What influences your tyre choice?

[Dave Lobster]

Paint me a scenario that would tempt you to try another brand?

Hard to say really. I don't use my bike all that often any more, so I don't go through a set every six weeks like I have in the past.
I'd be tempted to say Bridgestone going out of business. But that would be a bit childish.
But, I can't think of another reason. Free tyres wouldn't tempt me. Maybe.. free tyres but swap them back for nothing if I don't like them.. that might tempt me. But probably not..

[LBD]

how about the michelin man going over a ramp on your triumph into the chasam with fire in it?

Pick me ...12 months in the office and I can do you a fairly good Michelin man likeness.....

[justsomeguy]

Big fella: I think you need to be more specific, wouldn't the power ranger homos have different needs to the tassled village people, who in turn wouldn't go for what the tranvestites with both sprot and touring appendages have crushes on?

[325rocket]

reviews.
im one of those "stupid" people that spend about $18 a month to get a copy of superbike (u.k.) magazine. Ive been getting it for about four years now so ive got a feel for the guys and girls and their riding preference / style. i have read enough of their reviews now to put a bit of trust in them.
once i get an idea of what im after i look for online reviews.

or you could hire taupo track for a day, get 5 identical bikes (pref cbr600rr's ) with different tyres on them and let me decide haha

[Big Dave]

Big fella: I think you need to be more specific, wouldn't the power ranger homos have different needs to the tassled village people, who in turn wouldn't go for what the tranvestites with both sprot and touring appendages have crushes on?

Little fella - I think you shouldn't skim the thread.
:-)

[Motu]

I like to experiment...to make bad decisions consistently the price needs to be in the bargain basement area.Who would use Dunlop K70's in this day and age? Best choice of tyre I've ever made.Using a Kenda Cruiser instead of a Metzler Laser - half the price,and for a dummy like me it's a shit hot tyre.

''We've had this tyre for 2 years and nobody has even looked at it - put it in the bargain bin,get what you can for it''......like a fly to dog turd,I just can't control myself.

[AllanB]

First I decide I really need the most sticky tyres my hard earned money can buy.

Then I get on the net and research street legal almost race tyres. This tells me that I really do not need the same tyre you'd fit to a 180hp CBR1000RRRRRR on my Hornet.

But the voice in my head still tells me that they would look seriously shit hot when parked up.

I then start designing a power tool that will scrub off the small chicken strips that would be on the edge of the sticky shit tyres. This tool will also leave little balls of rubber all along the edges. Using The Tool would be preferable to lending my pride and joy to a friend who can actually ride really hard.

The next day I post a question on KB "What tyre for a XXXXX" I discover that many many tyres are wonderful and apparently, and most concerning, as a Honda owner there is a slight chance that I'm gay

I get on the net again.
Dual compound Sport Touring sounds like me - sticky edges, hard centre, good life.
I narrow it down to a few brands. I check out the pretty tread patterns.

I head off to my tyre man and tell him - "dual compound sport touring" he shows me the options, and offers comments on wear and grip relevant to the area I live and ride in.
If you are still reading Dave - that last bit is important- relevant to the area I live and ride in. South Island roads are harsh.
Price is discussed and a pair of hoops are ordered.

What made me choose one over the other technically identical tyre? It could be an opinion from someone I respect, price or the spunkiest tread design

Brand is not very relevant here, I'll change if there is something that is genuinely considered superior for my type of riding and is within say $20-30 a set.

I'm extremely pleased with my PR2's - something new and impressive will be required to change.

[carver]

Pick me ...12 months in the office and I can do you a fairly good Michelin man likeness.....

listening dave?

[slydesigns]

pretty tread patterns

hahaha I just bought a new rear and finally bit the bullet and moved away from uber $$$, ultra fast wearing Pirelli Super Corsa Pro SC's and on to Michelin's and while looking came across a tyre called an ANGEL. The gay thing was it actually had little Angels on the tread!! Worse, as it wore the Angels would disappear and a Demon face would appear!!! Least that was the serious sales pitch...


I laughed, walked away... laughed some more... then cried when i realised they were serious!

And as a note... if the tyre is intended for sports bikes, it needs to work on sports bikes. I have a 675, the SC's were awesome for grip, shite for wear - happy with that, but when thrown a Diablo to try out for a laugh, i didn't laugh much. It sucked the big one badly. Tire pressures were experimented with but in the end it was awkward feeling, had crap grip on hard acceleration (rolling burnouts were a novelty until then!) and wore as bad as the SC. It seemed more a sport tourer or older model 600 sport tire and if thats what it IS, maybe they should advertise it as such.

That helped me decide to move on from Pirelli's. The SC's were awesome, the Diablo was ass. I now have a yard stick to measure the competition against and find something between the two.

[boman]

What would you say has shaped your perception of brand/s?

13+ years in the tyre industry. You get to know who makes the right kind of tyres and who makes round black rubber things. But I think that the written media, advertising, and motorsports also helps us make an educated decision. Also other peoples experiences makes a large portion of the choice also.

Edit: I don't really favour one brand over another. I have run pirellis on one bike, and run Michelins on my Sv. Pirellis because they were recommended to me by someone who has ridden for 20+ years. And Michelins because I liked the way the first set handeled so I replaced them with a slighlt better set.

[tri boy]

If the rubber came from sustainable/virgin/native rubber trees. Found in small clusters close to Amazon villages populated with sexually voracious women, that desire retarded kiwi white men.
Actually, I just go into panic mode, and barter John at Boyds down with my ranting and pleading.
M/cycle tyres are a complete rip off, so I may as well get some pleasure out of the purchace experience. Maybe a trinkit, or god forbid, a sticker or puncture repair kit.

[slydesigns]

If the rubber came from sustainable/virgin/native rubber trees. Found in small clusters close to Amazon villages populated with sexually voracious women, that desire retarded kiwi white men.

ok... now your describing my girl... have we met?

[1wheel riot]

shap i like the corners so i wont as much tire on the road when its on its side tread patern so it pumps water and mud well and safe to at leasd 250km so i ended up with a metenza m3 and am very happy with it.

[carver]

If the rubber came from sustainable/virgin/native rubber trees. Found in small clusters close to Amazon villages populated with sexually voracious women, that desire retarded kiwi white men.

where is this place?

[Big Dave]

Listening Dave.