Tire recommendation for CBR250R... | GTAMotorcycle.com

Tire recommendation for CBR250R...

mimico_polak

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Hey guys, looks like my tires are done. The rear for sure and the front should probably be replaced at the same time. Currently the bike has IRC Road Winners 110/70-17 and 140/70-17. I'm looking to replace both with something else. Currently the price for the IRC is around $300 (all in) for that set from Honda as I can't find anyone else that sells them here in Toronto (called Rosey Toes / Pete's Superbikes / Pro 6). Also, do you think it would adversely change the bike handling with a 150 tire in the rear? There's not many options for 140 size from what I've seen. Thanks!
 
stay with the 110 front, a 150/60 rear will be fine, just confirm the rim width is suitable. I wouldn't advise going bigger than that though.
 
Pirelli Diablo Rosso II are great, big improvement in wet, come in 110/140, made just for the 250. Highly recommended. Get them at petes superbike or from tony at bluestreak racing.
 
Thanks guys. I read good things about the Rosso's but that they wear fairly quick. I have around 17k on my stock tires and would like to at least see something over the 12000km mark. I've looked into the Contimotion tires (about $250 shipped), Pilot Powers ($320), PR3 ($365 - but larger rear size 150/70), PR2 ($340 - larger rear tire size), Sport Demon ($305). This is way harder than buying car tires! Or the stock IRCs @ $232 from the US).
 
Michelin Pilot Activ are well regarded tires across the board from my research. Sticky enough for the track yet good enough all around use for the street and acceptable wear. The Bridgestone BT45 is another good option but is a bit more expensive than the Michelins.
 
You need to decide btwn bias ply or radial. There is more choice on the bias ply side than radial. If you choose radials then sport tires give you the widest brand options.
 
Honestly I'm not familiar with the benefits of either type. I'll need to do more research. I mainly commute with some twisties, and don't really corner very hard (hence the large chicken strips still!). Original tires are bias-ply tires. Would it be bad to switch tire type to radial on a bike?
 
I got nothing to offer about your tire question mimico... you're just making me miss my old CBR250r.
Great bike.
Sigh.
 
Radials tend to have more supple side walls plus they have the newer rubber technology as they are the new tech for tires..blah, blah.
That being said given your riding habits/style bias ply would be fine. Grippy rubber doesn't last as long and generally doesn't do well in colder temps. Sport touring rubber lasts longer and will grip equally as well for you and will do better as the temps get colder.
Brand and tire contour preferences are all personal, can't help much there but any major brand would likely serve you well.
 
When I had my ninja 250r I replaced the stock IRC's (same size as yours) with Dunlop GT-501's. They were also bias ply cause I stayed with the stock setup.
 
On my 250 I switched to bt-016's as I sacrificed the longevity for the traction gains. On my other bike (cb-1) i'm also on radials as I find the ride is definitely improved with the more supple sidewall compared to bias ply.
 
Pirelli Diablo Rosso 110/70-17 front 140/70-17 rear, is what the CBR 250 Cup racing series is using. I have a take-off set on my 2011 CBR125.

Pretty sure Bridgestone and Dunlop have something in a 140/70-17 rear, also.

Nothing will last as long as the OEM IRC tires, though.
 
After a quick chat with Ted at Rosey Toes I decided on the Pirelli Sport Demons as they come in the size I actually need and they're well rated on other sites as well. Getting them installed tomorrow! EDIT: the Pirellis are out of stock :( but Ted really recommended a Heidenau so I'll take a look at those and I'll trust the expert's opinion on this one.
 
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never heard of Heidenau.... why don't you just go with Bridgestone or Dunlop. They are easy to find in that size , relatively same price and performance.
 
A co worker got Sport Demons on his 250 and couldn't stop talking about how awesome they were. I'd insist on those over something no ones ever heard of.

After a quick chat with Ted at Rosey Toes I decided on the Pirelli Sport Demons as they come in the size I actually need and they're well rated on other sites as well. Getting them installed tomorrow! EDIT: the Pirellis are out of stock :( but Ted really recommended a Heidenau so I'll take a look at those and I'll trust the expert's opinion on this one.
 
Michelin Pilot Activ are well regarded tires across the board from my research. Sticky enough for the track yet good enough all around use for the street and acceptable wear. The Bridgestone BT45 is another good option but is a bit more expensive than the Michelins.

This - Pilot Activ. Had them on GS500 - great all-around tires. Someone else recommended Rosso. I have Rosso II on my CBR, great tires too, but more expensive, and I don't notice any excessive wear (Rosso II, not Rosso Corsa).
 
Heidenau???

A lot of the vintage-racing crowd use these tires, because they make some odd sizes that the main brands have discontinued.

I don't know how their grip and life are compared to Bridgestone, Dunlop, etc.
 
After a quick chat with Ted at Rosey Toes I decided on the Pirelli Sport Demons as they come in the size I actually need and they're well rated on other sites as well. Getting them installed tomorrow! EDIT: the Pirellis are out of stock :( but Ted really recommended a Heidenau so I'll take a look at those and I'll trust the expert's opinion on this one.

Expert's opinion ??? Sometimes you have to take that advice with a grain of salt. People will advice on brands that benefit them whether they get a bigger profit or they just have them in stock.
 
Sorry I didn't state that properly. Ted told me about the tires and I looked into it. From all reviews I read online they have been highly rated as a tire for durability and performance. Lot of ST bikes use them (scout) and the reviews have been positive from other forums I visited. I'll give em a shot and see how they feel in comparison to stock. If they're garbage lesson learned, but if they are as good as I read about them then its just icing on the cake.
 

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