General Comments

The Katana 750 came with the ME-33/ME-55A combination as OEM fitment, and there's no question it's a conservative choice for the 600 as well.  Still, tyre technology has advanced, and unless you really don't want to move with the times, look to a more modern selection than these.

This is a Tight Budget choice that's also the best bias-ply choice.  The BT45's are excellent tyres, and while they won't give you the benefits of radials, they'll perform well on this bike.  The price is significantly lower than the radials, and they're very good tyres too.  The only drawback is the tendency of the front to uneven wear and cupping, but they're still an excellent selection.

The proven ME-Z1/ME-Z2 combination could have been made for this bike.  Excellent wet and dry traction, good life, and confidence-inspiring handling from the linear profile make this by far the best selection for this machine.  Even though Metzeler themselves recommend Z2's front and rear, the Z1 will provide better traction on the front; they also suggest a 150/70 rear, although I'd retain the stock 140/80 to maintain quicker handling -- the 600 doesn't have that much power to overwhelm a 140.

Now that Avon's excellent AV27/Azaro combination is available, it has to be the choice for sport-riding.  While the Metzelers are fine tyres, the Avons have the edge in performance.  With the AV27 front, this set would be comfortable and stable on the highway as well, and should wear fairly well too.  While there is an Azaro available for the front, the older chassis of the Katana will be more comfortable on the less radical AV27.

I'd be tempted by the Avon AV27/Azaro, but for a general selection the Metzelers are just such good tyres.

Avon

Bridgestone

Continental

Dunlop

IRC

Kenda

Metzeler

Michelin

Pirelli

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