So I purchased my NTM '99 ST1100 (non ABS) a week ago and am slowly working my way through it as my winter project. Right now I'm looking at tires and after reading as much as I could here on the forums I'd pretty well decided I couldn't go wrong with a set of Bridgestone Battleax BT-023, certainly for the conservative style of riding I'll be doing. It's also one of the few that's available in the sizes I need - 110/80-18 front and 160/70-17 rear. I plan to buy from an Ontario MC parts supplier with a racing background and what seems to be a pretty good understanding of the various brands / types of tires currently available ... and he's suggesting I instead go with the Michelin PR2 at both ends, judging it (in his own experience of course) as preferable to even the PR3. Problem is, the PR2 isn't available in a 160/70-17 for the rear so he's recommending the 160/60-17 instead which will lower the rear a bit from stock and according to him slow the steering a touch. I'm 5' 10" but with a fairly short inseam and even though my ST is wearing a Saddlemen Stealth seat I'm still finding the bike a bit difficult to paddle around in the workshop so if a 160/60 effectively drops the seat height a bit I'd count that as an advantage. He's suggesting that with my conservative riding style I'd probably not notice the slightly slower steering so the only negative I can think of is I'll have to be more careful when walking away from the steed with it sitting on the side stand. Any comments, alternate suggestions?
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