Tire Options for our CB1100

I replaced my stock tires with a set of Pirelli Sport Demons about 9000 miles ago and I've been perfectly happy with them. Well, it's time again and I'm buying another set of the same.

The last set cost me $290 from Revzilla, and as of yesterday, they are offering the same set of tires for $270. I take my bike back to the dealership for tire mounting so I figured I would see what they had to offer for tires. Their prices were too high across the board (no surprise there) so I told the parts guy I would order my own tires from Revzilla. He was super eager to help me out and offered to price match...Deal! I put in the order and made an appointment for mounting just in time for the West coast rally.
 
The Sport Demons are a bias-ply tire, not a radial. I tried a set on my Moto Guzzi V7 and liked them, but they were toast within 4000 miles. Any ill effects on your CB?
 
Wow that's a great price. I think my PR3s were about $100 more than that.. maybe more than a hundred more. And you got 9K out of them? That's reasonable I think. How toast were they? My dealer charges extra $20 or $30 per wheel for mounting if the tires are bought someplace else, somewhat negating buying on line. They will come down some on tires but won't match verbatim.
 
The ferret_imp said:
Wow that's a great price. I think my PR3s were about $100 more than that.. maybe more than a hundred more. And you got 9K out of them? That's reasonable I think. How toast were they? My dealer charges extra $20 or $30 per wheel for mounting if the tires are bought someplace else, somewhat negating buying on line. They will come down some on tires but won't match verbatim.
Not toasted yet, but I'm not comfortable setting out on the rally with my back tire in the condition it's in. It took some rapid wear last weekend and I'm going out again this weekend. Wear bars are starting to show.

Last time I order the tires myself and brought them in strapped to the back of the bike. No up charge for BYOT. I think the guy ordered the tires from straight from Revzilla.
LongRanger_imp said:
The Sport Demons are a bias-ply tire, not a radial. I tried a set on my Moto Guzzi V7 and liked them, but they were toast within 4000 miles. Any ill effects on your CB?
They've been great for where and how I ride. Daily commute is about 10 miles of country roads (complete with gravel patches) and 25 miles of super slab highway.

The rear didn't lose its profile as quickly as the stock and I can't hear anything but the wind out on the highway. I have noticed a difference in their sound occasionally through sweeping turns. I think what I'm hearing is the transition from one compound to another. It's subtle, but I can hear it.
 
I'm currently doing some tire shopping and came across this thread. The Pirelli Sport Demons are high on my list. Was considering the Metzeler Z8s but it seems like they have some pretty negative reviews and not great longevity. I am currently running the very popular Pilot Road 3s and have no complaints with them whatsoever, and was going to just reorder them but three things are deterring me from doing so.

1) Price
2) Oversized for our wheels
3) Good chance of getting a 4-5 year old tire from the warehouse

I know that running the 120/160 sizes on the CB are fine, I just did it for 10k miles on my own, its more of a mental thing for me I guess. #1 and #3 are the big ones for me.

And get this: Right now I can have a new set of Sport Demons shipped to my house for $254.35 from Bike Bandit. :exclamation:
 
Daniel,
Have you checked the Pirelli Angel GTs out? I can't tell by your writing if you're against the 160s or not, but they're a really great tire for you to consider.
 
I have, but they’re even more expensive than the pilot road 3s. For that much dough I would at least want the correct sizes. Thank you though
 
z8's last well for me, but wear funny on front. 6k miles now and plenty life left. I like the sport demons a lot. front with them wears funny too. this funny wear in both cases is similar to cupping, and seems to be due to odd tread patterns. I keep 40lbs air in them, so they are not under-inflated.
 
I know most of you are in the USA so this may not be of any help but, worth a look to see if Dunlop have started importing the Road Smart III yet. It's a fantastic fit for the CB, being std. size and they are really, really, good. Amazing, in fact, as I've just looked and although I'm a touch squared off it's still serviceable, after 2 and a bit years and 10,000 miles. Front is still fine. That's great milage for a tire that grips so well.
My bike is lightened quite a bit and I'm not massive, but I don't hang around and get it lent right over. I highly, highly recommend them.
Oh, they've done a track day as well!!
 
beardyweirdy@me.com_imp said:
I know most of you are in the USA so this may not be of any help but, worth a look to see if Dunlop have started importing the Road Smart III yet. It's a fantastic fit for the CB, being std. size and they are really, really, good. Amazing, in fact, as I've just looked and although I'm a touch squared off it's still serviceable, after 2 and a bit years and 10,000 miles. Front is still fine. That's great milage for a tire that grips so well.
My bike is lightened quite a bit and I'm not massive, but I don't hang around and get it lent right over. I highly, highly recommend them.
Oh, they've done a track day as well!!
This would be a good option but I can find no 18" tires for the rear listed by a US distributer. 18" front is available in both 110 and 120.
 
Yep. I checked the usual outlets and it looks like no 18" rear tires are available in the U.S.
 
redbirds_imp said:
beardyweirdy@me.com_imp said:
I know most of you are in the USA so this may not be of any help but, worth a look to see if Dunlop have started importing the Road Smart III yet. It's a fantastic fit for the CB, being std. size and they are really, really, good. Amazing, in fact, as I've just looked and although I'm a touch squared off it's still serviceable, after 2 and a bit years and 10,000 miles. Front is still fine. That's great milage for a tire that grips so well.
My bike is lightened quite a bit and I'm not massive, but I don't hang around and get it lent right over. I highly, highly recommend them.
Oh, they've done a track day as well!!
This would be a good option but I can find no 18" tires for the rear listed by a US distributer. 18" front is available in both 110 and 120.
This would be a good option but I can find no 18" tires for the rear listed by a US distributer. 18" front is available in both 110 and 120. I have found the Road Smart 3 in 150/70-18 on some US websites. I’m currently running one in stock size on the front, very happy with it.
Edit- My mistake, that was a 17 inch tire, not an 18. I done understand why Dunlop doesn’t make an 18 inch rear tire available in the US
 
Gosh it's irritating that these tyres are made but not available anywhere the CB1100 is sold.
 
For those looking for Battlax BT-54 radial sources in the USA, last time I ordered from Chaparral (chapmoto.com) (found via Amazon storefront) but this time around Dennis Kirk (denniskirk.com) beat them $142 vs. $160 shipped for a stock size rear (140/70/R18).

I'll be avoiding the Battlax front tire next time that comes around as the wear life is dismal (all of 4000 miles on the stocker).

Almost went 160/60/R18 as other have done with other brands, but a bit nervous about that.
 
Ay! Getting bike ready for trip from Portland, OR to Spokane for early next week...and I found a nail head in rear tire. It's a 2017ex, so tire with tube (5700 miles). I'm thinking if the nail penetrated the tube that a leak would have developed, but it's inflated at 42psi and doesn't go down. I guess I should pull it out to see what happens because I'm not riding it to Spokane like it is, and if it deflates well then I guess I get to ramp it onto pickup to take somewhere, or take the tire off. That probably means that there's not enough time to get it ready for the trip. Arg. Maybe I'll go on the KLR650.
 
Point of clarification for 2017ex: if I've understood previous posts, the OEM Dunlop 140/70 R18 cannot be found in the U.S. Is that true? I called a dealer and he said they can order OEM tire for the cb1100 '17ex from Honda, takes a week. But cost is $396 front and rear and they want $150 for mounting both. Seems rather steep.
 
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