switching from bias to radial tires

Flexit said:
@ST1100Y Seller was https://www.motomentum.com/bridgestone-firestone-g547-110-80v18-front-tubeless-201348
Tyres cost $157.59 each (after discount, obtained by registering as a customer), Shipping $188.65 (for both tyres) and they gave me another $5 off as reward points! Total came to $498, converted by Paypal to Sterling Pounds £408.47. Delticom were quoting £182 per tyre (the German company that operates under different names ie Mytyres/Gigatyres), but then didn't have them :mad:
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Thanx, hope this works... :unsure:
Last Bridgestone G547 110/80-18 TL 58V M/C came for € 128,30,- (incl VAT) right to the door, which was a bargain...
Dunno what's going on now...
Now € 483,04,- for two from the US, plus 25% (VAT + customs) makes € 603,80,-... pfffff... :confused:
Flexit said:
Yeah, I've still got to face potential customs (4% import for tyres and probably 20% VAT too). However, I'm getting the tyres I feel comfortable with, handle well (particularly on the Flexit outfit - very important) and last well (my average over 165,000 miles is around 10,000 miles for the front). Also means that I can use the two rear G548s that I have already got :giggle: Other tyres may cost less but also wear quicker so my non-accountant brain says there's not a lot of difference in it...... more to the point I can afford it and it makes me happy :D
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Agree wholeheartedly, increased lifetime/mileage compensate the prices... (its like with regular vs premium fuel...)
If above deal works out am I set for another 3 years of riding...
Now off on finding two G548 to make that complete sets...
 
I have gone from Bias to Radial tires and back, but not on my ST. I did that on my 2013 Burgman 650. When I returned to Radial tires on that bike I first switched only the front and ran that way for a while with the Bias tire on the rear. That was sketchy at best. Radial tires have softer sidewalls than Bias tires. So the tread sticks better with Radials. In certain racing setups they sometimes use a mix of Bias and Radial tires... BUT they ALWAYS put the Radial on the rear with the Bias on front. NOT the other way around. This is due to the different performance of each type of tire. When I had the Radial on front and Bias on the rear the bike handled terribly and I found it was very easy to slide around on dry pavement. I actually had to go slower through a traffic circle than the posted recommended speed or the bike would slip out on me. When both ends were the same I could usually go at least 10 mph faster in the same traffic circle in the same road conditions. Radial tires at both ends on that bike were better overall.

This is what Michelin says about it:

Two kinds of tires for specialized performance​

Due to their soft sidewalls, the crowns of radial tires stick to the road on contact. Their footprint, shorter but wider than that of a bias tire, provides added grip when leaning in heavily on corners. The pressure of the air in contact with the tire surface is distributed more effectively with radial tires, which results in more even tread wear over time.
Radial tires also provide greater comfort at higher speeds, once again as a result of their soft sidewalls, which absorb the impact of imperfections on the road surface. On the other hand, bias tires are able to carry a greater weight because their sidewalls are more rigid. At high speeds, bias tires can become so deformed that their performance is affected. Ultimately, bias tires are suitable for vehicles traveling at moderate speeds, with small to medium-sized engines and flexible chassis. They are also suited to heavy or heavily loaded motorcycles. Radial tires are needed for more powerful vehicles with very rigid chassis and for more sporty purposes. They allow you to reach ZR speed ratings, above 150 mph.
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rjs987 said:
I have gone from Bias to Radial tires and back, but not on my ST. I did that on my 2013 Burgman 650. When I returned to Radial tires on that bike I first switched only the front and ran that way for a while with the Bias tire on the rear. That was sketchy at best. Radial tires have softer sidewalls than Bias tires. So the tread sticks better with Radials. In certain racing setups they sometimes use a mix of Bias and Radial tires... BUT they ALWAYS put the Radial on the rear with the Bias on front. NOT the other way around. This is due to the different performance of each type of tire. When I had the Radial on front and Bias on the rear the bike handled terribly and I found it was very easy to slide around on dry pavement. I actually had to go slower through a traffic circle than the posted recommended speed or the bike would slip out on me. When both ends were the same I could usually go at least 10 mph faster in the same traffic circle in the same road conditions. Radial tires at both ends on that bike were better overall.

This is what Michelin says about it:
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I've been running radials on the front and bias on the back for more years than I can remember on my ST1100s.
But then I ride like an old man ... ;)
 
Flexit said:
Unfortunately, that option is illegal here in the UK and I suspect also for @ST1100Y in Austria.
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So it is required by law to either be bias/bias or radial/radial (I presume MOT checks it)?
If so, you might look at the BT020 bias rear goes on BMWK1200LT (correct size) and BT20 bias front (found a 120 width but that would work on a 110 rim).
I've got good service out of the BT020 bias rears but they are a bear to mount because of the stiff sidewall.
 
Uncle Phil said:
So it is required by law to either be bias/bias or radial/radial (I presume MOT checks it)?
If so, you might look at the BT020 bias rear goes on BMWK1200LT (correct size) and BT20 bias front (found a 120 width but that would work on a 110 rim).
I've got good service out of the BT020 bias rears but they are a bear to mount because of the stiff sidewall.
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I haven't read it lately Unc but I think it says the radial would have to go to the rear for improved handling, i.e. prevent oversteer. But like I say it's been a while. Tyre types are checked by the tester for the yearly MOT.
Upt.
 
Upt' North said:
I haven't read it lately Unc but I think it says the radial would have to go to the rear for improved handling, i.e. prevent oversteer. But like I say it's been a while. Tyre types are checked by the tester for the yearly MOT.
Upt.
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I wonder if the 'MOT' checker would be smart enough to know which years of ST1100s came with bias tires and which came with radials. ;)
 
Uncle Phil said:
I wonder if the 'MOT' checker would be smart enough to know which years of ST1100s came with bias tires and which came with radials. ;)
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It wouldn't matter as long as the tyres were fitted as per regs. So if you turn up with a 40 year old bike fitted with the latest radials it's not an issue, it would pass. Or like I said before, I think I'm right.
The same would apply in reverse.
Upt.
 
Uncle Phil said:
I wonder if the 'MOT' checker would be smart enough to know which years of ST1100s came with bias tires and which came with radials. ;)
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Examples of an unsuitable tyre are:

a sidecar or car tyre on a solo motorcycle - sidecars may be fitted with either car or motorcycle type tyres
a tyre specifically designed for front wheel use fitted to the rear wheel
a bias belted tyre fitted to the front with a cross-ply tyre fitted to the rear
a radial tyre fitted to the front and a cross-ply or bias belted tyre fitted to the rear.
 
Uncle Phil said:
I've been running radials on the front and bias on the back for more years than I can remember on my ST1100s.
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Such "mix" is neither legal nor recommendable in any way...
Over variations in traction, handling and other abilities, one shouldn't even install different types and/or manufacturers...
(yeah, worn to the legal limit, massive puncture/damage, hence need to limp home is a different situation; but I'd need to "correct" that once back home over failing a MOT/tech inspection, plus I'd loose all insurance coverage in case of an accident... regardless which party is at fault...)
 
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Uncle Phil said:
So it is required by law to either be bias/bias or radial/radial (I presume MOT checks it)?
If so, you might look at the BT020 bias rear goes on BMWK1200LT (correct size) and BT20 bias front (found a 120 width but that would work on a 110 rim).
I've got good service out of the BT020 bias rears but they are a bear to mount because of the stiff sidewall.
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Isn't BT020 a radial tyre ? Or are there two types ?
 
jfheath said:
Isn't BT020 a radial tyre ? Or are there two types ?
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There are two types of BT020s - the bias one and the radial one - so you have to pay attention when you order them.
As I said, the one I use on the rears are 'speced' for the BMWK1200LT and are in the 'correct' size.
Which is nice to know in case you run out of tire, you might find one at a BMW dealership! ;)
 
ST1100Y said:
Such "mix" is neither legal nor recommendable in any way...
Over variations in traction, handling and other abilities, one shouldn't even install different types and/or manufacturers...
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Oh well, we don't have the legal issues or MOT over here so I reckon I'll just keep doing what I've been doing for 400,000+ miles ... ;)
 
Uncle Phil said:
There are two types of BT020s - the bias one and the radial one - so you have to pay attention when you order them.
As I said, the one I use on the rears are 'speced' for the BMWK1200LT and are in the 'correct' size.
Which is nice to know in case you run out of tire, you might find one at a BMW dealership! ;)
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Thanks UP. I didn't know that. I only asked 'cos when I checked at Bridgestone, 2 tyres had 'Radial' alongside the details. 1 tyre didn't - it had an 'M'. I don't buy them now, but I never asked specifically for radials. Just the heavy duty 'F' version,

I wonder which type I had ?
 
My guess would be the radial version as it is more 'prominent' in the listings and it is the 'usual' default choice.
I have to hunt for the BT020 M Bias tire when I am in the market.
I do all my own tire changes and I can tell you the BT020 M sidewall is incredibly stiff! ;)
I ran a set of Michelins (PR5?, bias Commander on the back) for a side by side comparison and was not impressed as the mileage was no better than the BTs and the cost was much more.
 
Uncle Phil said:
There are two types of BT020s - the bias one and the radial one - so you have to pay attention when you order them.
As I said, the one I use on the rears are 'speced' for the BMWK1200LT and are in the 'correct' size.
Which is nice to know in case you run out of tire, you might find one at a BMW dealership! ;)
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Or find an Exedra rear for your ST1100 at a Harley dealer. Fits their Sportsters. Only difference is “Harley Davidson” on the sidewall. AMHIKT BTDT

John
 
Uncle Phil said:
If so, you might look at the BT020 bias rear goes on BMWK1200LT (correct size) and BT20 bias front (found a 120 width but that would work on a 110 rim).
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My Brother in-law at various times had a K1100LT and a K1200LT, both of which are big heavy motorcycles. I don't know for certain but I seem to recall that they had these tires on them. One of them he bought brand new so if these were the tires it came with from BMW that is what it had. The tires seemed to last forever on those motorcycles. He rode all the way out to Northern B.C. and back from here in the Montreal area and when he got back the tires still looked really good. They were no where near needing to be changed and they weren't freshly installed before he left. Far better mileage than any tire that I have run. I am curious to know what kind of mileage you get running these on an ST.
 
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