Michelin Pilot Road 3s...I joined the club

[NightRider_imp]

Wear bars are showing on my Bridgstones. I been following this thread thinking I want to go with a new set of PR3's. Call up dealer get a price on the tires. Good price 135.00 for the front 168.00 for the rear. Then I tell them what bike I'm putting them on. Service Manager says no way. They refuse to put the 160 on the rear. Safety and Liability reasons. I know I can go somewhere else. My point is that dealers want to make money and for a dealer to send me somewhere else for this reason leads me to believe there may be validity in their reasoning. Comments from the CB1100 community? (I have been doing business with this dealer for a long time and have a good relationship with them).

Sounds like that guy knows his stuff. You mean he did not put them on and recommend cutting the bike or sanding some rubber off to make it fit? No?

Glad you have a competent Service Manager. If it were me, and it is in a sense, I say stay with that dealer.

[the Ferret]

we had one member grind some of the inside foot off his center stand, even though it wasn't necessary, and no one has sanded rubber off lol

personally I don't care what anyone else runs on their bike, but there are enough of us running the 160 Michelins without any issues that it shouldn't be a concern for anybody. If you do have any concerns you can always go to your dealer and order stock tires in stock sizes by oem part number. No biggie.

[redbirds_imp]

That's simply the opinion of that dealer. My Honda dealer had no problem ordering the PR3's and I went up on the front also with a 120. Absolutely no issues with these tires on the CB and after 6000 miles they still look new with no cupping or unusual wear on front or rear. There is generous clearance and, because of the different aspect ratio, the actual diameter of the tires is within a couple of millimeters of the OE tires thus not significantly affecting the speedo or trip meters.

[NightRider_imp]

So, you talked me into it. What opinion does the shop book have on acceptable alternative tire sizes? Anyone? Thanks.
You know, like my auto owners manual even. It lists two sizes acceptable for my car. The dealer will sell and mount either but not something else. I suppose it is because he is a good dealer and I would not change tire sizes on my car to something other than that specified. Especially if I then put my kid in it or risk someone else's kid in a vehicle I share the road with while driving my car with tires not meant for my car.

So I need to get this right. What does Honda say?

[rboe]

I'm getting used to the new handling of the PR3's now and they are not as alarming as the first ride. I do have to be careful to not drop into a corner too aggressively as the bike is too willing to go for it.

I think I may have to try them on the Griso next.

[the Ferret]

So, you talked me into it. What opinion does the shop book have on acceptable alternative tire sizes? Anyone? Thanks.
You know, like my auto owners manual even. It lists two sizes acceptable for my car. The dealer will sell and mount either but not something else. I suppose it is because he is a good dealer and I would not change tire sizes on my car to something other than that specified. Especially if I then put my kid in it or risk someone else's kid in a vehicle I share the road with while driving my car with tires not meant for my car.

So I need to get this right. What does Honda say?

10W30

Seriously, not trying to talk you into it Nightrider, use whatever tires you choose for your vehicle, use whatever weight oil, use whatever brake pads, or spark plugs, or grade of gasoline. Check your valves at whatever mileage you want, change the air filter when you want, change the oil at whatever mileage you deem appropriate, use whatever oil filter you want, change your clutch and brake fluids when you want, or go exactly as Honda recommends for all that stuff. It's your bike.

[Cormanus]

So, you talked me into it. What opinion does the shop book have on acceptable alternative tire sizes? Anyone? Thanks.
You know, like my auto owners manual even. It lists two sizes acceptable for my car. The dealer will sell and mount either but not something else. I suppose it is because he is a good dealer and I would not change tire sizes on my car to something other than that specified. Especially if I then put my kid in it or risk someone else's kid in a vehicle I share the road with while driving my car with tires not meant for my car.

So I need to get this right. What does Honda say?

10W30 or 10W40 in warmer weather.

For tyres: 110/80R 18M/C 58V for the front; 140/70R 18M/C 67V for the rear.

[NightRider_imp]

So, you talked me into it. What opinion does the shop book have on acceptable alternative tire sizes? Anyone? Thanks.
You know, like my auto owners manual even. It lists two sizes acceptable for my car. The dealer will sell and mount either but not something else. I suppose it is because he is a good dealer and I would not change tire sizes on my car to something other than that specified. Especially if I then put my kid in it or risk someone else's kid in a vehicle I share the road with while driving my car with tires not meant for my car.

So I need to get this right. What does Honda say?

10W30

Seriously, not trying to talk you into it Nightrider, use whatever tires you choose for your vehicle, use whatever weight oil, use whatever brake pads, or spark plugs, or grade of gasoline. Check your valves at whatever mileage you want, change the air filter when you want, change the oil at whatever mileage you deem appropriate, use whatever oil filter you want, change your clutch and brake fluids when you want, or go exactly as Honda recommends for all that stuff. It's your bike.

10W30

Seriously, not trying to talk you into it Nightrider, use whatever tires you choose for your vehicle, use whatever weight oil, use whatever brake pads, or spark plugs, or grade of gasoline. Check your valves at whatever mileage you want, change the air filter when you want, change the oil at whatever mileage you deem appropriate, use whatever oil filter you want, change your clutch and brake fluids when you want, or go exactly as Honda recommends for all that stuff. It's your bike.
I'm afraid we are discussing something more serious than oil viscosity. We are instead discussing using the wrong tire size. using a wrong tire size is unsafe. Unsafe for the rider and the family car approaching you on that curve when your bike handles incorrectly when it really counts.

So, I am afraid it is not just my choice in this instance if I endanger others in the interest of experimenting with my bikes handling, and that is what I would be doing, outside the track. While I might experiment with my bike's oil I will not make that oncoming family carload of kids pay for my indulgence with tires.

I would not experiment with my car's tires for the same reason so why do so with my bike?

[emptysea]

First off....the PR3s are not "the wrong size". Rather they are not the stock size and it's only the rear tire that is different in any case. The rear tire fits perfectly well on the rim, does not rub on the center stand, and generally does what a tire is supposed to do. Second, it is not "unsafe" to use a tire that is a different size on either your car or your motorcycle. It might be unsafe to do so if the tire was extremely different than the recommended tire for the vehicle. The PR3 rear tire would not qualify as "extremely different" in size. Third, if you're going to go down the road that the tire size IS unsafe if different than stock, then should you also refrain from buying a tire in the correct size, but from a different manufacturer than Honda mounts as stock? What about the same brand, but a different rubber compound? Would that be unsafe?

I understand your concern for safety; I do. But, there is no evidence that the PR3s fail prematurely or suddenly, that they handle erratically, or that they do not perform as well as the stock tires. In fact, almost all the evidence (anecdotal though it may be) favors that the PR3s are safer (at least in the rain), more durable, and better performers than what Honda provides as stock.

I suggest that you buy the same replacement tires as the ones you have on your CB1100 because you will at least FEEL safer. Feeling safer is important.

[LongRanger_imp]

I think the many PR3 testimonials on this forum are likely quite valid and justified (I have no experience with these tires on my CB), but you should absolutely adhere to Honda's recommendation if you have any concerns. The second-guessing is not worth the anxiety. There is nothing wrong with that decision, and there is nothing wrong with the OE-recommended tires.