Front Tires

[hootmon]

1)
IRC WF-920 Wild Flare Front Tire
Has anyone tried one of these??
I typically don't like front tires that have a solid bead line down the center (terrible on rain grooves)...
There is $45 difference between this and a Metz...
I like Metz, but $155+ is a little steep

2)
Has Anyone put a 70 on the front instead of an 80??? I know the Speedo will read fast...
Michelin makes a couple of tires in this size...
Any thoughts??

[Lurkin]

Don't they make a car tire for that 

On the IRC tire, I've never run one, but I recall seeing a few posts on another Magna forum a couple of years ago that someone tried them and was not happy.  Can't recall details, nor do I know if the problems they had are still an issue with IRC tires or not.

[hop along]

While travelling this past summer I had a severe puncture in my front, I could only find a 120/70 tire anywhere near where I was at the time.
I remember thinking the speedo actually seemed more accurate at highway speeds.

I also was surprised at how fast I was grinding the feeler bolts off the footpegs....  Otherwise no issues.  It was/is a Metzeler.

Keep us aprised of your choice!
Hop Along

[hootmon]

While travelling this past summer I had a severe puncture in my front, I could only find a 120/70 tire anywhere near where I was at the time.
I remember thinking the speedo actually seemed more accurate at highway speeds.

I also was surprised at how fast I was grinding the feeler bolts off the footpegs....  Otherwise no issues.  It was/is a Metzeler.

Keep us aprised of your choice!
Hop Along

Interesting... Since I run a car tire and just put in progressive springs, I believe my bike is a little taller than stock... At least by the way it leans on the kickstand...
Hey, if the front tire is smaller, then I should get better gas mileage as I will be going down hill all the time!
I might just go for the Michelin...

[Greg Cothern]

I put the shorter front on my Project 96 bike.  It was an Avon tire and had good grip, but felt I gave up a little on the contact patch, remember that a taller tire has a larger patch.
I also found that the Metz fronts lasted me much longer than some of the other cheaper brands.  Seen em run 20K and up for mileage.

[hootmon]

I put the shorter front on my Project 96 bike.  It was an Avon tire and had good grip, but felt I gave up a little on the contact patch, remember that a taller tire has a larger patch.
I also found that the Metz fronts lasted me much longer than some of the other cheaper brands.  Seen em run 20K and up for mileage.

I think I'm going with the Michelin Pilot Road 3 tire... $133 shipped... It us a 70...
Better than the $156 for the Metz... At least price wise...
Good reviews on the PR3...

[hootmon]

Pulled the trigger on the PR3, it should be here Monday...
I'll update one I have some running time on it...

[v4_jeff]

Sorry for the late reply, been away from the board for a while.

I have a set of IRC WF920 tires on my '97 and have been pretty impressed with them. First thing I did after getting these tires was to take off for Kerrville and ride the sisters where they did really well. A little around town riding, then the big Utah trek, then commuter duty since then. I've put about 4,000 miles on them since last July and the rear is just about done. Normal feathering on the front, nothing uneven, and still feels plenty planted in the turns.

These tires do great on rain grooved pavement, and they're very good in the rain as well with no tendency to aquaplane and very good wet traction. Dry traction is way more than this bike can use, I was comfortably scraping the pegs all over the place on the Sisters and around western Colorado and Utah, always felt they had plenty more in them.

Due to a last minute scramble to get the tires on the bike before the Kerrville trip, I ended up going one step taller to a 90 profile on the front. Speedometer reads just a touch low, probably within 2mph at 60 as far as I can tell comparing to another car and a GPS which usually reads 3-4 mph high. Otherwise no noticeable difference in handling or ride.

I will definitely get another rear, and when that wears out will most likely get another set.

[lragan]

...and a GPS which usually reads 3-4 mph high...

You need better software in your GPS.  The time should be accurate to a few billionths of a second, and the speed should be accurate to more decimal places than most GPS units will display.  All other speed indicators are calibrated against GPS speed -- not the other way 'round. 

[hootmon]

I got the Mich on the bike... Good so far... Very little noticeable difference in the speedily, but I contribute that to a worn out 80 compared to a new 70... Probably about the same height...
Nor enough miles yet to determine anything yet, but good so far...
I came out good on the install... I took the wheel off... They charged me $35 which included new Dynabeads...

[lragan]

I came out good on the install... I took the wheel off... They charged me $35 which included new Dynabeads...

Last time I bought a new front tire, I took it and the front wheel to Cycle Gear here in Austin.  Mounted it for $20, but without any Dynabeads...

[hootmon]

I came out good on the install... I took the wheel off... They charged me $35 which included new Dynabeads...

Last time I bought a new front tire, I took it and the front wheel to Cycle Gear here in Austin.  Mounted it for $20, but without any Dynabeads...

Yeah Lawrence, but that was 2006! LOL

[TLRam1]

Hoot,

Are you running any car tires at the moment?

Lawrence, did you ever mount the Shinko, if so, how is it doing.

[Jerry G Turner]

a reply on a Shinko tire I had one on the back of my Magna and it only lasted about 6000 miles I will never buy another have a avon on the rear now.

[hootmon]

Alan - Yes, still have Car tire...

Jerry - I have run 2 Avon's on the rear before.. The one thing I ran into is, when you start getting down on tread life, I picked up a shimmy in the front in on corners.. When the rear tire got changed, the shimmy went away...