been moving most of the officer's over to the Bridgestone BT-020 & 021's after a lot of complaints of uneven wear and poor handling with the Dunlops. The officers have been very happy with the Bridgestone tires. I'm not familiar with the Avon's, but after reading many of the posts, it seems like a good option as well.

[motor2191]

The Avons are a little cheaper and, for the most part, have a solid reputation of being a long lasting tire. So far, I'm impressed. I'd even be willing to throw on a set for my personal bike. So far, I've got about a 1k on these and there is no discernible wear. The ride quality is much better too, but that's my opinion...

[SoloTotoCoyote]

The Avons are a little cheaper and, for the most part, have a solid reputation of being a long lasting tire. So far, I'm impressed. I'd even be willing to throw on a set for my personal bike. So far, I've got about a 1k on these and there is no discernible wear. The ride quality is much better too, but that's my opinion...

Which model Avon's? (Want to make sure I give these as an option for my officer's as well as the Bridgestone's & Dunlop's)

[bayoubear]

Avon STorm....I average between 9K to 11K.....I have no complaints and I am on my 3rd set. Also Avon is the only tire company that has a road hazard warranty ....they prorate a replacement depending on how many miles are on the tire at the time of damage. I had one get a nail after just 115 miles and all I had to pay was $20 for shipping on a replacement.

[motorman35]

Which model Avon's? (Want to make sure I give these as an option for my officer's as well as the Bridgestone's & Dunlop's)

Avon Storm ST AV55 front and AV56 rear

[SoloTotoCoyote]

Avon Storm ST AV55 front and AV56 rear

Thank you.

[tnman]

The Avons are a little cheaper and, for the most part, have a solid reputation of being a long lasting tire. So far, I'm impressed. I'd even be willing to throw on a set for my personal bike. So far, I've got about a 1k on these and there is no discernible wear. The ride quality is much better too, but that's my opinion...


I am up for a back tire - got 5800 on my original Dunlop. I think I am going to try the Metzler. Have you done any retrains yet with the Metler? How does it stick? I want a tire taht is going to stick good as I do a lot of turn arounds. (my back tire is worn out on the left side as much as the center!)

[motor2191]

My $.02...Go with the Avon's. I put them on about 1,500 miles ago and I'm pleased with the performance. The ride quality is very good and control in standing water (rain) is very good too. There is one exit on the interstate near my home that was widened and repaved sometime ago. The paving crew used the pavement grinder and managed to leave a strip about two feet wide right in the middle of the exit lane. Because of the lane placement, you are forced to ride through this mess for appx. 100 feet. Well, shortly after putting on the Avons I had come through there in my typical "going home" daze...LOL! Well after passing by I thought to myself, "Good, they FINALLY fixed the road". On the next day I made a conscience effort to look at the road. Turns out, nope, the roadway still had the same old rutted up channel. The Avons made the ride through the hazard much better than the OEM Bridgestones that were on mine. The Bridgestone made the bike "skate" around and the ride quality was much more "harsh". The Avons seem to offer a better ride quality with improved control, as far as traction is concerned, I'd say they perform very good in that category too. I have one honey hole that I have to make a hard right turn in order to snag the offender. The turn has sand and other road debris piled up where I come of the curb and the Avons have never slipped up once. From one motorcop to another, buy the Avon tires! :twist1: Just wanted to use this one! LOL!

[tnman]

My dealer does not offer or carry the Avon so I ordered teh Metzler from a recomendation of another officer near us. Maybe I will try the Avon's out next time if I can find a dealer that carries them,