First Impressions of the new Avon STorm Ultras

[Gearbear]

I now have a few hundred miles of semi-aggressive city riding on these new Storm 2 Ultras and I'm liking them a lot. I haven't ridden in the triple digits but so far these are rock-solid at speed and I feel more confident leaning as far as I want

Maybe it's just in my mind but they feel more sticky, more firmly planted than the PR2s. I even feel confident leaning hard on the large white street markings that used to feel a little slippery.

I have not experienced any shimmy, shake, or wobble. Next I'll check to see if it drifts to the right on a long straight and level road. So far I haven't had a mechanic that put the front wheel on so there is no drifting to the right.

 

[wjbertrand]

I was told by my tire dude the "snot" is water soluble. Is this really the case? I had a ride the following day with a ton of twisties, so I rode home and washed the tires. All seemed good in traction land.

Water soluble? I don't think so. The residue on tire surfaces is due to oils and waxes that are formulated into the compound. Some of these additives, such as the waxes are designed to "bloom" to the surface and protect it from oxidation. This is what needs scrubbing off. Usually the scrub off rate is a lot faster than the bloom rate, so with semi regular use the tread stays relatively clean. It's important to point out that the same "tire snot" phenomenon can happen with older tires that haven't been used in a long time, or anytime the scrub/wear rate is less than the bloom rate.

In my experience, only about 50 miles or so of curvy road riding is needed to bring a tire in.

 

[RCS]

A while back, I printed an article from this site by SoloTotoCoyote - 4-28-2008 - regarding Front Wheel Installation Sequence. Since I couldn't find the same article on a site search, I'll re-typed the steps below. He wrote it because some riders complained of the bike pulling right.

1. Get axle pinch bolts finger loose.
2. Tighten the left axle pinch bolts to 22 Nm..note left is if you were sitting on the bike.
3. Tighten axle bolt to 79 Nm.
4. Tighten the right axle pinch bolts to 22 Nm.
5. Now loosen the left axle pinch bolts.
6. Note: During the assembly process, this is where you would be installing the brake calipers.
7. Set the bike down where the bike's weight is on the wheels. Lock the front brake and push the suspension up and down several times.
8. Tighten the left axle pinch bolts to 22 Nm.


After reading the above and comparing it to the Service Manual, I prefer the Service Manual because tightening the left axle pinch bolts before tightening the axle may prevent the axle from being properly torqued. (So, I'm going with the Service Manual method, but that is me).

Service Manual:

1. Install the front axle.
2. Get axle pinch bolts finger tight.
3. Tighten the axle to the specified torque
4. Tighten the right axle pinch bolt to the specified torque.
5. Install the brake calipers.
6. Get on the bike, grab the brakes, and rock the front suspension to seat the axle.
7. Tighten the left axle pinch bolts to the specified torque.

 

[Two Brothers]

A while back, I printed an article from this site by SoloTotoCoyote - 4-28-2008 - regarding Front Wheel Installation Sequence. Since I couldn't find the same article on a site search, I'll re-typed the steps below. He wrote it because some riders complained of the bike pulling right.

1. Get axle pinch bolts finger loose.
2. Tighten the left axle pinch bolts to 22 Nm..note left is if you were sitting on the bike.
3. Tighten axle bolt to 79 Nm.
4. Tighten the right axle pinch bolts to 22 Nm.
5. Now loosen the left axle pinch bolts.
6. Note: During the assembly process, this is where you would be installing the brake calipers.
7. Set the bike down where the bike's weight is on the wheels. Lock the front brake and push the suspension up and down several times.
8. Tighten the left axle pinch bolts to 22 Nm.


After reading the above and comparing it to the Service Manual, I prefer the Service Manual because tightening the left axle pinch bolts before tightening the axle may prevent the axle from being properly torqued. (So, I'm going with the Service Manual method, but that is me).

Service Manual:

1. Install the front axle.
2. Get axle pinch bolts finger tight.
3. Tighten the axle to the specified torque
4. Tighten the right axle pinch bolt to the specified torque.
5. Install the brake calipers.
6. Get on the bike, grab the brakes, and rock the front suspension to seat the axle.
7. Tighten the left axle pinch bolts to the specified torque.

Yep this sounds good also.

 

[DeanR]

My experience:
Exedra's - no hint of head shake
Storm's - Immediate 45mph shake, not bike or installation problem.
Front Storm replacement from Avon - same shake, I live with it. Maybe bias vs radial issue? don't know.
Plan on putting on the Storm2's shortly but expect the same thing. Hopefully I'll be pleasantly surprised.

 

[Firstpeke]

Does the headshake occur when you are holding onto the bars, or erm..... when you let go?

 

[DeanR]

Shake can be bad when not holding on, slightly perceptable with a normal grip. I live with it since I'm usually not riding no handed..

 

[Byron]

"Originally Posted by UNTMatt
Mine has has the 45mph headshake for a while now. It was greatly exaggerated when the Sonic Springs were installed (almost unoticable prior to Sonic Springs)."


When the springs were installed my guess is that they were stiffer than the factory spring. Was the sag reset to the same as before the install or did you simply swap out the springs and use the same spacer? What I'm getting at is that when you changed the springs you probably changed the geometry of the the suspension. If you know what it was before the change, try setting it back or if you lost sag in the front turn up your rear preload some and see what happens.

 

[moosulkwanman]

well I'm due for my first tire change any time now, noticine wear bars on back tire, which is the stock Bridgestone....

so before my next long ride I'm changing it out, the Honda dealer here recommends sticking with the same tire????

I now have 6,000 miles on this stock tire, that sounds a bit premature for being worn??
But I do ride mostly in town and do a lot of stop and go ......???

Please advise....

 

[Uncle Phil]

My experience on my ST1100s is that I did not get as much mileage out of the BT020s or the Z4/Z6s as I do out of the Avons (Azaros were better than the Storms so I hope the Ultras will be more like the Azaros). YEMV.

 

[SoloTotoCoyote]

A while back, I printed an article from this site by SoloTotoCoyote - 4-28-2008 - regarding Front Wheel Installation Sequence. Since I couldn't find the same article on a site search, I'll re-typed the steps below. He wrote it because some riders complained of the bike pulling right.

1. Get axle pinch bolts finger loose.
2. Tighten the left axle pinch bolts to 22 Nm..note left is if you were sitting on the bike.
3. Tighten axle bolt to 79 Nm.
4. Tighten the right axle pinch bolts to 22 Nm.
5. Now loosen the left axle pinch bolts.
6. Note: During the assembly process, this is where you would be installing the brake calipers.
7. Set the bike down where the bike's weight is on the wheels. Lock the front brake and push the suspension up and down several times.
8. Tighten the left axle pinch bolts to 22 Nm.


After reading the above and comparing it to the Service Manual, I prefer the Service Manual because tightening the left axle pinch bolts before tightening the axle may prevent the axle from being properly torqued. (So, I'm going with the Service Manual method, but that is me).

Service Manual:

1. Install the front axle.
2. Get axle pinch bolts finger tight.
3. Tighten the axle to the specified torque
4. Tighten the right axle pinch bolt to the specified torque.
5. Install the brake calipers.
6. Get on the bike, grab the brakes, and rock the front suspension to seat the axle.
7. Tighten the left axle pinch bolts to the specified torque.

For the record, I pulled those directions from the factory Honda Set-up manual. If memory serves, the directions in the factory Honda service manual were updated as well to match the Set-up manual.

 

[jaysponger]

Just replaced the 10 year old BT020 with Storm Ultra 2 this weekend. Head shake is there however if I have hands on the bars it is not noticable either one or both hands, so not a problem

After the first 120 miles the biggest difference I noticed was when your turning it feels so stable, scrape the pegs a couple of time and did not even expect it.

 

[1129VLD]

I am sure it's due to the change in the bikes geometry. The rear preload is cranked all the way up but I'm almost positive, after 82k miles, the rear shock is done in.

What the bike needs, before I do anything else, is a new rear shock. Unfortunately, $1200 isn't in the near future. So, I live w/it.

OEM shock? FWIW, I'm happy with the RaceTech OEM upgrade. It's less than 1/2 the price of a new shock.

I could cut the spacers down but I'd rather not. They work quite well for when Dee and I are two up and loaded. Although that's not but a couple of times a year, I'm not one that wants to pull the front forks apart and reset spacers everytime we take a trip. I like a Ronco type of fork...set it and forget it.

Sonic 1.2kg? Are you using the metal spacer that came with the bike? If so, isn't that way, way, way to much preload ... 2 up or not?

 

[Byron]

There is just something about the feel of new rubber.

You don't seem to notice it as the tires wear but they stop turning in as easy, they just feel off.

With new rubber the bike just wants to fly through the corners, it seems to sense when you want to change lanes and just does it with hardly any input. Rides smoother and brings back the smiles.

 

[DonP.]

There is just something about the feel of new rubber.

You don't seem to notice it as the tires wear but they stop turning in as easy, they just feel off.

With new rubber the bike just wants to fly through the corners, it seems to sense when you want to change lanes and just does it with hardly any input. Rides smoother and brings back the smiles.

+1 Scrubed in the new RoadAttacks going home Sunday on Ortega, new rubber is great!:bow1:

 

[Firstpeke]

I only experienced minor instability, or head-shake, once the front Storm was needing changed.

Not been out yet with the new Storm 2 Ultra on the front but am looking forward to getting back on the road and getting some miles in!

I am convinced that this Storm head-shake is caused by one, or both, of two things...
1. Inherent instability in the bike caused by various factors, including but not limited to wear and tear on the suspension, or poor set-up.
2. The Avon Storm tyre provides too much feel and has a profile which amplifies inherent instability.

I say the latter as the tyre does have quite a different profile to others in that it encourages better turn in to corners.
The tyre also seems more sensitive to pressure variation and needs 'fine' tuning for each bike and/or rider. My previous Storm ran and wore better at about 38-40lbs/psi.

Any one else have any thoughts on this?

 

[Firstpeke]

Further to my last post... that sounds terminal... sorry, further to my last post, there are one or two on forums over this side of the pond that are intimating that having fitted a new Storm Ultra on the front, the bike turns in MUCH more quickly and can be 'interesting' in corners.....

I have always felt that the Storm had a different profile in cross section to other tyres I have used, being more angular in its shape.
This is certainly part of the cause of this phenomenon of falling into corners, in my opinion of course!

There is the feeling that the tyre has much more feel and sensitivity which is causing this headshake. Simply that the tyre is providing feedback of what is there already and other tyres are not.
As I said, my theory.....

 

[Gearbear]

A few weeks and a few hundred miles later and I'm still liking my new Avon Storm 2's.

No head shake, still rock-solid-steady in all conditions I could come across here - high wind, 2-up, high speed, rain, sleet, all kinds of pavement conditions.

To echo FirstPekes comments - I did notice a fast turn-in, fall-in...whatever you want to call it, especially with the front tire. I'm not noticing it so much now, maybe I got used to it and/or the tire has flattened out a tad in the middle.

 

[Tankereng]

EDIT:

I've got both STorm 2's mounted now... much improved ride. Feedback from the road is excellent without being to the point of the wheel trying to turn the bars to follow every divot in the road... Feels very planted on the road. First trip out on the new set was on wet roads.....Fresh tires & Wet roads = Some tense moments... Grip improved as the miles added up...

BTW, Just rolled over 40,000 miles in the last 23 months...

 

[Mellow]

I have my front Storm 2 mounted and have ridden it to work twice... Feels smooth rolling into the corners and holds a predictable line.....

I'm getting a low frequency head shake on Decel though...:cus: I'm pretty sure that I had the tire perfectly balanced before installing it. I'm headed out to the garage to mount the rear since my PR2 back there is in pretty sorry shape... I'm hoping that is the root of the problem. I'm also going to retorque the front axle while I'm at it...

If this fixes the issue, I'll come back and edit this post as to not creat panic in the streets... If it doesn't, I'll call for help...LOL

A warn rear tire can also cause a head shake. So, wait til the new rear is mounted.