Top 3 CTs for the R3

[TriumPhil]

The TTT is available in a 225/55 but the treadwear rating is a rock hard 740!

The real question is, what is important to you?

Narrow tire vs. Big Fatty?

Treadwear Ratings?

Extreme Handling?

Cost?

Looks?

What do you have in mind?

If you are looking at a Std Roc, then your lower limit is practically a 205 width. In that you would need at least a 60 series to have it not be too small in diameter.

Some people run a 215/60 with success.

The 225/55 is the closest to stock without being smaller. Plus it handles well.

235/50 or 235/55 gives you a slightly fatter look but requires more steering effort.

245/50 is for Fatty lovers who want to show off the meat!!

All good points, tdragger.

I am a rather aggressive rider who loves to attack the twisties. Looks and cost are not high on my list. Function and handling are. It seems that the 225/55 looks to be the all around choice given my preferences, though I'd like to hear a bit more from Joker re: why the Brits seem to prefer, what did he say 2 pgs back? A 235/50 Toyo? Seems that may not be available stateside as I haven't seen anyone over here claiming run it.

 

[HellFire]

245/50 is for Fatty lovers who want to show off the meat!!

Thats me ... I'm a chubby chaser!
I like 'em round, thick and juicy ....

 

[TriumPhil]

PROXES T1R | Toyo Tires

HeR3tic, I found this for you on the Tire barn site. That is one nasty looking tire and if I understand correctly the 235 is the best fit for the OEM rim, though a 55 might provide the better profile.

 

[wjb3805]

feedback from new Darksider

I'm very new at the darkside with only around 500 miles so far. I'm running a Nexen 5000 (products : Nexen Tires ) 225/55/16r and will never go back to a motorcycle tire again. corrected the speedo error by around 2.5 to 3 mph, is smoother riding and quieter. it even feels like it grips better in the turns.
none of my riding buddies believe me, which is their loss. the only way I notice the difference is on roads with a very high camber and that is no major drawback.
be sure to play with the air pressure. for me 42 lbs on a 44lb psi max is working beautifully.
hope this helps.

Jeff
2006 R3
Portsmouth Va

 

[CADFather]

I'm stateside and running the Toyo Proxxes, only mine is a 245/50, no rubbing and "It grips like shiteto a blanket," to quote an Aussie Captain. 12,000 miles so far and no appreciable wear, other than the shoulders are rounding slightly, but that was from too much air in the tire.

 

[TriumPhil]

I, and most of the Brits, run a 235 / 50 Toyo Proxes. Love it.

That's a very different tread pattern than that on the Proxes T1R.

 

[STRIPES]

I got about 8 months out of my Cooper 245/60/16 and getting time to change. Much better than the 3000 months or so out of the Mezzlers.

I'd like to run a 235/50or55 but can't find any stateside. Anyybody have a source?

 

[HeR3tic]

I have 8000 On a rikon Raptor love it and I have a NEW Metz rear I"ll trade for a front

I recommend a Dunlop Elite III on the front. The Metz got me 13k and the Elite III has that much now and looks unscarred.

Has anyone set up a survey of who's running what CT and to determine almost exactly how many folks on this site have gone over to the Darkness?...

I wont swear to it but I do beilieve there is a survey. I will swear, 47% of the Spring RAAIV riders were darksiders.

I've read a few posts describing some disappointment in tires that advertise a "rounded" profile like the Cooper Zeon. It also has a wide center rib which some report that it tracks pavement grooves. The Riken has a very narrow center rib and doesn't have the tracking problem.

The Riken seems to have the largest following right now and the 225/55 is the closest in spec to the stock 240/50 without being smaller. It does correct the speedo slightly and, at least for me, seems to improve gas mileage slightly. I'm a cheap bastard so that's important to me.

No doubt that the Goodyear has a badass looking tread pattern.

The Goodyear has a 280 rating whereas the Riken has a 300. Both are really sticky but as I can atest, the Riken is wearing quite well for me at 13k and still looking brand new.

The Toyo also has a large following, moreso across the pond.

You can go to Discount Tires From Cooper Tires, Falken Tires & More. and key in the size and view a list of all the major players.

Great Summation. I have several of the complaints you mention; including Popeye's forearms as a result of the wider center rib, of the Zeon 2XS. But more so I remark on center of my Zeon continues to wear out more quickly. I will attribute this to the real occurrence of slightly rounded profile.
I dropped down to 34PSI these daze and it (2XS) still wears the center, true experience, of the slightly rounded profile tire.
Its either that or I cant keep off the throttle.

 

[STRIPES]

Heretic,

You are right about the # of darkside at RAIV. And, I too am having problems with the tire wearing in the middle even though I run REAL low air pressure..... I'm certain it is due to my fixation with lighting up the rear tire. The tire does do a nice job of "swelling up" when it losing traction. I'm assuming when it does get bigger from the centrifugal forces the tire surface goes round. IT loses a little traction between gear changes too. I'm not complaining as it is double the tread life over a Mezzler.

 

[TriumPhil]

I'll be swapping out the stock Metz MT (with less than 3K mi. on it) for a CT first thing this Spring, if for no other reason (and there are several other good ones) than as a safety measure. With the torque that this beast puts out and the ease of locking up the very aggressive rear brake setup, going to the Darkside is cheap insurance to help avoid losing traction and getting sidewise in a bad sort of way!