Choosing tyres with a twist - crossplies

[Robby]

I know there are hundreds of tyre choice threads. They seem to be about those newfangled radial tyres though. They'll never catch on.

I'm after a set of crossplies or bias belted tyres for my CB250RSA. It feels wrong on radials, and I need to run inner tubes. I like a traditional sort of tyre pattern, particularly as it performs better on rough roads and gravel.

Tyre sizes are 3.00 x 18 and 4.10 x 18, although I can come down to a 4.00 x 18 on the back. In the past I've had Pirelli MT65s, which were awful (and I think radials) and Dunlop K82s, which were great.

Price is the irritating thing. A set of K82s will cost me more than ?90 when they get to my front door (I fit them myself). I can get a set of similar looking no-name tyres for more like ?50. When I last bought crossplies, 6 years ago, there weren't that many no-name manufacturers around. There was Cheng Shin, now Maxxis, and they were pretty crap. Are the assorted budget crossplies as good as K82s now, or do you recommend another tyre altogether that I can get in those sizes?

Oh and a word for the young sportsbike boys who want the newest, stickiest rubber. I could lean my old CB250RS far enough to scrape various metal bits on 5 year old MT65s with the rear worn down to the cords. If you remove weight and power you need a lot less tyre tech to stay on the road.

[MarJay]

BT45. Its the only choice. They are the only semi decent crossplies you can get, and they aren't that expensive.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[ms51ves3]

I've got BT45s on the TZR. Can't compare them to other tyres but I've never had any scary moments.

[stinkwheel]

Unless you want to go for the full-on Avon Speedmasters?

I have them on my Enfield and they are oddly grippy. I'm beginning to wonder if I'd just been put off this design by the communist copies of them that my Jawa came with. If you think Cheng Shin were bad, you should try Barum!

I can also vouch for BT45s as being an excellent tyre for middleweight motorcycles.

EDIT: Also consider Avon Roadriders. Pretty sure they are crossply. A replacement for the famous Avon Roadrunners which would have been one of the best tyres you could put on that bike when it was new. Well suited for 70's and 80's Japanese machines
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Blue_SV650S]

[MarJay]

[Blue_SV650S]

[MarJay]

[sickpup]

[Blau Zedong]

[Seb]

I've got Avon road riders fitted on the GS500 at the moment and in all honesty they are surprisingly good, even though the rear is utterly ruined and square enough to look like it's 'fresh' off a sidecar outfit they are still well up for a bit of a hustle on my commute. I could add that they feel a bit vague especially in the rain, but thats likely as much a fault with the bike as it is the tires.

I've got no clue what I'm going to replace them with, I guess Pirelli sport demons or BT45s.
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2010 Triumph 1050 Sprint ST

[Dr. DaveJPS]

[.Chris.]

I had an Avon Safety Mileage on the back of my CD250U. Seemed like a good tyre, used to be able to get the pegs down without much hassle. It looked right for that sort of bike, too.
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Chris
1985 Kawasaki Z550F

[G]

[MarJay]

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

Pegs just touchinghttps://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m174/howlingterror_2006/Picture015.jpg
Obviously with a rider on board you won't get this angle of lean, but it feels like it...and thats what matters

If i could find an alternative to the mighty 45's i would...they wear too quick, but offer a real planted feel.

Tonight riding some very sludgy B roads..with a pillion we didn't squirm much. Temp was 2 degrees and the 45s had plenty of flex in them if that makes sense. They didn't feel brittle and skippy like the Avons i've tried.


Pat
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[ms51ves3]

I never get anywhere near that much lean on my TZR. My chicken strips are massive

[P.]

[ms51ves3]

My aiming to get quicker at cornering this summer.

[TheDonUK]

BT-45's... End of Thread...
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[Current Bikes - GSXR-750 K5 & C90-97 ] [Previous Bikes: Runner 125, YBR 125, GS500, Bandit 600, Hornet 600, ZX6R-99, C90-99, R1-99, XT600E-04, GSXR-750 K4, CRF250L '16]

[temeluchus]

Avons are good.

BT45s are nice but wear quickly. I find they go very bad very quick towards the end of their wear.

I had a set of cheng shins on a divvy, and they were fine. Not great, but not toilet trip inducing.
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Some shite cruiser. Now with guns and FREEDOM!

[G]

[Muscle Bike Rider]

I have BT45's on my Varadero, loads of grip wet or dry, they are recommended as the best tyre for my bike. The OE Trailwings have the nick name of death wings as they tend to slip out a lot, the only gripe I have with the 45's is road markings in the wet dont have as much grip but I'm sure I read somewhere that this is true of most bike tyres.
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Previously Known As A5tra_G
Old Bikes :2010 Kawasaki ER6 F & 2000 Honda VTR Firestorm
Current Bike : XJR1300

[G]

I always found BT45s to have poor grip from cold, which I consider to be very important for a ?daily? tyre, though they seemed ?ok? when warm.
Rather sadly, for many bikes they ARE the best option, but I still wouldn?t consider them a ?good? tyre compared to some more modern designs.

[MarJay]