Best deal on tires

[F6Dave]

At Rocky Mountain ATV/MC the Bridgestones sell for $133 front / $166 rear. Dennis Kirk has them for $128 / $161. Both have 'free' shipping, though Kirk adds a surcharge of $5 per tire, so the price is the same. Everyone offers the rebate. Both places ship extremely fast. I've had tires from Rocky Mountain show up in 2 days. And Dennis Kirk actually ships them in a box!

On my Valkyries I prefer the Avons. But I've found I like the Bridgestones more on the F6B. And the Avons cost a LOT more.

Interestingly, I get about 10,000 miles out of a rear on the F6B, regardless of brand. But my Valkyrie rear tires always last a few thousand miles longer. I have TPMS on both and noticed that the rear tire runs a good bit hotter on the F6B. Does anyone know why that would be? Does a lower profile tire with less air volume generate more heat? Of does the bodywork at the back of the F6B inhibit airflow? The weight and power of all the bikes is close.

[DarkKnt]

Does a lower profile tire with less air volume generate more heat?

Most heat is generated by the flexing of the tire carcass. A softer carcass, either by design or due to lower inflation, will create more heat (all else being equal). I didn't realize that TPMS gave you a temperature readout, but if you're using temperature to compare the Avons to the Bridgestones, I'd suggest the Bridgestones are a softer (more flexible) carcass.

[F6Dave]

Does a lower profile tire with less air volume generate more heat?

Most heat is generated by the flexing of the tire carcass. A softer carcass, either by design or due to lower inflation, will create more heat (all else being equal). I didn't realize that TPMS gave you a temperature readout, but if you're using temperature to compare the Avons to the Bridgestones, I'd suggest the Bridgestones are a softer (more flexible) carcass.

I have the TireGard TPMS from Show Chrome. It shows both pressures and temperatures on the key fob. I've been surprised at how hot the rear tire runs. The front is always close to the ambient temp, while the rear often runs 25-30 degrees higher.