Question on new tires, and 3/4 boots

[ichibunkid.206]

Hi Folks,

It's been a while since I've been on the board.. I hope everyone is doing fine... I'm looking for help, info, opinions on getting new tires, and 3/4 riding boots... I have a 2011 250, got it new, and it only has 1400 miles on it.... only handling modification that has been done to the bike have been the installation of a set of Vortex clip-ons, and Driven D3 grips... The tires are stock OEM tires.

First question....
I'm pretty much a fair weather rider, and I use the bike to commute to and from work, and week-end trips, and rides... I've done a little bit of searching on the board regarding tire replacement, and it appears that the majority feel that the OEM tires are $hit, and I should replace them as soon as possible, does that about sum it up?? if so what would be a good replacement tires?

Second question...
I have a pair of Sidi ST full length boot... did my research and decided to get a full length boot to give my ankle as much protection as possible... I've been thinking of getting a pair of the Sidi 3/4 Apex boots for days I don't feel like using my full length boots.... any thoughts on the 3/4 length boots??

thanks....

[Jiggles]

3/4 boots won't protect your feet or ankles. They are crap. Get a real full boot if you want protection, if you don't want protection, wear sandals so at least when you break your ankle you can be stylish.

For tires, if you ride a lot of twisties get diablo rosso 2's. If you commute alot get BT45s

[Jiggles]

Oh and about tires, if you feel that your OEM tires are fine then leave them on. They are **** compared to whats available but they are more than capable for anything the street will throw at you.

[NathanUc]

Originally Posted by Jiggles

Oh and about tires, if you feel that your OEM tires are fine then leave them on. They are **** compared to whats available but they are more than capable for anything the street will throw at you.

Stock IRC? Except for wet roads... and cold roads... and emergency stops...

At best, they are JUST capable of simple commutes. Do yourself a favor. Don't risk it. Grab something like some Sport Demons or Rosso IIs.

As for boots, Teknic Striker Boots are usually very cheap and offer fairly good protection for our ankles. Nothing like your Sidi, but I'd feel comfortable riding in them for simple commutes.

[JohnnyBravo]

I wear A* riding shoes, they feel good and luckily I haven't tried out the ankle breaker yet. They sure feel like they offer protection though.

On stock tires as well though, so I can't help ya there

[Jiggles]

Originally Posted by NathanUc

Stock IRC? Except for wet roads... and cold roads... and emergency stops...

At best, they are JUST capable of simple commutes. Do yourself a favor. Don't risk it. Grab something like some Sport Demons or Rosso IIs.

I rode my stockers for 12k and never had a problem with them. Hell I even did a stoppie on those tires. Unless you are riding the street like a track then they are fine and can be replaced when they are worn out. I'm sure he's not riding the street like a track because of his interest in 3/4 boots

By the way, there's a guy on here who took the stockers to the track and didn't die, crazy huh?

[NathanUc]

Originally Posted by Jiggles

I rode my stockers for 12k and never had a problem with them. Hell I even did a stoppie on those tires. Unless you are riding the street like a track then they are fine and can be replaced when they are worn out.

By the way, there's a guy on here who took the stockers to the track and didn't die, crazy huh?

Within my first 700 miles on those IRC I had a ton of close calls due to crappy grip. Anything from the rear breaking traction mid corner to front/rear lock ups under MINIMAL braking in the wet. Said no more and got some Sport Demons. It's always better to have too much tire than too little...

With tire warmers and riding on a track, I'd think they have enough grip for that 250 engine, but when you're on the street and can't constantly have your tires up to ideal temps, they were awful.

[ichibunkid.206]

Originally Posted by Jiggles

I'm sure he's not riding the street like a track because of his interest in 3/4 boots

Yeah not riding the street like a track... that's for sure... So Jigg's Do you not think that the Sidi ST I have would offer enough protection for the street??

I had been thinking of getting the 3/4 boots... but since they were a lower cut type boot I was pretty certain they wouldn't offer the same protection that my full length boot offered, but I wanted second opinions...

[Jiggles]

Why would you want a 3/4?

[rojoracing53]

He'll even I rode the stocker for 12k miles and that's really saying something if you've seen me ride

I vote for changing the front only and see if that helps stabilize the bike in the corners. Your going to want that 10k miles + tire if you ride a lot of miles. If your a 2-3,000 mile a year rider then splurge on the nice tire the others have mentioned because they'll last you all year.

[ichibunkid.206]

Originally Posted by Jiggles

Why would you want a 3/4?

I'm just F'ing lazy on certain day's

[Jiggles]

Perhaps find a boot you really enjoy wearing? I'll wear my TCX S-Race boots all day long. They are comfy to walk in and feel good on my feet.

You can take the risk if you want to but theres really no point in getting 3/4 boots, just wear your sneakers. Just hope that if you ever go down you've chosen to wear your full boots that day.

[ichibunkid.206]

Originally Posted by Jiggles

Perhaps find a boot you really enjoy wearing? I'll wear my TCX S-Race boots all day long. They are comfy to walk in and feel good on my feet.

You can take the risk if you want to but theres really no point in getting 3/4 boots, just wear your sneakers. Just hope that if you ever go down you've chosen to wear your full boots that day.

The TCX-S boots look pretty nice... I doubt that I'll get a 3/4.. it was just one of those wild hair up my @ss idea I was toying with... the gamble on f'ing up my ankle in an crash isn't worth the risk... but I may go ahead and throw some new rubber on the 250 thou....

[Jiggles]

If you commute alot the bt45s are good because they have a harder center and softer sides for grip. The dual compound helps prevent them from squaring off.

[CycleCam303]

Any of the performance oriented radial tires will be a worthy upgrade. I commute and play my bike too. The Rosso is a great tire but has horrible life. I got sub 3k on my rear. The fronts will last much longer. You can run pretty much anything in the rear. Currently I have an 09 Pirelli diablo rear. It's hard and old but it hasn't really worn much. I don't have any traction issues with it except in extreme braking situations.

[Bones85]

Originally Posted by Jiggles

If you commute alot the bt45s are good because they have a harder center and softer sides for grip. The dual compound helps prevent them from squaring off.

How many miles would you expect them to last? I need to replace my front tire soon and I want something that lasts a while because I'm riding about 15,000-20,000 miles per year.

Thanks.

[Jiggles]

Originally Posted by Bones85

How many miles would you expect them to last? I need to replace my front tire soon and I want something that lasts a while because I'm riding about 15,000-20,000 miles per year.

Thanks.

It really depends on how you ride. If you are only commuting they will still square off and then its up to you as to how far squared off you let them go before replacing. For a conservative rider I think getting 10k+ wouldn't be too difficult