NEW TIRES FOR THE V7-850

[rogerdj]

Todd, this is what I found on line, its saying the difference is 30mm in the diameter. So the 60 series will in fact lower the rear of the bike by 30mm which seems a lot, it might suit us shorter people and also take some of the lean out of the side stand! secondary bonuses but for the aggressive might cause some main stand dragging... And yes I have already a 110/80R-18 front fitted (T32) so fitting a 60 series to the rear will definitely require lowering of the front I'm guessing? The same calculator on the front tyres tells me the 110/80R-18 change drops the front diameter by 4mm, so not as major as the rear tire change.
Re the speedo also I did wonder if it was actually driven off the gearbox.
thanks for the reply again!

 

[GTM®]

Todd, this is what I found on line, its saying the difference is 30mm in the diameter. So the 60 series will in fact lower the rear of the bike by 30mm which seems a lot...

Thanks, but generic calculators aren't correct for most tire manufacturers. So again... If it's 30 mm diameter shorter, than it would be half each direction from the axle, so 15 mm lower. Tough to repeat myself here.
You need to get the tire info from the manufacturer to compare accurately.

 

[rogerdj]

Has yes I should have recognized that of course the other half of the 30mm is sitting above the axle so doesn't effect the actual bike height,,, to early in the day here...
A 15mm drop to me and slight changing in gearing would seem worthy of the change for my riding circumstances. I will investigate when tires are due again (likely Jan 24).
The explanation is appreciated !

 

[Brojon]

Ok - I got the Mutant for the front of my '21 Centenario.
Rides like it's on ball bearings.
BUT - it is an unstable and dangerous tire at highway speeds.
If you have to make a sharp move - like dodging a cager or road junk - the front will start oscillating very hard like it's about to start a tank slapper. After it happened twice I experimented and I can cause it to do so at will - even though that's pretty stupid to risk a tank slapper at 75+ mph. I've noticed tar snakes and water grooves can also make it oscillate harder than I've experienced on other tires on the same stretch of slab.
I will be taking this tire off and replacing with the Road 5 or something unless someone can suggest a reason with a fix.
I'm all ears on a fix as I'd rather not replace a new tire.

 

[Chrisfer]

Ok - I got the Mutant for the front of my '21 Centenario.
Rides like it's on ball bearings.
BUT - it is an unstable and dangerous tire at highway speeds.
If you have to make a sharp move - like dodging a cager or road junk - the front will start oscillating very hard like it's about to start a tank slapper. After it happened twice I experimented and I can cause it to do so at will - even though that's pretty stupid to risk a tank slapper at 75+ mph. I've noticed tar snakes and water grooves can also make it oscillate harder than I've experienced on other tires on the same stretch of slab.
I will be taking this tire off and replacing with the Road 5 or something unless someone can suggest a reason with a fix.
I'm all ears on a fix as I'd rather not replace a new tire.

You have change the front or the rear tire, or both ?

 

[Brojon]

You have change the front or the rear tire, or both ?

Both. I have an appointment with AF1 to check the bike out as this really is a dangerous situation.

 

[Chrisfer]

Les deux. J'ai rendez-vous avec AF1 pour vérifier la moto car c'est vraiment une situation dangereuse.

I had read behavior like that, with a tire mounted in the wrong direction!

 

[Brojon]

I had read behavior like that, with a tire mounted in the wrong direction!

That's easy enough to check - nope, it's mounted correctly.

 

[GTM®]

Both. I have an appointment with AF1 to check the bike out as this really is a dangerous situation.

So what was the outcome?
I can tell you the Mutants are stellar…

 

[Zamp]

GTM installed a set of Bridgestone BT32 on my V7 850.
110/80-18 Front 150/70-17 Rear.
Went for a spirited ride in our local mountains.
They work great. I would recommend them to anyone.

 

[GTM®]

GTM installed a set of Bridgestone BT32 on my V7 850.

Thanks for posting. You ran a set of RA3's prior, and you mentioned they were in large very similar, correct?

 

[Zamp]

Thanks for posting. You ran a set of RA3's prior, and you mentioned they were in large very similar, correct?

That is correct. The RA3s are very similar to BT32s. I could not tell the difference between the two.
Right from the start, I was able to ride at a good clip. Smooth ride, stable at higher speeds. Good match for the V7.

 

[DK90]

In case anyone is wondering about the other options for our bikes, I installed a set of Bridgestone A41 last weekend. 150/70 out back, 110/80 up front. I like to do a bit of motocamping now and again and wanted something for less than stellar roads, and good commuting mileage as its my daily.

Grip has been great, dry and wet. Surprisingly good turn-in. Feels very stable at highway speeds as well.

Word of warning, though. These have to be the stiffest tires around. Many times more difficult to mount than the RA3's I had prior.

 

[Farilpieno57]

I've got 6k miles on my V7 850's OEM tires, and they look like I'll easily get 10k out of them. Any suggestions on a high mileage alternative that provides a suppler ride? Strong cornering and rain performance isn't important to me since I'm not an aggressive or rain rider.

 

[kildareman]

I've got 6k miles on my V7 850's OEM tires, and they look like I'll easily get 10k out of them. Any suggestions on a high mileage alternative that provides a suppler ride? Strong cornering and rain performance isn't important to me since I'm not an aggressive or rain rider.

Bridgestone T32. I'm into my second set. Brilliant in wet and dry. Very sure footed

 

[Zamp]

Same here Bridgestone T32, on my first set, so can't comment on millage.
Handle and ride great.

 

[Vagrant]

I've run several sets of the T32 on various bikes I closing my v7's. Better than most and cheap. But, not as nice as a Conti road attack 3.

 

[andyalp]

I'm trying a set of Bridgestone Battlax BT46 here in Aus on my V7III. Couldn't get the rear 130/80-R17 in the BT32. So far very good in handling and comfort. Time will tell on wear.

 

[70Ambo21V7]

Just installed the Mutants in 110/80-18 & 150/60-17, along with an Outex tubeless conversions on my '21 Special. My short legs appreciate the reduction in height.
No issues like Brojon in the 250ish miles. Also, the bike doesn't seem to have the noticeable transition from side to side anymore. I think someone named that in an earlier post and related it as a good thing but didn't know about it till it wasn't there.
Next up will probably be a call to Todd for rear shocks and front cartridges but need to recover from some other expenses first.

 

[scottmastrocinque]

Next up will probably be a call to Todd for rear shocks and front cartridges…

Plan your budget accordingly because remember or know that suspension upgrades should always be done both front and rear at the same time.

You want them perfectly balanced to each other and GTM is an excellent resource for this and will help you get suspension components tailor made to your specifications. Be sure to communicate with him before your purchase to take advantage of his truly expert skills in this arena.

If you upgrade only one end and leave the other end stock, you will have a terrible handling motorcycle at best, and possibly an even dangerous one depending upon the very different handling characteristics of the wildly different suspension performance.

Good Luck!