Motorcycle.com

findangle · 07-14-2007, 01:22 PM

I'm looking to pick up some new tire's for my sporty. Doing my research on the net it looks like the bridgestone bt-45V is a popular choice front and back. Where i live any motorcycle tires i buy are going to be a special order so i might as well order them off the net.

So who do you guys recommend i order from? I would prefer someone that ships USPS because ups and dhl have it in their head that I'm international and charge literally hundreds of dollars to ship something the size of a couple of tires.

also if anyone has any other recommendations on tires for a sporty let me know.

seruzawa · 07-14-2007, 01:48 PM

I used to get them from Tires Unlimited and Affordable Discount Motorycle Tires - Metzeler Avon Dunlop Bridgestone Michelin Pirelli Maxxis. However by the time I got a local shop to mount and balance them it ended up costing about as much. My last set (Michelin Pilot Roads) cost me about $320 mounted and balanced and road hazard warranty at Cycle Gear. Another shop, Wrights offers free mount/balalnce with purchase but they wanted $350 for the two tires.

Unless you have the ability and equipment to mount and balance them yourself I don't think you save any money by mail order in the long run.

Oh, wait a second. A sporty won't go fast enough for the balancing to matter. So just get a set of good tire irons and go for it. (joke, okay?)

findangle · 07-14-2007, 05:25 PM

hehe yeah at the speeds its capable of i suppose i could just wind the rims with twine and ride on that.

made a few calls to all the tire shops around here.. none carry, order or mount motorcycle tires.. there must be someone in the local motorcycling community with the tools then.. i'll have to ask around.

The_AirHawk · 07-15-2007, 12:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seruzawa

Unless you have the ability and equipment to mount and balance them yourself I don't think you save any money by mail order in the long run.

Oh, wait a second. A sporty won't go fast enough for the balancing to matter. So just get a set of good tire irons and go for it. (joke, okay?)

I've only started bothering with balancing since my Wife bought me a Marc Parnes balancer. If you have a light-enough bike (such as a Hawk), or don't plan on extended stints over 75-85mph, I've found it to be nearly superfluous to balance today's tires.

It all really depends on the bike and the tires, though. I would definitely balance a set of cheap Cheng-Shen's, or Dunlops, or if you had a heavy-arse Goldwing, or a chopper with a raked-out girder fork, or rode the latest Literbike at supra-legal speeds everywhere.

I rode my FZ6 from Southwest MO to Key West and back. And all over several states in-between - all without balancing the Tomahawk's I spooned onto it. Probably an extra 125lbs of gear. I've now got close to 18k on the front, and probably 8500 on the back tire, and am changing to yet another set of "retreads". I'll balance this set, but only because I have the balancer now - not because they really need it at the speeds I normally go.

mctaggert · 07-15-2007, 11:26 AM

Here's a couple of recommended places.

swmototires.com Free shipping when you buy 2 or more tires. Good prices and selection. These guys will get a set of tires to you very quickly. It's almost like they're standing outside your door.

Also motorcycle-superstore.com Free shipping on orders over $100 and good prices.

On Seruzawa's post Tires Unlimited seems to have decent prices, but I have no experience with them. Affordable Discount Motorcycle Tires are neither affordable nor discounted. Their quote should be changed to "The Tires You Need, At The Prices We Want"

The BT-45s will be fine for the Sporty and the H rated ones will be more than adequate. You'll probably be surprised at the handling improvement. I run them on my K100LT and my wife's Nighthawk.

And if you put them on yourself, the other posts are correct: Don't worry about balancing them. They've never been out of whack enough to tell on the K and Nighthawk and you'd never know on the Sportster.

SmokeU · 07-16-2007, 08:02 AM

I typically order from Motorcycle Accessory Warehouse Online, or through one of their catalogs.

rjbcole · 04-11-2008, 04:34 PM

- American Motorcycle Tire is where I bought my tires. I use Metzler Marathon 880. Road in the rain several times, not by choice, and they stick to the road like it was dry.

K9000wner · 04-10-2009, 01:34 AM

AMT nice others should allow search that way..thanx

pushrod · 04-10-2009, 06:45 AM

Not that we tend to hijack threads or anything, but...

'Hawk, how has/did the Tomahawk tires hold up?

And findangle, where the heck do you live, anyway? Nobody messes with bike tires?

sarnali2 · 04-10-2009, 07:09 AM

I just take the wheels off and run them down to Cycle Gear, they have the best prices I've seen and as Seruzawa says they road hazzard what they sell for $20

07-14-2007, 01:22 PM	#1
findangle Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 128	Internet Tire Source. I'm looking to pick up some new tire's for my sporty. Doing my research on the net it looks like the bridgestone bt-45V is a popular choice front and back. Where i live any motorcycle tires i buy are going to be a special order so i might as well order them off the net. So who do you guys recommend i order from? I would prefer someone that ships USPS because ups and dhl have it in their head that I'm international and charge literally hundreds of dollars to ship something the size of a couple of tires. also if anyone has any other recommendations on tires for a sporty let me know.

07-14-2007, 01:48 PM	#2
seruzawa Robby Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: 8501 ft. Posts: 16,803	I used to get them from Tires Unlimited and Affordable Discount Motorycle Tires - Metzeler Avon Dunlop Bridgestone Michelin Pirelli Maxxis. However by the time I got a local shop to mount and balance them it ended up costing about as much. My last set (Michelin Pilot Roads) cost me about $320 mounted and balanced and road hazard warranty at Cycle Gear. Another shop, Wrights offers free mount/balalnce with purchase but they wanted $350 for the two tires. Unless you have the ability and equipment to mount and balance them yourself I don't think you save any money by mail order in the long run. Oh, wait a second. A sporty won't go fast enough for the balancing to matter. So just get a set of good tire irons and go for it. (joke, okay?) __________________ I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tanhauser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in the rain.

04-11-2008, 04:34 PM	#7
rjbcole Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 3	Americanmototire.com - American Motorcycle Tire is where I bought my tires. I use Metzler Marathon 880. Road in the rain several times, not by choice, and they stick to the road like it was dry.

04-10-2009, 01:34 AM	#8
K9000wner Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: MN Posts: 3	AMT nice others should allow search that way..thanx __________________ Who drank the Rum?

04-10-2009, 06:45 AM	#9
pushrod Founding Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Baja 'Bama Posts: 3,478	Not that we tend to hijack threads or anything, but... 'Hawk, how has/did the Tomahawk tires hold up? And findangle, where the heck do you live, anyway? Nobody messes with bike tires? __________________ You would not understand, this is not how I am... I have become - Comfortably Numb.

Sponsored Links	Remove Advertisements
Motorcycle Forum Advertisement

07-14-2007, 05:25 PM	#3
findangle Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 128	hehe yeah at the speeds its capable of i suppose i could just wind the rims with twine and ride on that. made a few calls to all the tire shops around here.. none carry, order or mount motorcycle tires.. there must be someone in the local motorcycling community with the tools then.. i'll have to ask around.

07-15-2007, 11:26 AM	#5
mctaggert Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 18	Here's a couple of recommended places. swmototires.com Free shipping when you buy 2 or more tires. Good prices and selection. These guys will get a set of tires to you very quickly. It's almost like they're standing outside your door. Also motorcycle-superstore.com Free shipping on orders over $100 and good prices. On Seruzawa's post Tires Unlimited seems to have decent prices, but I have no experience with them. Affordable Discount Motorcycle Tires are neither affordable nor discounted. Their quote should be changed to "The Tires You Need, At The Prices We Want" The BT-45s will be fine for the Sporty and the H rated ones will be more than adequate. You'll probably be surprised at the handling improvement. I run them on my K100LT and my wife's Nighthawk. And if you put them on yourself, the other posts are correct: Don't worry about balancing them. They've never been out of whack enough to tell on the K and Nighthawk and you'd never know on the Sportster.

07-16-2007, 08:02 AM	#6
SmokeU Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: pet**...pet...pet** Posts: 1,865	I typically order from Motorcycle Accessory Warehouse Online, or through one of their catalogs.

04-10-2009, 07:09 AM	#10
sarnali2 Aging Cafe` Racer Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Sittin' down by my window, lookin' at the rain. Posts: 8,132	I just take the wheels off and run them down to Cycle Gear, they have the best prices I've seen and as Seruzawa says they road hazzard what they sell for $20 __________________ "Carpe` Throttelum -Loud Suits Save Lives" "All the BMW riders in the room, I want you to leave. Now. Out. "