Tires or tyres.

[VAG944]

No matter how you spell it, they make or break your ride....sometimes literally!

There are not tons of options in the 110/70/17 and 150/60/17, what are your opinions on what you've used on other bikes. Will you swap sooner than later?

I heard the factory rear doesn't wear normally at full lean like the front does, maybe cause of it's profile! Anyone else hear this or better yet (you lucky Euro/Asians) experienced this?

My second set of tyres on the 675 were Pirelli Diablo Rosso II..........hated them on the track (compaired to the stock tyres) as they felt unsettled when they transition between the two compounds!

What do you like in a tyre, whether for track days, commuting, do rainy days make you reconsider your tyre choices??

 

[guzz46]

I'm still waiting for my RC to arrive in the country, but when it does I'm going to replace the M5 tyres with a pair of Dunlop Sportmax AL-13H, and I'm going to put a 140/70/17 on the rear because, as you said, the standard 150 looks like its too big for the rim, if it was the right size then it shouldn't have any chicken strips, plus the 70 profile will lift the rear a bit more and give some more ground clearance, I don't want to scrape the fairing.

On a small bike I always get the softest tyres available, because you still get decent life out of them, and that extra grip can quite literally be the difference between life and death when pushing it on the road.My first choice would of been a pair of Supercorse SC's, but they are pretty much all sold out in my country.

My current bike is a husky SM610, and being a motard they don't have that same planted front end feeling you get on a sportsbike, so I can't really comment on the two sets of tyres I've used on the husky so far (which were Conti attack SM's, and a Metzeler interact k2 front with a Dunlop AL-13H rear) my last sportsbike was a RVF400 about 5 years ago, and by far the stickiest tyres I had were Michelin power ones, you could run into corners so hot and really crank it over and they felt like they would never let go, but I think they are discontinued now, Bridgestone BT090's were good too, but not as sticky as the power ones.

 

[motoarch]

Plan on ditching them right away and putting on 110/140 Diablo Rosso II combo for track use. Sorry you didn't like them but I love them.

 

[VAG944]

So looks like I'm moving up to Amherst Ma. motoarch, have you heard about the new track near there? Palmer Motorsports Park, looks awesome.

 

[motoarch]

We have few good tracks near by. I'm not sure when Palmer will be open but I know Tonys Track Days intends to run there when in does open. Thompson,ct just opened this year for bikes and is pretty good. New York saftey track is by far my favorite in the area. Loudon NH is my least favorite track near by but is where the local race series runs if you're interested in racing your bike.

 

[kalleh]

Myself, I praying a silent prayer that Pirelli will put out a batch of Super Corsas in the proper dimensions...one can always dream!

 

[Treachery]

I had Supercorsas on an Aprilia. The rear lasted about 950 miles. The front stuck like glue.

 

[guzz46]

1500kms! I think the most I got on the RVF400 was about 8000kms, and about 6000kms on my bigger bikes, although the tyres I were using wouldn't be as sticky as the Supercorsas, what Aprilia was it?

 

[Treachery]

1500kms! I think the most I got on the RVF400 was about 8000kms, and about 6000kms on my bigger bikes, although the tyres I were using wouldn't be as sticky as the Supercorsas, what Aprilia was it?

'99.5 RSV Mille. Torque is a b***h.

It's sorta funny: The specified stock tire wasn't a Supercorsa, it was just a Dragon Evo. I suppose they were out that day, and SC's got mounted...with the yellow SC label covered up. The obscuration was discovered during a bike wash. The tire cords were discovered not long after.

 

[kalleh]

Super Corsas might not last the longest (though I don't think it would be a problem on a 390), but man do I trust them on the track!

 

[TZMike]

here are the KTM recommended tires for the RC390:

 

[kalleh]

Is the Metzeler that comes with the cup bike? If so, Melissa Paris (and other reviewers) thought it wasn't as sticky as other "track" oriented tires and was limiting the potential of the bike. And I trust Melissa

 

[kalleh]

This is the review I'm talking about More On The KTM RC 390 Cup Racebike

 

[guzz46]

Every picture I've seen of the cup bike have the Metzelers, I did a few rides on the Metzeler M5's when I first got my RC and I wasn't too keen on them at all, they didn't feel confidence inspiring, they never felt tacky to the touch after a good ride around the hills, they basically felt like a reasonably sticky road tyre, the kind of tyre you would put on a big bike if you wanted a reasonably sticky tyre that would last you 6000kms or so.

I replaced them with some Dunlop Alpha-13H's, with a 140/70 rear, and they feel much better, after a good ride around the hills they're nice and tacky to the touch, they feel like a proper track day tyre as opposed to a some what sticky road tyre, they're also H rated tyres, so designed for light weight bikes, I would like to know how the Pirelli Dragon SC compares to the Dunlops, but I don't think they make them in a 140 rear, I could always put the Pirelli on the front, but I like having matching front and rear tyres.

 

[Treachery]

I like the suggestion of the 140 rear. Seems like going backwards in a way, but if the profile is better, and gummier rubber comes in the 140... Just dunno if I can bring myself to un-shoe a new bike.

 

[TZMike]

These are the tires recommended or approved for use on the RC390 for German roads. Don't forget the German regulations are rather strict and only approved tires can be used on them. You'd get ticketed if you were running some Bridgestone or whatever

 

[guzz46]

The two reasons why I went for the 140/70 was for the higher profile, and because of the chicken strips with the 150, and I don't like having chicken strips on my tyres, the 140 actually looks more triangular in profile, like it would have a bigger contact patch when lent over.

 

[Treachery]

These are the tires recommended or approved for use on the RC390 for German roads. Don't forget the German regulations are rather strict and only approved tires can be used on them. You'd get ticketed if you were running some Bridgestone or whatever

No joke. That seems a bit oppressive. Approved size and brand? Wow.

 

[kalleh]

Just realized Pirelli produces the SuperCorsa SC in the stock sizes. That is without a doubt what I'll be running on the track

 

[motoarch]

Thanks for posting that. The last time I checked in with my track tire guy they only had the 140 size for the diablo rossos ii available. They now have the SuperCorsa V2 in SC,SC1 and SC2 compounds in the stock size. Great news.