Its First Tyre Time For My Bonneville (advice Please)

Hi Andy if you choose the Avon AM26's you can't go wrong. I had 2 sets on my T100 over 5 yrs and about 25,000 kms and loved them every second !!!!

 

Not sure why anti-Avon. I've ran storms and Cobra's and loved them both.

The storms were a revelation after OEM Dunlop on the SV650.

The Cobra's transformed the America from wobbly 50p cornering HGV, into chuck-able peg grinding funster.

Plus Avon give an extra 2 mm tread depth than most manufacturers!!!!

 

What do folks think about the Pirelli Phantoms fitted to the Bonnies now, they used to be ace last time I used them in the 90’s on Katana 650, Z650 etc. The shoulders would blue up lovely and allow lots of peg grinding action.

 

Tyres can be pretty subjective but Michelin Pilot Activs are excellent on the Bonnie. I particularly like the way they track over road imperfections and seams and turn in. The Avons are a slightly older design.....

 

c’mon, keep it clean......

 

Understandable. I tried pr3's on the sv and hated them. Refuse to try the new one's. Plus them sipes are fugly looking. Like race cars, if they look fast, they are. If tyres are ugly tread patterns, I ain't putting them on my beautiful bike

 

Just not Metzeler Andy, I found them to be really crap !!!

 

I learned something recently when trying to get a new rear tire on my T-Bird. When manufacturers come out with a new model tire, they introduce the most popular sizes first and then keep adding sizes. I found my size at one online site when other sites and the local dealers said it didn't exist. When they got the updated catalog it was there. You might try to contact the customer service group at the manufacturer you're interested in to see if they are adding sizes.

With regard to the Pirelli Phantoms, I bought them for my 1980 Yamaha XJ650 the first year they came out. This was going from a bias ply (?) tire to a radial tire and the difference was unbelievable. I had complete confidence in every situation (cornering, excessive speed and stopping) while riding on the Phantoms. I don't know how they would work on a Bonnie, but nearly all of the tires today are far superior than the ones we had in the past. I can't imagine that there would be any significant flaw in the Phantoms.

 

Love Pirelli Angel GT's
Hate Metz me880's

Might be same manufacturer, but one is a wet weather god and the other is an waxed piece of mohogany painted black to look like a tyre.

 

One of the things that I’ve found out over the years is that if a certain tyre is good on bike ‘X’ it doesn’t transpire that it’ll be a suitable tyre for bike ‘Y’.
Some tyres favour certain bikes whilst others don’t.

 

The Michelin Pilot Activ are a good tyre, much better than the Metzelers, not tried the Pilot Road yet. I get 5000 + miles from a rear.
Yes you can up the size of the tyre. I run 120-70-17 on the front which fills up the gap between tyre and mudguard a bit better. A 140-80-17 on the rear also looks much better (beefier) in my opinion. Also seem to handle better.
One caveat, you will lose a little (10mm) clearance on the rear, which may or may not cause problems depending on what set-up you have there. I have 10mm longer Hagon Nitro shocks which work very well.

 

Avon roadriders for me, stock metzelers shot in a year on 4K. 3 years later now on 13.5k ( so 9.5k) and plenty tread left.

 

Avon Roadriders (AM26) suit the Bonneville. I used them for over 50,000 miles on a Bonneville T100 and never had cause for concern, either wet or dry. They have much more tread than original equipment Metzelers, so last much longer, up to 10,000 miles or more (depending on how you ride it). I went down one tyre size for the rear tyre from 130/80-17 to 120/90-17, which improved the handling, both in a straight line and when laying the bike over for a bend. They will start to white-line when the rear tyre is more than half-worn, but not when new.

 

Phantoms came with the new Street Twin. What can I say, fine in the dry and I have not been frightened of them in the rain. I may even get another set when these wear out...