Avon Azaro-ST on the Paso 906

[vee2duc]

It seems to me that hardo and me are the only two that drive with azaro 130/150.

Again i have to say, that this combination is a really good alternative that one can drive in a sportive way.

For that im absolut content with my paso.

Only the fronttyre is not a longrunner if you use the frontbrake in a dynamic driving style...

[hardo]

Hi Vee2duc

Am I right? It was your 906 that was tested with the AVON tires by Ducati Germany?

Could you give us some information what they actually tested and how it came that your Ducati was modified / tested by Ducati Germany?

How many km did you do since the conversion? Anything else to add from your side besides the things I had mentioned at the beginning of this thread?

Thanks and all the best, Hardo

[JWilliam]

JW what are you talking about ?! You`re using a 150/80 yourself.

G.

That's not what's bothering me. I cannot help but see red when we are told (yet again) that tyre supply will be ending when we have finalised a solution, I know I have converted my Paso to a 150/80. Ideally the Paso should have much lighter wheels - 16 inchers will still do, has anyone weighed the back wheel? I have difficulty lifting it off the floor. Companies like Dymag and NCR with modern CAD-CAM tech can design a lightweight wheel for us in an afternoon but will not because they follow that bunch of rat catchers, namely Motogp and WSB. These guys have a choice of backing us (the Paso, 851, SL owners) by choosing to run with 16" wheels but for more than 25 years since Freddie Spencer and excepting a 16" rear for the desmosedici (Stoner) they have not. Instead they have plumbed the depths of abuse and produced the 16.5" wheel. My point here is, even if I fitted out the bike with 17" wheels the 16.5 would doubtless be promoted before long and we would be in the same position after 'chasing the dragon'.

[vee2duc]

@hardo: Yes, my Paso was the testbike from Ducati Germany what came from the information i became, that they had tested in 2009 a Paso 750 and needed to test a Paso with the big ( ) engine too.
Another thing was, that my hometown is about 10km away from Duc Germany.

After about 6 weeks i got it back and since then i drove about 2000km with the azaro-combi. In 5 1/2 days some 1600km only in the italian alps (what nearly ruined my new avon fronttyre ).

After driving the 11 yrs. old Michelins for some kilometers before i was absolutly postiv surprised about the Avon tyres.

I would never believed how one can drive with that speed in any curve. In a close turn the front is a bit nervous and you should not change the direction to much you have choosen in a curve. But all in all the Paso gets a real good grantourismo with these tyres.

At the end i don´t think that you can drive to the edge of the rear tyre without damaging the whole bike...

[higgy]

I would never believed how one can drive with that speed in any curve. In a close turn the front is a bit nervous and you should not change the direction to much you have choosen in a curve. But all in all the Paso gets a real good grantourismo with these tyres.

Welcome to the 16 inch tire world It is simple physics.... F still equals MA,even in the angular realm at least in th-his part of the universe

[Colonial Boy]

@hardo: Yes, my Paso was the testbike from Ducati Germany what came from the information i became, that they had tested in 2009 a Paso 750 and needed to test a Paso with the big ( ) engine too.

I wonder if the bike has been tested with a pillion passenger? A 150-80-16 (can't remember what make) was fitted in New Zealand some time ago and the owner posted on a website about it (not here). He said the bike felt less stable with luggage fitted. This was one of the reasons I chose to go the 180-60 way as my wife usually rides with me.

Cheers, CB

[nnnnnnorman]

thats a good consideration. what are these tyres like with a pillion on board?

[hardo]

Thank you for your input. However, I can not give you an answer.

I did not test the avon azaro with a pillion. Anyway, I could not compare it to other tire options; before the avons I always used the original michelin tires, but I newer had a pillion with me besides a few meters / very short trip (my wife has her own bike :-).

I can only say (but this is clearly very subjective) that I did not like at all the orginal michelin tires, handling and grip - especially under wet conditions - were very poor. almost not ridable, even when they were new. Driving with the avons is 100% different, it feels like a new bike, everything feels exactly the way I like it. Very stable under breaking. However, I did not drive under wet conditions so far, only for a smal trip but rather slow through the town etc. Hence, I can not say much here.

I do not think ducati germany tested the avon azaros with a pillion on board, but maybe they did. I can find out if that is of interest for the paso community.

all the best, hardo

p.s. my new contis for the paso just arrived - from australia, cf.: http://forums.ducatipaso.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4327
it took 4 month by ship etc., but it is snow here anyway. quite a long way: from italia to australia to switzerland :-)

[Furaventos]

Hello everybody

It is my first comment on this wonderful site for ducatisti !!!

Thanks a lot Hardo for your info. This is what I was looking for years.
I have a PASO 906 since 1991 and she was idling the last 3 years because of Michelin 16' availability in Spain. I have still these tyres in good shape but rubber is quite old by now (just a few km per year for saving them...)

But now as soon as I pass technical inspection I'll change for the Azaros.

By the way, I cannot see the photos of you added at the beginning of the thread ("Pics after the conversion")


May you upload the photos again, please?


Thanks again.
Furaventos

[hardo]

hope this helps,

just put the link directly in your browser, let me know if you have any troubles seeing these pics, I could also send you a mail or pn.

all the best hardo

p.s. my Paso 906 is blue one as well :-), not really a common colour. Did you buy your Paso new?


http://img19.imageshack.us/i/imga0727.jpg/

http://img143.imageshack.us/i/imga0729.jpg/

http://img13.imageshack.us/i/imga0754g.jpg/

http://img11.imageshack.us/i/imga0732.jpg/

http://img529.imageshack.us/i/imga0741.jpg/

http://img25.imageshack.us/i/imga0733.jpg/

http://img151.imageshack.us/i/imga0735.jpg/

[Furaventos]

Hello Hardo,
thanks for the pictures.

Nice to know your PASO is blue as well, but mine is a different blue: a solid dark blue. The blue of yours seems that have a metallic finish. In Spain just a few PASOs were blue so I thought that the only blue was like mine. As soon as I finished some maintenance work I will upload some pictures.

I bought my new PASO in 1992, but she was fabricated in 1991. Two years later the engine was completely destroyed when running in a motorway (with less than 12.000 km): I wrote to the Castiglione brothers attaching an independent technical report demostrating a problem in the design of the piston rod bolts (lack of fillets between head and body bolt). Ducati España provided a complete new engine that was assembly in Spain at Vigo and since then no problem besides the lack of good tyres.

By the way, my chain has 106 links, but my sprocket combination is 15/38.
Do you think I will need to install a new chain and sprocket when going to install the Azaros? (current is new and made of Ergal so lighter that the original one, and more expensive... )

Thanks and best regards.

[persempre907]

A blue 906 was my first bike (a little bit of nostalgia because I was 25...).
I can confirm the colour was a metallic light blue and not a solid dark blue.
Ciao

[hardo]

as far as I know there has been indeed two different blues (light metallic and dark)

@Furaventos

it may work because 108 are needed with 15 / 40. you need to try but indeed 106 could be fine with 15 / 38. When I had to change tires, the chain was not it a good state anymore and hence I could do everything in one step.

however, since the tire has a larger radius, the gearing is extremly long with 15/38. excelaration will be rarther slow. I think the 906 is with 15 / 40 still too long (my combinations, i mentioned that at the beginning of this thread).

all the best, hardo

[hardo]

hi everyone:

for those who are in switzerland. it is very easy to get an official okay from the vehicle inspection here in ch for the avon combination - hence, everything is fine for insurance etc too. they do except the ducati germany certificate. you only need to send them the registration document and they put a remark in it (the remark is necessary because of the larger rim of the paso in respect to the tire). you can do it via mail (this is what I did), you do not need to show up with your bike. i guess that should be possible in eu-countries too - but of course you need to check if this is a way you would like to go th solve the paso tire problem.

all the best, hardo

[nnnnnnorman]

thanks again hardo and everyone for information on this tyre subject. im sure the avons will work well in the wet.