Tires.... again.

[corksil]

The original IRCs lasted for quite a while, and then I tried some dunlop GT501, which didn't last as long as I had hoped, and then a 'sava', and then another set of GT501, and then back to the 'sava-racing' stuff.

Now it's time for tires again. Can anyone recommend an all-purpose tire for the ninja 250r which balances the mileage of commuting with the grip of a race-inspired tire through the turns?

The bike is used equally for transportation (straight line, low speed) and recreation (curvy line, high speed).

Does anyone make a dual-compound tire with a harder rubber compound in the middle for commuting and a softer edge compound for increased grip/traction through tight turns? I asked this question a while ago, and didn't come up with anything.

Thanks!

[choneofakind]

Pirelli Diablo Rosso II up front, then that silly Michelin pilot street whatever in back. That's my suggestion as the first arm chair tire sales man.

In before corky gets goofy.

[Yakaru]

For a "combo" riding style like that I'd recommend the Perelli Sport Demons. I run those on my set of street wheels, whereas I run the Diablo 2s on my track wheels. The Demons are solid without destroying your longevity like the Diablos will.

[Alex]

/moved to new-gen tech

[rojoracing53]

Originally Posted by choneofakind

Pirelli Diablo Rosso II up front, then that silly Michelin pilot street whatever in back. That's my suggestion as the first arm chair tire sales man.

^this, end of story

[subxero]

Originally Posted by choneofakind

Pirelli Diablo Rosso II up front, then that silly Michelin pilot street whatever in back. That's my suggestion as the first arm chair tire sales man.

In before corky gets goofy.

is the rosso II a byply and the Mitchell a radial? Seems people have mixed opinions on mixing byply with radial no?

on another note, Sport demons were recommended, I had a set, the rear didn't last me long at all
but longevity and sticky performance don't go well together so like everything else, you gotta pay to play

[rojoracing53]

Originally Posted by subxero

is the rosso II a byply and the Mitchell a radial? Seems people have mixed opinions on mixing byply with radial no?

on another note, Sport demons were recommended, I had a set, the rear didn't last me long at all
but longevity and sticky performance don't go well together so like everything else, you gotta pay to play

They are both radial. Mixing constructions is ok but I highly recommend the front is always a radial because a radial has a better feel and 90% of your bikes feel come from the front.

[jkv45]

If cost is a factor, I may try a set of Avon Viper Strykes.

I put a set on my Derbi project (https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=221442) but haven't put any miles on them yet.

I paid $129 for the pair delivered from motorcycle-superstore.com. They appear to be a fairly soft compound, so mileage may not be exceptional. They arrived the next day and were fresh (6 months old IIRC). Overall, I'm impressed. They were recommended on the Derbi forum with one member saying "they handle GREAT".








EDIT: Looks like I missed the fact that we weren't talking Pregen (16s) here - sorry. Tons of good choices in 17s, not so many in 16s.

[choneofakind]

Originally Posted by subxero

is the rosso II a byply and the Mitchell a radial? Seems people have mixed opinions on mixing byply with radial no?

https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=197095

This tire. I think there's another thread or two about them, but they seem to offer incredible mileage and don't sacrifice grip for real world riding.

The bike I borrowed when I was in Cali had these on both ends. Nothing incredible in terms of the UBERSTICKYYYYYY feeling, but they were sufficient and predictable under braking and cornering. No complaints here.

I'd put the DR2 on the front because sticky as heck in wet and dry from what I've read. I have no personal experience with the DR2 though.

[choneofakind]

Originally Posted by jkv45

If cost is a factor, I may try a set of Avon Viper Strykes.

I put a set on my Derbi project (https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=221442) but haven't put any miles on them yet.

I paid $129 for the pair delivered from motorcycle-superstore.com. They appear to be a fairly soft compound, so mileage may not be exceptional. They arrived the next day and were fresh (6 months old IIRC). Overall, I'm impressed. They were recommended on the Derbi forum with one member saying "they handle GREAT".

Awwwwh, they're in pregen sizes! Let me know how it goes. I've been okay with Diablo Scoots as a street tire for a while now, but I like reading about tires.

[jkv45]

Originally Posted by choneofakind

Awwwwh, they're in pregen sizes! Let me know how it goes. I've been okay with Diablo Scoots as a street tire for a while now, but I like reading about tires.

Ya, I missed looking at the section I was in, and was thinking Pregen tires.

We have Diablo Scooters on our Ninja Beater ('99) and MT75s on the other (2004). My son likes the feel of the Diablos better, and thinks they stick as well or better when pushed. We'll have to see how the Viper Strykes compare. They are technically a "scooter" tire like the Diablos, but thankfully don't say SCOOTER on the sidewall like the Diablos...

[choneofakind]

Embrace the inner scooter, for deep down inside, we all know that plenty of scooters could dust us in a drag race.

[csmith12]

Here is a secret...

I don't buy tires for the average type of riding I am going to do, but instead based on the most grip I will need. Otherwise, I will find myself slipping in my time of need. I chalk it up to the cost of doing business if you will... I do understand the point of not overbuying, but here is the thing. When you need the grip and don't have it, the cost is much greater. I dunno, maybe I just apply common sense in a different way than others.

Food for thought, ijs.

Sorry for so many "I"'s in this post and after putting my mind against the 250, I find myself agreeing with Jason/Chris for the most part. Solidify your front traction and run what makes you happy on the rear. Where I differ is, when cornering... much of your feel of stability comes from the rear. So certain riders may require a more solid feel of grip back there. A to each their own kinda thing, if you know what I mean.

I know my comment isn't what you want to hear, but overbuying on your tires isn't all that bad. And being a savvy shopper, it will not cost you all that much more.

By a set of rosso II's or the likes, replace the rear in about 6k miles, your front will last longer... rinse and repeat, move on with life.

[SLOWn60]

Similar to what Chris has said and I've stated before:
I buy tires for those "OH SH*T!!!) moments: too hot into a corner, wet roads, someone is on the wrong side of the road, they're running a red light, my fault, their fault or for whatever reason; I NEED TRACTION TO SAVE MY LIFE!
Not worth saving 1 or 2 hundred dollars, if that IMO.

[sharky nrk]

S20 Evo 110/140 would be my choice, especially if you can get them when Bridgestone does a rebate. I got my pair for less than $200. Dual compound and quite sticky.

[InvisiBill]

Originally Posted by sharky nrk

S20 Evo 110/140 would be my choice, especially if you can get them when Bridgestone does a rebate. I got my pair for less than $200. Dual compound and quite sticky.

Only the Z-rated S20s are dual-compound per http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/b...-s20-evo-tires. The H-rated Ninjette sizes are single.

One of the complaints about the S20 seems to be that it's quite soft and doesn't last very long. One reviewer said the center seemed softer than the outside of his Pilot Power 3, and he was getting flat spotting after only 2k (not sure how much that would carry over to a smaller Ninjette). It might not be the best choice for someone looking for decent longevity.


The PSR would be near the top of my list to check out for stock sizes. They seem to offer great life and still give very good performance too. Semi-relevant, I'm quite happy with my Pilot Powers on larger wheels.

[EternalNewb]

I liked the Pirelli Sport Demons for my dear bike, until it became a mostly track-duty machine.

[sharky nrk]

Originally Posted by InvisiBill

Only the Z-rated S20s are dual-compound per http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/b...-s20-evo-tires. The H-rated Ninjette sizes are single.

Interesting if that is true, either way I have been VERY pleased with the set I have on my bike.

[corksil]

Damn, there is approximately 45 minutes of time between my reading this thread, finding tires for a decent price, and finding a retailer who won't charge something ridiculous for shipping to hawaii.

At the moment I don't have it in me. Good reason to buy a second bike so one is always ready to go... Maybe that's a good enough reason to buy a second bike.

[csmith12]

Originally Posted by corksil

Maybe that's a good enough reason to buy a second bike.

Welcome.... good sir.

[corksil]

Well then. Went ahead and ordered another set of sava's.

230 shipped to hawaii, front and rear.

All of the rosso II were coming from united kingdom and blah blah blah I want a new tire so I can get riding again and I'm sick of dickering around.