[Guest]

Since my front Avon Distanzia is about toasted (7500 miles!!), and since the rainy season is here, I ordered a 120/70x17 Avon Pro Extreme Rain tar for the front. I didn't order the rear because it's too big for my bike (hadda shave the shit outa the last one I had) and because the Distanzia I have back there is close to new.

I wish they made a 150/60x17 version of the Pro Extreme Rain!

 

[mountainrider]

7500 miles that is a lot.I usally get 1000 to 1500 miles no matter what brand.

 

[mightslip]

why switch to the rains? won't the distanzia's be good enough? and won't the rains [especially since you commute] go away pretty quick?

 

[Guest]

7500 miles that is a lot.I usally get 1000 to 1500 miles no matter what brand.

I was off a little... it has 7100 miles on it. Here are pics taken today of it. You can see the cupping, but I still think that's pretty amazing wear for a tire that sticks as well as these do and is being run on a pretty heavy bike by a lardass rider, sometimes at a pretty good clip.

...and the bike just passed 30,000 miles today, woot!

 

[Guest]

why switch to the rains? won't the distanzia's be good enough?

Well, I need to buy something for the front. It's getting pretty worn and is starting to feel funny. The rain (with my employee discount) will only cost me about $20 more than another Distanzia.

I ran a set of those rains front and rear last year during rainy season and the stick in the rain is not to be believed. Harry and I both had them, and we did rides on Alpine Road during crashing down rainstorms, TRYING to bust them loose and couldn't. Harry was doing his usual "wheely out of every corner" thing too, and even though there were pine needles and logs and shit on the road, he never broke them loose.

The only time I managed to break the rear loose in the wet I was leaned over accelerating out of a corner and crossed a painted yellow line. It spun up (I had the presence of mind to not chop the throttle), then hooked right back up again when it got off the paint.

and won't the rains [especially since you commute] go away pretty quick?

The rear I had did go away quick... but it was one of the older version (a "Gripster" rain... AV37 or AV38, not the regular dual sport Gripster). It was also a takeoff off of Brok's supermoto racer so had some wear on it when I got it. Anyway, it went away in about 800 miles.

But the front one lasted about 3700 miles before it was cupped enough that I wanted to put on a Distanzia front to match the Distanzia rear for summer riding. It was not worn out by any means, and it was new when I put it on. It would have gone 4500-5000 miles if I wanted to put up with the cupping.

The AV37/AV38 have been replaced by the Pro Extreme Rain series, and supposedly last longer than the ones I had.

 

[Sai Werd]

I just went for a ride with my Distanzias in the wet and they broke loose EVERYWHERE. Any time I got on the throttle the rear just spun up or spun out. At first I thought it was cool, but then it was a little unsettling. They are great summer tires. I was shocked by how amazing the grip is. I'm wondering though if I should go to a different tire for the winter.

Any recommendations? I usually still try and ride until it snows.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Guest]

I just went for a ride with my Distanzias in the wet and they broke loose EVERYWHERE. Any time I got on the throttle the rear just spun up or spun out.

Bummer. This is not good news. I have ridden my Distanzias in VERY wet conditions a few times, but it was commuting on the freeway, pretty much straight line stuff and I was riding very carefully and smoothly.

If they are bad in the twisties in the wet, it's gonna be a problem and I may have to go for a rain in the rear too.

 

[johnleach]

I just went for a ride with my Distanzias in the wet and they broke loose EVERYWHERE. Any time I got on the throttle the rear just spun up or spun out. At first I thought it was cool, but then it was a little unsettling. They are great summer tires. I was shocked by how amazing the grip is. I'm wondering though if I should go to a different tire for the winter.

Any recommendations? I usually still try and ride until it snows.

Thanks in advance!

Do you have the Distanzia SM tires?
The 120/70HR17 front and 150/60HR17 or 160/60HR17 rear?

 

[Muzzard]

I have been using Avon Distanzias here in the rugged Aussie bush, our roads are tar and generally rough, I see around 5000 miles out of a front and 3500 out of a rear. They grip exceptionally well in the wet and have not found a DOT tyre anywhere near as good for specific road motarding. I also encountered the vast casing size difference between the AV50 Azaro and the Distanzia whereby I cut off 1/2 inch of the left side for the chain clearance. :thumbup: Muzz...

 

[Guest]

They grip exceptionally well in the wet and have not found a DOT tyre anywhere near as good for specific road motarding.

Thanks for that report! I still have not had the occasion to use the Distanzias in the twisties in the wet (dry again this weekend), but I'll report back when I do.

I've liked them better in dry conditions than any tires I've used though!

That's a very cool picture of your bike, BTW!

 

[mountainrider]

michael does the header wrap seem to help?If so how?
Thanks william

 

[brian]

I've been on a couple tracks that have had water in the brake zone and beyond.... the SM's didn't even notice...... I'm trying to destroy my Diablos to get the SM's on my MZ :thumbup:

 

[bdmmotard]

alright, you guys have convinced me to try those damm things next time i need some tars. i'm currently running a bt002 front and a supercorsa med rear, which i havn't even thought about pushing in the rain. in fact i ride like a little girl, ok make that a slow little girl, in the rain.

 

[Guest]

michael does the header wrap seem to help?If so how?
Thanks william

HP-wise, not that I can feel. The main reason I put it on was to keep my leg from getting burned on the pipe (it's a WB header with no heat shield).

It also keeps some of the exhaust heat away from the engine, which is probably a good thing.

If I had it to do over again, I would just put it on the section near my leg and leave the rest bare. I'll probably have that opportunity, because the pipe is rusting underneath the wrap (even though it's stainless steel tubing).