[lonewolf]

Man was I wrong about needing new tires lol. 3 months later my tires are still good at 9k miles.

woah! what did you do to get that kinda mileage? leaning in a parking lot all the time?

 

[b0Xcrash]

not for everything though right. goes both ways with china made stuff.
i have a Fuji Tahoe (frame made in china) and it is top notch. as is the high end Li Ning racquet that i bought.

dont know about how the GT series will be now though.

That is true, but I think its based on who designs it, and sets the requirements for building it and the finished product.
So although China is building it, the company regulates the manufacturing, so it has to be built out of this material, to this specifications and QC has to inspect and pass it according to these standards.


The fly by night, local Chinese companies building clones or copy's out of their own little operation are not, inferior product; that looks like the real thing that has quality control mandating it, while their copy does not....but again they could even have similar quality control to strict requirements. So it really depends on if they care to build a quality product or if they want to build it fast, cheap and sell as many as they can with the impression its the real deal, but with no true regulations or repercussions.

 

[Bryan-g]

9 and 18k, kilometeres or miles?

Miles.


I now have a little more than 3k miles on the Michelin street radials. Almost all commuter miles, mostly highways. The tires show almost no wear. On the front I can’t see any wear. On the rear, I can barely feel wear in the center, but it’s still rounded, there is no flat spot in the center as of yet. I think this set will last a long time, which is good for me with a lot of commuting miles this year. Not as grippy as the stock Dunlop’s though. Since I wanted commuter tires, it’s working well for me.

 

[lonewolf]

That is true, but I think its based on who designs it, and sets the requirements for building it and the finished product.
So although China is building it, the company regulates the manufacturing, so it has to be built out of this material, to this specifications and QC has to inspect and pass it according to these standards.

true.. Apple being one of the biggest examples. the whole "rep to protect" thing of course and raking in big money.

 

[Muchacho22]

Miles.


I now have a little more than 3k miles on the Michelin street radials. Almost all commuter miles, mostly highways. The tires show almost no wear. On the front I can’t see any wear. On the rear, I can barely feel wear in the center, but it’s still rounded, there is no flat spot in the center as of yet. I think this set will last a long time, which is good for me with a lot of commuting miles this year. Not as grippy as the stock Dunlop’s though. Since I wanted commuter tires, it’s working well for me.

I am curious, how much miles are you doing a day? that's a huge rate for time you have the bike ratio.


I have it over a year, 8k kilometers. Both are dry and having dry cracks (or however you call it in english) but I am not an example, As I had low mileage this year.


I wil be lucky if I can get 10k outta them.


Anyhow, you did all this mileage, and besides wear, weren't they dry? I hope you understand whatt I mean.

 

[Delurker]

The cracks (dry rot)are caused by the rubber drying out and have little to do with mileage - or rather, are more likely to form on tires that sit a lot, especially if exposed to a lot of sunlight and/or harsh chemicals. Low and high temperatures also contribute.

 

[Muchacho22]

I replaced mine today afer 10,300KM's to stock tires again. Full post: https://www.ninja400riders.com/foru...8-kawasaki-ninja-400-today-110.html#post69527

 

[SteelHand]

I'm just over 18000km on the original tires and need to replace them as they are nearly at the wear bars. What's recommended for general commuting along with a bit of weekend fun and Perth's hot weather?

 

[airhead83]

I'm just over 18000km on the original tires and need to replace them as they are nearly at the wear bars. What's recommended for general commuting along with a bit of weekend fun and Perth's hot weather?

I'd say it's more important to decide what you expect from a tire than what brand and model. Do you expect extended wear, grip, rain and bad weather protection?? There are really very few "junk tires" on the market. I have a link to previous posts on this Forum. You can also do an engine search for "Best Sports Bike Tires". There are more than you'd believe from some trusted sources. It's a bit overwhelming, but plenty to look at.

Wheels And Tires

All discussions of the 2018+ Kawasaki Ninja 400 both aftermarket and factory tires and wheels.

www.ninja400riders.com

 

[JFMNINJA400]

I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the current tires that are available today. All depends on what type of riding you do. If I just did street riding, commuting, weekend twisties, I would go for the Michelin PP 2CT. I am a Michelin fan boy!

 

[Trane Pham]

Recently bought my 400 and decided to put a new tyres on it. Researched a bit and got confused as I found out different market got different tyre size.

US market rear tyre 150/70 R17 meanwhile UK market and probably Asia market as well rear tyre 150/60 R17

The Ninja 650 and Ninja 400 share the same wheel size, however Kawasaki decided to put front 120/70 and rear 160/60 on Ninja 650 and the 400 only got 110/70 front and 150/60 rear.

What I understand here is I can put an 160/60 tyre to my rear wheel without problems, is that correct?

However as US market got 150/70 stock rear size, so technically I can put a 160/70 rear tyre on my Ninja 400 as well?

TL;DR: 160/60 or 160/70 rear tyre for my Ninja 400?

Cheers guys.

 

[Trane Pham]

Recently bought my 400 and decided to put a new tyres on it. Researched a bit and got confused as I found out different market got different tyre size.

US market rear tyre 150/70 R17 meanwhile UK market and probably Asia market as well rear tyre 150/60 R17

The Ninja 650 and Ninja 400 share the same wheel size, however Kawasaki decided to put front 120/70 and rear 160/60 on Ninja 650 and the 400 only got 110/70 front and 150/60 rear.

What I understand here is I can put an 160/60 tyre to my rear wheel without problems, is that correct?

However as US market got 150/70 stock rear size, so technically I can put a 160/70 rear tyre on my Ninja 400 as well?

TL;DR: 160/60 or 160/70 rear tyre for my Ninja 400?

Cheers guys.

 

[Kiwi Rider]

Yes you can fit a 160/60 to your 400. I have one fitted to my bike at present.
You are incorrect about the different markets having different tyres. Same world wide: 150/60/17 on the rear.

 

[NinjaBird]

Was hoping to read more about the Pirelli Rosso III tires here. I am just about at the end of life for the stock Dunlop GPR300 set. Just over 4k miles. i might make 4.5k to 5k max. Yes, I ride hard, smooth, and lots of route 1 coastal twisties. I am a bit surprised at the lack of life. I came from a Honda Blackbird, and had settled on Angel GT II tires, same riding style. Add 180 lbs of bike, 100 more hp at the wheel, and the bird was a tire muncher. But I tended to get 5k out of that setup.

So, looking for a tire with respectable mileage and good feel. Getting more than 5k would be great, and a bit of an expectation considering the weight and hp savings.

Any feedback?

 

[Grantman]

Have posted this is some other threads, but not general tire threads, so will put it here for easier searching.

I've gone with s22's which have been good. Currently I've done over 2,500k's street k's on them and am happy with the grip. They don't seem to be wearing out too fast, but time will tell.
I did a fair amount of research gauging the state of play. I had s21's on my other bike and they've been ok. Not perfect with the odd bit of movement, but pretty decent. I'd say the power rs tires were probably top dog in terms of a good all round sport tire until the s22's arrived. This is in terms of dry edge grip, which is really what I care about. The power rs pipped the s21 for dry grip (taking Michelin's 'independent' study), but Bridgestone have amped up edge grip on the s22 a good bit over the s21. Therefore I'm thinking the s22 is now king of the hill in the segment. They've been rock solid for me.

http://www.northern.co.nz/resources/10053-2434.pdf

BATTLAX | BATTLAX HYPERSPORT S22 | Motorcycle Tires | Bridgestone Corporation

Bridgestone Corporation is the world's largest tire and rubber company. In addition to tires, Bridgestone manufactures diversified products, which include industrial rubber and chemical products as well as sporting goods.

www.bridgestone.com

 

[Kiwi Rider]

Just curious if anyone has tried the Michelin Pilot Street radials on their bike? I used to run these on my CBR300 with great results. They're a bit of budget tire that wears really well so I didnt have huge expectations of them in the grip department but I couldn't fault them actually. The CBR comes with IRC's so not too hard to improve on the stock rubber.
If you are looking for high mileage then I'd definitely recommend them.

Michelin Pilot Street Radial Motorcycle Tyres | Michelin

Discover the PILOT STREET RADIAL MICHELIN Tyre. Riding is pure pleasure with this radial revolution for 250cc motorcycles and up. Get yours at the nearest Michelin dealer.

www.michelin.co.uk

 

[SCNinja400]

There are different rear tires sizes for US between 2019 and 2020.

* 2020 Ninja 400 US tire specs

Page Not Found | Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.

Page Not Found | Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.

www.kawasaki.com

Front Tire
110/70-17

Rear Tire
150/70-17

* 2019 Ninja 400 US tire specs

Check out the Kawasaki 2021 NINJA® 400 ABS

Check out the Kawasaki 2021 NINJA® 400 ABS

www.kawasaki.com

Front Tire
110/70x17

Rear Tire
150/60x17

 

[Grantman]

There are different rear tires sizes for US between 2019 and 2020.

* 2020 Ninja 400 US tire specs

Page Not Found | Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.

Page Not Found | Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.

www.kawasaki.com

Front Tire
110/70-17

Rear Tire
150/70-17

* 2019 Ninja 400 US tire specs

Check out the Kawasaki 2021 NINJA® 400 ABS

Check out the Kawasaki 2021 NINJA® 400 ABS

www.kawasaki.com

Front Tire
110/70x17

Rear Tire
150/60x17

Gotta be a typo by them. Refer to the owners manual.

 

[Banjoboy]

Was hoping to read more about the Pirelli Rosso III tires here. I am just about at the end of life for the stock Dunlop GPR300 set. Just over 4k miles. i might make 4.5k to 5k max. Yes, I ride hard, smooth, and lots of route 1 coastal twisties. I am a bit surprised at the lack of life. I came from a Honda Blackbird, and had settled on Angel GT II tires, same riding style. Add 180 lbs of bike, 100 more hp at the wheel, and the bird was a tire muncher. But I tended to get 5k out of that setup.

So, looking for a tire with respectable mileage and good feel. Getting more than 5k would be great, and a bit of an expectation considering the weight and hp savings.

Any feedback?

If you want millage, go with Bridgestone T31s. (Just make sure you DON"T get the GTs.) I usually average 'round 7K mi on my FJR; and that things a tire eater! (Butt I'mma smooth operator.) You could prolly get 10K mi outta 'em on a N400? Not sure if they'd have to "feel" yer look'in for? I went with a set of S22s, but haven't mounted 'em yet, since I only have 1,400 mi on my bike.

 

[NinjaBird]

Was hoping to read more about the Pirelli Rosso III tires here. I am just about at the end of life for the stock Dunlop GPR300 set. Just over 4k miles. i might make 4.5k to 5k max. Yes, I ride hard, smooth, and lots of route 1 coastal twisties. I am a bit surprised at the lack of life. I came from a Honda Blackbird, and had settled on Angel GT II tires, same riding style. Add 180 lbs of bike, 100 more hp at the wheel, and the bird was a tire muncher. But I tended to get 5k out of that setup.

So, looking for a tire with respectable mileage and good feel. Getting more than 5k would be great, and a bit of an expectation considering the weight and hp savings.

Any feedback?

Went with the Rosso III.
Posted here:

The old:
My 2018 ninja 400 stock tires, the Dunlop GPR 300’s, died of good usage at about 4,500 miles. The tire suffers from being just a standard tire, with barely acceptable feedback, ok cornering, poor sidewall wear, and not very good tire life. This is my perspective coming from my Blackbird cbr1100xx with Angel GT II preferred tires. That got about 5k miles, riding hard, good feedback, a great quality tire for a heavy sportbike.

Losing 180 lbs in bike weight to the Ninja 400, I would assume slightly better tire life, even riding hard, and using a basic tire. The Dunlops, from my perspective, are ok, but need to be retired as soon as your first set wears out, or sooner. The profile of the tire is fairly flat, meaning you have less cornering ability. The rubber compound is ok, but it does not provide much detailed feedback, especially in the corners. Also, when using the tire edges when cornering hard, leaned over, a lot, the tires develop a weird very slight concave near the edge.

Take this with the fact I have an Ohlins 36stx hypersport shock, and its tuned pretty well now. The first couple thousand miles were from the first owner. They were not ridden very hard based on wear marks.

The picture shows the end of life.
View attachment 13568

The new:
Pirelli Diablo Rosso III: Yes. Just yes. Spot on fantastic tire for this moto. The profile is rounder providing much better cornering. The rubber provides great feedback. I am currently using 35 psi front, 37 rear, for street hard sport riding. Been recently reviewing Dave Moss videos for help, and confirmation the shock is setup right/well. It just feels like a whole new moto, in a way it should have been, and finally is! Just did a long day up the California coast, route 1, some of the best, constant clean twisty roads.

From good grip in the morning escaping a drizzly wet San Francisco, to amazing dry grip on sunny warm roads. Even after hard street corning, grinding some titanium knee slider sparkers for fun, the edges have another 10 to 12 millimeter of rubber left for more lean angle. The rounder profile means better feel and predictability. This being their first hard ride, getting used to traction and confidence was the goal, not necessarily pushing the edge. Fabulous tire, highly recommended. Mileage life tbd. Not really expecting any more mileage, but the increase in all around performance makes up for anything else.

New, post first hard day trip riding:
View attachment 13571

Link is for tire reference:

Diablo™ Rosso III - Motorcycle tyre | Pirelli

Diablo™ Rosso III: a tyre with unprecedented handling for next-generation sporting performance.

www.pirelli.com

Just get it. Worth every penny.

Picture of where the tire, and I, love to be...
View attachment 13569