The reason we chose to feature the Commander II is for its proven longevity. These rear tires have a mileage of up to 25,000 miles. This could even be longer, as research shows that some verified purchasers have recorded 40,000 miles. On top of the unrivaled life, Commander II has an excellent wet weather grip, stability, and maneuverability ratings. To mitigate any development of uneven wear in these stylish tires, there is Silica Rain Technology, which integrates silica into the tire’s material when making the treads. Adding to the tires maneuverability is their exclusive architecture and the high-density carcass.
R is a designation of the tires construction, in this case meaning radial ply. Apart from radial, the other carcass design is the bias, which is represented by ‘B.’ The ‘16’ value refers to the wheel size, which is the diameter. This tire is made for a wheel with 16 inches diameter. If there’s a specification that you must get right, it’s the wheel size rating. In the same example, ‘67’ denotes the load index. If you pick this tire, you can carry a load of up to 661 pounds. Another vital feature is the last letter, ‘H,’ which denotes the maximum speed that the wheel can support; in our example above the maximum speed is 130 MPH. Apart from the H rating, there are 14 other speed ratings.
What you are going to lose out on is four season suitability as these tires only work with lots of heat it them. If you consistently ride in cold temperatures then you’re going to find the performance of these tires to be much lower than a Roadtec 01 or a Pilot Road 4, and the reason is simple. In cold weather, it just isn’t possible to get the heat into this tire compound that it needs to really stick to the road which makes it suitable for only the hottest of climates.
You just spent all winter getting your bike ready for the season. New brakes, oil change, new fairings and a paint job. You spend all week loading everything into the trailer. All track essentials like a canopy, cooler, chair and ibuprofen are stocked. Do you want to be that person scurrying around with a flashlight in the wee hours wondering why your trailer has a flat? Now is the time to inspect your trailer. You know trailers need a little love too.
Those of us who ride big touring bikes such as the Ducati Multistrada and the BMW R1200GS are usually only interested in two things; comfort and performance. You see, big bikes like these are designed to munch mile after mile comfortably and quickly. They are styled as adventure bikes but most of us will never take them onto any surfaces more challenging than a patch of wet grass or gravel – it is for this reason that you’ll see most fitted with a road biased touring tire.
