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Tires for 05 Zg1000

J

josesosa924227

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Hey, hope all is well! First want to thank those who are going to help me!

Need new tires, any recommendations also

How should I run with my suspension? As in what do I set it to?

Few things you should know!

1. Im a big guy as in 5”11 300lbs
2. Daily street riding and highway some days

Also as a big guy what tire pressure should I run?
 
There are TONS of old discussions on tires on many threads here in this section, and just about as many opinions as their are contributors, of course. Another complicating factor is that tire availability changes often enough that old opinions are sometimes irrelevant.

That being said, if you prefer matched sets of tires, you have very little to choose from for the stock wheels on the C10. If you want radials (the type originally provided) the list is extremely short. I'm running a set of Avon Spirit ST, with a 110/80-R18 front, instead of the factory 120/70-R18 spec front, and am very happy with them. There's a good technical paper in the members-only section discussing the front tire size (another perk of being a paid member), but essentially, the OE-spec 120/70 Dunlop front tire was a one-off model that was smaller than the industry-standard 120/70 size, so a 110/80 actually performs better on the stock rim.

If you ride a lot of miles and aren't as interested in peak handling and grip, you can get more miles for your money with other tires, like the Shinko 777 bias-ply, but I don't ride enough to value the mileage over the performance and safety of the grippier radials.

Lastly, I do find the Avon radials to be a bit more sensitive to suspension and steering head bearing issues (I had a sketchy wandering feel when swapping to these tires, but after replacing my steering head bearings and adjusting them several times, it went away). They do give the bike an incredibly nimble feel, with quicker and sharper steering than I would have expected for a fat bike like this.
 
Assuming you have stock suspension, the best advice I can say is to measure static sag and adjust front preload and rear shock air to get about 25% static sag, then experiment for what feels best (including for rear shock damping). For your weight, you'll probably end up with the front preload cranked all the way and still find it too soft. The owner's manual has some basic recommendations you can start with as well.

The front forks really benefit from stiffer linear-rate springs and cartridge emulators/damper valves. There are other threads discussing a number of options for that. I've done it to both my current old-school Kawasakis and it's probably the best mod to both of them. It makes the front both firmer for braking and handling, but more compliant for sharp bumps. The stock fixed-orifice damping is kind of the worst for both, but was cheap and simple (and part of how these bikes could be sold so cheaply when new).
 
I've had rear tire problems with Avon and Shinko with 440 lbs (2 up with 100 lbs of luggage). At 300 lbs yourself, add a passenger and you're close to the 440 lb maximum without luggage. Michelin Commanders (III) are Goldwing sizes that fit the C-10. The rubber is harder so cornering/braking is slightly less but the tires will last much longer. I never could figure out front/rear weight distribution but I suspect the rear tire gets at least 60% of the overall load - and possibly more.
My tires failed on a trip thousands of miles from home. The tires didn't fail drastically but started to wobble and probably if ignored would have eventually failed. It happened twice... twice bitten once shy?
 
I am a couple thousand miles into a new set of Pirelli Sport Demons in a 110/80-18 front and 150/80-16 rear and I love 'em. I run 40 psi front and rear. I am also 5' 11" and I weigh about 260 geared up. I have an '02 C10 with stock suspension and run my rear shock at 30 psi with the rebound adjuster set at 3. I have the adjusters on the front forks turned all the way in to lessen the dive when braking. This works for me for all around spirited riding. YMMV. You may want a little more air in your rear shock, say 40 psi, especially if you are carrying anything in your bags or a trunk.
 
bpdutton said:
I am a couple thousand miles into a new set of Pirelli Sport Demons in a 110/80-18 front and 150/80-16 rear and I love 'em. I run 40 psi front and rear. I am also 5' 11" and I weigh about 260 geared up. I have an '02 C10 with stock suspension and run my rear shock at 30 psi with the rebound adjuster set at 3. I have the adjusters on the front forks turned all the way in to lessen the dive when braking. This works for me for all around spirited riding. YMMV. You may want a little more air in your rear shock, say 40 psi, especially if you are carrying anything in your bags or a trunk.
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I have Sport Demons on my old-school 600, and they are pretty nice. The turn-in is more sluggish than the Connie, though, despite the bike being 1/3 lighter. I am so stuck running a fatter front tire size on that bike, though, as the proper size hasn't been made in years (110/80-16).
 
Ted thew out a Dunlop table showing a K701F and a k700G (he can be a showoff).

Seth, are these Dunlops all gone?

I only used Dunlops and but tried Perellis once. The Perellis were sticky, but more round and got me a ticket not for speeding but for learning how twitchy they could be versus the more square rear Dunlops. Wiggle your butt and you moved quick, like it or not.

The original Dunlops were more forgiving, and sticky enough for me. When they first came out, the bastards were only sold via a Kawasaki part number and therefore additional markup.
 
nschepenr3827 said:
Ted thew out a Dunlop table showing a K701F and a k700G (he can be a showoff).

Seth, are these Dunlops all gone?

I only used Dunlops and but tried Perellis once. The Perellis were sticky, but more round and got me a ticket not for speeding but for learning how twitchy they could be versus the more square rear Dunlops. Wiggle your butt and you moved quick, like it or not.

The original Dunlops were more forgiving, and sticky enough for me. When they first came out, the bastards were only sold via a Kawasaki part number and therefore additional markup.
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I don't think the original-spec Dunlops have been made in quite a few years. The details of that would be before my time, though.

I do have the set I took off mine if anyone wants them, though, lol. Nearly full tread, but 20 years old!
 
Jose, you didn't say anything about your riding style/background. So for my reply) I'll assume more cruising and less sporty riding. (??)
(at 300# + gear/luggage)
On the tires I'd go with some type of belted (Gold wing sized) tires as they will be less twitchy and last longer. (40 PSI)
On the brand, (I'm unsure of all the possibilities) but Dunlop would be good.
I'd go with 50 psi in the rear shock and max the preload out on the front forks.
NOTE: The front springs are notoriously soft on a C-10 (lots of brake dive). Seth made a good suggestion to beef up your springs (ASAP) and (later) improve the Damping with a Emulator.
 
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If the bike is a keeper for the long-term, you might consider switching to 17 in wheels. You'll be happier and safer. You'll have a wide variety of tires to choose from. All of them will be better than what you will find in stock sizes. Just my opinion and probably worth what you paid for it.
 
Bud -- the odometer and Speedometer will be even more inaccurate than stock.

You would have to learn the appropriate numbers to be safe from the one or two cop lasers still in use....

I have had a car parked across the street from me for three months with no plates. City of Cincinnati Ohio is not a worry for police lasers if you are traveling through.
 
nschepenr3827 said:
Bud -- the odometer and Speedometer will be even more inaccurate than stock.

You would have to learn the appropriate numbers to be safe from the one or two cop lasers still in use....

I have had a car parked across the street from me for three months with no plates. City of Cincinnati Ohio is not a worry for police lasers if you are traveling through.
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The 17" swap uses a different speedo drive for the front wheel that allows for a correct speedo/odo reading
 
SethInIllinois said:
The 17" swap uses a different speedo drive for the front wheel that allows for a correct speedo/odo reading
Bud said:
If the bike is a keeper for the long-term, you might consider switching to 17 in wheels. You'll be happier and safer. You'll have a wide variety of tires to choose from. All of them will be better than what you will find in stock sizes. Just my opinion and probably worth what you paid for it.
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And If this is allowed, I just put a 17” rear for sale.
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🤭
 
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