| Author | Message | ||
     Ezblast |
Yuppers | ||
| Loki1957 |
Hey, I just bought a 2001 Blast for my wife(or so I told her). I've been reading here for hours. I need to replace the stock tires. I just called Parts Unlimited for the Avon AM 51/52s. They told me they were discontinued. What else are people using? I'm looking for better grip and tracking. I did many searches here but everything starts to blur together. Thanks for your help. Thanks, John er, uh, I mean Linda | ||
| Ezblast |
The factory Pirelli is the place to start, then you can decide what you want more from a tire - longer life or even better handling ability. EZ | ||
| Loki1957 |
Thanks Ez. Sure hope they work better than the Dunlap's. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
" Sure hope they work better than the Dunlap's." LOL!! We guarantee it! | ||
| Thump |
Just ordered my ViperStrykes....WhooHooo!!!! (no if i can only figure out how i will get them on) | ||
| Hld01blast |
Hey Thump, did you get those ViperStrykes installed? If so, how do you like them? Its time to buy new ones for the blast and my local shop is a dealer for Avons. The mechanic installed Pirellis on my Ninja, but he was not happy that I bought the tires elsewhere. Thanks! | ||
| Ezblast |
The Viperstrykes are a very good tire! The Pirelli are a bit better, and hold air better, but if someone gave me a free set of Avons - they would be back on the bike with no qualms - both are great tires. | ||
| Johnnymac |
Speaking of Pirelli's holding air better, my rear ST66 had 34psi in it when checked it last november. Know what it still has in it after all those months? That's right, 34psi. I haven't had to add any air to it. I also have close to 5000 miles on it now at least (prolly more) and I still have lots of tread left on it. My Viper Stryke only gave me 3500 miles until I was down to the cords. I am tough on tires (lots of WOT, 210lbs plus lots of 2-up riding) and I've never had a tire hold up better than the ST66. $66 at time of purchase isn't bad either.  | ||
| Not_purple_s2 |
My gf brought a 2001 blast and it currently has a mismatched set of tires with unknown mileage. After reading the above posts I'm leaning towards getting the Pirellis ST66. I found a set online; 110/80S16 front and 140/70-16 rear. Will those fit without hitting the swingarm, tail, or shocks? Will I have to beg and plead to get someone to mount them on the narrow stock rims? | ||
| Johnnymac |
They will fit with no issues. You may want to bend in the shock mount tab with a hammer just to be on the safe side though. It's really simple and just takes a couple hits with a heavy hammer. Doesn't take too much effort and won't damage or effect anything else. How many miles does she plan on riding per year? Will she be doing lots of wet weather riding? Is this her first bike? I ask because if she will be doing lots of commuting the ST66 is a fantastic tire. Wears like iron on the Blast and sticks great when the roads are dry. While not a horrible tire in the rain it's not the stickiest, being a harder compound like it is, but it still does a good job for me. I just take the turns like the cars do when the roads are wet. If she is a new rider then perhaps her first set should be the factory Pirelli MT75's as they are ridiculously sticky in any weather but at the price of very quick wear and replacement. It will give her an edge in safety until she becomes a more confident rider. Once she gets a few miles under her belt you can switch to a long lasting tire like the ST66. It all depends on how much riding she plans on doing. If she's a weekend rider then the MT75 should last a year, maybe even two, between changes. If she rides like I do then she'd be changing them every two months and that can get old and expensive really quick. That's why I love my ST66's! Good luck with her Blast. Many happy miles! Johnny  | ||
| Not_purple_s2 |
Thanks for the advice.  She wants to use the bike for commuting to work so the St66's will be good for that. But, I worry about her and seeing how this is her first bike I'll go with the MT75's. I'll let her burn through a set or two of stickier tires while she's learning. I'm thrilled with how cheap her tires are. I just ordered a rear for my XB9S for $180, I can get her a whole set for less than that.  | ||
| Johnnymac |
Yeah, they're cheaper all right but they generally wear out 3-4 times as fast so it's not as inexpensive as it might seem. | ||
| Johneblast |
This is my first post as I have been reading the words of wisdom from the base core individuals. The advise that I have read has been heeded and has served me well with my "new" used Blast. It has been well worth the 2 grand I spent. I've done some "what you would expect after 10 years of being" repairs and have recently added new tires to the list. I have yet to hear of anyone trying 110/90/16 on the front. I did it without any mods to fender or hardware and really feels good with the 120/80/16 rear, both being Avon Roadrunners. I'll keep it posted if I run into any problems with the front. So far so good. Smooth all the way around. I'll try to post a photo of how it looks as soon as I can get one. (I got not camera phone, I'm a dinosaur, I know.) Thanks again gents for the valuable info! | ||
| Ezblast |
110/90 ratio would be almost the same as as the 120/80 - I would not have recommend that ratio/tire combo. Be careful of hard corners with those tall sidewalls. EZ | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Wecome Johneblast! I do know of someone running 120/80 Roadrunners front and rear. I wouldnt worry about "hard corners" unless you scrape pegs often or run low tire pressures. | ||
| Ezblast |
I'd love to see the strips on that, I'm sure the turning profile is unique. EZ | ||
| Johneblast |
Thanks for the comeback. I rode today and the tight corners were a lot more smoother than when I ran the Dunlops. The softer rubber is for me! The 110/90 is a bit taller than the 120/80. The steering feels much firmer/responsive. | ||
| Ezblast |
Anything is better than the Blast sized Dunlops. The Q2s for super bike sizes in 17" looks promising though. EZ | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Amen to that! | ||
| Kerryb |
This week I'll be getting another Avon AM63 Viper-Stryke (140/70-16) put on the bike. It has 5,200 miles on it now and I'll put about another 250 miles on it before I take it off for the new tire. Prior to this 140, I had a 120/80-16 Viper-Stryke on but unfortunately did not keep track of the mileage I put on that tire. The tread on the front is still good, The front 110/70-16 was put on the same time as the 120/80-16, so this will be the third new rear tire coupled with this front tire. About 90% of my riding is highway commuting, does anyone have an opinion on which tire, the 120 or the 140 or other offers more life time mileage. I don't have any complaints about the Avons, they've been great, but, the next time tires are needed, I think I'm going to try the Metzeler FeelFrees. | ||
| Swampy |
For the rear try the avon AM26. Supposedly it is a dual compound tire so it should last longer. It is a dual fitment tire in the largest 16 inch size. I have them on both Blasts and I think they were fine with the larger sized front tire. Unfortunately both Blasts went to the back of the barn and that is where they sit so I can't give you any real data on mileage...BUT you could ask Maggie, she had one on her Blast and got lots of mileage out of it, I thought is was like 12-15,000 miles! but don't quote me ask her, I think there is a thread above about it... | ||
| Ezblast |
That is the Pirelli ST66 - 140/70-16 - terrific mileage gen.purp. type tire - 10,000 miles plus. 2nd would be the Pirelli Diablo - have consistently shown to be the best handling at 7000 plus, it goes down from there. EZ | ||
| Surfhonu |
When changing tires, is it necessary to change both the front and rear at the same time, is it recommended, or does it not matter? My rear is getting pretty smooth, but my front still has some life. I was planning on just getting a rear tire, but wasn't sure about the best practice when it comes to changing tires. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Always best to have a matching pair. Don't skimp on the front tire, it's everything on the Blast. Get the stickiest you can for the front. But you should get at least 1 front tire for every 2 rear tires. Depending on the rear tire mileage you might go 3 or even more. But DONT TAKE CHANCES ON THE FRONT!!!! Err on the side of caution or it can be VERY EXPENSIVE ($56,000 and counting). But you don't have to get a matching pair, but it's optimum, but not often dangerous. | ||
| Surfhonu |
Gearheaderiko...Thanks for the advice. Now to find a place with decent prices and will ship overseas. I'm also looking for a timing cover. Not sure how common this is, but mine seemed to have just popped off. Not sure if it came off while I was riding or if someone actually stole it. | ||
| Ezblast |
You can use a twin hd one - just remember to get the gasket and screws as well - a chrome one is like 10 bucks. EZ | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
It popped off. I dont know why someone would steal a black plastic circle! Instead of the plastic Blast cover, any 2 hole points/timing cover from 1973-1999 Harley (later for Buell/Sportsters) will fit. You'll need the cover and 2 screws (and I like to use a gasket with it-but not necessary). A plain chrome cover is relatively cheap and very available. *If you get one with a design, its not going to sit straight on a Blast. Buell/Sportsters and "Big Twin" Harleys fit at different clock locations than a Blast. So that "Joker" cover may be sideways or at an angle! | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
okay, well I guess we posted at the same time!!! | ||
| Surfhonu |
I've read the posts about bigger tires, but can't seem to come up with a definitive answer. If I go with a 140/70-16 for the rear, are there any modifications that I would need to do to make it fit? I currently have the stock Dunlops on the front and rear. If I go with a bigger rear, should I get a bigger front, as well? What is the biggest front tire that will fit without any mods? |
