White Wall Tires

Good Morning Guys,

It's been quite a while since I've been on here. Hope everyone is doing well.

I'd like to buy a set of white wall tires for my 06 RSTD. I'm sure this has been beat to death but I searched and can't find where it is.

First I'd like to know what tires you guys feel are best. I ride 1 up, and don't tow. I have AVON Venom's on the bike now. I'd like the best riding tire I can get. Thinking about dropping the front tire size down to the 130 for a lighter feel, but using my stock wheel.

In addition I'd like to go with white walls. My bike is lowered if that matters.

Thanks in advance for the suggestions.

Bob

The Dunlop 404's look really good, but they don't last very long. I had a set on my 08 that looked really good. Metzler used to make a pretty set don't know if they still do. They worked well for me but I think they only made tire for the front. Avon made the best looking ones and as I remember a good performer.

BTW welcome back, I remember you. Since I had to go to 3 wheels and am now on a Spyder, I don't spend a lot of time here any more.

The Dunlop 404's look really good, but they don't last very long. I had a set on my 08 that looked really good. Metzler used to make a pretty set don't know if they still do. They worked well for me but I think they only made tire for the front. Avon made the best looking ones and as I remember a good performer.

BTW welcome back, I remember you. Since I had to go to 3 wheels and am now on a Spyder, I don't spend a lot of time here any more.

Thanks for the reply.... Hope you are enjoying the Spyder. Yah....I've read that the 404's are only good for 5k....that won't work. I see Metzler makes a 130/90/16 in white wall. I'm not sure if this is the size guys are going to. But for the rear they only have a 170 and I don't know if that will fit.

Hoping to hear from someone who has done this.

Thanks

Bob

Maybe check out the Shinko 777 line. I have always had good luck with the Shink 230 Tourmaster and am pretty sure that I remember seeing White Walls in their 777's. IMHO, the WW is secondary to ridabilty covering mulitiple conditions and the Shinks did great by us in all conditions. If I were faced with wanting WW's, I would exhaust the affordable Shink line first..

like this:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1311.R2.TR2.TRC0.A0.H2.Xshinko+whit.TRS0&_nkw=shinko+777+white+wall&_sacat=0

like this:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1311.R2.TR2.TRC0.A0.H2.Xshinko+whit.TRS0&_nkw=shinko+777+white+wall&_sacat=0

Thanks for the info and the links.... I'll check em out!

Bob

Try tire grafixx.com, they have some very interesting products.

I just put a pair of Shinko 777 whitewalls on my 98 RSTD and I am very happy with them. I stayed with stock sizes and Shinko was my only option in a wide whitewall. Cost me $233 with free shipping from eBay.

Try tire grafixx.com, they have some very interesting products.

Someone else mentioned them as well but that link takes me to another company and I didn't see any thing for tires.

I did end up with getting the shinko 777's

Thanks for your reply

Coop

I just put a pair of Shinko 777 whitewalls on my 98 RSTD and I am very happy with them. I stayed with stock sizes and Shinko was my only option in a wide whitewall. Cost me $233 with free shipping from eBay.

That's what I did....EBAY thru Chapperel. Don't remember the exact cost but low 200's also with free shipping. Pulled the wheels off and the local Yammy dealer charged me 147.00 for mounting, balancing and new valves. I love the look of the white walls on my pearl white bike. I took it up and down the streets of my neighborhood and it felt great. I went down to 130's in the front. Feels like a big difference.

Thanks for your reply.

Coop

$147 for about 30 minutes of work. Seems high to me. How much did they charge for the stems?

The costs I'm seeing for mount and balance on this and another thread are wild to me. I sometimes do my own but take the others to my car tire guy. I buy all my auto tires from a locally owned tire shop, he still does business the old way. The price of a tire always includes mount, balance, valve stem, lifetime rotation and flat fixes. He knows he will get all my business for every vehicle we own and even takes care of the tires that come on a vehicle we buy. Another perk I get from him is a lot of tire machines can do Venture rims, his included. He doesn't sell MC tires but will mount them for $$$$$FREE$$$$$ for customers. I balance my own. He will also sell and mount dark side tires, he did mine and several others I know of. The only downside of dealing with someone like that is there is always a wait to get in the door, he treats everyone that way. Only shop I've used for 25 years.

The costs I'm seeing for mount and balance on this and another thread are wild to me. I sometimes do my own but take the others to my car tire guy. I buy all my auto tires from a locally owned tire shop, he still does business the old way. The price of a tire always includes mount, balance, valve stem, lifetime rotation and flat fixes. He knows he will get all my business for every vehicle we own and even takes care of the tires that come on a vehicle we buy. Another perk I get from him is a lot of tire machines can do Venture rims, his included. He doesn't sell MC tires but will mount them for $$$$$FREE$$$$$ for customers. I balance my own. He will also sell and mount dark side tires, he did mine and several others I know of. The only downside of dealing with someone like that is there is always a wait to get in the door, he treats everyone that way. Only shop I've used for 25 years.

That and you cant carry him and his shop in your back pocket when your out CTFW across the Bad Lands of South Dakota or up into the mountains of Utah where Murph seemingly hides tire poppers on the roadways and trails like the Easter Bunny hides Easter eggs ..

$147 for about 30 minutes of work. Seems high to me. How much did they charge for the stems?

I hear that Dunk,, kinda crazy.. Maybe there was a mistake and the 147 labor was suppose to be for pulling the wheel off the bike and then mount and balance and reinstall.. Speaking of that,, it wasn't to long ago that I read on a Polaris Indian site where one of the members got charged 1250 bucks for a new rear tire with install on a Chief.. No idea of how true it was but just reading that made me look like this:

That would make a typical CTFW 2 monther for an old has been biker run close to 4 grand just for rear tires and make the western grasshopper kind of a rare insect cause a lot of bikers I know would have to be living on em if that were the case

That and you cant carry him and his shop in your back pocket when your out CTFW across the Bad Lands of South Dakota or up into the mountains of Utah where Murph seemingly hides tire poppers on the roadways and trails like the Easter Bunny hides Easter eggs ..

I hear ya Puc. I can and sometimes do my other tires but I don't know of anybody changing darksiders on the side of the road. I do carry a plug kit in case of those small punctures. Mounting bike tires usually depends on my mood. Sometimes I use my homemade tire breaker, sometimes I'm feeling lazy and go to the tire shop. That being said I've never been good enough to do it in 20 minutes, usually spend that much time stretching my back and cussing.

Now I gotta tell you that CT stuck like glue in those WV mountains.

I hear ya Puc. I can and sometimes do my other tires but I don't know of anybody changing darksiders on the side of the road. I do carry a plug kit in case of those small punctures. Mounting bike tires usually depends on my mood. Sometimes I use my homemade tire breaker, sometimes I'm feeling lazy and go to the tire shop. That being said I've never been good enough to do it in 20 minutes, usually spend that much time stretching my back and cussing.

Now I gotta tell you that CT stuck like glue in those WV mountains.

I was thinking 20 minutes to get the back wheel off the scoot including unpacking time so I am able to lift that great big heavy sticker covered mudsucker of a varmint up on er center stand with the flat back tire making doing so x10 harder to do then with a fully inflated shoe

All but a couple different times when encountering a flat while CTFW cross country, I have found that just having done that (removing the rear wheel) is enough to almost guarentee a ride into town for a new tire and that most shops will gladly do a quick bead breaker for you for free if ya by the tire from them and spoon em on yourself in their parking lot.. I did bump into a shop out in Moab once that this rule didnt apply.. All he had for tires were 404's and he wanted 220 bucks a pop for em even though I told him the 404 that I had on my bike only cost me 80 bucks,, to bad so sad was his approach.. He also loaned NO tools and wanted a bill for a swap job, wheel in hand.. I/we passed and headed cross country to the nearest town with a Yam Shop (Richfield,, or Richland or something like that,,,, west bound over the mountain passes and sleeping in Trail Hikers Trail Head @28 degrees was fun ) where they too only had the 404's but were only 120 bucks there and they did let my do my own spoonin in their parking lot cause I didnt wanna pay em the 50 bucks they wanted to mount the confounded thing:missingtooth:

I know from a business standpoint you have to turn a profit but what happened to customer service? I ran into something similar when I had a flat on a tandem trailer just east of Dallas. They wanted $200 for the same 10 ply trailer tire that I buy for $60-70 here. When I told him so his answer was "you're not in KY and can't get there on a flat". My answer was to remove both tires on that axle in his front door and come home on one. I'd already delivered my load.

Good Morning Guys,

I'm in NJ and I called 3 places. 45 each, 55 each and another at 45 each if you bought the tires from us. If not 65 each. The 45.00 shop is a small place and the dudes high all the time....so I past. The 55 and 65 were Yammy dealers. The front valve was only 3 bucks. The rear was the metal 90 degree valve and I think it was a bit over 20.00. Three bucks a piece to dispose of the old tires. It's not brain surgery but I know I got a good job and may not have from the 45.00 shop.

I never pay for anything except auto work at the dealer on my newer VW Tourage...... everything at the house, elec, plumbing, framing, roofing ect but wrestling with tires....I'll pass (

Have a great day and remember the real reason have we have the extra day off this weekend!

Coop

Try tire grafixx.com, they have some very interesting products.

Although it is moot now, for others reference here is the true reference http://www.merlinsblood.com/products.html.

Scroll down to see his tire grafics

Although it is moot now, for others reference here is the true reference http://www.merlinsblood.com/products.html.

 

Scroll down to see his tire grafics

I did see that but only letters.... no white walls.

Coop