Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

G'day Guys,

I've just bought a GPZ750R (water-cooled) and it needs new tyres for a roadworthy...

....16" front and 18" rear rim has left me a bit stumped (only ever had bikes with 17" rims).

I want tyres with good grip, not necessarily mileage, had a look on the net and found Metzeler Lazertec, Dunlop GT501's, are these ok or is there anything better out there???

I just had the old tyres taken off the GPZ1000RX that I am doing up at the moment - 16" fr and rr.

Old mate at the tyre shoo here warned me right of Lasertecs for a 16" front. He reckons (as is my experience with these tyres) that they are a fantastic tyre for 19" and 18" applications.......but not 16".

He recommended Avon 'Azzurro' - these are a radial 16", 120/70 x 16. That should be the size you need on the front ? Not sure about an 18" rear tyre, or if they do an Azzurro in 18". If they do, that would be my choice. GT501's (Arrowmax?) - pretty old tyre technology, and I don't think the Arrowmax tyres are radials ?

I put Pirelli Sports Demons on my GPX750 (16"F/18"R) when I bought it and was pretty happy with them.

Hey thanks guys!!!

There is some food for thought for me

The upshot of the 501's (or whatever they are now) is they are very long wearing.

laidback1952 wrote:I put Pirelli Sports Demons on my GPX750 (16"F/18"R) when I bought it and was pretty happy with them.

I liked the Bridgestones (BT whatevers) for my old Gpx
good grip...not bad on a track day at the Island (that 16incher worked hard)


nice in the wet and reasonable on wear

EXCELLENT SMITTY!!!

Theres an endorsement for a product if ever I saw one

....A man after my own heart!

Shinkos....

G'day Bonester,

Buddy, cant find the sizes I need in their listing

If they make them for the GPZ I WILL BUY THEM!

Shinko's ?? brrrrrrrr........once upon a time, these were marketed as 'Yokohama' tyres......we fondly referred to these as the Yokohama Death Treads ! ...

and in the mists of time....even before they were called Yokohama..........the tyre's were marketed as 'IRC' tyres.......of course these were made by the 'Imitation Rubber Company'

Smitty wrote:

laidback1952 wrote:I put Pirelli Sports Demons on my GPX750 (16"F/18"R) when I bought it and was pretty happy with them.

I liked the Bridgestones (BT whatevers) for my old Gpx
good grip...not bad on a track day at the Island (that 16incher worked hard)


nice in the wet and reasonable on wear

Were they BT45? Mine had the original front on it when I bought it in Feb '09...sidewall cracks and all..

...I'll have to get a price on the Sports Demons, dont want to overcapitalize

GAYBLADE69 wrote:...I'll have to get a price on the Sports Demons, dont want to overcapitalize

sport demons are good but they do wear a bit funny IMO, I'd go the Bridgestone BT45 route, had them for years on my GPX750 and also my motard I used to race . they are duel compound on the rear and would be the best bet I reckon. They are good enough to wear done the foot pegs and centre stand and exhaust so they arnt to bad
No use going for radials as the bike was not made for them and so you woundnt get the benifit .

laidback1952 wrote: ..........
Were they BT45? Mine had the original front on it when I bought it in Feb '09...sidewall cracks and all..

BT54..??? I think ( or was it 56?)
few years ago now so I am sure they would have been superseded
dunno whats available now in a 16incher (given the 12R is normal )

Smitty wrote:....dunno whats available now in a 16incher (given the 12R is normal )....

those unrestricted ones need cut slicks I heard !!

Avon Azzuro for the 16" brigade these days according to my tyre guru. Radials which transform the handling of the old barges (1000RX, FJ1100) into slightly less barge-like....