| Author | Message | ||
     Buellerxt |
Coming from a 'custom/touring' bike background I have always installed new tires only when they needed it, getting roughly 1.5 fronts for every rear. The Uly is my first 'sport' bike and I'd like your opinions. Should sport tires be installed in pairs or in a similar fashion to custom/touring tires? Why? All input will be appreciated. Thanks. | ||
| Hughlysses |
The tires most of us use on our Ulys are basically sport-touring tires, & they wear pretty much as you describe. | ||
| Froggy |
Replace it whenever you want. I usually end up having the front killed off first | ||
| Buellerxt |
Thanks, Hughlysses. I have the stock Diablo Stradas on now, with 7500 miles of wear and 500-1000 miles of wear left on the rear, roughly, and a new set of Angels waiting to be put on. The front looks very good. | ||
| Froggy |
Use your judgment. The front affects handling on the highway more than the rear, if it is wearing funny, just replace it.  | ||
| Buellerxt |
Thanks Froggy. I am leaning heavily toward replacing both tires but being a careful spender doing so runs against the grain. I'm getting there though! | ||
| Bdrag |
Buellerxt Send them Angles back and get a set of the Pirelli Scorpion Trails. The handle is much better and in my case the wear is better so far on the Trails. The rear will be a 190. BDRAG | ||
| Mikef5000 |
I replace mine in pairs. The front never needs it as bad as the rear, but it's usually almost to the wear bars by the time the rear is going bald. It's not worth my time doing them separate, if it's only going to be a month apart. | ||
| Whisperstealth |
If the front looks very good, or even good, I would replace just the rear. I got 8250ish out of my strada. And 12,500 out of the front. 4000 miles is a lot in my book, and I'm glad I didn't change it out with the rear. If you can, I'd send the angles back and go for the trails! - I have 10,500+ on my rear road smart right now, but am about done. | ||
| Jessemc |
Whisper: If the front looks very good, or even good, I would replace just the rear. I got 8250ish out of my strada. And 12,500 out of the front. 4000 miles is a lot in my book, and I'm glad I didn't change it out with the rear. - I have 10,500+ on my rear road smart right now, but am about done. Two new tires at the same time makes a bike feel very nice...but I typically get at least a third more miles out of the front and usually change them separately. Your figures for the rear strada vs. the roadsmart are interesting at approx 20% less for the strada. The rear strada I just changed was shot at 2700 miles vs. 4500 for the roadsmart it replaced - 40% less miles. | ||
| Paralegalpete |
The front is the cheap one, so I replace them in pairs even though the rear usually goes first | ||
| Tastroman |
I do not replace them in pairs and have not experienced any negative affects in my not overly aggressive riding. If you plan on pushing the bike to its limits you might want to replace them in pairs. | ||
| Whisperstealth |
The rear strada I just changed was shot at 2700 miles vs. 4500 for the roadsmart it replaced - 40% less miles. Beat the crap out of your tires do you?! Could not afford to replace them so often. Just got a set of shinkos in, hoping they work out. | ||
| Yamafreak |
Good luck with that,my front sucks.  | ||
| Maximum |
I normally go through two rear tires for every front. But when I do replace both, the handling is so much better that I wonder why I don't just replace both every time (OK, I know why...the money). | ||
| Jessemc |
Whisper: Beat the crap out of your tires do you?! Not really, but they don't seem to last very long! A lot of the miles, possibly a majority, would have been racked up during 3-400 mile days of twisty riding at a brisk yet sane pace. Don't know any other Uly riders around here but I'd expect that most would get the same type of mileage - my feeling is that some road surfaces are much more abrasive than others and difference in road surface material probably accounts for a good part of the wear difference from one part of the country to the other. Could not afford to replace them so often. Just got a set of shinkos in, hoping they work out. Same here, I put on a shinko rear to replace the strada - it will be interesting to compare notes. | ||
| Choyashi |
"kill the front one first" Only Froggy..........the guy that also gets 70-80 mpg. | ||
| Etennuly |
Froggy is busy wrecking in the city nearly all of the time. He is gonna use up that front tire there. Running the Michelin Pilot Road II's I am getting about 11,500 on a rear and nearly 20,000 on a front. But then I never ride hard, fast, or carry heavy loads on my Uly.   I say change'm as ya need'em for street use, unless of course you are setting up for a track day or something similar. | ||
| Andymnelson |
I used to swap 1 front per 2 rears because i am a cheap a**. But I like the feel of a complete new set of shoes so much, that I realized that I am only saving about $50-60 a shot that way....not worth it in my book. I swap em both now. | ||
| Dennis_c |
I had a Uly front and a new 180 off a Kaw. the bike handled like s#!t in the turns  use the same kind of tires | ||
| Pauley2000 |
I replace in pairs. Hard cornering leaves your front only a few hundred miles behind your rear. I notice handling detriments when I have swapped rear only (Ft was b/o) I figure, the profiles wear in together, like a chain and sprocket set. -p | ||
| Uly_man |
No matter what anyone says the Uly handles, with a proper set up, like a sports bike but needs the right rubber. I also, as with a sports bike, find that tyre pressures are critical and should be no more than +/- 2 psi from your normal setup. Once the profile changes, through wear, it will effect the handling. On some sports bikes this can be very bad but most of the time its not to much of a problem with the Uly. My 2CTs still had lots of miles on them but had leaks from flints etc so I changed them out. I have always changed both tyres and would say it is needed on a Uly if you want it to handle at its best. | ||
| Buellerxt |
I really appreciate all the input. Good thoughts here. Thanks. |
