question about tire replacement


Technical information and Q&A applicable to all years and models of Goldwings
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roadwanderer2
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question about tire replacement

Post by roadwanderer2 »



2 questions, first, does anyone know about a tire called VEE RUBBER VRM 192R, TL, 67H? I was wondering if anyone has any knowledge or experience with or about it, is it a decent tire, how it handles in the rain and on dry pavement, cornering, roughly how many miles should i expect to get from it, is it a smooth or hard riding tire etc.

2nd, last year while i was down in Florida, a friend gave me a brand new raised white letters Avon RoadRanger HL25 front tire, its a 120/90B-18, 71H, but i don't know when it was manufactured. it has a DOT stamp that reads AT9R with the numbers 460 after it. is this tire too old to put on the front of my bike or is it safe to use. its a brand new tire and still have the wrapping around it.

stuart.


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redial
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Re: question about tire replacement

Post by redial »

The closest I can get with it is this:

http://www.motorcycletires.com/contact- ... -tire.html

They seem fairly keen to have contact with their customers, so send them a contact. Hope this explains the markings, at least.
Len in Kapunda

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roadwanderer2
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Re: question about tire replacement

Post by roadwanderer2 »

thanks redial, i'll check them out.

stuart.
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roadwanderer2
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Re: question about tire replacement

Post by roadwanderer2 »

hey Redial, i checked out that link you gave me. i called them and gave them the DOT code from the tire, and found out that although its brand new, its a 15 year old tire. there's no way im putting it on the front of my bike, and since i cant in my good conscious mind sell it to anyone, i might as well throw it away.

stuart.
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Re: question about tire replacement

Post by spiralout »

I've never heard of Vee Rubber cheapo tire. For that price or a little more you could at least get Shinkos, a known brand. I read somewhere here lately that Shinko was Yokohama.

According to http://www.barrystiretech.com/dotcoding.html that Avon was manufactured the 46th week of 2000, so ya, 15 years old.
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Re: question about tire replacement

Post by roadwanderer2 »

hey spiral, i didn't say that the VEE RUBBER was a cheap tire, i don't know anything about them that's why i asked about them. they sell on eBay from $65. to $135 dollars. i like the design of the tread pattern especially for the rear, but im gonna go with a pair of kenda kruze. I've had them before and I've gotten good use out of them. i had them on my silverwing and got over 12,000 miles from a set, so im gonna put them on my Goldwing and see how they last. i can get a matched set of kenda's for $135.00 with free shipping.

its a shame that this Avon tire is so old but looks brand new with the sticker still on it. beings that it is so old, i wouldn't trust it especially on the front wheel of my bike.

stuart.
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Re: question about tire replacement

Post by spiralout »

I know, Stuart. I said they are a cheapo tire and they are. :D
I've never run Kendas but have read good reviews about them and the price isn't bad. I'm curious about the Vee Rubbers too. Anyone here ever used them?
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Re: question about tire replacement

Post by roadwanderer2 »

well, i have one more month before i take my ride to Florida, so i'll hold off on getting new tires until i hear someone else's thoughts about the VEE RUBBER tires. is there an independent source out there that compares motorcycle tires that i can go to?

stuart.
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Re: question about tire replacement

Post by harvey01 »

The magazine, Motorcycle Consumer News, is the only group I know of that tests and rates products for motorcycles. I doubt they have ever done a tire test but hopefully I am wrong.

Tires tend to be a subjective item very similar to oil as no one can afford to do the testing required to really weed out the junk from the best. Do you evaluate a tire strickly for how it does or does not handle, remembering that different riders have different expectations for handling? What about wet weather roads? What should a tire do? How many miles should a tire last? And remember there is a trade off between great handling and mileage. Soft compounds will out handle hard compounds but wear much faster.

Personally I am always wary of items that cost less than the average that performs at a level I expect. I tend also to prefer to have really good tires on my bike as they are the only contact between the bike and the ground and I want to keep it that way.

The Wing is a heavy motorcycle, and if you load it up and add a passenger, that total weight goes way up so I want tires that can also handle that.
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Re: question about tire replacement

Post by WingAdmin »

There are few tires that have load ratings that can handle the weight of a loaded Wing, so make sure whatever tires you are considering have sufficient load ratings.
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Re: question about tire replacement

Post by Mh434 »

That's what I was going to suggest, as well. Just because it's the right size & fits the bike, doesn't mean it'll work on the bike. From what I've seen, a LOT of tires don't have the load rating for a loaded 'Wing, and many are marginal at best.

If I were you, I'd stick to the name brands & models that 'Wing users trust. Remember - the only thing between you & the road is your tires!!
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Re: question about tire replacement

Post by roadwanderer2 »

ok, i agree with all of you about the importance of having good tires on a wing. mine, i very rarely have it loaded to its maximum capacity and 99% of the time i ride alone. the only max load is myself and im 250lbs, so which tires are good for me? the bike weighs in around 725lbs and with me on it its almost 1,000lbs. the book calls for a Bridgestone G504 on the front and a Dunlop K127 on the rear, so i guess im gonna spend the extra money and go with what the book calls for.

thanks for all your input about this i do appreciate it.

stuart.
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redial
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Re: question about tire replacement

Post by redial »

I have sent off an inquiry to their head office, in Thailand. They show that their North American HQ is in Atlanta, under "Vee Rubber". I have asked them for the range of tyres for the full model lineup of the GW, complete with load ratings for front and back. I will let you know when I get a response.
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Re: question about tire replacement

Post by roadwanderer2 »

'mornin Redial:

thank you very much, let me know what you find out when you receive your reply.

stuart.
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Re: question about tire replacement

Post by Dogsled »

Come on.........you guys put car tires on a bike and you judge this.......baffles me.......I wonder if car guys stick airplane tires on their car.
"Fight until hell freezes over, then fight on the ice"
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Re: question about tire replacement

Post by spiralout »

Dogsled wrote:Come on.........you guys put car tires on a bike and you judge this.......baffles me.......I wonder if car guys stick airplane tires on their car.
No sir, I do not put car tires on a bike and ya, this tire could very well be garbage and not worth the money. I've been reading some reviews about it and there's lots of negatives.
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Re: question about tire replacement

Post by wingman12 »

I am sure that there are probably a better tire than the Dunlap E3, but I am now on my 6th set of this brand and I consistently get over 20,000 out of a set before they start to mound. I ride solo 70% of the time but always keep the tire pressure within 3 psi of the max recommended pressure. They corner good and handle the water and wet pavement well. I never trust anything to perform up to expectations in inclement weather. I am considering switching to Meltzer's on the next change to see if there is any difference in handling on wet pavement.
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Re: question about tire replacement

Post by Dogsled »

See Wingman, that's what i'm talkin about..........These car tire guys sayin they get 12,000 miles on E3's.....I average like you and keep the press down the same way. I never hear this noise everybody talks about.....I use the stereo volume button like every good winger should........

Rain, rain, rain.....never had a problem, grips like the ex old lady onto the alimony check........... :lol: why change.....buy some new chrome crap but the life blood parts should be true and tried.
"Fight until hell freezes over, then fight on the ice"
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Re: question about tire replacement

Post by wingman12 »

I do not recall any unusual road noise with the E3, but again I have not used any other tires. I agree also with tried and true. as for me I will buy some kind of an upgrade or something to make my wing look different, LED lights, chrome, fender or bag painting. :D
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Re: question about tire replacement

Post by redial »

I have received two responses from Vee Rubber, one from the Thai HQ, and the second from the Australian rep.

Dear Sir,

Thank you for your interested in Vee Rubber.
Sorry, We have agent in Australia and our agent will contact you in soon.

Best Regards,
Narong(Mr.).


AND

Hello Len
The Vee Rubber factory has referred an inquiry from you to us regarding some Goldwing tyres

The sizes that they mentioned are :-

VRM302 130/70-18 front – load /speed rating 63H

VRM302 180/60 B16 rear – Load/speed rating 74h

Both these tyres are available but only in White Wall

Link International is the Australian distributor for Vee Rubber tyres and tubes and only distributes to retail motorcycle shops.

We do not sell direct to the consumer so you will have to source these tyres from a retail shop.

If you tell me where you are located I can direct you to a shop near you although I doubt if they would keep them in stock so they would have to order them in.

Regards
Richard Lambart
Link International
38 Business Street
Yatala Qld 4207


That would make the load factors for these tyres:
Front 63H = 272Kg, (approx 598.4 lbs)
Rear 74H = 375Kg, (approx 825 lbs)

Bringing the total load to 647 Kg (about 1423.4 lbs), this would then allow a 1800 (wet) at 407Kg (about 898 lbs) to have enough carry space for 240 Kgs (about 528 Lbs), which might be alright for the Skinny Minnies, but some of you more robust riders, may require some more tyre strength, especially if you wish to take a cut lunch (aka sandwiches), and a co-rider. All the same, consider it, and either reject or accept them.

BTW, the Dunlop E3 tyres for the same, or nearest equivalent, comes in at 63H for the front, and 80H for the rear (giving you an increase in weight bearing to 80H of 992 Lbs (about 451 Kg).

The H speed rating is 210 Km/h (about 131.25 MPH), which is fast enough for me :roll:

Hope this helps with the explanations.
Len in Kapunda

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Re: question about tire replacement

Post by roadwanderer2 »

'mornin redial:

well, im impressed. thank you for that very good write up on the VEE RUBBER tire. i will definitely keep all that in mind if i decide to go with those tires.

stuart.


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