Stable tires for the RT

[KARSTEN]

Just recently added a 1988 R100RT to the stable.Having heck of a time to figure out a handling problem:at high speeds(70Mphand above)the bike drifts(wanders,hunting etc.)sideways without any warning.checked the usual culprits,swingarm and steering bearings,tire pressure etc.,forks feel soft, changed fluid,still soft,mismatched tires, front is a michilin macadam, rear is a dunlop.Am ready to put new shoes on the bike.any suggestions?
looking for stability reather than a sports tire.
thanks in advance,
Karsten

[kbasa]

Moved this over to airheads for ya.

[bmwmick]

Karsten,
You should be OK with these:
Michelin
Macadam 50E
Front 90/90-18 51 H TL/TT
Mac50
Rear 120/90-18 65 H TL/TT

I really liked these tires on my R100RS AND on my K1100LT.

HTH,
Mick

[R100RS]

I have the Dunlop K491's on my 1988 RS and I am exceptionally happy with them. As good (and more) handling as I ever need, good wear so far, very stable. I used to have K591's (a bit more sport oriented than the 491's), but was not happy with the wear (and they no longer make them). My slow-poke rear end has not noticed any performance decline moving from the 591 to 491.

I know you said you've checked all of the usual suspects, but it sounds like your steering head bearings are too tight.

[Patsplace]

Yup, sounds like steering head bearings to me too.
Pat

[R80RTJohnny]

Hello,

Go for the Michelin Macadam's. They truly are good tires. They track well and provide good feedback. I ran Metzlers (sic) for years and was not able to find the right tire pressure for them or their handling was "off". I even thought about changing the suspension on the bike because of this. And by all means stay with the stock recommendations.

Good luck.

PS: I bought the Michelin's on a whim as they were quite cheaper. Go figure. Do not judge a tire by it's price.

Dealer rec.: 37 psi front and 38 psi rear for solo riding.