Avon Storm 3D X-M Tires | MC TESTED

What do you want from sport-touring tires? If you’re like most, you want everything: maximum traction, superb handling, awesome wet grip, and such good wear that you hardly ever have to replace them. Well, good luck with that. But for some riders, especially those with sport-touring machines who put on serious mileage every year, wear might just be the most important aspect.

Those owners will like Avon's latest sport-touring tire, the Storm 3D X-Ms. According to the company, the 3Ds will provide 15 to 20 percent more mileage than the previous Storm skins. Without an A-to-B comparison, it’s hard for us to validate that figure, but we can say this: The Storms fitted to the Yamaha FJR1300ES we had around here survived 6,710 miles of back roading, touring, and commuting. That’s substantially more life than we coaxed from the Yamaha’s stock tires—like, double.

What’s more, the rear Avon still looked virtually new. And when comparing used tread depth to new, we think the rear 3D should last 12,000 miles or more. Which is amazing for a tire holding up a heavy, reasonably powerful bike while still offering very good grip. (Unfortunately, California’s drought kept us from testing the Avons’ wet traction.)

And the front? Well, at the same mileage, the front was visibly cupped even, as it had plenty of center tread remaining, which is not uncommon with a front-heavy machine. FJRs (and other big sport-tourers) tend to chew up fronts, sometimes faster than they flatten rears, which was the case here. Because of the cupping, the Yamaha’s handling suffered and even had a nasty low-speed bar shake. Up to that point, the FJR handled well—neutral steering, excellent stability—on the Avons, so we can recommend the tires for lighter bikes without hesitation and even for the heftier sleds with the warning to watch inflation pressure and keep an eye on wear patterns.

PRICE: $208 front; $275 rear CONTACT: avonmoto.com

Verdict: Long-wearing buns for your sport-touring machine. Watch for wear at the front though.