Need some tire advice

[Snowieflake]

Hi all,

About half a year ago, I had an accident on my pre-gen ninja 250 and moved to a 2010 ninja 250.

I know this is a very subjective topic, but I need some advice on which new tires to get. I ride my bike mainly to commute (~7 miles each way, mainly freeway), but occasionally ride a bit in the twisties/canyons on the weekends. However, I will be riding my first track day on Nov 20! Super excited for that one!

My friend suggested the S20 Evo which look really nice, but the rear only comes in a 140/70. I know it'll fit, but I am a bit concerned about the handling and the fact that I am 5'2 and can barely tiptoe the bike. I really like these tires but am not sure if they would work for me. I'm sure the Pirelli's would also be good, but think they might not last as long as I would like. The other one I'm thinking of are the BT45s, which might be good all-around.

But I don't know which tires to go with.... Any suggestions?

I'm open to any suggestions and don't really have a preference. Right now, I have the IRC Road Runners on my bike.

[SLOWn60]

WOOHOO!!!! A tire thread!!!

Hi Lauren
I wouldn't worry too much about mileage on a 250/300. They are likely to get old from heat cycles before they wear out anyhow. I doubt you'll notice a height difference or handling difference if you put on a 140 either.

I'll try to quickly explain my reasons for choosing a tire:
I want the stickiest street (D.O.T.) tire money can buy. Not for 99.9% of my riding but for those "OHHH SH!+ !!!" moments so I know I have as much traction to turn or stop as quickly as physically possible in an emergency maneuver! We only have two tiny patches of rubber touching the ground and I want to make sure I'm stuck to it as much as is possible, wet or dry, warm or cold. At least living where you do; wet & cold are not huge concerns!
Most tires nowadays are pretty good but there are differences although most differences are just splitting hairs, particularly for the average street rider. My personal choices from years on the street & track are the Perelli's, Michelin's and Dunlop's. I use the Perelli's exclusively on my 250.

That's my 2 cents: when it comes to tires; get the best tire you can and idon't worry about mileage which really isn't a concern on a 300.

Let the debate begin!!!

[Snowieflake]

Thanks for the advice! Kinda leaning towards the sport demons now...

But another friend recommended Pirelli Rosso II. Has anyone ever tried these on their bike?

[VaFish]

Fwiw,

I'm replacing my rear tire with a Perelli Sport Demon.

[bdavison]

Without a doubt the best combo I've tried on my 250R is

Michelin Pilot Power 2CT's in a 120/70/17 on the front, and a 150/70/17 on the rear set at 36psi front, 38psi rear for the street.

Power on, it feels like a paddle in water, nice strong pull. In the corners, it grips like glue. And they last a long time too, and don't square off like other tires due to the dual compound.

The 120 front fits fine, no issues.
The 150 rear fits with real close clearance. You'll have to trim a bit off the chain guard for it to clear properly, and the right side clears the swingarm by a tad less than a 1/4", however, its not an issue.

Oh, and I HATE the bridgestone BT003's. They suck. They inspire about as much confidence as a monkey with a handful of poo...and thats in dry conditions....in the wet...%&*$^$&**@#^$&*#*%&*(#@#$^(*%&#^@#&#$^*@#&$^&*@

[spooph]

Continental ContiGo!'s. Best bang for the buck, best all around tire from commuting to track days in a huge temperature range. Comes in all the right sizes.

[TnNinjaGirl]

Originally Posted by Snowieflake

Thanks for the advice! Kinda leaning towards the sport demons now...

But another friend recommended Pirelli Rosso II. Has anyone ever tried these on their bike?

Many pages of Pirelli

[SLOWn60]

Hi Lauren
I'm sure you've heard the term: good, better, best.
The Sport Demons are better and the Rosso ll's are best.
Myself I would buy the Rosso's for my reasons said earlier but I also wouldn't hesitate for myself or a family member to use the Demons either especially if on a tight budget. the Demons will last longer in terms of wear & heat cycles but at the compromise of a little less traction. Either way you'd be buying a quality tire and not regretting your choice.
Most important is to keep whatever you buy inflated at a proper pressure so they warm up to an appropriate temperature for the load you subject them to. That's what will give you the best performance and long life of any tire. That's a whole different thread though!

[InvisiBill]

If you're mostly commuting with the bike, going with a high-performance tire might sacrifice longevity for performance you're not really using. But if you don't ride all that much, then a long-lasting tire may go to waste (since tires wear out from age too, regardless of miles). If you're only riding a few thousand miles a year, there's no sense getting hard tires that will last 20k, when you could get better performing ones that will still last you a few years. But if you're riding 20k a year straight down the highway, there's not much point in getting super-sticky tires that only last a few thousand miles either.

The Michelin Pilot Street Radials are getting good reviews and seem to last a long time too. https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=181591

There was a recent video review of a handful of small bike tires on the track. The S20 Evo won, but it seems like a softer tire that won't last as long. The Diablo Rosso II is another one that's popular, but it's more at the performance end rather than durability as well (the guy above gets <3000 miles out of them). I'm not sure what the deal is, but the PSR got really bad results - even worse than the IRC Roadwinners, which come stock on the 250 (not sure if it's the exact same model as tested) and thought by a number of members here to be one of the worst tires available - many people here have upgraded to the PSR and found it to be much better.

I have Pilot Powers in 110/70 and 150/60 on aftermarket 250 wheels. I like the feel of them much better than my Avon Roadriders (which probably have a lot more longevity than I need, at the expense of some performance).