April 12th, 2015, 08:00 AM | #1 |
Nooblet
Name: Akima
Location: England
Join Date: Jul 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2011 Ninja 250R FI Posts: A lot.
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MOTM - Oct '13
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Re-use IRC Road winner Tyre?
My bike is due for a compulsory inspection soon (M.O.T.). I'm pretty sure the front tyre will fail inspection as it has now hit the wear marker in some of the tread.
Problem is, I don't have the money for another awesome DRII front tyre right now. I'm planning on putting my old IRC Road Winner back on for a while. This is the original tyre that came with the new bike back in early 2011. I think the IRC has only had ~1000 miles of gentle nooblet riding on it. It's still got lots of little rubber, feeler things sticking out the sides. Besides the fact that the IRC is inferior to my DRII, do you guys think I should be considering anything extra when I switch over? Like: will the rubber have degraded a bit over time? The tyre has been kept in-doors also this time. Do you think I should take it really easy while I'm riding on this tyre?
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April 12th, 2015, 08:36 AM | #2 |
Fogwalker
Name: Jeff
Location: Western NC
Join Date: Mar 2015 Motorcycle(s): '09 Ninja 250 "Matilda" Posts: 124
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If you take it easy, you should be fine. Just replace it with something a bit better when you can afford to.
I one bought a twelve year old machine (VTR-250) with a few thousand miles on it and wore the original tires out before replacing them. But man, would they slide! Luck, J~ |
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April 12th, 2015, 08:45 AM | #3 |
The Corner Whisperer
Name: Chris (aka Reactor)
Location: Northern KY
Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2010 250 (track), 1992 250, 2006 R6 (street/track), 2008 R6 (track) Posts: Too much.
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Take your time and get a feel for the lesser tire grip. Aside of that, all should be fine. I have my set in the garage "just in case". Hmmm... check the date on the sidewall, might be getting close to their 5th birthday. There is no better gauge than your own good judgement though.
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April 12th, 2015, 09:06 AM | #4 | |
Nooblet
Name: Akima
Location: England
Join Date: Jul 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2011 Ninja 250R FI Posts: A lot.
Blog Entries: 5
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Quote:
I will heed your advice and take my time on them. Start very slow. I'm just getting back into riding after majorly wussing out over winter, so I will take it slow anyway. As for feel. I'm not really good at feeling grip on a motorcycle. I read @alex.s comments about the stages before totally loosing grip, but I'm not sure I've experienced any of those stages (except maybe once, about 2 seconds before I crashed into a ditch that time ). I remember feeling these IRC tyres "loose grip" when I first started riding, but quickly found out what I was feeling was far more likely just the rubber flexing. I checked the side-wall thoroughly: no best before date: will assume they are safe to eat
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April 12th, 2015, 09:37 AM | #5 |
wat
Name: wat
Location: tustin/long beach
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i've heard tires will fail these types of inspection if they're too old... the rubber dries out and gets hard. look for any cracking in the side walls for example. its not really safe (even new those ircs aren't safe) but you might just swap them on for the inspection, sand off the tire date, have it inspected, then put back on your old DR2s
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April 12th, 2015, 09:45 AM | #6 |
Participant
Name: Dave
Location: South of Seattle
Join Date: Oct 2012 Motorcycle(s): '94 K75 std Posts: Too much.
MOTM - Aug '15
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4 years old? Stored inside? Low miles?
You'll be fine! It'll only be a money saver if you change it yourself. |
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April 12th, 2015, 10:40 AM | #7 | |
Nooblet
Name: Akima
Location: England
Join Date: Jul 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2011 Ninja 250R FI Posts: A lot.
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MOTM - Oct '13
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Quote:
My current front DRII still feels planted to me and visually it looks fine (except for the reduced tread).
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April 12th, 2015, 12:03 PM | #10 |
ninjette.org certified postwhore
Name: Fish
Location: co
Join Date: Apr 2013 Motorcycle(s): 250/300 Posts: A lot.
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Will they let it pass since the tire is past its consider use by date?
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April 12th, 2015, 12:15 PM | #11 |
Nooblet
Name: Akima
Location: England
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I think so. The rubber still feels soft to the touch and there is no visible date on the tyre.
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April 12th, 2015, 06:52 PM | #12 |
ninjette.org certified postwhore
Name: Rebecca
Location: SF Bay Area
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There's no 4 digit code anywhere?
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April 13th, 2015, 12:52 AM | #13 |
ninjette.org certified postwhore
Name: Inderveer
Location: San Jose
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Yea go ahead and put that tire on for now. make sure you visually molest your tire for the date, cuz if they see it they might fail you anyway. good luck, homiee!
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April 13th, 2015, 07:25 AM | #14 | |
Certified looney toon
Name: Teri
Location: 39°52'40.7"N 118°23'53.8"W (Northern NV)
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Quote:
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April 13th, 2015, 01:11 PM | #15 |
Nooblet
Name: Akima
Location: England
Join Date: Jul 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2011 Ninja 250R FI Posts: A lot.
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MOTM - Oct '13
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There are some numbers on the tyre, but none of them look anything like any kind of date.
I'll keep on looking at the tyre for this magic date to appear
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April 13th, 2015, 01:13 PM | #16 |
ninjette.org dude
Name: 1 guess :-)
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It's the only 4-digit code you should see on the sidewall, and like others have said, I'm reasonably confident it's there.
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April 13th, 2015, 01:13 PM | #17 |
The Corner Whisperer
Name: Chris (aka Reactor)
Location: Northern KY
Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2010 250 (track), 1992 250, 2006 R6 (street/track), 2008 R6 (track) Posts: Too much.
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Lemme get a pic of mine in the garage for you to go by. I wouldn't think the tires are any different over there as far as tire date goes.
Stay tuned!
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April 13th, 2015, 01:47 PM | #18 |
The Corner Whisperer
Name: Chris (aka Reactor)
Location: Northern KY
Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2010 250 (track), 1992 250, 2006 R6 (street/track), 2008 R6 (track) Posts: Too much.
MOTY 2015, MOTM - Nov '12, Nov '13
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Mine is 1309 = 13th week of 2009
Check both sides of the tire, it's only on one side and easy to miss but each tire, front and rear should have one.
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April 13th, 2015, 02:09 PM | #19 |
Nooblet
Name: Akima
Location: England
Join Date: Jul 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2011 Ninja 250R FI Posts: A lot.
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Thanks guys. Found it.
4410 44th Week of 2010, which according to wolfram alpha (love that site) is: October 31, 2010 to November 6, 2010 source
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April 13th, 2015, 02:51 PM | #20 |
The Corner Whisperer
Name: Chris (aka Reactor)
Location: Northern KY
Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2010 250 (track), 1992 250, 2006 R6 (street/track), 2008 R6 (track) Posts: Too much.
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April 13th, 2015, 04:31 PM | #21 |
ninjette.org certified postwhore
Name: Rebecca
Location: SF Bay Area
Join Date: Sep 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2013 Ninja 300 w/ ABS, 2014 NC700X, 2008 Ninja 250 (sold), 2002 Ninja 250 (sold) Posts: A lot.
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So 4.5 years old. Might not be a very safe tire.
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April 13th, 2015, 04:54 PM | #22 |
Participant
Name: Dave
Location: South of Seattle
Join Date: Oct 2012 Motorcycle(s): '94 K75 std Posts: Too much.
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Only 4.5 years old? No prob.
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April 14th, 2015, 12:19 PM | #23 |
Nooblet
Name: Akima
Location: England
Join Date: Jul 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2011 Ninja 250R FI Posts: A lot.
Blog Entries: 5
MOTM - Oct '13
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I think you're probably right. It wasn't a very safe tyre brand new imo.
I'm considering scrounging around for the money to just get a new tyre. Put some things on ebay that I've been meaning to get rid of for a while. Potentially I could try this instead of another DRII: http://moto.michelin.co.uk/tyres/mic...-street-radial Cheaper, will last longer and I've read reviews that say it performs as well as the DRII (in the wet, at least). Any of the people in this thread had any experience with both this tyre and the DRII on the same bike?
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April 14th, 2015, 12:42 PM | #24 |
The Corner Whisperer
Name: Chris (aka Reactor)
Location: Northern KY
Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2010 250 (track), 1992 250, 2006 R6 (street/track), 2008 R6 (track) Posts: Too much.
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Yes mam, I have had both tires on the 250 in my avatar. I still would not change my answer one bit. Right now, your voluntary and involuntary inputs to the bike and feedback from the bike is largely based on the characteristics of the DRII's. It may take a ride or two to adjust back to the IRC's. Just like I stated in my above post. Take it easy until you get your wits about you, then ride as normal.
Many people hate on the IRC's, but if would make you feel better... I can upload some video of racers... on IRC's... at pace... IN THE WET. Once you get the IRC's up to temp, they aren't really that bad but they are nothing to brag about either. They are commuter tires, treat them as such and they will meet your expectations. Once again, trust your good judgement. The tires are approaching their 5th bday but that isn't a reason to toss them "just yet" unless your judgement says to do so. They should offer no real problems and get you by until the next set of prefered tires.
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April 14th, 2015, 12:46 PM | #25 | |
Certified looney toon
Name: Teri
Location: 39°52'40.7"N 118°23'53.8"W (Northern NV)
Join Date: Jun 2012 Motorcycle(s): 2012 Ninja 250, 102k+ miles -- 2014 CB500X, 42k+ miles Posts: A lot.
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I wish shipping wasn't so terrible, I have a DRII front sitting in my garage with something like 5000 miles on it. Haven't checked the date, but got it near the beginning of September and took it off late October 2014.
Quote:
Of the two, for my riding, I LOVE the Pilot Streets. They've handled exceptionally well in very heavy rain and I've now got just over 10k miles on them with lots of life left. The only time they've felt loose was when I was downshifting and braking, while on a downhill slope, with wet pavement. My idiocy did that, not the tires. I've done a few dirt roads with these on and for the hard pack gravel/dirt we have out here, I felt stable enough to be cruising along at 30-40 mph. The DRII rears last me about 5000-6000 miles, stuck great when cornering hard on a track (for a newb) and gave me a lot of confidence going up and down the mountains around here. I can recall one stupid monsoon I rode through and never felt like questioning the tire during it (my sanity on the other hand...). Flat high speed highway and interstate riding ate them up too fast though for me. These I did take off road also and they felt stable enough over washboard and ruts with no loose feeling for my easy riding. Both are great tires, it mostly comes down to how you ride. If you do a lot of twisties or on roads where grip is primary to mileage, the DRIIs are awesome. If you do a lot of straight flat roads with grip (slightly) secondary to mileage, then definitely go with the Pilot Streets.
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April 14th, 2015, 01:01 PM | #26 |
Nooblet
Name: Akima
Location: England
Join Date: Jul 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2011 Ninja 250R FI Posts: A lot.
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MOTM - Oct '13
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Lots to think about from what you two have just said!
While we're discussing tyres. When it comes to replace my rear DRII, if I was to go for a Pilot Street Radial for that, would a 140/70 fit my bike? I'm running a 140/70 DRII, but it barely seemed wider than the original IRC. I read that the Pilot is a wider 140/70 than the DRII! If it does fit, which would you recommend: the 140/70 Pilot or the 130/70 Pilot? Or... 200/70 WITH AN EXTENDED SWING ARM
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April 14th, 2015, 01:06 PM | #27 |
The Corner Whisperer
Name: Chris (aka Reactor)
Location: Northern KY
Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2010 250 (track), 1992 250, 2006 R6 (street/track), 2008 R6 (track) Posts: Too much.
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Heck, I might have a set of DRII take offs in my garage. If I have them and you can bear the shipping. They are yours for free. Of course the edges are gone but around the center is like brand new. hahahahahahah I will check what I got.
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April 14th, 2015, 01:37 PM | #28 |
Certified looney toon
Name: Teri
Location: 39°52'40.7"N 118°23'53.8"W (Northern NV)
Join Date: Jun 2012 Motorcycle(s): 2012 Ninja 250, 102k+ miles -- 2014 CB500X, 42k+ miles Posts: A lot.
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I've got 140's on mine, no fit issues what so ever.
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April 14th, 2015, 01:42 PM | #29 | |
Nooblet
Name: Akima
Location: England
Join Date: Jul 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2011 Ninja 250R FI Posts: A lot.
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Quote:
That's a very kind offer, but I think the import costs would make it not worth while. I expect there's an American ninjetter who can provide a good home for them.
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April 14th, 2015, 01:49 PM | #30 |
Certified looney toon
Name: Teri
Location: 39°52'40.7"N 118°23'53.8"W (Northern NV)
Join Date: Jun 2012 Motorcycle(s): 2012 Ninja 250, 102k+ miles -- 2014 CB500X, 42k+ miles Posts: A lot.
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I think it'd be useful to know the costs between our countries. I know there are things I could have sent other places but the catch all "shipping" stopped me.
Slow boat from China usually has low shipping costs, but I've never ordered anything big. I think a stop at the Post Office is in order. i'm curious now.
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April 14th, 2015, 01:52 PM | #31 | |
The Corner Whisperer
Name: Chris (aka Reactor)
Location: Northern KY
Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2010 250 (track), 1992 250, 2006 R6 (street/track), 2008 R6 (track) Posts: Too much.
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Quote:
I can only offer this as an upgrade to your already high level coolness factor.
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April 14th, 2015, 02:04 PM | #32 |
Certified looney toon
Name: Teri
Location: 39°52'40.7"N 118°23'53.8"W (Northern NV)
Join Date: Jun 2012 Motorcycle(s): 2012 Ninja 250, 102k+ miles -- 2014 CB500X, 42k+ miles Posts: A lot.
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Severe ballparking shows about $165.90 just to mail it from Reno to London. No idea if anything extra is needed or what you get hit with on your end.
Ok, back to work now.
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April 18th, 2015, 12:53 PM | #33 |
Nooblet
Name: Akima
Location: England
Join Date: Jul 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2011 Ninja 250R FI Posts: A lot.
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@Alex - here you said you were going to try out the Pilot Street Radials after your DRIIs were done. Did that happen? If so, how do they compare?
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April 18th, 2015, 01:19 PM | #34 |
ninjette.org dude
Name: 1 guess :-)
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Nope, it's going to be awhile. Not putting nearly as many miles underneath me as I would want!
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April 18th, 2015, 03:33 PM | #35 |
Nooblet
Name: Akima
Location: England
Join Date: Jul 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2011 Ninja 250R FI Posts: A lot.
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^ me either. That's gonna change though. The weather has been really awesome here this April. My skin has been crawling to ride. Bad tyres, bad rear brake and a ticking sound coming from the engine has foiled my plans so far though. I think it should be all sorted by next month (read: next pay check).
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