(04-19-2016, 09:32 PM)Lord Popgun_imp Wrote: Ulvetanna,
I know little to nothing about race setups, so help me out. I thought race tires were not good for street use as they don't grip good until they warm up.
And street riding doesn't warm them up enough. Is this true?
That used to be true long time ago (20 years or so) but no longer. The temperature spread for the tire's operating range is so much wider now. Production race tires like the Dunlop Q3 (or similar - Pirelli, Bridgestone, etc.) grip very well even when cold, but have fantastic grip on the track when they are up to the correct operating temperature.
The Conti's feel just like the Q3's on the street, great initial grip right out of the garage and it just keeps getting better. Speaking of "sport bikes" these tires will give anyone a quantum leap in transforming his/her CB1100 into a sportbike. You can feel the grip and compliance in every maneuver.
Someone was talking about the rear skidding before he expected it. I can't say whether there was too much enthusiasm on the brake pedal, but for sure these tires will raise the limits of grip compared to any other tire I am aware of. They also have extremely neutral handling and no signs at all of odd wear, like cupping.
If you do a lot of riding in the rain I would not recommend this tire, though. There is a lot of rubber on the ground and it meets DOT specs but for the wet climates, you'd want something with more ability to displace water in the tread.
It doesn't rain much where I live, and I don't ride in the rain any more. Don't get me wrong, I've ridden thousands of miles in the rain but I avoid it now. So these tires work well for my style.
For anyone interested in how these tires affect setup, the front seems a tad taller, and the rear shorter, than the stock tires. So the gearing feels shorter, the bike feels more lively. But the ride height in the rear needs to be raised a few millimeters to get the handling right.
You'd get a similar result from going with a 160 in the rear in terms of numbers but the feel is very different. The 160 is going to be a taller tire so no need to raise the ride height, but the gearing is lowered overall, and the tire is bigger and heavier, resulting in more sluggish turn-in and acceleration. Touring and long-distance tires tend to feel heavier anyway, with a different type of carcass.
I have read that many forum members are getting 10,000 miles or more from a set of tires, or wearing the front out before the rear, or ride a great deal in rain. The Conti's are not going to be for that kind of rider. They are a sport tire, they cost a bit more than most tires and certainly won't last nearly as long as many other choices. I paid $328 for the pair plus shipping so it was a bit over $350.
This image is after a track day, Dunlop Q3s, no tire warmers (different bike obviously). Only takes a couple of laps to get them up to temperature. And they make a great street tire, too. But they don't last too long. I'd expect similar results from the Conti's as they are touted as a premium vintage/classic racing tire also suitable for sporty street riding.
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(04-19-2016, 11:25 PM)Tim_in_AZ_imp Wrote: Hmmm, when I go to find the CB1100 on Honda's website, it is in the 'sport' collection.
I was just looking at that myself, and thinking that while we now consider the CB1100 a cruiser or retro bike for old guys, in fact the performance is very similar to the 1983 CB1100F and that was considered a very hot bike.
Yep, the CB1100F had 110 HP, but it weighed 40 pounds more than the CB1100 and the chassis and brakes were nowhere near as good. Also the CB1100 has more torque. Also consider the CB1100 compared to the 1983 VF750F Interceptor, the AMA production superbike from Honda. The horsepower and weight of the 2013 CB1100 are almost identical to the 1983 Interceptor, which was considered that year to be the finest production superbike in the world.
The Interceptor had 86 HP and weighed 549 pounds, actually about ten pounds heavier than the CB1100.
So yeah, the CB1100 is very, very sporty, which is why I keep it around. I will say without reservation that although I greatly esteem my 2015 ZX-10R, I do not find the CB1100 lacking when I take it out for exercise.
