Replacing tires on my Vaquero

[aron77]

I noticed that my 2011 vaquero seemed a little squirrely so as I was checking the tire pressure I noticed that the back tire is pretty much bald in the middle, good tread on the side but bald as a baby in the middle. I was a little surprised since I bought it last year pretty much new with only 1700 miles on it and while I have it up to about 9000 now I didn't expect a bald tire, I've read the stock suck for longevity and I would have to agree. I've only been riding a couple of years and this is my second bike so I've never bought tires for a bike and since tires seem pretty life and death to me I want to make the best decision. In my brief research tonight the words commander II have come up a lot so that is the leading candidate but can someone lay out everything for me?

What size tires for the Vaquero?

What tire is the best and how much to they run?

Online vs going to a local shop? What about mounting?

What PSI should an extra large guy be running?

Feel free to post links to some great deals or tell me anything else I should know?

[Snake Ranch]

Originally Posted by aron77

I noticed that my 2011 vaquero seemed a little squirrely so as I was checking the tire pressure I noticed that the back tire is pretty much bald in the middle, good tread on the side but bald as a baby in the middle. I was a little surprised since I bought it last year pretty much new with only 1700 miles on it and while I have it up to about 9000 now I didn't expect a bald tire, I've read the stock suck for longevity and I would have to agree. I've only been riding a couple of years and this is my second bike so I've never bought tires for a bike and since tires seem pretty life and death to me I want to make the best decision. In my brief research tonight the words commander II have come up a lot so that is the leading candidate but can someone lay out everything for me?

What size tires for the Vaquero?

What tire is the best and how much to they run?

Online vs going to a local shop? What about mounting?

What PSI should an extra large guy be running?

Feel free to post links to some great deals or tell me anything else I should know?

Your hand book will give you the factory recommendations. If you didn't get one with your skoot, check on-line on the factory web-site. You got decent mileage on your rear tire. Some get less, some get more. I was able to get 12,200 on my rear tire. I keep the pressure around the max ratting for the tire.

I went to the dark side and put a 205/60/16 Yokohama Avid Assend LRR car tire on the rear. Way better mileage on the rubber, softer ride, better fuel mileage after the tire set in,......about $120.00 Went to the local tire shop, told them I was buying the tire for a trailer. The kid at the counter was a rider and knew what I was doing.

I run 50-51 psi in the rear, 42 psi in the front. It is a Commander II.

If you run an M/C tire in the rear there are a lot of opinions. I bought the Commander II front tire from Bike Bandit.com. I think it was about $120.00 also, free shipping. I ordered it before I went to work on Thursday morning, it was my house before I was home from work on Friday afternoon.

Shop around for price, it can vary a lot. Bike bandit was the best I could come up with at the time. The shipping speed surprised me, I didn't expect it so soon.

I pulled the wheels myself, took them to the Honda shop for dismounting, I will NOT do business with the Kawasaki dealer down the street. Those tires are TIGHT on the beads. The shop mounted the front tire, I was afraid to ask them to mount the C/T on the rear. Did it myself. That new C/T was just as tight as the M/C tire coming off. It will depend on your skill set and what tools you have to work with.

If you are going with an M/C tire and are not going to use dyna-beads for balancing, have the shop do it. It will save you a lot of time. I think it was $25.00 for a dismount, new mount and balance.

[smokier]

Originally Posted by aron77

What size tires for the Vaquero?

What tire is the best and how much to they run?

Online vs going to a local shop? What about mounting?

What PSI should an extra large guy be running?

Feel free to post links to some great deals or tell me anything else I should know?

Greetings Aron,
Check your manual for accuracy. My Vaquero manual states:
170/70R/16 REAR, although many go with the Michelin Commander II's at 180/65/16 with no issue. That is the rear currently on Rita...
The front is 130/90/16 stock, for me currently a 150/80/16.
Best? Not touching that Pandora's Box. The Michelin Commander IIs are very popular. The Dunlop E3's and Metzler ME880/888 also have a following. As do the Avons. So the most popular have been mentioned...
You will likely save $$$ by buying on line. I have had good luck with Denniskirk.com and motorcycle-superstore.com. DK is one state north, so my orders arrive the next day...
I know shops that charge EXTRA for Mounting and Balancing if you don't buy the tires from them. They have two prices for M&B. There is a local shop that charges $30 for M&B and tire disposal. The total saves me money compared to buying the tire from him and having him M&B..

You do what you feel is right, my PSI's are set at the tire's indicated MAX cold rating. I am experiencing good tread life with even wear...

Ride safe,
Smokier

[hlknvlcn60]

I'm stuck with the Mich Commanders....great handling, wear, really good on wet pavement and reasonably priced. The motorcyclesuperstore.com has good prices on them and are fast on delivery.

[bo1966]

I got curious and set my front tire at the factory recommended 28 PSI. Wont do that again, Can someone tell me why they think riding on a marshmallow is a good thing?

[coolwazabi]

Originally Posted by Snake Ranch

I run 50-51 psi in the rear, 42 psi in the front. It is a Commander II.
:

Hows the rear tire handle in your opinion? I've heard CT's are suppose to run high 20's but recently i've heard low 40's. Idk what to think, although I like the feel of the 40 the tire max PSI only allows 42psi.

[Snake Ranch]

Originally Posted by coolwazabi

Hows the rear tire handle in your opinion? I've heard CT's are suppose to run high 20's but recently i've heard low 40's. Idk what to think, although I like the feel of the 40 the tire max PSI only allows 42psi.

When I went to the Dark Side I went with the Yokohama Avid Ascend because of the load rating, 1356 pounds @ 51 psi, if I remember correctly. The stock tire was rated for 835 pounds @ 42 psi? On one of our trips the rear axle weight was 950 pounds.


The best handling I found is at 50-51 psi. Last spring it had rained a little in the AM, I was working second shift and left for work around 2:45 pm. My route took me to a street where I have to make a U-turn. I was making it tight when the rear end washed out, even though the pavement looked dry. It came around and the light bar drug a little but then that C/T hooked back up and I rode away straight as an arrow as if I intended to do that. I have always wondered if that would have happened if the tire pressure was in the upper 20's?

The skoot feels more stable both at high and low speeds with the higher pressures.

I have a tire pressure monitoring system and only see a 2 to 3 psi increase in pressure on hot days. I have an ambient temp sensor in the front of the faring and during the summer I have seen temps over 120 degrees F out on the Interstate. The pressure never gets any higher.

I was in the Harley shop one day and there were 4 tires leaning on the wall and they were shredded beyond my belief, 360 degrees around. The beads were still intact. I was curious about the cause of the tire failures, thinking there was a manufacturing problem. The service manager said all 4 tires failed due to under inflation.

I knew this could be true as I have seen this happen with the large on-highway trucks.

On an under inflated tire, the side walls have to flex more generating more heat and overheating the tire.

Tires have a maximum load rating, a maximum pressure rating, a speed rating, and a wear rating, and a heat dissipation rating.

The manufactures web sites will list most if not all this info.

I also believe I get better tire wear at the higher tire pressures and have not had the problem with the tires cupping.

You will get better fuel milage because you have less rolling resistance, but the ride will be harder with an M/C tire. With my Yokohama C/T , I feel it is softer because I don't feel the highway reflectors like I did with the M/C tire.

Hope this helps.

[highwayman2011]

I'm running the Michelin C2's on my Voyager got 19,000 out of the last rear. 17,000 out of the front. These guys have good prices:https://www.jakewilson.com/p/1173/34...otorcycle-Tire

[hlknvlcn60]

highwayman your mileage numbers on the Commanders are the highest I have seen posted to date. So far so good on mine the C2s with only around 2500 or so. I guess I have a lot more to look forward to!

[Snake Ranch]

Originally Posted by highwayman2011

I'm running the Michelin C2's on my Voyager got 19,000 out of the last rear. 17,000 out of the front. These guys have good prices:https://www.jakewilson.com/p/1173/34...otorcycle-Tire

That's great milage Highwayman2011

Just curious, what tire pressures do you run, and have you had any cupping issues? How would you rate your ridding style, mild, moderate, or aggressive? Do you ride 2up much?

[highwayman2011]

Originally Posted by Snake Ranch

That's great milage Highwayman2011

Just curious, what tire pressures do you run, and have you had any cupping issues? How would you rate your ridding style, mild, moderate, or aggressive? Do you ride 2up much?

38 to 40 psi don't ride two up anymore, wife has her own bike. Moderate riding style. No cupping. I have about 8k on the replacement front now and 6k on the rear.

[hlknvlcn60]

Same with my C2s...and I ride aggressively in the corners and still no sign of wear on those Michelins after about 3,000 hard miles.....seems they will be the tires of choice for me from here on..

[BigDog1294]

Originally Posted by hlknvlcn60

highwayman your mileage numbers on the Commanders are the highest I have seen posted to date. So far so good on mine the C2s with only around 2500 or so. I guess I have a lot more to look forward to!

I am currently at 14k on my second CII rear (got 19,250 on the first) and 21k+ on my front. I don't expect to replace either any time soon.

[Lumberjack]

Maximize tire life go with the highest PSI marked on the tire. You will get a harder ride and it may affect handling and go lower PSI from there.

I personally put max PSI in the rear as it wears MUCH quicker than front. I usually put somewhere between max PSI and factory spec in the front and find a happy medium.

[twowheeladdict]

Originally Posted by bo1966

I got curious and set my front tire at the factory recommended 28 PSI. Wont do that again, Can someone tell me why they think riding on a marshmallow is a good thing?

Because the front suspension sucks. They want the low pressure to compensate for poor design. I brought my forks to Traxxion Dynamics for a complete rebuild.