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!
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?