W rated tires have a very thin carcass. You can feel it in the weight of the tire. I checked my tire on the back of my NC before riding 240 miles to my destination.....it appeared to have enough tread for that distance, and the return trip. When I got there, there was a 1" band of steel showing around the center of the tire. It was Sunday, and the bike shops were also closed Monday. My wife drove a spare tire I had in the garage and some tire irons over to me and I changed it out. I learned my lesson with W rated tires that day. From the wear bars to dangerously bald, happens quickly.Probably depends on the use. I'm in stop-and-go traffic, constantly...traffic in our little burg is not to be BELIEVED.
I know it was less than a hundred miles, between the time I was showing the bike to someone (negotiating on an RV trailer) who was a rider and interested in the DCT, and when I found the steel belt exposed over half the tire surface. Seriously. We were having a pleasant show-and-tell, him walking me through the trailer and then casting hungry eyes on the NC...and so I let him ride it around the block. Like a seasoned rider, he first looked at the rear tire and said, you're looking to need a tire, soon.
I said, yeah...I think it still has some life on it. In a few months...
But there was no wear through to the steel belt. Not then. A handful of miles and four days later, that steel belt was poking through. Terrific. And I can't get anyone to replace the tire, for weeks ahead.
(Same with putting a hitch on my new-to-me truck...ALL mechanical work is backed up. We're in a period of explosive growth here...)
The tires that came on my NC were Z rated. I have a pair of Dunlop 509 DP tires on there now, off a new NC 750. They are Z rated as well. I agree that H rated would be fine, but any 160/60 tires I have looked at are Z rated. I don't get it....Do you actually have a bike that needs W-rated (168 mph) tires? And if you do, it's certainly not an NC700 or even an NC750!
I don't think so. There's no reason to do that, since it costs more (I'd guess) to make molds for different sizes and change rubber compounds to vary the speed ratings than it's worth. I don't remember ever seeing any lower rated tires since I started riding my own (relatively) new bikes in '99.Most likely because the 160/60 size is fitted to many sport bikes. I wonder if tire manufacturers still make tires with S (112 mph) or H (130 mph) ratings?
I think you are right about sport tires.....they crank them out. The 160/60/17 is an inexpensive tire. The ZR140/70/17 I put on my CB-1, cost $30 more than the 160/60 for the NC. Both Conti Motions, and both from the same seller. I believe that most sport tires have no natural rubber in the them. This may contribute to the cheaper price compared to a more touring oriented tire. Natural rubber wears better according to the internet.Most likely because the 160/60 size is fitted to many sport bikes. I wonder if tire manufacturers still make tires with S (112 mph) or H (130 mph) ratings?