New Gen Tire Mileage

[Momaru]

I'm at 7800+ miles with my stocker 501's and it's time. Still have a couple mm on the wear bars, but with the kind of rain we've been getting here of late, it makes me edgy. Haven't had any complaints as far as grip; I'm not terribly aggressive, but they're pretty much always planted when I need 'em (except this one time, trying to stop in rain at an intersection I forgot is really oily).

Will be replacing with sport demons next week.

[Ramen]

I've around 6500 miles on my 501's and they're still good. My ninjette is mainly for commuting and I estimate the tires will need replacing by 10,000.

[FroggyGreenInSD]

Several people were asking for more experiences with the BT45s on our bike so I thought I'd add my 2cents. My 08 came with the BT45s stock. The rear lasted for just over 6000 miles before I hit the wear bars and replaced it. Those were mostly commuting miles on city streets. The original front is still on it with just over 8000 miles on it. I think it will probably last until the rear needs replacing again.

[RaceBikeRentals]

Originally Posted by almost40

Nemy the wet tire performance on the 501's isnt the greatest but I think the tire life outweigh's that. Granted I used the tires on a very grippy track but in the dry even on the street I didnt have any complaints. Unless your really pressing the tire in the rain or wet they are just fine and do give a LITTLE warning before letting go completely in the wet. I havent tested any other tires but it would seem to me that the 501's are a great balance between tire life and performance. If you like spending tire money every 3000-4000 miles for a little more grip be my guest. Unless you take it to the track or on regular occasion carve up the canyons the 501's seem to be a good fit for the 250.

Kevin, you're avatar... I ordered a coffee mug with that image on it today. I'm not very political, but that one is damn good!

[arcman]

http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showp...9&postcount=44

IRCs: 13k kms (~8k miles) and I'm replacing the rear, front looks like a virgin. First road bike and done a lot of straights/commutes, recently some twisties, almost zero dirt. I'm 110 kgs (242 lb) with gear on. Ridden all the way through a cool southern Australian winter; lows of 2-3C (37F) to median 17C (63F), the odd high of 32C (90F) recently. Rear is 1mm in the centre with 5-7 at the sides , very squared off.

A.

[Sailariel]

I have 8500 miles on my 501 Dunlop tyres and they still have a lot of miles left. I think that for the old man riding that I do, that they are fine. Will probably contact Richard and have him send me a set this winter. Will give me the opportunity to mount them and balance them myself. I`m taking welding at our local Voc Centre and plan to build a wheel stand that I can use to balance my wheels.

[Cedilla]

Ive got just over 6k on my stock IRCs and I finally parked the bike until I get a new rear Monday. I rode 130 miles on Sunday, and rode to work on Monday to discover I had wires showing through the tire in one spot, and that was my breaking point for riding on that tire. The front is worn about halfway, it will probably stay until about 10k.

[Reswob]

A couple have you have made comments that the stock Dunlop tires are hard to find or unavailable. I was assuming that when it came time to replace the tires my dealer would be able to get me the factory Dunlops....was I wrong?

[rockNroll]

I've got 800 miles on these. Bstones 003RS. Not too bad, I'm used to getting about two thousand miles per set of tires on the cbr. They are center lining on me some even though the center compound is harder than the sides... I'd guess about 600 miles is in the mtns (getting to and from the mtns as well.. about 40 minutes each way) and 200 miles commuting.

[Reswob]

2,000 miles!?!? Having to change the tires 3x or more per year is unacceptable. Why can no one design a tire that lasts a decent amount? Hell, even the mud tires on my Jeep should last me 40-50k!

[CRXTrek]

You have to choose soft rubber (short life) for traction or a hard rubber (long life). Depends on your riding style.
CBR 1000 = short life
GoldWing=long life

[gizmogamez]

my stock IRC's have 6k km on them, the front looks almost new and the rear has a little flatning since i'm all hwy riding (only did around 100km on track days) but there is still half the tred left so i'm thinking i should get 10-11k km

[CZroe]

Originally Posted by Reswob

A couple have you have made comments that the stock Dunlop tires are hard to find or unavailable. I was assuming that when it came time to replace the tires my dealer would be able to get me the factory Dunlops....was I wrong?

Kawi switched to IRCs in Summer '08, so all they will be able to get are IRC tires. I doubt any preemptively made orders earlier in 2008 and still have them on-hand because the bike was too new. Even if they did, they would just as easily be BT45 tires because Kawi had used those too and they are available in The States without going to Kawi.

[arcman]

Loving the BT45s. I live in Melbourne which has to be the tram capital of the world, noticed a huge improvement negotiating tram tracks; on the IRcs I almost always had some slippage, now none.

A.

[backinthesaddleagain]

At 9K miles on my IRC, I should look them over closely tomorrow in case any bad wear spot that i haven't seen during my usual pre-ride check. going BT45 next.

[Cedilla]

I plan on putting a BT016 on the back, still gonna keep the IRC on the front. I don't like the idea of mixing tires, but im not about to replace the front tire when it is still good, and I will not put another trash IRC rear on there. btw motorcyclesuperstore.com has the BT016 150/60ZR17 for 113.99 with free shipping right now, a parts guy at my dealer told me he could get them for me for 175.

[HMB-ninja]

ok so this mignt sound noobish but wtf are IRC i was under the impresion that all 250's came with either the GT501 or BT045 tires is IRC a diffrent brand or is this some kind of abbriviated term that i don't know?

[Cedilla]

Originally Posted by HMB-ninja

ok so this mignt sound noobish but wtf are IRC i was under the impresion that all 250's came with either the GT501 or BT045 tires is IRC a diffrent brand or is this some kind of abbriviated term that i don't know?

The 08s came with GT501s or BT045s, and 09s came with a cheaper, lower quality tire, the IRC Roadwinner.

[backinthesaddleagain]

Inoue Rubber Company if I recall correctly.

[Sailariel]

Originally Posted by VeX

I loved my GT-501's. I changed them at like 11,000 miles (and they needed it). They had a simliar wear pattern and only started slipping the last 1,000 miles. I have Avon's now and the front is scalloping heavily on the sides (at like 3,000 miles) and the rear looks like new. Even though the rear has plenty of tread I'm going to change them both out because the rear is probably just as slippery as IRC's (god awful).

TJ, Thanks for the input on the Avon Tyres. I had considered them before I read your thread. I ran them on my Norton and swore by them--of course they were of the tube variety and we are talking the 70`s. I think I`ll stay with GT 501 Tyres. TJ, Thanks for the info---nothing like real experience for data. Thanks a million.

[Reswob]

Originally Posted by CZroe

Kawi switched to IRCs in Summer '08, so all they will be able to get are IRC tires. I doubt any preemptively made orders earlier in 2008 and still have them on-hand because the bike was too new. Even if they did, they would just as easily be BT45 tires because Kawi had used those too and they are available in The States without going to Kawi.

So what you're trying to say is, I'm screwed.

[headshrink]

You aren't screwed at all, they still make Sport Demons

[CZroe]

Originally Posted by headshrink

You aren't screwed at all, they still make Sport Demons

And you'll be buying more in no time.

[HMB-ninja]

thanks for the info guys, and looks like i'll be stayin away from those.

I have the GT501 on my bike, just over 6K miles and looks like i might have about 2-3K left in them? i really like how they handle and i read an artical somewhere about a 250 racer saying that he really likes them too for a good balance of performance and longevity. I hope that they become easier to get some day

[KELPHYN]

Bike came stock with the 501's, changed them out at 10000kms. Front tire was cupping and starting to slide a little in the corns and the back was down to the wear bars.
Tried a set af Kenda's. Sticky but a little twitchy in high speed sweepers. Never slipped but not all that confindent inspiring. Changed them out after 6400kms. Front tire was just starting to cup and the back was allready down to the wear bars.
Next was BT-45's. Love them. Feel way more planted then 501's, way way more stable than the Kenda's. Excellent wet weather traction, decent mileage for the traction they offer (IMO).Changed the back after 6500kms, but only because I was going on a road trip and know the tire would be realy close being toast by the end of the trip (3800kms). Figure there was only about 2000kms of life left in it, so new tire, front tire was good still.
Finished the season with the front, barely. It was just starting to touch the wear indicators, but the compound was starting to get pretty hard and a little slippery when pushed hard. So in the end got about 11,600kms out of the front ( new one on waiting for next season) So with BT-45's I figure I should get close to 1 front tire for 2 back tires, but it will close, propably more like 2 frnt-3 back. Will have to see what next season brings, might try a different tire next, but am really quite happy with the overall performance of the BT-45's, dry,wet,traction at speed, and pretty decent milage.
Hope this helps someone

[Reswob]

Originally Posted by headshrink

You aren't screwed at all, they still make Sport Demons

And have to replace them twice or more per year? Not on your life.

[Alex]

Josh - Sport Demons don't have much worse life than any other reasonably sticky tire for our ninjettes. Like every other tire, wear depends more on riding style than any other factor. A newish rider on a 250 will likely get a whole pile of miles out of their tires no matter what make or brand. A rider who is asking more performance out of their tires (more weight, harder cornering, more acceleration, more braking) will get correspondingly less mileage.

As a rule, motorcycle tires get much, much less mileage than what you may be used to with car tires. A number of reasons for that, but the major ones are stickier compounds, much smaller contact patch, and riders generally ask more from their bike tires than they do from their automobile tires.