[yoitsemo]

Haven't seen a lot of positive comments here pertaining to the stock tires, but I have to say they treated me very well.

Changed them out at 11k miles, but I believe they could have easily taken a few thousand more. I just didn't want to push them that far and was too eager to experience a more standard road tire. Thus, I'm now riding with a pair of Michelin Pilot Activs.

The first difference I immediately felt was standing the bike up. It just rolled straight up and that translates very well to the bends in the road. Overall turning feels smoother, but I would say acceleration feels the same. Another big difference is the absence of that high-pitched whining the Trail Wings would put out at around ~67mph. Though I have to say after 5k miles the TWs did become considerably more quiet.

Have yet to test the Pilot Activs in heavy rain. The city areas I ride are prone to flash flooding and another positive from the TWs was how well they handled in 4-6in. of water. I desperately hope that confidence carries over, as it's a rare enough occurrence that I don't worry about it, but when it happens I need to know I can keep up and maneuver the caged idiots around me who seem to forget how to ride in the rain every single time.

I'll post some pictures if anyone's interested to see how they look.

 

[SCRBen]

I'll post some pictures if anyone's interested to see how they look.

Yes bro - get them on!!

I think the TWs longevity is part of their problem!! :smile2:
Ben

 

[Sqvishy]

Did you notice any less vibration at highwayish speeds?

 

[yoitsemo]

Did you notice any less vibration at highwayish speeds?

I think there is a little less vibration but not enough to make that noticeable of a difference. Passing cars at higher speeds feels fine.

 

[eddie]

Took the wheels off here at the house and trucked them to the dealership 40 miles away to install a set of Michelin Anakee IIIs.
I couldn't wait when I got home after lunch and spent 30 minutes out in the blazing sun getting the wheels installed.
Now I'm too hot to go for a ride & try 'em out! LOL
Will do that later & report back.
Until then: Pictures!
LOL

 

[Schu]

spent 30 minutes out in the blazing sun getting the wheels installed.
Now I'm too hot to go for a ride & try 'em out! LOL

Indeed it is hot. And HUMID. I happen to be about 130 miles north east of you right now Eddie in Athens, GA. I'm here celebrating the life of my eldest sisters husband who passed away last week. The man loved to party with friends and family, so that is what we will do. I think you southern folks wrote the book on outdoor parties. Gotta go, but I look forward to reading your tire review.

 

[eddie]

Indeed it is hot. And HUMID. I happen to be about 130 miles north east of you right now Eddie in Athens, GA. I'm here celebrating the life of my eldest sisters husband who passed away last week. The man loved to party with friends and family, so that is what we will do. I think you southern folks wrote the book on outdoor parties. Gotta go, but I look forward to reading your tire review.

First, we're sorry to hear of your family's loss, Schu. Celebrating a life in a lively manner sounds like just what he would've wanted.


Tires: I couldn't wait after all.
Easing the bike out of the neighborhood at speeds of 35-40mph, tops, I noted no strange handling characteristics from the big change in tread design. I knew the tires would roll more smoothly compared to the Bridgestones, but it was eery at first. It's that big of a difference!
I was hearing small engine noises I didn't remember before - drowned out by the previous tire noise, no doubt.

After convincing myself I'd installed everything properly and the new tires weren't suddenly going to spit me off the bike, I took it for an exit-to-exit run down I-185 up to the 70mph limit.
No drama, no vibrations. Nothing but a smooth, pleasant ride.
Then came the final test: Would the dreaded Bolt headshake show up after the tire change?
I've been on top of the steering head bearing torque from the get-go. So, I took one hand off the bars at speed. Nothing. Then I took them both off {very cautiously} from 55mph down the exit ramp for a moment. Nothing again. Last, I let the bike slow down on a slight grade from 40mph to about 15-20mph.
It rolled straight and true with nary a head shake or wobble.
Verdict? No remorse here!

 

[SCRBen]

@Schu - sorry about the news mate....thinking of you all.
@eddie - they look good - still in keeping with the style of the bike, but obviously with all the benefits of not being those **** OEM tyres!! Nice review too.....makes me want to change mine more now.
Ben

 

[eddie]

@Schu - sorry about the news mate....thinking of you all.

@eddie - they look good - still in keeping with the style of the bike, but obviously with all the benefits of not being those **** OEM tyres!! Nice review too.....makes me want to change mine more now.
Ben

I need a favor.
Could you possibly measure the circumference of the stock rear tire?
I'm going to mark mine with a heavy chalk line on the tread, roll it through one revolution and measure the distance between the two lines on the ground.
The Michelins are numerically identical sizes to the Bridgestones, but I'm suspecting they are slightly smaller. Maybe it is a visual thing. Dunno. Would like to have some numbers to go by. Thanks in advance!

 

[eddie]

Chalk line to line circumference measured 79 inches for the Michelin rear at 41.5psi.(2.86 Bar).

 

[Burke]

I need a favor.
Could you possibly measure the circumference of the stock rear tire?
I'm going to mark mine with a heavy chalk line on the tread, roll it through one revolution and measure the distance between the two lines on the ground.
The Michelins are numerically identical sizes to the Bridgestones, but I'm suspecting they are slightly smaller. Maybe it is a visual thing. Dunno. Would like to have some numbers to go by. Thanks in advance!

81", not mounted, new tire.

 

[BamaRun]

What lights are those mounted to your fork?

Took the wheels off here at the house and trucked them to the dealership 40 miles away to install a set of Michelin Anakee IIIs.
I couldn't wait when I got home after lunch and spent 30 minutes out in the blazing sun getting the wheels installed.
Now I'm too hot to go for a ride & try 'em out! LOL
Will do that later & report back.
Until then: Pictures!
LOL

 

[eddie]

What lights are those mounted to your fork?

Those are Flex LEDs by KC Hilites. FLEX Modular LED Lights & Light Bars For Off Road UTV, ATV & Trucks | KC HiLiTES
I have a set on the SCR950 and the Super Tenere.
Well made, 23 year warranty and bright as heck for the size @ only 10W each. I bought them them online from a retailer for like $199.
I found some universal tube mounts and modified them.

 

[eddie]

81", not mounted, new tire.

Thanks!!!!

 

[srinath]

I'm already on my second trail wing front. LOL, cos this happened to the first one.

I ride out of the dealer and make it 37 mi to a rest area where as I slow I hear a grrrrrrgh grrrrrgh …
I stop next to a huge Harley and get off the thing and notice my pants have lots of black spots on em. And I smell rubber.
OK this is getting real, but I think OK HD looks like its flat tire, maybe that, but the OCD isn't letting go.
Then I spot it. Shredded tire side wall. WTF ?
Fender bolt walked out Double WTF ?

OK I fiddle with the bolt while on the phone with them and rummage through the tool kit - only to find no 12mm crescent and the dealer says we'll send a dude with trailer.

You can see the Harley in the background in the 2nd pic. Yea was ridden by a lovely lady from 2 towns over and sprung a flat. Looks like yesterday was the day for dead tires at that rest area.
And as she's trying to get it in her trailer she almost bites it.
I hold up that monster and she gets it on her trailer. I had 1/2 a mind to tell her its a huge bike and really doesn't look right for her, my wife elbows me saying she's likely stronger than me (which really I don't doubt, and a bike is handled by physics and technique and not letting the adrenaline get the better of you anyway).

So I head back to the dealer, They pull a TW off the other SCR - I suspect they threw that whole wheel on and not just the tire.

I then cajole them into giving me a filter wrench and a helmet strap quick release buckle. Whooo hoooo $15 worth of free crap for a couple hrs of wasting time.


Then I ride back to that rest area - cos my butt wanted a break. Ride another 40 miles and low fuel, so I fill up. Then 20 mi home.

The bike has one absolutely painful seat. I have done 400 miles a day on a GS500 with 1 or 2 10 minute fuel stops. This is one painful bike.
I have no feel for the engine braking or power delivery of this bike so far, and nearly wadded it 1/2 mi from home at a bumpy intersection. But the little devil that sits on my shoulder encouraging me to do stupid sheiete on the GS500 with no lights and no rear brake - is definitely sleeping with this one, and definitely a good thing.

I also never knocked my shins, and as they say the day is still young right.

The seating position reminds me of my 83-84 nighthawk 650, but the SCR seat aint right. Its like taking a jackhammer to your prostate.

And I did buy an extended warranty - covers it for 5 yrs total. Cost $500 because if I had to have a part for it that turns up NLA - I get it from Yamaha at retail it will be $$$ and while Yamaha dealer in my area sucks this one 100 mi away and the ones in charlotte also 100 mi are fantastic. Also 30 mi south is another dealer who may turn out to be better than the 2 in my town.

 

[SCRBen]

Ooof - that could have been nasty my man. Guess the dealership didn’t torque the guard bolts properly during the PDI (didn’t we just discuss this on another thread?!) - no wonder they gave you free stuff..... Did they also put it on the right way round?! Lol.

Glad you’re OK though. I know a few guys on here have changed the seat - and I may eventually too - but you get used to it. I’ve done 250 mile days, and found it fine.
All the best,
Ben

 

[Burke]

I'm already on my second trail wing front. LOL, cos this happened to the first one.

I ride out of the dealer and make it 37 mi to a rest area where as I slow I hear a grrrrrrgh grrrrrgh …
I stop next to a huge Harley and get off the thing and notice my pants have lots of black spots on em. And I smell rubber.
OK this is getting real, but I think OK HD looks like its flat tire, maybe that, but the OCD isn't letting go.
Then I spot it. Shredded tire side wall. WTF ?
Fender bolt walked out Double WTF ?

OK I fiddle with the bolt while on the phone with them and rummage through the tool kit - only to find no 12mm crescent and the dealer says we'll send a dude with trailer.

You can see the Harley in the background in the 2nd pic. Yea was ridden by a lovely lady from 2 towns over and sprung a flat. Looks like yesterday was the day for dead tires at that rest area.
And as she's trying to get it in her trailer she almost bites it.
I hold up that monster and she gets it on her trailer. I had 1/2 a mind to tell her its a huge bike and really doesn't look right for her, my wife elbows me saying she's likely stronger than me (which really I don't doubt, and a bike is handled by physics and technique and not letting the adrenaline get the better of you anyway).

So I head back to the dealer, They pull a TW off the other SCR - I suspect they threw that whole wheel on and not just the tire.

I then cajole them into giving me a filter wrench and a helmet strap quick release buckle. Whooo hoooo $15 worth of free crap for a couple hrs of wasting time.


Then I ride back to that rest area - cos my butt wanted a break. Ride another 40 miles and low fuel, so I fill up. Then 20 mi home.

The bike has one absolutely painful seat. I have done 400 miles a day on a GS500 with 1 or 2 10 minute fuel stops. This is one painful bike.
I have no feel for the engine braking or power delivery of this bike so far, and nearly wadded it 1/2 mi from home at a bumpy intersection. But the little devil that sits on my shoulder encouraging me to do stupid sheiete on the GS500 with no lights and no rear brake - is definitely sleeping with this one, and definitely a good thing.

I also never knocked my shins, and as they say the day is still young right.

The seating position reminds me of my 83-84 nighthawk 650, but the SCR seat aint right. Its like taking a jackhammer to your prostate.

And I did buy an extended warranty - covers it for 5 yrs total. Cost $500 because if I had to have a part for it that turns up NLA - I get it from Yamaha at retail it will be $$$ and while Yamaha dealer in my area sucks this one 100 mi away and the ones in charlotte also 100 mi are fantastic. Also 30 mi south is another dealer who may turn out to be better than the 2 in my town.

bery, bery best price. for someone so concerned with torturing dealers over there pricing on the bikes why you would spend $500
on a warranty you will never use. ha ha... If i were you i would check all the bolts on that bike.

 

[srinath]

I don't know what would happen 5 yrs from now. I may use it, in fact if I was in Charlotte I'd have got the warranty at this $ for sure anyway, because the dealer there is awesome at working on bikes and I know all the mechanics there well and they are very very good. Just that in my town the dealer (2 store franchaise) sucks. The third one in Columbia may be good, and the 2 ~100 miles away are good.