[findingmyikigai]

I have been riding a Classic 350 Signals Airborne Blue (UCE Carburettor version) from May 2019.

The stock CEAT Zoom Plus tyres did a commendable job over the past 5.5 years, I must say. With little more than 30K kms in the Odo, I never faced any significant issues except for a total of four punctures, all in the rear one. The grip was really good on the highway. Though ideally not meant for off-roading, the stock ones have done that job also really well. On a trip from Ranchi to Bumla and back and later on several 1k-2k trips, I never faced any issues related to grip or slipping.

Since I noticed several visible cracks on both the front and rear tyres, I decided to change both before another upcomimg trip to North Sikkim and Silk route this month. Some of my friends suggested me to change to alloys and a tubeless setup, but I never truly liked the look of the alloys on offer in the Classic Reborn. Also, spoke wheels tend to perform better off the road and on gravelled terrains.

After several hours of research I headed to the nearest MRF showroom and got fitted the Zapper combo. I had previously rode a TB350 of one of my friend, which had the Grip XL of CEAT, but I did not like the rugged texture. Also I could not feel anything significantly different on the GRIP XL set, even in the off-road parts of our trip. After removing the old tyres I saw those had become really hard and were cracking here and there.

The bill came out to be of INR 4500 including fitting charges. The showroom guys were quick and well trained. After the makeover I took it to a short ride of about 60 kms. I could feel a really appreciable change in handling and grip. It feels more stable and grounded with the new set. Initial experience is so far so good with the MRF Zapper. Hoping to clock atleast 30k kms with this set, as the MRF combo is supposed to be made of a harder material than the CEAT zoom plus.

N.B: Michelin sets were not available in the required size (110/90 & 90/90), not even on online platforms.

[Samarth 619]

Originally Posted by Meph1st0

I am looking for a 110/70 R17 front tyre.
I have narrowed my search to Apollo Alpha H1 and Ceat Sportrad. Both these tyres have a speed rating of W (270 kmph, much more than what I want) and seem to be softer compound based on the description.

Any real world feedback on these tyres? Alternatives are also welcome.

I've used both on my 2013 Duke 390. Alpha H1 series 2 times and Ceat ZoomRAD 3 times (front & rear both, I change them together).

On road, the grip/feel is better in Alpha H1 anyday. ZoomRAD is not bad, it's just not as good at feeling the grip confidently..

Apollo goes for something around 10k for a pair. Zoomrad goes for 7.5k. Not a big difference, but at the age of 38, I'm not a hard rider, in fact I try not to cross 80 kmph, the national speed limit for bikes.
Zoomrad ticks all the boxes for me, so continuously for the last 3 changes it was Ceat for me. No experience with SportRAD yet, I hope this helps.

[Meph1st0]

Originally Posted by Samarth 619

On road, the grip/feel is better in Alpha H1 anyday. ZoomRAD is not bad, it's just not as good at feeling the grip confidently..

Thanks. In the meantime, I went ahead with Alpha H1. It is a wonderful tyre and felt much better than the Michelin Pilot Street which I used earlier.

[Justus12]

Hey Folks,

I had posted here a while back about changing the current Michelin City Pro tyres on my 2017 FZ 25 but unfortunately couldn't change them due to some circumstances. I will be swapping them with new tyres next month and I would like to receive any suggestions from you. I prefer more long lasting and decently gripped tyres which also perform good in monsoon. I have two requirements or conditions on which I would pick the new tyres.

1. I would stick to the stock tyre size, which is:
Front: 100/80/17 Rear: 140/70/17 (Radial Preferred)

2. I would not go for Pirelli, Metzeler or Vresdestian as I am looking for longevity over excellent grip. I have also read that they don't last long enough (Correct me if I am wrong)
I use my vehicle on weekends only but I also ride during monsoons.

I am listing few tyres below that I researched about:
1. MRF Masseters (Both)
2. Front: Stock MRF FX1 and Rear: MRF RevZ Radial
3. Front: Michelin Pilot Street 2 and Rear: TVS Protorq Extreme (Radial) (Michelin not available for the Rear)
4. Apollo Trampler XR (Both)

I was also suggested about the Apollo S1 as they were made in stock sizes but unfortunately they've stopped the production of these tyres in the required sizes and they are not shown on the website as well.

TVS Protorq Extreme got my attention but I read that it is a soft compound tyre. Does a soft compound tyre last less than a hard compound tyre?

Apart from all tyres I listed above, I am more inclined towards the Apollo Trampler XRs as they provide good grip on and off the road. They do last well too as reported by owners. Should this be my final pick?

I am unaware about Ceat and JK tyres, but I would like any suggestions about brands that I don't know or haven't read about. Also, when I buy the tyres, how old can the manufacturing date be from the date of purchase?

Please do share your inputs.

Thanks!!!

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by Justus12

Hey Folks,

I had posted here a while back about changing the current Michelin City Pro tyres on my 2017 FZ 25 but unfortunately couldn't change them due to some circumstances. I will be swapping them with new tyres next month and I would like to receive any suggestions from you. I prefer more long lasting and decently gripped tyres which also perform good in monsoon. I have two requirements or conditions on which I would pick the new tyres.

1. I would stick to the stock tyre size, which is:
Front: 100/80/17 Rear: 140/70/17 (Radial Preferred)

2. I would not go for Pirelli, Metzeler or Vresdestian as I am looking for longevity over excellent grip. I have also read that they don't last long enough (Correct me if I am wrong)
I use my vehicle on weekends only but I also ride during monsoons.

I am listing few tyres below that I researched about:
1. MRF Masseters (Both)
2. Front: Stock MRF FX1 and Rear: MRF RevZ Radial
3. Front: Michelin Pilot Street 2 and Rear: TVS Protorq Extreme (Radial) (Michelin not available for the Rear)
4. Apollo Trampler XR (Both)

I was also suggested about the Apollo S1 as they were made in stock sizes but unfortunately they've stopped the production of these tyres in the required sizes and they are not shown on the website as well.

TVS Protorq Extreme got my attention but I read that it is a soft compound tyre. Does a soft compound tyre last less than a hard compound tyre?

Apart from all tyres I listed above, I am more inclined towards the Apollo Trampler XRs as they provide good grip on and off the road. They do last well too as reported by owners. Should this be my final pick?

Justus12, since your usage is on the highways and in the monsoons, get grippy tires for your Yamaha FZ25. The TVS Protorq Extreme tires will give you the best grip of all the available options, but they wont have the same life that the others will. The Apollo Trampler XR is positioned by the company as a dual-purpose tyre. Does your usage require that? Do let us know what you finally go with.

[Justus12]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Justus12, since your usage is on the highways and in the monsoons, get grippy tires for your Yamaha FZ25. The TVS Protorq Extreme tires will give you the best grip of all the available options, but they wont have the same life that the others will. The Apollo Trampler XR is positioned by the company as a dual-purpose tyre. Does your usage require that? Do let us know what you finally go with.

I really want to go for the Protorq Extreme but I am unsure whether it would be excellent during the monsoon as well. Apollo Trampler XR has been noted by many owners as the best set of tyres that this bike can have. The only downside is the tyre noise with which you have to live with. Also here in Mumbai, Apollo has an option of getting the Tyres fitted at their exclusive stores but TVS doesn't. There may be third party or company associated dealers who would get it done for TVS. I plan on doing atleast 1000 + kms tours this year on my bike and may encounter good or bad roads. And speaking of the current road conditions in Mumbai, it's getting worse day by day. I may not be the best person to differentiate between these two tyres but I think I should rather go with the Trampler XR first and then test out the Protorq Extreme.

I will surely share my review on both tyres after I will have used them extensively.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by Justus12

I really want to go for the Protorq Extreme but I am unsure whether it would be excellent during the monsoon as well. Apollo Trampler XR has been noted by many owners as the best set of tyres that this bike can have. The only downside is the tyre noise with which you have to live with. Also here in Mumbai, Apollo has an option of getting the Tyres fitted at their exclusive stores but TVS doesn't. There may be third party or company associated dealers who would get it done for TVS. I plan on doing atleast 1000 + kms tours this year on my bike and may encounter good or bad roads. And speaking of the current road conditions in Mumbai, it's getting worse day by day. I may not be the best person to differentiate between these two tyres but I think I should rather go with the Trampler XR first and then test out the Protorq Extreme.

I will surely share my review on both tyres after I will have used them extensively.

Justus12, the TVS Protorq Extreme tyres are probably the best Indian made tires that you can buy today. They are fast becoming the first choice for track riders on smaller displacement motorcycles (sub 400cc), and seem to be slowly dethroning the current king - the Apollo Alpha H1.

The Tramplr XR is in no ways comparable to either the TVS Protorq Extreme or the Apollo Alpha H1 in terms of outright road grip, especially in the monsoon. That said, the Tramplr XR will fare well on bad roads. The other advantage of the Tramplr XR is the pricing.

[Soorajkumar1511]

Hey,
I'm looking for advice from tyre experts. I'm planning to replace the tyres on my 06' Passion Plus and would appreciate recommendations on the best options currently available on the market, especially for improved grip and performance in wet conditions.
The tyre sizes are 2.75-18 for the front and 3.00-18 for the rear. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

TIA

[hanzt]

Hi Guys,
I have a 2011 manufactured Bajaj Discover 150 DTSi bike that I have been using only for city runs from home to office and back which is around 11km in total.
I still have the original tyres. Although they are 14years old, they look like they still have good threading, and given that they have run only 15k km (I know its too low but thanks to COVID and WFH), they visually look fine.
However on wet roads they seem to be very slippery and tend to skid. Even if the road has some spilled over water from a water-tanker driving ahead of me, that is enough for it to skid!

I know I am long overdue for a change of tyres, but the number of brands and models is very confusing.

Request some of the experts here to please recommend a decent tyre brand / model that offers good road grip on the wet roads of Mumbai during the rains. Also can anyone confirm if this 2011 model bike can take tubeless tyres ?

[hanzt]

Hi Guys,

CEAT website mentions a proprietary technology called 'puncture-safe' that uses a sealant inside tubeless tyres and "Can seal punctures for nails upto 2.5 mm in diameter in tread area only".
Has anyone actually experienced this with their CEAT tyres?

[b16h22]

Originally Posted by hanzt

Request some of the experts here to please recommend a decent tyre brand / model that offers good road grip on the wet roads of Mumbai during the rains. Also can anyone confirm if this 2011 model bike can take tubeless tyres ?

AFAIK, Discover 150 came with alloys. So the stock tyres should be tubeless already. Now for a tyre change, 14 years is a lot and there is a good chance that your tyres are dry rotted. This is extremely unsafe so please change them ASAP. You have plenty of options from MRF, CEAT, Michelin and TVS. The Zapper series from MRF is a good compromise for grip and durability for these commuters. These tyres came as OE fitment on a lot of sub 150 commuters.

[hanzt]

Originally Posted by b16h22

You have plenty of options from MRF, CEAT, Michelin and TVS. The Zapper series from MRF is a good compromise for grip and durability for these commuters. These tyres came as OE fitment on a lot of sub 150 commuters.

Thank you for your feedback. Yes I plan to get new tyres this week itself.
I went to 5 dealers yesterday to have a look:
I am torn between the MRF Zapper, CEAT ZOOM X3 and CEAT GRIP X3. Two key questions :

1. Zapper vs Zoom: The grooves thread pattern is almost identical. As per my research (aided by Gemini AI), it seems like the ZOOM series has better grip than the Zapper, esp on wet roads, so is that something that folks here have experienced?
2. Zoom vs Grip: Although the Grip offers better wet roads grip due to its unique & deep grooves, but two different dealers ( authorised CEAT dealers) told me not to go for Grip X3 as apparently they are more puncture prone due to the deep and wide grooves. I find that very strange, so have folks here experienced that too ?

I am thinking of going for tubeless variants of Zoom Secura F for the front and Zoom X3 for the rear. Got a deal for ₹4k all inclusive (including valves).

[jlukose]

Hi, are there concerns/issues in using a nylon front tyre and steel radial rear tyre? Currently my front runs on a tramplr xr 100/90 19inch nylon. I am planning to get eurogrip trailhound 150/70 17inch radial for the rear. Bike is honda cb500x.