[allblackkat]

I see (on motosuperstore.com) that there are two kinda of BattleAxes. BT-45 and a BT-45V, any major differences?

After all the help here, seems that the v6s are the way to roll!

I'm sure you meant Z6's but that's the general consensus.... But Teddy has me wondering if a set of shinko's would serve me well on my bike....

[LoveMyKat]

Don't forget Pirelli, the Diablos are pretty darn good.

[eviilil0ne]

as far as getting the tires on the rim .. there are many different thoughts .. those who have lots of cash that just is getting in their way .. go to a stealership and buy the tire and have them mounted .. my perosnal experience here .. i recently needed new tires and went to the dealership .. and for $400+ they were going to be happy to sell me the z6's and mount them .. well im poor .. i walked out and went online and found the tires for $240 shipped .. now i inquired about having them mounted at said stealership $80+ with wheels on bike .. didnt like that .. so i checked around and found a couple small shops that would mount the tires off the bike for $20 a piece .. this was my prefered method .. so i got in the tires off the net .. and removed the wheels and got them mounted and balanced .. only thing about going this way .. is having a torque wrench to get things put on correctly .. and getting the rear wheel properly aligned and chain set back at the appropriate sag level.. easy enough done .. if you take the time beforehand to record the exact position of the chain tensioners before hand .. one other thing .. do you have the capability to jack up the bike .. i know there are alot of bikes without the centerstand .. this will complicate things for you .. well there you go .. hope this helps you in some way

[thetable]

If anyone local to me would do it for $20 a tire off the bike, then I wouldn't be mounting my own. I would call around and see what the going price is in your area and go from there. Is it a price you are willing to pay, then go ahead and have them mount them. It will be far less of a headache.

Now all that being said, tires are easy enough to mount and balance, you can do it yourself, if you are cheap. I remember seeing a few threads on here about how to mount tires, and a google search will also turn up some good stuff. My quick tips: shampoo bottles and oil bottles work well to protect the rim from tire levers, don't try to balance a wheel immediately after putting in new wheel bearings, 3M makes some scotchbrite sponges that come in very handy, sponge side to lube everything up, scotchbrite side to clean the old rubber off the rim.

[snewman1209]

Great info guys....

Curious, if the kitty requires a 170/70ZR-17 rear (per the specs) and find 170/60ZR-17 online (Shinkos) does that difference not work? Sure would love to order these 005s for $190 (front & rear) @ IronPOny!

Thanks!

[thetable]

150/70-17 or 160/60-17 are the recommended sizes

[Phil the Thrill]

This is a deal. There is a small indie shop (D&D) in Tempe, AZ that sells Z-6's for $265 installed and balanced (off the bike). Add 8.3% tax and $4.00 disposal fee. So $291 out the door. I just got the price from them today.

D&D caters mostly to the Gold Wing crowd, but has some of the best tire prices in Phoenix.