Tyre Review

This is not intended to be an exhaustive motorcycle tyre review, merely my experience of different brands.

When I first got my Yamaha motorcycle, it had Bridgestone tyres. They didn't last very long, and neither did the next set of Bridgestone, so I tried Dunlop. These had far greater longevity. Unfortunately when I sold the bike I gave my logbook to the new owner, so I don't have any figures to hand regarding mileage covered on the Dunlop. (From memory I don't think they lasted as long as the tyres I'm currently using on the Pan).

The ST1100 also had Bridgestone tyres when I got it. The previous owner had kept the receipts which allowed me to accurately calculate the mileage covered.

After just 3000 miles I suffered an irreparable puncture in the rear tyre. I must have ridden over some broken glass, as the tread was slashed right across. I've no idea why it was the rear tyre which suffered; the front was fine. I called the AA who loaded the bike into a large van and dropped me at a motorcycle tyre dealership. From my previous experience with the Yamaha, I was adamant I didn't want Bridgestone tyres; and the only other make they had in stock were Avon. (I'll admit this was not a true test of the Bridgestone longevity, but research since then on several internet forums has revealed I was not the only rider dissatisfied with this brand).

As the dealer was fitting the Avon Azaro, he told me about Avon's "Road Hazard Warranty", which provides a free replacement tyre in the event of a puncture or irreparable damage being sustained within the first millimetre of tread wear.

Here's a summary of mileage travelled and why I use Avons:

Rear Tyre:

Odometer	Tyre fitted:	How long did it last?
8050	Bridgestone BT020	3,000 miles
11050	Irreparable puncture. Replaced with Avon Azaro AV46	24,898 miles
35948	Avon Azaro AV46	18,375 miles (punctured & replaced)
54323	Avon Azaro AV46	(punctured & plugged)
64435		18,521 miles
72844	Avon Storm ST	(punctured & plugged)
74200		Ongoing

Front Tyre:

Odometer	Tyre fitted:	How long did it last?
8050	Bridgestone BT020	12,945 miles
20995	Avon Azaro AV45	17,890 miles (punctured & replaced)
38885	Avon Azaro AV45	24,198 miles
63083	Avon Storm ST	Ongoing

I really like the Avons. Apart from the longevity, they provide excellent grip and braking ability in both the wet and dry. I can testify to their wet-handling ability through the following incident.

On the way home from work one evening, I became aware of a Porsche Cayenne tailgating me. I was in the left lane and the right lane was free, so there was plenty of room for him to get past. The speed limit on this particular stretch of road was 40mph, and that was the speed I was doing.

After a mile or so of this, I was debating on whether to speed up and lose him, or change into the right-hand lane. At this point the road approached an overpass. The road itself was straight, but sloping from right to left. There were normally puddles of water in the right lane, as the inadequate road drainage couldn't cope. And as it had been raining fairly heavily, sheets of water were flowing down the hill and gathering in a pool at the bottom.

Right at the start of the overpass, the Porsche decided to overtake. He pulled alongside and got ahead, then suddenly slowed. At this point I was concentrating more on what he was doing than the road ahead, and before I had time to question why he had slowed down, I discovered that the puddles were no longer just in the right-hand lane but extending across the entire road, well over a foot deep.

The "bow wave" from the front wheel was spectacular. In almost slow motion, the water arced gracefully away on both sides, reaching an estimated height of over 6 feet. I was paying more attention to the right-hand side, as the fountain was covering the bonnet and windscreen of the rapidly-slowing Porsche.

Possibly due to the narrow width of the motorcycle tyre, no aquaplaning occurred. The length of the puddle was also fortunately not too great; by the time I'd considered slowing down, I was through it. And although I was wearing waterproof boots, my feet did get wet.

I'll admit I was fortunate that I hit the puddle straight and upright, and did not change speed or direction whilst doing so. I certainly wouldn't want to do it again. The nice thing was when I checked my mirrors at the top of the overpass the Porsche had dropped back some considerable distance.

This incident was probably the cause of the electrical problem that I experienced shortly afterwards.

Maintenance

Check tyre pressures weekly. The tyres should be cold, or if you've just ridden the bike, wait at least an hour before checking them. Tyres are designed to be run at a specific pressure in order to maintain the optimum contact patch. Underinflated tyres result in poorer fuel economy and reduced tyre life. Overinflated tyres wear out more quickly in the centre and can adversely affect handling.

Also inspect the entire tread surface weekly. With the bike on its centre stand the rear tyre is fairly easy to inspect. (In order to check the front tyre, I place a trolley jack under the sump, cushioned with a rubber pad, and jack up the bike just enough that the front tyre can be freely rotated).

Check for and remove any stones or embedded bits of glass from the sipes (the small slits in the tread blocks). If left in place, they could embed themselves further and puncture the tyre. Also check for any cracks in between the tread blocks, and look for any damage to the side wall.

The valve stem should be covered with a cap to prevent dust ingress. Metal valve caps are available which have an integrated Schrader valve key:

These are useful for tightening the valve core should it become loose. A simple test for a loose valve core is to wipe some saliva across the valve opening. If a bubble forms, the core is loose.

If you have tried a different make of tyre like Pirelli, Metzeler or Michelin and have been impressed by the tyre life, let me know and I'll put your tyre review story on this site.

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