Suitable tyres for a GS500?

[mossy1200]

Whats all the numbers etc on the tyres you have.
It could be that they are suffering from old age more than tyre brand.

Alot off tyres have a form of serial number that includes year and month of manufacture.

[Geeen]

Whats all the numbers etc on the tyres you have.
It could be that they are suffering from old age more than tyre brand.

Alot off tyres have a form of serial number that includes year and month of manufacture.

Just so you know what we are blathering about

[mossy1200]

Just so you know what we are blathering about

Ta. I couldnt find that pic.

[FJRider]

Just so you know what we are blathering about

Couldn't you find a bigger pic ... ???

must be at least 3 infractions in that pic alone ...

[Geeen]

Couldn't you find a bigger pic ... ???

must be at least 3 infractions in that pic alone ...

I will if you want me to..........
Forgot to resize it, sorry

[FJRider]

I will if you want me to..........
Forgot to resize it, sorry

It was easy to read ... with my eyesight the way it is, at my advanced age ...

[MystikEagle]

Probably look like track tyres because they're quite smooth... Not a bad idea and time to change them.

The tread on them is pretty decent still, just not much of it. I will take photos tomorrow, got way too busy today sorry

[MystikEagle]

A little more info is required to give a rational choice on suitable tires for the GS, will it be used as a commuter , does it involve high use, will be punting it up on track days, will you be carrying a pillion regularly and whats your budget ? Stick to a name brand eg Pirelli, Michelin, Avon, Metzeler, Bridgestone , Dunlop, Yokohama etc
Have a talk to your local shops or try Hamilton.

Lots of questions!

Not a commuter... I live on site
Will mainly be used for road trips, 100+ kms at a time
Not looking at doing any track days in the near future
Still on my learners so no pillion
Budget is flexible but don't want to spend 3 or 4 hundred per tyre

Hope this helps you guys help me!

[kiwifruit]

Lasertecs .

[ktm84mxc]

The humble GS500 can trace its parentage back to the GS400 of 1978/9 , the go to tyre back then were Pirelli Phantoms which are now sold as Sport Demons . a touring tire will be more than suitable for your needs and Continental make great touring/all rounder tires.
Get some quotes on suitable tire options and ring around to get the best deals.

[FJRider]

Budget is flexible but don't want to spend 3 or 4 hundred per tyre

Have a look in the tyre section of any bike shop. With your bikes tyre sizes in mind ... check out the price range. Or PM Katman and ask his advice .... He wont put you wrong.

Tyres ARE a major feature in a motorcyclists budget. Petrol is only about half of what it costs to run a motorcycle. On your bike ... probably 9000 - 14,000 (my guess) kilometers on a rear tyre. Twice that from the front. Depending on tyre choice (hard/sticky) and type/style of riding ... and even on roads you choose to ride.

[SMOKEU]

+1 to Sport Demons.

[Banditbandit]

The tyres look fine - they certainly look like road tyres not track tyres ... the amount of tread on them is pretty standard - there are legal road tyres out there with less tread - the more rubber on the road the more grip .. tread patterns reduce rubber - it's a compromise for riding on wet roads ... The first time I put Conti Road Attacks on my bike I was worried about the lack of tread pattern for wet riding .. but they were fine.

Try different options ... Tyres work with a bike/riding style ... some work better tha others for different styles so it's a matter of finding what you like. I'd start with the Conti Road Attacks because they are a good price (and I love them) - but there are plenty of other suggestions here ...

[Katman]

Just to clear up what seems to be a bit of confusion.....

Conti Road Attacks are radial tyres.

The bike in question is designed to use bias ply tyres.

There are no radials that will fit.

[neels]

The bike in question is designed to use bias ply tyres.

Out of interest, are there any issues putting radials on a bike that was originally designed for bias ply tyres?

Anyway, had a set of BT45's on my old XJ600 which never caused me any issues, riding summer/winter hot/cold wet/dry