Fellow 1000-effers, I'm having a hard time choosing the right tires to get. I'm planning on re-shodding my '96 after the first of the year and there are many choices out there.

I'm in Florida - so it is warm here most of the year, except for now, when it is 85 on one day and then 45 the next. A sport-touring option would be ideal since I'm commuting, so I think 8,000 miles is what I hope to get out of a set. The Metzlers on my VFR from 20 years ago only lasted 3k; that's no where near enough. They stuck like glue, though; while I won't be ripping up twisties with my CBR, I'd like a high degree of confidence when cornering but feel pure sportbike rubber is overkill for what I need.

That said, I saw a Kawasaki 1400 in the parking garage yesterday with Michelin Road 5's on it; the guy at Cycle Gear also recommended Pirelli Rosso 3's, Battlax S22 and T20 Evo, and the Conti Sport Attack (I think the Road Attacks are the sport touring option).

What say ye? I looked for a tire thread and didn't see one. From my Googling it seems that performance varies by bike and rider, so I'm trying to amass as much ancillary knowledge as possible to make the best guess. I'm thinking the Conti's but who knows. Heck, I hear great things about Shenko's but one poster said that they don't work well on a heavier bike, and someone local said that they don't do well in the rain.

Thoughts?

Raz

 

I had 3 or 4 sets of Shenko's. They are a very heavy tire and made my bike shake like a paint shaker. They were a good tire in the rain.

Currently I have dunlop roadsmart 3 and think they are the best tire on there yet. I haven't had them in the rain so I can't report on that yet.

For the front go with 120/70-17.
For the rear yo have a choice, 170/60-17 or 180/55-17.
Only 5mm difference per side.

 

Thanks mate, I’ll look into them.