TIRES

TIRE SIZE CALCULATOR....an excellent tool for comparing the dimensions of one size tire vs. another,
also how it changes the speedometer reading on your bike:
http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoTireMath.dos 

and.....
www.tacomaworld.com/forum/tirecalc.php
  
There seems to be personal opinions about tires that number far more than what we would sometimes
care to see and hear, making it rather confusing when we need to replace our worn tires.  Each person

has their own thoughts and reasoning for making their choices, causing the selection to become an even

more daunting and complex task, perhaps more than with any other item or accessory on our V Star 1300,  
excluding the infamous "oil topic," of course.  : ) 
     
The V Star 1300 is equipped at the factory with tires that will be either the Dunlop K555, or the

Bridgestone Excedra G722 G, each including a 130/90-16 front tire and 170/70-16 rear tire. The front 
and rear tires are both "H" rated, which indicates a maximum speed rating of 130 mph. The tires most

often found as replacement tires on the V Star 1300 are the "upgraded" tires shown below:

MICHELIN COMMANDER-II.  This tire has almost unanimously received the most praise from V Star

1300 riders.  Reports continue to indicate that both the front and rear C-II tires are lasting beyond the

20,000 mile mark, also providing great handling, increased traction, better tracking and also better overall

ride characteristics.
 
METZELER upgraded their excellent performing tire, the Marathon ME880, to a newer ME888.  The reports
to date have indicated that it continues to be an excellent performing tire, but no mileage reports have been

provide just yet.  The "front" ME880 was known to last 20,000-25,000 miles, although the "rear" ME880 lasted

from 8,000-11,000.  Expectations for the new ME888 are for much greater longevity.  

DUNLOP ELITE-3:  this tire continues to be one of the best tires for providing both excellent handling

and longevity, with its front tire capable of lasting 20,000-25,000 miles, although its rear tire falls 

short of that mark lasting an average of about 12,000-13,000 miles on the V Star 1300.
 

AVON continues to provide one of the best handling tires made, but both the front and rear tires

have suffered when comparing them with the tires mentioned above.     

MICHELIN
MICHELIN Commander-II  <--click
F: 130/90B-16 bias;  R: 180-65B-16 bias
 
METZELER

Metzeler ME888 Marathon Ultra  <--click
F: 130/90B-16 bias;  R: 180-65B-16 bias (unlike the ME880 rear tire, which was a radial)

DUNLOP
DUNLOP Elite-3  <--click
F: MT90B-16 bias (metric equivalent of the 130/90-16);  R: 180/70R-16 radial

  
AVON
Avon Cobra  <--click

F: MT90B-16 bias;  R: 180/70R-16 radial  

SHINKO
Shinko 777  <--click
Black or Whitewalls available-  
Sold at VERY low prices, these tires continue at an increasing rate to receive great reviews. 

BEST PLACE TO BUY your tires:

Just as with many other accessories for your 1300, contact SHANE at www.sscustomcycle.com. 

It's a call you'll be very glad you made.  He is THE best.  His prices are great and his pre-sale and
post-sale assistance are without a doubt 2nd to none! 

WHITEWALL TIRES:

Next and as you can see on Luis' bike pictured above, whitewall tires can add a great touch to the 1300's appearance. 

Many riders continue to inquire about the tires he is using, which are Dunlops originally made for the Harley touring

models - Street Glide, Road Glide, Road King, also mostly available from Harley dealers and a few other online parts 

distributors, such as www.cyclepartsforless.com located in Wisconsin.:
FRONT: Dunlop D408F - listed either as Dunlop part #3031-81, or product item #43211-09A;
       Size: 130/90B-16-67H-WWW

REAR: Dunlop D407 - Dunlop part #3031-57, or product item #43230-09;
       Size: 180/65B-16-81H-WWW 
===================================================

CAR Tires

NOTE: This is a highly controversial subject for many individuals for reasons that are widely varied.  This

site neither endorses nor opposes the use of a car tire on the rear wheel of the 1300, but instead is only

reporting to share what many riders have discovered for themselves.    

 
Placing an automobile tire on the rear wheel of a motorcycle is referred to as going to the "Dark Side."  The huge

majority have reported great success using a DS tire to where it has become their overwhelming preference for

their bikes.  

In just one forum alone there are almost 10,000 members riding on a rear DS tire.  Hypothetically speaking, if each of those members rode an average of only 6,000 miles per year, that would translate into 60MILLION miles per year being ridden on DS tires, again, from those members of just one single forum alone.  

The low cost of a DS tire is just a bonus  is truly the "bonus," with the greatest advantage of all reportedly being its enhanced SAFETY as a result of its greatly improved TRACTION and it helping to produce noticeably shortened stopping distances.   

Those who use a DS tire generally say it requires up to a couple hundred miles to become accustomed to the apparent diferences found in its handling characteristics.  And there is a difference, no doubt about it.  This 'difference' is perhaps somewhat similar to the difference one discovers when they switch from one bike to another model of bike, a change that requires a little riding time and overall awareness before it becomes "the new normal." Especially in the beginning stages, one will immediately recognize that it requires a little more 'rider input' to successfully make the same sharp turns as before, but it will soon become something that seems quite natural and, once again, "the new normal."

Most riders find that the DS tire tends to follow certain kinds of ruts and imperfections in the roads more so than a MC tire, although many other types of road imperfections and slight bumps go completely unnoticed.  "Generally speaking," once a rider switches to a rear DS tire, rarely are they ever likely to go back to a rear MC tire on that same bike. 

Below is a list of tires (in no particular order) that have proven to be exceptional DS tires on the V Star 1300.  With many brands, the V speed rated tire would be the preferred choice vs the H due to it incorporating slightly stiffer construction, although both the H and V tires continue to be used with excellent results.   

**Michelin Primacy MXV4 A/S ...... 205/60-16..... $135

**Goodyear Assurance TripleTred A/S...205/60-16... $115

**Pirelli Cinturato P7 A/S ...... 205/60-16..... $110

**Yokohama AVID ENVigor A/S ...... 205/60-16..... $100

**Cooper CS4 Touring A/S ...... 205/60-16..... $97

**Firestone Precision Sport A/S ...... 205/60-16..... $90

**Falken Ziex ZE912 A/S ...... 205/60-16..... $90

**Bridgestone Potenza G 019 Grid A/S ...... 205/60-16..... $90

**Sumitomo HTR P01 A/S ...... 205/60-16..... $65

**Ohtsu FP6000 A/S ...... 205/60-16..... $65
There are others.
  
NOTE:

Size 205/55-16:  There are two advantages found when using the 55 series tire, and one disadvantage.  First, the disadvantage:  This size tire is slightly shorter than the OEM 170/70 tire, therefore it will add to the already erroneous speedometer reading, causing the speedometer to read about 1 MPH faster than with the stock rear tire.  Now, for the advantages: 1. better and more controllable handling characteristics with its shorter sidewall producing less flex vs. a 60 series tire;  2. A greater selection of available tires, including "run-flat" tires, which have become increasingly popular for DS'ers.     

As listed at the beginning of this TIRES section, you can go here for comparative tire specs and dimensions: 

 http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoTireMath.dos

Side note:  Dunlop Sport 5000 195/60-16 - This was the very first DS tire used on the 1300, one that was favorabl replaced by the 205/60 tires seen above. Other tires in this same size for those who need or want the smaller tire:

Yokohama AVID Ascend 195/60-16 
Hankook H426 Optimo 195/60-16

Kumho ECSTA PA31 195/60-16