Time for new shoes for the FJ.

Michelin Pilot Road 4's, 120/70 ZR17 front, 180/55 ZR17 rear.

Take a guess at the out-the-door price (buy, mount, balance, install, disposal, sales tax).

This message has been edited. Last edited by: PHPaul,

$850

Combination of Michelin and ZR rating makes me think $$$$

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I'm guessing just north of $400.

Closer to $925 if I had to guess

Split the difference: $637.xx

3 years and 10,000 miles ago, it was right at $500 for the first pair which sorta took my breath away.

Great tires tho, worlds better than the Dunlops that came on it.

Motorcycle tires are expensive, and I understand inventory is going to get real tight.. If you need them, and can find your tires, might be best to go ahead and get a set, even if you have to hold them for a few months.

And I am lucky to get 3K out of my bike tires.

Motorcycle tires are hard to get right now, some sizes are not expected to be back in stock for 6 months to a year. Also rumors of a 20% price increase. If you need a set, now is the time to buy them.

@HRK - Yup, I was a little surprised he could even get them. Told him to go ahead and call me when they came in.

@YooperSigs - I got a bit over 8000 out of the set of Dunlops that came on it, but I really shouldn't have been riding on them the last 1000 of that. I immediately noticed the difference in handling, tire noise and just general confidence when I switched to the Michelins.

The FJ is pretty light at around 450 pounds all up (minus my fat ass, of course) which helps with tire life and while I occasionally treat speed limits as a suggestion, I don't ride real aggressively.

I ordered mine from Cycle Gear and they came out to under $400 out the door. I talked them out of the disposal fees and got them mounted an balanced for $40.

I occasionally have someone come to me thinking they can save on gas money with a motorcycle. Sure you can, but tires are expensive and don't last very long so you make up for it and then some.

I stopped riding in 2014, not too long after the PR4 came out. That was a fantastic tire, but I think I paid closer to $400 a pair back then.

As much as I miss having the Vulcan in the garage, it was near due for a new set of shoes & it was going to be Road 4 or Road 5.
Seeing these prices makes it a bit easier to have seen it go.
But, it'll be 2x when the Rotus needs its first set of tires for some grippy rubber. And, it'll need new wheels, as there aren't many road-legal options in 15x10 for the current Hoosier-shod wheels that it came with.

@Perception - Yeah between maintenance and insurance, a motorcycle with any fun factor at all is unlikely to save you any money.

I will say I was pleasantly surprised yesterday. Rode to my Grandson's place and back, ~200 miles of fun back roads. I was feeling pretty mellow so I wasn't pushing real hard and spent way more time in 6th than I usually do (the FJ engine is a lot more fun in 5th at 55-60 MPH, puts the RPMs in the sweet spot) and when I filled up on the way home I calculated a shade over 52mpg. My normal riding style usually keeps me in the low 40's.

Rear Dunlap on my HD is well over $300, front over $200 so it's close to $600 for a set of tires, they are not inexpensive, although the new compounds seem to last longer.

You can be close to a grand for a complete tire change, mount balance and new brake pads at a dealer...

For anyone who rides a lot, after the bike itself, tires are probably the most expensive cost per mile. I order on line from the cheapest place I can find them then install and balance them myself which saves a lot, but they're still expensive! For road bikes I don't want any tire that won't last at least 6,000 miles preferably 7-8,000.

When buying tires for the motorcycle it is best to verify the "born on date". Saw one that was purchased on line and delivered to the purchaser and the installer discovered the tire was actually 12yrs old. Tire tread compound was harder than concrete and slick as owl snot. .............................. Personally after replacing several rear bike tires (185x65x18) ($250 before installation). less than 6000 miles went to "riding the darkside" by using performance car tires (215x45x18). Lost bike due to a major flood event (Aug 2016) but would be still riding on the "darkside" with longer tread life and much better handling in all road and weather conditions. .......... drill sgt.

My last service on the S1000XR before I traded it was an ambush. The wrench came out and told me he did not recommend me riding it home on the worn out tires. I said I check them all the time and thought they were fine. He then showed me the wear indicators were almost worn away. They took pity on me and mounted / balanced the new rubber for free. Added 400 bucks to an already exorbitant BMW service fee. Ramen... Lots of Ramen for the rest of the month! I hope the F850GS will be easier to deal with.

Not bad for two items that you are probably betting your life on....

quote:

Originally posted by drill sgt:
When buying tires for the motorcycle it is best to verify the "born on date". Saw one that was purchased on line and delivered to the purchaser and the installer discovered the tire was actually 12yrs old......

This is good advice. I have seen seen some pretty dusty, aged tires on dealer racks. The ones I order from large on-line sellers have always come very fresh, probably because they turn their inventory so often.

quote:

Originally posted by Blume9mm:
Not bad for two items that you are probably betting your life on....

Exactly. Especially since I get into Z rating territory from time to time.