Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => The Bike - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: Z71 on February 02, 2013, 11:09:38 PM
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I have close to 5000 miles on my original tires and they are getting quite squared off as I live in Florida and ride mostly on straight roads. Today I noticed that the bike felt weird - it was like I was running on car tires, not motorcycle tires. I know some have complained about the OEM tire bad handling, and I think I am experiencing just that. These tires are really crappy it seems with some miles on them. What did you get out of the OEM tires? My bike is an '09 model.
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I hit the wear bars on the rear at 3500 miles and the front was badly cupped. The ride was crappy and it handled like an old pickup.
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PR3's, PR2's, Angels, whatever you pick will be a huge improvement. You will wish you replaced the original rocks much earlier, especially when you go around the one curve in Florida. ;D
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I have close to 5000 miles on my original tires
:o
My bike is an '09 model.
:o :o
Dude, you really need to ride more.
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:o
:o :o
Dude, you really need to ride more.
I have three other bikes which I ride more than this one.
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I had no issues with the oem tires, but I mostly ride curvy roads so they wore out fairly evenly. I have the PR3s on their now and it feels like every new tire feels.
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I have close to 5000 miles on my original tires and they are getting quite squared off as I live in Florida and ride mostly on straight roads. Today I noticed that the bike felt weird - it was like I was running on car tires, not motorcycle tires. I know some have complained about the OEM tire bad handling, and I think I am experiencing just that. These tires are really crappy it seems with some miles on them. What did you get out of the OEM tires? My bike is an '09 model.
Actually, the oem tires are crappy from the get-go.
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Correct, and if the OP is getting carppy handling then it's time for them to go before they do ill towards him. Riders get anywhere from 3k miles to 8k+ miles. Mine went 8k+ and I never experienced the handling go bad but others experience varies.
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A pair of PR 3's completely reforms the bike into a proper S/Tourer that will play well with the FJR's and ST 1300's you encounter. Just be sure to put a 190/55 on the rear instead of the std. size 190/50. The original 021 Bridgestones were the worst tires I have ever had, spooky and dangerous to the point I was going to sell the bike until I read the posts here and tried the Michelins- thanks, guys.
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You've already figured out the problem. Wonky handling on the OEM Brickstones became unbearable for me on my '09 at 3500 miles. I replaced the treacherous rubber donuts from hell with Pirelli Angel ST's and never looked back. Quit worrying about how many miles you can get out of them, you're ruining the enjoyment of this great bike. You'll kick yourself for not doing it earlier once you feel the difference.
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Correct, and if the OP is getting carppy handling then it's time for them to go before they do ill towards him. Riders get anywhere from 3k miles to 8k+ miles. Mine went 8k+ and I never experienced the handling go bad but others experience varies.
I am sure that it would handle a lot better if the tires were worn evenly. Being squared off however, makes it much worse, especially in turns. Yes, there are few curves here and there in Florida. And everybody makes right and left turns at intersections.
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You've probably washed your bike too many times as well. That's never good for it.
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The OEMs for me were the worst tire I have had the displeasure of riding on in 40 years of riding....the front cupped badly and the rear squared off before I knew it. I had them slip on me three times during normal non aggresive cornering scared the beejesus out of me....tires gone now new PR 3s what a difference. Should have changed then out before picking up the bike.
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Quit worrying about how many miles you can get out of them, you're ruining the enjoyment of this great bike. You'll kick yourself for not doing it earlier once you feel the difference.
Agreed! I made the same mistake and lived with the stones for 3500 miles. I put on PR2s a few weeks ago with a 190/55 rear. Wow! What a difference!!
Mark
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Actually, the oem tires are crappy from the get-go.
I wouldn't say that they were that bad-I thought they were ok for the first 1000 miles, that was the length of my ride home from the dealer.
Ok, maybe the first 500!
The rear squared out early, making handling feel like a school bus. The front tire went bald on the sides at around 4000 miles. I was on the last trip with these tires, thinking I'd get new PR3's when I got back. As worried as I was with the front looking like it was carved out of stone, saw steel belts showing out of the rear!
I am by no definition an aggressive rider, but PR3's on this bike made it feel like a different ride.
The oem Bridgestones have one purpose- help the bike roll out of the dealership.
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I am at about 5500 miles on the OEM tires. There is no question the handling is getting worse and worse, but there seems to be a lot of life left in them still. I was trying/hoping to coordinate the tire replacement with the next service interval at 7500 miles. Should be interesting to see if they will make it. PR3 is my plan.
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I've not tried the PR's or Angels yet, but highly recommend the Dunlop Sportmax Q2's as a replacement. Agree with using a 190/55 rear.
My next pair of tires may go on sooner than later, now that it appears I need to solder in some new TPS batteries. I'll be trying a set of Korean made Full Bore tires, that sort of resemble Shinko's, but have a very thick carcass.
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Agree with using a 190/55 rear.
As much as I have heard that advice, I simply can't take it, because it would raise the bike. I need every mm I can get :(
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=260.0 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=260.0)
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As much as I have heard that advice, I simply can't take it, because it would raise the bike. I need every mm I can get :(
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=260.0 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=260.0)
Perhaps you could tolerate using the 180/55-17 and get the benefit of the profile, without so much height increase?
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I would imagine the stock tires would be fine for the flat lands. I live at the edge of the Cascades and can be on twisty roads in about 10 minutes. I ran the Stones for 3200 miles and put PR 2’s (PR3’s not invented yet) on the 09. The PR2’s made the C14 feel like a new bike. The PR2’s built confidence on the bike from the first day I owned them and I did not have to fight them. I made it to 15K with the 2’s and at the end they handled about as well as a stock stone. Next set was the 3’s. The rear 3 didn’t wear as well as a 2. The front 3 is wearing very well. Today for me if I put new rubber on my 14 the combo would be stock sizes with a PR3 up front and a PR2 on the rear.
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Perhaps you could tolerate using the 180/55-17 and get the benefit of the profile, without so much height increase?
When the time comes, I will ask my best friend, who is major into this stuff and see what he thinks. I am at about as low as I feel is "safe" so I should be OK with the stock sizes.
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I would imagine the stock tires would be fine for the flat lands. I live at the edge of the Cascades and can be on twisty roads in about 10 minutes.
I am near the ocean. All cities and flat. Takes me 40 minutes to get anywhere that is somewhat "nowhere" and interesting. Now having no riding buddy, and being out of shape and tired all the time, I don't ride nearly as much as I used to. Add to that the Concours being large, heavy, and tall and me being small, light, and short-legged, I never really feel in control or comfortable (mostly just stressed; which is much different from the ZRX). Probably doesn't help having worn OEM tires and having lowered the bike some (which does affect the handling).
I ran the Stones for 3200 miles and put PR 2’s (PR3’s not invented yet) on the 09. The PR2’s made the C14 feel like a new bike. The PR2’s built confidence on the bike from the first day I owned them and I did not have to fight them. I made it to 15K with the 2’s and at the end they handled about as well as a stock stone. Next set was the 3’s. The rear 3 didn’t wear as well as a 2. The front 3 is wearing very well. Today for me if I put new rubber on my 14 the combo would be stock sizes with a PR3 up front and a PR2 on the rear.
It would never even occur to me to mix different models/types of tires. Sounds interesting, though. There are plenty of threads on PR2 vs. PR3 vs. whatever... but you are not the first that indicates the PR3 wears faster than the PR2.
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Now having no riding buddy, and being out of shape and tired all the time....
My riding buddy used to live in Chesapeake and now has moved to Columbia, MD. I don't ride with him much anymore. Maybe we can meet up halfway with some other riders down there this spring and have a go of it. We can do the windshield thing.. Yeah, I know you've heard this before but last year I didn't ride as much as I wanted. It's a nice ride for me down 17 from King George. I'm out of shape as well but how much shape do you have to be in to ride the bike? That's why I ride a bike with an engine in it and not the pedal variety. None of us can catch it if it falls so what's the point with all that exercise...
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Agree with using a 190/55 rear.
What's the main advantage to using that instead of the stock size? Slightly taller tire? It will effectively change the gearing too, meaning engine RPMs will drop a hair at the same speed in every gear. This could mean a 1 MPG increase in fuel economy at cruising speed.
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I haven't done that 'mod' but many have and the anecdotal evidence suggests that handling improves and certain things become larger.....I'm just sayin.. But really, no negatives.
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My riding buddy used to live in Chesapeake and now has moved to Columbia, MD. I don't ride with him much anymore.
And mine got married, moved 35 min away (was across the street), and let his RF900 rot in storage for several years. He is likely to never ride again.
Maybe we can meet up halfway with some other riders down there this spring and have a go of it. We can do the windshield thing.. Yeah, I know you've heard this before but last year I didn't ride as much as I wanted.
I was going to say "Deja Vu" :)
I am certainly "game"
Sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound like a sob story, just an explanation as to why I don't have all that many miles (5500 in not quite 2 years yet) and still feel out of control on the bike.
It's a nice ride for me down 17 from King George. I'm out of shape as well but how much shape do you have to be in to ride the bike?
Tell that to my back/neck/arms/knees... I am far too young to be having so many problems. Stress, desk job that keeps me immobile, FMS, CTS, RSI, CFS... all those nice, mysterious 3 letter words.
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And don't forget CRS, I have that one..
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- believe what they're trying to tell you - the stock tyres are crap.
- fronts will develop a crazy wear pattern almost from new.
- changed the stock tyres (before they were even worn out) to Pirelli Angel STs and I pretty much got a new bike after that , which handled like it should.
- only one good thing I would say about the stock tyres : they're rock solid at very high speeds , in excess of 120/130 mph. The Angels will start to waver/weave at those speeds.
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The rear stone is a good tire, the front is the issue.
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The rear stone is a good tire, the front is the issue.
In a nut shell Pokey hits the nail squarely on the head.
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I haven't done that 'mod' but many have and the anecdotal evidence suggests that handling improves and certain things become larger.....I'm just sayin.. But really, no negatives.
The German magazine "Motorrad" (with a well documented bias to BMW) compared the Kawa with the new Yamaha FJR, the new Triumph Trophy, the BMW RT and the BMW K16. Of course the BMW won... ::)
According to them, the Kawa is 5th overall and in all categories (chassis, everyday use, safety and running costs) except engine (3rd), and they went to the extent of saying that it is less sporty than the BMW K16 :-X Then they went on to mention that a '55 on the rear would help "save the handling".
I don't know about that advice, but everything else in that article smelled to sponsoring >:(
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AAAAARRRGGGHHHHH !!!!! >:( :cannon:
It's always the same story...
Most of "journalists" don't dare going against a best seller and this helps the "hated" to keep being a... best seller! :banghead:
And I'm not mentioning "paying" the "journalists"... ;) :pukeface:
But I'm not against BMW itself: they're doing their job!
I'm against the vast majority of BMW buyers who buy it only because ... all the others do it!
Sheep!
(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS0x7Cq-AQC54zXnQiP2ds99XAjqQGuFjRv4YqNPkZTV5oCBUv-)
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I've not tried the PR's or Angels yet, but highly recommend the Dunlop Sportmax Q2's as a replacement. Agree with using a 190/55 rear.
My next pair of tires may go on sooner than later, now that it appears I need to solder in some new TPS batteries. I'll be trying a set of Korean made Full Bore tires, that sort of resemble Shinko's, but have a very thick carcass.
The Q2s are sticky, but you'll only get 2500 miles from the rear. Never heard of Full Bore and I'm not gonna trust my azz with a tire that I don't feel confident in. Go with Michelin PR2s or 3s
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AAAAARRRGGGHHHHH !!!!! >:( :cannon:
It's always the same story...
Most of "journalists" don't dare going against a best seller and this helps the "hated" to keep being a... best seller! :banghead:
And I'm not mentioning "paying" the "journalists"... ;) :pukeface:
But I'm not against BMW itself: they're doing their job!
I'm against the vast majority of BMW buyers who buy it only because ... all the others do it!
Sheep!
(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS0x7Cq-AQC54zXnQiP2ds99XAjqQGuFjRv4YqNPkZTV5oCBUv-)
That's telling them, Ugo!