Yamaha Virago 1100 (89-97)

(updated September 99)

Rim Stock Size Possible Alternate Original Tyre
Front 2.15 x 19 100/90H19 3.50H19 Dunlop F17 
Rear 3.00 x 15 140/90H15 150/90H15 K425

Manufacturers' Recommendations

Manufacturer Front size Rear size
Avon
(no data)
Bridgestone G535 100/90H19 G536 140/90H15
Dunlop F17 (OE) 100/90H19 K425 (OE) 140/90H15
491 Elite II MM90H19 491 Elite II 140/90HB15
Metzeler ME-88 Marathon 100/90H19 ME-88 Marathon 150/90HB15
ME-88 Marathon 100/90H19 ME-88 Marathon 140/90HB15
ME-88 Marathon 100/90H19 Marathon ML2 150/90HB15
ME-88 Marathon 100/90H19 ME-88 Marathon 140/90VB15
Michelin
No Fitment
Pirelli MT 66 FRONT 100/90H19 MT 66 140/90H15

Martyn's Opinion

General Comments

The front shows limited clearance; there's definitely no room for a wide tyre there.  The rear, on the other hand, does seem to have enough room to fit a 150; this does widen out the selection somewhat.  Even so, the selection in the stock sizes shows sufficient good tyres that there are not many reasons to go wider on the rear.

The Safe Bet

Brand Model Size MAW
Front Metzeler ME-33 Laser 3.50-H-19 $86
Rear Metzeler ME-88 Marathon 140/90HB15 $103

The Safe Bet would be the classic ME-33/ME-88 combination from Metzeler, sticking to the stock size (in this case the front is an equivalent sizing).  There are good reasons why this is a classic -- good dry traction, excellent water dispersal, and good even wear combine with a rounded linear profile that inspires confidence.  You can't go wrong with these tyres.  They're an all-around combination that does well in any sort of riding.

A Tight Budget

Brand Model Size MAW
Front Dunlop K491 Elite II Touring MM90H-19 $60
Rear Kenda K657 Sport Challenger 140/90H-15 $59

There's no question that the best value for money on the rear is the Kenda K657 Sport Challenger.  It's so much cheaper than other brands, and yet performs quite well, with decent traction and tread life, and even wear.  You'll be able to slide it around more easily than a premium tyre, but for a savings of $60 you can maybe manage to take it easy on the throttle.

On the front, though, I tend not to recommend the Kenda.  Concerns about wet traction and highway stability influence me towards a more well-known front.  Of those, the classic Dunlop K491  Elite II Touring is an excellent inexpensive choice.

A pair of decent tyres for around $120 is a real bargain for such a large motorcycle.

General Purpose, Touring, Sport-Touring

Brand Model Size MAW
Front Dunlop K491 Elite II Touring MM90H-19 $60
Rear Dunlop K491 Elite II Touring 140/90HB15 $81

Now that the prices for the classic Dunlop Elite II Touring have come down so much, it blows away the competition for a touring choice on this bike. Good wet and dry traction, excellent life, and a very good profile for a cruiser: these features have always kept the tyre in consideration.  For the price, it's a clear-cut winner for general-purpose use as well as touring.

With these prices, the Dunlop could even beat out the new Metzeler ME-880 Marathon for most other purposes on this bike.  While the ME-880 looks like it's an absolutely superb tyre, I find it hard to recommend spending an extra $75 when the K491 is such a good cruiser tyre to start with.  Now you may find that you can slide the rear around in the twisties if you whack the throttle, but at lean angles and cornering forces that most cruisers -- even the Virago -- can generate, it'll stick well enough to go seriously quickly.

Sport-Riding

Brand Model Size MAW
Front Avon Super Venom AM20 100/90V-19 $107
Rear Avon Super Venom AM18 150/90V-15 $136

The best sport tyre in sizes to fit the big Virago is the Avon Super Venom.  It combines the good stability of the Roadrunner with a sport tread compound which gives superb traction, and enough resistance to heat build-up to overcome the Roadrunner's drawbacks under hard high lean cornering.  You simply can't get a stickier tyre for this bike.

Of course you pay for the traction with decreased tread life.  Particularly on a high torque cruiser like the Virago, the rear also tends to square off rapidly in regular riding.

Another caution I would add here is to be careful of fitting tyres that are too sticky.  Often, cruisers handle better with less sticky tyres that slide earlier, rather than sport tyres that transfer hard cornering forces into the fork and frame -- which means that you'll have to deal with chassis flex.  It's a hard call to make, and depends on your riding style and whether you feel more comfortable with the bike sliding or flexing.

Martyn's Choice

Brand Model Size MAW
Front Dunlop K491 Elite II Touring MM90H-19 $60
Rear Dunlop K491 Elite II Touring 140/90HB15 $81

This is a tough choice.  While I'd like to go with Metzeler's ME-880 Marathon, and while I would really like to put the Avon Roadrunner AM20 on the front, neither of those are so much better as to justify the price difference.  I do like the Dunlop K491 as a cruiser tyre; I've used it very successfully as such.  The Dunlop wins.


The Full List

(from MAW and manufacturer web pages)

Well-sized matched pairs with exact rear

Brand Front size MAW match Rear size MAW
Avon Roadrunner AM20 100/90H-19 $103 exact Roadrunner AM21 140/90H-15 $130
Bridgestone SE11 100/90H-19 $76 exact SE11 140/90H-15 $104
Continental Milestone CM1 100/90H-19 $72 exact Milestone CM2 140/90H-15 $92
Dunlop Cruisemax 100/90--19 $82 exact Cruisemax 140/90--15 $101
F11 100/90H-19 $56 exact K627 140/90H-15 $91
K491 Elite II Touring MM90H-19 $60 exact K491 Elite II Touring 140/90HB15 $81
IRC Durotour RS-310 100/90H-19 $47 exact Durotour RS-310 140/90H-15 $59
Road Winner RW-010 100/90HX19 exact Road Winner RW-010 140/90HX15
Kenda K657 Sport Challenger 100/90H-19 $47 exact K657 Sport Challenger 140/90H-15 $59
Metzeler ME-33 Laser 3.50-H-19 $86 excel ME-88 Marathon 140/90HB15 $109
ME-77 100/90H-19 $70 exact ME-77 140/90H-15 $98
ME-88 Marathon 100/90H-19 $79 exact ME-88 Marathon 140/90HB15 $103
ME-880 Marathon 100/90H-19 $97 exact ME-880 Marathon 140/90HB15 $128
Michelin Tarmac (old) 100/90H-19 $62 exact Tarmac (old) 140/90H-15 $85
Pirelli Route 66 MT66F 100/90H-19 $74 exact Route 66 MT66 140/90H-15 $102

Listing by Manufacturer

Avon

Front size MAW match Rear size MAW match
Elan II HL30 150/90HB15 $145 wide
Roadrunner AM20 100/90H-19 $103 exact Roadrunner AM21 140/90H-15 $130 exact
Super Venom AM18 100/90V-19 $94 exact
Super Venom AM20 100/90V-19 $107 exact Super Venom AM18 150/90V-15 $136 wide

Bridgestone

Front size MAW match Rear size MAW match
BT17 Sports Mileage 100/90V-19 exact
SE11 100/90H-19 $76 exact SE11 140/90H-15 $104 exact
SE27 MV85H-15 wide

Continental

Front size MAW match Rear size MAW match
Avenue 100/90H-19 $95 exact
Blitz TKH-24 140/90H-15 $61 exact
Milestone CM1 100/90H-19 $72 exact Milestone CM2 140/90H-15 $92 exact
Tour TK-16 100/90H-19 $68 exact Tour TK-17 150/90H-15 $94 wide

Dunlop

Front size MAW match Rear size MAW match
Cruisemax 100/90--19 $140 exact Cruisemax 140/90--15 $101 exact
D401 Sport Touring 100/90H-19 $63 exact
F11 100/90H-19 $56 exact K627 140/90H-15 $91 exact
F11 100/90S-19 exact
K177 Touring 140/80HB15 short
K491 Elite II Touring MM90H-19 $60 exact K491 Elite II Touring 140/90HB15 $81 exact
K591 Sport Touring 100/90V-19 $68 exact K591 Sport Touring 150/90V-15 $64 wide

Firestone

Front size MAW match Rear size MAW match
VT-01F 100/90H-19 exact

IRC

Front size MAW match Rear size MAW match
Durotour RS-310 100/90H-19 $47 exact Durotour RS-310 140/90H-15 $59 exact
Durotour RS-410 150/90H-15 $86 wide
GS-18 100/90H-19T $56 exact GS-18 140/80H-15T $74 short
Road Winner RW-010 100/90HX19 exact Road Winner RW-010 140/90HX15 exact
Wildflare WF-920 100/90H-19 $70 exact Wildflare WF-920 150/80H-15 $88 wide
Wildflare WF-920 150/90H-15 $88 wide

Kenda

Front size MAW match Rear size MAW match
K657 Sport Challenger 100/90H-19 $47 exact K657 Sport Challenger 140/90H-15 $59 exact

Metzeler

Front size MAW match Rear size MAW match
ME-33 Laser 100/90H-19 exact
ME-33 Laser 100/90V-19 exact
ME-33 Laser 3.50-H-19 $86 excel
ME-33 Laser 3.50-V-19 $87 excel
ME-77 100/90H-19 $70 exact ME-77 140/90H-15 $98 exact
ME-77 140/90S-15T exact
ME-88 Marathon 100/90H-19 $79 exact ME-88 Marathon 140/90HB15 $103 exact
ME-88 Marathon 140/90VB15 exact
ME-880 Marathon 100/90H-19 $97 exact ME-880 Marathon 140/90HB15 $128 exact
ML2 Plus 140/80HB15 $120 short
ML2 Plus 150/90HB15 $120 wide
ML2 Plus 150/90VB15 wide

Michelin

Front size MAW match Rear size MAW match
Commander 100/90H-19 $96 exact
Hi-Tour 79 150/90H-15 $152 wide
Macadam 50 100/90V-19 $101 exact Macadam 50 150/90V-15 $96 wide
Tarmac (old) 100/90H-19 $62 exact Tarmac (old) 140/90H-15 $85 exact

Pirelli

Front size MAW match Rear size MAW match
Match MT09 100/90V-19 $96 exact
Route 66 MT66F 100/90H-19 $74 exact Route 66 MT66 140/90H-15 $102 exact
Strada MT69E 100/90H-19 exact

Key:

Exact Precisely matches original spec
Excellent Precisely matches a recommended alternate
Good An exact or alternate in a different sizing system
Short Exact or excellent width, lower profile.  Consider these both ends to lower the bike
Soft Similar diameter by using a taller profile and narrower width; used on the rear only
Tall Taller profile, stock width; similar in effect to "soft", but for the front only
Wide Same profile, wider tyre.  This MAY NOT FIT your rim.  BE CAREFUL!!!