[SmCollege89]

I'm new to this forum and from reading posts I believe I will get a good answer. Everyone seems to be pretty knowledgeabale.

I recently lowered my '99 ZX 6-R through lowering links and also lowered the front forks to keep the angle the same. My question is that obviously since the bike is lowered it wants to sit straight up when the kick stand is down. I've been looking for a shorter kickstand but havn't been able to find anything. I'd really rather not bend my current stand. I'm know I'm not the only one having this problem and I'm curious as to what others are doing to solve it?

Also I'm getting new tires. I'm trying to decide between Dunlop D208 ZR or Dunlop D220. The D220 tires might be for sport touring and is there a disadvantage if these tires were put on my zx 6r?

Thanks for your help.

 

[ZX-2R]

Stand and Tires

First thing is the TIres. It is the Single most important thing on your bike. It not only holds the bike up and determins how safe you r bike is at certain speeds, but has to be sticky if it is working to protect your life and protect the bike. Pirelli Sport Demons, Avon, Metzler, bridgestone, all have decent high speed and sticky tires very close to racing tires...Getting the very best ones will afford you the very best protection not only for your life but for the bike as well. YOur kickstand is a fairly simple thing to cure. take the bike to a welding class at teh college and have someone take it off cut it and then weld the foot back on it. Personally I like the look of a kickstand to match either my paint on my bike or the wheel color. Getting a kickstand repainted after the welding should be easy enough to do. IF your college doesn't have a welding class then take the bike to a welding shop, but wait till you have your new tires on first, because you may want to decrease your profile to make the bike even shorter. Setting hte bike on a pair of 2X4's then dropping the stand and leaning it over may be perfect, check it out...and the shop can lower (cut-off as much as you like...) Until then remember to park it pointed forward on inclines and always leave it in first gear to keep it from any movement forward or backwards...

 

[SmCollege89]

Just curious, is there any particular reason you don't like Dunlop tires?

 

[Curt]

Dunlops aren't sticky. That's why so many people change them, even when they're on a brand new bike.
Curt

 

[ZX-2R]

DUNLOP

Unless you get a ZX-6 or better you don't get sticky tires. you get what most of us would call cruiser tires the difference between rubber compounds goes from bowling balls to gum erasers...of course sport tires wouldn't work with either very long before you were on the ground...but the nwe rubber silica tres used in the awesome sport bikes are available for the Ninja 500R and the Ninja 250R. Dunlop has them, they just don't install them...to keep the price of the bike down...

 

[Narcisse91]

And to keep people from complaining about tire wear...



I put Pirelli Sport Demons on my EX500 a couple weeks ago and I think they're great. Nice and smooth and pretty sticky.

 

[ZX-2R]

DEMONS

Now don't leave it at that tell the forum people how much better that they feel and how much stickier that they feel, have you found a new confidence in your abilities due to these Pirelli Sport Demons?

 

[Narcisse91]

Ok, to be more specific.

Low speed cornering (intersections that require a complete stop or close to it, mainly) the bike leans easier and requires a lot less effort. Definitely confidence inspiring.

At medium speeds, the bike is smoother and more responsive. It's really hard to describe, but there is no dead zone anymore, where a small lean doesn't get you anywhere, and then it drops down all of the sudden (like my last tires did). As a result of that smoothness, I feel more comfortable leaning farther, and have been.

At highway speeds, it just rides well. I don't do a lot of highway speed stuff, but when I do, I find myself slowing less for those long sweeping highway corners.

I paid about $250, mounted and all, for both the front and rear. Money well spent.

 

[Freakinout]

Just as ZX-2R said about the kickstand, you can either find a welding class or something similar to that or take it to a machine shop, it'll take the guy 15 minutes to cut it and reweld it. Then you can spray it with some engine enamel and it'll look as good as new, and be functional again.

 

[SmCollege89]

Other than Pirellis, what other brands has everyone has success with? If people are changing the Dunlop tires, why are they the ones used by Kawasaki to put on bikes. I might be wrong with that but I believe most Kawasaki bikes have Dunlop tires on them. You would think demand for better tires would create a change.

 

[Freakinout]

Other than Pirellis, what other brands has everyone has success with? If people are changing the Dunlop tires, why are they the ones used by Kawasaki to put on bikes. I might be wrong with that but I believe most Kawasaki bikes have Dunlop tires on them. You would think demand for better tires would create a change.

The cost of one tire compared to another adds up very quickly. Even at $1 buck per tire it ends up being a big hunk of cash when you look at how many bikes are manufactured. The tires are a part that wears out, manufactures are never too worried about putting the best of the best on there.

 

[Curt]

Other than Pirellis, what other brands has everyone has success with? If people are changing the Dunlop tires, why are they the ones used by Kawasaki to put on bikes. I might be wrong with that but I believe most Kawasaki bikes have Dunlop tires on them. You would think demand for better tires would create a change.

I think Pirelli and Metzler are the two best names in the business. I've heard the most compliments about those two. I'm not sure why Kawasaki puts Dunlops on their bikes. All the Ninja 250 riders I've talked to had Dunlops when the bikes were new. I suppose Kawasaki has some kind of a sweet deal with Dunlop. Kawasaki markets the 250 as a beginner bike. Most beginners aren't tire-savvy, so any old tire will do for selling bikes. Like Freakinout said, saving a buck is a big deal, especially on a 250 where Kawasaki's probably only making a couple hundred dollars of profit on the whole bike (I'm talking about Kawasaki's profit, not dealer profit).
Curt

 

[ipscshooter]

If people are changing the Dunlop tires, why are they the ones used by Kawasaki to put on bikes.

It must be that the people buying the bikes, know more about tires, than the engineers that design the bikes. :lol: :lol:

Food for thought.

 

[Curt]

Ouch!

 

[Freakinout]

It must be that the people buying the bikes, know more about tires, than the engineers that design the bikes. :lol: :lol:

Food for thought.

Tire choice has more to do with the rider and/or riding style. You gotta choose a tire based upon what you use your bike for, and once you find a good category then you have to see which tires "feel" best to you. A certain tire that the manufacturer puts on is not "one-size-fits-all".

 

[ZX-2R]

UNIT COST

To keep the unit cost down K decided to put cruiser tires on the Ninja250R and even on the 500R to keep the price down...remember from Bowling balls to gum erasers there is something in between for tires. The Dunlops on the ZX-6R//RR and larger Sport Bikes are nearly Competition tires, state of the market...search the manufactures carefully and read www.sportrider.com ref:Tires...

 

[ipscshooter]

Tire choice has more to do with the rider and/or riding style.

I couldn't resist the opening....Curt got it, I think.

I agree that what you say above is true. However, I think you have to be real good, and perhaps out there on the edge to explore some of the small differences. The average rider is probably not that good. I know I'm not. No offense to all the Tommy Hayden's out there. :lol:

I agree that Kawasaki and others look to save money in their tire choices, as well as other components. I DO think that they put the appropriate tires on the motorcycles they make. Cruiser tires for cruisers, etc. I suspect that they save a lot of money with Dunlop, Bridgestone, and other manufacturers by using their clout.

Are there better tires for certain applications? You bet. If someone has an application that is outside the norm, go for the better tire.

 

[SmCollege89]

Originally I was going to get Dunlop 208 ZR tires. What are thoughts on Bridgestone Battlax series. What kind of prices should be expected on a set or Pirelli or Metzlers?

 

[ipscshooter]

Re: UNIT COST

To keep the unit cost down K decided to put cruiser tires on the Ninja250R and even on the 500R to keep the price down......search the manufactures carefully and read www.sportrider.com ref:Tires...

Not sure if this is what you meant, but there is lot of good info at Sportrider.

http://www.sportrider.com/tech/tires/146_0002_street_race/

Thanks