This one's really hard to call.  The V-Max puts such demands on the tyres that it's hard to pick out one pair that works for everything.  Still, this is one case where the Michelin Macadam 50 is known to work, and as a compromise tyre that's a pretty good choice.

Is it a Safe Bet, though?  I'd say so.  It's hard to use the words "conservative choice" in the same thought as "V-Max," but the Michelins are a good compromise, and a good compromise is usually a conservative choice.

Basically there are two combinations to choose from here -- the Metzeler ME-33/ML2 Plus, and the Avon Roadrunner/Elan II.  Each has advantages and disadvantages, and it's hard to pick one over the other.  Despite the availability of Metzeler's new ME-880 for the rear, there's no corresponding front, and as yet I don't have enough information to be certain it will work with a more traditional tyre on the front.

Still, for serious distance work, I'd pick the Avon Roadrunner AM20 front and Avon Elan II HL30 rear.  If all you do is distance work, those might be better for you.  The Elan rear has the highest load rating of any tyre, and turns in good touring performance and high mileage even on the most demanding machines.  The Roadrunner is a good match, with superb highway stability -- even better on grooved-pavement than the revered ME-33.

The disadvantage of the Avons is that at higher lean angles under heavy load, the outermost row of tread blocks on the Roadrunner front tend to deform, causing heat buildup and a more squirrelly feel.  Whether you'll experience this with your cornering technique and the lean angles you use is something you'll have to find out for yourself.  If you do run into this, though, consider running a Super Venom AM20 with the Elan rear -- you'll see more front wear, but you'll get the stability of the AM20 combined with excellent grip.

The Metzeler advantage is basically their reputation.  It's hard to go wrong with Metzelers.  In this case, though, the ML2 is their high-load tyre, and while it'll certainly work on this bike, it's so easy to break loose under power that it requires a careful hand on the throttle.  The ME-33 on the front is a classic, too, but while it handles lean angle well, it does tend to slide easily until it's warmed up, and traction falls off out of proportion to the tread wear.

There's no doubt that if you're doing heavy touring, either the Metzelers or Avons will last well and handle any load you care to carry.  My advice here is to try them both and see which you prefer.

With a drop in price of the Dunlops, the venerable Bridgestone SE11 is ousted from this category.  Although the K591 is not a terrifically long-lasting tyre, it is nevertheless perfectly capable of handling the abilities of the V-Max, and the price makes it excellent value.

Sport-Touring is a difficult choice for the V-Max.  Sport-riding requires a sticky tyre, but the demands of the V-Max wear those out very rapidly.  So while it's easy enough to select a front -- the excellent Avon Super Venom -- the rear is a tougher choice.  The Super Venom AM18 rear just does not last long enough for touring.  The current price of the Dunlop K591 is so low, though, that you can go through two of them for the price of a Super Venom.  While indeed you could match a pair of 591's, I'm sufficiently convinced of the benefits of the Avon (and its ability to work with almost any rear) to select a mixed combination here.

The Avon Super Venom is a classic bias-ply sport tyre, and provides excellent traction combined with superb highway stability.  Although the Dunlop K591 is more well-known, I definitely prefer the Avons.  You won't get high mileage out of them, but they will stick very well indeed, and for sport-riding on the V-Max you won't find a better tyre.

 I'll go for the hybrid Sport-Touring choice.

Avon

Bridgestone

Continental

Dunlop

IRC

Metzeler

Michelin

Pirelli

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