Another method to help prevent pinching the tube is the "zip tie method". I've been doing that when changing tires on the Trail and haven't had a pinch from spoons while using the zip ties.
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Tires Megathread
- Thread starter SneakyDingo
- Start date
The Baja no pinch. Tried it on a baja trip, I didn't get proficient enough to use it well. Our crew is all mousses these days, a requirement for the MCBT!
Jamie
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- Oct 6, 2022
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Very cool trip! Last year in the desert all I did was walk from water source to water source on the Pacific Crest Trail. Wish I had had a bike!
RustyRodder
Active member
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- Oct 23, 2022
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Got my Duro 2.75's on. can certainly tell a difference from stock in looks and handling. Used heavier duty tubes too- stock tires and tubes are quite thin! Top speed took a bit of a hit (3-4mph). And I think i need to tighten the valve cores a bit- lost about 4-5psi over the course of a week.
joseywales
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- Mar 10, 2022
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- 27
Hey SX,
Just went on to "Chapmoto.com" to look for the OEM tires and couldn't find them (I too want to stick with them for now). Am I missing something? (here is the tire info; https://ircmoto.com/products/gp-5 )
You will have a hard time finding the OEM tires listed by their IRC model number, try the Honda part numbers for them instead.
Here is the front tire:
Here is the rear tire:
CTExplorer
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- Jan 23, 2023
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I wanted to report an issue with the "Vee" VRM-022 tire I'm having. For reference I put a Shinko 244 3.0 on the rear and the VRM-022 2.75 on the front anout 2700 miles ago. 99% street riding. The rear is now fairly worn (as expected) but has always worn evenly.
The front still has a lot of tread but have recently noticed a lot of chunking/cupping going on with a specific tread block on the pattern. Not sure if its just common to these or a bad batch but figured I'd report it. I was thinking about going with a VRM-022 3.0 to replace the worn rear but think I'll go with another option at this point and replace them both.
The front still has a lot of tread but have recently noticed a lot of chunking/cupping going on with a specific tread block on the pattern. Not sure if its just common to these or a bad batch but figured I'd report it. I was thinking about going with a VRM-022 3.0 to replace the worn rear but think I'll go with another option at this point and replace them both.
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That cupping looks normal to me for running knobbies on pavement. Mix match of tire to application, you'll just go through tires more often. You can experiment with tire pressure and how hard you use the front brake, but IMO 2,700 is a good run for that type of tire on 99% street.
CTExplorer
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- Jan 23, 2023
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- 79
Good to know. The strange part is the rear pictured here wore totally even and the fronts pictured in the previous post only on the four block pattern surrounding the center lug are missing tops on many where tops of the same blocks next to them still have the siping showing and there's probably 3/16" height difference between them next to each other where it's happened seeming like the faces of the ones with the issue just ripped off (you can see the little remaining bump of rubber on a couple of them that are gone which may corroborate this thinking). Is that something you would say is typical still? Never had knobbies on the road so curious.
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SneakyDingo
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I have slight cupping on my front tires, nothing as severe as yours, and rear tires are pretty normal looking. Running SR244's on pavement. If it's not normal, then I've had not-normal tire wear my entire life. When I last looked into it the problem is made worse by improper inflation pressures and hard braking on pavement. That kinda jives with me, because I usually just sort of roll up to traffic lights and use the brakes only for the last 10 ft, as opposed to actually having to apply brakes to slow down.
EDIT: In theory it could also be caused by tire balance.
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I just mounted a lightly worn set of the OEM IRC GP-5 tires for 1,000+ miles of pavement riding I have planned for this weekend. I had IRC TR-1 trials/block pattern knobbies on it that have been great for all the gravel and dirt backroad riding I do. I would not have minded burning up the softer IRC TR-1 tires for this bit of pavement pounding, but there are some particularly rough rain-grooved / diamond-ground roads I'll be riding on and the block tread pattern really tracks in them causing uncomfortable steering wobble at speed. Rode about 200 miles on the GP-5 tires yesterday and their tread has mostly relieved my worries about tracking in rain grooves, they still track of course but nowhere near as violently.
Cardinal Direction
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- May 22, 2022
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- 168
Jim sprandal on the FB page is running these right now and seems pretty happy with them. They will probably be my next set as they are slightly more aggressive than the oem but arnt full on knobbies.
Duro HF308 Motorcycle Tires | Cedar Rapids Tire
Shop Duro HF308 Motorcycle Tires easily online. Free US shipping on orders over $99. Designed for use with classically style motorcycles and sidecars Excellent puncture resistance Can be used as front and rear tire Blackwall Tube type (TT) P-rated for speeds up to 93 mph H-rated for speeds...
www.cedarrapidstire.com
joseywales
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- Mar 10, 2022
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Thanks for the heads up!!!! I just bought what I was told was the last 2 OEM rear tires in Honda's warehouse in CA. So I'll use them up then look into the Duro's. They look pretty good.
RedRyder
Member
Hello everyone,
As a new member, I would like to thank everyone who's contributed to this thread. It is a wealth of information, so much so that I am slightly overwhelmed after reading the entire thread. I may have to read it one or two times more to really absorb all the knowledge here. I have been seriously thinking about swapping out the OE tires, and everything I wanted to know is pretty much right here.
Since my little spill last week, I have learned that one (of several) mistake I probably made was riding on gravel on fully inflated tires. I did not stop to air down the tires, which no doubt contributed to weaker traction. One thing I would love to know would be a recommendation on a PSI that would serve for both paved riding and then dirt/gravel road riding without having to stop and change PSI every time. I live in a region where there is a very nice mix of paved roads and dirt/gravel roads, so my search is to find a tire and an inflation point where I can ride continuously without worrying about tire pressure and traction. My expectation for my riding is probably 60 pavement/40 dirt/gravel. I don't plan on single track, but would willingly tackle some dual track trails. Suggestions are welcome, thanks in advance.
As to changing tires myself, I have seen all the various methods (zip ties, garbage bags, spoons, bead busters, rim protectors), and I worry that I do not have the strength or mechanical skill (not to mention the tools) to do the job. OTOH, what would I do if I got a flat on a trail? No AAA, I am guessing. So I feel I need to try. All this information makes me believe I can do it, but it won't be pretty. And I'm sure it's best to do this first time at home rather than making my first attempt out on a ride. Does the relative softness or hardness of the tire make a difference in this case?
One final question - does anyone out there have two sets of wheels, each set having a different set of tires for different types of riding? Or is that too expensive/ridiculous?
At any rate, again, thanks for all this information. What a resource!
As a new member, I would like to thank everyone who's contributed to this thread. It is a wealth of information, so much so that I am slightly overwhelmed after reading the entire thread. I may have to read it one or two times more to really absorb all the knowledge here. I have been seriously thinking about swapping out the OE tires, and everything I wanted to know is pretty much right here.
Since my little spill last week, I have learned that one (of several) mistake I probably made was riding on gravel on fully inflated tires. I did not stop to air down the tires, which no doubt contributed to weaker traction. One thing I would love to know would be a recommendation on a PSI that would serve for both paved riding and then dirt/gravel road riding without having to stop and change PSI every time. I live in a region where there is a very nice mix of paved roads and dirt/gravel roads, so my search is to find a tire and an inflation point where I can ride continuously without worrying about tire pressure and traction. My expectation for my riding is probably 60 pavement/40 dirt/gravel. I don't plan on single track, but would willingly tackle some dual track trails. Suggestions are welcome, thanks in advance.
As to changing tires myself, I have seen all the various methods (zip ties, garbage bags, spoons, bead busters, rim protectors), and I worry that I do not have the strength or mechanical skill (not to mention the tools) to do the job. OTOH, what would I do if I got a flat on a trail? No AAA, I am guessing. So I feel I need to try. All this information makes me believe I can do it, but it won't be pretty. And I'm sure it's best to do this first time at home rather than making my first attempt out on a ride. Does the relative softness or hardness of the tire make a difference in this case?
One final question - does anyone out there have two sets of wheels, each set having a different set of tires for different types of riding? Or is that too expensive/ridiculous?
At any rate, again, thanks for all this information. What a resource!
Fwiw changing a tube in the trail and in your garage are completely different. No reason you couldn’t do it in your garage, it’s technique, not force. I would ride home on the flat 244, or to a road and figure something out.
A quick search shows about $215 for a front wheel without the disc, and $210 for the rear, also without the disc. To me that is a lot but cheaper then an aftermarket speedo that mostly works!!!
A quick search shows about $215 for a front wheel without the disc, and $210 for the rear, also without the disc. To me that is a lot but cheaper then an aftermarket speedo that mostly works!!!
SneakyDingo
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- Aug 6, 2021
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- 1,573
I would not buy two sets of wheels. I do have another set of tires ready to go though, it sits on top of my cupboard in my office. Tire bead lubricant and a good set of tire levers is absolutely a recommendation if you're going to do your own tires and want the easiest experience. No need for any fancy tools to break the bead, I kneel on mine and the bead comes undone very easily; I can break the bead easily with only my hands too.
RedRyder
Member
I clicked the link for the TR-1s, but the site does not list them as being a match for a Trail Rider. The specs look OK as far as I can tell. Something going on here?
If you're looking for the site to list them as compatible with the Honda Trail 125, it likely doesn't because they are not the same size as the OEM tires (80-90/17). They do fit the CT125 without modification to the bike though.
Others have reported getting 5,400 miles or so out of their OEM rear tire, but not sure the conditions of that. The OEM IRC GP-5 rear I have on my Trail right now (just remounted a few posts up in this thread) is now at 3,500 miles of mostly street use and is near the wear indicators. Unless you get abnormal wear or a puncture on the front, it should last at least twice the mileage of the rear tire. There's one Trail owner pushing 25k miles on the original front tire... and a bit of that riding has been 2-up.