Are my tires okay? Pics inside..

seanski41 · June 1st, 2011, 02:36 PM

I'm a new rider! Just took the MSF course with my roommate and bought a 2007 Ninja 250r with 6k mi for $2k. My buddy had a little more to spend and picked up a 636. I'm happy with the power and size of my bike - but I'm not the most stable in turns, and with ANY wind at speeds over 40mph I feel the bike being pushed from under me. I've been shoved into the other lane and almost off the road from the wind and felt like I had no control over the steering of the bike. I'm a light guy, around 140lbs.

It probably has nothing to do with it, but my tires are narrow and stubby as opposed to the wider smoother tires I usually see. I know that 250's shouldn't have massively wide tires thanks to some research I've done around the site but I'm not sure if I have the appropriate tires for my style of riding on the bike right now. That style, I suppose, is basic->sporty riding. I live in the city but the twisties right outside are nice and close by. I'd like to have more confidence, especially in the wind, as I'm assuming most of my turning issues are related to me being a new rider - although my friend with the 636 is fairing quite better than me in the turns already.

Would I benefit from different tires? These are quite new and I'm sure I wouldn't have that much of a problem selling them after getting others..

The tires are: Dunlop K630's. Rear: 130/80/16, Front: 100/80/16.

edit: I'm an idiot. These are OEM replacements. /facepalm

bdavison · June 1st, 2011, 02:39 PM

They look fine to me...both of them look like theyve barely been run at all.

The wind wont blow you off the road unless you let it (assuming its not a tornado or hurricane). What happens is that it has a tendancy to push the bottom of the bike, and make it lean and it feels like its being blown over.. Just relax, and let it lean...you just concentrate on pointing it where you want it to go.

scotty · June 1st, 2011, 02:43 PM

Are the tires dry rotted, or cracked at all? I'm a light guy also,(130lb) and the wind as taken me to some crazy places. You just got to learn how to deal with it, and ride proper for the conditions your in.

FrugalNinja250 · June 1st, 2011, 02:53 PM

Many people feel that the OEM Dunlops are very poor performing tires compared to most everything else on the road. My Dunlops were already dryrotted, cracked sidewalls and all, with only 2k miles on them, apparently the three years the previous owner had the bike it sat in the sun.

Here's a lot of good info on tires: http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Tires

I'm running Kenda K671s as I do 99% highway and city commuting, I've been extremely happy with them and they're wonderfully priced.

TeamGreen · June 1st, 2011, 02:55 PM

I'm bigger than you at 210 and I still get blown around a bit. Try not to tense up so much (grip the bars tight) and just give the bike imputs to point it where you want to go. Seemed to help me.

Archerzz · June 1st, 2011, 03:16 PM

look better than the tires on my bike

1994Ninja250F · June 1st, 2011, 03:45 PM

About the wind, I can tell you from experience that lots of what we perceive as wind gusts are really due to our natural reaction to grip down on the handlebars really hard when the wind blows. With such a tight grip on the bars, you are likely to make the condition worse.

Try this: Next time the wind is blowing, KEEP YOUR ARMS LOOSE! If your elbows are locked, then you are doing it wrong. You want as little pressure on the bars as possible while still maintaining control. You will find that the bike will react much better. I used to be scared of the wind too and would tense up so bad, but that's really the worst thing you can do.

seanski41 · June 1st, 2011, 05:10 PM

Thanks everyone for the advice! Just went for a sick ride with a decent amount of wind - kept it steady and more loose. Counter-steering is my new best friend!

As for the tires, are what I have on there more all-terrain tires? Would I be better suited with a different size or style or am I really good to go on what I've got?

Thanks everyone.. here's some pictures of the bike from the ride.. inherently poor quality cell phone pics, sorry

Alex · June 1st, 2011, 05:18 PM

Your tires aren't all-terrain, they are just pretty low-end street tires. They have a bad rap, and for good reason; the grip level is low, the feel isn't great, though they don't wear too badly.

seanski41 · June 1st, 2011, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex

Your tires aren't all-terrain, they are just pretty low-end street tires. They have a bad rap, and for good reason; the grip level is low, the feel isn't great, though they don't wear too badly.

So as I'm riding with friends that all have over 600cc's, and will try to follow them to learn, to get around corners as smoothly I should probably get better tires... ?

bdavison · June 1st, 2011, 06:46 PM

Yes, if you want to keep up with the 600's...id recommend switching to something else. I really like the dunlop gt501 series. They stick like glue, and hook up even when the tire temps arent ideal. Get em warmed up to 120F, and they are the tires of your dreams.

seanski41 · June 1st, 2011, 06:48 PM

Besides wanting to improve as a rider and push my skills.... I just know I'm going to be following them and even if I'm being smart and not trying to blast through, I've already started to use the bike in front of be's line/angle/etc. through turns. Which actually has helped me, at least confidence wise.... but at a certain point....

kkim · June 1st, 2011, 06:57 PM

get some better tires if you are even thinking of doing twisties.... hell, get some new tires, period. The ones you have are coming due anyway (if they are the originals) and as was mentioned earlier weren't a great tire to start with.

I know the Pirelli Sport Demons are a great, sticky tire for the pregens.

seanski41 · June 1st, 2011, 07:21 PM

Thanks for your input everyone.. I'll look into all the tires mentioned and read around some more, but since were on the topic.. same size?

kkim- They're not original, they actually have less than 1k mi on them... hopefully I won't have much of a problem selling them.

Until I can get them changed... how hard do I really want to push them/myself?

kkim · June 1st, 2011, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seanski41

Until I can get them changed... how hard do I really want to push them/myself?

not very. they are a hard compound tire designed for long life and sacrifices traction in the process. while they will go around corners just fine, be wary of how hard you push and the sudden transition from traction to non traction.

spend the time before you change them put to learn how to ride the bike and to become smooth and flowing in your riding style.

exploring/carolina · June 2nd, 2011, 09:16 AM

Agree with being smooth & flowing.

It's fun to see how smooth you can be riding, transitioning into and out of curves, and shifting, too.

Installed a set Pirelli MT75 tires on a pregen. Like how they handle. Only problem a 130/80/16 for the rear is not available. Mounted a 120/80/16 on the rear with a 100/80/16 up front.

Enjoy your Ninja!

CmichRider · June 2nd, 2011, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by exploring/carolina

Agree with being smooth & flowing.

It's fun to see how smooth you can be riding, transitioning into and out of curves, and shifting, too.

Installed a set Pirelli MT75 tires on a pregen. Like how they handle. Only problem a 130/80/16 for the rear is not available. Mounted a 120/80/16 on the rear with a 100/80/16 up front.

Enjoy your Ninja!

How was it moving from the 130 to the 120 on the rear? Any real big difference?

exploring/carolina · June 2nd, 2011, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CmichRider

How was it moving from the 130 to the 120 on the rear? Any real big difference?

When I purchased the bike had to do a few things to the fuel/intake system to get it running right, so replaced the tires with a MT75 set, too.

Did not ride twistys with the 130/80/16 rear. Can only speak to riding twistys with a 120/80/16 on the rear.

Have been riding heavier bikes (425lbs+) on twistys/sweepers and felt like I could carry more speed "into" the curves with the Ninja 250. MT75 tires are sticky.

I weigh in at 220lbs. Was happy with Pirelli MT75 tires handling and $132 for a set delivered.

Jinx250 · June 3rd, 2011, 08:32 AM

The stability in turns can be chalked up to both the tires and you being a newb.

While the tires may look new, they're probably original to the bike. Look for the date code on the sidewall. And even if they're for real "new" you would still benefit greatly from better tires. And by that I mean almost anything else is better.

seanski41 · June 3rd, 2011, 01:35 PM

I have a receipt for the front tire from Fall 2010 ... there's probably one for the back tire in there somewhere too. Either way, looks like after I get a bit more warmed up into the bike I need to get me some MT75's.

pilot815 · June 3rd, 2011, 11:04 PM

I kind of doubt that all your cornering issues are related to the tires. Ive nearly dragged the pegs on my KLR with dual sport (non-sticky) tires. Thats a tall bike and to scrape the pegs on that is a real feat. Not to mention loaded with aluminum panniers and other goodies.

Are you approaching the turns properly? Are you leaning properly? Are you acceleration through the turns? I some times shift down on the approach depending on speed and RPM to give me more of a sporty feel.

Remember you are on a 250. You are riding with guys on 650s. Different bikes and different rider levels. Dont be concerned with keeping up with them. Be concerned with learning for yourself.

I took my wifes Ninja out for the first time today. Tires are ok, not real grippy. The front even feels weird, but it did well in the turns. It was my first time riding it so i was taking the turns a lot slower than i do them on my KLR. Towards the end of the ride i had a feel for it. Take your time learning, its not natural but can be improved on with practice.

seanski41 · June 8th, 2011, 01:27 PM

^^ This is probably more of the problem. I'm getting better but it's only been about 2 weeks. Still trying to figure out what MY limits are and what the BIKES limits are.

I definitely need work on cornering, and I'm downshifting into turns (at higher speeds) usually with a quick hit of both brakes before making the turn.

As I tend to be sticking to the center line in the road, I don't like left turns. Nervous about going into the dirt past the shoulder, I guess?

pilot815 · June 8th, 2011, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seanski41

^^ This is probably more of the problem. I'm getting better but it's only been about 2 weeks. Still trying to figure out what MY limits are and what the BIKES limits are.

I definitely need work on cornering, and I'm downshifting into turns (at higher speeds) usually with a quick hit of both brakes before making the turn.

As I tend to be sticking to the center line in the road, I don't like left turns. Nervous about going into the dirt past the shoulder, I guess?

Just keep practicing. Just remember though when you are in a leaning through a turn following the yellow line all your body is hanging in the lane of on coming traffic.

Also remember its more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow. In the proper conditions you will be having more fun, and riding faster than your friends on 650s.

exploring/carolina · June 8th, 2011, 02:34 PM

If you have not checked it out yet, the section about riding skills has some informative threads.

http://www.ninjette.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=39

Really liking the Pirelli MT75 tires on twistys & sweepers, mentioned them earlier in this thread.

choneofakind · June 16th, 2011, 09:00 AM

I rode with K630's all last season. They do ok (but only ok) in twisties, but I would not recommend pushing them hard. They dont give much feel, and while I never had one break loose, they always felt oily and slippery to me. I elected to go with Bridgestone BT45 100/90 front and 130/90 rear because the rear has dual tread compound. They stick like glue. I've also heard great things about Sportdemons and GT501's. An additional note, if you decide on a tire that comes in a 90 height, it will correct your speedometer readings

June 1st, 2011, 02:43 PM	#3
scotty ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Scott Location: Carlise Ohio Join Date: Apr 2010 Motorcycle(s): Yahama v star 650 classic Posts: A lot.	Are the tires dry rotted, or cracked at all? I'm a light guy also,(130lb) and the wind as taken me to some crazy places. You just got to learn how to deal with it, and ride proper for the conditions your in. __________________________________________________

June 1st, 2011, 05:18 PM	#9
Alex ninjette.org dude Name: 1 guess :-) Location: SF Bay Area Join Date: Jun 2008 Motorcycle(s): '13 Ninja 300 (white, the fastest color!), '13 R1200RT, '14 CRF250L, '12 TT-R125LE Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 7	Your tires aren't all-terrain, they are just pretty low-end street tires. They have a bad rap, and for good reason; the grip level is low, the feel isn't great, though they don't wear too badly. __________________________________________________ Montgomery Street Motorcycle Club / cal24.com / crf250l.org / ninjette.org ninjette.org Terms of Service Shopping for motorcycle parts or equipment? Come here first. The friendliest Ninja 250R/300/400 forum on the internet! (especially Unregistered)

June 2nd, 2011, 09:16 AM	#16
exploring/carolina ninjette.org guru Name: Bill Location: NC Join Date: Apr 2011 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250 Posts: 282	Agree with being smooth & flowing. It's fun to see how smooth you can be riding, transitioning into and out of curves, and shifting, too. Installed a set Pirelli MT75 tires on a pregen. Like how they handle. Only problem a 130/80/16 for the rear is not available. Mounted a 120/80/16 on the rear with a 100/80/16 up front. Enjoy your Ninja! Last futzed with by exploring/carolina; June 2nd, 2011 at 10:16 AM.

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June 1st, 2011, 02:39 PM	#2
bdavison Wartown, USA Name: Bryan Location: Warner Robins, GA Join Date: Nov 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Ninja 250R SE, 2007 Ninja 650R, and assorted other bikes Posts: A lot.	They look fine to me...both of them look like theyve barely been run at all. The wind wont blow you off the road unless you let it (assuming its not a tornado or hurricane). What happens is that it has a tendancy to push the bottom of the bike, and make it lean and it feels like its being blown over.. Just relax, and let it lean...you just concentrate on pointing it where you want it to go.

June 1st, 2011, 02:53 PM	#4
FrugalNinja250 ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Frugal Location: Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) Join Date: Mar 2010 Motorcycle(s): Several Posts: A lot.	Many people feel that the OEM Dunlops are very poor performing tires compared to most everything else on the road. My Dunlops were already dryrotted, cracked sidewalls and all, with only 2k miles on them, apparently the three years the previous owner had the bike it sat in the sun. Here's a lot of good info on tires: http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Tires I'm running Kenda K671s as I do 99% highway and city commuting, I've been extremely happy with them and they're wonderfully priced.

June 1st, 2011, 02:55 PM	#5
TeamGreen ninjette.org member Name: Keven Location: San Diego Join Date: Sep 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2008 250 Green, 00 R6 Posts: 160	I'm bigger than you at 210 and I still get blown around a bit. Try not to tense up so much (grip the bars tight) and just give the bike imputs to point it where you want to go. Seemed to help me.

June 1st, 2011, 03:16 PM	#6
Archerzz ninjette.org member Name: Jordan Location: Greencastle, Pa Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2007 Ninja 250r Posts: 79	look better than the tires on my bike

June 1st, 2011, 03:45 PM	#7
1994Ninja250F ‘94 Rider Name: Colin Location: Lewis Center, Ohio Join Date: Nov 2010 Motorcycle(s): 1994 Kawasaki Ninja EX250F Posts: 81	About the wind, I can tell you from experience that lots of what we perceive as wind gusts are really due to our natural reaction to grip down on the handlebars really hard when the wind blows. With such a tight grip on the bars, you are likely to make the condition worse. Try this: Next time the wind is blowing, KEEP YOUR ARMS LOOSE! If your elbows are locked, then you are doing it wrong. You want as little pressure on the bars as possible while still maintaining control. You will find that the bike will react much better. I used to be scared of the wind too and would tense up so bad, but that's really the worst thing you can do.

June 1st, 2011, 06:46 PM	#11
bdavison Wartown, USA Name: Bryan Location: Warner Robins, GA Join Date: Nov 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Ninja 250R SE, 2007 Ninja 650R, and assorted other bikes Posts: A lot.	Yes, if you want to keep up with the 600's...id recommend switching to something else. I really like the dunlop gt501 series. They stick like glue, and hook up even when the tire temps arent ideal. Get em warmed up to 120F, and they are the tires of your dreams.

June 1st, 2011, 06:48 PM	#12
seanski41 ninjette.org member Name: Sean Location: Capital District, NY Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2007 Ninja 250R Posts: 18	Besides wanting to improve as a rider and push my skills.... I just know I'm going to be following them and even if I'm being smart and not trying to blast through, I've already started to use the bike in front of be's line/angle/etc. through turns. Which actually has helped me, at least confidence wise.... but at a certain point....

June 1st, 2011, 06:57 PM	#13
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	get some better tires if you are even thinking of doing twisties.... hell, get some new tires, period. The ones you have are coming due anyway (if they are the originals) and as was mentioned earlier weren't a great tire to start with. I know the Pirelli Sport Demons are a great, sticky tire for the pregens.

June 1st, 2011, 07:21 PM	#14
seanski41 ninjette.org member Name: Sean Location: Capital District, NY Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2007 Ninja 250R Posts: 18	Thanks for your input everyone.. I'll look into all the tires mentioned and read around some more, but since were on the topic.. same size? kkim- They're not original, they actually have less than 1k mi on them... hopefully I won't have much of a problem selling them. Until I can get them changed... how hard do I really want to push them/myself?

June 3rd, 2011, 08:32 AM	#19
Jinx250 Smoker Name: Bob Location: SoCal Join Date: Dec 2010 Motorcycle(s): Guess.... Posts: 556	The stability in turns can be chalked up to both the tires and you being a newb. While the tires may look new, they're probably original to the bike. Look for the date code on the sidewall. And even if they're for real "new" you would still benefit greatly from better tires. And by that I mean almost anything else is better.

June 3rd, 2011, 01:35 PM	#20
seanski41 ninjette.org member Name: Sean Location: Capital District, NY Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2007 Ninja 250R Posts: 18	I have a receipt for the front tire from Fall 2010 ... there's probably one for the back tire in there somewhere too. Either way, looks like after I get a bit more warmed up into the bike I need to get me some MT75's.

June 3rd, 2011, 11:04 PM	#21
pilot815 ninjette.org member Name: Cory Location: South Texas Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): Mine: 09 KLR650 Wife: 05 Ninja 250 Posts: 33	I kind of doubt that all your cornering issues are related to the tires. Ive nearly dragged the pegs on my KLR with dual sport (non-sticky) tires. Thats a tall bike and to scrape the pegs on that is a real feat. Not to mention loaded with aluminum panniers and other goodies. Are you approaching the turns properly? Are you leaning properly? Are you acceleration through the turns? I some times shift down on the approach depending on speed and RPM to give me more of a sporty feel. Remember you are on a 250. You are riding with guys on 650s. Different bikes and different rider levels. Dont be concerned with keeping up with them. Be concerned with learning for yourself. I took my wifes Ninja out for the first time today. Tires are ok, not real grippy. The front even feels weird, but it did well in the turns. It was my first time riding it so i was taking the turns a lot slower than i do them on my KLR. Towards the end of the ride i had a feel for it. Take your time learning, its not natural but can be improved on with practice.

June 8th, 2011, 01:27 PM	#22
seanski41 ninjette.org member Name: Sean Location: Capital District, NY Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2007 Ninja 250R Posts: 18	^^ This is probably more of the problem. I'm getting better but it's only been about 2 weeks. Still trying to figure out what MY limits are and what the BIKES limits are. I definitely need work on cornering, and I'm downshifting into turns (at higher speeds) usually with a quick hit of both brakes before making the turn. As I tend to be sticking to the center line in the road, I don't like left turns. Nervous about going into the dirt past the shoulder, I guess?

June 8th, 2011, 02:34 PM	#24
exploring/carolina ninjette.org guru Name: Bill Location: NC Join Date: Apr 2011 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250 Posts: 282	If you have not checked it out yet, the section about riding skills has some informative threads. http://www.ninjette.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=39 Really liking the Pirelli MT75 tires on twistys & sweepers, mentioned them earlier in this thread.

June 16th, 2011, 09:00 AM	#25
choneofakind ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: . Location: . Join Date: Feb 2011 Motorcycle(s): . Posts: Too much. MOTM - Feb '13, Feb '14	I rode with K630's all last season. They do ok (but only ok) in twisties, but I would not recommend pushing them hard. They dont give much feel, and while I never had one break loose, they always felt oily and slippery to me. I elected to go with Bridgestone BT45 100/90 front and 130/90 rear because the rear has dual tread compound. They stick like glue. I've also heard great things about Sportdemons and GT501's. An additional note, if you decide on a tire that comes in a 90 height, it will correct your speedometer readings