Tire question or opinion

[voyager]

Recently ( around 2500 kms ago ) I installed a set of Avon Cobras. I had been running bias ply of various brands prior and had issues with either wear or handling so I made the change to radials. Now, I love the slow speed ( 50-80 kph ) handling characteristics, and I love the stability in the corners at all speeds. My question is tracking straight at highway speeds feels a bit loose in my bars. Can't quite put my finger on it and I apologize if my description feels a bit vague but it's the best way I can describe it. Maybe it's how radials track, maybe I just have to get used to the change over from bias ply to radials. I've even experimented with tire pressure from 40 to 35 to see if I could notice a difference ( not really ). Could it be the tread pattern of the Cobras and how it tends to follow the contours in the road more than my old Venoms? Maybe I'm psyching myself out and there really isn't an issue............ Just wondering if any of you went through tire change angst before?

[Top Cat]

I ran 4 sets of Cobras on my 07 Nomad and it handled great.
I recently bought an 08 Nomad to replace the 07 and it had Bridgstones on it.
I changed both front and rear to Cobras and hate to say it but the damn Bridgstones handled better than the Cobras I put on.
The front follows the road irregularities and as you say, feels loose.
I thought it was the steering head bearings but now am wondering if Cobras are made in a different factory than my previous sets.
I am running the same psi as I did on my other Nomad, 40 front and 42 rear

[manban9888]

On my last tire change for both my Vulcans I switched to Commander 2s and am very happy w them. They definitely seem to last longer and the handling is very good.

[dshelly]

So what's up with the tires these days?? First everyone loves em , then something changes and they suck. WTF? So are the commander 2's made in the usa? I think the car/truck tires are.

I run the Dunlop E3's (bias) . Other than the noisey front one , They handle great. I can deal with a little noise but poor handling won't cut it.

[George]

Can't say much about the Cobra's or the Venom's because I have never run them but like manban I changed out my stock Bridgestones on my Voyager and put on 2 Commander II's and have nothing but good things to say about them, handling is great, doesn't track on the grooves in the road nearly as much, they run nice and smooth, low tire noise. I only have about 3 thousand km on them so I can't say anything about the high km they preach about yet

[whozyer]

I also just had the cobras installed 500 miles now and I noticed about the same --not sure what it is I just figure it will work itself out. still I will run them until they are done.

[jandreu]

Kevin, how ya doing my brother? Hope you and Deb survived the floods and heat OK, as always we are having the best weather on the planet here on Maui. Anyway no info on the tires just wanted to say Aloha!

[Vulcan Bill]

Can't remark on the Cobras but here's another for the Micheline Commander II's. Excellent wear, grip like glue when powering thru the twisties, track straight an true, quiet comfortable ride. $170 for the 180/65-16 on the back but in my book it's worth the money.

[cnc]

Funny you guys are noticing tracking issues with the cobras. I found the opposite, the stock stones wanted to follow every tar snake and crack. The Cobras I have cross them like they are not even there.

[voyager]

Originally Posted by jandreu

Kevin, how ya doing my brother? Hope you and Deb survived the floods and heat OK, as always we are having the best weather on the planet here on Maui. Anyway no info on the tires just wanted to say Aloha!

Aloha right back at you James. Deb and I are doing just great, all the flooding was in the Southern part of our Province so we avoided all the damage that so many others suffered. We're getting the itch again to return to the Islands so we might just show up on your door step one day so be prepared .....Take care my friend.

[Top Cat]

Originally Posted by cnc

Funny you guys are noticing tracking issues with the cobras. I found the opposite, the stock stones wanted to follow every tar snake and crack. The Cobras I have cross them like they are not even there.

Norm, are you running 150/80x16 Front and 180/70x16 Rear?

[macmac]

500 miles ago i did a full blown ft end service changing fork oil and greasing the too loose goose neck bearings, and installed a Avon Cobra. It ain't the Cobra.

I tested the tire for static balance too and it took no weights and no beads. While it tracks straight and handles well, better than it ever has, I still wish I had tightened the goose neck a little more.

It's fine as it is but being a little more sluggish might suit me. I used the hammer and brass punch method to tighten the lower nut and with wires and that like still hanging off, it made fork fall over hard to feel.

I had no bars or the wheel on just empty forks.

I think it is possible to cheat a little bit, by removing the tin covers around the top, but not totally. Just unscrew the screws after taking the windshield off, and then pulling the top clamp bolts leaving the bars on the top triple tree.

if nothing can be found wrong with the ft end it would make me wonder if the problem was the rear swing arm flopping from side to side.

Most bikes limit that slop by another means of engineering. Nomad uses the grease seal back sides wrongly as thrust washers.

My 01 had 0.138 inch slop and you could feel it clunk in corners and it made things feel squiggly....... The way to tell is to get the bike in the air, well it can be done on the ground too, by just shoving the swing arm over from the right side as seated hard, and pulling it back, but it moves easier in the air. it moves easier than that with the shocks removed, and it moves easiest with nothing in or on the swing arm when you are doing that service and setting up a set of spacers you have to make because each bike is different than the next in this area.

The spacers you make will be a little bigger than the seal OD the same ID and each one will measure 1/2 the slop, what ever that is.

For grins OT sort of. I am interested in any past ft fork oil changes that were done by the owner, or a tech the owner told 2 things.

Thing 1 was there any alloy fur where the top plug bolts go?

Thing 2 was the oil in one tube dull and murky maroon, while the other tube was new bright red looking fork oil?

I have no idea how to explain this, but it happened to me and it happened to VulcanE.

[cnc]

Originally Posted by Top Cat

Norm, are you running 150/80x16 Front and 180/70x16 Rear?

Tim, the rear is a 180/70x16. I would have to check the front as I'm not sure if it is a 70 or 80, I'm at the cottage right now.