Freakin' Concours Tures

[Roadhound]

I notice a number of people are running Bridgestone BT-45's and liking them. I had a set to try but I never got them on my Concours before I sold it.

In spite of the bike coming from the factory with radials, a bias tire like the BT-45 might work pretty well given the vintage of the suspension.

I've been riding Concours since 1990,I've run a little of everything on the bike. Believe me Kawasaki knew what they were doing when they fitted this bike with Radial Tires. Bias Ply tires can just not compare with the feel, feedback, and handling you get from the radials. My first Concours bought used had a set of Metzler Bias Ply tires,ME 33/ME99, I thought they were pretty good. On the advise of a trusted dealer I mounted a set of Radials. It was like  all of a sudden I had a whole new motorcycle.

[JSharp]

My bike had Avons when I got it and I used up one more set before I sold it.  Everyone raves about them but honestly I was underwhelmed. They were sticky enough but I found they required constant steering correction to hold a line or keep a consistent lean angle.  They were just tiring...

[Giaka]

They were sticky enough but I found they required constant steering correction to hold a line or keep a consistent lean angle.  They were just tiring...

I hated them.

[Sunhunter]

Now that you mention it they do require constant correction, but in my experience radials are they way to go on the ZG1000.   Honestly one of the problems (and growing) with owning the older conc is the tire selection choices.  Limited and not the best of today's available tire compositions.  Really new tires every 5-8k miles depending on driving habits?  Hard to justify, especially on a sport tourer where miles are the name of the game.  One really long ride and you need new tires?

 

[mjrfd99]

I just installed a pair of BT-45's   Dunlop failed me/split in grove -Michlein GT's failed too 6 in long bulge on a 1/2 used tire    now Bridgestones, we'll see...

Thumbs down on BT-45   4k and another tire failure - getting a bulge in center. Danced all over grate bridges too.  

[JSharp]

Thumbs down on BT-45   4k and another tire failure - getting a bulge in center. Danced all over grate bridges too.  

Geez, another brand down.  That's too bad.

[ManWorkingHere]

Trying these for the first time after using OEM's the past two seasons:

Bought them in March about the time you were asking originally.  Read a lot of the tire messages on the ZGGTR Board previously mentioned.  Only two weeks on them, <400 miles but that will change now that the weather has improved here in WI.

From Rocky Mountain ATV:
160/80B-16 (80H) Dunlop Elite 3 Bias-Ply Touring Rear Motorcycle Tire   1200490004
   $152.99
   
130/70R-18 (63H) Dunlop Elite 3 Radial Touring Front Motorcycle Tire   1175030002
   $132.99
   

[ConPilot1]

I've been riding Concours since 1990,I've run a little of everything on the bike. Believe me Kawasaki knew what they were doing when they fitted this bike with Radial Tires. Bias Ply tires can just not compare with the feel, feedback, and handling you get from the radials. My first Concours bought used had a set of Metzler Bias Ply tires,ME 33/ME99, I thought they were pretty good. On the advise of a trusted dealer I mounted a set of Radials. It was like  all of a sudden I had a whole new motorcycle.

Please correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the stock OEM tire for the C10 was indeed a bias tire, and not a radial.
FWIW the Bias Pilot GT's are FAR superior to either the stockers or these Shinko 757 Radials I'm running now.

[Roadhound]

Please correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the stock OEM tire for the C10 was indeed a bias tire, and not a radial.
FWIW the Bias Pilot GT's are FAR superior to either the stockers or these Shinko 757 Radials I'm running now.

All Concours with the exception of the very early models delivered in Germany have been fitted with Radial tires. Radials were new technology at the time and the German version of our DOT had not approved them for use on the Concours. The original Radials were the K105 Front and the K700G rear. They actually worked very well on the bike. The early German bikes were fitted with Bias Ply Metzlers, ME33 front and ME99 Rear.

When are you Goldwing Tire fanatics going to stop carrying on about the Michelin Pilot GTs. Michelin abandoned you guys just like they did the riders who run the correct sized tires. I've always found those Heavy, oversize bias Ply Wing Tires make the bike heavy feeling and slow to turn.

The Shinko Radials are never going to work well on a C10. That 130 size front tire in a Radial is too wide for your front wheel, the profile of the tire is distorted when mounted on your rim and the tire is going to always do strange things.

[JSharp]

My C-10 had a 120/70 Avon on the front when I got it. I replaced it with a 110/80 when it wore out and steering was noticeably better. It was still nothing to rave about. Every time I'd ride it after being off of it a while it I'd have to check to make sure the front tire wasn't flat.

I don't want to know how they feel with a 130 front.

[Roadhound]

My C-10 had a 120/70 Avon on the front when I got it. I replaced it with a 110/80 when it wore out and steering was noticeably better. It was still nothing to rave about. Every time I'd ride it after being off of it a while it I'd have to check to make sure the front tire wasn't flat.

I don't want to know how they feel with a 130 front.

I've been running the Avons on C10s for well over 250,000 miles. I've been very pleased with them. I find the Storm II ultra to be about the best front tire I've run on the bike.
I do run the 110/80/18 as it has a much better feel than the 120 and the profile of the 110 matches up with the profile of the 150/80/16 Azaro rear very well. I find the Storm front works best if you keep them at 42 psi. The steering is very precise, very good turn in, feed back is excellent, and they give very good mileage. I do believe that to enjoy them the most, you do have to tune your suspension to work with the tire. I find the C10 to be a much more enjoyable ride without a Barn Door sized windscreen. I run a 13 in tall screen year round, it eliminates most all of the dirty air problems that many experience.