New rubber: Continental Conti Force Sport With an urge to ride faster and faster since the upgraded suspension, I've noticed that my rear tire is eager to lock up and skid under moderate to hard braking. When the stock tires were newer, the rear brake required quite a heavy foot to lock the tire -- but with the centre tread wearing down it sure seemed to have noticeably less grip when braking.
The OEM Dunlop D220 tires were nearing the end of their natural lives with close to 11,000 Km (~7,000 miles) on them. Many SV owners complain about these tires. Mostly, they say the Dunlops have no grip. Well they're not a supersport tire, so you have to keep that in mind. They're a decent performance tire, designed to last for many miles. It's a sport-touring tire and I found them to provide adequate grip for street riding and they've certainly lasted well. In fact, I would easily have been able to get another 3 or 4,000 Km out of the front tire, and I'm sure I could have gotten another thousand or two from the rear, but with a brand new set of rubber sitting in the basement I figured there's no reason to be taking chances. With a big mortgage, a wife and 3 kids, I need a bike crash like I need another kid.
On a local bike forum I read about a small shop that did good work for cheap. The owner is an active member on the forum, too. I PM'd him and he said he'd install and balance both tires for just $60. A buddy from work said he'd had a bit of work done there a couple of times had been pleased. Name of the shop is Hybrid Racing.
So yesterday I called the number and asked about a convenient time. He said he'd have an hour to spare near the end of the day. With the new tires around my waist, I rode through traffic awkwardly but it wasn't that bad and it wasn't more than 5 minutes away.
It took him about 45 minutes to do the entire job. He was very conscientious and thorough, and he didn't rush. The rear tire required no weights for the balancing, and the front just 1/4 ounce. I took it real easy riding home, and will continue to go easy until I've done a couple of hundred Kms scrub them in. After the ride to work today, the errands I did around town this afternoon, and my evening ride, I've probably done 150 Km already.
As I've heard about Continentals, they have a very round profile, almost balloon like. I think they look great. Hope they take me another 11,000 Km.
The OEM Dunlop D220 tires were nearing the end of their natural lives with close to 11,000 Km (~7,000 miles) on them. Many SV owners complain about these tires. Mostly, they say the Dunlops have no grip. Well they're not a supersport tire, so you have to keep that in mind. They're a decent performance tire, designed to last for many miles. It's a sport-touring tire and I found them to provide adequate grip for street riding and they've certainly lasted well. In fact, I would easily have been able to get another 3 or 4,000 Km out of the front tire, and I'm sure I could have gotten another thousand or two from the rear, but with a brand new set of rubber sitting in the basement I figured there's no reason to be taking chances. With a big mortgage, a wife and 3 kids, I need a bike crash like I need another kid.
On a local bike forum I read about a small shop that did good work for cheap. The owner is an active member on the forum, too. I PM'd him and he said he'd install and balance both tires for just $60. A buddy from work said he'd had a bit of work done there a couple of times had been pleased. Name of the shop is Hybrid Racing.
So yesterday I called the number and asked about a convenient time. He said he'd have an hour to spare near the end of the day. With the new tires around my waist, I rode through traffic awkwardly but it wasn't that bad and it wasn't more than 5 minutes away.
It took him about 45 minutes to do the entire job. He was very conscientious and thorough, and he didn't rush. The rear tire required no weights for the balancing, and the front just 1/4 ounce. I took it real easy riding home, and will continue to go easy until I've done a couple of hundred Kms scrub them in. After the ride to work today, the errands I did around town this afternoon, and my evening ride, I've probably done 150 Km already.
As I've heard about Continentals, they have a very round profile, almost balloon like. I think they look great. Hope they take me another 11,000 Km.
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