- Thread starter brightspark
- Start date
Many years ago the missus put some budget tyres (something like £52 for the pair) on the front of her Citroen AX that only had the 1 litre engine, even with so little power is was wheel spinning in the wet and as for cornering and braking well you felt like you were on sheet ice. I took it and got some decent tyres fitted and she's never made that mistake again.
I am sure its not just as simple as this brand or that brand. I used to run Michelin and i have never had tyres last so long. In contrast in anything but dry they were useless.We tend to run branded makes on our cars, funny one when Mrs Robo took her Pug in for a service, they noted her Toyo tyres as "budget brand", apparently Peugeot dealers only recognise Michelins as premium tyres
In the dry they were great. A couple of years ago i had a set of michelins that wore out quickly were crap in the dry and the wet...lol
Uniroyal Rainsport or RainExpert depending on the profile you need are my preferred choice these days, sure they don't last that many miles but if you like chucking it around in the wet they are very sure footed. Other than that I've always liked Yoko's again they wear quick but for the miles they last they are brilliant, I was gutted when they stopped making the A509 as they were fantastic.
Not as good as the A509 IMHO, I have had both on my VW Pickup that was running a bored out tuned up GTI engine in it. I could definitely push it harder with the 509's especially in the wet than when I had 539's on it but the 539 was still a good tyre.
PhillipM
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Jesus, they used to make us race on Matadors, they were god-damned awful tyres.
The other day I noticed that the tyres on the wifes Toyota were 12 years old. Weve had the car about 15 years now, its W reg, and still only done just over 30000. Sometimes we take it for MOT and the first two numbers are the same ie less than 1000 miles. Anyway, I said "you need new tyres"...she replied "I paid for new ones not long since".....12 years since actually......shes worse than me
Ashley Burton
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Maybe they had improved since then!
Barum is part of the Continental group and my experience of their tyres (Barum) on bikes and cars has been excellent. Not so the King Run Mile Max (who names this stuff?) I put on the front of my camper in an emergency. Toast in 5000 kilometres, gripped like hoops of varnished hardwood!
Gareth J
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For balance, budget (ish) tyres can have a place.
I've moved from pretty decent Bridgestone battle-axes to really quite cheap "maxxis" ones (about £55) for the back of my big bike.
Reasons being, I don't bother riding in wet much at all and onlyy in summer, and due to the type of miles, whatevers on there gets flatter off.
A cheaper tyre means there is no question I'll put a fresh one on at the start of every summer. If there were 1/3 tread left on a "good" tyre I'd be tempted to use it up. It's much nicer to jump on a bike with a round profile tyre after a time of abstainance.
Maybe that's not fair though as, for the price, they do get reasonable reviews.
I've moved from pretty decent Bridgestone battle-axes to really quite cheap "maxxis" ones (about £55) for the back of my big bike.
Reasons being, I don't bother riding in wet much at all and onlyy in summer, and due to the type of miles, whatevers on there gets flatter off.
A cheaper tyre means there is no question I'll put a fresh one on at the start of every summer. If there were 1/3 tread left on a "good" tyre I'd be tempted to use it up. It's much nicer to jump on a bike with a round profile tyre after a time of abstainance.
Maybe that's not fair though as, for the price, they do get reasonable reviews.
Farside
Badly Welded Man
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normally I buy quality tires firestone continental etc . when driving hard in the wet on quality tires they grip realy well round the bends doing 70 mphthere fine in the dry at high speed cornering but in the wet there something else . ditchfinders
its frightening . the story is buy good branded tires they last longer and make it a lot safer when driving
I ususally fitted Kumho, Nankang and Hankook on my vans - no problem with wet grip and lifespan was ok. There were others available, but some of them were abysmal, just like you describe. I'd have been more than happy to fit Michelins, but the cost made me blink.
Since the vans were always running around damn near fully loaded, the grip was almost guaranteed, even on a cheapy tyre. I've been caught out by cheapies in the past, on lightly-loaded cars, etc. To each their own.
<cut to the safety nazis informing me of their opinions>
Farside
Badly Welded Man
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I had a set of Barums on an MZ I bought new as a get-to-work machine. I got used to them, as I was only nipping down the back roads every morning and evening, and taking it easy anway.
What a revelation it was then, when they finally wore out and I fitted a set of Continentals.
Farside
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Maxxis only on the rear of the GS850 for me. M&P knock them out at a decent price and they last well, with decent grip. I give them some stick around here, too.
The worst one was a Kenda - turned out the cause of it aquaplaning was the tread pattern (copied from some Dunlop, iirc) was the wrong way around to clear water. I fitted a later Kenda with a quite different pattern (again, a copy of something else) and it was like night and day.
Maxxis themselves are a brand of Cheng Shin - used to be CS was the ultimate ditchfinder, but they got their act together and bought the rights (and possibly the entire production line) from Yokohama (iirc) to produce their tyres under the CS name. The name was a problem though, so they re-branded as Maxxis for the European market and hoped nobody would realise.
It worked well, it must be said. I've not had an anxious moment on a Maxxis, but then again even though I tend to welly it around, it's not dealing with mega horsepower at the back wheel. The front in wet and dry is absolutely fine, for me anyway.
Tinbasherdan
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Ran maxxis supermaxx on my r1 for years with no issues. Did get convinced once to try the 3ds with the fully wet tread on the outers, pretty good in the wet but didn’t get on with the shuffling in the dry when leant right over
dobbslc
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Cheng Shin!
"The name was a problem though, so they re-branded as Maxxis for the European market and hoped nobody would realise"
I never realized!
Never had Maxxis though but people have said they are pretty good.
I had a pair of Avon road / sport tyres on the TRX for a few years and they were rubbish!
Had rear wheel slides in the heat of summer with very little provocation. No feel nothing.
Got a set of Continental Road Attack 2 and the difference is very noticeable. I would be happy on a track day with these tyres!
I'm in National Tyres right now having a pair of new tyres on the van, crist knows what they'll fit.....
"The name was a problem though, so they re-branded as Maxxis for the European market and hoped nobody would realise"
I never realized!
Never had Maxxis though but people have said they are pretty good.
I had a pair of Avon road / sport tyres on the TRX for a few years and they were rubbish!
Had rear wheel slides in the heat of summer with very little provocation. No feel nothing.
Got a set of Continental Road Attack 2 and the difference is very noticeable. I would be happy on a track day with these tyres!
I'm in National Tyres right now having a pair of new tyres on the van, crist knows what they'll fit.....
Tinbasherdan
Bodger in chief
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Worst tyres I’ve had on a bike were a set of conti attacks, felt like the front end was pushing out on every corner, absolutely no confidenceCheng Shin!
"The name was a problem though, so they re-branded as Maxxis for the European market and hoped nobody would realise"
I never realized!
Never had Maxxis though but people have said they are pretty good.
I had a pair of Avon road / sport tyres on the TRX for a few years and they were rubbish!
Had rear wheel slides in the heat of summer with very little provocation. No feel nothing.
Got a set of Continental Road Attack 2 and the difference is very noticeable. I would be happy on a track day with these tyres!
I'm in National Tyres right now having a pair of new tyres on the van, crist knows what they'll fit.....
That's what my little 125 had on they just about suited to that the CBR has a set of Metzeler Mes3s on but I'm don't think it will be long before they need changing
