Red Reynard Posted October 7, 2021 Posted October 7, 2021 Hi, all, I have recently bought a XVS1100 Dragstar custom which has Dunlop K555s front and rear. The machine wriggles like a greased weasel when it encounters a joint or tar-snake on the road. I have upped the pressures to 40psi, resulting in only a mild improvement. I can't believe that this is the natural characteristic of the machine, nor has it ever been dropped of damaged - so it must be the tyres. So, over to you, my fellow XVS pilots - what would be your recommendation, and why. Your input would be gratefully received, and may well save me forking out for a different set of tyres that still don't do the job. Cheers for your time Red
Moderator Cynic Posted October 7, 2021 Moderator Posted October 7, 2021 Not an xvs pilot but i would suggest checking your spokes are even, your steering head bearings are good and unless you have a receipt or other info, look for the date code on the tyres and see how old they are. Low mileage cruisers/customs can easily have tyres 10, 15years old or more.
Red Reynard Posted October 7, 2021 Author Posted October 7, 2021 Hi, Cynic, thanks for replying. I thought about the spokes and headstock, both appear to be good. The bike is 2000 reg, and only done 8.5k; so the tyres are good - although I must admit I hadn't thought of checking the date stamp. I know the front needs changing in the next thousand or so miles, and the rear has a bit more on it. I'm trying to find out if this is a common issue with the K555s regardless of their age (before I fork out for another set), and whether there is a better alternative. I've spent hours trawling for information, but most of it seems to point to tubeless tyres (Michelin, Metzler, Pirelli, etc) for alloy wheels - although both the 1100 Custom, and Classic models come with spoked wheels. Cheers Red
Moderator Cynic Posted October 7, 2021 Moderator Posted October 7, 2021 At 8500miles im guessing those tyres with a bit left are the originals, the front is likely chopped and the rear profile is likely well off. Add to that the likelyhood of being 20+ years old. I will admit to being a bit of a tyre fusspot, they are so important and people run them till the tread is on the limit when in truth they are actually dead as a worthwhile part of the bike long before. I always replace as a pair too. But then i ride a vmax set up for cornering so... After years on a super stable sports tourer you may need some miles to get used to the different style of riding. 1
Red Reynard Posted October 7, 2021 Author Posted October 7, 2021 Yeah, I'm keen to replace both as soon as possible, Cynic. I realise that the Yam is VERY different to the big tourers I've had in the past; but surely not so different in stability. I generally replace tyres as a pair before they are u/s, too, unless one has suffered catastrophic damage early on - to me it just seems like common sense. Hopefully there are others out there who will chip in their tuppence worth, and I'll have a bit of a steer as to what to go with. Cheers, Cynic. Red
Recommended Posts