? for v-twin sportbike riders.

[Bleck K6]

just wondering what tires you guys on v twins are running on your bikes & what mileage you are getting from them.
I have used mich pilots & got about 3000kms from them so I thought I would try dunlop 208,I have done 2500kms on them & the rear is shagged already.
Since becoming a dad I havnt got that much extra cash & would really like a tyre that last a bit longer.
Any suggestions?
cheers

[vifferman]

Hi, Tiller.
When I bought the FahrtSturm, it had Pirelli Dragons that were unevenly worn.
I *was* going to put some Pirelli Diablos on, but was told these are quite soft. As I use the bike almost exclusively for commuting, this didn't seem to be a good idea. So I got some Avon Azaros (AV49-SP front, and AV46-ST rear), and for $529 fitted (vs. $500 for the Pirellis, this seemed pretty good).
Can't tell you about the mileage, as they've only been on there a couple of months, but they're supposed to be pretty good for long life, and the feel and stick so far are very good.
Note that these are the new Azaros - I previously tried the AV35/36 combo on my VFR and wasn't that impressed with the feel, but got about 5500 km (a guesstimate) or just over a year's commuting out of them.

[vifferman]

By the way - I've never had good experience with Dunlops, and they don't have a very good reputation.
You could also try Bridgestones - try a BT020 (ST) on the rear, and a BT012 or 014 on the front. I had the BT012F/BT020R on the VFR, and loved them. Don't try the BT010 or 020 on the front as they wear unevenly.

[bungbung]

I had Pilot Sports, and they lasted 3000k and the rear was down to the threads. I have a set of Metzeler Sportec M1's on now, feel nice, too early to say about the wear, but they don't look nearly a rough after going over the Rimutakas as the Pilots did.

[Quasievil]

Hi
Ive got my Ducati 6000 kms ago, the Azaros on the bike had already done 2000kms and there is shitloads left. Performance is great to.
Im not the fastest or the slowest for that matter but they have proofed to me to be an excellent choice, and one I will go with next time.
I expect another 4000kms out of them easily.
Cheers

[Deano]

Hi
Ive got my Ducati 6000 kms ago, the Azaros on the bike had already done 2000kms and there is shitloads left. Performance is great to.
Im not the fastest or the slowest for that matter but they have proofed to me to be an excellent choice, and one I will go with next time.
I expect another 4000kms out of them easily.
Cheers

Incredible milage there Quasi.

Im getting about 3000k out of rear and 4500k front (thereabouts - I should make a note of the milage in future for reference).

I haven't found much difference between Bridgestone 010, 012 or the Diablo's in terms of grip or milage but am dubious about putting something less sticky on for grip reasons.

I do push them fairly hard - am trying a Dragon super corsa on the front, which Ive been advised might last longer than a 'road' tyre as they can handle the heat and hard riding better. Heres hoping. Im loathe to admit t the missus how much tyres are costing me per annum :doh: Still - Im saving $$ on servicing compared to the old Duke I had.

[FROSTY]

given how hard the V twins seem to be on rear tyres--what about those Shenko tyres--as i understand it they are heaps cheaper and are like the old Yoki's for stick

[marty]

when i got the aprilia it had a shenko on the back (don't ask..) i tried to wreck it but i couldn't. it only stepped out once on me and that was on an off camber roundabout (at the city end of Cobham Dr Hamilton) on a cold and frosty morning, when i found the powerband a little harshly. other than that it seemed ok, but i changed to a diablo anyway, as the front was rooted, and i wanted a matching set.

[marty]

but if i was to have a nice litre V twin - say an 01 model with yoshis/carbon fibre/braided lines/polished rims etc etc - or something like that....what would be the chioce of tyres for (mostly) commuting with occasional runs down SH22????

[wkid_one]

Mate - on the TLR you are fucked as these are super hard on rear tyres given the stupid rotary damper set up...they tend to chew through tyres and spit them out reasonably smartly.

I have run pretty much most of the sports tyres on the VTR - and I wouldn't recommend the 208's (too flat - slow steering down), 010's (rain groove promote block flex and rip the tyre to pieces). or Any Pirelli as they are normally too expensive for what you get. Pilots are the same as the 010's because there are so many crosses in the rain grooves, the edges of the grooves tend to round off and start ripping away

I would whole heartedly recommend the M1's for all year round riding. Wicked Price in comparison to other tyres. Renner's will actually outlast many of the typical sports tyres because, less rain grooves = less block flex = less heat = less tearing

HOWEVER - I was only getting about 2500km to a rear give or take - but a lot of that depends on how you ride. If you tend to blast in to corners, brake hard, and blast out - you will chew tyres quicker than riding with a smooth throttle.

Try going sports-tourer rears - they will last longer, and once hot - the grip difference is negligible...

Honestly - next to the Busa - you probably chose the next worst bike for tyre wear....but I guess you didn't want to hear that.

[Bleck K6]

Thanks guys,Yeah I knew the TLR was hard on tyres before I got it.
I havnt got the rotary damper I bought a hagon shock,the tyre wear is alot better now but it still chews through tyres.
I would never put a shinko on my bike a friend had 1 on his TLS,shocking tyres,DEATH.INC knows about the shinkos.
I dont brake hard when approaching corners,no need with all the engine braking on the TLR.They do get a fairly hard time on the exit.
I was thinkin of putting a dunlop d220 on the rear but they dont make a 190 & the 200 is about $390.
Was thinkin about tryin bridgestones have heard they last fairly well.
CHEERS

[dangerous]

Well I shit the 204's out at 8000km on the Storm and have just put 220's on it and hopeing to get 10,000km.

However on the Guzzi a shaft drive 1100i sport I run Metzlers Mz3 frount Mz4 rear this is a heavy bike with the 'no slack' drive of a shaft with more compression than a TL so I think that 10,000km's is a bloody good call.

I ride hard and put it on the track 1 or 2 times a year. These tyres have never sliped apart from rolling the bastards of the edge but with a sweet recovery, and it only takes 2 days for the pinch mark on the seat to come out :msn-wink:
I will be trying these out next on the VTR and I once put a Mz4 on the frount and got an amazing 20,000k however I do prefure something a bit sticker up that end.

[Lou Girardin]

A 'reliable source' told me of a guy that got 10,000k's out of a Metzeler Z6 rear on a Blackbird. Including a track day. (Did a 1.03 at Puke.)
I might try them next if I can't get Diablos at the right price.

[dangerous]

A 'reliable source' told me of a guy that got 10,000k's out of a Metzeler Z6 rear on a Blackbird. Including a track day. (Did a 1.03 at Puke.)
I might try them next if I can't get Diablos at the right price.

We havent got the Z6 down here yet, But I believe that they are the newer Z4 and like I said above on a heaver bike they last well and stick well :first:
The Z6 is ment to be better in the wet with out lossing any other abilitys.

[Sensei]

Hey Tiller. Have tryed all the tyres mentioned & all have their good & bad point's . Myself Mz1 front & Pirelli SuperCorsa rear . Work's for me .You could try some different setting's with your suspension in the backend may help Sensei NP :shifty:

[boris]

i have a shenko on the back of my sv650 it has done about 10000k so far but i dont think it will get another wof.I ride close to the speed limit and hardly ride on wet roads so i have no problems with it,will get another because they are cheaper than most other tyres.

[Kiwi]

I have Metzler M1 SportTec on my Ducati – awesome, good grip in the rain, the tyre warms very quickly up. Back not more then 3500 km for the back (depends on your riding style)

See ya
Kiwi

[vifferman]

given how hard the V twins seem to be on rear tyres--what about those Shenko tyres--as i understand it they are heaps cheaper and are like the old Yoki's for stick
Well, my VFR had Shinko (I take it that's what you mean, unless there's another tyre with a stupid name?) Podiums on when I got it, and I thought they were OK, but never felt comfortable. I thought, "Oh well, at least they're probebly cheap and will last well."
Nah. 12 months and they were toast.
Replaced with Azaros (AV35/AV36) and they were heaps better, and looked really funky with the wide asymmetrical stipes (rain grooves) on the rear. They lasted just over a year.
Then I tried the BT012F/BT020R combo, and went WOW! Great for grip and handling. Unfortunately I can't say what mileage is like, as I smacked the VFR up when they were barely scrubbed in. :argh:
I'd never try Stinkos again, unless they've radically improved. Compared with other modern rubber, they just didn't cut it for me. They would've been OK (maybe) if I'd at least got good mileage, but I didn't. So why ride on something that feels unsettled and gives average wear? I'd rather pay the extra for something good, given that my life depends on a few square cm of rubber on the road...

[wkid_one]

Hey Tiller. Have tryed all the tyres mentioned & all have their good & bad point's . Myself Mz1 front & Pirelli SuperCorsa rear . Work's for me .You could try some different setting's with your suspension in the backend may help Sensei NP :shifty:
Personally - I would NEVER recommend running different tyres - you can run in to all sorts of problems......uneven grip qualities, inefficient clearing of water in the wet, uncomplimentary profiles, uneven wear patterns, uneven rolling diameters etc etc.

My opinion only....

[Jinx3d]

WHen I bought my bike it had a pirelli GTS on the front and an evo on the back! WHy put a sticky tyre on the back??

Front was getting pushed around (the back tyre was new, the front 3/4 worn)

Back tyre is 1/2 knackered at 2000km

Like you I cant afford to put sport tyres on my bike, I only put the corsa on because the back was new and I didnt want to repeat the mistake of a touring tyre on the front and a sport tyre on the back.

I want to put on a set of Metzeler Z6 next time. They get good reviews. Available from that place in henderson.

Have a Pirelli corsa on the front now. Very confidence inspiring - grips like epoxy.
I am also tempted by the shinko's - they are almost half the price for a set compared with other tyres.

All in all - I'm going to try the Z6's next time.

Mike. PS - TL's rule. *grin*

[Sensei]

Hey Wkid One . Have been doing this for over 25 year's . If I wasn't getting really cheap race tryes of Shop here in town . Might pay out for some new rubber Cheers Sensei :beer:

[wkid_one]

Mate I said it was my opinion. Quite frankly I hope no new riders on the board listen to yours - it is poor form to suggest running diff tyres front and rear. Like running diff front tyres on your car - just plain stupid. It only has to catch you out once - to be one time too many

I wouldn't be running race tyres on the road either for that matter! Been there done that with the RS2's - don't keep enough heat no matter how hard you ride em.

ALl I will say is good luck gambling with your life - it is yours to choose. Remember - tyres are designed, testing and sold in pairs for a reason!

[Sensei]

Hey Wkid what type of bike do you ride ? Sensei

[wkid_one]

Mate - getting defensive - I am entitled to an opinion other than yours....

RVF at the mo......when it is assembled. Rode R1 for 6 months and VTR for 2 years

[Sensei]

Wkid no worrys > Don't tell anyone to try this . Just said that's what I have that's all . Suggested to try adjusting rear shock to control the back wheel better Sensei :wavey:

[phil_elvey]

Personally - I would NEVER recommend running different tyres - you can run in to all sorts of problems......uneven grip qualities, inefficient clearing of water in the wet, uncomplimentary profiles, uneven wear patterns, uneven rolling diameters etc etc.


But matching tyres wear unevenly anyway? Everyone knows a front of a matching pair lasts heaps longer than a back. Wouldn't you call that uneven wear? And as for uneven rolling diameters, my wheels, and many others I'm sure wear different profile tyres (i.e low at the front and a bit taller at the rear).

[vifferman]

But matching tyres wear unevenly anyway? Everyone knows a front of a matching pair lasts heaps longer than a back. Wouldn't you call that uneven wear? And as for uneven rolling diameters, my wheels, and many others I'm sure wear different profile tyres (i.e low at the front and a bit taller at the rear).
That's quite true.
I don't think paranoia over different tyres is necessary (for instance, I never had matched tyres on my VF500 the 7 years I had it, and it was no problem. In any case, it had mismatched wheels - a 16" front and 18" back!

If you are going to mix'n'match, it's best to have most stick at the the front, for steering and braking. It's actually VERY common to have different tyres of the same make, and they invariably have different profiles, even if they're the same model. F'rinstance, the VTR wears an Avon 49-SP 120-70/17 on the front, and an AV46-ST 180-55/17 on the rear (IIRC).
Another good reason to mix'n'match is that matching front tyres often do weird things, like scallop badly. On the VFR, I had a BT012 on the front, because the BT020 wears badly. The common thing to do is fit a BT010F/020R, but the BT010 can wear badly too, wheareas the BT012 has a similar tread pattern to the BT020, but the softer compound of the BT010, so it gives the stick AND good wear properties.

I reckon it's a good idea to pick a softer tyre for the front than the back, so they are spent at about the same mileage. I don't think I'd really want a new tyre on the back when the front is getting a bit dodgy.

[wkid_one]

But matching tyres wear unevenly anyway? Everyone knows a front of a matching pair lasts heaps longer than a back. Wouldn't you call that uneven wear? And as for uneven rolling diameters, my wheels, and many others I'm sure wear different profile tyres (i.e low at the front and a bit taller at the rear).
Yes - but matched pairs are typically tested together to ensure a reasonably constant performance over the life of the tyre.

Diff tyres have diff compounds, therefore they will potentially wear differently across the profile of the tyre.

As for profiles of tyres - this is a completely different thing all together. We then get in to manu recommendation, effect of geometry of the bike blah blah blah

[MacD]

I don't think paranoia over different tyres is necessary (for instance, I never had matched tyres on my VF500 the 7 years I had it, and it was no problem. In any case, it had mismatched wheels - a 16" front and 18" back!

I've just realised that after owning half-a-dozen or so bikes over a longer period than I care to remember, my current bike is the first one I've owned that's had matching front and rear tyres! Of course the old bias tyres were made of such hard compounds that they used to perish before they wore out. Anyhow, I think I'll keep it matching in the future, although I suspect that a lot of those recommendations you read on fitment guides to do with matching front and rear tyres have more to do with lawyers than engineers!

:scooter:

[dangerous]

Maybe, just maybe W1 is trying to say this, Although you may have two different branded tyres which are the same size/profile, for eg: 170/70/17 in Metzler and Dunlop........... now this is the size tyre on the rear of my Guzzi and even though they have the same profile which is only the side wall size (70% of 170) the Metzler would run off the edge were as the Dunlop never did as the dome (roundie part) was a different curve or profile.
So if I was to put the Dunlop on the rear and a Metzler on the frount then I would efectavly run of the frount tyre first and this would be BAD shit cos if you look at the avarage set of tyres the rear usualy roles off before the frount as this is still controlably.
This make any sence??

[Jinx3d]

I agree, my bikes have never had matched tyres.

n'less you are riding real hard - as wkidone may be. I think its more important to have lots of tread and just avoid having a stickier rear.

Beats me when you see guys riding round on a back tyre that has worn off square but they are too cheap to replace it. "its got lots of tread on the outside"

oh well.

[Bleck K6]

Thanks for the input guys. :niceone:
Are the metz z6 available in NZ yet?
cheers

[Sensei]

Hey Tiller Friend has a new set of Metz on his VFR 750 & he love's them I would go with these if buying tyre's or the new Pirelli . Found when I had my Ducati tyre's lasted longer when I didn't down change as much going into corner's & just rolled of the gas & let the V Twin do the work for you Sensei :not:

[V Twin Raver]

Are the metz z6 available in NZ yet?


Tiller; The Z6 is in NZ. Got one on the back of my VTR1000. Been there for about 1000km now. Bit early to comment on wear rates - I haven't really been pushing the bike into corners since its been on (being winter & all - don't want to push through a corner to find a wet apex). In the dry it hasn't provided me with any nasty surprises so all is good at the mo.

[Bleck K6]

Tiller; The Z6 is in NZ. Got one on the back of my VTR1000. Been there for about 1000km now. Bit early to comment on wear rates - I haven't really been pushing the bike into corners since its been on (being winter & all - don't want to push through a corner to find a wet apex). In the dry it hasn't provided me with any nasty surprises so all is good at the mo.
I had a look at the metz web site & it doesnt look like they make a 190 I will ask a local dealer.
cheers

[Bleck K6]

I have a TLR and used to have rennsports on it went thru numerous sets of them. Great tyres, never had any problems.. except they wernt that fantastic in the wet, and I went through a lot of them.
I now use Pirrelli Diablo (not the corsa version) and they seem to have the same (so far) grip in the dry as the rennsports did but much more confidence in the wet. I also have done about 5000ks on these and theres still a good deal left. And no I'm not that soft on them. I use the bike to commute on workdays and the odd hard ride on days off. Havnt taken these tyres to puke yet but have all the confidence in them. All in all.. I will buy them again.

Cheers Hope this helps.. by the way the bikes for sale.
Thanks for that,actually DEATH.INC suggested trying the diablo,s he said they were wearing alright on his zx12.
cheers

[wkid_one]

Renners can be a shit of a tyre when cold or wet- they are more comparable to the Super Corsas than the Diablos. The Renners look like you need to replace them after about 500km of hard riding on them......yet I found I got reasonably good mileage out of them on both the R1 and the VTR

[Sensei]

Hey Tiller why the 190 rear dude your bike will handle better with a 180/ 55/ 17 . They will quicken up the turn in as 190 make's the back end turn in slowly as of their larger radius .Had a 190/50/17 on my Triumph when I brought it & felt like shit so got them to change it to 180/55/17 . Changed the bike totally feel's sweet as now . You'll see most of Road Racer's have 180/55/17 on their bike's just for this same reason & some time's go to 160/55/17 on sv650 & 600's Maybe worth trying this out If you want a better feel in corner's & they want cost as much Sensei NP

[Bleck K6]

Hey Tiller why the 190 rear dude your bike will handle better with a 180/ 55/ 17 . They will quicken up the turn in as 190 make's the back end turn in slowly as of their larger radius .Had a 190/50/17 on my Triumph when I brought it & felt like shit so got them to change it to 180/55/17 . Changed the bike totally feel's sweet as now . You'll see most of Road Racer's have 180/55/17 on their bike's just for this same reason & some time's go to 160/55/17 on sv650 & 600's Maybe worth trying this out If you want a better feel in corner's & they want cost as much Sensei NPBeen there, hated the 180 on the rear,kept chewing out the wall of the tyre.
Good for leaving darkies out of corners but not for grip & stability.
I have thought about putting a 5.5 inch rim on the back.
DEATH.INC has a 180 tyre off a friends TLS hanging on his garage wall,it is amazing how much of the side wall has been chewed off that tyre.We kept it just to show people who came around to the house.
cheers

[Lou Girardin]

I had a look at the metz web site & it doesnt look like they make a 190 I will ask a local dealer.
cheers

Not yet, it's coming.

[scroter]

I had a TLS. Mich Macadam's 12-13000k not very good in the grip department. Metzler MEZ4 9000k excellent grip for a Sport/touring tyre so much so was reguarly able to scrape aftermarket lower fairing on the road. All this on a rotary damper.

PS Dunlop Suck will never use again on any bike also a friend had d208gp on his VTR and he didnt think much of them

[scroter]

Also Tiller forgot to tell you forget the 190 get the 180 the bike responds really well to this especially in the turn in department. The TL is a great bike especially in the fast corners but in the tight stuff it is poor. The 180 will help some of this. By the way TLs dont need brakes.

[scroter]

Been there, hated the 180 on the rear,kept chewing out the wall of the tyre.
Good for leaving darkies out of corners but not for grip & stability.
I have thought about putting a 5.5 inch rim on the back.
DEATH.INC has a 180 tyre off a friends TLS hanging on his garage wall,it is amazing how much of the side wall has been chewed off that tyre.We kept it just to show people who came around to the house.
cheers

yep had this too but it never felt like it was gonna fall over. The sidewall wear looked alot scarier than it felt. I asked Tony Rees about it he said dont worry about it.

[fastford111]

my mate glen has a vtr firestorm with a bridgstone 020 and dose a lot of highway riding to work and has good grip for cournering as well he gets around 7500 k on them

[White trash]

I wouldn't be running race tyres on the road either for that matter! Been there done that with the RS2's - don't keep enough heat no matter how hard you ride em.



Wouldn't really agree there, Wkid. I've been running race tyres on my bike for the past 7 months with not a single problem.

I get twice the mileage I've had from road tyres and never had a single problem with grip. (Except for the rain)

I might not ride as fast as some but they seem like a cost efective bet to me.

[hondav2]

Got 12000km out of rear shinko . Ok iguess if u ride like a nana. put on Mez4 metzlers made a new bike out of the VTR and got 10,000km (bare)out of rear. U wont be sorry for using metzlers, they give you confidence .

[Morepower]

Hey Tiller why the 190 rear dude your bike will handle better with a 180/ 55/ 17 . They will quicken up the turn in as 190 make's the back end turn in slowly as of their larger radius .Had a 190/50/17 on my Triumph when I brought it & felt like shit so got them to change it to 180/55/17 . Changed the bike totally feel's sweet as now . You'll see most of Road Racer's have 180/55/17 on their bike's just for this same reason & some time's go to 160/55/17 on sv650 & 600's Maybe worth trying this out If you want a better feel in corner's & they want cost as much Sensei NP

Dont Agree , The 190's feel much more stable at full lean and frankly I couldnt tell the difference in turn in.
On a TL there is much to be gained by using an aftermarket steering damper or changing the oil to 2.5w in the Damper. Without it a TL is a very quick steering bike but I wouldnt recommend riding without one.
The rear shock is also total rubbish and I am told the cause of a lot of the tyre wear. Problem with the shock is way to much internal friction and compression dampening.
My experience from tyres:

Just looked up the mileages I write on the garage wall.
Dragon GTS (180) 4950km
Diablo ( 180 ) 5650km
Diablo (190 ) 3900km
Diablo (190 ) 3300km

It would be fair to say I have been riding harder with some track time. I have Just fitted an Ohlins shock so it will be interesting if the tyre wear changes.

Dave

[DEATH_INC.]

Yep,I've got a 180 rs1 on the gixx at the mo and will go back to a 190 soon,and I found the same on the ZX12 when I went to a 190 insted of the 200,it actually turns SLOWER,not faster,it just falls into the corners easier(prolly cause it's not turning as much for the same lean angle)it was especially noticeable when I went back to the 200,it was sooo much quicker steering.Using a 180 instead of a 190 (on a 6"rim)is just an old wives tale. :thud:
We've been into tillers steering damper,it's a lot lighter than stock and he now has a Hagon rear damper.

[Bleck K6]

Dont Agree , The 190's feel much more stable at full lean and frankly I couldnt tell the difference in turn in.
On a TL there is much to be gained by using an aftermarket steering damper or changing the oil to 2.5w in the Damper. Without it a TL is a very quick steering bike but I wouldnt recommend riding without one.
The rear shock is also total rubbish and I am told the cause of a lot of the tyre wear. Problem with the shock is way to much internal friction and compression dampening.
My experience from tyres:

Just looked up the mileages I write on the garage wall.
Dragon GTS (180) 4950km
Diablo ( 180 ) 5650km
Diablo (190 ) 3900km
Diablo (190 ) 3300km

It would be fair to say I have been riding harder with some track time. I have Just fitted an Ohlins shock so it will be interesting if the tyre wear changes.

Dave

Hey dave, Yeah I agree the stock steering damper is a stiff bastard & slows the steering, We took the inside out of DEATH.INC's gsxr damper filed some small grooves in the plunger,put it back together tried it on the TLR,filed some more until we got it right.huge difference & it still does its job.
cheers

[Sensei]

Hey MorePower : Don't have any trouble's on my Triumph .Plus they don't need Steering damper's to make them Handle either . May be because they got their shit together ? Riden plenty of TL'S &TLr's great motor in both ,TLR slightly better handling but nothing to write home about ! :Pokey: Ps Funny how Tiller got the best mileage out of the 180's ??

[Bleck K6]

Hey MorePower : Don't have any trouble's on my Triumph .Plus they don't need Steering damper's to make them Handle either . May be because they got their shit together ? Riden plenty of TL'S &TLr's great motor in both ,TLR slightly better handling but nothing to write home about ! :Pokey: Ps Funny how Tiller got the best mileage out of the 180's ??
hahahahhaahhahahaha,mind you the 509 isnt fast enough to bother with a steering damper.

[Sensei]

Cheer's Tiller: Thought I may get a bite > Mind you as I said I'v riden alot of TL's as that's what friend's have & they don't pass me until a long straight . The saying goes my friend " Less is More " My bike Dyno's at 116hp /108hp standard, 235 klm flat out down on the tank. So only about 10hp less than a TL so not that slow Sensei :second:

[Morepower]

Hey MorePower : Don't have any trouble's on my Triumph .Plus they don't need Steering damper's to make them Handle either . May be because they got their shit together ? Riden plenty of TL'S &TLr's great motor in both ,TLR slightly better handling but nothing to write home about ! :Pokey: Ps Funny how Tiller got the best mileage out of the 180's ??
:rolleyes: The 190's are wearing out because I am pushing them much harder . The TL's problem was the steering was too quick which caused some halfwit pommy testers to crash after tankslapping. Suzuki then recalled all the bikes and fitted dampers.
The main problem with a TL's handling is the rear shock , change it and they are completely different to ride , its like night and day.

a quote from a road test that I thought you guys may find interesting;

“Whether or not the tank slappers did exist or whether the steering damper actually corrects this tendency is a matter of debate, but in our minds their is no question the damper turns the once super fast turning S into a slower turning motorcycle.”



and regarding the TLR’s weight: “The TLS is almost 50-pounds lighter -- switching back-to-back definitely make you feel the TLR's portliness -- but with the factory-installed steering damper it's slower turning than last year, and the S is not significantly easier to flick than the heavier TLR. While Suzuki is attempting to position the TLS as a street sportbike and the TL1000R as a racing platform, we feel that the TLR is a better motorcycle both on and off the track. “



Fix the rear shock and steering damper on a TLS and the tables are totally turned on Big Brother TLR. A TLR needs to make about 10 HP extra just to make up for its extra weight.. and then you get to stop and turn that extra 50 lbs as well. The Tiller is a good bike, but the TLS remains a really good deal, performance-per-dollar wise, especially as it usually goes for thousands less than TLRs. "

From another old test Pre TLs having Steering Dampers

"Suzuki's TL is also an excellent weapon for racetrack use. With its steep steering head angle and short trail (23.7 degrees and 3.7 inches, respectively), it eagerly flicks into corners. The TL has more weight biased towards its front than the VTR, making a TL rider more in touch with what the front wheel is doing. "

Same test

"Be afraid" was the first thing that came to my mind when a newbie rider recently asked me if I thought Suzuki's TL1000 would be a good bike for first-time riders. The TL1000 is pure evil: It bucks, wiggles and wheelies under hard acceleration, shaking its head over bumps at top speed. And don't you dare miss a first-to-second or second-to-third shift under full throttle -- it'll try and tankslap you off. Newbie riders should simply skip the TL and go straight to the morgue"

If I was brave I would take the thing off :eek5:

But I am not

Dave

[Sensei]

Hi Morepower: Had a steering damper on my GSXR1100 > Hated it took it off & tuned the suspenion to suit > took abit of fucking round but got there in the end . Never put it back on bike handled sweet as for having 160hp at the wheel . Had a guy on one of our ride's have his damper blow out dropping all the oil onto his front wheel . Bummer crashed next corner so keep an eye for leak's Sensei :apint:

[Morepower]

mmmm ...may just be worth a try :apint:

[fastford111]

death co from this site changed the oil in a mates i and it made a big differance

[DEATH_INC.]

Just to follow up,I've now got new rubber on the gixx,a 190 rear(from a 180),and she definatly turns faster,and also is a lot EASIER to chuck around.........I guess the different tyres have even more effect than the size......