getting new skins
 

tomorrow I'm getting a new set of skins on the VTR. The first tires I've put on this bike and I am very anxious to do it since the PO was not that into actually riding the bike on anything but straight roads. Tires on the bike are the same as stock, I don't like them but they had life in them so I wore them out. I've settled on th BT 023 front and rear. I wanted the Pilot 3 but need to keep it real until I get the front end sorted out. I am really looking forward to riding on tires I select break in myself and trust. Should be a big improvement! 2 front to 1 rear should be the wear ratio? Can't wait to burn 'em up!

Battlax 023 aren't bad tires, and in fact, i would say there are twenty-five older (50++) gents that ride(V F R s ) together in a bike club/group... That all ride on a sport-touring tire( 023s, Road 3s, Z3s, etc.) that I would give you $50.00 -cash if you could stay ahead of the group - on the twisties , curves in the mountain roads -here in NC, TN, and north GA.......:) the $50.00 dollars is waiting...

Bunch of us have started running PP Road III on rear and PP II or IICT on front with excellent traction and wear.

Keep up posted on how your new shoes feel. New ones always make the bike feel so good.

Don't forget to scuff....

Make sure you get the BT023 GT Version. The GT Version is designed for bigger heavier sports bikes. I think the compound is slightly harder wearing but with the same tread pattern. Great choice of tyre, I've not got them on my VTR but have them on my Fazer. Very confidence inspiring and excellent grip.

I recently got PR3's on the VTR and like you, they are the first I have bought for the bike. I had a mismatched pair on before and they where so squared off it was a joke. I wore them down as much as I could before it got stupidly dangerous and then got them replaced. New tyres have changed the feel of the bike completely, the front end steers so much better and I can just lean into the corners now and it responds. The PR3's are as good, if not better than the BT023. Yet again very confidence inspiring with great feedback and superb grip, especially in the wet. And I have yet to try them in good weather :shock:

(:-})

I've never had anything but bad luck with Michelins - and I've seen lots of problems with them on other people's bikes as well. Probably best to stay away. I've turned away guys who want their suspension setup because they have stepped Michelin fronts installed. No suspension changes will fix a poorly wearing tire.

I'm running BT016's right now and they are really nice. I would expect the 023's to be good as well. For a guaranteed winner go with Dunlop Q2's, they are probably the best all around tire. I've run them a lot on the street and also several days on the track. They perform great for both. They also maintain all of the way until they are bald. Think of it like the Honda-quality equivalent for tires.

so I have the Bridgestone BT 023 on the VTR. I can already see the huge difference. The tires that were on it were the PO choice and they weren't really bedded in for my kind of riding. These tires feel so nice! Gotta bed them in so I can go out and burn 'em up!

I ended up with the Bridgestone BT 023 because of tire life. The Q2's get about 1/2 the life I'm told but are very sticky. So far the BT 023's are great! My next purchase is front end springs and valving from none other than Mr. Jamie. I just love spending cash on the bike when it's for fun stuff!

Funny, that's what everyone said for years when i ran Dunlop. Haven't seen any issues with the Michelin Man tires on any of our groups bikes. I had considered trying a set of Q2's this year thou, but i doubt i will ever buy a set of Stones for my rides.

PP 2CTs transformed my current ride...liked'um so much I'm on my third set...

I used to run the old Michelin Pilot Powers. Got Q2s last time. LOVE them. Just about time for a new set. Mileage is horrible. Still LOVE them!! I'm not setting any speed records at a track day, but its not because of the tires.

bad experience with the bridgestones?

I ran q2s after pproad2ct and hated the dunlops. Sure they're sticky, but the rear center wore entirely too fast from engine braking. The front wore nicely, but it was quickly at the wear bars and wearing fast, too fast to justify the $ they cost as street tires. I love the 2ct, front and rear they rode and wore excellent and I rarely had a time when the rear tire would slip on hard fast turns (80mph+). I have 016s waiting to go on, have never run them but I've heard good things.

I commute to work daily all year, so center life is a big issue for me. I do get into it to and from work (26 corners in 11 miles, 55 mph back roads with no stops), so I use up the sides well enough, but with softer tires I find the center wearing too fast for the weight and power I'd the hawk.

Curious, why suggest the GT version? The VTR is on the light side for the type of bike the BT-023 is designed for.

I still have a set of BT-021's (I'm a pretty low mileage rider these days). I like them but my front has worn strangely and I think it may need changing at the same time as the rear. If the 023's are priced as well as the 021's were I'll stick with the 'Stones.

Yeah the Q2s do go fast but work so well..... next for me will be a set of Roadsmart IIs which are supposed to have the same profile as the Q2s ;)

Agreed. I've done a bunch of reading about the 23GT on other forums where guys use them on the heavy machines (FJR, C14, Honda ST etc). I came to the conclusion that the GT would probably last about the same as the Metz Z6 that I currently use. @ 7-9K per rear tire you will sacrifice grip period.

Just to note CycleGear has Dunlop Qualifiers on sale $199 a pair. I'm not sure what's different from the Q2's.

I had the Michelins PP2's a few times. Never had problems as mentioned by some people. Tried the Q2's this time around, and love them. If they go faster don't really care. Having a good tire you trust and sticks, is what I look for.
I must say, many times choosing tires will often come down to a dollar sign, which, I do not necessarily agree with, but do respect. My reasons are very simple, when only a few cm's of rubber separate you from possible life threatening situations....there is no price.IMHO

So far I really like the BT 023's. I did consider the gt version but when I asked about them compared to the plain 023, I was told that the GT is for heavier bikes and wouldn't really be any benefit for the VTR. The GT was a bit more expensive so it wasn't about sales to get me into the BT 023. I know the shop and the owner that sold me the tires and I trust them to give me the best information. The straight 023 should deliver about 8k if the proper pressure is maintained. The new tires actually transformed the bike in terms of handling. I should have done this when I bought the bike but being a cheapskate, the tires had a lot more life in them so I ran them until I needed new ones. The change is so dramatic the suspension had to be re adjusted, the ride is a lot better now.
Also, that annoying little hiccup at 3500 to 4000 rpm seems to have been related to fuel. I looked at everything I could think of and still couldn't get rid of the back fire through the carburetor at 4000. I have gotten in the habit of topping off the fuel when it's 1/2 to 1/3 tank. Recently I ran the fuel down to the warning and filled up. Stumble gone. What do you think about THAT? HA!

I think coincidence. I don't know all the details of your hiccup, so let's start with an easy one. Hiccups. You or the bike get them at 3500-4000rpm ?
:banana:

Sorry Johann, too easy to let it slide. As I said, don't know all the details, but, don't see the correlation between full tank and stumble. Have you checked petcock for faulty diaphragm ?

Hiccup - I would say U may have had a vapor lock. It happens to me about once a year. I just pull over open gas cap - wait 10 seconds, close it & its gone.

As far as tires, I probably will be changing mine this year & looking for more of a longer lasting ST type tire, thus looking @ the 023 as well as PR2s. As I may be commuting more on the VTR & will be trying for more road trips in 2013.

A while back I got a rear flat on a Vt. road trip, just made it to a dealer on a late Friday & the only tire available was a Dun Qual. it was ok, but wore too fast for me, about 4k. After that I got a Conti Road Attack, I wasn't too impressed w/ this. I wore it down to belts in 5k.

Currently have Pirelli Diablos, since they were on sale @ CG (I think when I bought em, they were $170. for the set). Can't complain, they had great turn in when new. Have about 4k on them now, so a new set will be purchased this Spring.

Keep us updated on ur 023s - please

To Everyone - All the Best in 2013 - Feliz 2013

I have the bt023s & put the new set on about 1.5yrs ago. I took a 2k mi trip so wasnt surprised the rear wore. What surpises me now is the cupping I am getting on the front. I do alot of straight riding & all but the front feels pretty iffy & doesnt have much wear but alot of cupping.

The VTR is hugely sensitive to tire wear and pressure compared to other bikes. My cbr600s never cared much but the hawk really lets you know.

I actually want to reverse the direction of the front to compensate for wear in the other direction. I know the OEMs say never do this but on the front how could it really matter?

I mean I dont "repeat" like the shampoo says to either and am OK with that.

Well way back in the day, as the kids would say, the English made front 207's worked better when mounted "backwards"

No, I didn't check for faulty diaphragm at the petcock. The stumble was a slight backfire through the carburetor in 1st or 2nd gear at 3500 to 4000rpm. Since refilling an empty tank with fuel from another source the little hiccup has vanished. Maybe coincidence but it's gone nonetheless. Bike is running flawlessly. With the new tires it feels like it's on rails. Very sweet!

It could have been something stuck on or in the tank screen\filter Attachment 14964

If it costs the same and is harder wearing then why not, considering the torque with the VTR.

(:-})

Harder=less grip. Softer=more grip.

Its all in the grip. Mileage doesn't mean a thing if you can't keep it rubber side down.

Sport Touring Tires For Honda VTR1000F Superhawk & "Vapor Lock"
 

With about 80,000 miles on my 1998 VTR I’ve worn out many different models of tires. Of late, given I compile over 10,000 miles a season; I’ve tried three different makes of sport touring tires in search of good characteristics and longevity.

With the most recent three sets of tires, starting from oldest to recent, I went through a set of Continental Sport Attack front & Road Attack rear (version 1), Dunlop Roadsmarts (version 1) and now Avon Storm Ultra 2’s. The Conti rear was good for about 7,800 miles even though I managed to get 8,900 miles out of it with the front good for maybe another 1,000. The Roadsmarts (after the front was replaced due to odd wear under warranty plus labor) carried us to over 10,500 miles with the front having maybe another 1,500 miles left. The Avons (I ran through two sets of their ST rubber before the Contis) now have almost 12,600 miles on them; excellent for a VTR!

Performance wise, the Contis IMO had the best feel if properly inflated and believe it or not, were tremendous in the wet. It’s a tossup between the Roadsmarts and Storms, with the nod probably going to the Avons because the Dunlops always seemed a little vague when pushed. However, the Roadsmart 2s are supposed to be better. I can actually get more miles out of the Avons (fighting them over in a turn due to flatting is not as bad as many other makes/models) as the rear shoulders have plenty of tread depth left but (like some Metzeler tires) the Storm 2s don’t have wear bars in the center, so I’m a bit leery of finding out how close the cords are to the existing surface. The Avon front actually is worn a bit more than usual compared to other fronts, as normally the front gives about 1.25 ~ 1.5 times more wear than the rear on my VTR. The Conti Road/Sport Attach version 2 is supposed to be dam good.

Now that I have the winter here in the frigid flatlands to find a fresh doughnuts, I’ve been considering for the first time the Michelin PR2 and PR3, as their cost is much closer to the Contis and Avons, as they have gone up quite a bit (I got the Storm 2s for $200 including shipping after deducting the $50 debit card promotion they gave in late 2011).

Speaking of “vapor lock”, has anyone else had issues with the VTR stumbling and dying in the rain? I know it’s not electrical because I have carried a spare key and popped open the gas cap (while still rolling!) and it clears itself and runs fine until it happens again. Long ago I remove the plastic “T” fitting that I believe connected the fuel tank breather hose to another hose, with the single hose from the “T” running down (which was purposely “kinked” in such a way to create “P-trap” in the hose) to behind the chin fairing along with the coolant recovery tank and fuel tank overflow hoses. I tried running the fuel tank breather hose directly (without the “P-trap”) to the chin fairing via various routes; and now have it run down to between the alternator cover and clutch slave cylinder to a level below the bottom of the engine (and even cut the end of the hose at a bias with the hole to the rear) in an attempt to create negative pressure on the hose as it runs in the airstream. But even in a moderate rain, the dam fuel tank "vapor locks" until I open the gas cap!!!???

Helpful input with this problem will be much appreciated!