On the Road Again!

Maybe getting a little ahead of myself but with the engine almost ready to go back in the frame and the carbs done a few weeks ago, we need to be thinking about tyres. The wheels have been cleaned, chromed and fitted with new stainless spokes.  So now we need tyres, inner tubes and rim tape. I had looked at either Bridgestone BT45 or the Metzeler equivalent.   In the past I had Continental tyres fitted and they didn't inspire any confidence when the road was a little wet.  They are supposed to be great all rounders but I found them a little prone to follow cracks in the road and any over banding proved slippery when wet. Phil suggested BT46 as the BT45 has been replaced for the 2020 riding season.  I had a look to see if anyone had them in stock still, as it might have saved me a few bob. In the end  I couldn't get both front and rear.  Oddly, the BT45 rear was more expensive than the newer variant. So we have opted for th...

The current tyres are made by Cheng-Shin. They are definitely budget tyres. They went on as I needed a new set before a trip and the shop only had these in the right sizes. The Kettle's wheels are in inches and a lot of modern tyres are metric sizes. The Cheng-Shins are sized in inches. After a decade or more they showed little or no wear. At the moment, to the touch,  they are still very "hard".  Whether this is due to the materials and construction I have no idea. But it is very spooky that they haven't gone flat.  Maybe inside the inner tubes have perished and the nylon outer is simply holding the bike up! I am sure that once it comes back that it will be time to replace them. There are a few choices and I have been looking online for advice and information. The fitment is in inches. Front of 3.25-19 and rear, 4.00-18. Let's see what prices we can get on different makes. Some links: https://www.tyres-pneus-online.co.uk/motorcycle-tyre-find-by-motorcycle/suzuki/...

So dropped the wheel off at Kwik-Fit in Cheriton and the guy had a quick look and thought that the self-tapping screw that had buried itself and then lost its head was too close to the shoulder of the tyre. But would get the tyre off today and check inside.  I missed their phone call at about 0846 this morning as I was on the train in tunnels. I called back. Bad news. The tyre inside is damaged and they can't repair it and so it will have to be a new one.  I asked them to order the same Goodyear tyre to keep them matched at the front. Very annoying as the buggered one has less than a 1000 miles on it. Luckily I was at work so I was unable to get too angry and swear a lot. Pick it up Saturday morning. I hope.

Always when you are in a hurry.  At least the Insignia comes with a tiny spare wheel with its narrow little tyre attached. But not what you want at 0720 in the morning when you are heading to the station on a Monday morning. I changed it in slightly longer than it takes an F1 team to change all four wheels on a race car and was off. Only missing my usual train by two minutes. With work all week I am driving all the rest of the week on this squeaky very shiny piece of plastic rubber. Hopefully I can get it fixed on Saturday if I leave it at the tyre shop all day.....  The tyre is only a few months old and the nail has gone into the tread not the side wall..... and at £125 I hope they can fix rather than replace!! Update . Have physio on my shoulder this afternoon, pain and stiffness not aided by the wheel removal either!!! So I will try and drop the wheel into the tyre shop near the station this afternoon and if they can do i...

Wow. It's around a year since the Insignia needed new tyres on the front. This time it's the rears that needed replacing. They have been on since I bought the car and in my care have done around 30000 miles. I searched the net again and Asda came out cheapest as before. This time I opted for Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3 100Y in the size 245/45R18. At £253 fitted I had the guy put the fronts on the back and the new ones on the front. Immediately the drive and feel is totally different. More confidence inspiring.

Once I had managed to remember the tyre details for the Insignia's tyres I had a search online for local fitters and get some prices. Tyres now come with a scale from A to F for their efficiency in two fields, fuel consumption and wet grip. Ideally you will look for AA rated but once you see the prices then you start to go through the list to find the best rated at a price you can afford. In the end I opted for these CA rated Uniroyals. Most of the online places had them but Asda came out the cheapest with an all-in price, and have a local fitter.  The most local fitters are only open weekdays and so I had to pick the second nearest.. A garage that although I have used for petrol on many occasions, I had no idea they did tyres.  We'll find out tomorrow morning. Asda Tyres One of the tyres is the original from when I bought the car in January 2014 and at the last MoT it was noted that it would need replacing although legal.  I've done about 25000 mil...

I needed new tyres for the GS and thought I'd try a budget option. It's not like I corner as if I was Valentino Rossi and so was prepared to give up a bit of ultimate grip afforded by the Bridgestone BT020/021 combination that were almost worn out. So, I opted for Maxxis Presa Detour tyres this time. As you can see, the rear comes with a lot of tread, at least it looks deep! he front not quite as deep but still using the same pattern. Let's see how they perform and how long they last. Maxxis Presa Detour rear , originally uploaded by Invicta Moto . Nice and meaty... fitted at 60825 miles. New Maxxis rear tyre , originally uploaded by Invicta Moto .

I have had the Tourances on since just before we went to the Isle of Man last year and as they were getting a bit low I had a check round to see what was really available for the GS. Essentially it came down to the Tourances I have had all the time since I have had the bike, and perhaps trying a set of road oriented tyres, and that led me down the Bridgestone BT020/BT021 route. A bit of checking round favoured FWR Tyres in Kennington as best for the ride-in/ride-out price over Watling at Catford. As I was going up to London on Saturday anyway for an Arsenal game, I set off a bit earlier and called in. Luckily I arrived during a spell of quiet and was almost straight in. Luckier than the guys that arrived sometime after me and got told they might have a two hours wait. Anyway, the combination of BT020 front (110/80ZR19) and BT021 rear (150/70ZR17) look good and first impression as favourable. With new tyres there is always that "shock" that the bike handles differently, more ...