Tires

Ponitail · 07-10-2016, 09:46 AM

I've been wanting to get on here and make a couple of posts for a while now and I've finally found the time to get it done. I've noticed that there always seems to be inquiry's about tires so I'm going to throw in my 2 cents for whatever it's worth. I bought a new, still in the crate, 2013 Voyager in June of 2014; along with my brother. Best bike I've ever ridden. Anyway it came new with Bridgestone tires. I replace them at 6,019 miles in November of 2014. The front tire wasn't too bad but the rear tire was completely bald. I was going to post a picture of it but I'll be damned if I can find it.

At that time I had been diligently researching the forums about tires and the top recommendations were for the Michelin Commander and the Metzeler Triple 8. I chose the Triple 8.

Fast Forward:
On Monday 6/20/16 I was going over the bike in preparation for my annual trip to J & P's open house. Everything appeared to be in good shape. The rear tire was getting close to the end of it's life and I already had new tires and brake pads waiting in the wings. I was going to install them after the trip. Tuesday morning I decided to take a ride, I was planning to go a couple hundred miles. I rolled into a small town about 15 miles from home and as I was slowing down I started hearing a weird slapping sound coming from the rear. I pulled into a parking lot and started looking over the bike thinking maybe I had missed something the night before or left something loose. I finally knelt down on the ground and looked at the rear tire. Imagine my surprise when I realized the rubber on the tire was so thin it was peeling off and exposing the belt!! Decided I better head my ass home, at only 40mph.

So the next day, Wednesday, my brother & I pulled off the wheels and I had the new tires mounted and balanced; and we installed the brake pads. Just in time to leave bright and early Thursday morning for Iowa. The tires had 15,741 miles on them.

I guess the man upstairs was really watching out for me that day!

While at J & P I spoke to the Metzeler guy at the booth and showed him my pictures. He said he's heard stories of some people getting as much as 22,000 out of a set of tires but that was rare. I thought that I had done pretty well. I asked him about wear indicators because I know car tires have them and they're usually easy to spot. He showed me where they are on the Metzeler tire and they are not easy to spot but they are there. He also said that some of the tires have a little arrow on the sidewall to indicate where the wear indicators are on the tread. I thought that information might helpful to some of you.

Well, that's my 2 cents on tires. I hope my story helps someone else out there. I've included a couple pictures of the worn tires next to the new tires. I'm real happy with the Metzeler tires and plan to keep using them.

recumbentbob · 07-10-2016, 01:07 PM

You were fortunate that happened before your trip.

Sent from my ASUS_Z00TD using Tapatalk

landman · 07-10-2016, 08:19 PM

I use a tire depth gauge and change the tire out when there is 2/32nd's of tread depth left.i don't think it is wise to cheap out on tires and definitely not a good idea to run them until they are bald in the center.

mike07nad · 07-11-2016, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ponitail

I've been wanting to get on here and make a couple of posts for a while now and I've finally found the time to get it done. I've noticed that there always seems to be inquiry's about tires so I'm going to throw in my 2 cents for whatever it's worth. I bought a new, still in the crate, 2013 Voyager in June of 2014; along with my brother. Best bike I've ever ridden. Anyway it came new with Bridgestone tires. I replace them at 6,019 miles in November of 2014. The front tire wasn't too bad but the rear tire was completely bald. I was going to post a picture of it but I'll be damned if I can find it.

At that time I had been diligently researching the forums about tires and the top recommendations were for the Michelin Commander and the Metzeler Triple 8. I chose the Triple 8.

Fast Forward:
On Monday 6/20/16 I was going over the bike in preparation for my annual trip to J & P's open house. Everything appeared to be in good shape. The rear tire was getting close to the end of it's life and I already had new tires and brake pads waiting in the wings. I was going to install them after the trip. Tuesday morning I decided to take a ride, I was planning to go a couple hundred miles. I rolled into a small town about 15 miles from home and as I was slowing down I started hearing a weird slapping sound coming from the rear. I pulled into a parking lot and started looking over the bike thinking maybe I had missed something the night before or left something loose. I finally knelt down on the ground and looked at the rear tire. Imagine my surprise when I realized the rubber on the tire was so thin it was peeling off and exposing the belt!! Decided I better head my ass home, at only 40mph.

So the next day, Wednesday, my brother & I pulled off the wheels and I had the new tires mounted and balanced; and we installed the brake pads. Just in time to leave bright and early Thursday morning for Iowa. The tires had 15,741 miles on them.

I guess the man upstairs was really watching out for me that day!

While at J & P I spoke to the Metzeler guy at the booth and showed him my pictures. He said he's heard stories of some people getting as much as 22,000 out of a set of tires but that was rare. I thought that I had done pretty well. I asked him about wear indicators because I know car tires have them and they're usually easy to spot. He showed me where they are on the Metzeler tire and they are not easy to spot but they are there. He also said that some of the tires have a little arrow on the sidewall to indicate where the wear indicators are on the tread. I thought that information might helpful to some of you.

Well, that's my 2 cents on tires. I hope my story helps someone else out there. I've included a couple pictures of the worn tires next to the new tires. I'm real happy with the Metzeler tires and plan to keep using them.

Looks like you got your miles out of that 888, Although to be fair it was wore out at somewhere around 12-13,000. Which still isn't that bad for the Voyager.

I've used the Commander II, Metz 888 (Still run those on front), Goodyear Triple-tred and General Altimax (car tires), Right now I'm using a Dunlop American Elite HD Touring Tire - Rear - 180/65B16. While it was a little more on first cost, it seems to be lasting good. (I guess I need to check the wear on that today)

All this just to say - While I really liked the Metz 888 - I'm liking the Dunlop American Elite as well or better.

**smokier** · 07-11-2016, 07:17 AM

Ponitail - Glad everything worked out for you without incident!
Do you mind sharing what PSI you run and the frequency with which you check you pressures?
IMHO keeping the pressures towards the top of the manufacturers scale and checking them frequently go a long way towards extending the life of MotorCycle tires. The MC II's on the Green VAQ are giving us some of the best mileage ever. I have never gotten 15K plus miles out of a rear tire on a big cruiser. The MC II is already past 15K and has some miles left. Not many, but there are some SAFE miles still on that tire. I have not had Triple 8's yet. However, have had my share of 880's...
Great detail, thanks for sharing.

Ride safe,
Smokier

farmertk · 07-11-2016, 07:42 AM

Hey ponytail, I know a lot of guys will think this is crazy, but I am a believer in putting a car tire on my voyager. Got real old only getting at the most 6500 or so miles out of the stock Bridgestone,(rear). If I do a trip that can mean a new tire in a couple months. Did a lot of reading before I went for it,lol. So far I cant even tell its on there, it felt different for the first couple of days then I got used to it. Will see how it holds up. farmer tk

hlknvlcn60 · 07-11-2016, 06:34 PM

Some riders are getting around 18,000 or more on the Commander II's. I am at about 3,000 on mine now with no visible signs of wear whatsoever and they stick real good too. I will report down the road when the miles start piling up on them.

Ponitail · 07-12-2016, 06:57 AM

About tire pressures: the front tire says 42psi cold so I run it at 40psi. The rear tire says 50psi cold so I run it at 48psi. I manually check my tire pressures every other weekend. But I also have a tire pressure monitor so I see the pressures constantly every time I'm on the bike. I also asked the Metzeler guy about tire pressures when I was at J & P's bike show. He said that they always recommend running the highest pressure possible according to the tire rating. He said this gives a better response from the tires, especially when cornering. He also said that running a lower pressure would likely give you a softer ride but you probably would decrease the life of the tire.

07-10-2016, 09:46 AM	#1
Ponitail Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 150	Tires I've been wanting to get on here and make a couple of posts for a while now and I've finally found the time to get it done. I've noticed that there always seems to be inquiry's about tires so I'm going to throw in my 2 cents for whatever it's worth. I bought a new, still in the crate, 2013 Voyager in June of 2014; along with my brother. Best bike I've ever ridden. Anyway it came new with Bridgestone tires. I replace them at 6,019 miles in November of 2014. The front tire wasn't too bad but the rear tire was completely bald. I was going to post a picture of it but I'll be damned if I can find it. At that time I had been diligently researching the forums about tires and the top recommendations were for the Michelin Commander and the Metzeler Triple 8. I chose the Triple 8. Fast Forward: On Monday 6/20/16 I was going over the bike in preparation for my annual trip to J & P's open house. Everything appeared to be in good shape. The rear tire was getting close to the end of it's life and I already had new tires and brake pads waiting in the wings. I was going to install them after the trip. Tuesday morning I decided to take a ride, I was planning to go a couple hundred miles. I rolled into a small town about 15 miles from home and as I was slowing down I started hearing a weird slapping sound coming from the rear. I pulled into a parking lot and started looking over the bike thinking maybe I had missed something the night before or left something loose. I finally knelt down on the ground and looked at the rear tire. Imagine my surprise when I realized the rubber on the tire was so thin it was peeling off and exposing the belt!! Decided I better head my ass home, at only 40mph. So the next day, Wednesday, my brother & I pulled off the wheels and I had the new tires mounted and balanced; and we installed the brake pads. Just in time to leave bright and early Thursday morning for Iowa. The tires had 15,741 miles on them. I guess the man upstairs was really watching out for me that day! While at J & P I spoke to the Metzeler guy at the booth and showed him my pictures. He said he's heard stories of some people getting as much as 22,000 out of a set of tires but that was rare. I thought that I had done pretty well. I asked him about wear indicators because I know car tires have them and they're usually easy to spot. He showed me where they are on the Metzeler tire and they are not easy to spot but they are there. He also said that some of the tires have a little arrow on the sidewall to indicate where the wear indicators are on the tread. I thought that information might helpful to some of you. Well, that's my 2 cents on tires. I hope my story helps someone else out there. I've included a couple pictures of the worn tires next to the new tires. I'm real happy with the Metzeler tires and plan to keep using them. Login or Register to Remove Ads Last edited by Ponitail; 05-14-2022 at 08:03 AM.
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07-10-2016, 01:07 PM	#2
recumbentbob Sr. Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Newburgh IN Posts: 3,404	You were fortunate that happened before your trip. Sent from my ASUS_Z00TD using Tapatalk __________________ VBA #01084 "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."
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07-10-2016, 08:19 PM	#3
landman Sr. Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: wheatland,wy. Posts: 3,642	I use a tire depth gauge and change the tire out when there is 2/32nd's of tread depth left.i don't think it is wise to cheap out on tires and definitely not a good idea to run them until they are bald in the center. __________________ bob wittman VBA # 745 COG #11621 wheatland,wy. rallies-custer 09,kalispell 10,crescent city 11,kanab 12,estes park 13,orifino 14.,red lodge 16 2015 ninja 1000 abs 2014 concourse 14 2012 concourse 14-sold 2011 vaquero-sold 2008 nomad-sold 2005 classic-sold
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07-11-2016, 07:17 AM	#5
smokier Join Date: May 2015 Location: DBQ Iowa Posts: 1,807	Ponitail - Glad everything worked out for you without incident! Do you mind sharing what PSI you run and the frequency with which you check you pressures? IMHO keeping the pressures towards the top of the manufacturers scale and checking them frequently go a long way towards extending the life of MotorCycle tires. The MC II's on the Green VAQ are giving us some of the best mileage ever. I have never gotten 15K plus miles out of a rear tire on a big cruiser. The MC II is already past 15K and has some miles left. Not many, but there are some SAFE miles still on that tire. I have not had Triple 8's yet. However, have had my share of 880's... Great detail, thanks for sharing. Ride safe, Smokier __________________ You only get one, so "Make it the best day ever!" 2014 Victory Cross County Tour Blue Fire Gloss (BFG) "Cruella" Brides Ride: 2012 Victory Crossroads in Sunset Red "Ruby" Previous Vulcans: '15 Vaquero, '12 Vaquero, '10 1700 Nomad, '04 1500 Classic, '01 1500 Classic, '88 Vulcan 750 VROC # 10967 \| VBA # 3115 Login or Register to Remove Ads
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07-11-2016, 06:34 PM	#7
hlknvlcn60 Advanced Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: crooked river ranch oregon Posts: 723	Some riders are getting around 18,000 or more on the Commander II's. I am at about 3,000 on mine now with no visible signs of wear whatsoever and they stick real good too. I will report down the road when the miles start piling up on them. __________________ 2012 Vaquero S.E. Chuckster's tear drop intake, Freedom true dual racing exhaust, Ivan flash, Clearview windscreen, Corbin gunfighter seat, Clockwerk's hugger style front fender, Kawasaki KQR backrest and luggage rack, kuryakyn iso grips and rear passenger boards, front highway pegs, revolutionspeed clutch and primary covers and reservoir and switch box covers and Kuryakyn skeleton rearview mirrors.
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07-11-2016, 07:42 AM	#6
farmertk Jr. Member Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: ohioself Posts: 23	Hey ponytail, I know a lot of guys will think this is crazy, but I am a believer in putting a car tire on my voyager. Got real old only getting at the most 6500 or so miles out of the stock Bridgestone,(rear). If I do a trip that can mean a new tire in a couple months. Did a lot of reading before I went for it,lol. So far I cant even tell its on there, it felt different for the first couple of days then I got used to it. Will see how it holds up. farmer tk
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07-12-2016, 06:57 AM	#8
Ponitail Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 150	About tire pressures: the front tire says 42psi cold so I run it at 40psi. The rear tire says 50psi cold so I run it at 48psi. I manually check my tire pressures every other weekend. But I also have a tire pressure monitor so I see the pressures constantly every time I'm on the bike. I also asked the Metzeler guy about tire pressures when I was at J & P's bike show. He said that they always recommend running the highest pressure possible according to the tire rating. He said this gives a better response from the tires, especially when cornering. He also said that running a lower pressure would likely give you a softer ride but you probably would decrease the life of the tire.
	0