Ninja 300 Tires

Like everything else in the vehicle world, it’s the small components that makes the overall feel of the car or motorcycle work their best. That includes finite details like what kind of oil or tires you’re using. You can always go cheap and get your parts that comes at a bargain price but may not work their best for the engine or help you in certain situations. This particular post I’m detailing my own experience on motorcycle tires for the Ninja 300 in hopes that it will help for those that ride the same bike pick out their next set of shoes.

I had a Ninja 250 when I first started riding that came with stock (hella janky might I add) Battlax tires. The bike belonged to a military army guy, but because he’s always being stationed at other places he never got a chance to ride it and left it sitting out in the parking space in his apartment complex (he lived in Orange County near the beach so the air moisture is higher where he lived). The ran the tires for a few months before we noticed that they were cracking from exposure and probably age (I never inquired when the last time the previous owner had changed these tires). I ended asking around and a really close friend recommended the Dunlop Unbeatens. They were the first tires I ran after the stock ones. Ninja 250s and 300s run stock tire size of 110 front and 140 rear, I decided to go a size larger for mine on the rear (150). I was told they sat higher when you go bigger which was true, but didn’t bother me that much.

Dunlop Unbeatens

Dunlop Unbeatens: I swear by these, but unfortunately they discontinued them and created a new one called Alpha 13s which are the updated versions. They’re not cheap and goes for about $300 a set. They’re expensive for a reason because they’re mostly used for racing and the compound is really soft so it grips really well during track and canyons. I had so much confidence dipping into corners when I had these tires on, they made me feel really stable. They also warmed up really well. Although the downside, because how they’re made, the road really just eats into these tires making them the shorest duration of ownership for me.
Duration: 9 weeks
Miles: 4,000
Track Days: 1
Price: $300

Bridgestone S20 Evos: After running race tires, I just couldn’t compare this to my previous tires and cornering didn’t feel as easy or dramatic. The grip to the ground weren’t as evident either, but they definitely lasted me much longer than my previous one. They’re definitely trackable though, but they didn’t feel as great and took some time to warm them up. Compared to the ones I’m running now, after some research I realized that Bridgestones were much more rounder in profile which probably would seem why turning/dipping into a corner wasn’t as steep and easy. They’re overall an okay good, they last long, but I feel like there are better ones.
Duration: 6 months (rear done, front still had at least 5000+ more miles)
Miles: 5026.4
Track Days: 4
Price: $200

Pirelli Diablo Rossos II: These are so far my second favorite after the Unbeatens and is currently still running them. As mentioned above the S20s were rounder in profile while these were sharper (pointier?). I noticed that turning in corners were so much more smoother and much easier, almost like gliding in and out. The stability I felt with the Dunlops were almost similar with these tires.
Duration: Currently still running them
Miles: So far 3000 and going
Track Days: So far 3
Price: $220

Next on the tire’s list:
Dunlop Alpha 13s

At the end of the day, the choice is ultimately yours. If you find others that you enjoyed running on your 300, post a comment below! I would love to hear everyone’s take on their tire choices and I’m always open to trying new ones as well.