Hockey pucks . . to change or not to change? This is the question! | GTAMotorcycle.com

Hockey pucks . . to change or not to change? This is the question!

Cha0s00100

Cha0s00100

Well-known member
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Hey guys,

So I finally got my new bike and I have a quick questions. The tiers on the bike were made in 2004 and are stock however they only have under 10,000 km on it with plenty of tread left. My mechanic referred to them has big "hockey pucks" as the rubber tends to harden over time preventing proper grip.

My question is do I just take it through the season or change them ASAP ? If replacements are required what would you guys recommend for the 05 sv650 and where can I get them cheap ? (YES I know this has been answered in threads before but im asking again since I cant find the tread ;p)

Thanks in advance guys.

Cant wait to ride on Saturday !
 
if you want cheap get Shinkos from Pannon, even though you're going from old hockey pucks to new ones. I always run Shinkos and I haven't had any issues with them.
 
Yes, get new tires, they do get hard, and you will notice a difference in grip.
 
Motorcycle shops make most of their profits from service and accessories sales.He wants to sell you new tires to replace your "past their prime" tires.If there is no cracking and the tread depth is fine,i would finish them off without pushing the bike too hard.But they would probably be fine anyway.I've done trackdays on 6 yr old tires without any problems whatsoever.
 
If it fits into your budget then why not buy a new pair, they certainly will be better performing the old ones you have on your bike right now.
 
Before changing your tires, I highly recommend you doing burn outs
 
If you ride conservatively, I think you could squeeze another season out of them. However, if you like to hit the twisties at an above average pace, replace those pucks.
 
Wingboy said:
Motorcycle shops make most of their profits from service and accessories sales.He wants to sell you new tires to replace your "past their prime" tires.If there is no cracking and the tread depth is fine,i would finish them off without pushing the bike too hard.But they would probably be fine anyway.I've done trackdays on 6 yr old tires without any problems whatsoever.
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I agree. If u are not commuting with your knees down, I highly doubt u will see any difference.

As was said, if it fits your budget, get new ones. Personally, I ride my tires till the threads start showing themselves :rolleyes:

ducati rider said:
just make sure the burnout doesn't suddenly become an uncontrolled wheelie lol
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or he messes up his chain and sprocket :D
 
I bought my SV with the stock tires (D220's - when bike had 3k on then in 4 years) and I rode them until last year (24000km total) without any issues. They had no cracks etc and were just fine for everyday. If the tires look fine and have tread ... you can ride them this season probably. It's a matter of budget and personal choice.

I now have Michelin Pilot Road 2's and REALLY like them ... should have swapped earlier!!
 
pylon said:
I bought my SV with the stock tires (D220's - when bike had 3k on then in 4 years) and I rode them until last year (24000km total) without any issues. They had no cracks etc and were just fine for everyday. If the tires look fine and have tread ... you can ride them this season probably. It's a matter of budget and personal choice.

I now have Michelin Pilot Road 2's and REALLY like them ... should have swapped earlier!!
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Anything's better than Dun-crap :D
 
pylon said:
... lesson learned ...
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I've tried the D207, D208, then the Qualifier. I moved on to something else and the difference were night and day.

I've preached it over and over on this site, lol.
 
There are no rules, most guides recommend replacing anything older than 5-6 years, some set the line at 10 years.
7 year old tires should be most likely replaced unless they were stored in optimal conditions and even then they're probably hard. Aside from normal wear, sun exposure is your worst enemy, also any source of ozone like certain electric motors, they could have flat spots from prolonged storage.
Without knowing the history of the tires and assuming that the OE rubber is rarely any good on SVs, definitely change them.

For touring, from my personal research, the best tire would be Michelin Pilot Road 2 or 3.
I also like Bridgestone. People put sport or track tires on their bikes like crazy and then complain that they only last few thousand km. Dual compound touring tires may be slightly more expensive but they will outlast any performance tire 2-3 fold and also provide great traction while cornering.
 
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