Factory tires

[bsavoy04_imp]

I have less than 5k on the factory Dunlop’s, the rear has a typical commuter flat strip not too bad but GEEZE the front is almost toast. Scalloped and the tire is chewed on the sides leaving it taller in the middle with recessed sides. Anyone else had funky treadwear on the factory tires? Exploring options online just not a huge fan of the Battleax


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*front tire* is the chewed up one. Auto correct generally makes be sound like a moron.


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[emptysea]

I got about 8k out of mine. I know people here who have gone much longer on the Battlax, but I have a hard enough time staying upright with full tread.

 

[the Ferret]

lol you can modify your posts for up to one hour. I fixed it for you.

It is a problem with these dual compound tires that they wear weird. The hard center section resists wear while the edges show wear prematurely. Hece the raised section you are seeing. It is particularly noticeable on the front. I would bump your front tire pressure to 38# leaving 42# in the rear.

The factory tires are a little lacking on tread depth imo, particularly the front Bridgestones. The Dunlops you have will last longer than the Bridgestone fronts, but the Bridgestone rears will last longer than the Dunlop rears.

Finding tires at all are a problem for this bike. Many of us have gone to a 120 front and a 160 rear Michelin Pilot Road 3 and have been very happy. Good wear, good handling wet or dry, but they ARE oversize since Michelin doesn't make the exact size we need. Others are using other brand tires and if you type TIRES into the search engine you will find plenty of reading material.

 

[peterbaron]

My OEM Battlax lasted long = F = 15 Km, rear about 30 Km.. did not like'em
For both, '13 & "14, I now have PR3 = excellent.
What year is yours, '17 are different with tubes

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

I found the OEM Battlax quite good, however, I will say the rubber did harden after just a few years and affecting some handling. That "hardening" could be the reason for juicing extra mileage out of the rear tire.

 

[Rocky_imp]

The front OEM Bridgestone on my '14 only lasted 5,168 km's (3,230 miles) and I was stunned when my mechanic told me it probably wouldn't pass our bi-annual vehicle inspection coming up in a couple of weeks.
I replaced it immediately with a Bridgestone T30 EVO.
The rear Bridgestone is still going strong and has lots of meat on it.

 

[LongRanger_imp]

Ferret's characterization of dual-compound tires is spot on. The uneven wear, especially on the front, is annoying.

 

[bsavoy04_imp]

Think I will go with Pirelli Angel GTs. The 160 rear any fitment issues? I noted a little metal tab back in the swing arm that sticks out, wondering if i should cut that off?


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[The A-man]

I had the exact same bad experience with the factory Dunlops. At 3000 miles, the front showed evidence of cupping, and by 5000 miles, the front was crap and the rear had worn a flat spot. Then I put on a set of Michelin Pilot Road 3's (120 and 160 like Ferret said), and they were excellent until I ran over a screw on Oct 25 (that's a whole other story!). When I went to replace both, Michelin is now up to Pilot Road 5's, but don't make them as a matched set in the 18 inch diameter of my '14 wheels. So, there's not much to choose from. I went with Metzler Roadtecs on both, but the Honda dealer also recommended a British tire (forgot the brand just now) that are made for the Triumph, et.al. market, and available in the stock tire sizes. But, the 120 and 160 fit just fine, and I like the idea of more rubber on the road. Good luck. Google can be your friend, but expect to spend several hours searching. There are still a few Michelin's available, but... likely very old mfgr dates.

 

[peterbaron]

Think I will go with Pirelli Angel GTs. The 160 rear any fitment issues? I noted a little metal tab back in the swing arm that sticks out, wondering if i should cut that off?


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I had rear PR3/160 fitted for both 2013 & '14 = no problem

 

[Lord Popgun]

Think I will go with Pirelli Angel GTs. The 160 rear any fitment issues? I noted a little metal tab back in the swing arm that sticks out, wondering if i should cut that off?


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IIRC that tab is a mounting point for the stock chain guard.

 

[Cormanus]

Or is it the tab that holds the brake caliper?

 

[Lord Popgun]

Or is it the tab that holds the brake caliper?

That one isn’t needed. Go ahead and cut it right off!!

 

[Cormanus]

Has anybody run Avon AM26's on it yet? Typically thought to be for lightweight bikes, i have a set on my (heavier than the cb) concours and its great.

LongRanger was planning to try them, http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=13758&pid=225782#pid225782

jimgl3 was looking at Avon tyres http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=13758&pid=225837#pid225837

Nortoon has contemplated them too, I think, http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=3118&pid=191384#pid191384

 

[dave]

I have less than 5k on the factory Dunlop’s, the rear has a typical commuter flat strip not too bad but GEEZE the front is almost toast. Scalloped and the tire is chewed on the sides leaving it taller in the middle with recessed sides. Anyone else had funky treadwear on the factory tires? Exploring options online just not a huge fan of the Battleax

My tires did the exact same thing. I was able to squeak 9k miles out of both the original tires. I replaced them with Battleax tires and see none of the funky tread wear. However, the Battleax front lasted only 7k miles , and the rear lasted 10.5k.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Has anybody run Avon AM26's on it yet? Typically thought to be for lightweight bikes, i have a set on my (heavier than the cb) concours and its great.

Had a set of Avon Venom on a previous bike and my quick thoughts were:

* Arguably the best tires I ever had. Nice and sticky.
* Because they were sticky, tread life was annoyingly short.
* My rear Avon picked up three nails/screws in its short lifespan, one resulting in total flat at destination.

 

[bsavoy04_imp]

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[the Ferret]

Yea, those look close to toast to me bsavoy.

Im not concerned on mileage TBH. But thats a promising review, i figure they would be good. Bike tires are cheap for the value, so im ok replacing them more often if they perform better. Ive never run the venoms though. I have 2 years on the AM26's on the concours and they are still holding up well. (and i am not gentle on it).

I always figured guys that don't worry about mileage either have a lot of money or don't ride very many miles per year lol. When you ride an average of 25,000 miles a year and tires are close to $500 a set mounted, mileage is pretty important (as well as handling in wet/dry etc). I can't imagine getting two years out of a set of tires. I can't imagine getting 6 months out of a set of tires and I'm talking tires that go close to 10,000 miles. That's why I use Michelin's. Best compromise between handling and longevity that I have found. They still don't last long enough and cost too much lol.

 

[peterbaron]

Michelin are the best tires, I've ever mounted on all my vehicles, except winter.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Yea, those look close to toast to me bsavoy.

Im not concerned on mileage TBH. But thats a promising review, i figure they would be good. Bike tires are cheap for the value, so im ok replacing them more often if they perform better. Ive never run the venoms though. I have 2 years on the AM26's on the concours and they are still holding up well. (and i am not gentle on it).

I always figured guys that don't worry about mileage either have a lot of money or don't ride very many miles per year lol. When you ride an average of 25,000 miles a year and tires are close to $500 a set mounted, mileage is pretty important (as well as handling in wet/dry etc). I can't imagine getting two years out of a set of tires. I can't imagine getting 6 months out of a set of tires and I'm talking tires that go close to 10,000 miles. That's why I use Michelin's. Best compromise between handling and longevity that I have found. They still don't last long enough and cost too much lol.

Agreed. From the images they almost looked cupped.