How many miles from your rubber?

[The Spin Doctor]

Haven'r run a bike for fun only for years, so on a gentle commute my tyres last ages and often get replaced due to flattening the middle out, even though they're probably still more than legal.

I used to have a 600 mile per week commute, and was always looking for a tyre that would last rather than grip. Best I ever used were Michelin Macadams, 10,000 to 12,000 on the rear of the GSX-R750 I ran for 8 years.

Squared off to the profile of an Avon Speedmaster by the end, and with huge chicken strips. But that's the trade off of having a 95% motorway daily ride.

They weren't bad for grip, but they did take a bit of warming up on cold, wet days.

[Skub]

They weren't bad for grip, but they did take a bit of warming up on cold, wet days.

Hence the tag,Avon Skidmasters....

[The Spin Doctor]

They weren't bad for grip, but they did take a bit of warming up on cold, wet days.

Hence the tag,Avon Skidmasters....

I actually meant the Macadams

But the Avons bring on a shudder even now. I think I used a Skidmaster on a bike precisely once when I wore the OE tyre out on my 250... as soon as I could afford it, I ditched it (quite a decision as a student) and switched to Continentals, which I used till until the Roadrunners appeared. I can't tell you how much better even the Mk 1 Roadrunner was than the Skidmasters or the Yokohamas that were standard issue on new Hondas at the time.

[Scootabout]

What are the recommended pressures for the XSR? Recommended pressures for the MT09 are 36/42 which I thought were too hard. Dropped them to 33/36 and hated it, bike didn't want to steer (Metzeler Roadtec 01).

The NC700X's recommended pressures were 36/42, whereas for the Tracer 700 they are 33/36.