Given the combined size and weight of both me and my wife, the overall weight capacity of a motorcycle is something that we have to consider when purchasing a bike, and more importantly tires.
I weigh in at approximately 275lbs, and my wife is "healthy" as well. We are both over 5'11" so we both wear it well, but trying to find the right tires to support us on a long distance 2-up ride seems to be a little more difficult than for most owners. I am sure there are others out there who also face this dilemma, so what brands / types of tires do you typically buy to reduce the chances of experiencing problems on long trips? How many of you went "dark side" to eliminate the problem all together? What experiences have you had doing so?
Combined weight (at the time) of myself and the wife was @ 380 lbs.
Both bikes weighed @ 860 lbs.
Add another 60 - 80 lbs. of gear...
On my K1200LT I used Metzeler ME880's, on my Road King I used both Dunlop 402's and Avons (Venoms I believe)...never had any problems or even worried about tire related issues other than debris related punctures.
Any motorcycle tire designed for touring will handle the weight just fine.
RevZilla has some good videos comparing riding gear and tires. They break it down to price, purpose, and performance.
If I am looking for something new, it is the first place I go. After I find something I am interested in, I ask if anyone has tried them and what do they think about the product.
I like dual compound tires -- harder rubber in the center for durability, and softer rubber on the outside for better traction when cornering. For sport touring, I like the Pilot Road 4 GT and Avon Storm 3D XMs -- both have stiffer sidewalls for heavier bikes (e.g., FJR, ST, Connie, etc.).
Quote from: kwb377 on September 21, 2015, 10:42:34 AM
Combined weight (at the time) of myself and the wife was @ 380 lbs.
Dang! Your wife must be tiny! 8)
I was @200. 225 now...I just don't carry it very well. :)
I like the Commander II's. DennisKirk.com has the best price on them right now. The kind UPS man left a set on my front porch today. He is such a good man to do that. :o
I think I'll put one of those pilot road 4's on the zrx. Considering the pilot power only lasted 4k miles. 500 lb bike and 275 lb rider.
Some of them come in a "GT" for heavier bikes. Exp: Pirelli Angel GT, PR 4 GT and I just put on a set of Conti Road Attack 2 GT's on the Connie. First 200 miles and they grip like super glue. Will be doing about 1200 miles this week so we shall see how they hold up.
I am currently using the road attack 2 as well. So far I like them. I have about 2000 miles on them and have only noticed minimal ware. They were priced right around 250 from American motorcycle tire.
http://www.americanmototire.com/catalog/
Quote from: terryrussell1 on September 22, 2015, 09:59:20 AM
I am currently using the road attack 2 as well. So far I like them. I have about 2000 miles on them and have only noticed minimal ware. They were priced right around 250 from American motorcycle tire.
http://www.americanmototire.com/catalog/
I get all my tires from them. Mine were $270 shipped.
Quote from: Shepcam on September 22, 2015, 11:29:02 AM
Quote from: terryrussell1 on September 22, 2015, 09:59:20 AM
I am currently using the road attack 2 as well. So far I like them. I have about 2000 miles on them and have only noticed minimal ware. They were priced right around 250 from American motorcycle tire.
http://www.americanmototire.com/catalog/
I get all my tires from them. Mine were $270 shipped.
Yeah I thank kwb for that place. Best prices I can find so far.
Quote from: kwb377 on September 21, 2015, 10:42:34 AM
Combined weight (at the time) of myself and the wife was @ 380 lbs.
Both bikes weighed @ 860 lbs.
Add another 60 - 80 lbs. of gear...
On my K1200LT I used Metzeler ME880's, on my Road King I used both Dunlop 402's and Avons (Venoms I believe)...never had any problems or even worried about tire related issues other than debris related punctures.
Any motorcycle tire designed for touring will handle the weight just fine.
What kind of bike do you ride ? did I miss this somewhere ?
I don't own them anymore...I was referring to the K1200LT and Road King.
What bike type? Any touring bike with upgraded straight rate springs will get it done. Tires have load ratings, a 67 for example is around 1,000 pounds. My current rear is rated well over 700 pounds. You mainly want to make sure your rear tire is rated to carry the load.
This explains tire ratings and has a load chart:
http://www.webbikeworld.com/Motorcycle-tires/tire-data.htm (http://www.webbikeworld.com/Motorcycle-tires/tire-data.htm)
Cruiser article on the subject: http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/getting-loaded-how-much-weight-can-your-motorcycle-handle (http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/getting-loaded-how-much-weight-can-your-motorcycle-handle)
I weighed way over 300 pounds for years, so all my bikes were overloaded with me and camping gear even. Haven't had any issues on my KTM950 or the FJR1300 or a ST1300/ST1100. Riding two up would mean I leave the camping gear at home and pack two light garment bags. On my 2006 DL1000 I hardly have room for a passenger even at 250 pounds because I'm 6'-4", but the bike can handle the weight with 1.1 fork springs and a 13.8 rear spring. I think its a good touring mount and the passenger area is decent with a seat concepts kit. The passenger can see over you with the stepped seat. The bikes are fairly cheap and easy to upgrade. I've ran over 500 pounds on mine with no tire issues, I run Tourances and 705's mainly.
Most bikes for touring will be rated for 400 to 500 pounds. So, look at what the bike is rated for first and compare options. Maybe a BMW R1150RT or something with decent payload? Then you can see what tires are available and compare options, go for a touring, sport touring or adventure bike for the larger payloads.
good thing to keep in mind as there are a lot of overloaded bikes out there, and people wondering why they don't get the mileage that others are getting. Also along the same lines, if you are loaded anywhere near the max ratings, make sure you keep a very close eye on your tire air pressures.
Once you have an idea of a couple of tires, call the manufacturer and see what they offer in the way of a heavier duty setup. I know in the past, there were different versions of many tires that were designed for a specific condition for the OE companies (i.e. Buell had pirelli tires that were lighter than the same size tires, Honda wanted more high speed stability from the CBR1000rr tires, Yamaha needed a spec tire for the FJRs, etc).
I know on my Road King, metzeler had "oversize" fitments listed on their website for it, and the "oversize" tires fit perfect, and were tested by Metzeler and approved for use on my bike. The "oversize" tires looked better, but also had a wider footprint so they lasted longer and had good traction, and still handled better than the OE dunlops it came with.
what bike are you riding?
Quotewhat bike are you riding?
I am looking to buy either an FJR1300 or a Valkyrie Interstate sometime this spring. In doing my research on which makes / models would accommodate my needs I was looking at the overall GVWR, Suspension travel, and by way of this thread, tire recommendations for when I get the bike. I want to make sure I have it set up properly prior to heading down the road with my wife on the back. As long as it's just me, pretty much anything in the size range I am looking at will do.
[/quote] I want to make sure I have it set up properly prior to heading down the road with my wife on the back.
[/quote]
Smart man! I am sure she would really appreciate that. Thumbs up.
I finally went to Dark side on my Burgman 650 . I bought a trailer to pull behind my Burgman and decide to go to car tire on rear for towing. So far it has handled good in curves and traction on wet pavement is really good. Speedometer is now within 1mph of GPS reading and ride is smoother. On the Burgman forum other riders that have made the switch or getting 60,000 miles out of rear tire. Don't know if I'll get that but hope to get alot more than the 10,000 miles I was getting.
Good to hear. Have you tried it 2 up yet? Thinking darkside on my next rear change. Added the trunk a few weeks ago. Defiantly a weight change hanging off the rear end.
Yes I've done two upand my friend said it rode smoother. As far as handling I can't tell any difference. It handles as good with car tire asit did with motorcycle tire and a third of the cost.
If you are going to do it might as well go big!
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n164/shepcam/maxresdefault.jpg)
Quote from: Shepcam on November 02, 2016, 02:35:08 PM
If you are going to do it might as well go big!
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n164/shepcam/maxresdefault.jpg)
You will change that tire before it goes bad. The belts would hit you right in the grape.
James L