S50 tires

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Seun A

New member
My 2006 Suzuki S50 need new tires as the OEM tires started cracking and still have ton's of thread. I wanted to install Metzeler 880, but I am not rich or handy, in other words, I can not afford to replace tires after 1500miles for cracking problems .

My options as I see them is Michelin Commander Or Dunlop Elite3.

I think Michelin will be the choice. I just have a question regarding the Michelin.

Suzuki front tire spec is 100/90-19 , the Michelin tire selector on their website is recommending 100/19-18, although they have a 100/19-19 but is marked as approved HD fitment

Did anybody used the Michelin Commander on an S50?

Thanks

Smikail
 
My metzler 880's cracked after 600 miles, dunlops now but next tires will be Shinko for price and many positive reviews I have read.
 
Not a direct answer to the question you asked but..........
You might want to get a second opinion on the tire condition before you replace them.

While you are at or close to the 5 year recommendation, superficial cracks occur in LOTS of tires and it doesn't necessarily mean they are any less safe.

You might have some time left to save up for a new set.
 
I Contacted Michelin, regarding the size recommendation from their website, They reply that their system is wrong and the correct size for the Frnt Tire is the commander 100/90-19
 
Try a set of Dunlop 404s instead of the Elite IIIs. The 404s last about 12,000 miles and cost a lot less than the Elite IIIs. No point buying expensive, long-life tires if you do not ride enough to wear them out in 2-3 years. And they handle, ride, brake, wear, and hold the road in wet weather better than those crappy stock tires too.
I had a set of commanders on a bike (not an S50 though) and I was not happy with them, so I will not buy another set. I was not impressed by the handling, wet weather traction, or tire life. I tried a set of Kendas once. Once. They were in the trash in 4 months and less than 7000 miles.
 
Many folks running the Metzeler 880s and after reading a lot of internet threads about them I bought a set for my VS800 but went up one size on each. Fantastic results. No regrets
 
I usually use the Metzeler ME880s on my VS800 also. Great tires, wear like iron. But like any other tire the rubber goes bad in 4-5 years from the date of manufacture. So if someone does not ride enough to get the full 20,000 mile life out of them, they are overkill.
I am assuming that if his 2006 has only 1500 miles on the original tires than even the lowest-priced Dunlops will not wear out in the next 4-5 years before they need to be replaced anyways.
 
My 2006 bike has 5000 miles, I am looking for great traction dry or wet and excellent cornering even if the tires are soft and may wear faster relative to other tires

The reason I was looking at the dunlop elite3 based on that it may perform better than the 404 since it is one step up (I may be wrong)

Most of the tire reviews on motorcycle superstore are 4.5 to 4.7 out of 5, which does not help to pick a good tire if all of them are good

The metzeler 880 had greats reviews and horror stories of pre-mature cracking,
I just want to go with a safe choice,

Any advise is appreciated

Thanks

Smikail
 
There is more to choosing a tire than just the compound, as you have to consider what bike you are putting them on. The Tour Elite IIIs were designed, as the name implies, as a touring tire. That means it has a harder compound for longer life on a heavy bike. They will last a long time on your light VS800, but a softer compound tire like the 404 will give better traction wet and dry, not only because the soft compound grips better, but also because your S50 is not heavy enough to spess the tire down as it is designed to be on a much heavier bike. So, on your bike, the 404 would grip better, but the Tour Elite would last longer, so choose according to your priority.
 
Thanks DrBob, you've answered my question, I will go with the D404.
I will never wear a tire, I do not ride long trips in the summer and it is impossible to ride in the winter here in Canada.

Thanks

Smikail
 
I too have the original Bridgestone Exedra G701 tires, 5 years old, cracking in the sidewalls, plenty of tread left, 11,500 miles on them (bought the bike used 9-10 months ago, think these are the original tires). Just wondering how these compare with the Dunlop D404 tire if I decide to replace the tire in the near future because of the cracks. Motorcycle Superstore is having a sale on all tires now, the price of the two is just about the same (Dunlop $6 cheaper). And the price with a new tube qualifies for free shipping so that's a plus.
Then the debate comes - do I buy 2 or 3 tire irons and do this myself, and probably change the front brake pads while I have the wheel off, or just bring it into the stealer and have him mount/balance the tire and do the brakes while it's there.
So any comments how the Bridgestones compare with the Dunlops?
Interestingly, there's no cracking at all in the rear tire and that's also got plenty of tread. Maybe it just stays out of the sun more?
 
Like you, my front was the cracked one, the rear was great. I bought the Metzeler ME880, I email Metzeler and they replied that the tire pressure should be 36-38 front & 38-40 rear

The handling is much better than the OEM. The bike seems to glide in turns and require less effort. I personally think acceleration has improved (I may be mistaken)

During my research to buy tires, Dunlop were cheap, wear out faster than Metzeler and has average handling
 
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