OEM tires, why the fuss?

[Skidood]

Hey there, I'm just curious about why a lot of people say the factory tires are no good.  I am a new owner of a new 2019 Tracer and really have not done enough riding in my life to be able to say one thing or the other about tires.  

So what makes the factory tires crappy, to the point where some people replace them with less than 500 miles on the bike?   TIA.

Edited January 24, 2021 by Skidood
spelling mistake, dammit !!!

[mikerbiker]

I liked them on my 2019 Tracer GT.  Got about 7,200 miles from the set.  Changed to Metzeler next which I dont like as much. Plus Dunlop has cool commercials for Motoamerica!

[HGP61]

Only ever changed tires when they are at the end of their useful life, (or on one occassion 400 miles after the end of their useful life) I don't think that you get a bad tire nowadays and I probably don't ride with enough finess to notice the subtle differences in handling between different brands. I have always replaced my tires with "Avon Storm 3D XM's" because they do what I need doing and the price has always been good. But, each to their own, If I was a faster rider or if I was spending a bit of time on a track I would want tires more suited for that purpose. A friend picked and fitted a set once only because the tread pattern looked like a wee angel.

[johnmark101]

The stock Dunlop D222's on this bike are decent.  I don't know why people gripe about them.  Chucking them off before they are worn out is a waste of money.  Yes,  the tires you can get in the aftermarket are better but the OEM tires are not bad.  I rode them pretty aggressively and they performed well with plenty of grip for deep lean angles at speed.  Had no issues keeping up with the local sport bike riders in the twisties.  Once they were worn out I replaced them with Dunlop Roadsmarts.  Last couple of sets have been Metzeler M7 RR since I was able to get them for cheap.  

Just for fun I am thinking about running a set of the Pirelli Rosso Corsa 2 this summer.  I know they will not last but they are incredible performance tires and will allow me to really explore the limits of this bikes handling with added confidence.  After that I will probably stick with sport touring tires.   

[koth442]

Tire feel is a VERY subjective thing. Some people don't like the feel more than others. Personally, I ran them dead. 

[Ride365]

Weird front end oscillations, grip IMHO is "iffy", and reported not so good wet weather grip. It's not that tires coming on a bike from a factory are subpar, matter of fact many come with higher end tires, but just read the reviews about these tires even away from this forum, and you'll see that not many have good things to say about them.

[DavidS]

16 hours ago, Skidood said:

Hey there, I'm just curious about why a lot of people say the factory tires are no good.  I am a new owner of a new 2019 Tracer and really have not done enough riding in my life to be able to say one thing or the other about tires.  

So what makes the factory tires crappy, to the point where some people replace them with less than 500 miles on the bike?   TIA.

 

Watch this, it explains the issue far better than I can.......

And from my personal experience of riding since the 80's, new motorcycle tires always last a fraction of the mileage than the aftermarket replacements of the same Manufacturer / Tire model. 

 

[texscottyd]

Hi @Skidood - Tires are right up there with oil & fuel on the ‘everyone has an opinion’ scale...     

That said, I found that the D222s on my FJ were certainly adequate, and appropriate original equipment for the bike’s purpose and price point.  They were actually a good match to the OEM suspension, as the tires started getting really greasy just about the time the suspension became truly overwhelmed.   Which is really the issue at hand:  An honest assessment of how you ride, and what you want out of the bike.   If it’s a commuter, all-arounder, and weekend cruiser, you’re probably fine with the stock components.   I got 4,800 miles out of the stock tires, and thought they were ok... not great, but ok.   But my inner retired road racer keeps surfacing on this bike, so suspension upgrades and stickier rubber was the inevitable path for me, and I’ve never looked back.   

[Ride365]

Yup most track riders still upgrade their suspension even on a high end race bike, but for most of us the suspension will never to rarely be an issue. I can see how once you've had crazy good brakes and suspension you'd be ruined, but that's why the aftermarket segment is there for.  

[piotrek]

18 hours ago, Skidood said:

Hey there, I'm just curious about why a lot of people say the factory tires are no good.

It is not a lot of people. It's the Internets... so you tend to only hear from people with complaints. You wouldn't upgrade the seat just because some people find it uncomfortable... and so the same thing applies to tires, and the suspension. I did not find stock Dunlops unsafe, but there are certainly better performing tires out there (I am on Michelins now). You paid for them, so unless you feel that your riding style demands better, wear them out and get your money's worth IMO. YMMV.

[texscottyd]

20 minutes ago, piotrek said:

It is not a lot of people. It's the Internets... so you tend to only hear from people with complaints.

Truer words have seldom been spoken... 

[Salish900]

I'll say why I quickly swapped my front out for a Road 5. My commute home has a snaky road that's only posted 35 that has a lot of tar snakes. And it rains here a lot. After just getting my bike, I was riding this road and kept feeling like I was losing my front end at negligible lean angles. Even straight up, my front wheel was bouncing around. I'd ridden this road on two other bikes and knew it was not a problem of the road, but the bike and tires. So I swapped the front, and the problem went away. I feel planted now. It's just too damn wet and marginal here in the winter to ride on anything less than the best. I've kept the rear for now, as it hasn't made me feel a loss of control, and yet after only 2,300 miles it is more than half way done. 

[betoney]

 

3 hours ago, texscottyd said:

That said, I found that the D222s on my FJ were certainly adequate, and appropriate original equipment for the bike’s purpose and price point.  They were actually a good match to the OEM suspension, as the tires started getting really greasy just about the time the suspension became truly overwhelmed.

I agree with this, for someone who just putters around back roads or commutes to work, there is no real issues with the tires or suspension, however once you pick up the pace, they can quickly get overwhelmed. 

My only real complaint with the oem tires was slipping on damp pavement, I had the back end step out on several occasions when cornering through an intersection or traffic circle, not enough to crash but probably slip 4"-6" off my line - enough to raise the pucker factor when it isn't expected. 

Since switching to aftermarket tires, I have never had that happen again with any brand.

[northsouth]

Definitely depends on how much you plan to push them. They are a semi decent general duty oem tire. Grip is vague until they start to slip so I ditched them at about 300 miles for road 5's. I like a predictable tire.

[petshark]

I bought mine second hand with Dunlop RoadSmart III's on it and I'm constantly contemplating changing them for Pilot Road 5's. The dunlops have still 70% on them so I find it hard to justify. I just really do not like them coming from Road 4's and Scorpion Trail II's. They take forever to get warm and do all kinds of little slides. Went to a suspension specialist who spends most his time on the race track but also had these on a superduke (his street bike) and he immediately said the same thing; "never again, no grip, too hard, take forever to get hot". If the D222's are the budget version of this tire, I have no doubt that I would really dislike them and quickly change them. With the RSIII I find that they are ok, I just have to be more careful and wait a long time before they inspire any confidence. I have absolutely zero dirt riding experience so I can imagine that is also a factor.

So in short I agree with the consensus here that it's a very personal thing. I personally much prefer pilot roads and was pleasantly surprised with the Pirelli Scorpion Trail II's. I had expected the Roadsmarts to be at least as good but to me they are not, so much that I already find myself in a mindset where I never want to try dunlops again (stupid I know). To the point of not wasting tires I would say that you can always find someone who will take them off you for a good price? That said the D222 have such a bad reputation (even if it's unwarranted) that I imagine they will be hard to sell.