[ninjah]

The stock tires have very little grip, it's not that noticeable when going straight, but on the sharper turns they slip, and motorcycle slides.

I did my due diligence, and went across a few years old thread where the year-round rider from Manitoba put dirt bike tires on his CBR 125. The tires he used were Michelin Starcross MX for front, and Kenda 270 for rear.

I've stopped at three options:

1. > Michelin Starcross MX for front, and Kenda 270 for rear
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Michelin-Starcross-MX-Tire-MS-2-70-100-17-Dirtbike-Off-Road-Tire-/110881815674#shpCntId
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/2/29/393/5346/ITEM/Kenda-K270-Dual-Purpose-Rear-Tire.aspx
2. > Pirelli MT 43 (for front and rear)
http://www.canadasmotorcycle.ca/pirelli-mt-43-pro-trial-rear-tire.html
http://www.canadasmotorcycle.ca/pirelli-mt-43-pro-trial-front-tire.html
3. > Shinko 244 Dual sport
http://www.shinkotireusa.com/product/product.php?id=24

Or leave everything as is and work on handling skills?
Any suggestions are appreciated. :batman

 

[racerboy88]

have you talked to any of the local shops for their professional opinion?

 

[made Man]

do they make pilot road 2 in your size?

 

[CHIA]

Pilot Road 3's are somewhat newish, and well documented to be above average in wet.....if avail in your size.

 

[Mechannibalism]

When you run knobbie tires on the street the corners become a little more interesting. The knobs on the sides move around a lot and are unstable def not recommended...... but they do make an interesting noise. : )

 

[Mechannibalism]

I"m quite happy with the Bridgestone BT 45 I run on my GPZ in the winter.

 

[the bartender]

to get the obvious out of the way, whats the pressure in the tires currently on the bike?

 

[bmcghie]

Pirelli's Angel ST are great in the rain. Not sure how small the sizing goes.

 

[vstromgreg]

don't ask me :devillook

 

[made Man]

i dont think there are car tires that small

maybe a trailer tire?

 

[JamieMurphy]

I am going to be riding year round and I have recently looked into this very matter. I found some good info on rain worthy tire.
Shinko 005 makes a very good rain tire as well as the Michelin Pilot series. The Pilot road 3's have been shown to be a top choice. I have the Michelin Pilot Power on my Kawasaki ZX9R. These tires have a good rain rating as well because of the siping. What type of bike are you putting it on? What size engine do you have. still some unanswered questions.

 

[PoCoRider]

Pirelli's Angel ST are great in the rain. Not sure how small the sizing goes.

Personally I think they're better in the rain than the Road 2's, and are sportier as well. All-round better tire.

 

[crazyshannon]

For riding year round in Manitoba, and pretty much everywhere in Canada, dirt bike tires are the best choice. Because of the snow, and slush. But we don't have either of those problems here, just lots of rain, so I would recommend getting a rain oriented tire. The best street rain tire is the Pilot Road 3, I don't think the others really compare right now. If you want super performance and don't mind wear, you could put on racing rain tires.

Dirt tires aren't a bad choice in the rain either, and they're also inexpensive which is nice. I wouldn't be concerned about which type to get, whatever is cheap and available and fits your bike.

Source: commuted 3 winters in southern ontario.

 

[FASTn50]

The only problem with race rains is they aren't D.O.T. If you are in a serious accident it could have serious insurance implications. Stupid yes because they are vastly superior in the wet but them's the stupid rules.

 

[rz35027]

Is a 17 in rear knobby going to fit between the fork tubes and into the fender? A 70/100 17 tire is going to feel like a balloon on the front of a 125...

 

[doser]

ninjah,
as others have said, a dual-sport tire is unnecessary here in Vancouver, and not a good choice for your 125. but because of the small sizes of your tires ( 80/80-17 and 100/80-17 ) you'll have limited choices. the Michelin PR-3 is reckoned to be the best rain tire for sure, but it's not available in those sizes.
it sounds like you've done some research already, but why don't you spend more time on the various cbr125 forums and (a) search for comments about tires in the rain plus (b) ask the question for feedback.
good luck.
cheers,

 

[ninjah]

Yes, it's pretty hard to find tires in that size, so I'm going to keep the stock tires till I sell the bike. Thank you all for the advice though!

 

[made Man]

Does it really need a rain tire? With 15 (?)hp to the wheel ya not going anywhere quick. Being better on inputs would be of more benefit.

 

[maverick0716]

Does it really need a rain tire? With 15 (?)hp to the wheel ya not going anywhere quick. Being better on inputs would be of more benefit.

You overestimated the hp by 50% haha.

 

[can-z]

Actually 13hp with power commander & race pipe....