The rain has transformed the construction zone’s dust into a thin sheen of mud across the road surface.  No road tire should ever have to put up with this sort of abuse.  Even through these conditions Avon’s new Storm-ST’s are demonstrating exceptional composure.  Eventually the construction zone fades into the rear-views and we’re back to the “Wet Coast’s” norm; light drizzle with a chance of deluge.

Wet high-speed sweepers fall under the Storm-ST’s magnetic spell.  The Storm-ST replace Avon’s Azaro-ST, a tire that served its purpose but didn’t astound.  I sweep through traffic, planted and sure footed…  I’m only about 20% off my regular dry-road cornering pace, and my companion riders on sportier buns have to exercise a lot more caution.

According to the Avon marketing materials the Storm-ST’s have a “Super Rich Silica” compound that allows the tires to get up to optimum temperatures quickly on both wet and dry roads.  There’s also the “Enhanced Aqua Flow” [EAF] pattern, which Avon claims, “rapidly clears away surface water to further increase confidence in the wet.”  Whatever the technology, the result is exactly as claimed and exceeds the wet performance of the Pirelli Diablo Strada handily.

It’s not all in the wet performance, the same quick turn in, positive feedback and confident grip extends onto dry roads.  Indeed, where one is picking their way though dusty or sandy corners on a sport tire the Storm’s traction sees you running a line of choice.  On clean roads taking the tires to the edge is hardly a challenge, this likely owes to the tire’s design which increases the size of the contact patch as the bike leans, giving more grip in corners whilst minimizing wear rates when traveling in a straight line.

So far we’ve put 3000km on the Avon Storm-ST with our VFR800 test platform, but the tires feel as good now as they did when mounted.  We’ll report in on the exact lifespan of the Storm-STs later in the season.  Also of note the Avon Storm-ST is covered by a Road Hazard Warranty, which provides
a free replacement if the new tire is damaged during the early part of its life.

The Avon Storm-ST, while dubbed a “sport touring” tire, perform better than some “sport” tires in the real world.  The Storm-STs exhibit a light turn in, excellent hold and stability right to the tire’s
edge, and a willingness to find traction on surfaces where it’s scarce.  All that leaves one hard pressed to think of a better sport-touring or even sport choice for those more concerned with the road than track.

For more information go to Avon
Tyres website.