More tyres.......Distanzas are crap!

[Dickster]

Distanzas seem to have a good following here and when my tyre man suggested them for the winter I jumped at it.

Well, after 10 years and over 100k miles of riding I finally had a "proper" off. Approaching a set of lights (within speed limits and a run I have done everyday for nearly 10 years), down hill and in the wet, the lights changed to red so I decide I need to stop. SHHHHHEEEEEEETTTT. Next thing I know and without ANY warning me and bike are sliding down the road!!!

I came down on my right knee (thank f*ck for leathers guys, because without them I would have no knee cap - and that was a low speed spill), and the bike on its right side. I managed to get the 1/2 mile to work with no brakes(!) and a swollen knee. I was off work for two weeks. Oh and another word of warning! I NEVER bother cleaning small cuts and grazes. And I had a small graze on my right knee (friction burn) the size of a fifty pence piece. Thought nothing of it. I was making good recovery in the first week and back to work. Then suddenly I started to feel pain in my knee and a few hours later I was riding home with my leg off the peg because I couldn't straighten my leg! Next morning I was in hospital being treated for an infection in my knee!!!!! WTF???? Another week off work!

Anyway, after having an operation in April (before the off) I'm having a great year!

Back to the tyres. I still use them every day, but they are (imho) not very confidence inspiring in the wet. I can feel the rear end going all the time on the slowest bends. Maybe they changed the structure? I'm going back to BT45's which I believe are much better road tyres.

Cheers

Rich

[Alpine Rich]

Sorry to hear about your communion with the asphalt.
Thats really weird, I had a set of distanzias fitted 2500 miles ago, rode them round the french alps and wales in all conditions and theyve been great. I wonder if its a case of poor quality control so that some are good and some bad?

[wheeliebin]

Sorry to hear of your off.

[Dickster]

Thanks, I think I got lucky. I used to ride the odd day in jeans and I won't do that again, EVER!!!

Yeah, I have to say that I am surprised at the numbers on here that like them. It must be me! I'm no riding god but I have ridden all year round for pretty much ten years - sports bikes in the snow!! Are Distanzers hard compound? Mine seem to be wearing very slowly so maybe that's it.

Rich

[piguglyshandydrinker]

Sorry to hear of your 'off'.

I have the same opinion of Distanzias, many herelike them. I had my first off in about 15 years of riding, on a warm dry roundabout in Spain. That incident was preceded & followed by lots of sudden, unprovoked step outs from the rear of the bike - even in the dry and on seemingly grippy roads. All at relatively low speeds and little lean angle.

I seriously considered putting the bike on a train to come home as I was actually scared of riding the bike.

I disposed of them as soon as I got home and now running Avons own Gripster

I kinda put it down to a hard compound and the large blocky tread, with large uniform 'gaps' at the edge of the central block. (this is just my opinion)

Phil

[Dickster]

Thanks Phil, that's exactly how i feel about them.

[Xander]

Again sorry about your off...

I had a set of them horrible things on the AT.. and hated them.. and I think i lost a lot of confidence on turns as well..I never had any offs but the bike never felt sticky to me and in the wet it was like on ice... worst part is they they dont wear fast.. so i had to stick with them till dead (or wife would have been the thing that killed me..) then i put the TCKs on and it was soooo nice.. i could not believe it. so I am sticking with them for now..


anyway heal up good.. and toss them AD out the window..

[russh]

Again sorry about your off...

I had a set of them horrible things on the AT.. and hated them.. and I think i lost a lot of confidence on turns as well..I never had any offs but the bike never felt sticky to me and in the wet it was like on ice... worst part is they they dont wear fast.. so i had to stick with them till dead (or wife would have been the thing that killed me..) then i put the TCKs on and it was soooo nice.. i could not believe it. so I am sticking with them for now..


anyway heal up good.. and toss them AD out the window..

I've got Distanzias on at the moment, obviously sod all grip on the dirt, but that's to be expected. I find more than enough grip in the dry. however wet grip, I'm not to sure about, as the majority of my motorcycling has been on trail bikes I've been used to poor grip in the wet, plus the previous tyres on the TA were the Trailwings which again have a poor reputation when raining, I just presumed all bikes gripped like that. Are you saying the TKC-80's grip better than the Avons when raining? I hope so as I'm considering these next.

[jpd]

i ordered a set of gripsters for me alp.when i went to collect them to day the y had a set of ditanzias instead saying that they had superceded the gripsters .i already have distanzias ,the back is hard ,fairly well worn and v prone to squirm in the wet.i didnt want another set!

[piguglyshandydrinker]

i ordered a set of gripsters for me alp.when i went to collect them to day the y had a set of ditanzias instead saying that they had superceded the gripsters .i already have distanzias ,the back is hard ,fairly well worn and v prone to squirm in the wet.i didnt want another set!

It's true, the Distanzia's were brought out to replace the Gripster, which was discontinued a while ago.

Avon are now manufacturing the Gripsters again, albeit in very limited sizes (that fit the Alp ). They were reintroduced due to popular demand.

I am told that Avon intend to keep producing the Gripster for the forseeable future.

Phil