The best of everything...

[Shaun]

Inspired by the tyre discussion in Andreas new bike thread.

As bikers we all generally like to know that we have the best of everything on our bikes, tyres, brake pads/discs but is it all really necessary?

I remember reading an article in one of the bike mags where they gave riders different Michelin tyres without telling them which ones they were and asked which ones they prefer, I think they asked a racer, a fast road rider and a novice. I believe all riders noticed the difference between tyres but bassically showed that the middle tyre and even the touring tyre were fine for use on the road, grippy enough to have fun with but not so sticky it wore out within ten minutes.

Then we come to braking, everyone wants HH sintered pads because they're the best to have, provide maximum braking performance and feel, even more so when you've thrown away your stock lines and fitted some exspensive braided hoses. Now I've been riding for about 4 and a half years, I know for a fact that given the best brakes out there I would be nowhere near using them to their full potential, I'm confident enough to brake so hard that the rear lifts but from day to day riding I don't use them to that extent at all.

Essentially all a lot of it does is provide you with pub talk about how great all the consumables on your bike are but if you aren't going to be using them anywhere near what they're capable of surely you're just throwing money away, surely you'd be better off spending your money on cheaper items that are still more than capable of out performing the rider.

Obviously it's nice to have the best equipment if you're doing a few track days but for day to day riding none of it is really needed, it just means your consumables cost more and wear out quicker. You're always going to have people who feel the need to have the best items on the market and for some riders they might actually use them properly as well but surely most of us would benefit from shopping a bit more realisticly.

[JAMSXR]

Some very good points, i have a zx636r with braided hoses, its a great bike i use it for commuting to work (10-15 miles a day) and at the weekend for blasts down to the coast. I am sure a far less focused bike would do the job just as well, but i can afford it so why not. As time moves on todays technology will become tomorrows and so on, so i might as well keep with the times.
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Honda SFX50 > Aprilia SR125 > Aprilia RS125 > Honda RFV400 > K4 GSXR600 > KTM Duke > C1H 636 > K3 GSXR1000 > Aprilia RSV-R > Triumph Street Triple R > Ducati 899 Panigale > Aprilia Tuono 1100 > Triumph Daytona 675R > KTM SuperDuke 1290 2.0

[veeeffarr]

Sometimes there's not much difference in price between a 'mediocre' product and a top of the range one.

For example, GG pads for the front of my bike are about £25, whereas HH are about £30.

Is it worth spending just an extra fiver and having the best pads you can get hold of?

[sickpup]

Very well said.

I don't even think people tend to go for the best they often just go for the things that they think will raise them in their peer group.

When you see people fit cheap mini indicators or purple anodised bolts because they think it will make their bike stand out from the crowd or fit braided hoses on a brand new bike to 'improve feel' or fit the latest greatest stickiest tyre because they believe they need it for their commute to work.

I can sit here and tell people they do not need full on race tyres till hell freezes over but no one ever believes me.

On my Fireblade I use unfashionable tyres, Avon Storm ST's. I use unfashionable brake pads, Fren HH golds. I use unfashionable brake discs, ABE petals and yet my bike survives, runs well, stops well and doesn't fall off its tyres. But it doesn't sound good and it doesn't sound expensive and best of all it isn't expensive.

[Tarmacsurfer]

I agree to some extent, and don't usually spend a shedload on ultrasticky tyres and such. The only thing I do make sure to spend a little extra on with the ZZR are a decent chain and spocket set (had a chain let go on me once, don't want it to happen again) and good quality HH pads. The stock brakes aren't wonderful even with braided lines as the bike is such a heavy old barge, it's nice to be able to stop when I want
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[Keen]

I think it depends. If you buy a brand new supersport bike, chances are you don't need better pads/brake lines or anything else, the bikes potential already surpasses your abilities. But as an example the hornet is known for having slightly weak brakes (or at least lacking initial bite) so some braided lines and good pads could really give a noticeable/useful improvement.
But I think tyres is the area where people overspend. Everyone thinks they need fast wearing sports tyres when the reality is sports touring tyres offer enough grip for road riding and last twice as long, so theres no real need to buy anything more. I guess if your bike is a sunday toy its fine that they wear quick... it depends what you want from the bike. Although if you can afford it, then why not?
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[craigs23]

I spend my money on items I can afford. The items on the bikes I own are usually well past their best - due to age, use and previous-owner neglect.

I spend a little extra to upgrade these parts rather than replace them, as an improvement over the previous design both in terms of performance (which, due to the bike's age, are 10 years+ old technology) and cosmetics.

I'm a happier rider knowing that I have to push x-percent harder to find the limits of upgraded parts. Not that I'd find that absolute limit, but so that I know I'm safely within it with day-to-day riding.

[killa]

If you've got the money then you're going to get the best kit.
The difference where i get my pads from is about a fiver, so i'm going to have the best everytime.
Tyres, i choose, i take a look at the book, asses price, dicuss with my mate at the garage and have them fitted.

Braided lines look good, im not sure about performance, they are cheap anyway.

When it comes to consumables, the money for the parts themselves aren't all that different. Having them them fitted by the garage is a different story, as that bumps the price up some what.

Riders who ride when it's nice and dry buy sticky tyres, and why not, you wouldnt buy all rounders if you only use your bike sometimes.
I buy something in between because i need them, they don't perform as well as the super stickys in the warm and dry, but that's something i don't take into account.
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[JAMSXR]

As for tyres i use BT 014's they are great on the road and i have always used them, have never felt the need for anything better. If i did not use my bike for commuting and just a weekend tool i would consider something stickier.
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Honda SFX50 > Aprilia SR125 > Aprilia RS125 > Honda RFV400 > K4 GSXR600 > KTM Duke > C1H 636 > K3 GSXR1000 > Aprilia RSV-R > Triumph Street Triple R > Ducati 899 Panigale > Aprilia Tuono 1100 > Triumph Daytona 675R > KTM SuperDuke 1290 2.0

[EuropeanNC30R...]

I definitely agree with regards to tyres, sticky ones on the road are a complete waste of money. I doubt you could tell the difference off a race track, and they probably make you slower because they square off so quick and you tend to eek them out to get your full 2000 mile money's worth of tread.

[Shaun]

As an example I fitted 090's to my CBR400 because I knew I had a trackday coming up, before I'd even got to the track through normal riding the tyres were starting to look a bit sorry for themselves so I had to fit a mates rear wheel to my bike to get to the track on to ensure the 090 was good for the day. This prompted a conversation at the track where by we came to the conclusion that 090's might actually be over kill for the road.

Out on track I pushed myself harder than I'd ever done and the tyres never budged, I was leaning further than I would ever do on the road and had the throttle almost to the pin at the same time, I aren't a novice rider, we're talking knee dragging and can hovering a few mm off the ground, when the hell would I ever do that on the road! The 090's don't last long on the road and it's easy to see why when you find out just how hard the tyres are capable of being pushed without giving me any signs that they were even considering letting go but people buy them for road use only because they're told that it's the best tyre you can get for 400's, they could pick up a cheaper, longer lasting tyre that will provide more grip than they need instead but they don't because they want to say their bike has the best.

If you can afford to do it then fair enough, enjoy it but when you're not that well off and you're in the mind set that you need the best tyre out there you're costing your self a lot more money than you need to and all for a bit of pub banter? Not worth it at all.

[craigs23]

My 400 currently wears 090s front and rear.

I can tell the difference, as I could with the GPR70 setup on my RVF and the Michellins I fitted before the end of its time with me. The bike just seems to carve into corners with little provocation, returning better feedback and more mid-corner feedback, grip and therefore confidence and lean than the bt92s I had on previous 400s. The tyres also seemed more stuck to the road, following undulations and imperfections a lot better while remaining, relatively composed and under control. Onlookers thought the bike looked out of control though, or maybe that was just the way I enjoy pushing a 400 a little.

I don't like the rate in which the 090 rear wears though, so as a compromise I will be running a bt92 rear. Afterall, most of my confidence comes from pushing the front, the rear can do what it wants.

[JonB]

Someone else in another thread that the only reason your tyres will lose control is because of poor rider handling.

I can agree with this, the only times I have come close to losing it on the Bandit with BT020's on was because I took a bad turn on the same corner a few times on a trackday. Kept blaming it on the tyres I had, but I have found out it was because I wasn't smooth enough around the corners.

I suppose you could positively identify this argument with clothes. It is all about brand power, people buy bridgestones because they hear about them from loads of people, the same with other brands.

But in essence I suppose the same could be said about everything. Why buy a new exhaust for a bike, especially an expensive Akraprovic when it is probably not all of the power is being used by the rider anyway. I suppose more mid range can be found and maybe on FI bike a new map could make it run better, but it's all about appearances at the end of the day, like "my bike sounds better than yours" etc etc.
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Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.

[JAMSXR]

[Shaun]

Exhausts are a completely different subject, they're a piece of tarting your bike up and that is pretty much accepted but unlike tyres they don't wear out, notunless you insist on throwing your bike down the road anyway.

As for 090's I can't fault them but before those I had 2 random tyres fitted that came with the bike and unsurprisingly I couldn't fault those either, I carried just as much pace as I normally would through the corners and never had any major issues. I don't claim to be the fastest rider in the world on the road or track but if you aren't riding on track that there are other choices of tyres out there that are much more suitable for road riding.

[killa]

If this all comes down to tyres and brakes then, it's not really much of an issue.
You buy what you can afford.
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Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult.
Bike:- Yamaha TRX850 | Killas Biking History | Killas Gaming History | Killas autmotive history

[sickpup]

[craigs23]

[mrtEE]

Apparently you can get 3.5k miles from an 014 and still have a huge amount of tread left, I'll be investing in a pair very soon.

[LUXY DJ]

makes sense but wont compromise when it comes to tyres!, there the only contact to the road & theres only 2 aswell! & i like to chuck my bike round corners so need quick warming up tyres.

so will always back my pilot powers!

i remember on old tyres (avon's i think they where) & had no confidence in leaning hard with them cause they did let go slightly once & i think they were hard/medium compound....so for me, when it comes to bikes tyres aint no compromise other then soft compound's!
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[Shaun]

My point is, why bother. You could be saving your self quite a bit of money in the long run which could be spent on more useful things. The best tyres, brakes are for the majority completely unnecessary yet people feel the need to push the boat out and buy them purely for pub banter.

Another example, I had Avon sp50's fitted to my GSXR600, crap tyres in the wet so they were slated by pretty much everyone which made them cheap. I picked up a set and granted, not brilliant tyres in the wet at all but in the dry they were superb, they coped with me running into a corner too hot and getting the can down, the rear slid and gripped again, if the tyres were as bad as people make out then I would've been in the bush. For your fair weather biker those tyres would be good tyres to have but because they were crap in the wet they weren't popular tyres, even though they were more than good enough for your average rider.

[craigs23]

Other than those reasons already mentioned, it'd be pretty boring otherwise, everyone riding around on sub-100bhp bikes (as it takes some special riding to get more than that out of a bike on the road) which all looked and performed exactly as they did out of the crate.

[veeeffarr]

I fitted braided lines so I won't have to worry about replacing perishing rubber lines

[Shaun]

[Annabella]

I'll only replace things on my bike that need replacing - except for the can which I chose to replace because the original was battered and I'm a tart at heart.

Yea, the 090s are good, but my Pirellis were just as good - plus they still have plenty of tread left on them even after the hammering they got at Cadwell. Nice middle-of the road tyres that do everything. Plenty sticky enough for track days and plenty hard wearing enough for motorway commuting.

Your machine is only as good as it's weakest element - and to be perfectly honest, in most cases, that's the rider.
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