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Thruxton R tire thread

41K views 80 replies 35 participants last post by  Alfista 
#1 ·
So I know I can not be the only one has worn out their stock rear. I think it is finally time we start the great tire debate for the R.

Anyone given any thought to what they will replace the OEM set with?

I like the grip the Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa offer but I wish the rear had lasted a little longer. I really don't need track level performance as most of my riding is highway and canyons.

1. I am considering the Pirelli Rosso III since they are marketed as more street focused and supposed to have better wet grip. Plus the front is still good and not a huge fan of mixing tires too much.

2. I am also considering Michelin PR series, had them on my 2013 Thruxton, loved them, lasted forever. Could have had more grip but were unbeatable for the long highway stretches.

Thruxton-R owners let me know your thoughts on tires for our bikes.

Here is a pic of my rear (3200 miles) the center took a beating sitting on these long Texas highways.
 

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#2 ·
The R is a 160/60ZR17 right? You want a Rosso II which is dual compound. They need a good scuff-in before they feel right but will last longer. The original Rosso had a bit more grip but the II's are similar. Now that you've had Corsas, doubt you'd be happy with Angels.

https://www.denniskirk.com/pirelli/rear-diablo-rosso-ii-160-60zr-17-blackwall-tire-2070200.p544057.prd/544057.sku

When you replace the front, try to get the D-Spec 120/70ZR17 which Pirelli make for Ducati. These are more nimble than the generic Rosso II. The front takes a good scuff-in before it's really grippy but as close as you'll find to a Corsa.

Not sure why Triumph decided to use a 160; maybe for looks. The modern norm is 180/55ZR17 which is what I have on my 796 and they came on the 1100 EVO which is a torque-monster and 40# lighter than your R. From those expect 5,000+ miles.

Your tire is toast! :D
 
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#3 · (Edited)
Pirelli Rosso III is an evolution of the II and is dual compound as well.

Be careful about using different tires. I can't find the thread now, but someone had replaced their tire with a different brand, but still 160/60-17 and had it rub the chain, because it was slightly wider than the stock tire. If you look at the tire to chain clearance, you can see it is pretty tight.


Personally, I think the wide rear tire is more for looks on lower powered bikes. I think Triumph went for a narrower tire to accentuate handling and turn-in.


Edit; Found it;
Just a heads up for anybody with a ThruxtonR, installed new tires today,went from the Rosso's to Dunlop Q3's. But encountered a problem, it seems the Dunlops are a half inch wider then the stock tires. Which is funny because they are both 160/60/17. But it created a problem because the stock tire to chain clearance is only about 1/2 inch,so I ended with no clearance and by the time I noticed had shaved the edge of my tire. Had to adjust the left side adjuster out a bit more to gain some clearance. So beware buying new tires,they are not all the same size.

I'm not sure why Triumph did not build in more clearance between the chain and tire.
http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/2016-thruxton.1102246/page-18#post-30250009
 
#4 ·
Pirelli Rosso III is an evolution of the II and is dual compound as well.

Be careful about using different tires. I can't find the thread now, but someone had replaced their tire with a different brand, but still 160/60-17 and had it rub the chain, because it was slightly wider than the stock tire. If you look at the tire to chain clearance, you can see it is pretty tight.

Personally, I think the wide rear tire is more for looks on lower powered bikes. I think Triumph went for a narrower tire to accentuate handling and turn-in.
Hmmm... III's are new and possibly not as widely available. Mileage difference still unknown.

II's and III's are both available currently and II's are maybe 2 - 3 years old. Would have preferred a Rosso (I) front as it had more grip and I got 7,500+ miles out of it.

Maybe wider rears on classics is more for profiling. ;) On sport/sporty bikes, 120/70/17, 180/55/17 have been the benchmark for quite a while. On Ducati, only the 696 got a 160 and simpler chassis. Draw your own conclusion.
 
#6 ·
I will probably change both tires for Rosso IIIs when the rear wears out. From reading up on them, they are designed to do well right from cold, and in the wet, though I have no plans to ride in the rain on the Thruxton, and to last longer.

For my purposes, mainly canyon riding near home, the Diablo Rosso Corsas have done well, but I've never had tires that behave so differently between cold and warm. It's like riding two different motorcycles.
 
#7 · (Edited)
I think I'm going to try the new Continental Sport Attack 3's when the time comes.

That's if the chain won't touch that particular model tire... It's so close, that I almost thought something was assembled incorrectly when I first saw mine... I mean, who cares, if that's the way it's supposed to be, then fine.
... It would be unfortunate if I was married to this particular model tire and its 'V' contact-patch profile, due to the chain's close design. Personally, I prefer more of a 'U' profile. Like a Michelin Pilot, etc. (Just personal preference. Not saying one is better than the other.)

I will add, however, that when I had my 500-mile service done at the dealer, they used the typical watery chain lube, instead of the more wax-like lube the chain had from the factory... And since the chain was so close to the tire, it was literally caked on my tire's chicken-strip! I haven't had a "moment" or anything due to this, but that surely isn't desirable.
 
#8 ·
I don't know what the profile is, but Bike Magazine has a set of Metzeler Roadtec 01's on their Thruxton R.

My dealer's chain lube did the same thing. It looks like white lithium spray grease. That's the second time I've went over it with hot water and Dawn to get the grease off.
 
#10 ·
Has anyone removed their front wheel yet? My front tire mysteriously went flat after a long day's ride, and I couldn't find a puncture in the tire. When I refilled it, I hear (and smell) air leaking from around the stem, which indicates an internal tube failure rather than a tire puncture. I want to remove the wheel and take it to the dealer for tube replacement / wheel inspection, but I'm not sure about the best way to keep the bike upright without the front wheel on. Any suggestions would be helpful.
 
#11 ·
If you don't have a motorcycle center-stand/lift (and who doe$), I saw a guy on YouTube that used two long motorcycle tie-downs... he secured one end to the steel track for his garage door, and the other to his motorcycle grips... Adjusted the height just enough to to have the front wheel off the ground, and that was that... Not saying you should try it... Just a suggestion.

Also, Triumph have an "Approved Tire List" on their U.K. site... for the Thruxton-R it lists the Pirelli's are bikes come with, and the Metzeler Racetec RR K3.
 
#12 ·
Thanks, Cuffs. I'm hoping the tire is OK, and it's just a tube failure. I'll try the tie-down trick; I have some long tie-downs and rafters in my garage.
 
#13 ·
You're welcome... And from what you described, it sounds like just the tube... Personally, I prefer tubeless tires on mag wheels whenever possible... But in your particular case, the tube will be far less expensive to replace than a Pirelli. Cheers.
 
#14 ·
I completely agree about tubeless. In fact, I waited on buying my first Bonneville until the 2009 mag wheel version came out specifically to avoid tubes, and the tubes in the Thruxton were what gave me the most pause about buying it.

I'd be really, really interested in mag wheel upgrades, or better, tubeless spoked wheels (like I had on my Moto Guzzi Griso). I am aware that there are both DIY and services that purport to make spoked wheels tubeless ready, but that seems a little sketchy to me.
 
#15 ·
Follow up:

There are two little steel ramps on the underside of the Thruxton. I jacked up the bike and slide a pile of wood under the ramps- it held up the bike just fine, if a little teeter-tottery. If I was more concerned about stability I would have done the tiedowns over the rafters, but I didn't bother.

- the issue ended up being that the tube was creased in the tire, likely from the factory. The tube developed a crack along a crease fold and would no longer hold air. Tire and rim were fine and were reused.




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#17 ·
I had my rear tire go flat, luckily just after I had parked the bike. After removing the tire I found that the tube had been pinched on installation at the factory, it took about 2,000 kms to finally let go, so check yours out for pinch marks. I will also be removing the tubes this winter, bought a tubeless rim kit from outex, two of my friends have installed this kit on there TTR's and are working great.
 
#18 ·
Has anyone tried Bridgestone T30's on the Thruxton? It's classed as a touring tyre, but is apparently grippy enough for track use. Ron Haslam's race school uses them on their bikes. I had them on my Street Triple and they were excellent. My Thruxton R is only a week old, so I won't be replacing the tyres any time soon, but it would be useful to know what will work well on it.

http://www.cambriantyres.co.uk/ron-haslam-t30-battlax-video/
http://www.fastbikesmag.com/2013/06/25/rocket-ron-and-bridgestones-t30/
 
#19 ·
Has anyone tried Bridgestone T30's on the Thruxton?
Just be careful of the fitted/inflated size/width on your rim as clearance is reported as tight. Some sites have this info if you dig for it. Dennis Kirk does where available.
 
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#20 ·
Just posted this on another thread here... It's Triumph's "approved" current tire list. (Just scroll down to the 'Classics' section.) They currently only list three different tires. Obviously there are more, but at least you know these three particular tires won't touch the drive-chain, that is already extremely close to the OEM tires.
http://www.triumphmotorcycles.co.uk...files/tyre selector/issue 13/ts_all_en_13.pdf
 
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#24 ·
Riding back through Spain on Sunday I was horrified to feel my Thruxton R go wobbly and see that the rear tyre was not only flat but had worn down to the metal in just under 5000 miles. I managed to inflate it to about 14psi and limp to the hotel a few miles away. I was planning to leave early in the morning to catch my ferry back to London. Managed to find some motorcycle repair shops online. The first could get me a replacement Diablo Rosso Corsa but not until the afternoon. The second had a Michelin Pilot Power the correct size. Fitted and ready to go by 9:30am and just made the ferry.

The tyre feels good and no problems with the chain clearance. Too early to experience the wet or cold roads. Less than half the price of a Corsa. My next trip is through France and Switzerland to Italy. I generally set TomTom to use the winding roads so the mileage can be high and demanding on the tyres. The thought of tyres that only last 4000 miles and may run out on a 2000+ mile trip is impractical.
 
#30 ·
Consider yourself lucky. I saw metal threads on my OEM rear at 3600 mi. I'm by no means a racer, but our CA back roads can get pretty rough. I was hoping for more than 3k tho. Won't be putting the Corsas back on anytime soon!

》》》》》》》》》》Wake Up, Be Nice, Kick Ass, Repeat...... MTFU
 
#25 ·
Update on my previous post. I contacted Michelin and they say that a tubeless tyre can only run on a tubeless rim. I contacted Triumph and they confirmed that the Thruxton Rims are a MT Type rim so are suitable for Tubeless Tyres. Rims that are a WM type are the wheels that can only be fitted with a tubed type tyre. A secondary issue is that the inside of the tubed and tubeless tyres are different and Michelin recommend a good amount of chalk to prevent pinching. I have read of several members complaining of air loss due to pinched tubes. Lastly Michelin recommend unwinding the valve locknut so that if there is any movement of the tyre and tube it will be easy to see as the valve will protrude at an angle. Also Triumph say their recommended list of tyres is for tyres they have personally tested but is not intended to imply those are the only tyres that can be used with the Thruxton.
 
#28 ·
18" is the air/oil cooled Thruxton.

Try the Dennis Kirk site for Michelin & Pirelli tubes. Each tube will list which tire sizes will work with it. You'll have to dig a bit but it's all there and Dennis Kirk gives great customer service. Been buying all my tires there for 5 - 6 years.
 
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#31 ·
Ran diablo rosso 1's on the 06, then burned through those and on my second set of 2's. They are lacking grip comparatively, but are very predictable.

I like the corsas on the R, even two up they handle very nicely when pushed. But the wet grip leaves quite a bit to be desired. Living in the PNW wet roads are very much a thing. Looking forward to the new rosso 3 on both my thruxtons.
 
#36 · (Edited)
I just had the Rosso III put on the rear today and plan to replace the front in a couple months with the new Corsa II. From what I have read, the Rosso III rear is very impressive and only gives up a little performance compared to the Corsa I while gaining a lot of feel, mileage, wet grip. But, the front Rosso III supposedly lacks feel and turn in so some people are either running the Corsa I or Supercorsa in the front. I think I'll try the new Corsa II when mine is shot - likely in the next 1-3 months depending on how much I ride (lots of rain lately).

Worth noting they both have the flash tread design so should look matchy matchy.
 
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