tires

[robbygixxer]

Hi!

well as its my first post i better explain, iv just purchased and fj1100 &....it needs tires! so, im uk based, my bikes got the dreaded 16inch front wheel! any recommendations for rubber?
Also iv not riden the bike yet as its going to be a project over the next few months, how do there ride concerning the 16inch rim, i had a gsx750e years ago with a 16inch rim & didnt really notice it to be honest!
thanks in advance and as soon as i get some piccys i'll post them up.
rob

[E Double]

Avon Azarro ST 45 (front) and 46 (rear).  Its the only radial tire designed specifically for narrow rims.  Upside is they're awesome in both the dry and wet and wear like iron to boot.

I disagree with you about the 16" wheels being so much shite;  Remember that this is a 27 year old bike.  I've run away and hid from more than a few much more modern sportbikes in the twisties.  But then again, I used to do the same thing with the two '75 BMW R90Ss that I used to own, against the same "modern bikes."  I don't notice any handling weirdness riding on a 16" wheel;  I've ridden on plenty of bikes with this size wheel and I never noticed anything that couldn't be attributed to something else on the bike.  It's not like we're talking about a scoot with a 12, 13 or 14" wheel, where you could potentially feel something.  On the FJ, if you've ridden newer bikes with bigger diameter forks I guarantee that you'll feel them dance when you stuff the bike in a corner.  But that's what fork braces are for, and why Randy at RPM sells them.

As long as I can get great rubber the likes of the Avons I'm not going to worry about trying to modernize quarter plus century old tech.  It it what it is, and that pretty much is why its still a nice ride today.

Besides, if I had the coin to do all of the upgrades needed for this bike to support 17" sneakers I'd rather put that money into another bike to go along with this one.  Like an Aprilia Dorsoduro or Duc Hypermotard.  I'm just sayin'

[robbygixxer]

blimey! iv upset someone already & iv only been here 5 mins! for the record i wasnt calling the 16inch rim shite, i was just wondering what theey were like on the fj, i used the term "dreaded" because getting rubber i can be a bit akward for that rim size & i dont know much about them, as i said i had a 16 inch rim on the front of an old gsx750e i once had and didnt really notice much different from other bikes, although at the time i was mostly running old cx500's as a london courier so a bmx is a vast inprovment over one of them, Not interested in changing wheel sizes or trying to modernise it, your right when you say it is what it is, got me old gsxr1100m in the garage for solo & twistys so im just gonna use th fj for two's up with the mrs & a bit of commuting, Sorry if my post came across as if i was putting the fj down, i wasnt, it was just a question, im very with my purchase & plan on keeping her some time.
Thanks for your advice on tires, i'll look them up
rob

[Arnie]

G'day Robbie,

You know the rear wheel assembly fits right on the back of your FJ, just in case you want to run a 17 on the back.
Get your FJ back to right and you'll find it to be a nice ride as is, and even better should you choose to change it.

Cheers,

Arnie

[Scooterbob]

Avon Azarro ST 45 (front) and 46 (rear).  Its the only radial tire designed specifically for narrow rims.  Upside is they're awesome in both the dry and wet and wear like iron to boot.

I agree about the Avons.  They are a great step up from the old Metzeler crap.  Got about 8000 miles out of my last AV46 rear tire too.  A lot more than I ever could get from the Metzelers!

[terryk]

Any thoughts or experience with the Pirelli Sport Demon

[FJmonkey]

Any thoughts or experience with the Pirelli Sport Demon

SanDimas_Mike is running the PSD set up on his stock 86'. He does not seem to be riding much so he might chime in and report on his findings.

[craigo]

Any thoughts or experience with the Pirelli Sport Demon

Terry,

I had a Perelli on the front and a Dunlop D205 on the rear of my bike when my house burned down.  First off, I felt the Perelli was a great tire.  But when I saw all the cords on the Perelli vs the Dunlop on my burnt and melted wreck of a bike, my appreciation of the Perelli grew.  However, since the 17" upgrade on the rear, I put on Dunlop Roadsmarts both front and rear.  I love these tires.

Perelli makes a good tire, I don't think you will be disappointed.

CraigO

[Dan Filetti]

Besides, if I had the coin to do all of the upgrades needed for this bike to support 17" sneakers I'd rather put that money into another bike to go along with this one.  Like an Aprilia Dorsoduro or Duc Hypermotard.  I'm just sayin'

Seriously??!!  17" in conversions, maybe what, $1200 out of pocket -tops -probably less.   No way you'd get either an Aprilia Dorsoduro or Duc Hypermotard for anything close to that money.

Most folks here would say that upgrading to 17" rubber is a worthwhile upgrade.  Improves handling, and opens up an awful lot more qaulity tire (tyre for you) choices.

Dan

[E Double]

blimey! iv upset someone already & iv only been here 5 mins! for the record i wasnt calling the 16inch rim shite, i was just wondering what theey were like on the fj, i used the term "dreaded" because getting rubber i can be a bit akward for that rim size & i dont know much about them, as i said i had a 16 inch rim on the front of an old gsx750e i once had and didnt really notice much different from other bikes, although at the time i was mostly running old cx500's as a london courier so a bmx is a vast inprovment over one of them, Not interested in changing wheel sizes or trying to modernise it, your right when you say it is what it is, got me old gsxr1100m in the garage for solo & twistys so im just gonna use th fj for two's up with the mrs & a bit of commuting, Sorry if my post came across as if i was putting the fj down, i wasnt, it was just a question, im very with my purchase & plan on keeping her some time.
Thanks for your advice on tires, i'll look them up
rob

No worries, I don't think you said anything untoward, I'm just not a believer in trying to make an old bike into something it was never meant to be-a match for what is being produced more than a quarter century later.  Don't get me wrong, these bikes were at least 10 years ahead of their time (even when you discount for not being liquid cooled), especially the first 4 or 5 years they made them.  Even if you dump a lot of money into it its still an old bike, which has now lost any character it had.

Here's a great example;  I have an '89 Mustang LX with a over 10K in the motor (347 crate motor, soup to nuts work done with a T-56 trans to boot) and about 5K in the suspension and brakes (I used to run it on road courses).  Dyno'ed at 385 RWH.

I recently picked up an '11 GT, 5.0L 6 sp manual.  All I've done to it is put a new exhaust on it.  It makes 377 RWH, is faster everywhere on the track and rides as good as the Mark 8 that I used to own.  I'll never get rid of my '89, but the difference between the two is much more than 22 years;  There's not a thing I can do to that car to make it the equal to the new one.  And I'm alright with that.  Same thing with my FJ.  Awesome bike, but an FJR or a FZ1 (the FJ kind of falls between the two, which certainly adds to its character) will both do their intended tasks better, and why shouldn't they?  They're 25+ years newer?  Its called Progress, and you can't stop it.  You can only be cool with where you sit in relation to it.

[terryk]

Craigo, so your house burnt down and it took out your FJ, that is horrible. Sorry to hear this and hope you and yours are recovering from this bad event.

And, BTW thanks for the POV on the PSD's.

I run Dunlop Roadsmart 2's on my Warrior, terrific tire that transformed how this bike corners. I am on my second rear and the front looks very good at 5,000 miles.

[E Double]

Seriously??!!  17" in conversions, maybe what, $1200 out of pocket -tops -probably less.   No way you'd get either an Aprilia Dorsoduro or Duc Hypermotard for anything close to that money.

Most folks here would say that upgrading to 17" rubber is a worthwhile upgrade.  Improves handling, and opens up an awful lot more qaulity tire (tyre for you) choices.

Dan

I never said it would pay for a complete bike, but an FJ with 17"s is just a bastardized FJ.  One could conceivably (with enough effort) put 17's on an R90 or R100. this will of course give you more tires to choose from, but to what end?  you just took a nice bike with character and turned it into a hodgepodge.  And you'll still have that old flexy frame to contend with.  where do you stop?  I mean more power to anyone who wants to be bothered with the "upgrade" but for me it ain't worth it.  I didn't mean for this to be a derail pertaining to the merits (or lack thereof) of "modernizing" old stuff ,and I apologize if it has become that.

Anyway, the Avon Azarros are great tires, in any size.

[Dan Filetti]

Seriously??!!  
Dan

...but an FJ with 17"s is just a bastardized FJ.  This will of course give you more tires to choose from, but to what end?  you just took a nice bike with character and turned it into a hodgepodge.  And you'll still have that old flexy frame to contend with.  where do you stop?  

Says the man who just wrote about souping up his 89 Mustang LX with a '347 crate motor, soup to nuts work done with a T-56 trans to boot and about 5K in the suspension and brakes'...

What about the 'character you robbed' from the stang? 

Just sayin'

Dan

[craigo]

Where did you get the $1200 cost for the 17" rear wheel mod?  I spent $350 US for the wheel, brake system and a new Dunlop Roadsmart for my bike.  All money well spent.  Not that I really noticed much of a handling difference but I have 3500 miles on the tires and they look like they'll go another 5000 miles no sweat.  The 16" Dunlop D205s saw less than 4000 miles and they were toast.  I will say the ride is so much smoother w/ the 17" wheel.

So, just in the $$$ I save in tires makes this upgrade very worthwhile.  I am sure that if I install a Penske on the rear of the bike, the handling would greatly improve.  But the price is very dear and do I really need to go triple digit speeds at my age?  Nawwww....

CraigO

[andyb]

Anyone who says that the Avon Azaro's are in any way comparable to or remotely as good as the current crop of tires designed in the past 10 years has already discredited themself more than anyone else will be able.

Those avons are total shit compared to any of a number of modern tires.