Kawasaki Concours Forum

The C10, aka Kawasaki Concours - The Original => The Bike - C10 => Topic started by: George R. Young on September 04, 2011, 08:04:56 PM

Title: New rear tire - Michelin Commander
Post by: George R. Young on September 04, 2011, 08:04:56 PM: Trip coming up, the existing Avon didn't have enough tread to go the distance.

So I bought and installed a Michelin Commander reinforced bias ply 150/80-16 77H. It seems these are distributed through the Harley Davidson organization, but now there's one on a Concours. 7mm tread, 6mm to the wear bars, 28g to balance.

Haven't ridden it yet, more info to come.

If anybody in the Ottawa ON area needs a free Avon Azaro rear with about 2000km life remaining, let me know.
Title: Re: New rear tire - Michelin Commander
Post by: Steve in Sunny Fla on September 05, 2011, 05:11:38 AM: George, I'm running commanders on the voyager. They are surprisingly decent tires, giving a nice ride and good turn in.They last, too. You're gonna like them, i suspect. Steve
Title: Re: New rear tire - Michelin Commander
Post by: George R. Young on September 05, 2011, 06:44:27 PM: Follow up:

The tire lost 4 psi overnight. Soap bubbles revealed a leak at the valve stem.

I have metal stems
http://kurveygirl.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=27&products_id=71 (http://kurveygirl.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=27&products_id=71)
that I'm very pleased with, but it seems I didn't tighten them enough when first installed, and I probably nudged them during this tire install. So they started leaking.

Only had to break the bead on one side, a bit of valve tightening up, reseating the tire and testing, all seems well.
Title: Re: New rear tire - Michelin Commander
Post by: CRocker on September 05, 2011, 08:02:48 PM: Quote from: Steve in Sunny Fla on September 05, 2011, 05:11:38 AM
George, I'm running commanders on the voyager. They are surprisingly decent tires, giving a nice ride and good turn in.They last, too. You're gonna like them, i suspect. Steve

Too bad Michelin discontinued them... :(

New Commander 2 tire will be introduced shortly...but, I don't think there is sizing for the C10... :(
Title: Re: New rear tire - Michelin Commander
Post by: Cholla on September 06, 2011, 05:53:45 AM: There may be Commanders made specifically for HDs but I'm on my second on the front of the Guzzi, purchased at the Hon/Yam/Duc/Tri shop. Based on their wear I don't use them on the rear.
Title: Re: New rear tire - Michelin Commander
Post by: Leo on September 06, 2011, 05:56:30 AM: I have been out of sych with the tire people all my life. I was running a 17/19 inch tire bike when the whole industry shifted to 16/18. Now I have a bike with 16/18 inch tires and the tire people are making those rare and going the 17 inch route again. I guess I need to quit maintaining my bikes so I'll have to buy a newer one.
Title: Re: New rear tire - Michelin Commander
Post by: George R. Young on September 06, 2011, 02:12:49 PM: Quote from: CRocker on September 05, 2011, 08:02:48 PM
Too bad Michelin discontinued them...
Seems there's a replacement called a 'Scorcher 31 (believe it or not)' in the 150/80B16 77 H size.
http://www.michelinmotorcycle.com/index.cfm?event=scorcher (http://www.michelinmotorcycle.com/index.cfm?event=scorcher)